My Top Three Attractions in Disneyland

Sleeping Beauty in Disneyland, California

I enjoyed writing my post about my three favorite attractions in Disney California Adventure  last week, ao I decided that I would do the same for Disneyland. This was much more difficult than I expected. There are so many great attractions in the Magic Kingdom, it was hard to pick my top three. I had to have Jenn help me narrow it down. My choices are ready, although they did not come without some controversy (hence my tweet earlier this evening). After much deliberation, here they are.

Number 3: Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean

Located in New Orleans Square, Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the signature attractions of Disneyland. The que takes you into the bayous of Louisiana. After you enter your boat, you begin to float past a re-creation of a Louisiana swamp, passing by the Blue Bayou restaurant. Drifting by a animatronic old swamp dweller, you come upon a talking pirate skull bolted on a wall. After hearing the warning, you are plunged first into darkness and then you go over two drops (hopefully not getting wet). Upon reaching  the bottom, you pass through an underground grotto, coming upon what is left of a pirate battle. After seeing a few scenes of the skeletal remains of pirates, you enter a cavern where you are greeted by the image of Davy Jones on a mist wall.

 Passing through the mist, you come upon Captain Barbossa aboard the Black Pearl storming a Spanish fort, intent on finding Jack Sparrow. Upon entering the town, you discover the pirates drowning the town mayor in an attempt to find Sparrow’s location. You then find him hiding among upon some women’s clothes, before heading into a pirate bride auction. Heading deeper into the town, you see some pirates chasing women with trays of food. In the forefront is a pirate attempting to hide a treasure map from Jack Sparrow, unaware that Sparrow is hiding in a barrel, looking over his shoulder.

After seeing scenes of pirate revelry, things turn darker as the pirates begin to burn and loot the town. Soon you enter the bottom of a dungeon, where a group of imprisoned pirates are desperately attempting to wrest the cell key from a nearby dog. Nearing the end, there are a group of pirates drunkenly shooting at each other. As you begin to head up the ramp, you pass Jack Sparrow one more time, watching as he celebrates the treasure he found. With one final warning from Davy Jones, you head back to the loading area.

Pirates of the Caribbean is hands down, one of my favorite rides. In April 2009, Jenn and I had to come to the park to upgrade our annual passes. We snuck in a ride on this attraction, even though we didn’t ride any others. This ride is also the source of my first childhood Disney wish, as I would always ask my parents if we could “eat at the restaurant inside Pirates” (a.k.a. the Blue Bayou). It was also the first wish I had fulfilled, as Jenn and I ate there on our honeymoon.

Number 2: The Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion

After passing through the graveyard surrounding the que, you enter the parlor of this Gothic mansion. You are then welcomed by a ghostly voice into a parlor, surrounded by portraits of prior residents of the mansion. While being slowly lowered deeper into the mansion, you discover that you are trapped inside the parlor. You learn the earthly fate of your host, and are then escorted deeper into the mansion. Passing through the hallway and into Limbo, you enter your “doom buggy” and begin your tour. You view the various ghostly apparitions that inhabit the various rooms. Soon you enter into a séance, lead by the head of physic Madam Leota, floating inside a crystal ball.

You then over-look a banquet hall, where various ghosts appear to be having a party. Heading into the attic, you see various portraits depicting a bride who has seemingly murdered each of her prior husbands. Before leaving the attic, you see a projection of the bride in the remains of her wedding dress. Out of the attic you head, and into the graveyard, passing a frightened groundskeeper and his malnourished dog. Once in the graveyard, you see the party the ghosts are having, happy to be free of their graves. Before exiting the ride, you are “chosen” by one of three spirits as a host. Finally, after being jarred back to reality by an incredibly out-of-place safety message, you pass a small statue that encourages you to “hurry back.”

The Haunted Mansion is a great dark ride. It is spooky enough to be given a slight thril,l but not so much so that it’s uncomfortable (like say, the walk-through museum at Universal Studios). Jenn and I have been on this ride so many times, she can recite the Ghost Host’s opening spiel from memory.  As we go through, we like to point out the various bits of trivia each of us can remember about the attraction. For example, there is a spider-web in the banquet scene that covers up a bullet hole in the glass wall that separates the buggies from the animatronics. Apparently, early in the ride’s history, someone not only snuck a gun into the park but was also so scared by what they saw, they needed to defend themselves.

