Disneyland in Fall, Part 2

Wow, back-to-back sequels. Click here for the original "Disneyland in Fall", posted two years ago in October of 2011.

This time we had updated shirts, or, I guess, "shirts", as we wore fancy baseball jerseys. This time it was my mom's birthday, and we surprised her at the park as the crowds began mustering.

And oh my...the crowds. It was a beautiful Saturday in October, and the people were out in force. It didn't help that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, one of the better rides at the park, was shuttered; that would have alleviated some of the crowding everywhere else.

If you follow the link above and read through, I'm pretty sure I mention that it was Gay Day at Disneyland on that specific day. This Saturday trip wasn't Gay Day, and this time around I got a sense of the real visceral difference: at least 30% of the human beings at Disneyland this time around were under eight years old.

Holy cow, the kids... And Norman was with us again, but now he was nearly 2 and a half, and running around and having some fun.

Here's a post-surprise shot, where you can see our matching jerseys (thanks a ton Auntie Peg!):

After walking down Main Street, where all the buildings are 3/4 scale, we went to my mom's favorite ride, the cheesy and fun Jungle Cruise. I hadn't been on it for years, and Corrie had never ridden it. It's about the adventure and the guide's delivery of the jokes that make it what it is. It can be fun or a disaster, but I have faith in Disneyland's management in placing the right individuals in the guide spot, and I bet it's a heavily sought after job for specific individuals.

From there we went to Pirates, then the Haunted Mansion, then the Train ride through time, basically a resting ride for the adults, and then we went across the old parking lot to California Adventure. It was getting late in the day and the lines were outrageous, but we were enjoying ourselves.

I'm mostly crunched fr time right now, so if you're looking for a post with nostalgia and feeling and personality, go ahead and click through the link above. That Disneyland post has more character than many of my other posts.

Here are the "Sisters" with their names on their jerseys as we went down Main Street:

Only 10:30, and the crowds were crushing...also, I liked how all the parents just posted up their strollers and left them parked like cars:

With the right perspective and timing, we're beginning to warm up to the idea of "going to Disneyland" as a regular activity, especially if we complicate our lives with offspring.