expect).
But the last little while they have kept bringing up Disneyland. Today at dinner Nathan said that he wished we could go to Disneyland. I said, 'me too!' And then Matt said: 'We don't have the money... but I do have some money in my froggy bank.' So cute...
Well, I miss Disneyland too! I think we all want to go back. And now that we've been I think I will try harder to go more often. But how often can you really afford to go to Disneyland? We did it on a GREAT budget this time! Thanks to Jon's Mom for 2 free plane tickets and a Military discount on our 3-day Disneyland tickets. Then Jon got 2 more plane tickets from his Delta miles. So we flew there for free. Yea! :)
Matt wasn't 3 yet, so we didn't have to pay for his Disneyland ticket. So for 3 of us, it was $300. Yes, that's still a lot, but a great deal. We got a great deal on a hotel b/c my brother-in-law works for Marriott. Thanks Jordon!! Our hotel was just down the street, so we walked to and from Disneyland. Whenever we can go again, I will definitely do this again. Unless by a miracle we could afford to stay in a Disneyland hotel, I think this is the prime hotel and location. There was a Mimi's cafe that shared a parking lot with our hotel and we ate there for 1 meal each day. Jon and I shared meals and so did the boys. Then we bought their muffins to-go for breakfast. We bought some food from target to carry into the park with us, and we munched through lunch. We got through our whole vacation without buying food or drink in the park, except for a bag of popcorn. I was proud of us and thought we did great!!
Nathan went on almost every single ride. I think the only rides that we did that he couldn't do were Indiana Jones, and the Screamin' Roller Coaster in California Adventure (which I LOVED). He loved all the rides, even the Tower of Terror. I was so worried about him, I had a hard time feeling scared for myself. He really loved Space Mountain and the Matterhorn. Matt loved the Matterhorn too! So great!! I heard lots of feedback from friends who went later in December that they had a really hard time with lines and crowds, but it really wasn't too bad when we went. Thursday was awesome! Next time we will try and be in the park on weekdays for sure!
I think they got tired of me wanting to take pictures with characters, but you just can't beat those pictures!! And some of their facial expressions (like Matt looking at Woody) were so
precious!
It is such a great memory! Some people say why take them if they can't remember it? But I totally disagree. Matt might not remember it, but I will remember how magical it was for him at the time, and we have pictures and video & it is the cutest thing! If they recognize characters, then I don't think they're too young to go. Especially if they're old enough to talk to you about it. Matt clearly remembers Disneyland right now. He talks about things we did and characters we saw. I'm sure this will fade over time, but right now he remembers how fun it was!
Matt's favorite ride was the carousel. He asked to go on it every time we passed one. So we went on that a number of times.
The playhouse Disney stage performance was awesome for little kids. Such a cute little production and fun for the little ones. Plus its a good break from walking, standing and riding. Good entertainment!
It was also really fun to be there during the holidays. The parade was amazing! And all of the amazing decorations and lights were amazing too! 'It's a Small World' was decorated for Christmas. It was so fun!!
It was such an amazing time. It was truly magical! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Literally!! If we could afford it I would go 3-4 times a year. The boys were so great! They enjoyed it and were very well behaved considering the crazy hours and long days. They loved everything! Me too!!
So... until next time...
We miss Disneyland.
