So. We visited the "happiest place on Earth"! The Pea's verdict: ambivalent, except for the characters.
We went with Lucas' mom, dad, and grandma, which was so fun! Gavin got precisely 3 tons of love that weekend.
The first day we were there, we took him on a few rides which he was definitely interested in, but as usual he mostly remained observant. Not a whole lot of excitement, just wide eyes. He keeps his cards close to the chest, that one.
However, we did take him on the Finding Nemo ride- which, of course, out of all of the rides with pleeeenty of elbow room and air to breathe and with absolutely no room for claustrophobia-induced panic, he LOVED. I have to just say: This thing was a death trap. It's this teeny tiny submarine that you cram into with like 20 other people (and you all share each others air, die). Everyone is sitting on each other's laps. And then it goes under the water. I realize this isn't an earth shattering concept a lá the entire contraption that is a submarine, however the terror is a little more palpable when I'm sharing your air, okay? So we're all sharing each others air (did I mention we're sharing each other's air?), and then the ride seemed to languidly drag on for approximately 83 years. The whole time Gavin is squealing, and pointing, and touching the poor girl sitting with her boyfriend next to Lucas, who basically looks like she's going to cry and then die right there due to all of the NO AIR. So. That was the ride Gavin enjoyed the most. Extremely fitting, I must say.
But the thing Gavin loved the most while we were at Disneyland happened on the second day of our trip. He discovered the characters. And he thought they. were. amazing. As evidenced by the joy on his face in these pictures. His happiness and excitement in that moment made the entire trip worth it. He ran right up to them and gave them hugs and kisses! He didn't want to leave. He met Tigger, Eeyore, and Winnie the Pooh.
Other highlights of the trip for the Pea included eating. Dole whips at the Tiki Room with Pops. Beignets with Nana at the Mint Julep Bar. French fries. Churros- everywhere, but especially with his GG on her sweet ride. She taught him how to honk the horn, too!
Negatives included: No naps for an extraordinarily active 15 month old. It's kind of terrifying how much adrenaline this small guy gets from having no naps. He's like a really demanding psychopath. That hits. And yells. But is simultaneously very emotionally expressive.
So Disneyland with a 15 month old was Disneyland with a 15 month old- and it was awesome! We didn't have the typical Disneyland experience that someone with kids over 5 might have, but it was really fun in a completely different way. We got to see Gavin have a brand new experience!
A lot of people had advice for me when it came to taking a little person to Disneyland. But honestly, I can't even think of any good advice to pass on! Every family will have their own unique trip. And isn't that the beauty and the fun and the genius of Disneyland? Every family has their own relationship to it; their own rituals; their own favorites. The magic of "the happiest place on Earth" is as far-reaching and impactful as it is for just as many individual reasons. As Lucas and I were walking down Main Street, we were a little bit in awe of being there; full of gratitude for creating our first memories with our little tri-pod family, but also to be creating new memories within the context of what the magic of Disneyland uniquely means to his family.
The one piece of advice I got that I can say applies to everyone is this: Memories from Disneyland last a lifetime. What a blessing to be a part of them!
XO,
Maddi, Lucas, and The Pea