Number 1: Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain

Based on the controversial film, “Song of the South“, Splash is easily the best ride in the park. You follow the que into the mountain and enter into your hollowed-out log. After lifting into the flue, you head outside and pass by the house of Brer Bear, who could be heard snoring inside. After dropping down into the mountain, you see various scenes of Brer Bear and Brer Fox attempting to (and not succeeding in) capturing Brer Rabbit, while various animals sing the song “How Do You Do”.

After going through a speed drop, you enter the dark light-lit Laughing Place. The song “Ev’rybody’s Got A Laughing Place”  plays while you see Brer Rabbit trapped by Brers Fox and Bear. You then pass a possum and rabbit mother singing “Burrow’s Lamen,t” before floating underneath two vultures who mock you. My favorite taunt being, “So you’re looking for a Laughing Place, eh?) You then begin the ascent to the top of the mountain. After a brief pause, you “escap”‘ by dropping into the Briar Patch below. After making a corner, you head back inside the mountain, where the animals celebrate Brer Rabbit’s escape by singing “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.” After viewing a picture of yourself and fellow riders during the drop, you head back to the loading area.

This may not be a popular opinion, but I think this is the best ride in either park. Not only does it have the thrill of the drop but it’s got a cohesive story throughout the attraction. That, in my opinion, is the next evolution of the dark ride. My favorite part of Splash Mountain is the moment after the drop. To find out why, just do me one simple favor: ride in the front.

Well, now you have my top three attractions in Disneyland. I have to admit, I did not realize that this would be as much fun to write as it was. I love talking about the Disneyland Resort and everything therein. I am considering putting my trip reports on hold and doing other top three lists. What do you think? Let me know which you would rather read and I’ll write about that next week.

My Top 3 Attractions in Disney California Adventure

Disney California Adventure Entrance

I am planning on continuing my series of posts about our Disneyland trips. But since tonight was the last session of our birthing class, I need to have another short post. So tonight I am going to write about my top three favorite attractions in Disney California Adventure, which I am going to shorten to DCA. (A quick note before I get started: I said attractions and not rides for a reason. My definition of a “ride” is an attraction that has a vehicle that moves. All other types are attractions.) So let’s start at the bottom and  work our way up, shall we?

 Number 3: Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D

Jim Henson Muppet Vision 3D

Located in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot in DCA, the idea behind this attraction is that you, the guest, are visiting the Muppet Labs, with the tour being provided by Kermit the Frog. He is there to introduce you to their version of 3D film, Muppet Vision. While in the lab of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, they introduce you to their creation, Waldo, the Spirit of 3D. After a brief demonstration of Waldo’s abilities, they attempt to shut him off. Of course, things go wrong. Meanwhile, Bean Bunny repeatedly attempts to help spice up Miss Piggy‘s musical number. His help is not welcomed. He decides to run away and is joined by Waldo. Everything wraps up in  what should have been a “glorious 3-hour finale” that gets reduced to a minute and half. The entire affair is heckled from the balcony by an animatronics Waldorf and Statler.

Earlier this year, they replaced the old version of the film with a new digital copy. I wish I could say that I immediately noticed the difference but then again, my eyes don’t process 3D very well. There is a bunch of trivia associated with Muppet Vision but two pieces are my favorite to share. During the finale scene, there are some dolls that appear singing, “It’s A Small World“. Those are actual Small World dolls. The other is that the (Spoiler Alert) computer-generated version of Mickey Mouse that Waldo transforms into is the first CGI Mickey ever presented.

For most attractions, the best part of is the attraction itself. But for this one, the pre-show is just as entertaining as (if not more so) the film itself. My absolute favorite part of the the pre-show has to be Sam the Eagle telling Gonzo, “Stop this foolishness this instant.” Gonzo’s reply: “What foolishness would you like to see?” That level of wit makes this, for me, the best of the the three 3-D films at the Disneyland Resort (and that includes the Captain EO Tribute.)

Number 2: California Screamin’

California Screamin'

 

The ride attempts to mimic the wooden roller-coasters that were popular at beachfront amusement parks of the past. However, the track itself is steel. California Screamin’ last year was refurbished to remove the Mickey Mouse logo that framed the inversion and was replaced with the current sunburst and Paradise Pier combo. Recently, the scream tubes, which were installed to meet Anaheim’s noise regulations, have been re-painted to a lighter shade of blue.

