The Happiest Place On Earth

Yesterday we went to Disneyland. We got some annual passports and now we have 220 days of Disneyland fun for the next year. We had fun yesterday. It was hot and a bit crowded, but not too bad. We were there for 8 hours. First we went in Disneyland. We shopped and rode some rides. The girls wanted to go on the Haunted Mansion because we didn’t get to last time. It was cool. Then we were going to ride Pirates of the Caribbean but it was having technical difficulties. By the time we go back that way, the line was a million miles long. We’ll have to see Captain Jack next time. After we toured Disneyland, we went to lunch at the Rainforest Café. I have a membership card for there so we don’t have to wait so long for a table and we can get free appetizers or 10% off. After lunch we checked out the Lego store. Then we went to the California Adventure. We rode a ride or two, did a little shopping and saw a parade. Then we headed on home. Here are a few pictures.


Entering the 100 Acre Wood.


Waiting outside the hat shop. (See Catherine's picture of the week)


My kids and the wicked queen. The wicked queen is the one in the middle in case you couldn't tell.


Sitting in Peter Pan's boat.


Riding in a teacup


Also, riding in a teacup.


Waiting for lunch to arrive.

I got started on this pin trading thing they have at Disneyland. (See www.DisneyPins.com) I got me a cool pink pin necklace with Eeyore hanging off the bottom. I picked out two cool pins. One has the Cheshire Cat, he has a movable tail, and the other pin has Tinkerbelle and says 50th anniversary. Then I got a set of Stitch pins so I could keep one and trade the other three. There was a nice lady working in the gift shop where I bought this stuff. Disneyland calls them “cast members”. Anyway, she told me how to go about getting more. Then I met a lady, not working there, just a lady, who had books and books of pins. She was sitting by a stand that sold more pins. While I was chatting with her, David bought me a Pooh pin. It has Pooh riding on Eeyore with Piglet on his head. Anyway, after all that, at the end of the day, I still had the same exact pins. I did not end up trading a single one. I am such a duh! Oh well, next time. Oh, yes, I did end up giving one of my Stitch pin to a little girl. I had to. Catherine and I were waiting in a gift shop for David and Carolynn were both in the bathroom. Anyway, the little girl was interested in a “cast member’s” Cinderella pin. The little girl had four Tinkerbelle pins. Therefore, her mom traded one of her Tinkerbelle’s for the Cinderella. Well, the little girl was pretty upset. She could not have been more than five or so. She did not seem to have realized she would have to give her Tinkerbelle pins away to get others. So she was crying. However, what made me give her one of my Stitch pins was her mom. Her mom looked at her, and I kid you not, started yelling at her right there in the gift shop. People were staring. She called that little girl stupid. She told her she was a baby for crying. She told her she was so bad she did not know why she even brought her to Disneyland. Then the mom stomped off (she also had a baby in a stroller) toward the other side of the shop, leaving the little girl doing that sniffling thing kids do when they are trying to stop crying. So I gave her one of my Stitch pins and told her to trade it for a nice princess pin. As I was leaving the shop, I saw the “cast member” who traded the Cinderella give her back the Tinkerbelle pin. I could not believe that mom. It was shocking. After we left the shop, Catherine looked at me and said, “I am glad I don’t have a mom like that. She was too mean.”

Anyway, we had a good time. We are planning on returning soon, maybe Labor Day. This weekend we are going to the Del Mar race track to see some horse races and a concert. That’s it for today.