Tag: Disneyland

Our Disneyland Adventure – Day Two

Leave a comment
The following morning we woke from a very restful slumber, ready and excited for a day of fun. OK, that was Shaun and I but the girls took some coaxing to wake up. Once they were awake though, it was game on! We dressed and packed up quickly and soon we were on our way to the Happiest Place on Earth.
Abby passed out in bed. Twenty minutes later she was bouncing around the room ready to get going. 
Ellie passed out and sleeping across the bed. Yes, that meant I had a foot in the kidney most of the night but I still slept well!

The day started over in California Adventure. We wanted to do all of the favorites over there before heading over to Disneyland for the rest of the day. Abby and Ellie had fun on The Little Mermaid, Luigi’s Flying Tires, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, Monsters Inc. and more. They also had the chance to see a few of their favorite but more obscure characters like Jake and Mr. and Mrs. Incredible!

So excited for a day with the mouse!
Waiting in line for Luigi’s Flying Tires. Abby was super excited to ride this one.
Hanging with Auntie Jillian while we wait for our turn on Luigi’s Flying Tires
Abby and Daddy flying along!
Lots of fun on Luigis Flying Tires!
Ellie and Auntie Jillian having a great time!
Grandma and Grandpa embracing their inner child. It’s Disneyland, its allowed!
A “Pit Stop” at Flo’s before moving on to the next exciting ride.
“No pictures while I am eating, please.”
Grandma at Radiator Springs Racers… They loved it!
I love Cars Land. Disney did such an amazing job recreating Radiator Springs!
All ready to spin on Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree!
Grandma and Auntie Jillian well… embracing that inner child again!
Finished up with Monsters now we are waiting on Auntie Jillian!
Enjoying the Mad Tea Party chairs… Anything Alice is worthy of Auntie Jillian’s attention!
“Welcome to Hollywood!!”
Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates loved Ellie’s glasses.
Can you tell that Ellie really loves Jake. Such a big smile!
We never get to see the Incredibles! This was so awesome to get a picture with them. More so for Abby than Ellie.

After California Adventure, we made our way over to Disneyland. On our way Ellie fell asleep and missed out on the one character that we wanted to see before leaving. Donald Duck. Every time we go to Disneyland she wants to see him and take a picture but we never find him. This time he was there in all his cranky glory with a small line and Ellie was too passed out to wake up. Oh well, another time I guess! Instead we continued on our way over to New Orleans Square for a birthday lunch at Blue Bayou, how exciting!

A special pirate chest cake just for Ellie. It was yummy!

After lunch it was time for more fun and rides. First up was Pirates of the Caribbean. Abby was not so thrilled about this but we gave her a cotton candy incentive. She hopped right on. Both girls were very brave and once we were off, wanted to go again! After Pirates it was on to Winnie the Pooh and then Jillian, Grandpa and myself used out Fast Passes for Splash Mountain. I am so glad our pass was for the afternoon. It gave us time to dry off in the warm weather and not in the cool of the evening. After our soak we headed over to Big Thunder Ranch to rest and dry off. We were even serenaded by a rather lovely singing cowboy. Too cute! After our visit to big thunder it was off to Fantasyland for some more fun!

Our brave girls in line for Pirates of the Caribbean. It took bribing Abby with cotton candy to get her to go one, but she did and had a blast!
Auntie Jillian and I just as we were taking off. Nice and dry at this moment.
This is Auntie Jillian and myself after several good soakings on big and a few not so big drops. Soaked from head to toe.
Visiting the animals at Big Thunder Ranch… This beautiful horse named Belle was quite the love bug and wanted lots of loves and scratches.
Checking out the goats with Grandpa Jerry. Abby wasn’t too keen on this one. One day she wont be so afraid anymore.
Let’s climb Rapunzel’s tower!
Lots and laughs and giggles while we wait in line to see a few of the lovely princesses.
The girls were so excited to meet Snow White for the very first time. Ellie and Abby showed her how to dance and Snow White tried very hard. It was very cute. She was a great Snow White.
Ellie always gets a bit shy when she meets her favorite Princess Ariel.
Luckily she is never to shy to stop and take a picture.
Auntie Jillian, Abby and Ellie stop for a quick dip in the tea cup!

