Friday morning, we were up and at the front gates at 7:30. It isn't too crowded so we head over to Fantasyland, hit Peter Pan, Snow White and Pinocchio. Whenever we would exit one of these rides, Bailee would yank my arm out of my socket and try to get over to the Carousel. "Just a minute sweetie, lets get on these other rides first." So, finally we get on the Carousel and Bailee is in Heaven. I just don't get it, she has a real live horse at home, but she always wanted to ride this. Oh well, that is why it is called the Happiest Place on Earth.
And after the horses you have to ride Dumbo at least once each day.
As we exited Dumbo Bailee saw the teacups so we took another spin on those, and we went down the Rabbit hole while Matt and Jeremy took off to find a restroom. After we got back together, I decided that I wanted to go on the Storybookland Canal Boats. All the times I have been to Disneyland, I don't remember going on this ride, so I was determined to ride it. It was cute. You board a boat and you sail through Monstro's mouth into a land of miniatures. 
We saw Jasmine's Palace, Snow White's Grotto, Alice's Neighborhood, Captain Hook's Ship, and even King Triton's Underground Palace. It was cute. Jeremy leaned over to me and said, "Mom, I'm humongous wouldn't you agree." Which I later found out is a line from the Backyardigans movie they watched on the way down. So after the boat ride, we hopped on Casey Jr. Circus Train. Jeremy wanted to be in the wild animal cage all by himself, Bailee called to be a monkey with Grandma, and Matt and I got the caboose all to ourselves.
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride had been down earlier and as we walked across Fantasyland, we saw that it was running so we climbed aboard. Jeremy was convinced that he was actually driving, and whenever we would turn a way he didn't want to go, I would scream and he would look at me and say "Mom, its not me, this car is broken." I convinced him, however, that it was just because he was a bad driver. Bailee was just turning the steering wheel left and right and didn't care where they were going until Mr. Toad got hit by a train and she turned the corner to discover that she had taken Grandma to Hell, and then she started to cry. It was great. But, by the time they exited, she was a happy little girl again. 
After Mr. Toad's we wanted to go meet Mickey so we headed over to Toontown. On our way, Bailee spotted the Teacups and she insisted that we ride them again. So once again, we all piled into a teacup and spun til Bailee's little heart was content.
After the teacups we headed over to Toontown to Meet Mickey. Disclaimer: We waited about 30 minutes to see Mickey. So even though I had previously said that we never waited longer than 15 minutes, this doesn't count, because you are going to see a character not a ride. Plus, you don't go all the way to Disneyland and skip seeing Mickey. So we did wait about 30 minutes and then we got to see the famous mouse. 
After you visit Mickey, you get to wander around his house. Disney puts a lot of effort into their designs. There is just no place like it anywhere else. Here are some cute shots of the kids playing around in Mickey's House. 
As we were waiting to see Mickey, Pluto was over playing by the fountain, so the kids ran over to him and, thankfully for Pluto, Jeremy didn't head butt him in the groin this time. 
As we were leaving, we saw Minnie walking up to get pictures taken. Mom loves Minnie and she wanted Bailee to go see her. Bailee however was not wanting to see her. She was done with the characters and wanted to go on some more rides. Mom wasn't going to let it go so easily, she grabbed Bailee by the arm and marched right up to her, with Bailee kicking and screaming the entire time. You gotta cherish the memories.
As we were leaving Toontown, the entire group, Matt, Mom, Jeremy, and Bailee start whining about being hungry. It was only 10:00. We did all of this in only two hours. Like I said, I know how to do Disneyland. So Matt requested breakfast at his favorite place in Disneyland: The River Belle Terrace. Here you can get Mickey Mouse pancakes and Mark Twain Eggs, or any yummy breakfast food. So we sat on the Terrace under an umbrella and we ate and watched the Steamboat sail by and laughed at the ducks playing in the wake of the steam boat. Jack Sparrow was even over on Pirate's Lair. Matt tried to take a picture of him, but the camera battery died. It was still pretty cool out, so it was a perfect breakfast.
So because we did all that stuff early in the morning, we decided to take it a little easy. Jeremy wanted to do the target shooting in Frontierland, so Mom and I waited in line to see Billy Hill while Matt and Jeremy went shooting guns. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies is a cute western show. All the performers are named Billy and they all play the fiddle or some other string instrument. I was amazed at how talented they were. Of course, they were dressed like Hillbillies. Needless to say, Jeremy liked this show very much.
