More California Adventure Pictures

Dinner is served....  Okay, not now, but sometime in the future.  There was a lot of walls like this in California Adventure.  They are constructing new attractions.

Mr. Potato Head entertained us for a few minutes, while we were waiting in line to go on Toy Story Midway Mania.

Toy Story Midway Mania is a new ride that Dad, Chris, Emma, Madi and I waited in line for about an hour to ride.  It was by far our longest wait for a ride.  Most rides were 15 minutes or less due to our use of RideMax, but since this was a newer ride with no fast past, this was the best we could do.  The line was even longer the night before when we walked past it.  Anyways, since this was a new ride and it says it's a 4D experience the rest of the group decided not to go, just in case it was too much for Alice and Rusty.  I have to say, it was worth the wait.  It was fun.  My competitive video gamer of a husband had a grand time.  

My little girl, who is afraid of loud noises and has such a sensitive heart, is a dare devil.  Would of never guessed it?  I know, me neither.  Although she has always been one to try new things.  Madi's favorite ride of our trip was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but it was followed by a close second with California Screamin.  I was against Madi going on this ride.  She's my baby and it's too dangerous, not to mention, what if she hates it and will be deathly scared of rides for the rest of her life?  

Chris and Darryl (my brother) went on the ride first.  Then came off to switch with Anne.  No adult was brave enough to go on with her, but Madi was.  After I measured her and saw that she was 2 to 3inches past the measure post and talked it over with Chris, we said yes.  She jumped for joy, grabbed Auntie Anne's hand and disappeared into the crowd.  The rest of the group made their way over to where the ride takes off.  We got to see them take off and watch them go around and upside down.  Then we headed off to where they get off the ride.  I was anxiously waiting for them to come off the ride so I could comfort by baby girl or join her in excitement.  It was excitement!  She came walking up to us with a smile beaming across her face.  Although, when Uncle Darryl asked if she wanted to go on it again with him, she politely declined.  I think she was with her dad in that once a day is plenty for Screamin.  

Friday, Chris and Madi went on Mickey's Fun Wheel (in a car that did't move).  As you can see, it is a gigantic ferris wheel.  After Screamin, Madi took her partner, Auntie Anne and went on it again.  In the middle picture of the above three, Chris took a picture from their car of Emma and I on the ground.  We are the two miniature people on the front left of the picture.  

Can't get enough of the carousels.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail....

This was the last picture of our trip at the last few moments of our Disneyland vacation taken at midnight.  Good-by Disneyland, we will miss you.

California Adventure

California Adventure...

While we were waiting in line to see the Aladdin musical, Emma and Alice were having a special moment.  Too cute.

Heimlich's Chew Chew train was a cute ride that the whole group could do.  While Heimlich eats through food, you can smell it.  Since it was fall there was candy corns at the end of the ride.  They smelled yummy.  I wanted to jump out of Heimlich and eat the candy corns. 

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Looking at these pictures, I realized that Emma was a Grandpa hog.  

When I told her that, she just smiled.  

Notice Chris in the car behind Dad and Emma.

I felt sad for Madi; she didn't get to ride any rides with Grandpa, but on this ride she wanted wanted to drive herself.  

Weather

We interrupt these Disneyland trip pictures, for a weather update.  Last week it was beautiful, short sleeve shirt, sunny weather.  Friday it started to change.  Saturday it was cold and rainy.  I turned on the heat for the first time since last winter.  It didn't work?  We made it through the night.  Sunday I was freezing.  It was 55 degrees in our house and I was bundled up and still cold.  At one moment I thought my nose might fall off.  Chris got home that day, from our church's men's retreat.  He tried to turn the heat on as well.  Nothing.  We called our friend that knows about that stuff and thankfully he came over to see what he could do.  After three seconds he got it to work.  Thanks John,  you are a genius!  Although our furnace is failing and not working completely right, we are warm.  He also fixed our fireplace that has never worked.  A bonus was, I was finally able to clean the outer shell of it, while he was fixing it.  It works and looks nice (smile).
Before John came and fixed the furnace, Chris was downstairs trying to get the furnace to work and as he was downstairs he saw a puddle of water in our unfinished office where we have our Internet boxes plugged in.  The puddle was heading toward our freshly painted baseboards laying on the floor and the water was also going up the wall.  Chris quickly got towels and cut the wall before the water went any further.  Thankfully the floor molding will cover up where he cut.  It seems that water was leaking through the window.  Chris also covered the window well.  We thankfully have new windows coming in a week.
Both girls ended up on our bedroom floor last night as there was a loud storm.  It left snow on the ground.
Our first snow of the season.  