After some time spent roaming around Fantasyland, it was off to Toon Town. That was Abby’s request. We spent some time in Minnie’s house and also had the chance to see Mickey! Ellie kept telling Mickey she was turning three. I think she is excited for her upcoming birthday! After a good tour around Toon Town we took a ride on Its A Small World and then made plans for dinner. The girls were starting to wind down, the fireworks were close to starting and everyone was hungry. Luckily we snagged a good table at the Plaza Inn and had the chance to eat dinner and watch the fireworks too.

Tea time at Minnie’s house!
It’s Mickey’s laundry room! Lets all strike a pose!
Ellie was blown away by the fact that Mickey was in the mirror! Such a cute moment!
Showing Mickey and anyone who will look that she is turning three!
So happy to see Mickey and loving every minute of the day.
Sometimes a day at Disneyland makes you sleep at the dinner table, under your blanket, during the fireworks.

I couldn’t help it but the fire works had me emotional. OK, I cried. It was surreal knowing that this was the last time we would go to Disneyland for a while. I know we will come back again but it wouldn’t at our leisure. We would see it in a new light, as a vacation not just a day trip. It made me realize that we would be moving very soon and it made me a bit sad and nostalgic. Trust me, our move to Seattle has me very excited and I cannot wait to go but we are still leaving a lot of things that are familiar to me, to us. I think what had me the most was watching the girls, their excitement and the way their eyes light up any time we walked through those gates. I guess it wont happen as often but when it does their excitement and the light in their eyes will be ten fold. 

There a lot of changes and new things coming our way, its scary and exciting at the same time but it was wonderful to make one last memory here. Now its time to take on the future and see where the next path will take us. All I know is that I couldn’t have asked for better people to take that path with. 

Disneyland, Rain or Shine!

Leave a comment
Disneyland, what can I say? We cant seem to get enough. Today we headed to the Magic Kingdom with Grandma Zoe for a day of fun. The weather would be cooler and there was a chance of rain but that didn’t stop us! That’s what our rain jackets and ponchos are for! Besides, rain keeps the crowds away and that is always a plus when visiting Disneyland.
When we arrived the crowds were definitely smaller then normal and the rain seemed to hold off. Right out of the gate the girls ran into a few of their favorite characters like Pluto and Goofy but the highlight of our trip down main street was the one and only, Mickey Mouse. In the spirit of meeting characters we headed over to the old Carnation Plaza and stage that has now been converted into the Princess Faire. There you can watch a show and meet several of your favorite princesses. Abby and Ellie were lucky enough to see Princess Aurora, Ariel and Cinderella  Once they had their fill we caught the Tangled stage show and it was adorable. Once again Disney put together something great for kids and adults too!
Waiting patiently at the trams for a fun day at Disneyland!
No biggie… its just Micky Mouse!
Little miss cheeser waiting in line to see Pluto!
Happy to see Princess Aurora!
Its Ariel! Ellie’s favorite princess!
Cinderella…
Exploring the Big Blue!
A little wet from the rain but ready to ride on Winnie the Pooh.
Looking cute in her poncho and ready to see Winnie the Pooh!

After a few rides like Buzz Lightyear, we stopped for some lunch and then continued on our way. We took a journey with the Nemo and the gang and then decided to take a trip down the rabbit hole with Alice. Then Ellie and I took a spin in the tea cups since no one else likes them! As we ended our ride on the tea cups it began to rain. So we put on our rain gear and headed to our next destination. The rain didn’t last long, but it certainly cleared the place out a bit.

The remainder of our day was spent riding Winnie the Pooh and then heading over to California Adventure for a few of the girls favorites. After that it was time to throw in the towel and go home! Once again we had a great time at the Magic Kingdom and we hope to be back again very soon. Until next time Disneyland!

Disneyland… Cant Get Enough!

