Let's go there on your birthday!
November 10th marked the start of the Holidays at Disneyland. In my Disney hat collection, I have more than a few hats just for Christmas. I'm guessing we'll see most of them within the next few weeks.
It was an uneventful drive to the parks this morning. I was worried that it would be a little nuts once we arrived, due to the Super Hero 10K race this morning at Disneyland. The line to get into the parking garage was backed up to the overpass. Once parked, the hats came out and the bubble wands came on.
By random happenstance I recognized my friend Craig as we were walking in from the tram. Craig is one of the members of the Clue Crew for Minnie's Moonlit Madness (an after-hours Disneyland scavenger hunt/trivia race). I can't wait Minnie's Moonlit Madness to be back for 2018!
Congratulations on finishing the 10K!
For our first stop, this boy needs a birthday button!
Jacob is joining us today! First stop, of course, Toy Story Midway Mania!
Both kids really wanted to ride with Jacob. Guess that means we'll have to ride twice. Alli first.
Followed by Ian.
Even more friends are here! Hi Catherine and Lucas! Thanks for the Lightning McQueen car present!
Everyone had a fun time on Mater's Jingle Jamboree. I love that there's new songs for the holidays. Now I need to record them so the kids can listen to them.
It's getting to be lunchtime so we've got to find some grub. The Disneyland Festival of Holidays just started this weekend, with 12 different booths and lots of small samplers to purchase. I'll have more on that in a future write-up. The kids really enjoyed their ornament cookies.
And the cookie butter and jelly cheesecake was pretty tasty too.
While some wanted to work their way through the food booths, Ian and I had fast passes to ride Guardians of the Galaxy. Plus we had an extra one, so Catherine who had never been on it, finally got a chance to ride!
And it was awesome like usual!
Next it was time for a trip to the store to spend some birthday money. Alli was quick to find the stuffed animals and give them hugs.
More bubble wands!
Want some more cherry lollipop Donald?
We said our goodbyes to Catherine and family and went to find characters. Walking by earlier Pluto was here and he had reindeer antlers. My hat today is Pluto with reindeer antlers and lights tangled in them. It would have been a perfect photo op. Unfortunately we missed Pluto by a couple minutes, but Clarabell was here! She really liked the kids' hats.
Ian's is a Santa Mickey coming out of a chimney. Alli has a Minnie Mouse face with a Santa hat.
Next we saw Donald who also made a big deal out of our hats. And I have to say, our hats have been pretty popular today. In the few hours we were there, I'm guessing maybe 10 people asked me where I got my hat.
Group photo! And time to say goodbye to Jacob. See you next time!
It almost time to wrap up our day so we can get home to celebrate more. Good thing the holiday version of it's a small world has a fastpass. The standby line was showing a 60 minute wait!
Ian must have been pretty good to have his name on this list in small world, plus the list inside the Haunted Mansion.
Did it always smell like gingerbread when you got to this section? Either way it was wonderful.
When we finished, Alli asked "please can we go again Daddy?"
Alright, just one more time.
I knew my Candlelight Processional friends Armand and Robbin were here in the parks today. We found them and their dog Duchess on a bench along Main Street waiting for the parade to start.
Ian loves dogs and is always quick to ask "Please may I pet your dog?" Duchess loved the attention.
As we were wrapping up our conversation and just about to leave, a cast member came over and started talking with us and the kids. She brought them post cards that were letters they could mail to Santa and crayons to color on them. Cool!
Then she asked if we were going to hang out and watch the parade. Sadly not today. Alli is due for her nap, we've got a couple more stops to make, and then we've got to get home to celebrate Ian's birthday. We didn't have time to wait another 45 minutes for the parade.
"Well," she said, "can you hang out for 5 more minutes? My real job was to come over here and stall you for a little while."
Really? Interesting, but sure, we can hang out for a little bit longer.
A short time later, another cast member walked up holding something behind her back. She said they saw us over here and had a surprise for us. They said they really liked my hat so much that they thought I needed one of the new 2017 Holiday Pluto popcorn buckets to go with it! Awesome! The kids were quick to ask if it had popcorn in it, and it did!
So to cast members Taylor, Anne Marie, and Brenda, thank you for some Disney Magic to start the season with!
On our walk back to the car, we needed to pick up Ian's cake. Why are we even looking at the flavors? You know he's going to want the one with all the sprinkles.
And before we got home, we stopped for the slurpees Ian requested on his birthday.
After a tasty dinner of Grammy's homemade chicken nuggets (also a favorite of his), it was time for cake!
Followed by presents. Here's one from Alli!
This boy sure does love games.
T and I have loved Phineas and Ferb for years. We just introduced Ian and Alli to it a couple weeks ago, and it's been an instant hit. From wanting us to sing the theme song over and over to them, or quoting lines from the shows, they've been loving it. The Perry the Platypus pillow and Phineas and Ferb blanket were perfect presents.
With his birthday money Ian bought a bowling game from Disneyland today.
And knowing how much he loves Toy Story Midway Mania, T and I found him a game he could play at home on the TV.
Awesome!
Alli liked it too!
Bowling over those little green men.
What a fun day! Happy birthday Ian!
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