Mexican Riveria Cruise
Sapphire Princess
January 2006
Day 1 (Friday, January 6th) Drive to LA
It started out as a normal day dropping our daughter off at kindergarten. But Dave didn't go in to work and I spent the morning packing the car. Just before noon we drove down to the school and picked our daughter up and off we went!
We made good time driving until we hit Pasadena at which point the Los Angeles evening rush hour took over our journey. It took us another 2 hours to make it to our hotel for the night. We stayed at the Embassy Suites LAX South. This was a very nice hotel that had a beautiful indoor pool and hot tub. We had dinner and went swimming with the kids who were happy to splash around after hours of confinement in the car. After falling into bed at 11 pm we all went to sleep.
Day 2 (Saturday, January 7th) Embarkation
We were woken up at 6:30 am. My son had woken up and was being pushed off of the bed he shared with his sister. He started to try and push her and this resulted in a whining match. What a great start to the day! I thanked my lucky stars that the kids were going to be in separate beds on the cruise ship.
After breakfast we took the long route (along the coastline) to the port in San Pedro. We have cruised many times before but have never driven to the port. We literally drove right into a parking lot and got a spot right next to the cruise terminal. It was about 20 feet from the entrance to the building. I have never had such an easy time getting to the port! I think I want to drive to more cruise ports from now on!
We arrived just in time for the platinum check-in so we got through security and onto the ship relatively quickly. After dumping our bags in the cabin we grabbed a quick lunch at the buffet and were off to explore the ship: the Sapphire Princess.
We also went to check out the Kids' Club. Princess groups the ages in different ways depending on how many kids there are in each age on that cruise. They had posted a breakdown of how many kids were onboard:
This starts at age 3 because this is the minimum age for kids to use the Kids Club and be left with the counselors. Kids under age 3 (or not potty trained) can use the facilities but must be accompanied by a parent at all times.
Our kids got right to work playing with some blocks while I looked over the facilities. On this cruise they were in the 3-6 year old group.
We managed to squeeze in unpacking and a swim before dinner. We had chosen early traditional dining. This means that we ate every day at 5:45pm. We always sat at the same table and had the same waiters. This was nice because they knew us well and could anticipate that Dave and I drank as many Diet Cokes as we could get our hands on and that the kids loved to have milk as soon as they sat down. Since we wanted our kids to learn to behave in the dining room this was the right choice for us.
There was a separate kids menu but the kids could also order from the adult menu. The kids' menu included a burger, hot dog, chicken fingers, fish sticks, spaghetti, salad, alphabet soup and fruit. There were also two special ice cream desserts.
We managed to survive dinners because I brought a bag full of new toys for them to play with. I got a huge box of 100 Happy Meal toys for $20 from EBay. I selected about 20 of them and tossed them into a tote bag that came with us to dinner every night. The kids only played with these toys at dinner so they had big entertainment value. I also brought along some disposable straw cups for my three year old so that he wouldn't spill his milk.
On the first day the Kids Club was open from 7-10pm. We took the kids so that they could get used to it and to see if they would enjoy it. They took right to it and had no problems. Dave and I went to see the show in the main theatre.
Here is the main theatre (during the day, which is why it is empty). It takes up part of 2 decks in the public seating/performance area and part of another 8 decks for backstage, set and costume storage, dressing rooms, etc.
There is a regular troupe of singers and dancers who perform and live on the ship. Special entertainers are also brought in (some regularly, others occasionally). So on every cruise there are some musical shows, some singers, some comedians and some variety entertainment. The first night there was a small Broadway-style performance and a comedian.
After the show we picked up the kids and took them back to the cabin. The beds were turned down and everything was ready for the night. My daughter saw the bunk bed she would be sleeping in. Both kids were delighted with it. We had to convince my son that he was too small to sleep up there.
We cruised in a mini-suite cabin. Dave and I have always cruised in standard outside or balcony cabins, but since we had the kids this time we figured we'd need the extra room. This is our cabin in the daytime:
and this is our cabin turned down for the night:
We were certainly glad for the extra space with four of us in there!
