Picture Time: DISNEYLAND!

So our first FULL day in Cerritos was a mad-dash to freedom and fun for everyone. My mad dash started with a run to LAX for company member Katie...who was heading home to Iowa for a few days. We left the hotel at 4:15am. That's right. A.M. Don't be jealous. And then when I got back to the hotel, I COULDN'T SLEEP! Partly because I was awake...but also partly because in just a few short hours, I was taking the hotel shuttle straight down the I-5 to DISNEYLAND! And to make the trip even better, I was meeting up with one of my DEAREST friends from back in DC....Miss Darci Nelson! But wait - even better than spending the DAY at the Happiest Place On Earth with Darci is spending the day there with her family. And by saying FAMILY....please don't FOOL yourself into thinking a couple of siblings, some nieces and nephews and a parent or two. I'm saying START with Darci and her 8 siblings - mix in her 2 nephews - and her parents...and then start throwing in cousins, aunts, uncles, and a whole slew of other relative-types...and you end up with the 60+ that we had with our group that day! It was an IMPRESSIVE feat of coordination and planning....keeping everyone accounted for and in contact and fed and happy. An amazing job! And I think we only SERIOUSLY thought we lost someone like ONCE the whole day. Not too shabby....

Disneyland was BUSY and a blast. The holidays are in FULL swing all over the park - and the decorations are beautiful. All the CLASSIC rides were up and running except the Matterhorn...and due to the magic of Fast Pass, we had a SHORT wait on some rides with long lines! I did NOT get to go on the Peter Pan ride for little kids that I love....ran out of time...but did pretty much everything else I was hoping to do. I even saw the holiday parade through Main Street USA twice, somehow. And by the time the fireworks were done at 9:45pm, I was ready to head for the shuttle area and back to the hotel. Having been UP since 4am, I figured I earned it!

A HUGE thanks to the Nelson Clan for letting me invade the ranks and join their 'Nelson For A Day' program. I had a BALL!

Thanks for your patience in me getting caught up on these blog entries. I PROMISE we're almost there.

G

Darci and her sister, Katherine, as we were getting started in the morning.

L: Yo-ho-ho and a Boat Full of Nelsons on the Pirates of the Carribbean. R: This MIGHT be one of my most favorite pictures I snapped all day. This is on the Indiana Jones ride...and it is Darci's sister and her husband...and it is PURE candid reaction to the ride. Doesn't get ANY better than that, people.

I was standing between Disneyland and the California Adventure park and this family walked by with this little girl in her BEST Princess garb. So I KNEW it had to be color-accented.

Goofy gets the California Adventure sign decorated for the holidays.

More of California Adventure and it's holiday decorations.

A Case Of The Unfortunates that I saw wandering around California Adventure. I am getting QUICK on the draw with this camera!

A couple of shots from the AFTERNOON parade. And I'm here to tell you this...if I had had something LARGE and SOLID to THROW at Ariel, I would've. She is was the most ANNOYING thing in the parade. And she was HIGH up on that float...so knocking her off would've done some SERIOUS damage! There is a fine, fine line between 'cutsie' and 'annoying as hell'. She crossed it.

A look at Sleeping Beauty's castle as the sun sets over Disneyland.

The Matterhorn. Closed due to; Recent Rider Death. Ew.

Main Street Disney all decked out in it's holiday finest.

A closer look at some of the holiday decorations blanketing the park.

Darci and I camped on the side of the road, waiting for the NIGHT PARADE to kick off.

Some familiar, albeit BLURRY, faces from the Holiday Parade.

Darci and her nephews, Sam, basking in their post-parade-glow of excitement and wonder. Atleast Darci is.

L: Darci and I again...this time after the AMAZING fireworks display. R: Darci and some of her many siblings.

So for the holidays, they shoot of an amazing HOLIDAY fireworks display over both the Castle AND Small World. But the KEY is sitting by Small World...because at the end of the FIREWORKS, they turn on these machines that create SNOW. In all actuality, it's soapy-foamy-type-stuff....but look at it. For all intents and purposes, it's a full on SNOW STORM in California. And they are pumping out the Christmas music...and people were dancing in the street....OF COURSE it's the happiest place on earth. Because they do things like THIS! Oh yeah - and that picture on the LEFT is of Small World all lit up.

Darci's brother, Jack (LEFT) and his cousin or uncle or grandfather or something...with some of the "SNOW" piled up on their heads! The snow storm was a hit with everyone...young and old!