Disneyland and Southern California for Christmas 2022 - Day 6

small world at Christmas!  Amazing!

Day 6

• DCA - got in earlier than other day, close to rope - Our goal for the day was to do Radiator Springs Racers.  We got to the park a little earlier and were able to get closer to the rope before rope drop.
• Radiator Springs Racers - mad rush still about an hour wait - so good - We all got in line for Radiator Springs Racers (except Spence and Josie who got a Child Swap).  We were surprised how fast the line filled and by the time it slowed down all of the extra line was open and we were not to the bridge yet.  We waited in line and got to the last small shelter, there was an announcement that the ride was down.  They said it was temporary so we stayed in line.  About 15 minutes later, the ride started again and we made our way to the front.  Total we still waited about an hour.  We love this ride.  It is worth an hour wait.  Grady loved it this time too, which made it even better.  
• Mater’s while Spence did rider swap - The kids love Mater's ride.  It is a little like Tea Cups, but a little less spinning.  Grady rode with Papa.  It was cute.
• Ghirardelli’s- mocha and candy - Lisa got hot chocolate with espresso add in - best choice - Next we had to stop at Ghirardelli for coffee.  My dad and I got cafe mocha's, but Lisa found out you can get a hot chocolate with a shot of espresso.  Hers was SO good and much better than the mocha.  She also found a grab bag of chocolates.  You could get as many chocolate squares as you could fit in a Santa fabric bag for around $30.  It was a great deal and she got a lot more than the sign suggested into the bag.
• Lamplight lounge brunch - split tables - yummy - We had reservations for brunch at Lamplight Lounge.  We have been in the past and love this meal at this restaurant.  We were not disappointed.  We did have to split up due to our party's size so the 4 of us added my dad and my brother's family added my mom.  I got the crab benedict and it was delicious.  Might have been better than the chilaquilles.  
• Felix navidad street parade - After brunch, we walked through the World of Color viewing area and took some great family pictures.  Then we started walking around the lake and stumpled into the Feliz Navidad street parade.  It was a fun show to watch and the kids enjoyed it.
• Toy Story mania - Grady wanted to wait as long as it took; Spence won; Lisa got ‘Its Lemon’, said it was ok - Spence, Crosby, Grady and I rode together.  The rest of the group went on to do something else (Lisa got "It's Lemon!" and said it was ok).  The wait was around 45 minutes and Grady told me he wanted to ride and would wait as long as it took.  What a great mindset for a 4 year old.  He did too.  He didn't complain or whine about the wait while we were in line.
• Incredicoaster - Next we rode the Incredicoaster.  The bigger kids love this one and the wait wasn't bad.
• Poop break and Shawarma - We were heading to Avenger's Campus so I stopped at my private pit stop (the Grand Californian) to go number 2.  I was meeting the group in line for the Dr Strange show so I grabbed a shwarma snack on the way.  It was delicious.
• Avengers Campus - dr strange show, characters - Thor, Black Panther, ant-man and wasp, mighty Thor, groot, iron man - We wanted to see the Dr Strange show, which is fun, and then move on because it was our last park day so we were trying to do as much as possible.  We ended up spending quite a bit of time in Avengers Campus because of all of the characters.  We got pictures with Ant-Man and the Wasp together.  Spence and I talked to Ant-Man about Top Gun which was funny.  Then we saw Mighty Thor go by, and Shurri as Black Panther.  Then on our way out of the land we saw Iron Man talking to Groot which was funny.
• Shops - We decided to head across to Disneyland so we walked through the shops on Buena Vista Avenue.  We enjoy these shops.  They remind me of Hollywood Studios in Florida and I loved going through those shops as a kid.
• Back to Disneyland - small world - We headed back to Disneyland and headed to Small World to ride it as a group.  We love this ride and wanted to do it again before the end of our vacation.
• Small World lighting show - After the ride, we found a spot across the path from Small World to watch the projection show.  It was really cool.  Definitely worth doing.  Then we just hung out for a while because we love the lights and decorations for the holiday overlay.  This is Lisa's favorite part of a Christmas Disneyland trip.
• Red rose tavern / ronto wraps / cold brew - Everyone was hungry after the show so we ended up splitting up because we all wanted something different.  We stopped at Red Rose Taverne and got the kids dinner.  They ate pretty quick then we went to Docking Bay 7 and Lisa and I got dinner and a final cold brew.  We are finding the food in Galaxy's Edge is some of our favorite at Disneyland.
• Grady got a lightsaber - After dinner, we decided to let Grady get a lightsaber with his gift card money.  He had been talking about them and playing with them all trip.  He didn't get the overly expensive "rea" lightsaber, but it is a higher quality toy lightsaber and he LOVED it.  He was SO excited.  We walked out of the shop and toward the Millennium Falcon and we saw Chewbacca.  Grady got to meet him with his lightsaber.  It was really cool.  We took some pictures in front of the Falcon and then headed back toward New Orleans Square to meet our group to watch Fantasmic.
• Fantasmic and fireworks - mom lost bag, found at tropical hideaway - We were walking into New Orleans Square looking for a spot to watch the show.  We actually stopped in the same spot we did last time with Sam and Spence.  Josie was asleep in the stroller so we used her as a block on one side of our group and our stroller on the other side.  It worked great and we had a good spot to watch the show.  The show was a little disappointing because some of it didn't work (the dragon being one thing) and the princess float for Beauty and the Beast didn't have the Beast on it.  It was odd.  Overall it's a good show, but it was not as well-polished as we are used to.  My mom realized she lost her bag during Fantasmic.  We were trying to figure out where it was so we backtracked and ended up finding it at the Tropical Hideaway, which was where we all met before going to watch Fantasmic.
• Did some shopping and went back to hotel - After the show, we were all spent.  We walked through a few shops, but we were all exhausted and ready for the hotel.  We had a great time and loved every part, but 5 days in Disneyland with 5 kids is exhausting.