This ride alone is worth a trip to DCA. I have had so many good memories riding it. From planning our poses for the camera to riding it during the fireworks show, this attraction never disappoints. We even have fun just watching people be shocked by the take-off. However, one time in particular stands out. During Thanksgiving weekend in 2004, Curtis, Victor, Jennifer and I rode while it was raining. I’ll never forget how much we laughed, singing the Reliant K song, “Thundercats”, even while being pelted by stinging rain.

Number 1: Toy Story Midway Mania

Toy Story Midway Mania

This is without a doubt my favorite attraction in DCA and a top contender for best ride in either park. You know you are approaching it when you hear the voice of Mr. Potato Head wafting over the top of the background music. The huge animatronics version of Potato Head welcomes you to the ride. You get inside your cart, put on your 3-D glasses, and grab your spring-action shooter. You are whisked inside the show building, which “transforms” you to toy size. You play against your ride partner in six games based on popular midway games. After the games, the scores are tabulated and you, if you are me, complain about Jenn beating you again.

This ride is one of the newest attractions in DCA. Based on the popular Toy Story films, it takes the shooter mechanic from Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and adds 3D. It aiming mechanic takes some getting used but once you get the hang of it, it’s incredibly accurate (despite what Paul says). In honor of the newest Toy Story movie, Toy Story 3, they removed the game based on Little Bo Peep, and a new one based around Rex and Trixie.

This ride is, without question, the best at DCA. The line, although long at times, really moves quickly and the ride itself is amazing. Jenn and I tried this for the for first time on our New Year’s Eve ’09 trip and we rode it many more times during that trip. But be warned, you need to work on your upper body strength for this ride. The spring-action shooters give your biceps a workout! So make sure you are in shape (or be semi-ambidextrous like me.)

So there you have it: my top three favorite attractions in Disney California Adventure. If I only rode those three, I would consider my trip complete. Normally I don’t do this, but I have to ask you, gentle reader, what are your favorite three? Let me know in the comments. And if you haven’t, well, what are you waiting for. Get down there today!

Stinky Fat Kids

Normally Wednesdays are my comic book post day. However, due to the Labor Day holiday, new comics will not come in until tomorrow. So I am going to switch the posts around. Tomorrow, I’ll talk about the new comics that I bought this week. Today, however, I am going write about Disneyland. In particular, our least favorite Disneyland trip.

It had been over a year since our honeymoon. For the first month that we were home, I would tell Jenn every night that I would want to move to Los Angeles. Honestly, girls, if your mom would have agreed to it, you would have been born in Anaheim. But that wasn’t meant to be. Instead, I focused on our new life together. 2003 was the perfect year for me to do so. I loved everything about that year. From one of the best summers I have ever had to my epic 25-hour 25th birthday party, everything was perfect. But all good things must come to end.

The fall of 2004, for reasons I don’t want to talk about right now, was a very hard time for Jenn and I. We needed something to lift our spirits. That something was our place. Disneyland. So in October, we decided that we would go to the resort over Thanksgiving break. But this time we would not go alone.

As I told you in my first Disneyland Post, (http://twintanilla.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/the-greatest-week-of-my-life/), Disneyland had been a place that I had been to many times as a child. The majority of those times were with my brother. He always made the trips interesting. Whether it was his refusal to move around the park without stroller (even though he was way past stroller age) or his seemingly constant mission to find new ways to cause my dad to lose his temper in the Happiest Place on Earth, a trip to Disneyland with Victor was always interesting.

When I returned to the resort on our honeymoon, as I said before, it was the best week of my life. But it felt odd to be there without Victor. So many of my Disneyland memories at that point had included him. It was such a strong feeling that I ended up calling him a couple days into the trip. I wanted to tell him about all the stuff that changed since we were kids. But telling him wasn’t enough. I wanted to show him. So Jenn and I decided to invite him to join us.

One thing I have learned over the years is that heading to a theme park with an odd number of people is not nearly as much fun as even. At the very least, someone will always have to ride alone. Knowing this, we knew we needed another person to bring along with us. At the time the choice was easy. I had been mentoring a student in the youth group named Curtis. At the time, people said he was like our surrogate son. Jenn and I asked him if he wanted to go. He jumped at the chance.

With the group in place, we prepared to take off. The plan was to leave after Jenn and I got off work on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. Curtis and Victor would meet us in the parking lot of our work. (At the time, your mom and I worked at the same place.) That day, as most days when we are waiting to leave on a trip, dragged on forever. The time finally came for us all to load up and take off. We took off, eager to get to Disneyland as fast as possible. We were finally moving…until we hit Sacramento.

