Musical Chairs.....at Disneyland??

It's about 2pm, you're enjoying a cold coca-cola at Refreshment Corner when all of a sudden you see the Red Queen, the Mad Hatter and Alice!!  They're clearing an area and setting up chairs.  They ask if there are any kids that would like to join in a game of musical chairs.

The ragtime pianist provides the music and the game begins.  When each child is eliminated, the Mad Hatter asks the kid to tell a joke but if they don't have one....he'll help them out.  They continue on until they get down to the last two kids.  Alice and the Mad Hatter wind the kids thru Coke Corner, around tables and chairs as well as people.  In this crazy process, the chairs have all been moved and you're not sure which chair is the "last" chair.  The music stops and the two kids find a chair and sit down.

The Red Queen, Mad Hatter & Alice group together to decide on the winner.  They announce that both kids are the winners!!  Then they let the kids know what they've just won..........they get to put the chairs and tables back!!!

This is a fun game with characters that has been somewhat of a secret, with the word being spread by mouth.  The last I checked, it wasn't on the daily schedule and it's not guaranteed to be done every afternoon. We learned about this afternoon treat and put it in our plans for our 2010 trip.  As soon as we saw the characters, my kids went up and asked if they could play.  (if there are lots of kids, not all of them will be able to participate).  My daughter fell while circling the chairs & Alice and the Mad Hatter were very good with her and made sure she was ok.  My son was one of the winners and got to help straighten up.

These little extras are what makes these Disneyland trips so special.  My kids still talk about it and hopefully they'll get a chance to do it again in the near future.

Surf's Up with Mickey

My family loves our trips to Disneyland, but one of the things everyone really looks forward to is the character meals.  Our favorite out of the five offered, is Surf's Up with Mickey.  This is a breakfast buffet at the Paradise Pier Hotel.

Surf's Up is a smaller character meal when compared to the other meals and venues......I'm not sure why, as this is the only meal that you will find Mickey Mouse or Stitch at.  It's held in the PCH Grill restaurant and offers a nice buffet with options not found at the other meals.  You can find caramel-banana french toast, flatbread breakfast pizzas, breakfast potatoes with caramalized onions, chilaquiles & smoked salmon just to name a few.  The buffet also has the standards:  scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, pastries, bagels, Mickey waffles & pancakes, cold cereal, oatmeal, fresh fruit & a Made to Order Omelet Bar.  This meal is an All You Can Eat.

When you check in, you'll be asked to wait in the lobby until you're called.  Once called, you are taken into the restaurant and immediately are met by Mickey Mouse in his lifeguard attire.  You have a picture taken by the PhotoPass Photographer, who will also gladly take one from your camera.  You are then taken to your table, where the waitstaff will get your beverage order & point you towards the buffet.

What's nice about character meals is you don't have to stand in long lines or chase after them.  They come to your table and sign autographs and pose for pictures.  You will find that some characters are more playful & interactive.....Stitch is one of those.  This is the only meal where Stitch can be found.  Others that attend this meal (but you never know which ones) are:  Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto & Daisy.  Daisy is another one of those characters that is hard to find & this is the only meal I've heard that she can be found at.  The characters all come in their beach attire.

This meal will keep your little ones entertained.  At set times, a young host will come out & call the kids forward to participate in a number of different activities that the characters join in as well.  One time will be dancing, the next time can be surfing lessons, the next time can be hula hooping, etc.  All with the beach theme in mind.

We loved this meal when it was the Lilo & Stitch breakfast......but adding Mickey as the host has made this a must every trip.  I've done this trip with my family, as a couple & with a group of ladies.  So it doesn't matter your age or if you have kids with you, this is a fun meal for all ages.......especially if you're a fan of Stitch!

Why Disney?

I'm a huge fan of Walt Disney, his movies, his parks, his legacy.  My first trip to Disneyland was when I was about 6 yrs old.  I don't remember much from that trip, but I think my sub-conscience was forever changed.  I remember going to the Saturday matinees and seeing Disney movies.  I had Disney record albums of the movies that had the songs and story on them.  (man I wish I still had those!!)  I got to go one more time as a child when I was about 10yrs old.  This just further set the Disney way into my life and my dreams.

I've always loved Mickey Mouse.....I remember seeing the original Mouseketeers and also remember the remake that produced a number of popular singers (Christina Aguilera, Britney Speers, & Justin Timberlake to name a few).  I remember watching the Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday night.  My favorites were the cartoons, but I also remember the nature shows & falling in love with polar bears.

I got married in 1984 and soon after we went to Wyoming to work for the summer.  We took the long way home to Oregon so I could take my husband to Disneyland for a day.  He had never been.  I remember the park being almost empty.  It was in October and at that time, Disneyland didn't decorate up for Halloween.  The only line we had to wait in was Space Mountain.  I look back now & wish we would have taken pictures.  I have 2 or 3 but that's it.

We had 3 sons and Disney was always in their lives.  We had bedding, clothes, movies & music.  The only thing I hadn't been able to do was take them to Disneyland.  We came close when McDonald's was running one of their promos and a Disneyland trip was the big prize.  We won free park tickets but we just didn't have the money to get there.

In 2005, Disneyland' 50th Anniversary.....we finally got the chance to take our boys to Disneyland.  At this point, we had added another boy to our family.  We were doing foster care and this sweet 4 yr old was soon to be an official member of our family.  So our family & 4 sons (ages at time of trip: 20, 18, 16, 4)  went over the 4th of July time.  The park was extra magical with all the Golden 50's & ride vehicles, the picture mosaics, special parade & fireworks.  It was a wonderful trip full of great memories.

That trip made huge Disney fans of my boys and we were always looking to our next trip.  Our family continued to grow as we added 3 girls, so planning and affording trips take a little budgeting....but we've been able to return 3 more times as a family.

Our home has a Mickey kitchen and master bedroom, a princess bedroom, a Tinkerbell bedroom & a Cars bedroom.  Our bookcase has Disney books, magazines, Vacation DVD's, Disney CD's, Disney VCR tapes, DVD's & Blu-Rays.  Our closets and drawers are full of Disney shirts and sweatshirts & jackets.  The kids toy boxes have Disney themed toys through out.

So Why Disney??  We love Disney because of the feeling it gives us.  Its a magical place for families, couples & even going solo.  There's something there for everyone...you just have to give yourself the ok to act like a child again.  The movies and the music bring a smile even on a bad day.  Seeing a Mickey t-shirt also makes me smile.  The 4 yr old twins love the Disney Channel....it's educational but fun for all of us.

Walt wanted to build a place where families could go & do things together, instead of the kids playing and the parents sitting on a bench watching.  He succeeded when he built Disneyland.  It was different from anything out there in 1955.  It still stands alone in its theming & totally taking you to a new place when you come through the gates. Walt was inspirational and even with him gone, his presence is still felt through the company's employees who still believe in Walt's vision.

Disney means dreams can come true~~~I believe, do you??