Our Family Vacation – Disneyland

Last time we took the girls to Disneyland, it was …. shall we say … a disaster?  Allison and Chloe were terrified of all of the rides and all we did for 2 days was stand in line waiting to meet princesses.  Not my idea of fun – especially since Brian and I LOVE the thrill rides of places like Six Flags Magic Mountain!  We were all very nervous to take the family back this year, but we made Allison a promise that if she earned the money for her ticket – we would pay for the rest and let her go dance.  She earned more than 3 times what she needed and was so excited to dance in Disneyland that there was no way we could say no!

This time was WAY BETTER than last time!  Allison and Chloe did much better on the rides, and only got scared on one ride.  Allison chose not to go on Splash Mountain and they both got scared on Big Thunder Mountain.  But other than that – they were awesome!  Catie and Mary had a wonderful time and other than Mary getting lost at Mickey’s house (more on that in a minute) the only crying we had from them was when Mary had to get OFF of the roller coaster!  They are going to be thrill junkies like their parents!! :)

Here are a few pics!!!

(The entire Dance Studio that attended Disneyland)(Allison’s Starting Pose)

(One of my favorite poses in the dance)         (The end!)

(Allison at the A)

(Chloe at the C)

(Catie at the C)

   (Dad, Catie, Allison & Chloe)

(Catie, Allison & Chloe)

(Allison, Jordan (cousin), Catie & Chloe)

(Jordan & Mary – Jordan was Mary’s ‘best friend’) (Rachel (another cousin)& Catie) (Mary & Catie)

 (Dad, Mary & Catie outside Sleeping Beauty’s Castle) (Catie & Mary in Toon Town – don’t you love Mary’s ‘natural pose’??)

(Seeing Minnie Mouse)

INSIDE MICKY’S HOUSE /  MARY GETS LOST!!

This was an experience!!  We decided to wait in the enormous line to see Mickey since neither Catie nor Mary had every met Mickey.   You get to go through Mickey’s house during the line and see fun things.  It is usually a fun photo opportunity.  We had only gone through 2 rooms and had taken just a few pictures when Mary decided she was enthralled with Mickey’s desk.  It is located just next to a door way that quickly turns the corner.  The line had started moving and Brian, Allison and Catie were already ahead of us.  I had told Mary to get off the seat and come with us and then turned to see where Brian was.  I turned to get Mary and she wasn’t at the desk anymore.  I quickly looked around and figured she slipped by me and went to daddy.  I walked up the line to Brian and he asked where Mary was.  What?!?!  I turned and ran back to the other room and Mary was NOT there.  It was quickly apparent that we had LOST her!  I spent the next 10 minutes running back and forth up and down the line trying to find her.  I had a few parents in the line tell me that they had seen her head backwards towards the front door and outside.  I ran outside and looked.  I could not see her.  There were 2 older teenager boys, both more straggly looking, who asked what Mary looked like.  I quickly described her and said that she was wearing a pink shirt.  One of the boys asked if it had anything on it, and I remembered that it was a 4th of July shirt and it had a flag on it.  They offered to look for her and I ran back inside to talk to Brian.  He was starting to panic too (of course I was already there) and said he was going to get out of line.  I told him ‘no way!’ what if she was still in the building!?  He had to stay there in case she was still inside.  I turned to go back outside and halfway there, I ran into one of the boys from outside.  He told me that they had found her!  A woman had seen her walk out of the Mickey Mouse house looking lost and had picked her up, and they had recognized her and had come to get me!  What good citizens!!!  I went running outside and the minute I saw her I started crying.  Even just typing this up again, makes me cry.  I have never been that scared before.  I was so thankful for good people and the willingness to see a little girl who needed help and to try to help her instead of hurt her and for a Heavenly Father who was watching out for us!

(Inside Mickey’s house) (Mickey’s couch) (Mickey’s Desk – and the last place I saw Mary) (after we found Mary – playing Mickey’s piano) (Allison playing Mickey’s drums) (Catie playing Mickey’s piano) (Catie, Mary & Mickey Mouse) (Dad, Mom, Allison, Catie, Mary & Mickey Mouse) (Mary next to Mickey’s Mailbox – where she was found)(Mary on her favorite ride – the rollercoaster in Toon Town)  

(I didn’t want to get off!! I wanted to go again!! – People kept asking if the ride scared her and we kept having to tell them that she wasn’t scared, she wanted to go again!)   (Mary’s other favorite ride – the carousel) (Dad, Chloe & Allison on the Train)

(Mom, Catie & Allison on the Train)

(Dad, Chloe & Catie riding Splash Mountain – it’s hard to see, but this is really them!)

 

WE HAD A BLAST!!!!