You see, the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year. Apparently, that is a well-known fact. It wasn’t so well-known to the four of us. Jenn’s road rage kicked in when it took us an hour and a half to leave Sacramento. And it did not get much better the rest of the way down Interstate 5. We tried to make the best of it. Jenn and I played the game I told you about last week. The highlight was finding a mini-van with a television in the back. As we followed behind it, I noticed that the kids in the back seat were playing a video game. Lo and behold, they were playing Mario Kart: Double Dash! This was at the peak of our obsession with the game. We were so jazzed to see it, Jenn ended up following them for quite a few miles.

Finally, we pulled into the parking lot of the same hotel Jenn and I stayed in during our honeymoon. It was after 1 in the morning and the four of us were exhausted. As we walked into the lobby to check in, all any of us could think of was collapsing into bed so we could get an early start the next day. Jenn gave the check-in person our name and as soon as she verified who we were, she then asked us for us our credit card to pay for the room. Jenn looked at her, confused. “We already paid for the room last month”, she said.

What we didn’t realize was that reserving a hotel room with a credit card did not mean that the room was paid for . It only meant that the room was reserved. Which wouldn’t be a big deal…except that we did not realize that and did not have enough money on the card to pay for the room. (Our credit limit was very small back then.) Slowly the realization hit us. We didn’t have a place to stay for the night. Jenn furiously slammed her fist on the counter and yelled, “What’!” At that exact moment, the power went out.

It turns out the hotel suffered a power outage. That turned out to be a blessing, because the hotel management allowed us to stay in the room one night so we could figure out what we were going to do. They, obviously, had bigger fish to fry. We went upstairs to our room and began to make some phone calls. The final plan ended up being that, in the morning, Jenn’s mom would use Curtis’ mom’s fax machine to send us a copy of her credit card so we could pay for the room. We would pay her back when we returned. With the plan settled in my mind, I drifted off to sleep. Jenn, however, did not feel at peace until we paid for the room that morning.

The next day turned out to be a lot of fun. DCA, or Disney’s California Adventure as it was known then, did not have the quantity or quality of attractions that is does today. Coupled with the fact that it was Thanksgiving day, it meant that there was no one in the park. It ended culminating up with Victor and Curtis riding California Screamin’ seven times in a row.It was a much needed respite from the stress of the day before.

 As fun as our first day at the Resort was, the second was not. As it turned out, while Thanksgiving was a day with one of the lowest attendance counts, the day after has one of the highest. It wasn’t until New Year’s Eve 2008 that I have seen that many people in Disneyland. It was wall-to-wall people. It was only the System (my way of maneuvering the park) that kept us moving from ride to ride. Of course, once we hit the black hole of Disneyland, Fantasyland, the day began to drag. To top it off, it began to rain.

That was the final middle finger given to us on that trip. The final day was relatively uneventful, other than for Victor. Prior to the trip, he had promised Brandi that he would spend Thanksgiving with her family. Obviously he broke that promise. He attempted to call as we waited in line for Peter Pan. She, however, was in no mood to listen. To this day, she still holds that trip over his head. The coup de grace for Victor was that, after spending the day in a Disneyland rain storm, he ended up getting sick. (This would begin a running theme of Victor being sick on our Disneyland trips.) He couldn’t even get any rest because Curtis woke him up early that morning by telling him, “Stinky fat kids were stealing all of our rides.”

As you can see, Murphy’s law was in full effect. But I have to say, no matter how bad the trip went, I didn’t lose my love for my home. As I see it, the worst day in Disneyland is better than not having gone at all. The magic was not lost. In fact, looking back, that trip may have done as much to seal it as the perfect one from the year before. From that point forward, I knew that nothing could change my love of the ’Land. There was only one other time that it even came close. But that is a story for another time.

Life is a Highway

Tonight, Jenn and I headed to our first night of birthing classes. It was…interesting. I am thinking about going more in-depth  about the class later this week. However,  the class took a lot longer than I was anticipating. As such, I now have a very short time to make my post for today. So I am going to be  taking a something I wrote for a Disneyland Trip Newsletter I made in preparation for the New Year’s 2o1o trip and adding to it for tonight’s post. In later posts, I’ll be talking about some of the things I have enjoyed during our past trips. Today, I am going to write about a part that doesn’t get much thought. The ride down.

