Disneyland---From the eyes and mouth of Ella

Ella is our little thinker. She loves to figure out and understand just exactly what is going on. As we are walking down Main Street USA, we point out the castle in the distance. She seems excited at first, but when we finally got to the point where we walked through the castle..she seemed so unimpressed! I just likened it to the fact that she was just taking it all in, I mean, there is SO much to see when you are at Disneyland for the 1st time. It wasn't until we got home and Ella was talking to Grandpa Rick on the phone that it finally all made sense. Grandpa had asked her who she saw at Disneyland. And here was the side of the conversation that I heard: 

"Oh I just saw Ariel and Aurora.

Yeah, they were on their way to a tea party. 

(that's what the princesses had said when they had to stop greeting little girls and leave)

But I don't know where they have tea?

No, I don't know...there are no stairs in the castle.

Where could they be having tea?"

Apparently the reason she was so unimpressed was the fact that the castle appeared to not have any rooms in it. She doesn't let those little details slip by her ;-)

She had never been on any kinds of rides before going to Disneyland (I know...bad parents, right?!). She talked a big talk about going on them, but any of the rides that where indoors and/or dark were a no go. In fact, she climbed onto the boat of Pirates of the Caribbean prompts walked off the other side and left crying. Buzz Lightyear, again hated every minute. Roger Rabbit...probably the most hated of all!! Her favorite ride, surprising to me, was Grizzly River Run in California Adventure. She rode it 4 times in row...literally!!! There was no line at all for the ride, she would get off, head down the stairs, back through the line maze and run for the next raft. At the end she was soaked, and if Aubrey hadn't been so tired, Ella would have continued to ride it =) 

Ella playing in Toon Town.

Riding on the Astro Blaster with Daddy. Riding in Dumbo with Mommy. Taking a spin on the carousel with Daddy.  

1st time in the driver's seat at Autotopia. Ella's favorite ride---Its a Small world =) Then Ella grabbed the camera for a close-up of Daddy. She surprisingly struck the same pose for her Daddy with the camera later that night ;-)

As we were waiting in line for the Fairies of Pixie Hollow, it occurred to Ella that she is a princess. Well, she has known she is a princess for some time...but she realized that she is a princess yet she hasn't signed a page in the princess autograph book =) Of course, Aubrey did not want to be excluded from the princess signing party either. 

Ella and Mommy on Grizzly River Run. She had already rode twice with Daddy, so she was an old pro telling me the ins and outs of the ride.

Ella, the drowned rat, after Grizzly River Run!!!

Now that we have been home for a while, Ella is realizing there may have been things we didn't see while we were at Disneyland. Any movie that has Tinkerbell flying over the castle in the opening credits must be a Disney movie...but why didn't we see all those characters, like Bolt? Then she grabs the park map, "I bet they are right here...in the place we didn't go. Next time we go to Disneyland we can go there and see Bolt." I try to politely explain to her that its going to be a long time before we go to Disneyland again. 

"Well, we can just make a calendar to count down until we leave again." =)