So it’s pretty late, but it’s Saturday, and I figure I’ll never write it otherwise, and what’s another half hour or hour at this point, right? (Cut because it might be long and probably won’t interest anyone except those who were there.)

After the earthquake, we went on to California Adventure. On the way we passed by a lot of people who were leaving the parks. Found out that all the rides were shut down until there were maintenance checks to make sure nothing was damaged. First we sat by the lake for a while then went on to get fresh tortilla and sour dough bread. XD I never would have thought to go in there myself. It was my cousin who told us about it. Wish she could have gone on our trip, but she said she was Disneylanded out. :(

After that … got drinks near that pier place/boardwalk or whatever … Daddy and I shared a root beer float. It was good, but … ice cream ain’t so good on a hot day if it’s heavy on the cream side …

On to Toy Story Mania, where we stood in line for about 45–60 minutes, I don’t really remember. It was really fun! I got the highest score, 158,000. XD; Really surprising, ’cause I suck at Astro Blasters. >_> I was the only one to get a cat for a prize…

After that … Mulholland Madness? Then that giant spinny ride next to the swings. Umm … I think we checked Tower of Terror next, and it was a 45 minute wait which we weren’t willing to … withstand.

Now I don’t remember the order of things. We never got on Tower of Terror on that trip. :( First ride I go on next time!! California Screamin’, dinner at the Pilots Test Grill or whatever, umm I guess some people went to wait at Soarin’ over California. Daddy, Tadash, and I went to the animation studio area.

Looked through the store there, saw a book on Disney animation I really wanted. It was $60 thought, and it looked like many, many hands had handled it, and I couldn’t find another copy on the shelves. :( Then in the animation studio place, went through the spinny drawing room, skipped the character test and the singing room (both were so crowded!) Sat in the main room watching all the animation/music roll through.

Oh, before that we saw the spinny thingy of Toy Story toys in the animation place … that was really cool, except it hurt my eyes.

Then everyone joined us and we went to watch Turtle Talk with Crush. I still have no idea how that’s done … all computerized? That’s friggin’ … I had no idea computers could handle that much.

Went out to watch the light parade. Sort of not a good view, because there was a tree in front of me in the direction the parade came from … but then I could see lights piled up down the street as they went backstage, which was pretty.

On to Disneyland, got there as the fireworks were going on. I rememer the pirates part was going on … we went to Tomorrowland. Um, I think we did Astro Blasters, Finding Nemo, and Star Wars before the park closed.

That was the first time I went on Finding Nemo, and I did not see what all the excitement was about. But then again, I never really did like sitting in the sub. At least there was a bit more space than I remembered from my childhood … The show going on was good though, I have to admit. Sort of annoying, again, because the audio didn’t always match up with my screen. I’d hear something, then wait to see it. But meh. I guess riding in a sub is always novel…?

That night, our toilet flooded, and we had to unclog it ourselves, even though it was slow when we got there … but we got what we paid for I guess. ($70 a night.) Didn’t get to bed until 2. Um, woke up around … 8:30 or 9? I don’t remember. Got complimentary breakfast at 9 or 9:30. Was in the park after 10.

At the entrance we saw the band and Alice and Mad Hatter doing a show. :D But … we didn’t even catch a minute of it before it was over, and they walked away. :( I wanted to follow Alice and Hatter to wherever they were going XD but uh consensus was that we … follow through with our previous plans. Auntie, Mum, and SM00 went to get fast passes for Splash Mountain and the rest of us went to Autopia.

