Post date: Sep 18, 2012 6:10:39 AM
It's weird how the summer seemed to fly by so fast, but it felt like it had been a long time since we had been to Disneyland. We had a great trip and the best part was that Daddy was able to go along with us. Because of his work, he had missed out on the last few trips, but we're so thankful he can take vacation time now. I can't believe what a difference it made with him there, especially during the drive that took an extra hour and half due to stopped traffic. Of course Grandma and Grandpa Gage and Aunt Jen and kids were there too. The weather was a bit warmer than I would have liked, but we survived. With Bret there to hold Kara, I never even put her in the baby backpack. She doesn't like to miss out on all the fun and will normally forgo naps, being at Disneyland was no exception. She took just a little catnap each day but was very alert the rest of the time. We spent all of Tuesday at California Adventure and I must say that I love the new Cars Land. I loved the feeling of walking into a new land, seeing all the new stuff for the first time and the anticipation of waiting in line to experience the new rides. The rides were great and Radiator Springs Racers was AWESOME! It would have been fun to go again, but the line was about an hour long. Laura said she didn't care how long the line was, she would wait again. But I convinced her that we'll do it next month. We went back to Disneyland Wednesday morning to just do a few more things. We saw Minnie so we had to jump in line. I think Emma has been asking to give Minnie a hug for over a year now. They're were getting ready for Halloween time because the giant Mickey pumpkin at the beginning of Main Street appeared some time during the night or early Wednesday morning. With the exception of Cars Land, the crowds really weren't too bad. Another change at California Adventure is the Mission Tortilla Factory closed, which I was bummed about for a second until I heard it was going to become Ghirardelli. It's a full blown ice cream shop with lots of Ghirardelli chocolate, and they even hand out samples when you enter. Nicely done Disney!