Family pic in front of the Fun Wheel

More family pics

Even more pics in front of the Fun Wheel

Ride pictures!

Fun at Avengers Campus and other DCA areas

Bank to Disneyland to ride small world

Lisa's favorite - small world at night!!

Grady got a lightsaber!  And met Chewbacca!

More Star Wars fun!

Last night in Disneyland.  It was a fun night and an even better trip.

Disneyland and Southern California for Christmas 2022 - Day 5

Disneyland at rope drop

Day 5

• Disneyland - Genie+ day - We were getting close to the end of our trip and we have found later in the week the parks get busier.  Because of all of this, we decided to at Genie+ to our ticket for this day.  We used it on our last trip and it was very similar to MaxPass (which was the best iteration of FastPass).
• Alice - walk on - This morning we started the day with just the four of us because the rest of our group had a character breakfast at Storytellers.  We got to the park before rope drop and somehow it was not packed again.  We were very close to the rope and got some great unobstructed views of the park.  Because we were so close, we had our pick to decide where we wanted to start.  We had not ridden Alice in Wonderland so we headed to the right of the castle toward the Matterhorn and on the Alice.  There was only 1 group ahead of us and we got right on.  All four of us love this ride.
• Small World - walk on - Next we walked back to Small World to ride the holiday version.  This ride is so great, especially with the Christmas overlay.  Lisa can't ride it enough to be satisfied.
• Matterhorn - lightning lane - Grady thought the yeti was a little scary but liked the ride - Next we used Genie+ for the Matterhorn.  It worked just like FastPass and we got on pretty quickly.  Grady had never done this ride and he was worried about the Yeti.  We took off and he did really well.  When we got done he said he liked it.  We had not done this ride for several trips and we all enjoyed it more than we remembered.
• Space Mountain - standby posted 35 min - Grady was pretty scared - The standby for Space Mountain was not bad so instead of using Genie+, we waited in line.  The pasted time was 35 minutes, but we ended up waiting close to an hour.  We enjoy this ride, but it was not worth an hour wait, especially since we should have used Genie+.  Grady had never ridden it and he wanted to try it.  He was a little nervous.  Overall, he did ok, but he said it was too much.  Ellie loved it.
• Galactic grill breakfast - it was ok - After Space Mountain, we stopped for breakfast.  We had eaten at the Galactic Grill for breakfast in the past and really enjoyed it.  Not this time.  It was not very good and they did not have good non-meat options for us.
• Toffee pretzel - On our way out of Tomorrowland, we saw the pretzel cart with the Toffee Pretzel.  It was delicious.  It was a regualr Disney pretzel with toffee bits stuck to the outside and cream cheese inside.  MmmMmmm.......
• Attempted Grady nap time - Failed - We then went for a walk and tried to get Grady to take a nap.  He was a bear and needed a nap, but would not go to sleep.  He just kept getting up or talking or just laying in the stroller with his eyes open.
• Found group - About the time Grady started to calm down to possibly fall asleep, we found the rest of our group.  Oh well.  No nap for Grady.
• Rode monorail - One of the things my brother wanted to do was ride the monorail.  I'm not sure I have ever done the full loop so we all got on to ride.  As we waited to get on, a cover piece of the door fell off.  Not a good sign.  The inside was pretty worn.  It might be time for refurbs of both Florida and California monorails.  We had a good trip and I remembered why I didn't remember going the full loop:  There's not much to see from Downtown Disney back to Tomorrowland.
• Found food (daddy getting cranky) - tropical hideaway - dole whips, baos and lumpia - We started walking around to find the next activity and I was getting cranky, we needed a food stop.  We stopped at the Tropical Hideaway for Dole Whips and other snacks.  Lisa and I got Dole Whips and found they have the lumpia, which is the pineapple/cream cheese cannoli type snack we loved in Pandora.  These were very good too.  This was a successful and much needed stop.
