For the first time in three years, when we woke up on Christmas Day it actually felt like Christmas. Maybe it was the cooler temps, but I am going to attribute it to good ole fashion Disney magic.
On our way out of our hotel we grabbed some hot cocoa and some yummy muffins and made our way to Disney's California Adventure. A perk of staying at the Grand Californian Resort and Spa is that it has its own entrance into this park. This means NO LINES for us!
A typical Christmas morning for us would entail sitting in the living room, eating a special Christmas breakfast (Usually French toast with strawberries), drinking Kona coffee (Tazo Awake tea for Chris), listening to Christmas tunes and opening up our gifts to one another. Usually followed by a trip to the beach or the lagoons.
This year, since we exchanged gifts earlier, and a dramatic change of scenery, we were off and running (I was at least) to hit up some rides!
Disney's California Adventure is more for "bigger kids" as it features more roller coaster type rides like the The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and California Screamin.
This park is also expanding. A new Cars Land (opening in 2012) and Buena Vista Street — the all-new entrance to Disney California Adventure Park.
I wasn't really in the mood to ride a coaster so instead we walked around the park and ran into Mickey Claus! After our photo op we walked through Hollywood Pictures Backlot, Paradise Pier, Golden State and "a bug's land."
The Hollywood Pictures Backlot beckons you to bask in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood yesteryear and today, with a touch of magic from Disney·Pixar movies. We checked in at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror for the elevator ride of your life and then got a wild view of the world with Muppet*Vision 3D as Kermit, Gonzo and the gang unleash their latest technology. Then we chilled for a chat at Turtle Talk with Crush, the righteous surfer turtle from the Disney·Pixar film, Finding Nemo. And we didn't forget that Monstropolis is just a scream away at Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
Paradise Pier will remind you of a turn-of-the-century seaside amusement park filled with Disney character. We Tore through the air on California Screamin' rollercoaster and then took off in to the wilder blue yonder at Goofy's Sky School. We then attempted tp step right up to play Toy Story Mania! —it's both a ride and rootin' tootin' shootin' challenge, but the line was too lone.
We discovered the spirit of adventure as you dove into the scenery! We took in breathtaking landscape and diverse geography on Soarin' Over California, and then climbed into a white water raft and crash over the rapids on the Grizzly River Run.
Before we left to catch the Christmas Parade in land, we saw the world from a bug's perspective in "a bug's land". Based on the Disney·Pixar film, A Bug's Life, this playful place is built especially for little ones and is full of insect-sized surprises.
A lil hungry I grabbed a Churro while Chris found us a place to watch the parade. After having to vacate our perfect lil bench because it was becoming a disabled viewing area we perched ourselves against a fence and still had a great view.
I just love parades!
After the parade ended, we headed back to our hotel to relax and get ready for our Christmas dinner at Napa Rose.
Even though it was buffet style (I am usually not a fan) the food was yummy! Full and a quick wardrobe change later we headed back into Land and New Orleans Square. The sights and sounds of the historic French Quarter are recreated in this land with the picturesque courtyards, lacy wrought iron balconies, the swing of jazz bands and smell of down home cooking. Everything about the architecture invokes the grace and elegance of the Old South, with its lazy summer days and vibrant nights. The style is influenced by a comely combination of French, Creole, Cajun and American traditions.
We paid our respects to the grinning ghouls at the Haunted Mansion, which they completely redid and made it into the Nightmare Before Christmas! There were 999 haunts who were "dying" to meet us, but lucky for us we didn't become their their 1000th "gloom"-mate. After we made it out alive, we boarded a boat in the Pirates of the Caribbean and sailed down into the misty pirate caverns to discover the curse of Davey Jones.
The cold got to us so we decided it was time to hit the hay.
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