Winter Trip to Disneyland

Sonya and I made a bet with Karsyn last summer that if she read 100 books by December, we would take her back to Disneyland. She held up her part of the bargain, so we trekked down the Anaheim last weekend for a four day stay at the Magic Kingdom. This was also Ryan’s second trip (we went last May to checkout Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary).

The weather was fantastic, but the park was a little crowded on Sunday (our first day there) so it was good that we booked three additional days during the week. I spent the days in shorts and a t-shirt, and threw on a sweatshirt in the evenings.


Ryan was excited to see “Mouse” (Mickey Mouse), “Mouse” (Minnie Mouse), “Buzz” (Buzz Lightyear), “Pooh” (Winning the Pooh” and “Poot” (Pluto). We spent half the trip waiting to meet Disney characters and watch parades. The park was decked out in holiday décor, which you should experience if you’ve never been there during the holidays. Very festive.

We also got to see the personalized paver that Sonya got me for my birthday last year. This is a stone embedded in the walkway between Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. It has all of our names engraved along with a golden medallion signifying Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. I’m impossible to shop for, so this was a very cool present. Our whole family loves Disneyland, so it was a great way for us to commemorate all of the wonderful trips we’ve taken there over the years.


Karsyn has become the roller coaster queen. She is a real daredevil and loves the speed and thrills of coasters and the like. She hit every one in the park at least twice. If you don’t think Disneyland has roller coasters, then think again. She rode: The Matterhorn (her favorite), Big Thunder Mountain, Gadget’s Go Coaster, California Screamin, Mulholland Madness and the recently reopened Space Mountain. The Tower of Terror and Indiana Jones Adventure aren’t technically roller coasters, but Karsyn can also call those her thrill ride conquests.

I took lots of pictures to add to another blog I run called Disneyscapes. This is a photo blog that showcases images that I have captured with a camera over the past few years. I’ve always been intrigued by the park’s architecture, so this is a way for me to share some of the nuances that you usually miss when visiting the Magic Kingdom.


It was a great trip, but after four days of Disney, I was ready to head back home. I think Sonya felt the same way, so we called it a trip at about 5pm on Wednesday. There’s a Starbucks on Interstate 5 just north of the Grapevine, so the late Winter drive was a little more pleasant (mainly for Sonya, since she did all the driving from that point on).

Checkout more trip photos in my [Disneyland Photo Album]