Leave a comment
Yes its true, we cant get enough of Disneyland. We were lucky enough to be able to keep our annual passes this year so when the mood strikes or we get a spontaneous moment, we head to the happiest place on earth. That is what we did today.
The opportunity presented itself to go and so we did. Our trip was pretty typical and very relaxed. We arrived in the early afternoon and stayed until Disneyland closed, which is still pretty early in the spring time. We did some of the usual rides, like Little Mermaid and Buzz Lightyear but this time we also tried Turtle Talk with Crush. Aside from the rude family that practically knocked us over and then fought with us about seats, we had a great time and the girls loved chatting with Crush. Ellie also had the chance to meet Ariel. I think that it was the highlight of her day. 
For the Wharton family it was just another day with the mouse.
Waiting in line at the ticket booth. Abby is getting her very own annual  pass!
Giving a little bit of “attitude”.
Big Bears, Tiny Rafters.
Disneyland with two kids under 5 can be stressful. Luckily this was Shaun being silly with the girls.
Abby and Ellie get to meet Ariel. Ellie was more excited then she looks in this picture.
Going to see Minnie Mouse!
Enjoying Minnie’s Kitchen. We were the last people in her house, so  they had the chance to enjoy everything inside.
Its Minnie! Although based on the look on Ellie’s face, you would think we forced her to be there.
“Who’s the leader of the club thats made for you and me?  M-I-C-K-E-Y   M-O-U-S-E!”

Disneyland Time!

Leave a comment
Abby and Ellie woke up this morning as if it were any other morning. They headed off into the play room to play, pulling out their princess dresses for dress up. At that moment we pulled them into our room to tell them about the special day they were going to have. Today we were going to Disneyland and Grandma Zoe was going with us! With a lot of energy and excitement we packed up and headed on our way!
We’re going to Disneyland today!

After an hour or so we had made it to Disneyland and we were walking through the gates of California Adventure. Abby and Ellie received a lot of attention from many of the Disneyland cast members while they were dressed as Merrida and Rapunzel. One of the Buena Vista Street page’s stopped on her bicycle and made a big deal about being in the presence of “royalty”. The girls got a huge kick out of it and she had them grinning from ear to ear.

The whole gang and Abby who was not thrilled about being in the picture.
“I know something you don’t know”
Abby and Grandma Zoe on Luigi’s Flying Tires
Churro Sugar Coma

Our time in California Adventure was a blast. We all rode Luigi’s Flying Tires for the very first time and Shaun and I had the chance to test out Radiator Spings Racers. We had to go as single riders to save time but it was worth it. I can see why the line is so stinking long! We tried to get Abby to go one but she didnt want to. Next time, she said. 

From there we made sure Ellie got her chance on the Little Mermaid, a favorite and then headed over to Monster’s Inc. for one last ride in California Adventure. On our way over we ran into Miss Judith! What a coincidence! She went with us on Monster’s and then headed on her way as she only had a little time to herself that day.
Over at Disneyland the girls ahd a lot of fun. They had the chance to meet Minnie Mouse and the Mad Hatter, who wanted to play a game with them but Abby just wasn’t up for it. We made it to all of the favorites: Buzz Light Year, Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, and Abby and Grandma went on , Casey Jr., Snow White and Pinocchio together while Ellie slept. 

This is what happens when you have a blonde haired, blue eyed, glass wearing cutie dressed in her princess costumes. This group loved her and was so kind, asking to take a picture. She is famous already!
Yay! Its Minnie Mouse!
The Mad Hatter wanted us to join his game but Abby wasn’t keen on it.
Abby was so excited to see Pluto at Goofy’s Kitchen
Our last ride of the evening was on the Monorail over to the Disneyland Hotel. Grandma Zoe treated all of us to dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen and even though they were exhausted the girls had a wonderful time. They saw Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Aladdin, Cinderella and of course Minnie Mouse! Dinner was yummy and the time with the characters was a blast. It was the perfect end to a great night!

Disneyland with The Taylor Crew

Leave a comment

Take two excited Grandparents, One Auntie, a Fantastic Friend, a Cheerful Mommy and two very Happy Kiddos and what do you get? A TRIP TO DISNEYLAND! Yup, when the Taylor crew is in town its pretty much inevitable that we will end up at Disneyland. How can you resist? SO this year we found ourselves at Disneyland with the same Motley Crew as last year but we also tweaked a few things.

