Day One of Disneyland was definitely exhausting. We woke up at around 5 am to hit the road early so we could check in to the hotel and take advantage of the 'magic hour' at the park. It was an early day indeed and all went reasonably well. The boys were troopers through the whole day. It was also the latest night as we had plans to watch the World of Color show which didn't start until 8:30 pm - but was SO WORTH IT! More on that at the end.
We stayed at the Disneyland Grand California Hotel.
It was a nice hotel, but mostly it was great being right on the grounds of the park. We didn't take in as much as the hotel as I had anticipated - due to time - but it's all in learning. I don't have any regrets about the choice to stay there.
Considering the early morning wake, the boys were in good moods as we waited in line for our entrance...
The boys were fairly patient while waiting for the rides (as patient as a 2 year old can be). I think the longest line we waited in with Sawyer was about 45 minutes. That's a long time for me, nevermind them. I don't remember that as a kid. The waiting in line ups an hour long. The constant hustle and bustle. I think Disneyland through the eyes of a child vs. the eyes of a parent is very different. In Cars Land we beelined right for the Radiator Springs ride as the wait for it is RIDICULOUS. We didn't have to wait long but the ride froze in the middle while we were on it - which allowed us to go on a whole other time as a consolation - perfect! Mark that off our list right away!
Sawyer had a love/hate relationship with the characters. He LOVED seeing them and HATED being close to them! More on this later!
Seeing these smiles is worth all the waiting, right?!
This is Sawyer's excitement when he saw Lightening McQueen. I'm talking waving, smiling, pointing, excitement galore. So - we waited in line for a photo of him with his buddy Lightening. As you can see...there is no photo of Sawyer with Lightening!
Between Cars Land and our anticipation for the Disney Jr. show (Jake and the Neverland Pirates!), Sawyer fell asleep. On my shoulder. While walking. This NEVER happens. As much as I wanted the snuggles, he's just too heavy, so when we got to our line up for the show, we just laid him down and he slept there while we waited. That should be Disneyland's slogan - 'Hurry Up and Wait!'.
Jackson got a special Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich while he waited. He waited like a champ. I'd say 4 is almost the perfect age for Disney!
The Disney Jr. show was really cute and Jackson loved it. I totally recommend it to anyone whose kids are fans of Jake, Doc McStuffins, or Sophia the First. And you get out of the HEAT! I'll come back to the heat later on, but it was in full effect while we were at the parks.
While on our way to the hotel, we saw Mickey. Sawyer was delighted. Excited. Thrilled. Until......it was his turn! The first photo here isn't about Jackson's adorable Mickey hug, it's about Sawyer's reaction to Mickey, hence my highlighting with a star burst. We didn't push him at all. We just followed his lead...but apparently two feet is just too close. He was so scared Trev couldn't pick him up fast enough and he fell trying to get away. Poor buddy. This was our last attempt at a solo encounter between Sawyer and a character. From here on in, we didn't even bother as he far preferred them from afar. Which is just fine!
Jackson's reaction is quite different. He adores the characters!
Before going to Disneyland, Trev and I had agreed to both let the boys build their own car at Ridemakerz. If you have a little boy who loves cars, trucks, etc as much as ours - this is well worth it. It's a bit pricey, but the experience is just too fun. It's the equivalent to build-a-bear but for boys (and some girls!). They get to custom make their own cars and put them together themselves. We let Jackson make a Monster Truck Mator the last time we were here and it's still a hit at our house. This time around both boys were drawn to things that they associate with their new passions - Rescue Bots! So Jackson built a 'Heatwave' and Sawyer was insistent on 'Bumble Bee' (despite our gentle attempt at persuading him in the direction of 'Chase' (police car) from Rescue Bots! As of now, he still seems happy with his choice!
We decided to do this the first day we were here to give the boys something to play with at the hotel. This was maybe not the greatest choice as they always wanted to play with them and sleep with them and bring them when we left. Ah well, c'est la vie!
Sawyer wouldn't even allow us to package up his new ride in it's 'garage' to transport it. It had to remain in his hands!
Bed time...so close yet so far! After dinner Trev and I took the kids and bathed them and got them ready for bed while my mom and dad waited in line for our spots for World of Color. This was a good plan as the boys were tired and it allowed us to just put them straight to bed.
I was worried that the World of Color would be a disappointment as I've wanted to see it for a while but we always typically do day trips to Disney and the boys would never last (I'm not even sure I'd last!). I even, based on receommendations, made reservations at a fairly expensive restaurant for dinner in order to ensure preferred seating for the show. I think maybe some in our group were skeptical at first - but it turned out to be the right choice. Our location couldn't have been more perfect for viewing. And the show DID NOT DISAPPOINT. It was amazing. And by amazing I mean bring-tears-to-my-eyes amazing. The boys were a bit too tired to fully appreciate the show (I think) but stood quietly in awe for the duration. Beauty. If you plan on visiting it or don't like to ruin surprises, don't watch the video below (which is not mine - just from YouTube!). The video does not do it justice. It really is MAGICAL - even with two tired little boys and four exhausted adults!
More to come from Disneyland! One day at a time, right?!
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