It’s our last morning in LA before we head on down to Anaheim to meet up with the olds. Our transfer won’t be here until 11am to pick us up so we enjoy a little sleep in followed by a breakfast at “K24” aka “Kitchen24”, a café/restaurant that’s open 24 hours. How we did not know this until the last day, I don’t know! Everything on the menu looks delicious but in the end the decision was simple…. 2 x Eggs Benedict!! With bacon, breakfast potatoes and avocado as well and all washed down with a fruit smoothie. This café also has a menu of specialty cupcakes, a different one for each day of the week. But alas, today’s delight had just come out of the oven and not ready for dressing, so we settled for 2 red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. As it would turn out, 3 days later, the frosting would be the majority of this little delight that I would consume.
Our transfer arrives and we pack up our green and purple suitcases into the back of the bus. The trip should take us about an hour to get out of LA and down into Anaheim and more importantly, checked into our hotel a short walk down from Disneyland!!! Once we arrive at our hotel, we are surprised with a $100 hotel credit to use in any of the restaurants throughout the hotel and room service. We drop our bags off in the room, freshen up and get ready to high tail it up to Disneyland to meet the olds. At this point in time it’s almost 1 pm and it turns out that Mum and Dad have been in the park already since 8am.
We finally meet each other inside the main gates of Disneyland and the two of them are so excited to see us. The most amazing thing about this place, “The Happiest Place on Earth”, is that no matter how old you are (referencing adults in this sentence) when you’re inside the gates of Disneyland, you’re automatically 10 again. All of a sudden both mum and dad begin detailing the adventures that they have had so far today, including the rides that they’ve been on (some of which turns out are only meant for actual children to ride). But that doesn’t stop my 10 year old at heart parents from giggling all throughout the short selfy video of the two of them on the “Zephurr” ride which went a little too fast for them (if you could see the video you would be wetting yourself right about now).
But the first purchase for the day would have to be 2 bottles of water to get us going. It’s around 30-35 degrees out and in the middle of the day. The next 9 hours (yes until 11pm when the park closes) are spent darting to and from the rides, the attractions and the shows being run from all over the park. First ride for the day, well for at least the part when Lise and I arrive on the scene, is the Star Wars ride. The wait in line beginning outside of the ride wasn’t too bad and a short half an hour later we were inside and in line waiting to board our space ship. Our “space ship” is about 6 rows long with around 8 seats in each row (there are 4 of these that run at the same time so getting through the crowds lining up makes it a less painful wait). So the olds have already been on this ride once earlier today and it turns out that it’s Dad’s favourite so far. The ride begins and I hear mum say “this one is different to the one we saw”, of the 3D movie component of the ride which makes us appear as though we are flying through all the landscapes of the Star Wars movies. Throughout this ride, for the parts that catch you unaware, they make you scream with fright but almost at the same time you find yourself laughing hysterically at the fact that you, a person of adult age, is still scared the same way you were when you were a 10 year old. Lucky I’m a girl cause I sure scream like one!!! Hilarious, so hilarious in fact that we went on this ride (all 4 of us) another 3 times that same day!
The rest of the day and well into the night, at least the three of us (Dad, Lise and I) trekked all around the park with mum in tow and went on any ride that we could. Have I told you how much fun this day was with the four of us, already!!! We also took a few rounds on the tea cup ride, first Lise and I, then Lise and Dad in one and Mum and I in another, then in true family form….. we all get in the same one. Sorry, make that the 5 of us….. Even Pig Crackers joined us in the fun. I never knew how my knees tasted until that day!!! Hahaha
About 3.30pm we find our spot which would give us the best vantage point to see the parade. Lise and I head off in search of the magical place where the choc dipped wafer basket full of choc mint ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce delight comes from…. We follow the creamy scent of fresh home-made ice cream to the land of the café. A wonderful place where everyone leaves with a smile on their face… And a hand full of ice creamy goodness to devour before the sun melts it all away. By the time we get back to Mum and Dad the parade is almost ready to start. Although the parade only lasts around 20 minutes, I was taken right back to my childhood years and I remember how much Disney was a part of our lives growing up. I don’t even know what to compare it against in today’s world. I almost had to fight back the tears (good tears). This place surely knows how to make you feel 10 again.
One last story from our first day in Disneyland (before Lise and I head over to California Adventure tomorrow), that I just must share with you all. As I mentioned before, Dad, Lise and I tackled most of the rides this afternoon/night. Another favourite of Dad’s seems to be the gold mine train ride, because we go on this one 3 times (twice in a row even) while Mum is the official photo taker as we zoom past her screaming and with our hands in the air. Then it’s off to the log ride kind of ride over in Critter Country. This ride finishes off with a huge drop from a great height and down into a pool of water which of course creates a huge splash up each side of our “log” drenching us in the process. The ride itself was ok and was still fun but the most hilarious part of this ride and the part that would have both Lise, Mum and I in fits of laughter afterwards for a good 5 minutes, would have to be viewing the photo that got taken as we begin our descent down the last fall, and seeing Dad’s face as the flash and camera go off to capture our magic moment. OMG, I can’t even begin to describe his facial expression but it’s one that our family will have in our memory for a very long time. And if at all we forget the exact way that his eyes are clenched shut and the fright over his face…… we have it in print and as a digital file!!!!!!!!!!!!
