mouse madness
OK so I figured out which way the hotel room was pointing. It's right over downtown disney, which is not a place you pay for in order to shop. It is a free-ish place to shop for full price, not unlike an outdoor mall. Still, it's very funny how the old fashioned pedestrian based environments need to be simulated for us, and even in the simulation it works. Street performers, pretzel stands, it all works even if all we know from our own childhoods are strip malls and parking lots.
Today we sent the big boys to the theme park while I sat back and enjoyed the hotel with the "baby." The Grand Californian is the more expensive and more grownup hotel, compared to Paradise Pier. In the great hall, which is what we call our living room at home by the way, you can find non-white and non-heterosexual and even non-kid-toting couples enjoying wine and conversation. Nevertheless, I trucked around with the youngun and tried to figure out which way was up. He has a way of running on concrete outside the pool that makes his little michelin man rolls jiggle completely un-self consciously. Had great conversation with some folks by the kiddie pool. Refused to order an 8 dollar drink, opting instead for my imported vegetable juice spiked with hotel ice cubes in a complimentary "pump it up kirkland" water bottle. Drank maybe 64 ounces of vaguely nutritious liquid, getting up to pee 6 hours later. I know you are curious so I am telling you this information. Southern Cal is a desert and your body will know it before you do. Occasional pausing to grease up the kid with 50 sunblock. A little like basting a turkey, goes on real quick.
Tomorrow, the mission will be to do the traditional disneyland trip with the whole family. The first stop will be a character breakfast, me and the oldest, at Paradise Pier with Lilo and Stitch. While that is happening, my dh will take the youngest to the best of the California Adventure park for 2 year olds which is a series of water features with the bugs life theme. After that, head to disneyland and get a fastpass for splash mountain. See the main street parade, and take a picture at the same spot I had my own picture taken in 1978. Then back to the hotel for a siesta, at which time I hope to enjoy actual cuisine from the Napa Rose restaurant in the hotel, just by myself, likely take-out. All my vegis from the food 4 less grocery store (a 15 dollar cab ride, totally worth it if just for the wine) got frozen in the too-enthusiastic fridge so I will take it as fate that I am to eat out for the remainder of the trip instead of being thrifty with grocery store snacks. After my single person culinary splurge, we will return to disneyland and catch the evening fireworks and performances. It will be a late night. Fly out the next morning.
So far I am not sure what to recommend to do the ultimate disneyland vacation for a family with these age children. What I do know so far is to respond to your own needs, don't eat french fries without thinking about it, and try to be selectively thrifty to alleviate your conscience if you have one in this matter. The things that have helped me the most so far are:
- grocery shopping the first night
- the fridge, even though it is just good for beverages apparently
- no 2 or 3 day park hoppers for me. Single day, single park, don't pay up for the privilege of being exhausted thankyou verymuch
- have your own wine supply
- bring vegetable juice from home and use it to offset the nutritional crisis
- LAN internet access is great and works better than any other hotel I have stayed in, which admittedly is not many
- organizing the hotel room and the items within it is curiously relaxing
- siestas are very important
Things I will do next time
- try to get some sort of package for the hotel, rumor is AAA has good ones, and don't be so fixated on the specific hotel
- find a way to get a babysitter together as Grand Californian only offers babysitting for ages 5 and up