California Trip 2014

We took off to California the last week of summer to visit Colin, Lela, Mavry, and Eliel. While we were there, we spent LOTS of time at Disneyland. This was the first visit for our little family, and we all loved it despite some exhaustion. We bought a four day park hopper pass, so we got to visit both Disneyland and California Adventure as we pleased. We also got some great beach time and even a cookout on the last evening we were there.

Day 1

We left Texas about 2:00 pm on Saturday. The boys were so excited to fly, and each got a window seat, so they got to enjoy the fun and beautiful views. When we arrived in California it was 3:00 pm, but 5:00 pm for us. Lela's family had arranged their eating schedule to match with ours, so we went to a nice restaurant called Wind and Sea on the pier. We got to sit on the patio next to the water. It was lovely. After dinner, we took a long walk along the harbor down to a little beach called "Baby Beach." The kids loved playing in the sand and water.

Curtis and Mavry running
 outside of the restaurant

Lela, Eliel, and Mavry at Baby Beach

Such fun!

Day 2

Our first Disneyland day! Since it was Sunday, Colin got to spend the day with us at Disneyland. This was a really long day, but so fun. We were all exhausted at the end.  We rode Autopia (boys got to drive cars), Star Tours, Astro Orbitors, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Gadget's Go Coaster, Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin (Curtis hated this one), It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dumbo, and we also rode around the park on the train. That evening we went back to Colin and Lela's for homemade pizza.

Our first ride: Autopia
Wesley drove me around

Curtis drove John Mark around

My Marvel-loving boys loved the Innoventions Center where they got to see life-size Iron Man suits and put on and "test-drive" a virtual Iron Man suit that matched their movements on the screen.

Wesley trying out his suit

Curtis trying out his suit

Meeting THOR! We even took the Bifrost to Asgard.

Meeting Captain America

We ate our packed lunches in Tomorrowland where they were preparing for the "Jedi Training Academy" show. Both of our boys got picked out of the crowd to participate. They learned how to operate their light sabers and even got to fight Darth Vader! It was a great show, and John Mark and I both loved watching our boys get to have so much fun. John Mark said he felt proud that our boys took on Darth Vader. :)

Wesley and Curtis on the far right on stage

Curtis fighting Darth

Wesley fighting Darth

Soaring through the air on the Astro Orbitor

Waiting in line for Gadget's Go Coaster.
Sadly, Mavry didn't meet the height requirement to
actually ride, but she didn't seem to mind.

Eliel and I had a matching day!

Riding It's a Small World

It's a Small World - a nice and cool break

Wesley and Curtis on the
King Arthur Carrousel

Mavry loved the carrousel!

Flying high on Dumbo - JM and Curtis

The boys also got to spend some time
in the Lego Store at Downtown Disney
on the way out.

Day 3

Our second day at the park was shortened because we were concerned that Curtis was feeling bad, but we decided he just hadn't eaten enough the day before and his stomach was having some issues. He felt better after eating. We stayed home and relaxed a bit and then headed to California Adventure Park. I rode the Mater ride with everyone, and then I ended up going back home with Lela because the parking situation and her kids' nap times were not working well together. John Mark and the boys stayed at the park for most of the afternoon, but didn't take any pictures. They spent a lot of time at Disney Animation (air-conditioned) where they got to go to the Turtle Talk with Crush (Finding Nemo) show and Sorcerer's Workshop (with the Beast's library and Character Close-Up). I headed back to pick them up around 3:30 pm, and we stayed home long enough for John Mark's famous quiche and biscuits supper. After supper we went back to California Adventure because we had FastPasses for the Radiator Springs Racers ride that JM and the boys had gotten that morning. We got to avoid a 90 minute line! None of the pictures I got of Radiator Springs turned out in the dark, but it was really fun all lit up like on the movie. 

Mater's Junkyard Jamboree

Radiator Springs at night

We got to ride in Lightening McQueen on
Radiator Springs Racers. It was a really fun ride!

We rode a couple more rides before going
home. JM and Wesley on Jumping Jellyfish.

Day 4

Tuesday was our third park day, and this was our Magic Morning day! We got in the park an hour early, and we spent most of that time waiting for the Peter Pan ride. It was fun, but very short for such a long line. Colin took off work to go with us on Tuesday, but only had a ticket for California Adventure. We stayed on the Disneyland side to do Peter Pan, Star Tours (the second time, because it was Curtis' favorite), Matterhorn Bobsleds (just JM and Wesley), Mad Tea Party (spinning teacups), Sleeping Beauty's Castle Walkthrough, and Storybook Land Canal Boats before heading over to California Adventure to meet up with Colin and Lela's family. We also picked up a FastPass to do Splash Mountain later in the day.

My cute matching boys riding the tram
from the parking lot to the park

Peter Pan's Flight

Storybook Land Canal Boats

Back over to California Adventure

Meeting Flik

On Flik's Fliers in A Bug's Land

Flik's Fliers

Wesley rode a big roller coaster (California Screamin') at Paradise Pier on this day! He went upside down and liked it! He even says it was his favorite ride of all. While JM, Colin, and Wesley did that, Lela, Mavry, Eliel, Curtis, and I did the carrousel (Curtis and I did it twice since there was no line) and then got to meet Buzz Lightyear. That afternoon we also did the ferris wheel together, and then went to the late afternoon Aladdin Musical at Hyperion Theater. We were all impressed with the show.

King Triton's Carrousel

Curtis meeting Buzz

Mavry meeting Buzz

The boys meeting Pluto

Meeting Woody

Wesley getting to hold Eliel while in the
ferris wheel line.

All of us got in the same car on
Mickey's Fun Wheel. 

JM says he got nervous on this one!

Late night ride on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train
He was hungry and we helped him find some food!

Day 5

We started this day out with watching Lela milk a goat! She is in a co-op where she milks and takes care of a goat once or twice a week. Wesley says milking the goat kind of grossed him out, but both boys liked visiting a farm in the middle of the city. JM stayed home with Mavry since there wasn't enough room in the car for all of us to go.

Wesley getting to milk

After getting back home and collecting John Mark, just the four of us headed back to spend a half-day at California Adventure. We started off with Grizzly River Run (raft ride), then The Little Mermaid's Undersea Adventure and Goofy's Sky School. When we went to check on the line for A Toy Story's ride (too long), Buzz was back out. Wesley was on the roller coaster the first time he was out, so he got to meet him as well as Jessie. Lastly, we used our FastPasses we had gotten to ride Soarin' Over California, and then we stopped by Redwood Creek Challenge Trail to do a few things.

Grizzly River Run. We got wet!

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid

Wesley meeting Jessie and Buzz

Enjoying the hammered dulcimer player

Walking up high on the net at Redwood Creek
Challenge Trail

Wesley rock climbing

Curtis rock climbing

Our last day the boys got to pick a
souvenir to buy. They both decided on
build-your-own Lego mini-figures.

We left the park early on Wednesday to head to the beach! We went to Corona Del Mar with Colin and Lela's family around 3:00 pm and spent the evening there. We got a fire pit and cooked hot dogs and s'mores after a couple of hours of playing in the ocean. It was beautiful. We got to see and hear a few sea lions as well. 

Mavry and Wesley

Wesley buried in the sand

Curtis buried in the sand

Cook out

Cute cousins

Our little family

Mavry and Wesley

Hilarious cousin pic

Curtis and Eliel

 

We had such a great time, and we loved seeing our family. I know it was exhausting for us to all invade their home, but we made some great memories together!