I have been asked multiple times why I don’t save time and fly to Los Angeles. One of the major reasons I do not drive is because simply, I enjoy the drive. I don’t find it boring or even particularly long. Plus I have many memories from different aspects of the trip.

One that stands out to me is a memory from our April 2008 trip with Victor and Brandi. We were pretty stoked because this was going to be the first time it was going to be just the four of us on vacation. There was some additional excitement in the air as we had decided on a whim to leave a day early. So we piled into our Jeep and were on our way down Interstate 5. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that there was nighttime construction. So, even though we made good time down most of I5, after we left Harris Ranch, there was an hour-long delay as we crawled through what felt like 10 miles of road. Initially we were all still pretty jazzed, but as the minutes stretched on, Jennifer ended up succumbing to the frustration. Victor, on the other hand, succumbed to sleep. So it made for a funny moment once we were past the construction, as Victor woke up and said, “That wasn’t that bad.” Needless to say, Jenn lost it.

Even though I have some more intricate memories, I also have some simple ones. Jenn and I have developed a little mini-game that we like to play. Every time we pass one of the mileage signs on the side of the road, we figure out how long it will be until we reach the resort. (Yes, Jenn and I know we are such nerds that we make up math games to entertain us.) The game is fun, though, because it becomes a countdown for when we will reach Disneyland. As each mile ticks away, we get more and more eager to “get home”.

However that is not the only game we play. Back in April 2009, Curtis, Brandon, Jennifer, and I each picked a few songs and we tried to guess who picked what song. It not only helped pass the time but it was interesting to see the different musical styles each of us enjoyed…even though we all agreed we didn’t like Curtis’s style.

We played the game again for the New Year’s 2010 trip. I asked Brandon, Victor, Brandi, Paul and Jessica to each give me 10 songs to build our trip playlist. After gathering the songs from each person, I realized that we needed to add more songs so we wouldn’t run out before we reached the Grapevine. Luckily, Jenn and I had built a library of trip songs from the multiple trips we have made. A good portion of songs we have were picked based on the ones we enjoyed playing on Rock Band. So I made the CDs (16 in all), not realizing that there was a disporportionate amount of Rock Band songs. As the seven of us played the game and tried to guess the person who picked the song, the cry of “Not Rock Band again!” quickly became a catchphrase of the trip. (It was so ingrained in us that when one of the songs played as part of the background loop for Sunshine Plaza in Disney California Adventure, we all yelled it.)

So why do I like to drive rather than fly? Yes I could save time but for me the trip is not about saving time. It’s about using each moment to make a new memory. And if the drive gives me more time to make memories, then I would take it over a flight every time.

The Greatest Week of My Life

 

Jenn and I on our honeymoon

When I was thinking about my blog, I felt that this day’s topic would be the one that would cause me to receive the most flak. More than being over 30 and still playing video games, more than reading four-color wish fufillments, and more than watching half-naked guys wrestle around. The reason being: I unashamedly am a Disneyland freak. And when I think about the park, I have a tendency to get a little sappy. But before you think about letting me have it in the comments, let me tell you a story.

Growing up, my family did not have very much money. While we never went hungry, there were times when my parents had to donate blood to ensure that we did not go to bed with an empty stomach. However, even with the lack of resources and in the middle of what were some of the darkest times of my childhood, there was one bright spot I could always count on: my parents would take us to Disneyland. People may say it was waste of money, but I don’t think you can put a price on the happy memories I have of our time spent there. I was too young to remember my first trip, but to this day, every time I walk inside the main gates, it triggers something deep inside me; a small voice that says “Welcome Home.”

Because of various factors that are not important to this story, my last trip to Disneyland as a child was in 1991. However, when it came time to plan with my wife where we would go for our honeymoon, for me, there was no other option. I had to take her to the place that had meant so much to me growing up.  Another confirmation that she was the perfect choice for me: she readily agreed and was eager to go. Jenn and I happily saved up the funds necessary to not only head to the Magic Kingdom but to visit another favorite park of mine, Universal Studios Hollywood. We were so excited we paid for the trip well in advance of our wedding.