This time around we stayed the night at a hotel in Anaheim the night before. Best idea ever. This allowed us to sleep in a bit the morning of instead of waking up at 4am so that we could get to Disneyland and not deal with a three hour drive in morning traffic. It was completely worth it. We were up by 6:30 am and arrived at Disneyland only thirty minutes after the park opened. This allowed us to go to Cars Land (which had just opened a week and a half earlier) over in California Adventure. We had hoped to get on some of the rides but even by 9am, everything had a line no less then ninety minutes. Its ok, we still enjoyed a lovely breakfast at Flo’s Cafe and then enjoyed a few more rides before heading over to Disneyland for the rest of the day.

On the tram and ready for a day at Disneyland!
The whole gang, minus Grandpa Jerry who is behind the camera as usual. 🙂

Grandma Denise and Ellie waiting for the gang to finish up on the ladybug spinners.

Abby was just a little excited to see Pluto… just a little.

For this trip I decided to roll with the punches and let whatever happens, happen. For the most part, I stuck with that decision. I let Abby and Ellie decide what they wanted to do and Jillian and Drisana were great sports about that. The only snag of the day came with riding the Matterhorn. Abby has been on it once and loved it. Since then the ride format has changed. You can no longer sit in each others laps, instead you sit in your own seat. This meant the height requirement had changed and Abby just missed it by about half an inch. Grandpa Jerry had to leave the line with her and I felt so guilty going on without her. When we got off of the ride, I could tell Abby had been crying. It broke my heart. Its tough being at that point in life where you are still little but you also want to conquer the world on your own all at the same time. She cheered up pretty quickly and we were on to the next ride, but I have to admit there was a twinge in my heart that took a bit to go away.

Ready for her first ride on the Jungle Cruise.

All set to see Winnie the Pooh!

Happy Ellie waiting to ride on Pirates of the Caribbean. As she kept saying the rest of the day… “That was so fun!”

I did eventually get over it and I made sure it didn’t ruin my day with family, friends and my beautiful girls. Instead the girls enjoyed rides like Winnie the Pooh (two times to be exact), Pirates of the Caribbean, lunch and duck feeding at the Hungry Bear and their first time on the Jungle Cruise. The Jungle Cruise was a big hit and I am sure we will be riding on it again soon! Abby also had the chance to use her brand new autograph book and was able to get the autographs of quite a few characters, one of which being Minnie!

As a treat for the girls and the June birthdays, we had dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen. Abby had a blast and loved taking pictures with all of the characters. Well, all but Aladdin. Abby wanted nothing to do with him. Ellie was a bit leery at first but when Minnie came around, she was star struck. She was so excited and in awe that Minnie Mouse was right there in front of her. It was pretty cute if you ask me. Abby also met Cinderella which was another hit, so much so that Abby kept holding her hand.

Pictures with Minnie Mouse at Goofy’s Kitchen. Not sure you can feel the excitement here.

Ellie meeting Minnie Mouse. So start struck.

After dinner we headed back to Disneyland for another spin on Winnie the Pooh and then Drisana, Auntie Jillian, Grandpa Jerry and myself took on Splash Mountain. Yeah, Splash Mountain In June at 9:30 at night meant very soaked. Luckily it has been a hot dry day so my pants and shirt dried off quickly, but my shoe was another story. The rest of the evening was pretty lazy. The girls fell asleep so we watched the fireworks and then hit a few of our favorites. Auntie Jillian, Drisana and I rode Big Thunder and then it was Grandma Denise and Grandpa Jerry’s turn. From there we shopped while Auntie Jillian and Drisana went on a few more rides of their own. When all was said and done we stuck it out at Disneyland and nearly closing time.

At Auntie Jillian’s insistence we rode Splash Mountain. While you can tell we were hit with water, this picture does not  show just how wet we were. Soaked, completely soaked.

It was a long drive home that night, but so worth it. We made lots of memories and enjoyed our time together. Drisana is now an honorary member of the Taylor family after surviving a Disneyland trip with us for the second summer in a row. I know I fell asleep the minute my head hit the pillow that night but it was all for good reasons. Yet another fun day in the memory books. Until next time!

