iheartwdw
09-14-2007, 07:26 PM
Great Aunt Ann
Great Uncle Dave
Teenage Emma
Background Info:
Accommodations: We did not stay in any hotel, since Ann and Dave live so close to Anaheim, about 10 minutes from Disney's front gate. So cool to see the Matterhorn while driving on the interstate! Emma stayed at Ann and Dave's house, and spent 2 days in Disneyland (August 16 and 17) and 1 day at California Adventure (August 18).
Emma had only been to California once before, and it was several years ago. We'd gone to DL and CA, but for fewer days. This was a trip long in the making, and one that turned out really great.
Day 1: Dave awoke first, being an early riser, despite Emma, her mom, and her stepdad's being used to Eastern time. Emma woke up just before 7am, and her parents about 15 minutes later. Ann didn't wake up for another half hour or so after Em's parents. But she's also used to west coast time. Today, it was just Ann and Emma off to Disneyland together, with no one else coming along. Em and her mom are WDW veterans (Em's been going since she was six, her mom since she was 8 or 9; they go roughly 2-3 times per year, but Emma's mom and stepdad were going to Las Vegas for the week instead of Disney. They just don't know how much they missed out. Still, Emma, Ann, and Dave had a spectacular time without them!) We ate some breakfast, then headed out the door. Emma said goodbye to her parents, knowing she wouldn't see them for a few days, but she was just so eager to get to DL that she didn't bother to get emotional at all. She waved goodbye and we were off to the Happiest Place on Earth quickly.
Dave drove Ann and Emma to the park, then dropped us off at a parking lot right next to the entrance. It's nice to have such an easy drop-off area, so that you don't have to pay for parking if not everyone in your party is going. Still, it's something that might take a local to find.
Emma was in awe when she saw the Matterhorn and California Screamin' from the road. She was just completely amazed. It was a Kodak moment!
Pretty soon, we were walking toward the front gate of Disneyland, singing Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (Genius Dave had found a way to print our tickets online to avoid long lines for tickets). They checked our bags, scanned our tickets, and suddenly we walked through a threshold between fantasy and reality, aka Main Street and turnstiles. We both must have had our jaws on the ground, looking at Sleeping Beauty Castle and the stores on Main Street. Ann lives so close to Disneyland, but she never goes unless Emma and her mom, the Disney nuts in the family, are visiting. We were amazed, in mid-August, how empty it was. We had planned to get there at opening time, but we've never been exactly prompt. It must have been at least 9:45 by the time we got into the park, and Emma was completely freaked by how much later it felt.
Great Uncle Dave
Teenage Emma
Background Info:
Accommodations: We did not stay in any hotel, since Ann and Dave live so close to Anaheim, about 10 minutes from Disney's front gate. So cool to see the Matterhorn while driving on the interstate! Emma stayed at Ann and Dave's house, and spent 2 days in Disneyland (August 16 and 17) and 1 day at California Adventure (August 18).
Emma had only been to California once before, and it was several years ago. We'd gone to DL and CA, but for fewer days. This was a trip long in the making, and one that turned out really great.
Day 1: Dave awoke first, being an early riser, despite Emma, her mom, and her stepdad's being used to Eastern time. Emma woke up just before 7am, and her parents about 15 minutes later. Ann didn't wake up for another half hour or so after Em's parents. But she's also used to west coast time. Today, it was just Ann and Emma off to Disneyland together, with no one else coming along. Em and her mom are WDW veterans (Em's been going since she was six, her mom since she was 8 or 9; they go roughly 2-3 times per year, but Emma's mom and stepdad were going to Las Vegas for the week instead of Disney. They just don't know how much they missed out. Still, Emma, Ann, and Dave had a spectacular time without them!) We ate some breakfast, then headed out the door. Emma said goodbye to her parents, knowing she wouldn't see them for a few days, but she was just so eager to get to DL that she didn't bother to get emotional at all. She waved goodbye and we were off to the Happiest Place on Earth quickly.
Dave drove Ann and Emma to the park, then dropped us off at a parking lot right next to the entrance. It's nice to have such an easy drop-off area, so that you don't have to pay for parking if not everyone in your party is going. Still, it's something that might take a local to find.
Emma was in awe when she saw the Matterhorn and California Screamin' from the road. She was just completely amazed. It was a Kodak moment!
Pretty soon, we were walking toward the front gate of Disneyland, singing Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (Genius Dave had found a way to print our tickets online to avoid long lines for tickets). They checked our bags, scanned our tickets, and suddenly we walked through a threshold between fantasy and reality, aka Main Street and turnstiles. We both must have had our jaws on the ground, looking at Sleeping Beauty Castle and the stores on Main Street. Ann lives so close to Disneyland, but she never goes unless Emma and her mom, the Disney nuts in the family, are visiting. We were amazed, in mid-August, how empty it was. We had planned to get there at opening time, but we've never been exactly prompt. It must have been at least 9:45 by the time we got into the park, and Emma was completely freaked by how much later it felt.