Home is Wherever We Are: CJ's First Trip to Disneyland

Yesterday was one of the best days we've had on the road trip for our family!! I really tried not to get my hopes "too up" for our visit to Disneyland, because I needed to be realistic that CJ is just a toddler...he might be afraid of the characters and might not enjoy the rides. Thankfully that is not how our day went!!

We started our morning with some breakfast in the hotel room. Watermelon has quickly become CJ's favorite fruit on this trip. We hadn't even left the room before the first sock removal of the day! Ha ha!

JT and I decided to walk the 15-20 mins from our hotel to the park. It was no big deal for us, but we figured out that that was about CJ's max in the stroller, because as soon as we got to the park he told us he was "aaa da" (all done, with baby sign language to accompany), so we decided we would be taking the bus from then on out to save our valuable stroller time for when we really needed it in the park!! The first ride we thought we would try was "It's a Small World". This was always the ride that JT and I would do when we came to the park pre-CJ so that the song would be "erased" from our heads by the time the day was done! Ha ha. At first CJ was staring at the outside of the ride in wonderment.

Then when we got on the "vroom vroom" (apparently boats also go "vroom vroom" in his mind? I think anything that moves?) CJ was cautiously optimistic.

As we rode "around the world" CJ at first looked like "what IS this?!" But by the end he was pointing at stuff and saying "mo" (more).

Our next ride was Storybook Land Canal Boats. Not their best ride...probably the highlight was the 3 ducks that were paddling by our boats!! CJ didn't mind this ride, but didn't seem to love it either (which was fine by us because it was a yawner).

It was starting to get "late", and we figured we had time for one more thing before nap-time, so we decided to go meet Mickey Mouse. This attraction is really well done because there are lots of things for the kids to play with while you wait in line to meet Mickey. CJ grabbed these knobs and kept saying "ball, ball, ball".

He had fun touching EVERYTHING there. Including, the two little girls in front of us, whose hair got pulled while we waited in line...my apologies!!

And CJ didn't seem to understand the whole "being in a line" concept. He kept running ahead trying to play with the next thing, so we had to keep chasing after him and bringing him back to our "place" in line.

After you make it through the line, they bring you into a separate room to meet Mickey, in small groups. The moment we walked through the doors is a memory that I will have the rest of my life. It was truly "magical" in every way!! As soon as CJ spotted Mickey, and saw that it was "really him" (like a real character, not on TV, etc) he started yelling "Me-Key! Me-Key" really excited!!!!! He wanted to run up to him immediately, but we were the last family in the small group and still needed to wait our turn. So CJ watched (wiggled in my arms trying to break free to get to see Mickey) with his whole face lit up as the other children met with Mickey. Then finally it was our turn. He started running up to him, but when he got almost there he kinda hesitated and acted shy for a millisecond, but then greeted Mickey with open arms!! Right after we took this picture he grabbed Mickey's nose. And since we were the last family in the room we got a few extra seconds and CJ had fun telling Mickey "bye bye".

It might sound kinda dumb to put so much value on one little part of our trip, but CJ LOVING Mickey, and seeing the PURE JOY on his little face during that interaction made our entire visit to Disneyland worth it for me!!

Eating some watermelon as we waited for the bus to take us back to the hotel. CJ took a good 2.5 hour nap, I got us caught up on laundry, and JT got a mini nap too!

We headed back to Disneyland for a bit after CJ woke up from his nap. We were able to do Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, which is an old favorite of JT & mine.

CJ has seen Toy Story, so he was excited to see the little green alien men as we waited in line.

JT and I are VERY competitive!! JT told me he was going to let CJ do all the shooting, but when I started winning, he had to get a few shots in too!! hee hee!! CJ did a great job steering (turning) the car.

CJ shooting some of the bad guys. Yet again, this was another ride we weren't sure how he'd do (there are "bad guys" and some dark spots) but he did so well and really enjoyed it!!!

At the end Buzz Lightyear talks to us, and CJ was amazed!!

We finished that ride with just enough time to make it to the end of the parade!!

CJ was liking the music and getting to look at all the new things from Dada's shoulders!!

He wouldn't tear his eyes away from the action!

Of course we had to get him his first ears!! :)

We had a great first day at Disneyland!! :)

We ate dinner at Downtown Disney at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen. It was SOOO good!! CJ was more interested in playing with his "vroom vroom"s than he was in eating.