California Adventure--No Disney Trip Should Miss The Chance To Spend Time There

One way I remember every early Disney visit with my grandsons is seeing a picture or map of Tower of Terror. The ride is something I would do to get the two small boys to calm down a bit. Both remained secure in car seats, but they both had this way of really getting on a person's nerves in traffic. When we neared Harbor Boulevard, I always made the task work doing as soon as I said these words: "The first one to see Tower of Terror and Matterhorn gets the first churro." Silence would then dominate the inside of the car. Both boys were competitive at an early age. And as strange as it often was, they usually saw it and shouted out at the same time. Ironically, it made them even more excited, which in turn created even more noise. We would turn into the entrance, waiting our turn to purchase a parking pass and continue toward the parking garage. Both boys were like static electricity. They reached for shoes. The giggled. The laughed. They squealed. By this time, the noise was no longer annoying. I welcomed it, because they were pleasant distractions to last just a brief time before we became exposed the the scent of cinnamon rolls, churros, and cookies, at the sound of Disney music, and the sight of the train, pulling into Main Street Station.

Tommy did "the annoying noise thing," which was a slightly more obnoxious version of Jim Carey's sound he makes in a movie. Yes, it's that one called Dumb and Dumber, where the two men ride with a hit man. The man endures it at that point in the film, although he then reaches for his gun at the high point of frustration.

We never get that frustrated. It was usually more of a question of just feeling the need to scream at bit. We didn't. That would merely have added to the distracting noises.

One of the first rides we would find in California Adventure Park is Monster's, Inc. The two boys always loved it, although sometimes I had the impression they liked playing and hanging on the chain partitions that separated the long lines.

Sometimes we would go ten times or more on this ride, especially during summers.

Anna always loved this ride, although her absolute favorite was The Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh. Seeing pictures of Anna, who at that time was younger than Sammy is in this picture, is fun for me. The second picture still brings back wonderful memories of those early years.

It was fun, when grandchildren were not in school, and we could take all of them to Disney adventures any time during the year without worrying about school absences. 

I've blogged this picture at least once before--and the next one too. But they have significance. "A Bug's Land" was perfect for our little ones.

We arrived in California, and Lydia and Jeff lived in Ontario at the time. I will always remember arriving late at night. Lydia waited for us under a street light in front of their apartment. Tommy held her hand at her side, and tiny Anna was in her arms. Tommy began jumping up and down, when he recognized our car. Ann would call, as soon as we passed through the security gate at the entrance, just minutes from their door, which gave Lydia time to go down the metal stairs to the parking lot. She always waited there for us.

We were up early the next morning. Lydia's apartment was some thirty to forty minutes away from the park. Ann and Jack and I were up early the next morning. I whispered to Jack.

"Don't tell Tommy we're going to Disneyland. It will make him feel badly."

I begin gathering things, and suddenly I hear Jack's voice in the other room. He's talking to Tommy.

"We're going to Disneyland," he said proudly.

Tommy wanted to go. He was still young, and we had never taken him alone anywhere before, but we volunteered to take him with us immediately. You do that, when you see the sad look in a little boy's eyes.

The day went well, until Tommy asked for his favorite thing.

"Can I have a churro?" Ann didn't have any change, and the little stands didn't take debit cards. Ann had to say "no."

It became one of those moments. To stop Tommy from feeling badly, we went to the water park at California Adventure. He was able to forget about it completely. Lydia arrived within an hour after that. Grandma found a machine to get money with her card. The world suddenly seemed like a better place.
 

During that trip or another one that year, Lydia dressed Anna up in an outfit I picked out for her for Christmas. I loved the shades of lilac and a light shad of green on her. In this picture, she and Lydia and the rest of us watched a parade in California Adventure Park. The Disney people know cute kids when they see them, and besides, Pop Pop’s backside would never have been able to fit into that yellow hoola hoop.

And yes, one year either in the fall or just before or after Christmas, we took pictures with the boys near the California Adventure decorations they used that year.

Sometimes the visit is extra tiring.

My favorite time at the park was when all my grandchildren were open-minded and not at a point, where something was a "little kid's ride." It was a magical time.

My only complaint was this ride, where I step into a ride, designed with snack baskets as "balloon baskets," and find I'm in the Super Snack Pack, which makes sense considering I am "the super snacker."

This last picture was all of us on our way for another ride on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. Call it the little kid in me, but I love the scent of animal crackers at one section of the ride.