Disneyland 2022 - The Adventure (Finally) Begins

After having to delay our "Christmas Trip" due to Nate's achilies surgery, we finally left for our Disneyland Spring Break adventure. We didn't opt to pay the extra fee to choose our seats. Therefore, I sat next to Kieran, across the isle Nate sat with Ky and Hollyn, and Brennan and Asher sat together several rows in front of us.

DAY ONE: DISNEYLAND

We started and ended at Disneyland, with CA Adventure in the middle. After getting dropped off, we made our way to security where an upsetting event ensued. I had brought with me a cane/chair, knowing that my acute back issues would rendure me unable to stand in lines for very long. (I can walk ok, but just standing kiiiills me.) The first security checkpoint dude said, "You can use that for walking, but you can't sit on it." I was like, "what? But the website says it's allowed." He said, "No, you can sit on the provided benches in the park, but you aren't allowed to sit on that." I was dumbfounded. I repeated, "But the website says you can." He was adament that I could only use the cane for standing/walking. I grumbled that that was the entire reason I'd brought it, so if I couldn't use it for sitting, I had absolutely no reason to have it there. He then took the cane and set it down next to him on his side of the table. I stepped forward about to walk through the metal detector, but thinking about the wasted money in purchasing the cane, I turned and told the man that I did want the cane anyway, and promised that I would not use it for sitting. He said, "No. Once you've surrendered something, you can't have it back." I was really dumbfounded now. Like, where was this, prison? This is supposed to be the freakin' 'Happiest Place on Earth' and now they wouldn't even give BACK something that was rightfully mine??? I turned in disbelief and was ushered through the metal detector by a second checkpoint man. He told me wait one moment and called the first guy to him to talk. I heard the first man complaining, "She said she was going to sit on it..." and told his side of the story. The second guy sent him back to his seat but asked to have the cane. He then called over a managing security (officer? Is that what they are?) and asked "Is she allowed to have this?" The manager quickly responded, "Yes! Those are medical devices, they are allowed." and walked away. So I was given my cane back after all. By this time, though, I was shaking from the confrontation and the upset emotions. I told the middle-man who'd assisted me that I was thankful because I needed it for my sciatica, but that it had been very upsetting when it had at first been confiscated. He kind of brushed it off lightly by agreeing and saying that I had it back now. Like, all was ok, move along.

But I spent the rest of the day holding a bit of a lingering grudge. First of all, no one even apologized for withholding my "medical device" from me, and on top of that, as far as I know, the first guy was never even corrected in what is and isn't allowed in the park. How many more mobility aides is he going to be confiscating from others? Lastly, for the remainder of the day - in fact the remainder of the entire trip - I was too self-conscious to use it. I worried other park attendents would confront me if I did. I mostly carried it around and used it only occasionally (outside of the lines, if resting by a bench) until the very end of the day when the long wait for "Rise of the Resistance" proved too much for my back.

I left it behind for the rest of the trip because I wasn't sure how security would go. For the last day, I did rent a scooter, at some expense, but I regretted that. It was slower than walking, which was a nuissance, and a bother at the rides. It was somewhat embarrassing to be ushered to the handicapped parts of the rides, and I felt like a fraud because I am not handicapped. I just can't stand in those longs before my back gives out. But otherwise, I can totally get around. *sigh*

The Seven Drawfs

PS: Asher was originally going to be Doc, but when the shirts arrived, he said he wanted to be Grumpy and it hit me - he's totally Grumpy! And Nate is totally Doc. So, The switch was made and now it's perfect.

P.P.S We watched Snow White right before leaving for the trip. I think Kieran had never seen it before, so he was skeptical about watching such an old movie. The littles LOVED it though, and laughed so hard. No one cracked up more than Kieran, though, who declared that he was "totally Dopey!" 😂

The new COVID-freindly way to visiting the characters

Pretty quickly after arriving, Brennan and Asher ventured out together and Nate and I stuck with the littles. Eventually we found Devon and James, but as the afternoon grew hotter, Nate's leg/ankle was really swelling up and he really needed to lay down. Kylea and Hollyn (who was struggling from the 12:30am arrival the night before) also tuckered out, so the three of them Ubered back to Devon's house.

Devon, James, Kieran and I rode some rides, including Space Mountain before meeting up with Brennan and Asher.

In the thick of Space Mountain I heard Kieran crying wildly and I felt so bad! Until I realized he was yelling, "I. LOVE. THIS. SO. MUCH!!!!" Hahaha. He spent the entire ride with his eyes closed and his ears covered, hunkering down... but he loved, loved, loved it. Silly.

Kieran was the driver, can you blame me for screaming?

Being watched.

#Teacups #classic

We kept our eyes on the new Star Wars ride wait-time. At one point, it showed the line was only 70 minutes long, so we jetted over. Then, it quickly turned in to about 200 minutes. Probably because so many of us rushed over. After about an hour and a half, we started seeing people in front of us giving up and exiting the line. That's because after all that time, you'd get through a long line in one room, and finally turn the corner into... another room. 😭 That's gotta be a hard decision to decide to call it quits after investing almost 2 hours into standing in line. So we persevered. And eventually made it. It was as awesome as advertised. When it ended Asher declared he'd wait in that line or even longer for that ride. I thought the wait was right about at my maximum. It was very cool, but probably not more than 2.5 hour wait cool.