After we all met up again, some people got fast passes for Space Mountain and then we trekked over to Splash Mountain. I rode in the second to last seat and did not get wet. Maybe a little on my glasses. But that’s more annoying than anything. Boo. Oh well. Will not ride in the back next time. XP

Oh yeah, on California Screamin’ I rode in the second to the front row. Was not spectacular. (Going down the big drop, had to wait for the rear of the train to catch up before we went.) W88 and C rode in the very front row, and they said it was fun. Shall try that some time. Hopefully I won’t stop breathing though. :o

Then … Thunder Mountain? Or Haunted Mansion. After that was one or the other. Then some people went to Pirates. I didn’t go on ’cause the line was waaay too frickin’ long. It was probably only a 30 minute wait, but I didn’t want to stand in the sun for 20 minutes. So I caught up with Auntie and SM00 and wandered around the shops there. ‘Twas cool, never did that before. Never really realized they were shops. XD;

Oh, before Pirates we ate at that restaurant near the shops. I had a Mint Julep. Meh. Wish I’d put more Sprite in it, then I would have liked it more. XD; I don’t like mint in anything but candy, ’cause otherwise I feel like I’m eating leaves … I know I’m weird.

Then … I don’t know, Space Mountain? Mum, Noelle, Mickey, Hidek, and I didn’t go on. After that … bah, I don’t remember. It must have been 2:30ish or 3.

I guess we went to the house of the future? It didn’t really wow me, mostly futuristic computer gadgetry which I don’t believe will happen. But I liked playing with the pictures in the “living room” area. XD (Yes I want HP’s touch monitor computer. :O )

Then we went to Toontown. Got fast passes for Roger Rabbit, wandered around Toontown for 45 minutes then went on Roger Rabbit. Wow, spinning the car is hard. When I went on it the first time (when I was 13? XD;) I didn’t touch the wheel. I don’t remember ever having gone on the teacups.

6ish or 6:30, left Toontown and caught the Parade of Dreams. Um. We stood on the cement planters outside Toontown/It’s a Small World. Had sort of a good view. There was a kid (teen really) who stood in front of me and decided to release a Micky Mouse balloon just high up enough to block my view. >_> When the parade stopped the first time, I think Pinocchio was in front of us. That was cool. But the second time it was Lion King. argh. Just a little farther was Alice in Wonderland!! I thought, noooo, so close!

Dinner was pizza. We ordered two pizzas and barely finished them. :o Then Mum, Tadash, and Mickey split off to ride the Monorail and the rest of us went on to Main Street, but the three called and wanted their tickets so they could get fast passes in case they couldn’t get back on the Monorail in time to get back for the fireworks. Then a whole mess of people not finding each other and simplifying plans all around and skipping both Ms and just sitting on the ground waiting for the fireworks. Yaaaay! :D

Sat to the right of the castle, best seats ever! Well except for possible in the very middle of the circle, or maybe closer to Main Street. But oh well. The kids, sans SM00, rushed over to the Rivers of the World for Fantasmic on Tadash’s advice, and got really good seats by the river. woot! Of course lots of people rushed there too, so everyone was holding on to the person’s shirt in front of them. XD; People near us were commenting on feeling like cattle. Yeah, I have to agree. But it was worth it. For that once. XD

After, waited for the crowds to thin. Also gave us time to gain the feeling in our feet. :o We are old fogeys, no longer little kids able to sit cross-legged for hours on end! Met up with everyone else on Main Street. Checked out the Emporium, saw Star Wars Potato Heads XD then went to a music store across the street. Then went back to the hotel for sleeeep.

Up again at, what, 9? Went to Denny’s next door for breakfast. Disneyland, I don’t remember, maybe we went directly to Fantasyland. Storybook Land, so cute! I loved all the little miniature everythings. But there were life-size ducks in London Park. :P

Next Alice. I dunno if my childhood memories smoothed over it or if Disneyland is running down, but man the cars of that ride kept seriously vibrating. If my butt had been sore from walking for two days straight, it woulda been heaven. >_> Went to meet up with people who walked over to the It’s a Small World area to sit down. Sat … and sat … and sat. X|

Finally SM00 and I went back to Fantasyland to go on Snow White and Pinocchio. While queuing for Snow White (I think?) saw some of Merlin’s show. :] Couldn’t really hear anything though. Boo. Skipped Peter Pan because I just didn’t want to wait 45 minutes.

