Red-Eye Stamper

Here's what I've been doing the past week.

Post copied from our family blog.

We did it! We took a full week of life off. Kurt had to present his research poster at a convention in Anaheim, so we thought we would tag along. And if you're going to be in Anaheim for a week, visiting Disneyland is a must. It was our first time visiting this Dream Palace. We had a BLAST! The boys loved it, and the rides were fantastic. The ambiance and environment truly were magical.

The park wasn't very crowded, and we got on every ride we wanted to ride on. The wait time was minimal to none, and we even rode multiple times. Thanks to all of your Disneyland tips, we were able to maximize our time using the Fast Pass and we downloaded Ride Max to help plan our itinerary at the park.

Things to remember:

* Jedi Training. We didn't realize that not everyone got a chance to go up and train. You get picked out of the audience. Owen had high hopes, and I really wanted him to get picked. I made a fool out of myself, but we got noticed out of all the other hundreds of kids and he was able to go up on stage and train to become a Jedi and fight Vader. He LOVED it!

*Even if your kid is 40" tall, it doesn't mean you have to take him on the ride. I must admit, having a 2 year old who is 40" tall is a plus at Disneyland. No waiting to switch off with your husband so you can ride too. Gavin was tall enough to ride every ride we went on except , Soarin, Splash Mountain (he was tall enough, but we didn't dare put him in a seat by himself), and Grizzly River Run. We took the kid on every ride that we rode except the Tower of Terror. (I couldn't even imagine taking Gavin on this ride-I myself almost pee'd my pants.) The thing is, you think since he meets the height requirement that it is all good, it's a ride suitable for someone who is 40" tall. Not knowing what the rides were like, going into them blind, I think he was definitely traumatized after riding the Matterhorn and Space Mountain. Poor thing.


* Mickey Ears are a must! Even if it costs you $45 for 3 pairs. (Ouch!) Of course my boys opted for the pirate themed ears. Complete with bandanna and earring. They do monogram them for free to lessen the sting though.

*Strollers. I have never seen so many strollers in one place. The weird thing was, I felt that my stroller and belongings were safe amongst all the other millions of strollers.

*Souvenirs. It's not everyday that you get to visit Disneyland. You have to get something to remember your trip by. The boys chose pirate swords for their souvenirs, I on the other hand opted for this super cute purse that I found in a shop near the Indiana Jones ride. Although it hasn't one Disney logo anywhere on it, the nice little O'Neill logo on the front will do just fine. (Insert big smile on my face.)

*Gavin pretty much had no "potty" accidents the whole time we were at DL. It was awesome!

*Top 5 favorite rides. (in no particular order) 1. Splash Mountain. 2. Space Mountain 3. Soarin 4. Indiana Jones 5. Pirates of the Caribbean.

*Weather. Perfect.

*Hotel. Desert Palms Hotel and Suites. Free Internet, free parking, fridge/microwave, affordable, within walking distance to Disney. Would stay there again.