disneyland

When Jodi and I woke up on Monday morning, it was clear that we both had caught Allison's cold. The original plan was that we'd all go to Disneyland with Paul, Beckett, Scott, Amanda, and the kids. Jodi had several days' of work-related meetings to attend during the rest of the week, so she opted to stay at the hotel to rest and hopefully get over the cold as soon as possible. Allison was feeling somewhat better, but not well enough to go to Disneyland, so she decided to stay at the hotel as well. I wasn't feeling that great either, but figured that I was well enough to go. Besides, I was flying home the next day and knew I could crash as soon as I got back.





I got a ride with Paul and Beckett, and we hooked up with Scott and Amanda at The Grand Californian hotel in Disneyland. The parents had reserved a room there to use as a "kid central", away from the heat and noise of the park. Turned out that this was a VERY smart idea, since we ended up using the room for naps, lunch, breaks.

Paul put Casey down for a nap in the morning while the rest of us went out adventuring. We went on two rides: Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean.





Both rides were similar in that you got in a boat and were taken on a tour of exhibits. In Jungle Cruise, you travelled through a (duh) jungle and saw tigers, elephants, hippos, natives. Zoe and Riley loved this (Paul was putting Casey down for a nap at the hotel). Pirates of Caribbean was a bit scarier for them since it took place in the dark. Zoe buried her face in Amanda's shoulder for a bit, then fell asleep. Riley buried his face in Beckett's shoulder at first, then started enjoying himself.





Thanks to the convenience of an advance line ticketing system, we never had to wait in line that long. Scott and Amanda were seasoned Disneyland users and had park passes; they acted as tour guides.

I can see appeal of these places, especially to families. There are tons of things for kids to look at and do, and Disneyland is especially kid-friendly. I got a kick out of seeing the children enjoy themselves, especially on the Jungle Cruise, and enjoyed chatting with Scott, Amanda, Beckett and Paul as we strolled through the park.





Mid-morning we took a break, and Amanda bought us mint juleps (VERY yummy) and Toll House chocolate chip cookies. We rested in the shade and sipped our juleps while a ragtime band played nearby and watched the Mark Twain paddle boat sail by. After our break, we headed back to the hotel to see how Paul and Casey were doing. Amanda had bought sandwich fixings as well as fruit, so we had lunch while the kids were changed, fed, rested.





Amanda put Zoe down for a nap in the afternoon while the rest of us continued wandering. The afternoon was much hotter, however, and Casey was feeling the effects of the heat much more quickly than the rest of us. After we picked up some Mickey Mouse ears for Allison and Jodi (embroidered with their names, of course), we decided to opt out of further rides, had a brief break in the refreshment area, and headed back to the hotel.

Paul and Amanda went out to do more rides; Scott stayed back at the hotel to help Beckett with the three kids. I wasn't much use at that point; Allison's cold had finally caught up with me, and I was completely wiped. I lay down beside a still-snoozing Zoe and fell asleep.





My two objectives for the Disneyland visit had been to get my picture taken with Mickey Mouse and to buy a t-shirt. I didn't find Mickey, but Scott snapped a picture of me with Tweedledum (or Tweedledee, I couldn't tell). Paul bought me a Disneyland t-shirt while he was out with Amanda in the evening.

Thanks to Paul & Beckett and Scott & Amanda for the Disneyland visit!

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Today's Blatherpics:

	Me with Walt Disney food! Amanda bought us mint juleps and Toll House cookies.
	Riley, Beckett and Casey, on the way to Disneyland.
	Beckett and Amanda.
	Beckett with Riley, Amanda with Zoë, and Scott. Paul is back at the hotel making sure Casey gets a nap.
	Paul with Riley.
	Riley found the day to be pretty exciting.
	So did Zoë.
	Cora does Disneyland.