Disneyland

More pictures...

Rusty and Mom on the Mark Twain Boat

Main Street

Here is where I talk about how wonderful Disneyland was to us.  With Rusty anxious with crowds and stairs, they took all 10 of us with him on different rides that he needed assistance.  Did you know that Autopia has an elevator lift that Rusty and Chris went down while the rest of us went down the stairs and met them?  It was wonderful to stay all together.  And they didn't make us attempt to get him up the stairs at the Aladdin production.  It helped us make our trip a Rusty stress free trip.  Those are just two examples.  Rusty had a great time.  Saturday morning he wasn't too happy (and the day before, after he met Pooh), but Mickey Mouse made it all better.  Seriously, he did.   After that Rusty gave Minnie a great big hug.

I also have to say, I am, at this point, afraid of getting in the car when Madi is driving it.  I was Madi's Autopia partner and was jarred abruptly.  Darryl and Mom where laughing as they saw the whole thing from behind.  Let's just say, we didn't make it the whole way with Madi steering.  And Chris is going to be with Madi the first time she gets behind the steering wheel in our car.

Are the guys going to ever get off Indiana Jones so we can go in the Jungle?

Disney's Celebrate! Street Party...

Disneyland's Fantasyland

I would have to say we spent most of our time in Fantasyland while visiting Disneyland...

After everyone got off Dumbo, Alice said she wanted to get back on.  Thankfully the next ride was the carousel.  

As Chris was off getting fast passes, on the first day, the rest of us went on It's A Small World.  It was different then 5 years ago.  They've added many Disney characters like Jasmin and Aladdin, Flounder, Woody and Jessie, Tinker Bell, Little Mermaid, etc.  They girls loved it so much we rode it as our last ride of Disneyland around 11:45PM on Saturday.  Chris wasn't excited to go on it, but did it for the girls.  I believe the repetitive music put me to sleep.

Uncle Rusty and Madi waiting for the rest of the group.

Out of four main fairies to join Tinker Bell on Friday, it was Emma's favorite fairy, Silver Mist.  What a special birthday she had.

Madi's favorite fairy is, of course, Tinker Bell.

Emma bought suckers for Madi, Alice and herself to eat during the parade.  Emma remembers eating a sucker given to her from a little girl sitting next to her during the parade five years ago and wanted to experience it again with Madi and Alice.  It kept them busy while we waiting in line to see the princesses as well.

I would have to say Snow White is Alice's favorite.  She wanted to visit her again on Saturday.

There were four cameras taking pictures of this moment and every one of these princesses are looking at a different camera.  Cute.

The girls enjoyed the fall decorations.

First thing on Saturday, Grandpa and the girls headed to Fantasyland.

I had to take the picture of this store's sign as the Mickey Ears say Alice on them.  Emma was the one that noticed it.  Alice's Minnie Mouse hat (like Emma's) was bought here.  And Emma got her Minnie hat at Mad Hatter when she was the same age as Alice (3 yrs.).  Madi and I bought it for her while Emma was on Dumbo with Chris.  Another fact from 7 years ago (in January), Emma was so distracted from being at Disneyland she peed her pants on Dumbo.  I discovered her wet paints as we were taking pictures in the Dumbo by the Dumbo ride.  Sorry to whoever sat down after her.