A Special Date at Disneyland

Leave a comment
Yesterday Shaun and I decided to take a last minute trip to Disneyland. This time we decided to have a special date day with Abby while Ellie stayed with Grandpa and Nana! So we surprised her with a day to herself. That plan back fired a bit because when we arrived Abby seemed a bit sad. After coaxing her to talk, she told us that she was sad Ellie wasn’t there. Wow, tug at my heart strings just a bit but it certainly makes me realize just how close Abby is to her sister and just how much she loves her.

After talking with her a bit, she perked up and our day began. We had a wonderful day at both Disneyland and California Adventure. Abby had a few firsts during this trip, going on the Storybook Land boats and the Tiki Room. Abby loved the Storybook land boats, so much so that we rode it twice but the Tiki Room was not a hit at all. The birds were funny but the large talking Tiki heads bothered her a lot. Oh well, we will try it again soon! We also tried Star Tours, but Abby was just under the line and couldn’t go. She was a little disappointed, but we told her we will try again the next time we come.

We spent most of the day at Disneyland, but headed to California Adventure to catch a few of Abby’s favorites like The Little Mermaid and Toy Story Mania. While we were over there we played a few games where I won a big stuffed Bullseye for Abby and Abby won a big Goofy for Ellie. Abby also had a very special treat… Cotton Candy! The bag was bigger then Abby’s head, but don’t worry we didn’t let her eat it all. She enjoyed it and we actually enjoyed the little pick me up it gave her. The last few hours were spent back over in Disneyland and we had a wonderful time. Even though we thought she was scared, Abby asked on her own to go on the Haunted Mansion. So proud! We had a perfect evening and the perfect end to a day at the Magic Kingdom. Next time we will make sure Ellie comes too!

On the tram looking a little sad. As it turns out, she wanted her sister to be there.

So excited to see Minnie Mouse!

On the Carousel with Daddy. Finally got a big smile out of her  and a picture with Daddy too!

On the Carousel with Mommy. This is a rare event! Usually I am behind the lens.

Trying to pull the sword from the stone. Abby used as many tactics as possible to do it too!

Our first entrance into a land of our favorite Disney stories.

The little town where Pinnochio lives and the workshop where he was made.  All with the Matterhorn in the background!

Stopping for a bit of tea in Minnie’s house.

This was the craziest dishwasher Abby has ever seen. Minnie sure has a lot of neat things in her house.

Abby was very excited to see Mickey Mouse. She  practically hopped into his arms to hug him.

Careful, Abby is behind the wheel!

Mmmmmm, Cotton Candy! What were Mommy and Daddy thinking?!

One last ride on the carousel and Abby is nothing but smiles.

One Last Time… Disneyland with Grandma Zoe!

Leave a comment

I am sure I will get a few jokes about the amount of time we spend at Disneyland, but oh well! We love the Magic Kingdom! Yesterday we headed to Disneyland but this time Grandma Zoe came with. Grandma has not been to Disneyland since Shaun was a kid, so this was pretty exciting as a lot has changed at Disneyland since then!

We arrived in the afternoon ready to have a lot of fun. Abby was very excited! We walked around Main Street, giving Grandma the chance to take everything in and enjoy all of the Christmas decorations. After a walk through the castle, we stopped into the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to get the two little princesses their proper tiaras. Once they were adorned with their new royal head decorations we wheeled on over to Big Thunder Ranch to get a picture with Santa Clause.





I was worried about the picture with Santa, knowing how children freak out when they see a fat man with a face full of hair but the girls were great! Abby sat right on his lap and when he asked what she wanted for Christmas she was eager to tell him… “A Sleeping Beauty Doll”. Ellie didn’t cry and seemed okay with Santa, but you could tell she planned on keeping an eye on this guy.

When we finished with pictures we headed back to Fantasyland. Abby is now tall enough to ride a few roller coasters and it was time for her to give one a try. She has been asking for a few months now but we needed to wait for a time when Daddy could go. If she became scared or overwhelmed we knew Daddy was the best person for her to ride with. But, she didn’t get scared at all! As the ride first started she screamed just like she hears other people do and when we got to the top she put her arms up! She even got to see the Abominable Snow Man!


