Springtime at Disneyland

We decided to extend our long President's Day weekend with a three day trip to Disneyland....along with everybody else on the planet. It was crowded and chilly by Southern California standards, and half our favorite rides were closed, BUT, the kids didn't notice any of that. The world through their eyes is such a magical place and their energy is infectious. They were bouncing with excitement from the moment we walked into the park and are still going strong four days after getting home. Ez has been reenacting the Flik's Flyers ride and demanding "take a picture of me!" You don't have to ask me twice, kid. 

Despite a few snags, everything was blooming and gorgeous, we wound up finding new favorite rides - hello, Rockets & Buzz Lightyear, and we got in some quality time with Grandma (aka, Joe's mom). Ez got his fill watching the Radiator Springs Racers (yes, he still prefers watching to actually riding), Decky got to ride Monsters Inc. on repeat at the end of each night, and Joe and I got to sneak off for a mini Space Mountain date (thanks Grandma!). We were all happy campers. 

Decky's top 5 favorite Disney moments:

1. Touching DJ (the musical car) - two different dancers tried to intersect him and block him, but he was not to be deterred. The look on his face afterward was priceless (see above photo) and he was so proud of himself.
2. Stealing: a popcorn bucket, balloon weights, a kid's Buzz Lightyear doll right out of his hand, strollers, and balloons...seriously, this kid is a klepto and nothing is safe within his reach.
3. Running right onto the Monsters Inc. ride at the end of each night. The idea of actually waiting in line is lost on him so for once nobody was reigning him in and dragging him back to his place in line.
4. Any and every flying type ride.
5. Getting a new balloon and immediately getting to work popping it (fyi - Disney will exchange popped balloons).

Ez's Top 3 Disney Moments:

1. Beelining straight for the Radiator Springs Racers the moment we got there. 
2. Meeting Woody & Jessie from Toy Story - aka, his idols.
3. Somehow talking us into way too many new toys. He is an excellent negotiator.
4. Becoming a space ranger and defeating Zurg (on the Buzz Lightyear ride...can you tell what our current favorite movie is?)
5. Monster's Inc., Flik's Flyers, and the Rockets (in that order, according to him).

And in case you were wondering what Declan and Ez's least favorite moments were, those would be the times we dragged them on Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, the six hour car ride home afterward, the time we refused to buy an $85 Mack truck (for Decky), and the time we decided to actually ride rides instead of watching Radiator Springs Racers for three hours straight. 😂