Hello again!
Now it’s time for part two of my trip report, and I hope you enjoyed part 1!
Sunday was our day to check into the Grand Californian, which was cool because it also meant that my mom and I stayed at all 3 Disneyland Resort hotels in 2012. We even got an upgraded room because I mentioned that we were celebrating my moms 50th birthday. Disney knows how to work magic! We didn’t spend a whole lot of time in the parks that day, because we were pretty tired, but I ventured in later to meet up with some Twitter/Instagram friends, Sharesa, Kelsie, Taylor, Bailie, and Kayley. We had so much fun despite the fact that it started raining. I couldn’t stay with them for long, but on my way out, I met Nick Pitera, YouTube sensation and Pixar employee. He was super sweet and I got a picture with him. My family left Disney to meet up with some extended family to go to Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor for a birthday hoopla. If you haven’t been to Farrell’s, it’s a must! It’s so much fun, and they have great food, and awesome ice cream. If you go, order a zoo 😉
After a fun family celebration, we went back to the parks for World of Color and to get my dad on Tower of Terror for the first time. He thought it was okay, but won’t be going on it again, as he and I can’t always do thrill rides. After Tower of Terror, we met up with another one of my Twitter friends, Ashley, and she invited us to hang out with some other Twitter friends in Club 1901, and then to watch World of Color in the VIP section afterward. It was so nice to finally meet Ashley and chat with her, she is such a sweetheart! This was our first time at Club 1901, and it is absolutely stunning inside, and rich with Disney history. Again, I was completely geeking out at every thing I saw. We had another fabulous day, and it still wasn’t even my moms birthday!
Finally, we got to Monday, Mom’s birthday, and did a Magic Morning in the California Adventure. As expected, everyone ran over to Radiator Springs Racers, which was closed due to technical issues. So, we enjoyed breakfast at Flo’s, and I don’t know how I had never had their French Toast (which I will be dreaming about until I go in February). During that time, Racers started testing, and we thought we’d head over to see if it would open soon. While waiting, we chatted with cast members, which turned into talking to them for an hour and a half prior to the attraction opening. The time flew by so fast, and it was really fun to talk with the people we did. One of the cast members gave my mom a Fastpass for Racers for us to use later as a birthday present. It is the people that really make Disney what it is, and bring magic to the guests. I did feel bad for everyone waiting behind us, because we were in the third car of the day, and when we got back to the loading zone, the attraction broke down.
We bounced back and forth between the parks during the day, until later in the afternoon when we staked out our spot for the Candlelight Processional. It was a long, 2 hour wait, but it was worth it to have an unobstructed view. The whole thing was truly magical! From the music, to the Christmas story, and the atmosphere, it was amazing. Kurt Russell was our narrator that night, and did a fabulous job. Now, we had been to the Candlelight Processional at Epcot the year before, and while the music and story were the same, there was something so incredibly magical about being on Main Street for the Disneyland one. It was incredible, as it was almost as if you weren’t in the park. You couldn’t hear anything other than the show, and it felt so intimate and personal. We absolutely loved it, and my mom and I left with tears in our eyes, since it was so beautiful. Later in the evening, we were even able to see the processional down Main Street, which was just as beautiful as everything taking place at the train station. If you missed the Processional aspect of it, they turn off the lights on Main Street, and you see hundreds of choir members holding candles as they walk towards the train station while singing Christmas carols. It is truly a beautiful sight.
On Tuesday, our last day, we spent little time in the parks, as we needed to drive home in the afternoon. We met up with my friends Bethany and Eddie, their 17 month old daughter Aubrey, and niece Kendall. Aubrey even met Mickey for the first time, which was a moment I will never forget. She walked right up to him and kissed his nose, with no prompt from anyone to do so. It was absolutely precious, and I’m so glad I could have been there to see it and capture it on camera. After that, it was time for us to make the long drive home. What a wonderful trip we had, full of many special moments and people that made my moms 50th birthday celebrations a weekend that she and my family will never forget!
Hope you enjoyed this trip report! Until next time,
Caitlyn
