Got to Get Our Disney Fill In

In the middle of September, we took the kids to Disneyland for the last time as a family.  Brody's pass was expiring and we weren't going to renew it.  With school and the price of the passes going up again, it was just too much.  I know we are all going to miss it, so maybe in a year or two we might try again.  

John hadn't been able to come with us in a while, so it was great for him to be able to take Brody on some of the rides that he has been dying to do.  We drove up both Monday and Tuesday afternoons after school ended and were able to see and do pretty much everything we wanted.  We took Piper to see her favorite Disney Princess, Rapunzel, or Tangled as we like to call her.  I thought Piper would be afraid like she is with most characters, but she was far from it.  She was a bit shy, but still talked to her and told her she was going to be her for Halloween.  I think this might have been the happiest moment of her little life.  She still can't stop talking about it and is obsessed with long hair like Tangled's.

Brody and John went on the bear river rapids in California Adventure. Brody loves going on this ride with John.  Luckily, it was a warm day and they didn't get too wet.  Piper and I were able to see them go down the falls and wave to them at the bottom.

Brody wanted a picture in front of the big bear with Piper and Daddy.

Then it was off to the Ariel ride.  She was dying to take Daddy on it with her.

"Kiss the girl. . . "  I am pretty sure this is Piper's favorite part.  She loves this song.

Almost at the end.

And there they are Prince Eric and Princess Ariel.

We stopped by Monster's Inc. only to find that it was closed, so the kids jumped in the monster taxi car and had some fun instead.

We went on a bunch of other rides too, like Small World, Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones, Soarin' Over California, and Haunted Mansion.  We love the Haunted Mansion in the Fall with all the Nightmare Before Christmas decor.  The kids love that movie, so it was fun to be there and see it all again.

Piper and I on Small World

 Brody didn't want to go, so he and John waited for us to come out.

 Haunted Mansion Nightmare Before Christmas Style

Probably the highlight for Brody and John was going on the newly-remodeled Star Tours.  We went both days we were there and they both loved it.  Apparently, there are like 54 different endings they have for the movie on the ride, so you could on again and again and each would turn out differently.  That's a way to bring people back.  I went once and it was what I thought I remembered from going when I was a kid, but apparently I was wrong.  I just can't keep any Star Wars stuff straight.  It was fun though.

It was really sad for Brody to say goodbye to Disney.  He has kind of always grown up with it, so he didn't understand that we wouldn't be going for a while.  John's pass ends tomorrow, and we'll have to start paying for Piper when she turns 3 on Thanksgiving.  I have until February on mine, so if anyone is in town or wants to go for a girls night out I'm game!

When we got home that last night, the kids had fallen asleep in the car.  We found a package waiting for Piper to open.  It was her Halloween costume that I got online.  We laid it out for her, and she was esctatic to find it the next morning.  We got her all dressed up and she is all ready for Halloween now.