Day 3 (Sunday, January 8th) At Sea
We had breakfast at the buffet and took the kids to the Kids Club at 9 am. They spent the morning coloring t-shirts and playing bug-themed games with the other children on board in their age group.
In the meantime Dave and I checked out the mini-golf area. The course is contoured with a lot of rises and drops (made more difficult by a moving ship) so Dave found it difficult.
We went to lunch in the dining room at 11 am and then picked up the kids at noon for their own lunch. We went swimming in the pool afterward. There were a number of pools on the ship but my favorite was one in an area that was covered with a retractable roof. This way I didn't have to worry so much about sunburn.
For the afternoon the kids went back to Kids Club and painted the windows and decorated the room with their artwork. Dave played more golf while I went for a manicure and pedicure at the spa.
Dave helped our daughter with her homework on the balcony.
I went back early to the cabin to get ready for formal night. This is my one opportunity to really dress up and I love it! Part of the fun is spending hours lounging around in a bathrobe getting ready. My daughter said that she wanted to have her hair done too, so Dave fetched the kids and she and I sat around with curlers in our hair. Our son napped, but not too much. Meanwhile, my daughter protested having to use the hair dryer (it is necessary to use it with my steam rollers) and got cranky. I finished up and got ready for formal night. Then it was time to get the kids dressed.
Uh oh. My son was still napping (he had finally fallen into a good sleep) and my daughter had dozed off too (now that her curlers were out). We had to wake them to get them dressed.
Big mistake!!!!! They were very unhappy about being woken up and were whiny and cranky all through dinner. I did manage to get them dressed and they looked fabulous, but they were not happy to be going to dinner.
Dave and I sucked it up and took them anyway while constantly reminding them what kind of behavior was expected in the dining room. They made it through dinner but were generally quiet and sulky and hid if anyone so much as looked at them funny.
Towards dessert they felt better so we got a few family photos but none were really spectacular.
We had learned our lesson. The kids needed a nap each day and should not have been woken up from it! We made it a point to put them down for afternoon nap/rest earlier after that and all later dinners went much better.
We took the kids to see the show, thinking they would enjoy it. It was a Broadway-style tribute to Billy Joel. The kids liked it for about 30 minutes and then got bored so I took them back to the cabin and put them to bed. It was an early ending for our formal night.
Day 4 (Monday, January 9th) At Sea
I felt guilty for having the kids in the Kids Club all the time so I took them to the pool and mini-golf instead that morning. I thought they were having fun but at 11 am my daughter asked when she could go back to the Kids Club. She had made some friends and wanted to see them. After repeated requests I took here there. Picking her up 45 minutes later she was in tears because they had had Olympics that morning and were distributing medals at the end of the morning. Obviously she did not get a medal because she didn't participate. Okay, I learned another lesson: clear the activities with the kids before not sending them to Kids Club.
That afternoon we went swimming, then took the kids to Kids Club, where they had Lego Competitions and participated in a science module on whales and dolphins. Dave and I went to brush up on our dance skills at dance lessons.
We picked the kids up for an early nap and were rewarded with some peace at dinner. Yay! This became our standard operation for the rest of the cruise.
That night the kids had SpongeBob activities at the Kids Club. Yuck. But they enjoyed it and Dave and I got to go see a fabulous comedian in peace. Almost. We got paged because my three year old had had a potty accident. The toilets are very high and there are no step stools (they told me later that the kids had to ask for the step stool when they needed it) and my son had peed while trying to climb onto the potty. After this we coached him to ask the counselor for the step stool and there were no more accidents.
Day 5 (Tuesday, January 10th) Puerto Vallarta
We woke up to find ourselves docked in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We had a terrific view from our balcony of the pirate ship.
This is the ship they use for excursions. If the kids had been older I would have booked us on it. You travel on the ship for awhile and they take you to good snorkeling spots and make a fabulous lunch.
