Halloween in the Big D

We left on Tuesday and came home on Sunday. It was 6 days of blissful fun in our favorite place. The only thing missing was Jason. We REALLY missed him. I know he was going with with drawls by the volume of calls I got daily asking which ride we'd gone on, what we'd eaten, etc. Luckily Jason's parents went with us, because I was not cut out to be a single mom. Anyway, below are a few pictures of our fun times from this past week.

The ride out there was great. Jason's mom has a new Nissan Pathfinder so we had lots of room to stretch out with a third row seat & god bless the person who invented DVD players for cars. That saved us. The kids had no idea we were traveling - only when it was time to pop in the next movie.

The decorations are amazing. I have been for Christmas but never gone during the Halloween season. Disney does not do anything half-way. I took a lot of pictures just of shops & decor - I love it! Everything was so festive and fun. The giant Mickey is at the end of main street and a photo must have.

James was not quite 40" but before we left Jason bought him the biggest soled hiking boots he could find. With the addition of soles from his other shoes & me wrenching his neck & legs straight - we passed him off for a 40" kids & he got to ride 3 new rides. Soaring over California was a blast, but when I leaned over the side and saw how really high up we were I gave James the Vulcan Death grip. I could just see him trying to jump into the river - not getting the whole movie simulation thing. He liked it all except the fireworks at the end. Then he covered his ears. Splash Mountain was also a new ride for him. He loved it and would say "I need to go on the boat" just as the ride was ending. His only quirk was that he didn't care for the ride - if he wasn't completely soaked after it was over. And for some stupid reason we only rode the ride at dusk when it started to get chilly out. The third ride was Tower of Terror. You should have seen the looks I was getting. i knew he would love it and he did. People thought I was crazy for taking him and I'm sure CPS got a few anonymous phone calls that night - but James had a blast. He is my thrill seeker child.


Paige was tall enough for Indiana Jones and rode on it once. Thinking it would be fun for her to understand the premise of the ride I told her she couldn't look at the eyes of the idol or she would chase us the rest of the ride. Paige kept huddled over in her seat with her eyes clenched tight the entire time - I would try to get her to look and see what was going on, but she would have none of it.

This was us trick or treating on Halloween night in California Adventure. It was a blast. The park was closed to the public, only those who purchased tickets for the advent were let in. They loaded us down with candy at each trick or treat spot. Paige would go through the line twice each time which added to our huge load. The costumes that people came in were amazing. One lady dressed as a witch cackled at me as I walked past her and said, "Stay away from apples, deary" - it was hilarious. I was amazed at the creativity and talent put into peoples costumes. I think my favorite was a Storm Trooper & mini storm trooper. The detail was incredible. I would highly recommend this to anyone. It was a great time. The park was open so you could ride all the ides. they had a couple of bands, & Fisherman's wharf was transformed into a Pirate Cove where kids could play games and win tattoos.

Jason's parents are some of my favorite people to go on trips with. They LOVE Disneyland and my kids. They make us laugh and we have the best times with them. My kids love spending time with them and especially the fact that they never say "no".

Woody's Halloween Roundup was great! There were a lot of animals to pet. The cabin was decorated for the season and you could pose for pictures with pumpkin people. They had a "Woody's episode" from his TV show & then entertainers that would sing & dance with the audience. It was fun to watch. The kids got to decorate Halloween sugar cookies & the characters would come around and visit. Jesse told Paige she needed to get a hat like hers. I hadn't brought their Disney dollars for them to spend. We usually save that for the last day, but she was determined. So we forked over the cash & she couldn't wait to find Jesse again and show off her hat.

Paige & James got along really well for the most part. I felt I got more after James then anything. James please don't lick the hand railing. James please don't touch the toilet. James please don't spit. Okay so maybe I didn't use the word please, but that's my son. He is all boy!

This is my favorite picture of the whole trip. James, he is special... They have the cars on permanent display right across from Soarin' I thought it was awesome. Last time we were there they only made appearances. You end up pushing people aside so you can squeeze into a picture with 30 other kids you don't know.

My kids & their favorite ride. Can you tell what James was saying to Grandpa Ron? To infinity & beyond!!

The park wasn't crowded which was nice. I like going when it's off season. It might not be the most convenient of times - but it sure is nice weather and we were able to walk onto most rides (Nemo excluded) with 15 minutes wait (on Indiana & Haunted Mansion & Splash) - It was awesome! I love Disneyland. Everybody has a laughing place and I have mine - mostly because it means I'm having a blast with my family.