About in Disneyland AGAIN! (Day 1)

Oh my goodness - it was SO exciting to be back at Disneyland, but even more, it was exciting to be back with older kids - kids transitioning from baby/toddler to big kid. It was the perfect time to be there. Our first day, a Tuesday, was a breeze - we hardly waited in a line, walked on almost everything and did almost everything! The bummers were a) early closing time, b) heat, and c) no fireworks - I was most bummed about that, for the kids' sake. However the fall / Halloweentime season is a gorgeous time to be there!

We walked by a lone Woody early in the day and it just pumped the kids up - Carolina especially loved him and gave him a big hug... bless the people that do that job.

 The Matterhorn had zero wait, no joke - so while everyone else went on it (including Liam - first roller coaster in Disneyland! twice in a row - since went with me after the baby swap) Carolina and I waited in the line to get Frozen fastpasses to meet Anna and Elsa - times ran out before we made it to the front - but spending time with my girl talking about everything was all I needed. 

This trip - for me - was about being with my kids. It was great to be there with friends, and the kid's friends - such a fun experience - but there were many many moments that were kid-parent special times. I. Loved. It.

Another time - everybody went on Star Tours, which totally makes me motion sick, so Carolina and I decided we needed a treat :) These are the moments, people. 

The boys wore Mickey shirts...

And the girls wore Little Mermaid (Liam photobomb)

We made a point to get to the Jedi Training Academy show, to see if the kids could be picked to participate - and lucky Liam won one of the final spots. He fought Darth Maul bravely (meanwhile Carolina was terrified) and is an official Jedi now. One of the highlights of the trip for me!

I couldn't say why, but this ball is one of the best things in the park.

Time for another snack - yes, I do eat my way through Disneyland, thank you for asking.

 Warm pumpkin beignets in New Orleans Square - baby swap is a great excuse to find a treat - and this was on my list of must tries anyway ;)

It was getting hot by this point and nap time - Carolina needed some snuggles, but she never fussed or whined, or lost her good temper.

Panoramic view from Tarzan's Treehouse - you can see New Orleans Square / Adventureland / Big Thunder Mtn / Splash Mountain

 it's a small world - always a big hit - loved sitting by her and listening to her sing and spot things on the ride.

Disneyland closed at 6 p.m. that night to prepare for their Halloween Party (not my favorite thing) - so we headed over to California Adventure about 4 so as to beat the crowds of people switching parks. We hit a bunch of rides - I was bummed that Carolina was just 1 inch too short for everything, including Soarin', that I know she would've loved - but I guess that's why she was free! At any rate we loved spending some time in CarsLand - hands down, best land in the park, I just can't even describe how immersive and gorgeous it is! We also found some dinner there... bet you're surprised. Todd got a verde chicken chilli cone...

 I ate a pumpkin twist...

 The kids had a pretzel bites cone and churro bites cone... super healthy dinner.

And finally - this - good for them... I appreciated so much their attitudes and behavior - they were amazing! They were being dragged all over the place, dealing with some major sensory overload I'm sure, heat and probably a little dehydration... and off they nodded. 

As much as I wasn't a fan of the parks closing early (8 p.m. for DCA), it worked out pretty nicely for getting back to the hotel and in bed at a very reasonable time so we didn't completely wear ourselves out. It was  a GREAT day! We went on and saw sooo much on this first day, it was practically perfect in every way!