After a Disneyland first for Abby, we headed over to California Adventure for more rides! After The Little Mermaid, almost all of the rides in a Bugs Land, and Monsters Inc. we made our way to the Disneyland Hotel for a very special dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen! Abby has never been before and we knew she would enjoy having dinner and seeing a lot of the Disney characters, which we did. Goofy, Pluto, Snow White, Chip and Dale, Baloo, and Minnie Mouse all came by and took pictures with both of the girls. Dinner was yummy and I am sure Abby appreciated being at a place where getting out of your chair during dinner to dance and play is actually encouraged! Ellie was a little apprehensive of most of the characters but when it came to Minnie, she was very excited and had no problem giving her a big kiss on the nose.





After dinner, we headed back into the park but decided to take the Monorail over. This was Abby and Ellie’s first ride on the monorail and they loved it. Mommy and Daddy, however, had a ton of fun getting on and off. What a hassle! For those of you with double strollers, don’t take the monorail! Apparently, California State Law requires that all strollers be completely folded up in order to ride the monorail. Most double strollers dont fold up easily, especially when loaded with diaper bags, food and all the crud you drag with you to a day at Disneyland. I am sure plenty of people where laughing at us as they watched us get on and off, but I know Shaun and I were not. Oh well, the girls enjoyed the ride and that’s all that matters.

When we arrived back into the park, we headed off for a few more rides. We made sure to get on Its A Small World because Ellie loves this one and Grandma Zoe has never seen it all done up for the holidays. From there we found a few more rides to go on and then slowly made our way back to the car. The girls were passed out in the stoller and ready to head to bed. Abby went with Grandma to have a slumber party at her house and fun was had by all. It was the perfecting ending to our last trip to Disneyland in 2011! Until next year!

Mommy and Abby Date Day at Disneyland!

Leave a comment

Yesterday was a wonderful day! Abby and I had a date day, just the two of us! Abby was excited just to have some time with mommy, but what excited her the most was the fact that our date day was going to be at… DISNEYLAND! I don’t know a kid in the world who would pass up a day all about them at Disneyland.

Disneyland was not open as late as it usually is, seeing as it was the middle of the week but Abby and I accomplished a lot in our time there. Just after walking through the gates and on to Main Street, we ran into Pluto and Goofy! Abby had the chance to meet both of them and snag a few pictures as well.


From there we made our way up Main Street and headed to Fantasyland. The last few trips we made to Disneyland, Abby begged us to see Rapunzel but we always ran out of time. So, I promised her that we would stand in line to see her, even if it was the only thing we did that day. On our way we found Sleeping Beauty hiding out on one of the sides of the castle. Abby was so excited to meet her!

After our little meet and greet with Sleeping Beauty we hopped in line to see Rapunzel. Lucky for us the wait was less then 20 minutes, which was the fastest wait we have seen so far. When it came time to walk inside and meet Rapunzel and Flynn, Abby all of a sudden became scared of them and wanted to hide. She hid behind my legs and would not get near Flynn or Rapunzel. As we started to leave, Flynn started to talk with Abby at her level and before I knew it she was out from behind me and giving Rapunzel a hug. Then, without prompting, she gave Flynn a hug too! Luckily, what could have been 20 minutes spent in line for nothing, became a picture with a big smile. Honestly, I think it was a little overwhelming at first for Abby to meet her most favorite princess.
After we said goodbye to Rapunzel and Flynn, we headed out for a bit of lunch and then we hopped on to some rides. Dumbo for Auntie Kenzie, Alice in Wonderland for Auntie Jillian and so much more! Within a few hours we had gone on almost every single ride in Fantasyland! I think it was a record if you ask me. Abby had a few firsts that day, one being the King Arthur Carousel and the other being Mr. Toads WIld Ride. She had a blast on both and has said she cannot wait to go back on them.