• Tiki room - Josie rocked it - We had heard that Josie loved the Tiki Room.  The rest of our group had gone the day we were napping at the hotel.  We all decided to go after our Dole Whip stop.  I really enjoy the Disneyland version of the Tiki room.  It is comfortable and the air conditioning works.  I like the songs and the show as well.  Lisa is not a fan.  But this time was different.  We sat behind the rest of our group and as the songs started, Josie stood up and just danced her heart out.  She loved it and we all loved watching her enjoy it.  This is something I have told everyone is that you never know which attraction the kids will enjoy, but then the parents enjoy the attraction so much more because of the kids.
• Haunted Mansion - LL - Next we used Genie+ to ride Haunted Mansion Holiday.  I could go on this as much as Lisa would ride Small World Holiday.  This time the ride stopped at the dining room scene and we got to watch/see the gingerbread house much closer.  That room is great and we got to see many more details than normal.
• Big thunder - LL - Then we used Genie+ to ride Big Thunder Mountain.  The kids are all starting to love this ride and I really enjoy them on it.  Grady is still a little nervous, but he overall enjoys it.
• Splash mountain - LL - Crosby got soaked, Spence took him back to change - We went back and forth about whether we would ride Splash Mountain because it was not super warm or sunny on the trip.  We finally decided that since this was our last chance to ride it before it closed to be converted to Tiana's Bayou Adventure so we had to do it.  I had never done the Disneyland version before and I found that I liked the Florida version better.  The ride looked very aged, almost rundown, and the log layout is different and not as good.  We got split up because we couldn't all fit (my parents stayed with Joie and Grady), but when we got off, Lisa and I got lucky and didn't get very wet.  The girls did ok (we got lucky and another group passed their ponchos on to us and the girls got ponchos to wear).  But Spence and Crosby got wet.  Crosby was soaked.  He was so cold and wet and did not enjoy his experience.  Spence decided to head back to the hotel with Crosby because there was no way to warm him up without getting dry clothes.
• River Belle Terrace- add whole group (except Spence and Crosby) - I made a reservation for the four of us to eat at River Belle Terrace because we hadn't eaten there and I wanted to try it.  It was also inside and we could sit and rest for a bit.  After Splash Mountain and Spence left with Crosby, my parents with Sam and the girls didn't have a dinner option.  We talked to the hostess at River Belle Terrace and they were nice enough to not only add the rest of our group to our reservation, but they even sat us inside at the same table.  It was great service.  Overall we enjoyed the dinner, but the food was just ok.  I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to go again.  The best parts were the service, setting and company.
• Soarin’ - LL - so good - We decided to head across to DCA because we wanted to see World of Color.  We found Spence and Crosby and then headed to Soarin'.  We love this ride and we love that the kids have started to like it now as well.  Grady even hums along to the music in the car when it comes on.
• Cocktails - ok - I had seen Micheledas around DCA for several days and found they were coming from the Hollywood Lounge.  My brother and I got Micheledas and Lisa got a holiday cocktail.  They were ok and the Micheleda gave me some serious indigestion.  Probably not the best stop.
• Monsters - LL - took a while for some reason - We grabbed a Lightning Lane through Genie+ for Monster's Inc.  We got in line and for some reason it took a LONG time to wait in line.  We are not sure what happened, but it took a lot longer than it should.  I really enjoy this ride.  It stems from Ellie's love of Mike and Sully when she was about 3.
• World of color - trouble finding a spot, wrong show from virtual queue - kids crashed - In the past, we have done meal packages to get better spots to watch World of Color.  We decided to try and get a boarding pass in the virtual queue this time.  We got a pass, but it was for the later show.  We tried to hang out and get in to the boarding pass section, but we didn't get in.  We ended up watching it from the back in a roped area that was opened just before the show started.  The Christmas version is not my favorite, but I'll take any version of World of Color I can get.  It was not the best spot to watch, but it was still a good show.  After the show, we went back to the hotel and crashed.  There was a very brief discussion about doing more, but that faded fast.  On the way out of DCA, the fireworks at Disneyland started.  We stopped in the esplanade and watched the fireworks.  It was a pretty cool extra on the way out.

