Disneyland – Day 1

We finally made it to Disneyland. We thought it would be one of the highlights of our trip, and we were not disappointed. The following blog is written by Trevor. He describes visiting Disneyland, then our experience at California Adventure. We had purchased special tickets which gave us three days of mayhem and fun. We have to say though that the first day of our Disney experience was more special than the others because we shared it with our new friends we met in Carpinteria. I’ll let the pictures do the talking as well as Trev’s lively account of our first day at DISNEYLAND.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walt Disney has one Hell of an Imagination!

What a HUGE day we had! Up early and off to Disneyland. We had arranged to meet up with our new Californian friends (Chris and Darnell Martinov) and their four terrific kids (Nick, Mitchell, Olivia and Lucas). We had met the Martinov’s a week ago on the beach, and had quickly become great friends. They all knew Disneyland really well as they go about six times a year, in particular for their children’s birthdays.  Thankfully for us, they were our chaperones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After meeting the Mad Hatter, we boarded a rustic old wooden boat and went on the Jungle Book cruise through the jungles of the world with leaping crocs, lions feeding, piranhas, African elephants and cannibals.  All these creatures were life-size moving, realistic robots. We loved the real jungle with massive fig trees, palms, giant bamboo, waterfalls, water mist and rocky caves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we entered Indiana Jone’s world through the Temple of Doom. This adventure took us deep into an underground temple consisting of caves with real stalagmites, hot fires pits, booby traps and onto a roller coaster. The temple walls were covered in cracks, dust, mould and cobwebs and the air was cold. We tumbled through all sorts of dangers that all seemed so real. Amber and Kit had their eyes shut tight and buried into our laps for the whole thing. They couldn’t bare to look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Splash Mountain was another thrilling ride where we all sat in a long log canoe that fell down waterfalls and went into dark caves and caverns. The adventure was very mystical with singing giant stalks, cartoon gangsters and heaps more. We all got wet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Haunted House had us all really worried. Amber, Chayse and Cathy chose not to go in- chickens! The house was a very real life, old stone, three story building. Kit surprisingly insisted on going (wanted to be with the big boys)! We entered the foyer area with a large group of people. They closed off the doors so we were all in this huge gloomy room. Anticipation grew as all these sound and visual effects began to really spook us all. At this point Kit began screaming that he wanted to get out. He had climbed up onto my chest and had me in a vice-like grip. No turning back now! The ghosts followed us onto the moving carts that took us past laughing skeletons, very real animated holographic ghosts and leaping creatures. Kit settled down, but still had to be wrestled off me at the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We boarded a Star Wars space ship and went on a ride of our lives through space, mountains and under water with aliens, enemy space ships and huge underwater monster fish trying to eat us. We were in moving seats with an iMax screen in front of us. C3PO was our pilot. All this in 4D. Fantastic and very real! The highlight was when a huge underwater creature tried to swallow our little space ship. Its huge sticky tough slobbered all over our viewing window, then suddenly we smashed into another spaceship with the spaceships nose point smashing through our window and ending only inches from our faces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went from Disneyland to California Adventures (opposite each other.) We had Hopper passes which meant you could go between both any time you pleased.

The roller coaster, “Screaming”, was massive and its name explains what it was like. It began with a rocket take off horizontal, then straight up into the air. Then a huge vertical drop. This was followed by complete 360 loops and much much more. Trev (the only brave Howitt!) joined with the Martinov family to face his fears on the coaster. Nothing like having your stomach climb up through your mouth! It was so much fun, we had to do it all again. This time Flynn succumbed to peer group pressure and gave it a go. It was the most frightening experience of his entire life! Looking over at him as we shot down the vertical drop, Flynn’s face was pale and his mouth wide open with no sound coming out! He was sure glad to see it all end. Ask him if he would do it again… he answers “no way!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Cathy and those not brave enough to face “The Screamin” went on the more sedate Carousel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Hollywood Tower of Terror” was our next challenge. Again the Howitt’s put in a poor show. Flynn and I were coaxed along with the very brave Martinovs. We entered a huge old stone skyscraper building, where we were ushered to a dungeon like room. We awaited a elevator to take us up the tower. Again the special sound and visual effects had us all cringing with fear in anticipation of the unknown. It didn’t help much with Chris saying many times “I just hate this so much that I just have to do it!” The spooky elevator all covered in cob webs took us way up to the top where a family of ghosts told us a terrifying story of death. All went dark and silent, then the elevator just dropped, hit the bottom and flew back up, opened its doors with us looking over the LA, then dropped again with all this cackling laughter and screams from the ghosts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had heaps of fun on much much more. Too much to tell. Bumber cars, spinning tops, Tarzan’s Tree House, Pooh Bears animation adventure…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to interrupt Trev’s blog with a little anecdote about Akaisha and Chris. I was actually surprised to see Chris with Akaisha again after his last encounter. Chris had kindly offered to look after Akaisha whilst we went on the Wings of Aviation 4D experience. Nick, their eldest, went to take Akaisha when we discovered she had filled her nappy (diaper if you live in America). I went off to change her and when I returned found everyone laughing. Yes, our little bundle of joy had left Chris a lovely surprise on his very white T-shirt. So, for Chris to tempt fate a second time………….what a man!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids loved the Toy Story shooting gallery adventure. Climbing into large spinning seats with 3D glasses and cannons, we set off into a colourful animated building. Our chairs would stop every ten seconds or so and face screens where targets appear and we shot them with our cannons. Everyone scores points with someone coming out champ. The kids would do this one over and over again if permitted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The food was also an experience. Disneyland is filled with restaurants and shops. We had lunch at a stunning Mexican restaurant and feasted on a special Mexican donut on a stick, called Churros. Kaitlin well and truly over indulged on them! Late into the evening we went to an Italian restaurant and feasted on the biggest pizza we’d ever seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The night ended with us saying goodbye to our wonderful friends. Who knows when we will see them all again… hopefully they will visit Australia some day soon or maybe we will find another excuse to come to California!   (By Trev)