After the show, the temperature was starting to get up there, so we decided to take a break from Disneyland and go to the Beach. Our hotel was just right across from the main pedestrian walkway, so it is only a five minute walk to our hotel. I don't know why, probably because I was so excited, but I forgot to pack Matt's swimsuit as well as my own. So we stopped at a Target on the way to the beach and bought some. It was really warm by the time we got parked, changed, and on the sand. Bailee was on a mission, she wanted to find tons of seashells, and tons she did find. Later, Matt decided to make a sandcastle with the kids. They had a blast.
I thought for sure that they would be scared of the waves, but both of them had no problems.
Finally, we brought some kites along and we got those out and started to fly them. The kids weren't interested in them at all. They started to play a game where they would try to outrun the waves as they came sailing in. However, Matt thoroughly enjoyed flying a kite on the beach.
After about an hour and a half I had had enough. The beach used to be my all-time favorite place to be. This visit, however, changed all that. When I was younger I don't remember it being all dirty and smelly. I guess the glamor has worn off. So we headed back to the hotel for a shower and a long nap.
At about 6pm we got everyone up and back to Disneyland. Tonight was the night we were going to watch Fantasmic. So Mom staked out a spot while Matt and I went to rustle up some dinner. We decided on Mexican from a place by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad called Rancho Del Zocalo.
The portions were huge. I could have shared with Mom easily. So we sat by the Rivers of America and ate our dinner. Afterwards, we each took turns saving our place for Fantasmic. It didn't start for two hours, but that is what you have to do if you want a good seat. It was totally worth it too. 
I love this show. Disney just goes all out. They have three screens of water spray that they project onto and they have live acting with it. Anyone who goes to Disneyland shouldn't miss this show. It is awesome. I found a bunch of videos on the Internet and downloaded them and burned them to a DVD to show my kids, so they wouldn't be scared on the rides. Fantasmic is on their too because there are some scenes that might be too scary for younger audiences. So they watched this show over and over. They were so excited to see it live, Jeremy and Bailee knew exactly what was coming next. It was cute. 
So immediately after Fantasmic, they start the Fireworks. They pump the music all throughout the park, so wherever you are, you can hear the fireworks. After the Fireworks, we headed back to the hotel and bed. Coming up . . . Day Four.
And after the horses you have to ride Dumbo at least once each day.
As we exited Dumbo Bailee saw the teacups so we took another spin on those, and we went down the Rabbit hole while Matt and Jeremy took off to find a restroom. After we got back together, I decided that I wanted to go on the Storybookland Canal Boats. All the times I have been to Disneyland, I don't remember going on this ride, so I was determined to ride it. It was cute. You board a boat and you sail through Monstro's mouth into a land of miniatures. 
We saw Jasmine's Palace, Snow White's Grotto, Alice's Neighborhood, Captain Hook's Ship, and even King Triton's Underground Palace. It was cute. Jeremy leaned over to me and said, "Mom, I'm humongous wouldn't you agree." Which I later found out is a line from the Backyardigans movie they watched on the way down. So after the boat ride, we hopped on Casey Jr. Circus Train. Jeremy wanted to be in the wild animal cage all by himself, Bailee called to be a monkey with Grandma, and Matt and I got the caboose all to ourselves.
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride had been down earlier and as we walked across Fantasyland, we saw that it was running so we climbed aboard. Jeremy was convinced that he was actually driving, and whenever we would turn a way he didn't want to go, I would scream and he would look at me and say "Mom, its not me, this car is broken." I convinced him, however, that it was just because he was a bad driver. Bailee was just turning the steering wheel left and right and didn't care where they were going until Mr. Toad got hit by a train and she turned the corner to discover that she had taken Grandma to Hell, and then she started to cry. It was great. But, by the time they exited, she was a happy little girl again. 
After Mr. Toad's we wanted to go meet Mickey so we headed over to Toontown. On our way, Bailee spotted the Teacups and she insisted that we ride them again. So once again, we all piled into a teacup and spun til Bailee's little heart was content.
After the teacups we headed over to Toontown to Meet Mickey. Disclaimer: We waited about 30 minutes to see Mickey. So even though I had previously said that we never waited longer than 15 minutes, this doesn't count, because you are going to see a character not a ride. Plus, you don't go all the way to Disneyland and skip seeing Mickey. So we did wait about 30 minutes and then we got to see the famous mouse. 
After you visit Mickey, you get to wander around his house. Disney puts a lot of effort into their designs. There is just no place like it anywhere else. Here are some cute shots of the kids playing around in Mickey's House. 
