Disneyland: Getting There From Here

That oh so satisfying start-of-vacation feeling!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love O'Hare! Walking through the hall of flags to catch a flight always fills me with anticipation at the adventure to come. I even kind of love the grumpy TSA agents who don't take any crap from anyone. Yeah! This is Chicago and we don't mess around! I always knew I wanted to live near an international airport and I'm so happy we've been able to take advantage of it.

On this trip, we did discover Brent and I fly a tad differently. He likes to board the flight as soon as humanly possible. He wants to stake his claim at overhead space and get settled into his seat. I, on the other hand, feel that if it is a particularly long flight such as this one, I'd prefer to be the last person on the plane so I can stretch my legs. As such, Brent boarded right away and most of the girls eagerly went with him while Sydney stayed behind with me, skipping the annoying lines. As you can see, we had the jet bridge all to ourselves!

Just before we pushed away from the gate, these two planes were backing up at exactly the same time and I wondered how close they would get. Spoiler alert: this is about how close they got.

We've flown with the family all in one row and decided we like this configuration better. It's easer to talk and pass snacks and just generally check in on how everyone is doing. Oddly enough, I like to look out the window more than anyone else! Brent and the girls like to watch movies to pass the time while I prefer an audiobook and enjoying the view.

This picture cracks me up!

Like our last trip to Disneyland, we told the girls they could have a Mulligan on the Chocolate Challenge. As our departure drew near, both Brigitta and Sydney (who had hoarded their Halloween candy) wanted very specific details on exactly WHEN the chocolate prohibition would be lifted. Brent and I decided that by 40 minutes into the flight we would have left Illinois airspace and they were good to indulge. I set a time and as soon as it went off, Sydney was ready.

She ate SO much chocolate on that flight!

On my last trip I was waiting to board the plane and noticed the woman in front of me had a sparkling water and a charcuterie package in her carryon. I knew immediately that's what I want to snack on when I fly! I found an adorable bento box and Brent set me up with various crackers, meats and cheeses. It was great! 

This river reminded me a bit of the one from Raya and the Last Dragon.

Check out this runway perched on top of a mesa with the switchback road zigzagging up to it!

There were a couple of fires and it was crazy to see how far that smoke carried.

This time around we flew into John Wayne Airport and oh my, that was MUCH better than LAX! Not nearly as hectic or crowded and we didn't have to wait long for BJ to pick us up which was lovely. Our room was in the Adventureland tower which we haven't stayed in before. After saying hi to Jeanne and Jennifer and getting our room keys sorted, we walked into those lovely rooms with that fantastic headboard! I wondered what BJ and Jeanne would think- it's a crazy expensive hotel and they prefer bargain motels. Jeanne gushed about how much she loved her room and wanted to stay there for every trip going forward. BJ looked a little crestfallen- haha!

While Brent and his dad loaded up on groceries for the week (sadly no complimentary breakfast unless you pay extra), we headed into Downtown Disney to do some shopping. Not all the girls had ordered a Magic Band so that was a must. We also introduced Jennifer to mystery pins which was a lot of fun. We'd given each of the girls a $25 gift card so they started sizing up the merch. We'd worked up an appetite so we went to Trader Sams. I was excited about the salmon poke bowl but the little gem salad with grilled salmon was the winner as was the pork gyoza. The chicken teriyaki bowl was pretty good too! But oh those Dole whips!

Everyone changed into their new Mickey swimsuits and we headed to the pool.

Along with the newest Disneyland Hotel tower there's also a new pool, splash pad and hot tub. Initially I assumed that was only for people staying in the new tower but a cast member said it was for anyone staying in any of the towers. Then he told me the hot tub in the corner is usually the least busy. From that moment on, that's the hot tub where I could be found!

We had initially booked our flight to get in later at night- around 8:30. That way the girls could still do a full day of school and we wouldn't miss another day of work. However, that flight was cancelled and when we were rebooked for an afternoon arrival, Brent and I decided to just use another day of PTO and make a day of it. I'm really glad we did. It was nice to ease into the Disney bubble and enjoy some shopping, food and swimming before our busy park days. 

It was so good to be back in Disneyland!