Instead Dave and I got selfish. We left the kids in the port-day babysitting and went on an adult excursion: a jungle canopy tour! Essentially we took a bumpy bus ride (looked like an army troop transport except it was yellow) and drove into the mountains. There was a huge forest of very tall trees and there were zip lines strung between them. We took a tour that used 14 zip lines plus a Tarzan swing. We also had to rappel back down at the end. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take cameras up but we got some photos of us on the bus and in our gear and Dave got some shots of me rappelling at the end:
If you saw Survivor (Guatemala) there was a reward challenge where they got to do zip lines through the jungle canopy. This is pretty much exactly what we did!
After the excursion we raced back to the ship, had a quickie lunch and took the kids on shore. All they did was complain that it was hot and they wanted to go back on the ship so we didn't get too far. But we did manage to see a little of Puerto Vallarta.
We went back onboard and had a quick swim and nap before dinner. After dinner the kids went to Kids Club and enjoyed fiesta dancing and face painting. Dave and I went to see a comedic juggler who put on a fantastic show. When we picked up the kids my daughter had a black mask painted on her face.
I asked if she was an Incredible and she told me that she was Robin from Teen Titans. Yikes! I guess Cartoon Network in the cabin isn't such a good idea!
Day 6 (Wednesday, January 11th) Mazatlan
We docked in Mazatlan, Mexico. We got off the ship with the kids and only a vague idea of what we wanted to do (go to the town square and then walk along the ocean). We found a number of good tour companies in the port area and so we signed up for the 'trolley tour'.
For $60 the four of us got to see a lot more than we had planned to and the kids didn't get tired from walking.
We were also taken to the resort area and we had some time to explore. After that we went back to the ship while the kids napped on the trolley.
We got in a swim before dinner. The Kids Club had Royal Night where everyone got to make a crown and wand and they played prince and princess games. Both kids had a blast. Dave and I went to see a hypnotist who put on a hysterical act.
Day 7 (Thursday, January 12th) Cabo San Lucas
We woke up anchored off shore of Cabo San Lucas. We had to take a tender boat in to shore. We waited for the tours to depart then took the kids and went to the tender. Once on land we walked around the marina and spent some time at the beach. The beaches at home are too cold for swimming so this was a big treat for the kids.
Afterwards we got back to the ship and had lunch before the kids went to Kids Club (PlayDoh and bubble activities). Meanwhile Dave and I enjoyed a soak in the hot tub.
We did take them out early to rest because it was formal night! My daughter refused to go through the torture of having her hair done again but I lounged around and got ready while the kids slept.
Before dinner we went to the past passenger party and met the captain. It was not Captain Stubing but a British fellow by the name of Paul Wright. My daughter and I danced for a bit before we went off to dinner.
Unlike the previous one this formal dinner was reasonably successful. After dinner the kids went to the Kids Club to see Madagascar while Dave and I went to see a fabulous Broadway-style show called Undercover. This was a tribute to 'secret agents' such as Austin Powers, Charlie's Angels, etc. with a big finale devoted to James Bond. It was spectacular and we noted that they were performing it again the next afternoon.
Day 8 (Friday, January 13th) At Sea
Our last day onboard. The kids begged to go to Kids Club so we agreed. They had zoo activities and singing games while Dave and I used the internet and relaxed in the adults only pool area.
After lunch with the kids we took them to see the repeat of the Undercover show and they enjoyed it as well. Then it was off to the kids club for various crafty activities before their nap. Dinner went very smoothly, making us feel that cruising with the kids had been a fabulous success.
After dinner the kids went off to a pajama party at the Kids Club while Dave participated in trivia games and I packed everything up.
Day 9 (Saturday, January 14th) Disembarkation & Disney California Adventure
Instead of being sad that we were leaving the ship we were thrilled because we were headed to Disneyland! We disembarked and made it back to the car and onto the freeway towards Anaheim. Enroute the skies opened up and it started to pour rain. In fact it rained almost all day. I pulled out our windbreakers and we toughed it out. We parked at the Paradise Pier Hotel and didn't even bother to check in but instead ran right over to Disney's California Adventure (DCA). Dave and I had never been before so it was new to all of us. Fortunately with the rain the place was very empty and there were no lines for any of the outdoor rides.
