Disneyland with Daddy Pt 1

Happy Weekend! It's time for another Disneyland visit with just the kids and their Daddy!

It's Daylight Savings and even though we lost an hour of sleep overnight, the kids were still awake early. The freeways were great, the line at the parking garage short, and by 9am (an hour after opening) we were inside the park!
We've been holding on to this $1.50 refillable popcorn bucket for a few weeks now. It's about time we get some use out of it! I was happy that the popcorn stand was open this early in the morning and with a short line!

So many things we could do today! First stop is the Swinging side of the Fun Wheel!

We got Sulley from Monsters Inc! The kids love the swinging side.

Wow, look at that popcorn. Super yellow. Ian loves the buttered popcorn and they got it right this morning.

Still no line at the fun wheel so we took another spin. This time getting Dory.

Well that's something new. Usually after the big spin cycle, it takes a while for the swinging gondolas to come to rest. These look like brakes now underneath. I asked a cast member and she said they were installed about 2 weeks ago. That's an easy improvement!

After the Fun Wheel, the three of us got a photo in front of the van from the new Pixar movie Onward. It just came out on Friday, but we haven't had a chance to see it yet.

What do you want to do next Alli? Over to the Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind.

Not the gum commercial again!

We got to walk right on Jessie's Critter Carousel.

Ian hopped (ha) on a white bunny. Alli found a pink armadillo nearby. That left me on a stinky blue skunk.

As soon as we got into the park today, I picked up a 10am fastpass for Toy Story Midway Mania. Time to use it!

The shooters don't go down all the way since I have to sit in the middle, making it a little harder for the kids to shoot, but they make do.

Decent scores.

Ian really wants to get on the Incredicoaster. He got measured at school and by Grandpa at home and somehow came up to 48". He made sure to wear those same shoes he was measured in when we got ready this morning. He's still a bit shy of the 48" line.

I brought a gallon ziplock bag just so we could get a few extra refills. The stand in Pixar Pier was popping fresh corn, so of course we got a refill.

We have to pick our rides today because we can only go on things that support 3 people riding together. The Golden Zephyr works for that!

As does the Little Mermaid.

The kids really wanted to do some climbing. Over to Redwood Creek!

Ian thought he knew where to go, but I think he still needs to work on his directions. We went on a circuitous route to get to the climbing wall.

Made it there! It's not too busy either. Just 1 or 2 other kids waiting in line with us.

They climbed for 30+ minutes, always listening to what Cast Member Samuel asked them to do. Mostly making sure they went around the exit gate to come get another turn. And then waiting until he told them they could go, even if the wall didn't have anyone climbing on it.

Nice splits Alli. That's a good stretch.

After multiple times on each wall, and no one coming in line, Cast Member Samuel gave Ian a new challenge. Instead of going from Start to Finish, see how you do going from Finish to Start! And he made it! Without falling!

Ian doesn't venture up this high too often. Good thing it's soft bark underneath.

During one of their times in line behind another kid, this girl wasn't tall enough. Cast member Samuel still made it special for her, telling her about a bunch of stone bears just outside the climbing area. If she climbed on top of them, smacked each one on the nose and they didn't wake up, have her parents take a photo of her and bring it back to him, then he'd give her a special present.
Well when the kids heard this, they wanted to get a special present too. Samuel said it's normally for shorter kids, but since they were so well behaved he'd do it for them too.

They smacked the bears on the nose and I got a photo.

Upon returning, they each got a Timon and Pumbaa "Wild About Safety" card.

Thanks Samuel!

They had fun on the ziplines.

And I let them go up and down the slides as many times as they wanted.

Finally it's time for our Radiator Springs Racers fastpass! No super long lines here today thankfully.
Look at that bird taking a bath in Radiator Springs.

Let's go!

Gotta enjoy these moments while I can.

And we won!

There's still a little bit more of the day to go. Coming up in Part 2!