Fantasyland fun to start the day.

Snacks, Tiki Room and Monorail

Haunted Mansion Holiday - Stuck in the Dining Room

Big Thunder Mountain!

Nighttime fun, Bbq Tofu, night shows

Disneyland and Southern California for Christmas 2022 - Day 4

 

Day 4

• Disneyland - Our next day started at Disneyland and strangely enough the lines for security and entry were not bad.
• Rope drop, close to rope - straight to fantasyland - took path by grotto, no one there - We got in the part before rope drop and somehow we were only about 4-6 rows of people from the rope.  We weren't THAT early.  I really enjoyed being up there because we got a great view of the castle and the hub.  We were a little annoyed (and we turned it in to a joke) because people would come up next to us looking for their group after getting coffee or snacks.  Everyone that walked by had their head up high looking over the crowd for their group.  It was hard to tell if they found their groups, but some appeared to just find a spot by themselves.  It got pretty silly.
• Peter Pan - When the rope dropped, we were close enough to the front that we went straight to Fantasyland and got in line for Peter Pan.  Note, if you get that close to the rope, take the path by the grotto, not through the castle.  The queue line had not completely filled yet so we didn't have to wait the typical 45 minutes, it was more like 25 minutes or so.  This is such a great ride.  I wish it was a little longer but still great.
• Pinocchio - Next we rode Pinocchio's Daring Adventure.  It was a short line and the kids wanted to do it.  It's fun, but it needs an overhaul.  I would put this refurb ahead of Toad.  It's a lot of doom and gloom.  I'd like to see either a different property put in here (maybe Tangled or Beauty and the Beast), and if not a complete change, maybe more of a musical because the music from Pinocchio is so classic.
• Carousel - After that, the kids wanted to ride the carousel.  They all hoped on and I ended up watching and taking pictures.
• Casey Jr - Fantasyland started to get busy so we were ready to move on, but the little kids wanted to ride the Casey Jr. Circus Train.  This is a cute little train ride and it is a great view of the miniatures in the Storybook Land Canal Boats.
• Red rose Taverne- yummy, kids ate a lot - Ellie got the Mickey pancake, Grady got the Bonjou Breakfast (eggs, potatoes, bacon, etc) and Lisa and I both got the Little Town Harvest Bowl, which was quinoa, mushrooms, cauliflower and other veggies.  We each destroyed our breakfasts.  It was a good stop.  We also got a Holiday Grey Stuff to share.  It was really cute because it looked like a Christmas tree, but it just tasted ok.
• Snow White - After breakfast we got in line to ride Snow White's Enchanted Wish.  I love this reimagined version of Snow White's Scary Adventures.  It has the right blend of old school charm and modern technology.
• Josie nap/Star Tours - Next we headed to Tomorrowland and rode Star Tours.  We had some issues with this ride last time because Grady got really scared.  He is so into Star Wars and watches all of the shows so I wasn't as worried and that came to fruition.  He was a little scared, but loved it.  
• Frustration and arguments - headed to hotel for rest time - stopped at Panera for lunch - We ended Star Tours in the big Star Wars shop in Tomorrowland.  This is a great shop, but it can be overwhelming for the kids.  We had some disagreements about buying everything in the store.  This continued outside of the shop with bickering between the kids.  We decided to take a break.  We had been extremely fast paced for several days and it was time to take a break.  We headed back to the hotel, stopping at Panera for lunch.  I wasn't sure how rest time was going to go, but we all fell asleep.  It ended up being a good break.
• All 4 napped - back at park, parade going as we came in, headed to Star Wars land - After a nice nap, we collected our things and headed back to the parks.  We went back to Disneyland and as we walked in the parade was running.  We watched it for a while and then headed back to Galaxy's Edge.
• Grady had Mando costume on; Saw Kylo and stormtrooper; Saw Mando, Grogu and Fennec Shand - Grady had decided to wear his Mandalorian costume from Halloween to the parks after naptime.  As we walked in to Galaxy's Edge we saw some Stormtroopers.  With them was Kylo Ren.  Grady enjoys pretending to be bad guys from Star Wars, but this experience changed his opinion.  The group of bad guys walked right up to Grady dressed as a Mandalorian.  They asked if they had his allegiance to the First Order.  He turned into a little puppy and turned around and hid behind me.  It was cute and he did say he liked seeing the even though he was scared.  After that, we continued walking along the path around the outside of the market and we saw The Mandalorian with Grogu and Fennec Shand walking around.  They too came up to him and he walked up to them.  They talked to each other about being a strong brave Mandalorian.  It was sooo cool and he LOVED it!!  He was SO excited after seeing them up close and very personal.  It was one of the best moments of the trip and ranked up with him meeting Captain America on the previous trip.
• Got Star Wars drinks (cold brews and green drinks) - After our character encounters we walked through the market and stopped to get fancy drinks.  Lisa and I wanted the Cold Brew Black Caf and Ellie got a bright green super sweet drink.  It tasted like a green apple Jolly Rancher.  The coffees were delicious!
• In line for rise of the Resistance- wait time 60 min - ended about a 45 min wait - great ride, Grady loved it, he was nervous/scared through the bad guy stuff but loved it - We were walking around and I saw the wait for Rise of the Resistance was 60 minutes.  It was the shortest wait I had seen on the trip.  The four of us got in line.  I texted my brother to let him know and they got in line about 20 minutes after us.  We ended up waiting about 45 minutes and since the line moves and there is plenty to see in the queue, it didn't seem too bad.  This is an amazing experience and Grady LOVED it.  Ellie did better as well.  Grady got scared when you get off the transport and on to the Star Destroyer with all of the Stormtroopers.  Once we got moving into the ride, he loved it.
• Kids did Batuu creature scavenger hunt - they loved it - We walked through the market looking for a Christmas ornament and stumbled into a scavenger hunt.  The premise was to help find creatures, footprints and other information about creatures in Batuu to research them.  It was really cute and the kids LOVED it.  
• Met rest of group - dinner at Rancho del zocalo - really tasty, took a long time - We found the rest of our group at the exit of Rise of the Resistance as we finished the scavenger hunt.  We decided to go to Rancho del Zocalo for dinner.  We ordered ahead, but it still took a long time to get our food and we were really cold.  Once we got our food, it was delicious, but it took too long.
• Found great spot for fireworks, good show, got to see the castle this time - Dinner was late so we went to find a spot for fireworks.  We got to the hub from Frontierland just as the cast members were setting up the ropes so we snuck in behind the rope right in front.  It was a great spot.  A couple of the kids fell asleep waiting, but we did get to see the show.  The holiday fireworks are not my favorite, but it's always fun to see fireworks.
• Downtown Disney for shopping - Grady asleep before we left the park - Grady fell asleep in the stroller as we were leaving the park, so we decided to walk through some of the shops in Downtown Disney since we hadn't been there yet.  It was pretty busy, but we were able to see and find everything we wanted.

