Rasmussens Do Disney

Finally, after 5 years, Nick is tall enough to go on nearly everything at Disneyland.  We have been waiting for so long.  This was the year.  When we lived in Utah we would always go in early January because the crowds were so small that time of year. It would appear that many other people from Utah, or at least BYU, have figured out our secret.  I don't think I walked more than 100 feet anywhere, including rides, the hotel and restaurants, without seeing someone wearing something from BYU.  It was actually mind boggling, I felt I was hanging out at Deseret Book.  Maybe there was something going on that I was not aware of but it was really kind of weird.  Anyway, it was a lot of fun.  Taylor had some college classes so opted to skip this trip and go on spring break with us instead.

Isaac and Nick were so excited to meet Mickey.  We also had breakfast with Pluto, Goofy, Alice and the Mad Hatter.  Nick's favorite ride was astroblasters.  Isaac's was space mountain.  Nick was all smiles until we went on Tower of Terror.  He was in tears by the end of that ride and got REALLY upset if anyone suggested we go on it again.  I remember Taylor having the same reaction.  Isaac, on the other hand, loved the ride and wanted to ride it again.  (Come to think of it, maybe he was just trying to scare his brother...) Nick really didn't like Toon Town much either...

 

Once Tom realized that the movie on Star Tours was new and that there were different combinations every time you rode he made us go at least 4 times per day.  Unfortunately, we never did see Princess Leia or the Pod Racer sequences.

This was our first exposure to California Adventure after the remodel.  I was quite impressed.  We managed to ride the racers in Cars land but only 4 times as the lines were very long and we only managed to get 2 fast passes for that ride.  Our trusty hotel, the Parkvue Inn, was a little more dingy than I remember.  We will have to look for a new homebase next time we go.  We took a break from Disneyland on Saturday since the lines are long and went to La Brea Tar Pits and the J Paul Getty Villa museum.  This was perfect.  I love the Getty Villa, it is built like an ancient Roman villa using plans from a home uncovered in Herculaneum.  It is beautiful and filled with ancient Roman art.  They even had a wonderful children's program that our kids really enjoyed.  The next day we asked them what they wanted to do, meaning which ride to go on first, and they wanted to go back to the tar pits and the villa.

We did have a bit of travel mayhem on the way home with a cancelled flight in Chicago.  Luckily a fellow passenger found another flight that was going to Dayton and held up the rest of the line in order to get the kids on the plane.  Sometimes a heart felt thank you just isn't enough to tell someone how grateful you really are.  Once we got to Dayton, Taylor was supposed to pick us up at the airport but he had an evening class at the same time as we were supposed to land so he had a friend follow him to the airport and left our car, with the keys inside, in short term parking, yes, short term parking.  When we got home and pointed out that short term parking was quite expensive his response was, "Hmm, I guess that is why no one was parking in that lot.  I thought we just found a really good spot."  Sheesh, you wouldn't know this is the kid that has traveled a bazillion miles on an airplane!  More badness was waiting for us at home.  I was in the middle of the mountain of post vacation laundry when I noticed that nothing was getting dry.  I finally figured out that the dryer was not heating so the clothes were not drying.  Now I have all the post vacation laundry and no way to quickly dry it.  There is laundry hanging up all over the house.  Thank goodness it is the dryer that is broken and not the washer, that would be an even worse disaster.  Taylor's car also blew its radiator on the way to his class, before we got home.  The same friend that went to the airport was able to pick him up on the side of the freeway and took him to class and brought him home again.  Another example of a  heart felt thank you not being quite enough.

Taylor and his friend fixed the radiator so the car problem is solved.  I am still waiting for the dryer part to come so my laundry problem will be fixed.  (I hope Tom's diagnosis is correct or my dryer problem will last quite a bit longer.)  Back to work this Saturday and on to planning the next vacation, spring break!