Ellie's second trip to Disneyland
We took three-year-old Ellie to Disneyland this week. What a difference a year makes! After another full year of preschool, Ellie now has complete "character recognition" and can name every character in the Disney pantheon. This really adds to the thrill, since she spent three days walking around Disneyland saying things like, "Look, there's Mickey! Hey, that's Princess Jasmine! Oh, let's go meet Goofy!" Last year, all of those were just big scary nameless things. It was a lot more fun for Mommy and Daddy, too, since Ellie's language skills are now good enough for her to express a whole range of emotions and opinions. When we first arrived at the main gates of Disneyland, she said, "I'm so excited that I can't believe it!" And most of all, it's wonderful to travel with NO DIAPERS.
Ellie's reaction to rides was much more unpredictable this year. For instance, she spent the entire Peter Pan ride with her head down and her eyes covered in fear. Jason then suggested going on Star Tours. When I hesitated, he said, "Oh, come on. If Ellie starts screaming, she won't be the only one." As it turns out, she loved that ride, and she loved "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the jungle cruise. Of all things, she was scared on the merry-go-round, and we ended up riding on a stationary bench just to keep her calm. Happily, Dumbo was still a strong favorite.
We were able to have some nice meals this time, unlike last year, when we were limited to hamburgers and chicken nuggets grabbed at random points around the park. We made reservations in advance for the Blue Bayou and Cafe Orleans restaurants, and Ellie loved the "cheesy macaroni" and fruit plates while Jason and I got to sample seafood herb crepes and chicken gumbo and jambalaya. Ellie is much better at walking and waiting this year, too, so we were able to explore the Downtown Disney area with all of its restaurants. Through meals at ESPN Zone and Rainforest Cafe, we learned that Ellie loves cheeseburgers, fried shrimp, and corn!
A side trip to Knott's Berry Farm was a big hit. They have an area dedicated to children under 12, with Peanuts character themes. Last year, Ellie wouldn't even have known who Snoopy was, but this might have been the high point of this year's trip. She identified every Peanuts character and was thrilled to meet Snoopy "in person". Unlike Disneyland, there were no long lines, so at the end of several rides, Ellie would say, "That was fun! Let's do it again!" We had such a wonderful day that, once we got home, Ellie's first question was, "Can we go back to Knott's Berry Farm soon?"
We took Ellie back to school on the day after we returned. On our way to class, she was very excited and said she couldn't wait to tell her teachers all about the trip. I asked her if she would tell her friends about Disneyland, too, and she gave me an amazingly grown-up response: "Mommy, my friends don't want to hear about my vacation!"
Ellie's reaction to rides was much more unpredictable this year. For instance, she spent the entire Peter Pan ride with her head down and her eyes covered in fear. Jason then suggested going on Star Tours. When I hesitated, he said, "Oh, come on. If Ellie starts screaming, she won't be the only one." As it turns out, she loved that ride, and she loved "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the jungle cruise. Of all things, she was scared on the merry-go-round, and we ended up riding on a stationary bench just to keep her calm. Happily, Dumbo was still a strong favorite.
We were able to have some nice meals this time, unlike last year, when we were limited to hamburgers and chicken nuggets grabbed at random points around the park. We made reservations in advance for the Blue Bayou and Cafe Orleans restaurants, and Ellie loved the "cheesy macaroni" and fruit plates while Jason and I got to sample seafood herb crepes and chicken gumbo and jambalaya. Ellie is much better at walking and waiting this year, too, so we were able to explore the Downtown Disney area with all of its restaurants. Through meals at ESPN Zone and Rainforest Cafe, we learned that Ellie loves cheeseburgers, fried shrimp, and corn!
A side trip to Knott's Berry Farm was a big hit. They have an area dedicated to children under 12, with Peanuts character themes. Last year, Ellie wouldn't even have known who Snoopy was, but this might have been the high point of this year's trip. She identified every Peanuts character and was thrilled to meet Snoopy "in person". Unlike Disneyland, there were no long lines, so at the end of several rides, Ellie would say, "That was fun! Let's do it again!" We had such a wonderful day that, once we got home, Ellie's first question was, "Can we go back to Knott's Berry Farm soon?"
We took Ellie back to school on the day after we returned. On our way to class, she was very excited and said she couldn't wait to tell her teachers all about the trip. I asked her if she would tell her friends about Disneyland, too, and she gave me an amazingly grown-up response: "Mommy, my friends don't want to hear about my vacation!"
posted by Jeanne @ 10:27 PM
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