We rode Soarin' which is an awesome ride in front of an Imax screen with sounds and smells! It is truly immersive and we all enjoyed it. After this we headed over to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. My daughter saw about 10 things she wanted to do along the way but being a strict devotee of the Unofficial Guide I told her we would get to them later. By the time we got to the Twilight Zone she stated that she didn't want to ride (she didn't even know what it was) and pouted the entire time. Consequently my son had a blast but she spent the rest of the day insisting that she didn't want to go on 'that elevator ride' again. Sigh. At least I know she wasn't scared of the ride itself. We placated the kids by going to the Paradise Pier afterward where we rode Mulholland Madness (a wild mouse-type ride) a few times in a row. The height limit was 42 inches and my son was pulled aside for measuring at the entrance and while boarding. Fortunately 41.5 inches of height (at his December well-check) plus .5 inches of heel in Buzz Lightyear sneakers squeaked him through and he got on. He loved it! Both of my kids are real thrill-seekers.
Then to put my daughter's whining to rest we rode the Jumping Jellyfish ride (a mini parachute ride that goes up and down except the parachutes are jellyfish).
Dave ran off to get Fastpasses to Screamin' (the major rollercoaster in DCA) and I took the kids on the Golden Zephyr. This was an open ride that went in circles. Normally it would have been very mild but since it was pouring we sat in puddles and had cold rain whipped into our faces so I didn't enjoy this one much.
We met up with Dave and went over to the Sun Wheel (ferris wheel). We got one of the gondolas that moved back and forth as well as in a circle and that delighted everybody (although we were all pretty wet and a little miserable at that point) as did Triton's Carousel.
We ran over to Ariel's Grotto for our lunch reservations only to be told that we were too late and couldn't be seated. Too late? We had arrived at 12:12pm for a 12:10pm reservation. I complained vigorously to the manager and he explained that with the rain they had lost half of their seating (which was outdoor) and so they had to cancel some people. Well I wasn't having that so I insisted and he said that if we came back at 1:10 he would seat me. So we went over to see It's Tough To Be A Bug. The waiting area was the best part. We walked in to hear the Beauty and the Beast song being buzzed. Correction: Beauty and the Bees. The waiting area was filled with Broadway-style posters of insect-like shows. My favorite was 'Antie' (instead of Annie). We even got to hear the bug-like noises of Tomorrow over the speakers before we were let in to the show.
The show itself was not as good (IMHO) as the Honey I Shrunk the Audience one, and was much shorter. My daughter was a little scared when a bunch of spiders dropped down from the ceiling and she jumped a mile when cockroaches walked under our bottoms (although I thought it was clever) so I scratched that one off of our 'return' list. We had enough time to sneak into A Bug's Land and ride the Francis Ladybug Boogie before returning to Ariel's Grotto at 1:05 pm. We were seated and finally got a chance to dry off somewhat.
The food was tasty and the bowls of warm soup (cheesy onion and chicken noodle) were very welcome. Miracle of miracles Amy ate her carrot sticks appetizer and Andrew ate huge chunks of carrot out of the chicken soup. This from kids who had seen nary a (non-French-Fried) vegetable all week! I was amazed. The kids' entrees (Mickey-shaped chicken nuggets) came out in beach pails and ketchup was poured into the accompanying shovels. The kids ate like they hadn't seen hot food in a week.
The character interaction however was not so exciting. It was Princess Ariel and friends and my daughter decided to hide from all of the Princesses. Princess Belle arrived first. My son was friendly enough but my daughter just hid.
Next came Princess Jasmine. My daughter perked up enough that she wanted to meet her so she actually posed for a photo.
Afterward Ariel came to visit. I got my daughter to warm up to her by having a 'debate' about whether Ariel had a fish tail or legs today. Well given that she was walking around the room I obviously had to take the losing side of that argument (in other words even my 5 year old figured out the correct answer) but it got my daughter distracted long enough to be interested when Ariel lifted her skirt an inch off the floor to reveal a shoe.
Interestingly enough the next day we saw Ariel posing for photos at Disneyland Park (DLP) and she did have her fish tail there. I guess it comes and goes!