Fantasyland Fun!

Fantasyland Carousel

More Fantasyland fun, Holiday Grey Stuff and Star Tours

Grady meeting Kylo Ren and Stormtroopers

Grady meeting Mando, Grogu and Fennec Shand.  He LOVED it!

Rise of the Resistance, yummy drinks and family picture

Galaxy's Edge Scavenger Hunt - Met Rey by Rise of the Resistance

Fireworks and Done

Disneyland and Southern California for Christmas 2022 - Day 3

DCA at Sunset

Day 3

• DCA - webslinger first - basically a walk on (religious freak at park entrance) - We got in to the park before rope drop with a plan to go to Radiator Springs Racers first.  Once the rope dropped, we noticed everyone going to Carsland and very few going to Avengers' Campus so we went that way to ride Webslingers.  It was basically a walk on.  This is a fun ride, but it is very similar to Toy Story Mania.  
• Guardians for part of group - monsters for kids and grandparents - After Webslinger, we found Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout was a short line, so we hoped on there.  Not all of us went, but those that did had a blast.
• Pym breakfast - butter pecan cold brew - After Guardians, we got breakfast at Pym's Test Kitchen.  This is a delicious restaurant for all meals, but breakfast is really good.  Lisa got the French toast, which was yummy and I got the impossible breakfast.  This was another stop on the Tour de Cold Brews.  This was the butter pecan cold brew.  It was pretty good.  Creamy with pecan pieces on top.  It wasn't the best of the trip, but it was tasty.
• Walk and the Incredicoaster and carousel - snack time, Mickey bars and cookie nom noms - We left Avengers Campus and walked through Carsland, Pacific Wharf and then on to Pixar Pier.  When we got to the Incredicoaster, the line was not bad so we hoped on.  This is so much fun.  It's amazing how a roller coaster that neither Lisa nor I cared about as California Screamin' has become one of our favorites with the Incredibles theme.Those that couldn't ride the Incredicoaster rode Jessi's Carousel next door.  After that, we had a snack.  Some had a churro, some had cookie nom noms, but some of us (including me) had Premium Mickey ice cream bars.  It was early, but we were on vacation.  
• Emotional whirlwind - Next the little kids wanted to ride the Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind.  This is a decent ride for the kids, but it's not great.  It does have cute theming though.
• Ariel - We walked the rest of the way around the lake until we got to Ariel.  We rode it again, but this time I got to ride.  It is such a cute ride.  I really enjoy riding with my kids because I know all the words to all of the songs and sing directly into their ears.  They can't stand it.  It's great. This time was Ellie.  "Don't sing daddy!"
• Redwood creek challenge trail - Chip and dale in the play area - We walked toward Grizzly Peak and stopped in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.  We were going to try and see Santa, but the line was really long and we lost the kids almost immediately.  They had a blast playing around in the challenge trail.  There are so many things to do for the kids.  We wished there were more seating, drinks and snacks.
• Riley, Ellie and Crosby rode grizzly river run - The kids wanted to ride Grizzly River Run.  We did our best to get them ready.  It was not warm nor sunny that day so the kids were the only ones that wanted to ride.  They were all old enough to go so we let them ride by themselves.  They had a blast.  Crosby got really wet.  Spencer took Crosby back to the hotel to change because he was so wet.
• Grand Californian - Next we walked around in the Grand Californian.  They have an amazing gingerbread house that looks like the exterior of the hotel.  This just an amazing place.  We wanted to stay there, but it didn't work out.  We wanted my parents to see it and they were very impressed.
• Snacks and Marvel store - We used the handy private entrance to and from the Grand Californian back into DCA.  We stopped and got popcorn and drinks close to Soarin' and then moved on.  We went to the Avengers Super Store.  They have a lot of stuff here, but it is just a giant warehouse with merchandise.  It feels like a placeholder and it could be a really cool store, but it's not themed at all.
• Lamplight - SO good, lobster nachos - Next was dinner.  The only reservations we could get for Lamplight Lounge for dinner were at 4:00pm.  It ended up working great.  We had 3 separate reservations because we couldn't get one for all of us together, but they were nice enough to put us at one table together.  It was a great meal.  The kids did great and we all had delicious food and drinks and good company.  I sat next to Riley and we both got lobster nachos.  They are SO good.  We probably could have shared one order because there was so much food.
• Philharmagic- good update and Coco addition - We were all super full and needed a break so we went to watch Mickey's Philharmagic.  We enjoy this show at Walt Disney World, but this was digitalized with a few added scenes.  We all enjoyed it.
• Boys played with spider bots; Sam and Josie went back to hotel - We were having trouble deciding if we were done for the day or if we wanted to continue.  Sam decided to take Josie back to the hotel.  We decided to keep going for a little while anyway.
• Luigi’s rollicking roadsters - I watched - We were walking around DCA and stopped to ride the dancing cars, as our kids call them.  The sign showed around 25 minutes, but it took almost an hour.  I enjoyed watching everyone and I got to see Lightning McQueen drive by.
• Everyone was tired - called it a night; Grady fell asleep in stroller almost immediately - We were done after that.  We headed back to the hotel after the dancing cars.  Grady crashed in the stroller.  We were pooped.  It was another fun full day.

