Disneyland Day 3: On our own

Our last day at Disneyland we were on our own, with just our family. While we enjoyed our time with the Adams, it was nice to have just our family for one day. We showed up for rope drop (of course!) and headed over to the Jedi Academy Training sign up. They've changed how it works so you actually get a guaranteed spot for your child if you sign up. Matthew was sooooo excited! After signing him up, we rode Autopia, where we saw the clapping man who comes to Disneyland every day and then headed to Fantasyland. We rode Alice in Wonderland and then Dumbo.

We rode Mr Toad.

All three kids tried to pull the sword out of the stone. Looks like we don't have any Arthurs.

We rode Snow White's Scary Adventures and Pinocchio's Daring Journey. Which means we'd ridden all the rides in Fantasyland during our trip.

We saw Captain Hook.

We saw some friends who used to be in our ward here in Arizona. They've since moved a few times and are now in Southern California. It was fun to chat with them for a few minutes.

With Trevor and Deena Giraud and their son Tyler.

We then rode on Star Tours and Jungle Cruise.

We went on Splash Mountain. The younger two were nervous but quite enjoyed the ride. (Their faces here show a lot of apprehension as we were at the top of the big hill, but they really did enjoy it.)

We got some pressed pennies and then went on Pooh. Then it was time for Matthew to head to Jedi Training Academy. He was sooooo excited! Before going to watch him, the girls and I rode the horse-drawn trolley down Main Street.

Our little Padawan. Read more about his training in the Jedi Training Academy post.

We watched Mickey and the Magical Map. Cute show! U and the girls headed back to the hotel for a break while Matthew and I spent a bit of time together in the park. We rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Then we rode on the top of the Omnibus to the hub.

Our view.

I'd told Matthew we could visit the Disneyland Fire Department before leaving. When we arrived, the Hook and Ladder show was starting. It was fun to watch/listen to.

Their pet dalmatian.

Cruella De Vil showed up, but don't worry--the dalmatian was safe from her.

Chip and Dale dropped by.

Then Goofy came. He directed the band and encouraged all the kids to get up and dance.

Matthew got to give Goofy a hug afterwards. He was so happy!

We then rode on the top Omnibus to the hub and then Matthew got to ride on the front of the Omnibus back to Main Street. He was super excited!

We went and visited the Fire Station before heading to the hotel for a break.

After break, we rode Hyperspace Mountain together. It was definitely better than the normal Space Mountain because of all the projections--it wasn't just a big swirling mass of stars. Megan and Matthew weren't too sure about it. However, once Matthew understood that it was a Star Wars ride, he decided it was his favorite ride!

We then watched the montage of the Star Wars movies.

We rode Buzz.

Sarah.

U and Megan.

(Matthew and My picture didn't transmit.)

We rode Star Tours. And Matthew was the rebel spy!!!

We got a spot to watch the Paint the Night Parade and the fireworks. We ate dinner while we waited. The parade was great again. Unfortunately, they cancelled the fireworks due to high winds. We weren't completely surprised, but it was a bit disappointing, especially since we'd staked out such a good spot to watch them. I guess it just means we'll have to go back, right? That kind of set the tone for the next little bit of our time. We got in line to go on Buzz and were almost at the front when it broke down (and stayed down the rest of the night). We walked to it's a small world and it was down (in preparation for the second Paint the Night parade). Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was down. We finally went on a few rides in Fantasyland that were up. 

On our way to it's a small world.

King Arthur's carrousel.

We flew on Dumbo.

Then we went to the Tiki room. It's a fun show.

For our last ride of the night, we went on it's a small world. Such a nice ride with lots of fun scenes. When we got done riding it, the park was still open, so we hurried onto it a second time. We were some of the very last people on the ride. When we got off, we watched the little parade of people on the facade before heading back to our hotel.

It was a busy, long, fun-filled three days. We opened and closed the parks all three days (although we weren't there the entire day--breaks are definitely a necessity!). We are sure glad my sister invited us to come with them.

Favorite parts:
Matthew: all of it!, Jedi Training, being the rebel spy
Megan: staying up late, having a lollipop after Hyperspace Mountain to help tummy feel better
Sarah: staying until midnight
Me: Jedi Training, individual time with Matthew
U: Jedi Training Academy, doing most things together as a family (a bonus of Matthew being tall enough to ride most of the rides)