We met Paul's family in Disneyland last weekend and it was awesome.
This was Ellerie's first trip and we really didn't know what to expect. Would she love it? Would she be confused? Would she be tall enough to ride Space Mountain?!? (Yes, yes and this is a joke.)
It rained almost the whole time we were there. Which, of course, wasn't the end of the world (no sunburns! Less crowds!) but was not ideal because we didn't pack for the rain (I wore suede moccasins - possibly the lamest wet weather choice). We ended up just going into the park on Saturday and saving two days of our military 3-day passes for another time this spring.
Our time in the park was so fun. We took Ellerie on Peter Pan, Small World, the Carousel, Ariel's ride and Pirates. Every single ride she sat nearly motionless and gripped whatever handlebar was in front of her. She was a little scared by the dips on Pirates and clutched me tightly until we got to the more lively singing parts.
She loved the ducks that live in the park, was weary of the characters if they got too close and adored the churros. She seemed to enjoy the noise, fireworks, music, balloons and people-watching.
We went back to our hotel (we stayed at the Grand Californian) around noon and napped until 3 before coming back out in warmer clothing for a few more hours. This was a good plan and I'm not sure spirits would have been as high without that nap. After Ellerie went down for the night, and because we had Grandma and Grandpa with us, we were able to go back into the parks to ride a few grown-up rides. I hadn't been to Disneyland in a few years and had forgotten how much I love the roller coaster and Space Mountain never disappoints.
Everyone is right : seeing Disney through your kids eyes is about as magic as it gets. It's going to be so fun to watch her (and her excitement level) develop as the years go on.
