Disneyland: Day 3
Day 3 at Disneyland was our only lazy, unscheduled day of the entire trip so, we took full advantage, starting with sleeping in until 10:00am.
Then, we decided to go to The California Adventure Park, at Emily's request (she loves all things Pixar). What a great decision! Nearly that entire park is shaded and much more compact between rides and lands, meaning a lot less walking. It was also a much less crowded day! We rode nearly everything on The Pier first as it's closest to the entrance. The Flying Zephyr:
The Jumping Jellyfish:
The Symphony Swings:
And Mickey's Ferriswheel:
All were really fun and beyond enjoyable due to the massive cool air they generated as we went flying through the air. :)
We made our way along The Boardwalk (skipping all the games, ToyStory Mania because the wait was over an hour, and California Screamin rollercoaster as Emily's too short to ride), coming to an all-time favorite: King Triton's Carousel. Luckily for Emily, a green Humpback whale was available.
A quick stop at The Tortilla Factory for lunch (greasy, over-priced... what else did we expect?) because we were starving and didn't want to walk back to our hotel for other options and we were off to ride some more rides. Note to self: next trip, bring Lunchables, nuts, fruit, and string cheese to pack each day for a healthy, quick lunch!
Next up was A Bug's Land, which is a must-see in my book for anyone with toddlers, Preschoolers, smaller children (under 40" tall) as they can ride and enjoy literally everything!
The bumper cars were Emily's #1 favorite ride in the entire park!
But she also really enjoyed Dot's Splash Park, probably because it was another 90 degree day and we were all hot.
As we made our way around The Hollywood Studios Backlot, we caught a glimpse of Goofy though didn't get a photo with him as the line was way too long and we were on a schedule to get over to the Disney Jr. Theater to catch the new Disney Jr. Live show. Emily is a huge "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" fan and this show did not disappoint. Singing, dancing, even bubbles dropping from the ceiling. Plus, we were inside an air-conditioned building! It was a great way to wrap up the day at 3:00pm.
Back to our hotel we went to spend another three hours at the pool, cooling off and watching Emily master the waterslide.
Because of fantastic online reviews and compliments from other hotel guests we met at the pool, we decided to have dinner in our hotel at The PCH Grill and what a great decision it was! Excellent service, delicious hamburgers, and even bendy straws in our drinks, which Emily went ga-ga over. It's the little things with kids. The prices were affordable, if not cheap, ($8 burgers!) and it was so nice to just catch the elevator up to our room when dinner was over.
A bubble bath to get off all the sunscreen on Emily and she crashed, yet again, falling asleep within minutes just before 10:00pm.
Then, we decided to go to The California Adventure Park, at Emily's request (she loves all things Pixar). What a great decision! Nearly that entire park is shaded and much more compact between rides and lands, meaning a lot less walking. It was also a much less crowded day! We rode nearly everything on The Pier first as it's closest to the entrance. The Flying Zephyr:
The Jumping Jellyfish:
The Symphony Swings:
And Mickey's Ferriswheel:
All were really fun and beyond enjoyable due to the massive cool air they generated as we went flying through the air. :)
We made our way along The Boardwalk (skipping all the games, ToyStory Mania because the wait was over an hour, and California Screamin rollercoaster as Emily's too short to ride), coming to an all-time favorite: King Triton's Carousel. Luckily for Emily, a green Humpback whale was available.
A quick stop at The Tortilla Factory for lunch (greasy, over-priced... what else did we expect?) because we were starving and didn't want to walk back to our hotel for other options and we were off to ride some more rides. Note to self: next trip, bring Lunchables, nuts, fruit, and string cheese to pack each day for a healthy, quick lunch!
Next up was A Bug's Land, which is a must-see in my book for anyone with toddlers, Preschoolers, smaller children (under 40" tall) as they can ride and enjoy literally everything!
The bumper cars were Emily's #1 favorite ride in the entire park!
But she also really enjoyed Dot's Splash Park, probably because it was another 90 degree day and we were all hot.
As we made our way around The Hollywood Studios Backlot, we caught a glimpse of Goofy though didn't get a photo with him as the line was way too long and we were on a schedule to get over to the Disney Jr. Theater to catch the new Disney Jr. Live show. Emily is a huge "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" fan and this show did not disappoint. Singing, dancing, even bubbles dropping from the ceiling. Plus, we were inside an air-conditioned building! It was a great way to wrap up the day at 3:00pm.
Back to our hotel we went to spend another three hours at the pool, cooling off and watching Emily master the waterslide.
Because of fantastic online reviews and compliments from other hotel guests we met at the pool, we decided to have dinner in our hotel at The PCH Grill and what a great decision it was! Excellent service, delicious hamburgers, and even bendy straws in our drinks, which Emily went ga-ga over. It's the little things with kids. The prices were affordable, if not cheap, ($8 burgers!) and it was so nice to just catch the elevator up to our room when dinner was over.
A bubble bath to get off all the sunscreen on Emily and she crashed, yet again, falling asleep within minutes just before 10:00pm.
Next time check out the Asian restaurant next to the Mission Tortilla factory in DCA. I was very pleasantly surprised by their chicken rice stir fry bowl with coconut curry sauce, and the boys liked it too. The stir fried veggies were good and fresh and not overcooked at all. And there's a sandwich place right next to it (uses sourdough bread from the demonstration place right there), and their sandwiches (I like the roast beef) are always a very safe bet for simple food that doesn't disappoint.
ReplyDeleteOwen has the same light saber. It's still a huge hit and a regularly loved toy at our house. I agree that 4's a great age (Owen was 2 months shy of his 4th bday when we were there). Owen was big enough to be into everything during our last trip, even roller coasters like Space Mountain. And I went for the first time at 4, and still remember it, so I think it's a great age. Love the photos. They make me want to go back so soon! Glad you had a good time.