In October we went to Disneyland. Our kids had never been, and Glenn and I had been there once as little kids. We decided every kid needs to go once if possible.
We went over UEA weekend (when Utah's teachers' union has its annual convention). This meant we missed only two days of school for a five-day trip. It also meant there were a lot of Utahns there. I saw lots of BYU clothing and LuLaRoe clothing, and who knows how many didn't advertise their state. We also saw people from literally all over the world -- Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa -- which was pretty cool.
We had a good deal on our hotel through a ward member who is a travel agent and arranges school trips all the time. The hotel came with full breakfasts every day and full dinners on weeknights. We spent most nights swimming a bit (or watching kids swim). There was a one-foot-deep pool for little kids, and Corin had a great time in it. He found a couple other kids his size to play with in there. That ended up being his favorite part of going to Disneyland.
Our suite had a little kitchen (filled with dishes and utensils) and a living room with a fold-out couch. Then there was a bedroom with a king bed and bunk beds with a trundle bed. Sara took the trundle bed, Deven took the top bunk, Jaelyn got the bottom bunk, and the two little boys got the couch bed.
My parents had decided to join us for the trip (at a different hotel). When I called to check in with them, I found out that my brother Chris (living in Utah) had also decided to come. James also tagged along, so it was basically a family reunion.
Our hotel was right next to Disneyland’s Toy Story parking lot, so we walked there and took the shuttle to the park. We would meet everyone there. I stuck mostly to the wimpy rides with Caelan and Corin and sometimes my mom. The caterpillar roller coaster gives me the right amount of adrenaline for a rush; I don't need any more.
I noticed lots of Minnie Mouse ears on women and girls, but no Mickey ears. Guys just don't wear them, it seems. Even the stores stuck to Minnie. We booked tickets through a guy. The service was free, but we also got free tickets to "Pete's Dragon" in the summer and a bunch of pins to trade. We were unaware of this pin trading culture before. I didn't trade much at first, but by the end, I was eyeing people and boards constantly. I eventually bought my own souvenir pin and some Star Wars pins.
We must have walked miles and miles during the three days. If I go again, I'm bringing a pedometer. We were so stiff and sore by the end. Despite being mid-October, it was incredibly hot, topping 100 degrees. That was hard; we started getting heat sickness. But it was still a lot of fun and left good memories.
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