Disneyland Magic

We love Disneyland. For our family it holds a special magic. Treasured memories seem to be trapped within the gates, and joy is released upon entry to the park. We are able to see, and feel, the magic that is in the place that taps into imagination and dreams. 

It is a place of intense fun and excitement. It would be unhealthy to live in Disneyland daily (the human body can only handle so many churros and Dole whip ice-cream), but it is good to have fun and enjoy wholesome recreational actives together as a family. The memories that are made, and the bonding that happens when having fun, is the glue that keeps family stuck joyfully together. 

I love to take my children to Disneyland. I love that they can see what people can create and build with a little bit of vision and passion. I am always in awe of the decorations, the creativity and architecture of the rides and buildings, and the beyond amazing parades, light shows, and fireworks that are produced on a daily basis. I love creativity, and Disneyland is a place overflowing with the magic of imagination. I know not everyone appreciates it in such a way, but it is all how you look at it. 

The first time I went to Disneyland with Charles, he had a really hard time looking past the commercialism of it all. He had not grown up visiting there as a child, and he was experiencing it without the memories that I bring with me from my childhood days. It took him a bit to warm up to the whole thing, but once I took him on Pirates of the Caribbean his whole outlook changed, and he became enveloped in the magic too. His favorite thing was to see his children so full of wonder and joy. But he also loved going "WaHoo!" on the really fast rides, like Space Mountain. I loved seeing him so full of life and thrills... watching him have fun and being happy always made my heart soar, which added yet another layer to the magic. 

I do miss not having him physically with us when we visit Disneyland now, but I know he is close by when we are gathered all together as family. On the very last night, as we were about to leave, a very warm wind began to blow. It was a special wind... the kind of wind that lets me know Charles is with us. The wind added the crowning glory of magic to our visit... it was perfect. 

This trip was another wonderful journey. We spent 3 days there, which is really a good amount of time if you do both Disneyland and California Adventure. We traveled with my parents, and we just had a really awesome time. 

Oh, also while at Disneyland, I ran into my friend, Carly, from my ward here in Idaho -- it was so fun to see her there! We also ran into some old family friends from Alaska, the Leflers, while gathered getting ready to go into the Tiki room. It was so fun to see familiar faces. 

It is a small world after all! 

Speaking of it being a small world... while I was sitting next to the Haunted Mansion with my family, a lady approached me and said she reads my blog. Her name was Holly Cook. I was amazed she would recognize our family in such a different environment, but it was fun to meet her!  It was actually a direct answer to prayer, because I had been wondering if I should continue blogging, or not, and my short conversation with her at Disneyland convinced me it is the right thing to do. Tender miracles. Thanks, Holly! :) 

Wow, I sure love Disneyland. So much fun! 

Now onto the pictures! 

The teacups are a ride I prefer to watch... the spinning... wow.... but the kids LOVE it! 

 Woo!

 The Christmas Parades are fantastic

 I love to be surrounded by so many people, all there to be in awe of what they are experiencing

 Frozen

 Princesses

 Nighttime at Disneyland is my favorite. It is so romantic and charming

 The gates

 The main street train station at night

 California Adventure is really starting to develop nicely. It is relatively new, and I think with time, it might start to hold precious memories for me as well.

 It was the 60th anniversary

 The castle was covered in diamonds for the anniversary

 Playing cars while waiting for some food

 This is the golden spike that marks the very center of Disneyland, right by the castle.

 We found the Tangled tower! Sammi was so happy!

 Walking around the buildings at night is a magic that just cannot be captured on film

 Sammi was happy to see this too...

 The Paint the Night parade was phenomenal. I have never seen anything like it. Wow!

 Henry was not sure about the whole thing. He was overwhelmed, but he enjoyed being there

 Thunder Mountain is a favorite of mine. Love it!

 William was gimping around most of the time. I will write a post about why next... it was crazy.

 He managed though, and moved around like a champ, despite his pain.

 I love the Mark Twain boat, that area is one of my favorite

 Just chillin

 Henry having fun

 I missed Star Tours, but the kids said it was amazing. They were really promoting the new Star Wars movie... yet another thing to look forward to.

 Grizzly Rapids was a new ride for us in California Adventure, but it ended up being a favorite of mine.

 Oh man, it was FUN!

 The kids got on when there was no line.

 I even convinced Grandma to go on and we had so much fun, and ended up on a raft with a group from Idaho

 The kids love California Screaming. I almost did it this time, but chickened out. I hate roller coasters... but I was feeling pretty brave, just not brave enough... maybe someday!

 Sam and Dan did the Tower of Terror... can you see them? They said it was a blast!

 Ummmm... yes, this was amazingly yummy.

 Taking a food break

 I really love my kiddos... like a lot.

 Dan the Man

 Main street is beautiful during Christmas

 I loved this horse. He was awesome. So strong, and beautiful.

 Matterhorn.

 The line was long, but it moved way faster than normal. It is a classic ride.

 The Haunted Mansion... oh it smells so good in there.

 Henry was a little scared in the elevator part, but he seemed to like the rest of the ride

 We walked right on

 The kids were able to ride the new HyperSpace Mountain 3 times thanks to Fast passes... wait time for it was over 2 hours! Crazy!

 They were pretty happy about it

 Sammi is silly

 They have such great shows. We watched a Mickey show in Disneyland, and the Aladdin show in California Adventure which was really, really, good.

 The pirate line... we walked on with no wait a few times, but on Friday it got pretty busy... we went 3 times because we love it so much.

 We ate at the Aladdin restaurant, the food was really good, and there were only a few people there, it is more private and secluded. It was a nice break from the crowds.

 The Nemo Submarines are fun. We walked on with little wait.

 Such a cute ride

We could see the fireworks from our hotel room as they reflected off the windows. That is how we watched them the first night we drove into Anaheim. It was a great way to get us excited! 

At the end of the 3 days, we were all exhausted in a good way. We had so much fun, and the kids are already talking about our trip with love and fondness. I wasn't sure if we were even going to be able to go this year, but it just worked out, and I am so glad it did. It was amazing.

How cute is this picture? Yes, that is my big, tough, 12 year old, snuggling his Mickey dolls.

Magic, I tell you... magic!