As we were waiting to see Mickey, Pluto was over playing by the fountain, so the kids ran over to him and, thankfully for Pluto, Jeremy didn't head butt him in the groin this time. 
As we were leaving, we saw Minnie walking up to get pictures taken. Mom loves Minnie and she wanted Bailee to go see her. Bailee however was not wanting to see her. She was done with the characters and wanted to go on some more rides. Mom wasn't going to let it go so easily, she grabbed Bailee by the arm and marched right up to her, with Bailee kicking and screaming the entire time. You gotta cherish the memories.
As we were leaving Toontown, the entire group, Matt, Mom, Jeremy, and Bailee start whining about being hungry. It was only 10:00. We did all of this in only two hours. Like I said, I know how to do Disneyland. So Matt requested breakfast at his favorite place in Disneyland: The River Belle Terrace. Here you can get Mickey Mouse pancakes and Mark Twain Eggs, or any yummy breakfast food. So we sat on the Terrace under an umbrella and we ate and watched the Steamboat sail by and laughed at the ducks playing in the wake of the steam boat. Jack Sparrow was even over on Pirate's Lair. Matt tried to take a picture of him, but the camera battery died. It was still pretty cool out, so it was a perfect breakfast.
So because we did all that stuff early in the morning, we decided to take it a little easy. Jeremy wanted to do the target shooting in Frontierland, so Mom and I waited in line to see Billy Hill while Matt and Jeremy went shooting guns. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies is a cute western show. All the performers are named Billy and they all play the fiddle or some other string instrument. I was amazed at how talented they were. Of course, they were dressed like Hillbillies. Needless to say, Jeremy liked this show very much.
After the show, the temperature was starting to get up there, so we decided to take a break from Disneyland and go to the Beach. Our hotel was just right across from the main pedestrian walkway, so it is only a five minute walk to our hotel. I don't know why, probably because I was so excited, but I forgot to pack Matt's swimsuit as well as my own. So we stopped at a Target on the way to the beach and bought some. It was really warm by the time we got parked, changed, and on the sand. Bailee was on a mission, she wanted to find tons of seashells, and tons she did find. Later, Matt decided to make a sandcastle with the kids. They had a blast.
I thought for sure that they would be scared of the waves, but both of them had no problems.
Finally, we brought some kites along and we got those out and started to fly them. The kids weren't interested in them at all. They started to play a game where they would try to outrun the waves as they came sailing in. However, Matt thoroughly enjoyed flying a kite on the beach.
After about an hour and a half I had had enough. The beach used to be my all-time favorite place to be. This visit, however, changed all that. When I was younger I don't remember it being all dirty and smelly. I guess the glamor has worn off. So we headed back to the hotel for a shower and a long nap.At about 6pm we got everyone up and back to Disneyland. Tonight was the night we were going to watch Fantasmic. So Mom staked out a spot while Matt and I went to rustle up some dinner. We decided on Mexican from a place by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad called Rancho Del Zocalo.
The portions were huge. I could have shared with Mom easily. So we sat by the Rivers of America and ate our dinner. Afterwards, we each took turns saving our place for Fantasmic. It didn't start for two hours, but that is what you have to do if you want a good seat. It was totally worth it too. 
I love this show. Disney just goes all out. They have three screens of water spray that they project onto and they have live acting with it. Anyone who goes to Disneyland shouldn't miss this show. It is awesome. I found a bunch of videos on the Internet and downloaded them and burned them to a DVD to show my kids, so they wouldn't be scared on the rides. Fantasmic is on their too because there are some scenes that might be too scary for younger audiences. So they watched this show over and over. They were so excited to see it live, Jeremy and Bailee knew exactly what was coming next. It was cute. 
So immediately after Fantasmic, they start the Fireworks. They pump the music all throughout the park, so wherever you are, you can hear the fireworks. After the Fireworks, we headed back to the hotel and bed. Coming up . . . Day Four.
This was an awesome ride. Jeremy and Bailee literally thought we were diving and that they got to ride a real-life sub. It was so cute too. If you have kids who like finding nemo, they will love this ride. Bailee was screaming at Nemo's Dad, trying to tell him that Nemo was right behind him. Jeremy was very serious, because he didn't want to cause the sub to get flooded with water. It was hilarious.