Our wedding day was, up to the point that I am writing this, the best day of life. Everything went off without a hitch (relatively speaking) . As we pulled out of the church parking lot, my mind wandered to the trip that lay ahead. Driving down Interstate 5, as the sun slowly set on that spring day, I looked out the passenger seat window at the highway.  As we passed the various rest stops and farmlands, my mind was flooded with memories. I began to point to out various landmarks to Jenn, and told her a brief story about what happened to our family there. “There’s the McDonald’s where we ate Christmas Dinner one year,” “That Motel 6 is where my family would stop and rest for the night.” As I shared each story, I was impressed by how genuinely interested Jennifer seemed to be. And I loved her even more for it.

We reached Anaheim after nine that night. To this day, Jenn and I still laugh about how freaked out we were that we missed the Disneyland turn off. For those of you who have never driven into the Disneyland Resort, there are gigantic signs that proudly proclaim “Disneyland Drive”. So the odds of missing the turn-off are slim. Relieved that  we were not going to end up in San Diego, we took our exit and proceeded down Disneyland Drive and…it was completely different. The last time I was at the Resort, it wasn’t even a resort. Disney’s California Adventure and Downtown Disney had not been built. I knew that the parking lot was gone but I was unprepared for how much different it was. So the first words out of my mouth were, “Where are all the trees?”  However, even though it did not match what I had envisioned, I was stoked. It was like I was a child, heading to the park for the first time again.

Pulling into our hotel’s parking lot, I realized I was ready for my first new experience. When we were younger, my parents could only afford a day trip to Disneyland. That usually meant staying the night at a relative’s house, getting up early, driving to the park, and staying at the park till the evening. On the rare occasion we did stay nearby, it was usually a cheap motel a few blocks away from the park. My first trip as an adult, however, we stayed directly across from the park. It may not have been a park view room but it was the closest I had ever stayed. It was such a thrilling experience to be able to exit the lobby each morning and see the Matterhorn peeking over the tree tops.

The next day, Jenn and I decided to spend our first day at the one park neither of us had experienced: Disney’s California Adventure, as it was known then.  Online and on Disney podcasts, most hardcore fans feel that DCA (as it is more commonly known) is an inferior park. There is even a vocal and misguided minority that wish Disney would bulldoze the entire area and bring back the parking lot. To me, that is a ridiculous suggestion. Even then, we fell in love with DCA. It has a charm that is unique from Disneyland. Perhaps because it was the first Disney park that Jenn and I shared together, but I always get annoyed when someone belittles California Adventure.

Paradise Pier: As it was on our honeymoon

Jenn and I spent the entire day at that park, riding every attraction and visiting every shop. Most people like to take an afternoon break. Not us. We were at the park from our now-traditional first ride of Soaring Over California to the closing ceremony that is the Electrical Parade. And never once did we consider leaving. When the park finally shut down, we reluctantly headed back to the hotel and prepped for the next day.

Disneyland: the first morning

As you can tell, I was excited about the trip as a whole, but that Monday was the day I was most looking forward to. I was finally going to share my “Happiest Place on Earth” with the most important person in my life. As we arrived before park opening to wait for the ropes to drop, I was positively giddy.  I couldn’t stop from being fidgety. I am not normally a morning person but I beat the alarm clock that day. At 15 minutes till 8, they allowed us into the park. On that first trip back down Main Street, I felt two things:  I was five years old again. And I was home.

Me in front of Splash Mountain

My most vivid memory of that day  is one that is still debated by Jenn and I. Our fourth ride was Splash Mountain. Now according to Jenn’s recollection, we rode in the back and everyone came out smiling and happy. However according to my much-more reliable memory, Jenn did not have much experience with the attraction. So, while waiting in the que, I explained to her that the front of log was the best place to avoid getting wet. Either I was very good or (more likely) she was trusting because as we reached the front of the line, she agreed to take the front spot. All was well until we hit the first speed drop on the inside of the Mountain. As the water splashed over the log and onto Jenn, she quickly realized her mistake. By the time we hit the last drop, Jenn was quite loudly explaining the many and varied ways in which I sucked. It would be 7 years before she ever agreed to ride in the front. (That’s at least how I choose to remember it.)

I wish I could tell you that I remember every detail about that week. (Although I’d probably lose you if I did.) Sometimes, I sit and try to remember everything that happened. Certain things I’ll never forget, like Jenn and I racing across the park to make a fast pass or taking a one day break to visit a nearby comic book store and of course, the birth of the System (more on that in future post.)  But other details, such as where we ate or how many times we rode certain rides are lost in the mists of time. But one thing that sticks with me is driving home, on that rainy April day,  looking at my beautiful wife and realizing how incredible the last 7 days had been.