Went back to lame-os who don’t appreciate Fantasyland. :P Saw Alice and Hatter walk by at the end of their shift to the backstage area. *CRY* I seriously kept my eyes open wide for any sign of Alice/Hatter or Brianna while in Fantasyland, but saw no one! *sniffle* Very disappointed. (I really really really was going to say something to Brianna. Just “I love your art.” You know how little I want to interact with the people I admire? I just don’t want to “slime” them, as Wil Wheaton would put it. And yet … I would have … :(

After I realized I missed everybody I was willing to go on. I think we went on the Monorail next. Don’t really remember. We stopped in the Gibson ice cream parlor for some seriously good ice cream. Then back to CA Adventure. People who did not go on Soarin’ last time because the ride malfunctioned and they were sent back to the end of the line (…that just makes no sense, ride operators; why?) tried a second time and got on.

Daddy, Hidek, Tadash, Noelle, and I went on California Screamin’ again. Actually we’d planned to go on Toy Story Mania again but we saw that the coaster line was only 25 minutes, and the Soarin’ ride was something like 50 minutes? So we snuck on the coaster before going on Toy Story. XD While standing in line by this point, I really really felt drained after three days of this with all the sun (forgot the sunblock!) and lack of sleep, and I was considering stepping out of line but meh I just stuck it out.

Then we went to see the Aladdin show. (Auntie got in a nap during then. Wish I could have done the same.) Then we used fast passes for … the raft ride (I keep wanting to call it Bigfoot Rapids, but no that’s Knott’s…). 5:30ish. We all got at least moderately drenched, and Daddy got soaked.

Then we went to Downtown Disney, looked through the big Disney store (only one really tacky license plate frame? come on Disney, give us a nice stately-looking design, you’d have four sold right away!). Had dinner at the mexican restaurant. Was good, but I was so tired that I ordered the wrong thing and didn’t really get much of a dinner. >_> I filled up on chips and guacamole, and had the leftovers of Hidek’s sides.

Said goodbye to Noelle’s family, took the Monorail to Disneyland, went on Peter Pan. Mickey said it’s not a high capacity ride like Pirates so there’s always a long wait. I wondered what you could do to make it faster, but … there’s nothing. If you cram in “boats” like in Pirates, the magic of the ride just disappears. Then there’s just a bunch of flying boats all around you. We got on the ride a little bit before they closed the line for the fireworks. XD

I wanted to look in the store by the castle with all the little princess dresses, but it was closed before we got off the ride. :( Went on Astro Blasters again. I said I didn’t know what I wanted to do anymore, but I just didn’t want to leave Disneyland. XD We went back to the music store so Mickey could buy a book.

We had to walk around the circle in front of the castle while the fireworks were going on. Everyone slowed waaay down in front of the castle to watch the fireworks. I even heard one lady chide her young daughter, “Walk slowly!” Jerks. The whole lot o’ ya! But we go to see the part of the show with the Haunted Mansion right before we left the circle to Main Street. XD Sooo cool.

I didn’t realize I had to step to the right to get out of the circle so all of a sudden all these people were walking in front of me and people to my right wanted me to get out of their way and ahhh I couldn’t get through! Then this mom said to her son, “Let this lady through,” to which I said, “Thank you” (and thought, ‘Lady?!’ Do I look that old?????’).

So Mickey bought a book about Disneyland through the years or something, and Hidek bought a book on the Haunted Mansion. I’m glad Hidek bought it, ’cause I really liked it, but didn’t want to spend more than the $15 I’d already spent on two Alice in Wonderland pins. XD; (Obsessed much? You can blame Where Curiosity Met Insanity.)

That was the end of a very, very satisfying trip to Disneyland. But we realized that next time (yes there will be a next time *grin*) we need to go four days so we can fit in some sleep! By the end of the trip I was very grumpy and tired. And I was sick after we got home, argggh.

We didn’t really get to spend much time looking at all the scenery and soaking in the “Disneyness” of the place. (Walt was at that park!) But I think summer probably is not the time for that. Despite low attendance, despite it being the middle of the week. We should go in early spring or winter and just sit. XD I still want to be on Main Street when the lights go on. o_o

Wow, I spent well over an hour on this entry. I remembered a lot more than I thought I would. Word count … 2569. hahaha…