13 Hours in Disneyland - in 3D

Last Thursday night Jonathan noticed a text from our next door neighbor. He had obtained free passes to Disneyland, did we want to go? We had to use them that weekend!

Strangely enough, it was the one weekend where we had no plans. No Cub Scouts. No ice skating. No soccer. No baseball. And Xander had just been recognized as a Super Citizen for the first 100 days of school (kind of an uber award for the best of the monthly Super Citizens). So, why not go to Disneyland?

Jonathan and I looked up hotels, found a great deal for $90 a night in Orange, Calif., and we were packed and ready to drive-down Friday night.

Our last visit to Disneyland was just October 2010, and our last visit to Disney World was February 2011. Could so much change? Yes. Visiting Disneyland with a five and six year old is a much different experience than with a four and five year old. The most noticeable change is that both boys are now 46 inches or taller. This means that they can go on Indiana Jones. And their threshold for amusement park fun is also much higher. 13 hours versus 7 hours! We could go on more rides and we could spend a longer time at the park without any painful meltdowns.

We also were able to stay after dark and watch the water show at California Adventure and the fireworks at Disneyland.  

The added bonus were that these tickets allowed us to do a "park-hopper." Meaning at the end of the day when Disneyland was too much, we could transition over to California Adventure across the square. California Adventure was slightly more low key (it could be because much of the park is under construction), and the food lines are shorter, and the food is better.

The other difference, which I didn't quite notice the last time was the presence of 3D glasses. In all, four attractions handed out the quirky fashion statements - Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Toy Story Mania and Muppet*Vision in 3D.

We also were delighted to learn that our six year old, Xander, loves roller coasters. Big monstrous, scary roller coasters. He went on California Screaming after dinner, and it was the highlight of his day. Next time we'll try Space Mountain. By the way he was surprised that he didn't fall out when the ride went upside down.

Caleb doesn't love roller coasters. He tried Splash Mountain and Indiana Jones and neither were his favorite. His favorite was Pirates of the Caribbean. We'll see what he is up for on our next visit. Probably not in 2012, but maybe in 2013. I wonder how the experience will be different with a six and seven year old.