So we got off the subs 20 minutes later and the line was already a 90 minute wait. Whew! Glad we got that out the way. We then headed over to fantasyland and every ride was a walk on. My all-time favorite ride growing up ride was Peter Pan. We always go on that one first. Then Bailee insisted on riding the horses. You think that growing up with her very own horse, she wouldn't get much thrill out of a carousel (more on that later) but we rode it over and over. Then we went on the classic Dumbo ride. Once again, just some elephants floating around in a circle, but our kids were in Heaven. The cast members give you a feather to hold while you wait in line to get the magic in you so when you get in your elephant it will fly. Jeremy was clutching his with his eyes closed determined to get as much magic as that little "feather" could muster. As we took off, he turned to me and said, "It worked mom, I have magic and we are flying." It's memories like that, that make it all worth it.
After Dumbo we headed down the rabbit hole with Alice. I love the Alice in Wonderland ride. It is just a simple little kid ride, but it is just so much fun. After we went down the rabbit hole, Bailee absolutely insisted on riding the teacups. I think that this is her all time favorite ride. So, we all cram into the teacup and immediately Bailee starts giggling. Even before we start to spin, she was giggling and giggling and giggling. Matt and I have looked and looked for a little teacup figurine to buy her as a souvenir, but they just don't make little teacups. Oh well, at least we have some cute picures.
As we got out the teacups, we decided to go on the Matterhorn. Bailee was actually tall enough for this roller coaster so the five of us climbed in our bobsled and headed up the mountain. Bailee was terrified! To say the least, she was scared. I thought for sure she would love it, but the sudden jolts and turns were too much for her little constitution. However, once we got back down the mountain and we were getting off - she all of a sudden started to giggle and say "Let's go on that again, it was really cool." Matt and I just rolled our eyes at her as she was attempting to save face in front of her older, no fear brother.
After our magic morning, Matt was getting grumpy, and everyone knows when Matt starts to get grumpy, just feed him. So we went over to Tomorrowland and grabbed some breakfast while we waited for the Jedi Training Academy to begin. This is a very cute show. A Jedi picks children from the audience to train as a Jedi. After he teaches them some moves, suddenly the stage rises and Darth Maul and Darth Vader apear and they try to convince all the Padowan learners to join the Dark Side. Each jedi-in-training gets to fight Darth Maul and Vader. It is so cute. The kids are so serious and intent on beating him. Jeremy was too shy to volunteer, but I have a feeling next time we go, he will be at the front of the line jumping up and down to get chosen.
Just as we finished paying, Matt and Jeremy came out of Space Mountain. We decided to head over to California Adventure. We had just recently watched Brother Bear and we all loved it. They have a brother bear totem ceremony that I wanted to check out. I had never been on Grizzly River Rapids, so mom took the kids over to the Redwood Creek Trail Challenge (which is rope bridges and climbing, things any boy would love) while Matt and I went on Grizzly River Rapids. I was expecting something like Rattlesnake Rapids at Lagoon. Oh no, the final drop is huge and you get drenched. Since it was a warm day I didn't mind, it was a very exhilarating ride.
After that we had enough fun, so we decided to go back to the hotel for a nap. Mom and I had reservations at 4 at the Blue Bayou, which is the restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. I wanted some time with just me and Mom as kind of a "thank you" for watching my kids all day everyday, I treated her to a nice meal at Disneyland. It was nice to be able to sit and visit and not worry about children. Very relaxing, just what we needed.
The plan was for me and Mom to go on it and then switch and me and Matt, but by the time we were done California Adventure was closed. So we decided to go to bed early. It was a great day and we all had a ton of fun. Stay tuned for Day 3.
After a night sleeping on boards at Whiskey Pete's we get up early and are in Disneyland by opening (9 am). I love Disneyland. Friends and certain family members just can't grasp why I have this deep love for a vacation destination. I have thought about that during this trip and I have come to a conclusion. Unlike other theme parks (Lagoon, Six Flags, Knotts Berry Farm) everyone is just plain "happy" at Disneyland. Everyone is all smiles and just LOVE their jobs. They go out of their way to wish you Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, or even give you pins and stickers if they find out that this is your first trip to Disneyland. Another reason: just like the Church, Disney doesn't do anything halfway. Everything is perfect, elaborate, and immaculate. The park is clean. Even with mutant band students all over the place, the park is clean. No gum, wrappers, even fallen leaves, dirt, NOTHING. That is my kind of vacation. Also, the themeing is incredible. You don't even feel like you are waiting in line because there is so much other stuff going on. They even go the extra mile just for a bench. I love it.
