The Magic Kingdom

Jill's Journal: Doesn’t everyone who goes to Disneyland have this picture at this exact spot near the entrance? We had to get one too. We were blessed to enjoy our third and final day in the Magic Kingdom. The girls had such a great time and made memories to last a childhood. I’m pretty sure they do believe it’s “the happiest place on earth.” (And Rob and I are wondering how it’s soooo much more exhausting to be the grown-ups at Disneyland than it is to be the kids at Disneyland?)

We met princesses…

…princesses…

…and more princesses.

There just happened to be a mouse…

…and a cowgirl too.

Sleeping Beauty wins “Princess with the Best Personality” contest, hands-down…

…although Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother was hilarious and awesome and by far the most charismatic of all the characters. She had just told Victoria here, “Oh! There’s a queen named after you!”

Yesterday I shared a picture of our Splash Mountain experience. The girls in front got drenched. That included me.

My beloved Pirates of the Caribbean ride was not a hit with the girls and, after riding it as parents with kids in tow, we have to agree. It’s scary for little ones.

Erika’s favorite ride was the goofy Jungle Cruise…

…Madelyn was in love with It’s a Small World…

…and Victoria far preferred the roller coaster Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

We wanted the girls to try one of Disney’s yummy mint juleps. Note to our Kentucky friends: they’re slightly different than the souped-up Kentucky Derby versions. :)

Ah, what a lovely, lovely time spent as a family. I wish every family could have the opportunity to spend a day (or three) at Disneyland. We feel very blessed to have gotten the chance; Disneyland is truly a magical place for little ones.

Our Roller Coaster-Loving Wild Child

Jill's Journal: With a ridiculous amount of photos still to sort through, I had to put this silly one up. Yes, we bought it (and only it) from Disney because it sent us into peals of laughter and we just couldn’t resist. This is us at the top of the 50-foot drop of Disneyland’s Splash Mountain. It makes us laugh because we all look a wee bit worried. Everyone, that is, except Victoria…doesn’t she look like she’s saying, “Bring it on!”? How that child LOVES roller coasters.

Disney California Adventure

Jill's Journal:

We’re camped out waiting for the “World of Color,” a fantastic light, water, and fire show. It was definitely the highlight of the day. (Another highlight: Madelyn couldn’t stop messing with loose tooth #7, which fell out on the way home.)

We had a fun day at this Disney park, but Rob and I didn’t love it like the original Disneyland and neither did the kids. We’re glad we got to experience it once, but it’s honestly not something we’d ever pay for again. Happily, we have one more day on our passes and we’ll finish with Disneyland instead of CA Adventure. We’ll wait a week to do that though – two theme parks in three days have wiped us out!

Disneyland!

Jill's Journal:

(This is Jennifer Lopez, Marc Antony, and their twins. Antony has one of the kids on his shoulders and the other is on someone else’s shoulders. J-Lo is wearing big sunglasses with her hair in a bun; she’s behind a female with a baseball cap and is partially hidden in this photo. They had quite the entourage with them. And I thought they were getting divorced? Who knows.)

At the end of the day, we asked the girls what they thought of Disneyland. They all had an absolute ball, but their individual responses suited each one perfectly.

Madelyn: “Best day EVER!!!!!!!” (Said while repeatedly leaping into the air to emphasize her point.)
Victoria: “It was fun, but there was so much walking that my feet really hurt. I don’t like that. And I didn’t like the parade because it was way too loud!”
Erika: “I loved it, really loved it, but I still love horseback riding better.” (Said with a sly smile.)

We have three-day passes, so we’ll be back. :)