Now I don’t want you to think that all of my subsequent trips to Disneyland have been attempts to re-capture that feeling. I know that nothing can equal the high that I was on that week. No, the reason I have become what may be politely termed ”crazy obsessed with Disneyland” is because more than any other place, the resort has become Our place. Each year that Jenn and I visit, I am able to shut out everything else that is going on and focus on my wife. We spend as much time remembering old trips as we do making new memories. And that’s why I am looking forward to taking the two new pieces of my heart with me in the future. I know that, each time I do, it will be “The Greatest Week of My Life.”

Welcome to our Family Time

So I have decided to write a blog. I have read them for the past three years and I’ve enjoyed hearing other people’s thoughts about the various things that I’m interested in. What started out as just a way to kill time during a boring work day has evolved into a habit that I look forward to each day. This morning in the shower, however I realized something. (FYI, I get most of my inspiration in the shower.)

As I await the rapidly approaching arrival of my twin baby girls, I realized that I don’t have a place that captures my thoughts. Ideally, Alexis and Joanna will want to know what I think about various subjects. And of course I’ll tell them. I don’t think they’ll have much choice. But I think it would be cool if, when they are old enough to read, they had a place to see what their dad was thinking about when they were born.

So with that as a mission statement, I am launching this blog. If you have stumbled upon it, I’d be interested to hear what brought you to my tiny corner of the Internet. And while you’re here, please enjoy the conversation and feel free to take part. I’m sure the girls would love to hear your thoughts as well.

One thing you’ll rapidly learn about me is that I am very anal-retentive. Everything I do is laid out, down to the order that I eat the food on my plate. So naturally, I would prefer having a posting schedule laid out. Plus, having a schedule will not only help guide my posts, but it will prevent this blog from being a mish-mash of thoughts and links. So here is what I’m thinking about posting each day starting tomorrow:

Monday – I’ll be talking about pro wrestling. I have been interested in “sports entertainment” (and yes, I know the controversy associated with that term) since I was 9 years old. I dropped out around Wrestlemania 8 but like most people, the NWO in ’96 and the Attitude Era in ’97 brought me back. And I haven’t stopped watching since.

Tuesday – I love video games. I have spent hours with a controller in my hand since my dad brought home an Atari 2600 (which he still has.) Not a week goes by without me playing a video game in some form. From a PS3 and X-Box to a DS to even my phone, I am surrounded by gaming options. And since Tuesday is new game day, there is no better day talk to about my oldest hobby.

Wednesday – Since 2003, Wednesday has meant one thing: new comic day. I am primarily a DC person but I do dabble in Marvel and Independent comics. Each week I love to look up and see what people are saying about the books I read. I figure it’s time I add my thoughts as well. I am also a huge graphic novel reader, so I’ll be talking about those on Wednesdays as well.

Thursday – Thursday is Disney day. I have gone to the ‘Land since I was 5, and I have seen a lot of changes in that time. Since our honeymoon, Jenn and I have gone to Disneyland almost every year, with our record being 5 times in one year. I’ll be talking about memories from the various trips plus any current news that may break.

Friday – Friday is television and movie day. Since we decided to get rid of cable to save money, I follow a lot of shows through Netflix and Hulu. As far as movies go, Jenn and I are in the middle of what we call Summer Movie Madness. From the first week of May through Labor Day, we see a new movie each weekend. So, as you can see, there will be plenty to talk about on the entertainment front.

Saturday – Saturday is family day. I expect that the girls will provide plenty of fodder for a blog post. Plus, we have The Puck, our dog who doesn’t know he’s a dog, who is always up to something. And then there’s Jennifer aka Junes. My wonderful wife and I have some interesting conversations (well I talk and she listens.)  I think the Saturday posts will be my girls’ favorite if either one has the Quintanilla ego.

Sunday – Since the day I was born, Sunday’s have been about church. My belief in Jesus as my savior and the values He promoted are the most important things to me. If my girls only grow up to share my faith and nothing else, my job as a dad will be a success. So each Sunday I will take one of the sermons my pastor preaches that day and break it down. This will probably be the most helpful for me because, as I continually define what it is exactly I believe, I’ll be able to sit down and decide how to best to articulate my views.

So there you have it. That’s my plan for this blog. If you stuck with me till the end, thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow, hopefully with something a little more interesting and a little less navel-gazing.