Disney Day's 3-5

I really wanted to write every day after we got back to the hotel, but opening and then closing the parks led to just wanting to hit the sack. After a few days of rest at home, here are the highlights from the rest of our trip.

• Marcus got picked to be in three different shows: Innoventions playing the guitar, Disney Magic as the hero and Jedi Training Academy where he fought Darth Maul. We got some great pictures and it is something he will never forget.
• We ate dinner at Blue Bayou on Christmas Day - it was well worth the effort of making reservations two months in advance and saving up enough money for the splurge. The food was so good and the service was Disney impeccable. It truly seems like you are sitting outside. We enjoyed watching the shooting stars and trying to find a hidden Mickey in the clouds. We never did find it.
• We went on Tower of Terror at night. It was a totally new experience and something I would do again. The views were incredible, even if it was only for a heartbeat. The ride was a good one too, lots of up and down.
• We went to Disney Animation and all of us learned to draw Pluto. We all made a pretty good rendition, which was surprising seeing as Lance and I cannot draw.
• There is a new attraction called Blue Sky Cellar and inside there are models of the upcoming attractions and rides planned for California Adventure. It was cool to see the new plans and gets me ready to start planning our next Disney trip.
• We rode the new Toy Story Mania. It was super fun and I wanted to go again, but because it's new, there are no fast passes and the line was an hour.
• We watched Fantasmic, wow! It is something you have to experience for yourself.
• We saw the A Christmas Fantasy Parade - my favorite part was the dancing gingerbread men and the toy wooded soldiers.
• We caught the tail end of the fireworks and then the snow on Main Street, my favorite part was every one's reaction. It was a collective intake of breath and then exclamations of awe. So cool.
• We had priority seating for Aladdin. It was spectacular! I was amazed at just how fast the sets changed and the actors moved around. It was a great show - just like seeing a Broadway musical.

We had an absolutely amazing trip. Because we had five full days, we got to do some things we hadn't done before, like some of the interactive attractions. It was a great vacation and I'm so thankful that we had the opportunity to spend our Christmas at Disneyland.

Disney Day 1 & 2

So far we have had an amazing time on our trip. On Monday, we went to Disneyland and on Tuesday, we went to Disneyland and California Adventure.

Monday we went and got our AAA lanyards and pins. While there, we were chatting with the store clerk and I guess she was impressed with our good attitude despite the pouring rain because she gave us all buttons that make us honorary citizens of Disneyland. Whenever a cast member notices, they talk to you more and generally try to treat you special. (We found that out later, we just decided to wear them because they were so cool.) We went and rode Indiana first, then immediately got on the jungle cruise. The park was pretty empty because it was pouring rain and we were quite fashionable in our Disney rain slickers! We got hit by an angry hippo in the hippo pond and he knocked our boat out of service. What a mean hippo! Our guide had to fire his gun to signal for help. Two boats had to come and get us and we finally ended up transferring boats because the hippo really messed ours up. It was quite the adventure! The river guides were so kind and gave us a really cool map of the jungle cruise and two free fast passes for any rides we chose! We went next to the haunted Mansion, which is all decked out for Christmas with Jack Skellington and crew. It was totally amazing! The ballroom smells like gingerbread houses and made my mouth water. It was so fun to see that ride in a whole new light. We left the park at 3:30 to meet my sister and her boyfriend for dinner at Medieval Times. The show was so good and we had a great time. I would definitely go there again. It was a lot of fun. We caught the fireworks on the drive home, spectacular!

On Tuesday, we met my sister and her boyfriend at Disneyland and went on lots of rides. We had a nice clear day with no rain and no rain slickers, yeah! In the afternoon we went to California Adventure. I rode California Screaming myself because the boys don't like it. It is an incredible ride. Then, I saw my very good friend while we were walking to the Tower of Terror. She is here with her family at the same time. We unexpectedly caught the Pixar Parade and had fun watching that. We came back to our hotel where I made dinner for all of us and then we just relaxed for an hour before heading back to Disneyland for the fireworks. We decided to ride the new monorail cars, which were awesome! We got to ride with the conductor on the first leg of the trip, then in the back car the second leg. While in the back car, we met two cast members who were spending their time off in the park. He explained the honorary citizen thing. Because we were just chatting and having fun with him, he asked if we wanted fast passes for Space Mountain. Of course we said yes, so we got five free fast passes! We went to stand by the entrance to Space Mountain and caught the fireworks from there. They were so beautiful. My favorite was the shooting star type. We also liked the smiley face kind. We then used our passes for Space Mountain and had a 10 minute wait instead of the 40 posted! It was awesome. We rode some more rides and then boarded the train for Main Street and the trams back to the parking garage.

We had a great couple of days. I can't wait to start today. It's supposed to rain the next two days, which will keep most people away. I will never let a little rain stop me from enjoying Disney! That is what slickers are made for! Well, we are off to breakfast now and more fun. Don't you wish you were here too?

PS - I had heard and even seen on TV, but I still can't believe how incredible Disney is a Christmas. It is truly magical and beautiful.

4-days and counting

Christmas is my favorite time of year. It hasn't always been that way, but ever since I grew up and I got to be in charge of how the holiday season went, it has been my very favorite time of year. The main reason is because it reminds me of how much God loves me. But there are lots of perks: people smile more, I can share my love for God more easily than any other time of year, I get to write my annual Christmas letter and send hand written cards, I get to buy presents for those I love, and I get to sing Christmas carols and watch Christmas movies. But this year, it will be more special than normal for my family because... we are going to Disneyland for the entire week! I have been looking forward to this trip since last March when we planned it and now it is only four days away! I finished my last class with an "A", I have three more days of teaching, one day of washing and packing, and then it's off to the happiest place on earth. It will be amazing and I'm super excited.

Among all of my excited ramblings about what we are going to do, I have reflected on just how much I am blessed. We had a pretty amazing 2008 and I have grown in my walk with Jesus by leaps and bounds. Last year, everything from the cards to the cookies to my students stressed me out. This year, I have peace like I've never experienced. I'm actually busier than last year, but I know that in the scheme of things, God is in charge and I don't have to worry. Of course, sometimes I slip back into worry mode, but for the most part, it is so much better. So this Christmas, take a few minutes and think over the past year. What are you thankful for? Where can you find peace in Christmas? For me, it is found in my relationship with Jesus, the only reason for this wondrous time of year.

I hope that your Christmas is blessed and that your heart is filled with peace this year. Happy Christmas!