After Ariel, Cinderella and Snow White came by. Snow White was particularly impressed with my son's masterful handling of his shovel. She said, "You're just like my dwarves! You dig dig dig dig the whole day through!" to which he grinned.
My entree (pasta) was very good. Dave had the Asian stir-fry which (perhaps because it was the daily special and not a regular dish) he said was just 'okay'. Dessert was a terrific chocolate cake with loads of icing and sprinkled with caramel corn. The kids had ice cream and my daughter ate an entire plate of cotton candy (that was supposed to be shared by the whole table).
As the only character lunch in the entire Disneyland Resort Ariel's Grotto gets a lot of business but it is great even with little competition. Overall I give Ariel's Grotto a thumbs up!
After lunch Dave and I rode California Screamin' while the other parent took the kids on Triton's Carousel (even my daughter was too short for this ride). Dave took a photo of me at the start of the ride.
Then we went back to A Bug's Land. The rain had slowed to a mist so it was not so miserable out and we were able to enjoy all of the other rides (although we declined to use the many water play areas). The whole section is just fantastic for kids. It is built to scale as if you were a bug (like the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground at WDW) with the rides interspersed. Tuck 'n Roll's bumper cars are in a circus tent that looks a lot like PT Flea's one in the movie.
My daughter liked the Heimlich Chew Chew Train the best. I got a kick out of the construction of the gateway to this 'land'. It was made out of an ad for Cowboy Crunchies (which as any true Toy Story fan knows is the cereal that sponsored Woody's Roundup). You could even see a Woody-esque arm on one of the paper sections.
After completing the Bug's Land circuit we lined up to see the Aladdin stage show. I'm not normally big on shows, parades or fireworks (I merely appreciate the way they keep other people off of the rides) but I had heard that this one was really good and worth seeing. We had 'VIP' seating thanks to my AAA/Disney Visa package but I didn't realize how important that was until we got in. The 'VIPs' lined up separately and were let into the theatre first. This enabled us to get front row center seats. After we went in the 'regular people' were let in.
The show itself was terrific. At 50 minutes long it was a little shorter than a full-blown play but it had all of the special effects and costumes of a Broadway show. The Aladdin movie was brought back to life (in shortened fashion) and the actor playing the Genie really had the Robin Williams attitude down pat. I was a little disappointed in Aladdin (bad wig and not nearly a muscular enough physique given that he spent the first half practically shirtless) but everything else was great! My five year old was fascinated and really enjoyed the front row seats when the magic carpet and a camel came up close to say hello to her! My son however took the dark and comfy seat to mean that it was naptime and he slept through the entire thing (just as well since he needed a nap).
After Aladdin we raced to catch the Pixar Block Party! Unfortunately due to the rain the characters weren't allowed to get off and dance with the guests so we just got to watch a 60 second parade. Yes, it was that short. But the kids got to see Jessie, Woody, Buzz, Frozone and Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, so they were happy.
Since we had not had enough of a Pixar fix yet (my kids are Pixar junkies) we went to the new Monsters Inc. ride. It was quite a long lineup because it was brand new. It is very similar to the Snow White/Peter Pan rides in Fantasyland only it chronicles Monsters Inc. It doesn't really break new ground but the kids enjoyed it.
At this point we were cold and tired and felt we had pretty much done everything we were interested in so we rode Soarin' one more time and went back to the Paradise Pier.
Upon checking in we discovered that we had been upgraded from our standard parking lot view room to a 2 bedroom suite (also with a parking lot view).
We couldn't believe it and I have no idea how we got so lucky. Basically it was a standard room with a connecting door to another room with a full living room and another bath. Since the living room had a pull-out couch we were able to keep the kids in different beds which maximized the sleep-time we all received. Yay!
The DL people complain about Paradise Pier because it is 'so far away' from everything. But from a WDW perspective it is super close! You are a 2 minute walk from Downtown Disney and a 5 minute walk from the Grand California secret entrance into DCA. You can walk to the Tomorrowland monorail in 3 minutes or the DLP front gates in less than 10. We were very pleased with the location and I don't think it would have been worth it to spend an extra $500 on the Grand California hotel.