Holk family at Avengers Campus

Fun at Webslingers - Grady loved it!

Breakfast at Pym's Test Kitchen

Incredicoaster and Snacks

DCA Sights, Sounds and Fun

Lamplight Lounge dinner - Best in park meal

Nighttime at DCA

Dancing cars and then bedtime - Grady didn't wake up to change clothes

Disneyland and Southern California for Christmas 2022 - Day 2

 

Annual Tea Cups Family Photo

Day 2

• Got up early and ready to go - We got up and ready and took the short walk from our hotel to the parks.  This is one of the best parts of the Courtyard Theme Park Entrance.
• No problem getting into park - no lines - On previous trips, we had to wait in some lines for security, but very long lines to get in the parks.  We had very few issues on this trip. 
• Ate at Jolly holiday - really slow ordering - chimney sweep cold brew is delicious - We got close to the rope drop area and were going to get ready to take off, but the family called an audible and stopped to eat at Jolly Holiday.  I was really thrown off.  My brother is normally a commando tourist in Disney parks, but he was a kinder gentler tourist on this trip.  Much more go with the flow and it freaked me out.  Anyway, breakfast was delicious and it was the first indicator of a trend of the trip.  We ordered food to share between the four of us and I missed out.  I was going to share a croissant sandwich with Ellie and she ate it all.  Grady ate all of his yogurt and fruit as well.  We did get some sweets though.  Lisa got a raspberry macaron, which was delicious, a Mickey gingerbread cookie, also very delicious and the beginning of the Tour de Cold Brews of Disneyland with the Chimney Sweep cold brew.  This coffee had smoked syrup, chocolate and caramel ssauces, cream and smoked salt-sugar sprinkle.  It was SOOO good.
• Haunted Mansion holiday - so good, short line, new gingerbread house - After breakfast we checked wait times and Haunted Mansion was still pretty short so we headed there.  I LOVE this ride both regular and holiday.  The holiday version is SO good and it didn't disappoint.  After we were done, everyone in our group loved it and talked about how different it was from the original and how it was still great and kept the feel from the original.
• Pictures by castle - We walked toward the castle and Fantasyland and stopped on the walkway between Fantasy Faire and the castle.  This is a great spot for pictures and it wasn't super busy.  We got some great family pics and even got a little silly with some gingerbread photos.
• Castle walk through - Next we walked through the castle and parked the strollers in Fantasyland.  We started with the Sleeping Beauty walkthrough.  We really enjoy this and it was a first for some our group.
• Toad - Next we rode Mr Toad's Wild Ride.  It was a fairly short line so we hoped on.  I know this is a fan favorite and a classic Disney dark ride, but I'm gonna say it:  It's time for a change.  At minimum, a refurb, but up to a replacement.  The ride is jerky and it is all cutout displays with very little technology enhancements and no animatronics.  I think it would be great to give it an overhaul similar to Snow White.
• Tea cups - Next there was no line for the tea cups so we hoped on.  We love this ride and we have to do it every time.  Lisa and I came to a realization that the 4 of us are not going to fit in one tea cup much longer.  It was a sad moment, but we will cherish it for as long as we can.
• Churro - The kids were getting hungry so we stopped at the churro stand in Fantasyland.  Disneyland has the best churros.
• Millennium Falcon - Next we headed to Galaxy's Edge.  I am always blown away each time we walk in to this area and it think it gets better each time. Grady was SO excited just walking into and through the land.  We found that Smuggler's Run was not very long, so we hoped on.  Still a great ride and the kids are getting better at it, which is good for everyone.
• Mando and Grogu - Grady so excited, and Bob Fett Grady ‘I just wanted to do this my entire life’ - After the Millennium Falcon, we were walking around the land and spotted the Mandalorian walking around.  Grady flipped out and he, Riley and Crosby went to meet him.  They talked to him and saw Grogu in Mando's pouch.  We also saw Boba Fett walking close to Mando so we got to see them both.  It was really cool and Grady was in Star Wars heaven.  He was so cute and excited.  The Mandalorian and Grogu are his favorite and he got to see them on the first day.
• Lunch at Carnation Cafe - After that, we went back to Main Street for lunch at Carnation Cafe.  They crammed us into a long booth so we didn't have a lot of room.  The kids were getting a little antsy and overstimulated by the morning so we had a few issues at breakfast, but not bad.  Lunch was good, but not great.  Good to sit down and restart though.