As the sun went down, Abby and I headed for some food and found a small spot for us to stand and see the parade. Abby watched from my shoulders and soaked in every moment, especially when Santa came by. When the parade ended we headed to see Winnie the Pooh and then enjoyed the fireworks and snow in front of Sleep Beauty’s Castle, which is now decorated for the Christmas season.

After fireworks, we headed back to the car and then home. It was a wonderful day and I am so thrilled I had the chance to spend some one on one time with Abby. I cannot wait until Ellie is old enough to do the same and appreciate it. I am sure that time will be here faster then I would like it to be, so I wont rush it. Until then I will cherish the memories I have of spending a day at Disneyland with my little pumpkin Abby.

Disneyland… A Repeat Story But with a Few Tweaks

Leave a comment

Yup I know it, its another trip to Disneyland! But I love it and so did Abby and Ellie. This time it was just mommy, Abby and Ellie. Ok well it wasn’t just us but Daddy definitely didn’t get to come with us being that it was a work day and all. This time we met up with Judith, Diane, Auntie Kelli and Char for a day of fun. It was a gloomy day, but that didn’t stop us. If anything it made the the park a little less crowded and quite a bit more enjoyable.

Ellie made a new best friend out of Oscar, the chef at the Carnation restaurant. He was smitten with her and she with him.

Abby was so excited to meet Ariel!
Just taking a break a break in front of King Arthur’s Carousel.

For Ellie this is just a break to cause more trouble! Although I am sure it felt good to stretch those legs.
Trying to pull the sword from the stone.

Catching a ride with Kelli. These two look incredibly happy to be at Disneyland.

Ellie is giving poor ghost Mickey a little bit of “Mouth to Mouse Resuscitation”

We were able to snag some great seats for the parade. Abby had the chance to see Mary Poppins up close. She even waved at Abby!

A beautiful evening at the happiest place on Earth!

The day spent with friends was wonderful. Because of the kindness and generosity of Judith and friends I even had the chance to get on a few grown up rides like Matterhorn and Space Mountain. Disneyland closed early that night to prepare for Mickey’s Halloween but it gave us the chance to jump on to a few rides over at California Adventure and then stop for dinner before heading home. You could tell Abby had more fun then she even knew what to do with. She fell asleep on Judith’s arm as we were eating dinner. Once again it was a great day at the Magic Kingdom.

Boo at the Zoo… Or Something Like That

Leave a comment

Shaun and had planned to take the girl to Boo at the Zoo at the Santa Barbara Zoo, but did not do something crucial… Buy the tickets. We called the Santa Barbara Zoo and they told us that we could buy tickets at the gate, but they sell fast and there were a limited amount. So instead of rushing to get there, Shaun suggested we do something else. And what is the next best place to Boo at the Zoo… DISNEYLAND!

This time, however, we decided to surprise the girls. And by surprising the girls I mean we decided to surprise Abby. So when they woke up from their nap, we got them dressed and ready to go, but we told them we just needed to head to Target instead. Thank goodness Abby does not have a sense of time yet because she bought it, even when we passed by about 4 on the way. As we approached the off ramp, we finally fessed up as to where we were really going. Abby, as always, was excited but you couldn’t tell. She always stays as cool as a cucumber.

The evening at Disneyland was pretty casual. We rode the train around the entire park, which Abby had a great time doing. We also had the chance to catch the Fireworks and Fantasmic which thrilled Abby to no end. Ellie loved Fantasmic the most because she could see Mickey, whom she is a major fan of. We walked around and enjoyed all of the Halloween sights and then as the night got late we headed home. I have to say, we are very blessed to be able to enjoy such a wonderful place when we want to and to share it with our little girls. I don’t think I will ever take it for granted.

Ellie worked on some of her pilates and yoga from her stroller as we waited in line to get in.

As you can see, Abby is very excited to be on the train!

Ellie was having lots of fun too!

Even though Tinkerbell had “gone to bed” for the night, we still took a picture in front of her teapot house.

Not the best picture in the world, but no matter how old I am I still love the castle at night.

Disneyland Birthday

Leave a comment

So what do the Wharton’s love? OK, well there are a lot of things but Disneyland is one of them! Now that Abby is a bit older she has favorites characters, loves all things Disney and gets very excited when the word Disneyland is mentioned. She even loves watching a short movie about the Disneyland Parks on Netflix. (Yes, it is possible that she is more obsessive about Disneyland then I am.)