The Paradise Pier had a cute 'beach' room showing movies.
Dave watched the kids there while I brought in the luggage from the car and we all went up to the room.
Day 10 (Sunday, January 15th) Disneyland
This was our day to do Disneyland Park (DLP)! And it was sunny too! Dave and I had not been in 10 years so the first thing we wanted to do was ride Indiana Jones. We were there before park opening and when they dropped the ropes I ran with our daughter to line up. She and I went on while Dave and our son collected Fastpasses. Unfortunately this was the one ride in the entire park that our son was too short to go on, so he just had to wait. My daughter liked the ride until the end when she 'got scared' of the rolling boulder. So she didn't want to go again with Dave. Instead he went in the singles line and I took the kids over to Splash Mountain and got Fastpasses. Since we were done quickly I took the kids on Winnie the Pooh as well, then we met Dave at the Splash Mountain entrance. This was our son's first time on the ride (he was too short the previous year when we had been at WDW) and he loved it! Our daughter kept asking to go again. Actually she had been asking all day at DCA to go too, not understanding that there were two different parks). So we went again. Ah the sacrifices we parents make!
Then we went over to the Jungle Cruise (picking up Haunted Mansion Fastpasses along the way). This is definitely shorter and less interesting than the WDW version but the 'guide' tried to make up for it was a bunch of new jokes (new to me anyhow) and making fun of the jokes we all knew (the back side of water). My three year old really liked all of the elephants.
After Jungle Cruise we continued the Unofficial Guide strategy and boarded the Pirates of the Caribbean. We had watched the movie at home right before we left to get our daughter excited and she remembered it. Right after our boat took off Dave looked at the Blue Bayou restaurant (for WDW people this restaurant is 'on the water' next to the start of the ride similar to the restaurant in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot) and decided he wanted to eat there. Well of course we had no priority seating but he did grumble about it for a couple of hours.
The Pirates ride at DLP is much longer and more elaborate than the one at WDW. However it does suffer from the PC treatment and the pirates no longer chase women in sleepwear. It is ridiculous that there is one pirate chasing nothing going around in a circle. There was a voiceover about the 'cursed treasure' and how we now 'knew the secret curse of the treasure' that I don't remember from 10 years ago. Was that added because of the movie? I don't know.
After Pirates we went to the Haunted Mansion through the Fastpass line. It was still decorated like the Nightmare before Christmas (outside *and* inside) so everything was different! I had never seen this version so I was impressed but the kids who weren't familiar with the regular version were just confused.
Continuing the Unofficial Guide plan we went to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Since my son loves trains he was excited. As we were walking in the attendant wanted to measure him. He kept banging his head on the 40 inch marker and asking his co-worker what he thought. Um, he's 42 inches. That's why he's banging his head on this marker that is 40 inches high!!!! Fortunately the guy realized his error and let us on. We grabbed Fastpasses here too. Both kids loved the ride although there is slightly less atmosphere at this one than at WDW.
By now we were starting to think about lunch so off we went to Tomorrowland. After a few potty shenanigans (during which time Dave managed to get Fastpasses to Roger Rabbit, Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear) and a brief meeting with Buzz Lightyear (my son only, my daughter hid) we all met up again and had lunch at Club Buzz. After lunch my son went back up to meet Buzz only this time Daddy was there with the camera. Our daughter again chose to be scared by the characters and hid.
After lunch it was on to Buzz! The ride that is. The DLP version is much better than the WDW version. I could actually *see* my laser and the gun can be removed from the dash (there's a long electrical cord attached) for better aiming. My scores were much better than at WDW. I even managed 153,000 on one ride! Dave of course had to top that and had a high score of 303,000.
