Disney Magic

Today started early. It was so early, that I wasn't even sure if yesterday ever ended. I woke up to the alarm clark at 4:30am. After that, it was rush, rush, rush to the airport. Our friend Jennie went with us to drive our new van home. I had already checked in online, so I could skip straight to the bag check-in. We knew we were close to the weight limit, but had no idea how close it really was. Packing for five people for a week takes a lot more than you would think. We have baby food, diapers and every other essential item you could possibly need for a baby, a toddler and a pre-schooler.


Airport security was the usual mess with all our crap. We had to give up some unopened drinks, but came through otherwise unscathed. We got to the gate just in time to board last and rolled right on, stowed our things and sat down. The girls were so excited for the adventure that the air crackled with electricity. Kerri took Liam and Seraya and sat on once side of the aisle, while myself and Kaija sat on the other. Though, I was worried that Kaija would suffer the most during the flight. She has a fear riding in the elevator that causes every elevator ride to be a white-knuckle affair. Amazingly, she was upbeat and exciting and willing to put all fears aside in pursuit of the ultimate goal of a Disneyland arrival!

The flight was relatively uneventful. At some point Kerri looked at me and said with fright in her voice, "This is longer than Sacrament Meeting." This refers to the fact that the flight is longer than the one hour church meetings we attend each week. We have that down, but not we not sure how it would go during a longer time frame. The girls were excellent as we moved from one activity to another and switching places periodically to keep them busy.

An easy landing and de-planing led to an easy baggage retrieval. Kerri waited while I took Seraya to get our rental car. I had purposely reserved a smaller can than I needed, knowing that an upgrade would likely occur. Sure enough, after I stood in the line for 15 minutes trying to keep Seraya occupied, they upgraded us to a larger car WITH GPS! We were lucky we were upgraded because we BARELY fit our bags into the trunk.

When we arrived at our hotel at noon, the staff informed us that we could not check in until 4pm. So we decided that we would head off to Disneyland with our bags locked in the trunk of our car. The girls were tired as we headed over, and alternatively screamed and cried as they bickered about who was touching who.

Once we closed in on the park, however, it was a different story. They calmed down and looked forward to the joys to be imparted from the mind of Walt Disney. By the time we arrived in Main Street USA, however both Kaija and Liam were out cold, sleeping in positions that I could never imagine. We took in the beauty of Disneyland, and decided to sit near the carousel and have a bit of lunch.

After that it was off to the Dumbo and the teacup and the Alice in Wonderland. Seraya was in HEAVEN. She found Alice in Wonderland a little scary at first, but fun overall. At this point, Kaija finally woke up and rode the Mad Hatter's teacup ride herself. She was a little shaky at first, but quickly warmed to it.

We then decided to look towards Toontown for something that Kaija could enjoy. On the way there, we found that the Disney Railroad would create just that diversion. It was a lot of fun, and gave us a chance to rest too. After making a round on the slow-moving train, we exited and headed into Toontown.

This place was MADE for my girls! Immediately upon entering, we encountered one of Kaija's favorite Disney characters: Goofy. She wanted to meet him but was a little star-struck. We finally coaxed her to meet and greet Goofy, but she would not be near him by herself. Typical Kaija antics, to be sure. She was satisfied to take a picture in my arms and wave.

We went to meet Mickey after that and had a similar experience. The kids loved seeing Mickey's house and all his crazy things. When it came to actually meeting him, they both got a little shy, but we did get a picture!

Later, (after paying $15 for four ice cream bars) we took a ride on Gadget's Go Coaster, the little kidde roller coaster in Toontown. I sat out with Liam while Kerri took the girls on the ride. I was a little leery that it would be scary for Kaija. It turned out that she came off wanting more, more, more! (Well, after giving her crazy "I'm scared out of my mind, but loving it laugh"!)

Using the baby switch off option offered for some rides, I went back directly to the front of the line with her for one more round with her and she loved it again! This gave me hope that my sometimes 'fraidy cat girl was actually ready for some of the bigger rides!

We made our way slowly back to Adventureland and went on the Jungle Cruise. Almost immediately, Kaija was startled by the appearance of an alligator, right next to her in the river! Both she and Seraya jumped. After that, Kaija could hardly focus on the rest of the ride as she kept looking over her shoulder waiting for the next alligator. She didn't have to wait long, because the piranhas made us all jump! Seraya proudly says of the trip, "I didn't even get wet!"

The last and most momentous event of the night was the Parade of Dreams, back in Main Street UsA. After finally pushing our way into a spot at the curb. The girls waited, but did not know what to expect. The parade was truly magical! It was like a walking cartoon, every character that they had known and loved were there! Cinderella, Snow White, Simba, Ariel...every new float brought new excitement and wonder! I looked at Kerri, who was getting a little choked up, realizing how special this was to our girls. Kaija was especially funny, waving at every character maniacally! This was by far the best event of the day for them.

We packed everyone onto our double stroller and headed back to the hotel to check in. On the way, we met our friends, the Grangers, who were on their way out for dinner. We planned to get together the next day for even MORE Disneyland. When we finally located our room, Kerri secretly went and layed out new princess night gowns for the girls on their bed. When I arrived with the girls, they were so jumping with excitement to see what the princesses had left them!

What a great and magical day!

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