So as a birthday treat and on a whim, we decided to take Abby to Disneyland. Ellie did not come with us on this trip and while we missed her I know Abby enjoyed having some time with just mommy and daddy. To start the day we rode the tram in. I don’t think Abby could have been more excited, especially when she saw the Halloween scenes with Mickey, Minnie and the gang on the way in.

Its fun to be a kid. Even sitting with mommy on the tram is considered a ride!

Excited and happy smiles from Abby and Daddy after hopping off the tram. Disneyland here we come!

We started out day over in California Adventure. Shaun and I wanted to get on some of Abby’s favorite rides there before they became super busy. While we were there we rode The Little Mermaid, Toy Story Midway Mania, King Triton’s Carousel, and even snapped a picture with Duffy the Bear and the one and only Mickey Mouse! We did a lot in a short amount of time! Once we finished we left and headed over to Disneyland for the rest of our day. We had plenty to do still!

Abby talks to Duffy the Bear. She had to tell him just how much she loved his pumpkin costume.

Before smiling for the camera, Abby and Mickey “hugged it out” for a few minutes. As always, she was in awe of Mickey. Before we left she gave him a big kiss on the nose.

Abby and Daddy on King Triton’s Carousel. This was the first time she rode all by herself! (With daddy standing right next to her of course.)

Such a pretty girl. We love seeing her have so much fun.


After our ride on the carousel, we headed to Disneyland for the remainder of the day. We stopped for lunch and then hit the rides again. I had hoped for Abby to get her picture taken with Rapunzel, but unfortunately the line to see her was nearly two hours long. SO instead we headed over to ride Dumbo. This was Abby’s first time on Dumbo and she loved every second of it.

Mommy and Abby had a blast on Dumbo. It was Abby’s first time!

From there we headed over to Toon Town and Abby was in heaven. She had the chance to meet Pluto, Minnie and of course Mickey Mouse. She also had the chance to play in Minnie and Mickey’s house as well as Donald’s and Goofy’s. She really loves that Donald’s house is a giant boat and that she even had the chance to sound off the horn.

Abby and Pluto sneak a picture and a few hugs. She was so excited to meet him.

Abby was extremely excited to meet Minnie and give her big hugs… Can you tell?

Its all smiles for her picture with Minnie

We also got to see Mickey! It was a bit of a surprise so Abby was a bit overwhelmed but she did love it! Gave Mickey more kisses on the nose! But it was nice to get a picture of all of us!

After our trip to Toon Town, we left hoping that Abby would fall asleep in her stroller. But on our way we saw that the line for Small World was very short, so we hopped on! From there Abby was energized again, so we got on a few more rides. Abby really wanted to ride the Tea Cups, so Mommy took her. Daddy is not a fan even though we didn’t go fast. Abby loved it and just squealed and giggled as mommy turned the cup faster. I am sure we will be going on this again soon!

Abby loved the tea cups! She even loved how she was pushed back into her seat as made the tea cup spin faster and faster.

After the tea cups, we went Alice and Wonderland for Auntie Jillian. Abby loved it too and just as we were about to come to the end of the ride.. it broke! I joked with Abby that we broke it but she didn’t really like that too much. We had to wait until Disney Cast Members let us off, that was a first for me on that ride and I have been many times! From there, the little girl who insisted on walking most of the day, finally crawled into the stroller and passed out. Shaun and I took the time to walk the park a bit and then sit down at Carnation Plaza for some dinner.

When Abby woke up, we got her changed and then headed for one last ride, Nemo. She loves the Nemo Submarines and we promised her one more ride before we headed home. In line she made a new little friend, Lily, who was visiting her grandparents with her mommy. They came all the way from South Carolina. When the ride was over and we had to part ways Abby and Lily gave each other a hug. It was very cute. As we left we walked through the castle on our way to Main Street and said goodbye to Disneyland. Abby had a wonderful time and before we had even left the park was asking when would we be back again. Very soon I’m sure!