Disneyland Update
Ok, so it's almost a week later and I'm finally filling in the days for the rest of our trip.
Monday found us with the sun shining but still cool and windy. We started out from the hotel in the late morning and started with a late breakfast/early lunch at the Rainforest cafe. The food was good and we got Allie her own fruit slurpee (it was kinda like a smoothie) so she was content. We'd been having some problems getting Allie to eat well on the trip so we hoped that my making it fun, it would be easier to get some protein into her. Veggies and fruit were generally not a problem. It was protein that she needed and she didn't alway cooperate. So we got what we could into her. A grilled cheese sandwich or maybe some beef or chicken for dinner. It was an ongoing theme for us.
After we left the Cafe we walked down to the Monorail and rode into the Disneyland. Our wandering took us to Fantasyland and a meeting with a penguin from Mary Poppins. We had a carousel ride and then decided that we'd walk down Main Street and head over to the California Adventure Park. Along the way we met up with Mickey Mouse, Chip'n'Dale, and Goofy. We went straight to Soaring Over California. Allie was too short to take the ride so Kathie and Dorothy headed on while Allie and I waited outside. The lines were pretty short and it was only about 20 minutes until the showed up. Then Dorothy took Allie toward the main plaza while Kathie and I took a ride. After we came out, we walked toward the main plaza but only spotted the stroller parked nearby. We looked around and figured out that Dorothy and Allie had headed into the Playhouse Disney live show. So we ventured into a few shops and waited for them.
After the show ended, we wandered around to the backlot area and caught the last few minutes of an animation show. Then got to meet Mickey, Woody and Cinderella. We had our autograph book ready and got them all to sign it. This is a nice gimmick Disney had created. When you meet a character, not only do you get your picture with them, but you have them sign your Disney Autograph book. It's a cute way for the kids to interact with the characters. Then we took on a couple of shows. We went to see the Muppet 3D show. I have always enjoyed the Muppets and this was a fun show. Then we went to the Animation centre across the road and did the Talk with Crush show. This is a neat interactive show that has the audience talking and interacting with the turtle character Crush from Finding Nemo. He asks questions to different audience members and in turn the audience asks him questions. It not scripted and is totatally live. I got to participate in the show and Crush had me talking like a surfer. Dude, it was totally radical and we had an awesome time. It was sweet.
After that Allie got into the Minnie Mouse outfit that Dorothy bought for her and we headed back towards the Tower of Terror. Kathie and others from the group all took a ride. Only myself, Allie, Dorothy and Ken stayed on the ground. I think if Allie had been tall enough, should would have gone too.
After that ride, we headed back to the hotel. I stayed behind at the hotel with Allie so she could get to bed early and Kathie joined the cousins at the Jazz Kitchen for dinner. Many of them were leaving the next day so it was a final dinner at Disneyland. I ordered room service for Allie and I. We watched a little TV and went to bed early.
One thing we started to do this trip was to collect and trade pins. Pin trading is another way to get customers interacting with the staff at the parks and hotels. You'll often see a cast member with a lanyard around their neck with several pins on it. What the guests can do is to trade pins that they already have for pins that the cast member might have. It's actively encouraged and a fun thing to do. We really got into it this trip and have collected 20+ pins. Of course we had to buy a bunch to get started but it's fun. We've also started looking online to find out more about the sets.
One of the reasons I wanted to start doing this is for Hannah. I had though about getting into it when we were there with Hannah three years ago, but never did. I know she would have enjoyed collecting the pins and trading for Princess pins and for characters she liked. Also, I knew that it would be a fun way to remember our trip and something we could build on each time we went. It was mostly on my initiative that we started but Kathie got into after a couple of days and we tried to get Allie involved as well. We would ask her what pins she liked on a cast member lanyard and ask her what ones she's like to trade for it. So if you find yourself at Disneyland, DisneyWorld, or one of the other parks in Europe, Hong Kong or Tokyo, and wander into a pin store, pick up a set and start trading/collecting. It's fun. Hey, you could even send a pin our way and we'll trade one back to you.
Well, that's the update for tonight. It's getting late and I've got to go to work Monday. I'll do another update tomorrow night and continue the adventure.
