Disney Date

Last week we were fortunate to land free Disneyland/California Adventure Park Hopper Passes. Free Disney anything is about as rare as sighting Big Foot, so I jumped on those bad boys like it was my last meal.

Thursday was the Big Day, and I woke that morning beyond giddy. Marcus had no idea what we were doing, but I told him I had a HUGE surprise for him.

And away we went to Disney, bright and early.

We arrived at park opening when the crowds weren't unbearable and the weather was nice and cool.

After entering the gates we went right to work hitting up the rides:

Dumbo, per Marcus' request.

Tea cups, per my request.

Jungle Cruise, because you just have to do that one, and the animals are always fun for the littles.

We had a few more rides sprinkled in there, but I was too busy soaking up our day to remember to snap pictures. 

We took a quick break in the action to meet our beloved Mickey Mouse. When Marcus saw the mouse he was thrilled. He couldn't wait to go up and actually see the mouse he loves so much.

Marcus walked right up to Mickey, but was so shy about it all. I couldn't help but laugh. He looks a bit worried, but when we walked away from Mickey the smile on my child's face was priceless.

A quick Dole Whip was in order. Naturally.

I'll be posting a homemade recipe on this deliciousness, tomorrow.

We took a pause in the action to snag a little lunch. We then met up with our good friends (who were kind enough to give us the free passes - thanks Kylie and Natasha!) and headed over to Toontown. With the few times I'd been to Disney before I'd never made it to Toontown. I quickly learned it's THE place to be with a little one.

I didn't take any pictures inside, but the place was absolutely perfect for small kids. We walked through Mickey's house, Minnie's House, Chip and Dale's Treehouse, and Donald's Boat. We also had a bit of a more intimate meeting with Mickey. 

This time when Marcus saw the mouse he actually gave Mickey a hug and the camera a smile! 

By late afternoon I thought a ride around the park on the train would be a nice little break in all the action.

 Apparently it was a better break than I anticipated. Marcus went from smiling and chatting to passed out in about two minutes.

After the hour long nap in the BOB we attempted California Adventure, but Marcus was pretty much set for the day. He'd ridden some pretty awesome rides, played in Mickey's House, and met the actual mouse himself - TWICE. We decided it was a good time to call it a day. 

All the way home we talked about how much fun we had, and how we would LOVE to go back again (we loved it so much Scott and I are considering annual passes). When we got home Marcus kept telling Scott over and over how he'd met Mickey Mouse. It. was. the. best. 

We had THE most MAGICAL Disney Date! And I'm already looking forward to our next trip.