Disneyland. I do love Disneyland. I know there are haters out there and people who don’t like crowds and lines. I don’t like crowds and lines either, but we’ve figured out how to do Disneyland. We extend our visit longer and we plan before we go and we do mornings. Because of this, we were able to have a fabulous time even though it was crazy busy and crowded the week we were there!
We got to the resort about 10 am on Memorial Day and dropped our stuff off at the hotel. Then we took a lovely stroll through Downtown Disney on our way to the entrance.
As we left the hotel grounds and got into Downtown Disney, Tommy said to himself, “WOW! This is SO awesome!”
The boys, Rusty especially, had been talking about the Lego Store for weeks and, therefore, it was our first stop and photo op.
Our plan was to spend a bunch of time in Tomorrowland on Monday and so that’s where we started. It was the shortest line we’ve ever seen for the Nemo Submarines … but there is always time for some waiting-in-line-selfies!
We learned on that ride that Bobby wasn’t going to be such a fan of the rides. He didn’t like the dark. He didn’t like the confinement. He didn’t like the people around us. He was okay while we waited in line – wonderful, actually – but he attempted to scream and cry a lot on the ride. We did our best to make it a fun experience for him and by the end, he kind of enjoyed it.
We saw that the Autopia had short lines as well and we were surprised since both of these rides usually have painfully long lines. So, off we went to drive some cars! You can see Rusty and I by gate 4 behind Ricky and Billy.
I learned that Kevin will be teaching Rusty how to drive in about 11 years.
I had control of the gas and brakes and Rusty had a blast swinging that steering wheel back and forth and back and forth and back …
I thought I had us going slow, but these slow pokes were WAY behind us!
We thought Bobby might like the cars better than the submarine. He loves cars. Nope. He wasn’t sure why we were torturing him like this.
Part of the plan was to catch the Jedi Training session and *hopefully* get a couple of the boys picked from the crowd. See my plan – Star Wars shirts were worn by those who have them.
My planning paid off and both Ricky and Billy were chosen. I may have gotten teary about it – just because I was so happy that they both got to do it! Rusty and Tommy weren’t exactly sure they wanted to be chosen, so they were perfectly fine just watching.
Both boys went through the training exercises and then got to face Darth Maul to show their skills.
Ricky just seemed to be enjoying himself – lots of smiles!
Billy might have taken it a bit more seriously …
He was going to take Darth Maul out.
His OWN way!
And he was totally proud of himself for how well he did!
There were other rides and lunch and navigating the crowds as they got thicker and thicker as the day went on. Bobby wasn’t really warming up to the rides, although he didn’t seem to hate any as much as those submarines. On the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride, he had no interest in using the blaster gun … until it was time to get off the ride. Then he was disturbed that he couldn’t stay ON the ride and shoot!
Our family’s competitive side may have shown itself on the Buzz Lightyear ride … Kevin DID have to help Tommy skunk Rusty’s score.
And the fact that Ricky and Billy scored so similarly was good for familial relationships …
And I did my best not to gloat about how awesomely Bobby and I did (we beat you, Kev, heeheehee)!
By 3 in the afternoon on Memorial Day, even Tarzan’s Treehouse had a crowd!
Grandmama met up with us late in the afternoon and we chilled with a big ice cream while we waited for the Soundsational Parade on Main Street. Finally, something Bobby could fully enjoy! He loved seeing the characters and hearing all the music!
But, once the parade was over, it was time for us to exit. Too many people there for Memorial Day. So back to our hotel for an early bedtime so we could get an early start the next morning!
We were in the Fantasy Tower at the Disneyland Hotel on the second floor. We had two adjoining rooms and plenty of room for the 8 of us (Grandmama included).
Monday Rides and Attractions: Nemo Submarines, Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear Blasters, Tarzan’s Treehouse, Autopia, Railroad, Monorail, Soundsational parade, Jedi Training