California Adventure Part 5

Our last day!   We started out our last day to play in a big way by taking a trip through Downtown Disney as we made our way to a hotel to enjoy breakfast with the Disney characters. 

 

 

And on our way there, Mom and Dad couldn't pass this setting and had the kids take a pix of Dad stealing a kiss from Mom. :)

 

 

 

We ate breakfast with none other than...

 

Minnie!

Lilo!

Mickey!

Pluto!

The kids loved the Mickey pancakes and for some reason, they just couldn't get enough of the watermelon - this was Cash's dish alone. 

 

Cash also got a special birthday song sung to him by the restaurant staff since his birthday was that weekend along with a cupcake and candle.  He felt pretty special!

 

After breakfast, we made our way to California Adventure where we had decided to spend our last day. 

In order to get a fun picture on the kids laying in the Mickey figure you see below, I had them close their eyes until just before I snapped the picture so the bright sun wouldn't bother them too much.  ...And...this is what we got from Vanna.  Ha ha ha.



Our first stop was Cars Land. 

Because we took our sweet time eating a yummy breakfast, we got to the park one hour after it opened and the Fast Pass for the Radiator Springs Racers ride was already all booked out for the entire day!  We had heard it was popular but my goodness!  We were told we could wait in line without a Fast Pass for 2 1/2 hours but the decision was made real fast on that one.  We figured there was much more fun to be had than to waste that long standing in line, and the kids had no idea what they might be missing.  So off we went to the next attraction and who did we see driving right by us...

 

Lightning McQueen!

 

We enjoyed Luigi's Flying Tires and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree before heading over to "a bug's land". 

 

Funny story:   As we were walking along, there was a time when Ty said "Let me hold Vanna's hand."  Right as he said that, we were both looking down at her and she picked her nose.  Right on cue Ty said, "Nevermind!"  Ha ha ha.

We couldn't pass up California Screamin but afterward I told Ty, "I don't know if I'm just getting old or what but the way your head kind of gets jarred around on those kind of roller coasters gives me an instant headache."  It wasn't my favorite experience :)  Ty was pretty impressed by it - just how fast it was and stuff.  I much prefer a ride like Ariel's Undersea Adventure.  In fact, it turned out to be one of my favorite rides of the trip (call me boring - I don't care :)!

 

We enjoyed lunch in the park and that's when I realized I was pretty much done.  We were all sitting at the table in a type of daze of exhaustion and I hardly felt like going on another ride.  Everyone else felt the same way so we passed on the Adventures of Hollywood Land, along with many other rides on that side of the park, and finished up at Grizzly Peak.  We loved the Grizzly River Run (although poor Vanna couldn't go so each of us "big kids" took turns going with Cash)!

 

 

Then we headed back to the hotel for a nap before returning for the night time World of Color show.  We were all asleep within seconds I think and I had to drag everyone out of bed to go back.  We could have slept through the night we all seemed so tired. 

 

I'm so glad we didn't though because we would have missed another of the most magical parts of the trip.  The World of Color show was in a word - AMAZING!  Water was shooting up everywhere creating beautiful displays and I loved how Disney images and movie scenes were projected and displayed on the fog/water.  It was just incredible.    I just love how all the parks come alive with their lights, shows, fireworks, etc.  The night time fun is just the best!

 

It was the perfect ending to a fantastic trip.  Many memories were made, many laughs were heard (that we are choosing to remember, rather than the arguing that was also heard :) and lots of fun was had! 

 

As it turned out, I think we enjoyed the experience so much more than if we'd tried to go earlier in the year or even if we'd been able to go in years past when we'd originally thought of doing it.  Funny how that works sometimes eh?  We wouldn't have been able to see/do as much with our little Rosie with us and Vanna wouldn't have been able to go on near as much if we'd gone any earlier.  The kids were at an age where they were young enough to enjoy it and be excited about the characters yet old enough to go on most all the rides and hopefully old enough to remember the experience and the fun they had!

 

And although we had a blast, we were anxious to see and snuggle with Rosie Posie.  Gosh I missed her!  I was a bit nervous about how she would react to me when we arrived to pick her up.  I've heard of babies hardly remembering their parents when they go for a trip and not wanting to go to them, and I had in mind how sad I'd be if she responded that way.  But she didn't - thank goodness.  She first looked at us like she couldn't believe we were there - almost like in shock, poor thing - then she held out her sweet arms to me right away.  I gobbled her right up.  It was so good to see our baby again!  We gave her the little souvenirs we'd bought her (again, we got hers in advance and had them wrapped and just sitting at Grandma and Grandpas waiting for her so we didn't have to pack them) - an Eyore Pillow Pet and Minnie Mouse slippers and just played with her for the rest of the night!

 

We stayed that night at my parents, went to church with them the next day and then made our way home.  Boy, I love vacations, but I've come to realize that by about day six away from home, I'm missing my own bed, home cooked meals, etc.  I think the whole family felt that way!  It's always good to be home - and thankfully, we were home, safe and sound!