Cari has been to Disneyworld years ago, and I've been to Disneyland even more years back then that. So as we get older, it's amazing to see some of the classic exhibits that have been refocused as times change.
For instance, remember the Swiss Family Robinson?
Yep, those are my kids in the classic treehouse from the classic movie. When I was 8 years old and visited Disneyland last time around, this this set was from the movie Swiss Family Robinson.
The problem is that none of my kids ever saw the movie or have any clue who the heck the Swiss Family Robinson even is. Disney knows this, obviously, so their treehouse and camp have become transformed to "Tarzan's Treehouse" -- with new characters from the Disney cartoon of a few years ago.
Ah, yes, older I must be (as Yoda would say).
We did have lots of fun in Toontown (from the Roger Rabbit movie), which is where Mickey and his friends live. Note the population counter that is constantly spinning...
It used all sort of nonsensical numbers.
Kinda like this president's idea of a balanced budget.
The kids were a little crazy, so they were locked up...
Actually, most rides were fun, but some of them were dark, bouncy, or otherwise freaky and thus freaked out the kids a little bit.
You can just imagine David's reaction once he turns around and sees where our boat is going...
Bretty tried really hard to overcome his fear.
The Indiana Jones ride starts you through a meandering series of tunnels, complete with flickering lights, unexpected blasts of cold air, and eerie noises all around you. Note Bretty's expression and how even when I was taking his picture he had to hold my hand...
The ride itself was a bit spooky, but a heck of a lot of fun. Bretty said he didn't ever want to do that again, but look at how pleased he is with himself as the only one willing to join Alyssa and me on the ride...
Of course, Nalani was brave too, in her own way.
She was the one who loved posing with all those characters she knows like Snow White...
And Minnie Mouse...
It took about a half hour of standing in line, but we finally got a personal audience with Mickey...
Seriously, it was a personal audience. You meader through Mickey's house, exploring the oddities within, then you are escorted into a private room with Mickey (and a few of the Disney crew) for personal pictures with him.
We all had to admit, Disneyland is one very impressive place.
After dinner, we returned to the park to watch a parade down Main Street. Here's the final float with King Mickey and Queen Mickey on the top...
Then later that night we watched Fantasmic -- Mickey's idea of using his imagination. The whole thing takes place on an island in the middle of the park, complete with boats, fireworks, and massive projectors set against the backdrop of a water mist. It really was quite remarkable...
So much so that Malia was enthralled...
And Nalani couldn't control her enthusiasm...
In case you're curious, yes, Nalani is tied to the stroller. Her head kept falling over so we tied my jacket around her to help hold her head up!
Of course, all this stuff is not cheap. Consider our lunch, which consisted of just a few cheeseburgers, fries and soda pop...
Yes, that's $61.51 for basically a McDonald's like lunch.
The good news is that you get tremendous value for your money. Look at how pleased Bretty is with his lunch gift...
Yes, it's a straw that changes color as soda moves through it.
Definitely worth every one of the 6,151 pennies I spent on the meal.
My favorite ride is Star Tours. Imagine that you are just a regular traveller getting on a space shuttle flying to Endor, the forest moon. Suddenly, your robot pilot screws up and you find yourself in the middle of a huge space battle. It is really cool!
The best part, though, was when Cari and I got to dress up...
May the force be with you.
Tomorrow, one last day at Disneyland before going home.
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