• Shopping then Grady nap - We walked through the shops on Main Street and then Grady took a stroller nap.  I found a Mickey sweatshirt (more to come on this sweatshirt) and Ellie got a fluffy pink Disneyland spirit jersey.
• DCA - met Carl, peppermint churro, Ariel and Zack churro toffee cold brew - We walked to California Adventure to see Avenger's Campus with the whole group.  We went the long way by Soarin' and Grizzly Peak.  We met Carl from Up and got a peppermint churro.  After that we went to do the Ariel ride, but Grady was still napping.  I took this chance to find my second stop on the Tour de Cold Brews.  At the Festival of Holidays, one of the booths had a churro toffee cold brew.  Come to find out, there was an alcohol version, but I got the non-alcoholic.  It was really good, but a little too sweet.  I think the coffee liquor would have calmed the sweetness.
• Holiday cavalcade - After I got my delicious cold brew, I stood outside of Ariel's and watched the people while Grady slept.  Right as our group came out from the Ariel ride, the holiday cavalcade went by.  Grady woke up and the kids went up to watch and had a great time, dancing and having so much fun.
• Avenger’s Campus - Spider man show, Hawkeye show, M’Baku show, Guardian show - Then we walked to Avenger's Campus.  I was so excited for Spence and Crosby to see it.  As we walked in, the Spider-Man show was going on.  That is so cool.  We continued in and got to see the Hawkeye holiday battle that we saw last year.  We walked around some more and the new M'Baku show was starting after Hawkeye.  We really enjoyed this show.  M'Baku was very charismatic.  I liked it more than the Dora Milage show.  After the M'Baku show we walked toward Guardians and the Dance Party was going on.  There is so much to see in this land.  It is great!
• Mostly everyone Turtle talk - Lisa and Zack shop - The kids wanted to go to the animation building and see Turtle Talk.  Lisa and I skipped and did some shopping.  I actually took a potty break and ended up at the Grand Californian to take care of business.  By the way, this is a well kept secret, the restrooms inside the entrance of the Grand Californian to DCA is clean, quiet and easy to get in and out by yourself.
• Parade - After that, we went back to Disneyland.  When we walked it, the Christmas parade was going through Town Square.  We squeezed into the ropes to watch.  We really enjoy this show and the music is similar to small world.  It is catchy and entertaining, but it is an ear worm that sticks with you the whole trip.  I really enjoyed watching Josie, my 2 year old niece, who was so into the parade.  When Pluto showed up (her favorite character), she cheered and this watched him go all the way around the square and started down main street.  She about broke down a couple times when she couldn't see him, but then she found him again.  It was really cute.
• Star Wars dinner - We were getting hungry so of course we looked for the closest restaurant to Main Street, Docking Bay 7 in Galaxy's Edge.  It was very good, but I got a shrimp dish and it had sausage in it that I didn't notice on the menu.  I ate around it, but it was kind of a pain.
• Jungle Cruise - Next we met my parents at the Jungle Cruise because they just wanted a hot dog instead of going to Star Wars land.  We love the Jungle Cruise and the new changes make it that much better.  Our skipper was great and added a holiday twist to most of the jokes.  We did find that my dad had some trouble getting through the lines. It was dark so it was hard for him to see and the stairs in the queue were tough for him.  We also found that the lines were condensed to 1 lane because someone threw up in line.  Yuck, we had to distract the kids because our kids have a reputation of getting sick just know there is vomit around.
• Mom, dad, Riley and Ellie went back to room - After the Jungle Cruise most of us were pretty tired, especially the older kids.  My parents were done too, so they took the older girls back to the hotel and the rest of us continued on.
• We rode pirates and watched fireworks with the littles. Sam got chewed out for running into someone with the stroller during the mass exodus after fireworks - We had a good time hanging out for a little while longer, but Sam accidentally bumped someone with the stroller and she flipped out on her.  It was an accident, but the lady sure thought Sam had done it on purpose.  This happened after fireworks in the crowd of people trying to leave it park.  It was pretty ridiculous.
• Bedtime - We walked back to the hotel and crashed.  It was a fun full day.

