The quintessential family vacation photo.
All the other Disney pictures are here.
When Grace's Nana first proposed going to Disneyland with Grace, Steve and I were a little uncertain if it would go very well with a ten month old. But you don't say no to Disneyland and we figured there was nothing to lose. Steve and I went there just once in all the years we lived in San Diego, and even then it was for only an evening as part of a conference Steve was attending (and I'm not sure he fully appreciated my ride-maximizing scheme that had us practically running across the park), so we were ready to revisit our youth.
Turns out, it was a great multi-generational activity. Plus, going midweek in March meant good weather and almost no crowds - the longest we waited for a ride was about 30 minutes (and that was for the Nemo submarine ride, the replacement to the good old submarine of my childhood). Add fastpass, stroller switch pass and a grandma who was content hanging out with Grace while Steve and I went on the rides, and it was a great day. Nana had always wanted to eat the Blue Bayou (the restaurant at Pirates of Caribbean), which was a treat for all of us, and we celebrated Steve's birthday there. Grace seemed to get a kick out of the people, the music, the scenery and even the rides. She went on a bunch - Small World, Pirates, Haunted House, Peter Pan, Tea Cups and more. She was a trooper right up until the park closed and then was delirious and giggly on the way to the car, entertaining everyone around. She got in her carseat, fell asleep and we had a successful car to crib transfer. Golden.
We had so much fun that we decided to take advantage of the Southern California resident
promotion and go back to California Adventure, the "new" park (it's been there maybe 10 years). None of us had been before, but we had heard mediocre reviews. Not sure why - we had a great time. The park is themed about all different parts of California, which we found quite fitting for Gracie's Cali-introduction. The rides were fun - more exciting than Disneyland (Steve say's he'll never go on the Tower of Terror again), and we even convinced Nana to go on a ride where she got soaked and by the
end of the afternoon, she admitted it hadn't not been fun and was planning how to stay dry "next time." There was also a great area with little little kid rides, plus playgrounds. Add old California beach music, and it had a great ambience (especially when having ice cream sundaes for dinner!). That day we ended up doing the "princess dining"because it was the only sit-down restaurant open, which was sort of hilarious because Grace was very skeptical. She liked the food, but was a little iffy on the princesses.
Ultimately, I was surprised by what a good time we had. I didn't expect Grace to last for two such long days, but even more, I forgot how fun Disney is. I know some people think it's plastic, artificial fun (though I have always loved it). However, as an adult with a myriad distractions, I can appreciate with new eyes how well they create an otherworldly feeling and have something for everyone. For the time we were there, I didn't worry about how we'll find a place to live (let alone pay for it), how I'd finish my projects at work, or all the logistics of moving. Instead, I remembered all the fun my family had as a kid at Disney World, shared stories with Steve and his mother, laughed with Grace, and marveled at the attention to detail that transforms the imagination. We suspended reality for a bit and had a blast - the essence of Disney!
PS - please forgive the formatting issues with this post... I don't have the patience to figure them out... even though it would offer a good diversion from the cover letter I should be writing. xoxo.
Yeah, for Disneyland! We went about this time last year, and it was truly magical! Graton was job hunting, but like you said, all the concerns and distractions were gone while we there.
ReplyDeleteKei Li is way jealous that Grace got to meet Cinderella.
ReplyDeleteDisneyland Rocks!