Ah yes Buzz. We must have ridden it at least 4 times that day thanks to the Fastpasses. Our only snag was that by the time Dave got Space Mountain Fastpasses the time was for 5 pm. So we had to leave that to the end of the day. No matter. We rode Autopia (much nicer/more themed at DLP than WDW) and Star Tours (Our little Star Wars nuts loved that), the Matterhorn (minor coaster ride with an Abominable Snowman theme) and the Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin. We had never been on that one before. Essentially it's like a Fantasyland dark ride (closest to Mr. Toad) but there is a big wheel and you can spin the car. It's not a super fast spin but I suppose it's enough to cause some people with weak stomachs to have motion sickness. Anyhow the kids liked it. But they liked playing in the gag buildings outside the ride even more. Ah Toontown, that veritable time sink for parents wishing to go on more exciting rides.
We did manage to make it back to Adventureland (via the Disneyland Railway) for a return engagement to Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Pirates before going back to Space Mountain. Incidentally my daughter agreed to go on Indiana Jones again with Dave but not with me. She told me later (more than once) that the rolling ball was scary with me but not when she was with Daddy. I guess I just failed at the 'protector' role!
I think we did one more Buzz ride before hopping the Tomorrowland monorail back to Downtown Disney. We made it just in time to get to our dinner reservations at Goofy's Kitchen (in the original Disneyland Hotel).
At first it seemed like it was going to be a bust. The kids were a little cranky from leaving the park (they didn't want to go) and they both hid from the characters. But after eating something and with a lot of encouragement from me they started to warm up.
Dave told our daughter she could pinch Chip's nose so she did! Then Chip pinched hers back.
Mary Poppins was the last character to come by. I was excited because I had never met her and it was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. I told her that we needed her measuring tape to measure up my children. She didn't have it with her (surprise surprise) but she did talk to the kids to assess them. She asked them if they were well-behaved. My three year old (the King of repetition) said, "Well-behaved!" and grinned and nodded. Then Mary asked if they were well-mannered. Amy looked thoughtful and answered, "Sometimes.". Mary didn't even crack a smile but told her that she was glad that she had such candor. Honestly this Mary was very nice. She recognized my daughter's reticence and talked to her for quite awhile. She spent a lot of time complimenting the pattern and colors of her sweater.
After this we all headed back to the hotel and dropped into bed.
Day 11 (Monday, January 16th) Disneyland and Drive Home
We had not originally planned on going to the parks on this day but since we got a 3 day park hopper with our AAA package we decided to use it. We also had early entrance into Fantasyland because we were Disney Hotel guests. We were at the gates at 7:30 am (early entrance was at 8 am). We were all wearing our matching blue windbreakers because even though it wasn't wet it was still cold. A cast member came up and said, "Blue family! Where are you from?". Well after a short chat he invited us to help open the park. So we entered before anyone else and got to open the Disneyland Park for the day. That was a cool experience! And all because we had matching windbreakers!
However once the park was opened our duties were discharged and we raced down Main Street to Dumbo! We were the first guests of the day to ride and in fact were the only ones on the ride!
Once off we followed the beginning of the 'Dumbo or Die in a Day' plan and went to Peter Pan (not as good as WDW because when you fly over London it is flat instead of 3-dimensional) and then both Alice in Wonderland rides. Dave and I were disappointed in the teacups because we were unable to spin them very fast. The WDW version *definitely* has more spin potential.
After this we departed the Dumbo plan and rode the Matterhorn (taking the track we had not done the day before) and then went back into the heart of Fantasyland to ride Pinnochio, Snow White and Mr. Toad before rushing to Space Mountain (it was now 9 am and the whole park was open).
Unfortunately Space Mountain was suffering technical difficulties and was not open so we headed back to Buzz before making use of our Toontown Morning Madness passes to get early entry into Toontown.
We rode Roger Rabbit again as well as Gadget's Go Coaster and played some more in Toontown before heading back to Space Mountain which was now at an hour wait so we had to contend with Fastpasses. We were able to consistently get Buzz Fastpasses an hour away so we basically rode it every hour, picking up new Fastpasses before we rode every time. In between we went on Star Tours and Autopia again and eventually made it back to Space Mountain to use our Fastpasses.
One more trip to Buzz and we hopped the monorail back to Downtown Disney and then our hotel. We got into the car and headed for home. Shortly into the trip both kids crashed.