Entering Disneyland and breakfast

Pictures in front of the castle - Fun with Mickey gingerbread men

Tea Cups!!!

Galaxy's Edge and The Mandalorian

Lunch and Nap Time

We found Carl in DCA!

Cold brew, churros and then Avenger's Campus

Christmas Parade - Josie watching Pluto closely

Fireworks, 'snow' and bedtime

Disneyland and Southern California for Christmas 2022 - Day 1

 

View of foggy/rainy LA from the Academy Awards Museum

Day 1

• Very early morning, didn’t sleep great - We left the house at 4:45am to get to the airport for a 7:00am flight.  We didn't have a lot of problems getting everyone up and going because we all knew we were going on vacation.  We didn't have any issues with the Parking Spot or getting to the airport, but Kansas City is getting a new airport in March.  It was obvious that they have let the current airport go.  When we got to the gate, there was not a line for TSA Pre-Check and as we went through security, the TSA person said "welcome to the gate from hell".  That was encouraging.  There were no food or drink options, so Delta was providing complimentary options.  I went to the bathroom and the toilets didn't flush.  We couldn't believe how bad it was and it is embarrassing to anyone flying to or through our airport.
• Flight is fine, Grady very antsy and asking if we are there a lot - Overall the flight was ok.  We surprisingly enjoyed the plane.  We flew on Delta to LAX.  It was a newer plane and seemed to have more room than the typical Southwest flight.  We all got to sit next to each other.  Grady sat with my parents and Ellie sat with us.  My brother's family was in the row in front of us.  Sam and Josie napped for a little bit.  Grady wanted to get there so he was antsy and wanted to get there so he asked a lot.
• Easy getting off the plane and getting to luggage. Got to car rental great too. - The LAX airport has gone through a renovation and is now VERY NICE compared to KCI.  We had no issues getting to where we needed to go and getting our luggage.  The rental car shuttle showed up just as we walked out to find it.  Good timing.
• Rented a Kia minivan. The 2 vans fit all of us and our stuff. Grady napped on the way to the farmers market - We rented through Budget which was upstairs from Alamo.  It was odd because the planes fly over and we had trouble talking to the nice ladies helping us.  We rented a Kia minivan which worked out great.  We put Ellie in the van with Sam and Spence and their kids.  We took my parents and Grady.  We fit all of our luggage, but I was worried for a minute.
• Drove to the farmers market - really enjoyed it and the food was delicious. We all loved this stop - We headed into LA: drove by Randy's donuts, Grady fell asleep shortly after Randy's donuts, saw the dramatic scenery change from Inglewood to Beverly Hills, thought we saw the Brown Derby building (we didn't), and ended driving by CBS Television City next to the Farmer's Market.  We had some trouble finding a parking spot, but it was worth it.  We LOVED the Farmer's Market.  There were so many delicious spots to eat.  Lisa and I ate at a seafood restaurant.  Several of us ate at a diner.  Ellie and Crosby got sushi (Right???).  It was a great stop and allowed us to get what we wanted.
• Went to academy awards museum. Struggled with the kids at first, they turned it around and were better. Had some cool stuff - C-3PO, R2-D2, Okoye, Jack heads, Bruce the shark - After our lunch at the Farmer's Market we went to the Academy Award museum.  It was only a couple blocks away so we got there, regrouped and started the tour.  This was a very informative and thorough museum, but it was also dry and not kid-friendly.  The kids were bored very quickly and started acting out.  They were running around, causing trouble and not listening to us.  We had to have a pow-wow with our kids to restart.  They did better, but we had to explain what we were seeing and why.  We finally got to an area the kids liked with animation displays and props from sci-fi movies, like C-3PO and R2-D2.  They also had Okoye's costume from Black Panther and the Terminator head.  They also had one of the shark models from Jaws.  One of the docents told us the story that all of the models from the movie were destroyed except this one.  It was found in a dump and reconditioned.  When they got it to put in the museum, they had to take part of the wall out to get the shark in the museum.  Pretty crazy.  Overall we had a good time, but I would not recommend taking kids.
• Walked to Tar Pits, had trouble figuring out where to go, enjoyed the museum, the kids liked it more than academy awards, it was more interactive. - After the Academy Awards museum, we walked to the La Brea Tar Pits.  The path walked through part of the museum of fine art and it was a longer walk than we expected.  We also had some trouble finding the tar pits museum.  Once we got there, it was pretty cool.  This was much more kid-friendly and it showed.  They got to see prehistoric animal bones and displays.  There were also activities and other things that were aimed at kids.
• Drove around Hollywood and the studios. The newbies really enjoyed this part. Stopped at the Griffith park merry go round but it was under refurbishment - This is one of my favorite parts of driving around LA and this is something I wanted my family to see.  I took them around some of the sights in Hollywood and LA.  We saw:  Hollywood blvd and the Chinese Theater, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers Studios, Providence Medical (where Walt Disney died), Walt Disney studios and animation studios, Griffith Park and the merry-go-round.  We were hoping to see and ride the merry-go-round (since it is where Walt came up with the idea for Disneyland), but it was closed (looked like for refurbishment).  We headed back to the highway to go to the hotel.  I did take the wrong turn and we drove right in front of the Disney Animation building with the Sorcerer Mickey hat out front.  It was pretty cool.  It's sometimes good to accidentally get lost or take a wrong turn.
• Drove to hotel, everyone seemed to like it. Grady was funny in the car on the way (‘I’m awake!’) - There was some pretty good LA traffic on the way to the hotel, but it moved pretty good.  Several times on the drive, Grady called out from the back "I'm awake".  He was keeping himself awake.  Everyone liked the hotel, the rooms and the smell of the lobby.  It is the best!  Just smells like Christmas in the lobby.
• Got checked in and dropped off luggage. Spencer and I went to Target.  We got some snacks and drinks for the room, then dropped off cars.  - We were slightly worried about dropping the cars off because there was no where to park so we had to double park.  No problem.  I did make sure to get my phone out of the car on this trip.
• Walked back to hotel and met rest of group.  Walked through Downtown Disney for dinner at Ballast Point, Grady fell asleep at dinner. - Dinner was pretty good.  I got a poke bowl with crispy wontons that was delicious.  Lisa said the kids mac and cheese was very good too.  They have their own beers and they were ok.  We were all pretty tired and slowing down.  Grady ate dinner and then laid down and fell asleep at the table.
• Walked back carrying Grady all the way back - After dinner we headed back to the hotel and we carried Grady all the way.  We didn't have the stroller and he was asleep so we traded off carrying him.  At one point I put him on my shoulders, but his head would roll off either side of my head.  
• We all crashed from a long day. - It was a fun, very full day and we crashed when we got to the hotel.  We had a pretty good setup with each of us getting our own bed in the room (2 queen size beds and a bunk bed).

Fun on the plane and in the airport

Academy Awards Museum

More fun at the Academy Awards Museum

La Brea Tar Pits

Courtyard by Marriot - standard room

Yummy Ballast Point dinner - Grady asleep, carrying home