Some people may think that Disneyland = long lines. Not if you visit with me. We never waited more than 15 minutes for any ride, and we went on every single ride that Disneyland and California Adventure offer. OK, side note over, bottom line: I love Disneyland.
Ok, so we get to Disneyland at park opening and both me and Matt are in Heaven. Matt was one of the family members who just didn't get why I loved it so much. Now, however, he is just as bad, if not worse than me when it comes to Disneyland. He loves the park, the food, the rides, the people, and most of all - smells. So we walk under the bridge with the plaque and Matt and I turn into little kids. We are giggling and laughing, smiling and taking in the atmosphere of old town Main Street USA. 
Our very first ride everytime we go to Disneyland is Pirates of the Caribbean. We don't know how it started, so we head to pirates and float down the bayou before we get dropped down into the Pirate's world. We see Davy Jones, the cursed aztec gold, Barbosa demanding the manilanders to produce Jack Sparrow, the red head getting auctioned off, Jack hiding from all the pirates, the dog holding the keys to the jail and then we return to the bayou. I love pirates. Disney does such a great job with the animatronics on their rides. Jeremy and Bailee were both convinced that it was the real Jack Sparrow. It was awesome.
Afterward we hit Splash. Bailee was still too short to ride, so we did baby swap with my mom. I LOVE baby swap. The cast member gives you a slip of paper. One person waits with the baby while the others go on the ride. After the ride, you meet your party, give the cast member the slip of paper and they put you on the ride right away with no waiting. It's great. Anyway, since Bailee couldn't go on Splash, the only kid ride close by was Winnie the Pooh. Because we love Splash so much Bailee probably went on Winnie the Pooh over 20 times. It got to the point where she would point and gasp and tell you what was coming next. It was great.
After our time in Critter Country we headed over to New Orleans Square. Matt's favorite ride is in New Orleans Square - The Haunted Mansion. Jeremy loved it, Bailee was terrified, and Matt acted just like a little kid scaring Bailee and telling Jeremy there was a ghost sitting right next to him. It was hilarious.
After the Haunted Mansion, Matt finally got to fulfill his dream of sailing on a real pirate ship. We boarded the sailing ship Columbia for a tour around Pirates Lair. Every other time we have gone to Disneyland, the Pirate Ship wasn't sailing, but since the Steamboat was down for repair, Matt got to sail a Pirate Ship. Like I said, just like a little kid:
After our "cruise" we headed over to Buzz Lightyear. Jeremy and Bailee both absolutely LOVE this ride. All it is are ships with guns and you shoot the targets and get points. Simple but it does have the disney touch. After the ride you can e-mail yourself a picture they take of you with your final score. I don't know how she did, but Bailee beat Mom and Jeremy. She must be our little sharp shooter. She is space ranger 2 on this first picture. Matt blew everyone out of the water. He takes his score VERY serious. :)
When I was younger I loved the Muppets. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo. This show was awesome. The only thing that makes me feel bad is that Bailee was having pure terror. She put those glasses on and she thought for sure that the bugs and butterflies were headed straigt for her. I felt so bad. As we were leaving the show she was shaking because she was so afraid.
So to make it up to her we headed over to Playhouse Disney. If you have younger kids, this is the show for you. Anyone who is familar with the Playhouse line-up on the Disney channel will recognize the characters in this show. It starts with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, then Handy Manny, then Little Einsteins, then My Friends Tigger and Pooh, and then ends with Mickey Mouse again. It is so cute. You little toddlers will jump, jive, and sing. Some people think that Disney park tickets are ridculously overpriced, but when you think about all the extra stuff besides just admission to the rides, you are actually getting a deal. The show was cute and kids had a ball.
After that we sat and watched my all time favorite parade ever. The Pixar Play Parade has characters and floats from all the Pixar Movies. It was cute and clever. I was sad that this was the only we got to see it. The whole rest of the trip I kept trying to make it back to watch, but it never worked out. Big thumbs up for this parade. The colors were vibrant and floats were clever, the music was upbeat and everyone had so much fun.
So after the Pixar Play Parade, we head back to Disneyland to watch the Parade of Dreams. These floats are so pretty and you see some characters in this parade that you can't find anywhere in the park. Jimminy Cricket, Tinkerbell, Queen of Hearts. It is just a fun parade, and the music is wonderful. Any disney fan will love it.
So after the parade of dreams we headed back to the hotel. The weather was perfect. It was 70 the whole time. It got a little cold as we watched the parade of dreams and we needed blankets, but other than that, it was a perfect day. Stay tuned for Day 2. 