A Very Happy Birthday

On Friday I turned 26. There is no better place to spend a birthday than Disneyland. Because it is the Christmas season Disney extended magic morning to every day of the week. Because of this we got up early on my birthday and got to the park early. We love magic morning. Getting to the park early sets the foundation for a great day. We got to the park around 6:45am and waited at the gates for it to open. Right before they let everyone in there was a countdown. Then we were walking with a purpose toward our first ride.

We decided to start the day at Peter Pan. This has always been one of Alison's favorite rides. She has fond memories of riding it as a little kid. We rode it once on Wednesday, but we had to wait for a 40-minute ride, which takes a little bit of the enjoyment out of the ride. Today we were one of the first people on the ride so we were able to walk right on. After Peter Pan, we went over to Hyperspace Mountain. The line was only a few minutes long so we were able to ride it four times before the park even opened. After the park opened we were able to get a fast pass for Hyperspace Mountain.

By this time we were hungry. We bring granola bars to the park so that we can run nonstop in the mornings, but this morning they were not doing it for us. We decided to get a treat. We went over to the Holly Jolly Bakery in search of a Matterhorn macaroon. We found one, but we also found a better treat - a Mickey Mouse macaroon with raspberries in the middle. It was seriously the best Disneyland treat ever!

While we were on Main Street we got a pin commemorating my birthday. They give out pins to commemorate special occasions at all the shops in the park. Since I was wearing the pin everyone I saw wished me a happy birthday.

While we were hanging out on Main Street we ran into the Vanleuvan family. Alison and I were walking along when Denise started yelling, "Hey!" So many people yell in Disneyland that it took us a minute to recognize that it was directed at us. Once I saw them I immediately recognized them. I worked a lot with them on my mission. I helped bless their baby Joey and baptized John. I also had the privilege of going to the temple with their family. It was so great to run into them in Disneyland. We got to spend a few minutes catching up before we both headed off on our separate adventures.

We made a big loop through Disneyland riding all of our favorite rides - Matterhorn, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, and Splash Mountain. It was such a great day. The crowds weren't bad at all and we only waited in short lines. For lunch, we got hamburgers at the Hungry Bear restaurant. They make a great burger. We got a pretty early lunch so that we could save room for dinner.

Friday was easily the best weather we had all trip. It was in the '70s for most of the day. Since it was so warm we were able to do one of our favorite Disneyland traditions. We got ice cream from the Gibson Girl and watched the Disneyland parade. They even had a special seasonal treat - peppermint ice cream with a candy cane waffle cone. I got it for Alison because she loves peppermint.

It is so nice to sit and relax while eating ice cream and waiting for the parade. It is seriously one of our favorite things. To celebrate the holiday season the Disneyland Parade is a Christmas Fantasy. It was a great parade.

After the parade, we rode the Disneyland train. We have always enjoyed this ride and it is one of the rides that will close while they build Star Wars land. We also took a ride around the Rivers of America on the Mark Twain. We love Disneyland because it has really thrilling rides and because it has simple and more nostalgic rides. We also walked around Big Thunder Ranch before they close it to make room for Star Wars.

We bounced back over to California Adventure to ride a few of our favorite rides on that side of the park. We of course rode on our very favorite ride - California Screamin'. We also rode a few of the boardwalk rides and Soarin' Over California.

Then it was time for dinner. Two months before my birthday Alison made reservations at Carthay Circle. It is a fancy restaurant in California Adventure. The restaurant is modeled after the theater that first played Snow White. When we first got there before we were seated the waitress took us over and told us about the premiere of Snow White and how when Walt Disney won the Oscar for Snow White they gave him one regular Oscar and seven small Oscars. Cathay Circle was really a nice place and the food was awesome. For our appetizer, we had these amazing fried biscuits. They were full of gooey cheese sauce and we dipped them in apricot honey butter. It was so good. For the main course, Alison had shellfish pasta and I had a thick pork chop. It was great.

After dinner, we were ready to call it a night. We had been running for three days straight and decided to just relax. It really was such a wonderful birthday. I got the spend the day in the most magical place with my favorite person. It was exactly what I wished for.

You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret, all of the best people are. - Alice in Wonderland