Lots of Love,
Tore, Kathie, Allie and Beautiful Angel Hannah
Monday found us with the sun shining but still cool and windy. We started out from the hotel in the late morning and started with a late breakfast/early lunch at the Rainforest cafe. The food was good and we got Allie her own fruit slurpee (it was kinda like a smoothie) so she was content. We'd been having some problems getting Allie to eat well on the trip so we hoped that my making it fun, it would be easier to get some protein into her. Veggies and fruit were generally not a problem. It was protein that she needed and she didn't alway cooperate. So we got what we could into her. A grilled cheese sandwich or maybe some beef or chicken for dinner. It was an ongoing theme for us.
After we left the Cafe we walked down to the Monorail and rode into the Disneyland. Our wandering took us to Fantasyland and a meeting with a penguin from Mary Poppins. We had a carousel ride and then decided that we'd walk down Main Street and head over to the California Adventure Park. Along the way we met up with Mickey Mouse, Chip'n'Dale, and Goofy. We went straight to Soaring Over California. Allie was too short to take the ride so Kathie and Dorothy headed on while Allie and I waited outside. The lines were pretty short and it was only about 20 minutes until the showed up. Then Dorothy took Allie toward the main plaza while Kathie and I took a ride. After we came out, we walked toward the main plaza but only spotted the stroller parked nearby. We looked around and figured out that Dorothy and Allie had headed into the Playhouse Disney live show. So we ventured into a few shops and waited for them.
After the show ended, we wandered around to the backlot area and caught the last few minutes of an animation show. Then got to meet Mickey, Woody and Cinderella. We had our autograph book ready and got them all to sign it. This is a nice gimmick Disney had created. When you meet a character, not only do you get your picture with them, but you have them sign your Disney Autograph book. It's a cute way for the kids to interact with the characters. Then we took on a couple of shows. We went to see the Muppet 3D show. I have always enjoyed the Muppets and this was a fun show. Then we went to the Animation centre across the road and did the Talk with Crush show. This is a neat interactive show that has the audience talking and interacting with the turtle character Crush from Finding Nemo. He asks questions to different audience members and in turn the audience asks him questions. It not scripted and is totatally live. I got to participate in the show and Crush had me talking like a surfer. Dude, it was totally radical and we had an awesome time. It was sweet.
After that Allie got into the Minnie Mouse outfit that Dorothy bought for her and we headed back towards the Tower of Terror. Kathie and others from the group all took a ride. Only myself, Allie, Dorothy and Ken stayed on the ground. I think if Allie had been tall enough, should would have gone too.
After that ride, we headed back to the hotel. I stayed behind at the hotel with Allie so she could get to bed early and Kathie joined the cousins at the Jazz Kitchen for dinner. Many of them were leaving the next day so it was a final dinner at Disneyland. I ordered room service for Allie and I. We watched a little TV and went to bed early.
One thing we started to do this trip was to collect and trade pins. Pin trading is another way to get customers interacting with the staff at the parks and hotels. You'll often see a cast member with a lanyard around their neck with several pins on it. What the guests can do is to trade pins that they already have for pins that the cast member might have. It's actively encouraged and a fun thing to do. We really got into it this trip and have collected 20+ pins. Of course we had to buy a bunch to get started but it's fun. We've also started looking online to find out more about the sets.
One of the reasons I wanted to start doing this is for Hannah. I had though about getting into it when we were there with Hannah three years ago, but never did. I know she would have enjoyed collecting the pins and trading for Princess pins and for characters she liked. Also, I knew that it would be a fun way to remember our trip and something we could build on each time we went. It was mostly on my initiative that we started but Kathie got into after a couple of days and we tried to get Allie involved as well. We would ask her what pins she liked on a cast member lanyard and ask her what ones she's like to trade for it. So if you find yourself at Disneyland, DisneyWorld, or one of the other parks in Europe, Hong Kong or Tokyo, and wander into a pin store, pick up a set and start trading/collecting. It's fun. Hey, you could even send a pin our way and we'll trade one back to you.
Well, that's the update for tonight. It's getting late and I've got to go to work Monday. I'll do another update tomorrow night and continue the adventure.
Lots of Love,
Tore, Kathie, Allie and Beautiful Angel Hannah
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