The Browers: California - Disneyland (April 2016)

On Tuesday morning we got ready early so we could make it to Disneyland and be in line before it opened. Last year we were a little late and didn't want that to happen again, but somehow we took a wrong turn and got stuck in traffic and ended up being late again. The security line was also SO much longer than last year and took forever to get through. Oh well.

Kevin and Mal were already in line for Dumbo so Dan took Olive and waited while I ran the girls over to the teacups since there was absolutely no line.

Olive wasn't so sure about the spinning, but she loved Dumbo. The whole rest of the day we tried to fit in as many rides as we could by using fast passes and stroller passes and taking turns with Kevin and Malorie and watching each other's babies.

We rode the teacups quite a few times because the girls love them so much. Ellie and Alta got their own cup but at the last minute a worker noticed them and made them get in with us since Ellie wasn't 7 years old.

We tried to do several rides we didn't make it to last year, including Storybook canal where the girls got to sit in front and be whale watchers (and Olive was mad that she didn't) -

We rode Gadget's Go Coaster in toon town, which Beck loved, but since Olive wasn't big enough she and Penny stayed with Dan. I guess when Goofy walked by Olive totally freaked out (in a good way) so Dan ran over to be first in line to see him. Olive loved it, Penny not as much. Dan texted Kevin this picture while we were waiting in the coaster line and it made us all laugh:

Olive even made Dan wait in line again so she could see him twice. I don't know how she even knows who Goofy is!

We had turkey legs and corn dogs for lunch, and then went to use our fast passes for Hyperspace Mountain. It was fun to see the changes from last year to make it Star Wars-themed. Ellie was really nervous and on the fence about riding it:

but she decided she wanted to and we all liked it. Ellie didn't like it enough to ride twice though so she sat with me and helped me take care for Penny, Beck and Olive (which was a little crazy) -

while Dan, Alta, Kevin and Mal rode it. Alta really did enjoy it but her total lack of expression cracks me up:

We had to hurry over to Big Thunder Mountain right after to use those fast passes. It's Alta's favorite ride and it didn't disappoint! After that we headed to Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. That whole area had been closed last year so it was fun to see something new. Olive liked it and hated it at the same time. It was a little loud so I think it scared her. When we got out the line was super short so everyone wanted to do it again, but Olive saw Tigger and really wanted to see him. The line to see him, Eyore and Pooh took a lot longer than I thought it would, but she was set on seeing them! Everyone else got done with the ride as we were close to the front of the line so they jumped in with us. Ellie got a big hug from Tigger:

Alta had no interest in meeting them but at the last minute jumped in the picture.

We are not a meet-the-characters kind of family, but I loved seeing Olive's excitement!

Ellie said she wanted to do the Haunted Mansion this year so everyone went to that while I took Olive and got a Dole Whip. Everyone raves about them so I had to try it. It really was good, but I'm not so sure it was worth standing in another long line for.

Meanwhile, Ellie freaked out at the beginning of the haunted Mansion and Dan took her out while Alta stayed and rode with Malorie I think. We found some really good clam chowder in bread bowls for dinner and then Dan took Alta with everyone else to go on Pirates. There was no way I was having Ellie ride that after how much she hated it last year, so I took her and Olive to the Tikki room.

And then we finally used our Splash Mountain fast passes, which had also been closed last year. The line wasn't bad, which I later realized was because it was getting late and no one wants to get wet right before the sun goes down. I didn't end up riding, but Alta and Ellie went with Kevin and Malorie and got the best picture ever:

I'm not sure they'll ever go on it again...

While people were eating dinner and finding spots for the parade, we tried to cram a few more rides in. Waiting in line at the Astro Orbiters with Olive, who never napped - the girl is crazy!

We also went on the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, another new one for us that was a lot of fun. The parade had started by then so we watched it go by for a few minutes. It was pretty impressive, but we didn't have a great view and we'd rather use the time to go on empty rides. We ended our day going on the Nemo submarine. We skipped it last year and we liked it, especially since we got to walk right on. We left the park as the fireworks were going off and it was a magical end to a magical day!

We were all exhausted but decided to skip the long lines for the shuttle and just walked to the parking lot instead. Olive was fighting sleep like never before. Her eyes would start closing and she'd jerk them back up.