Disney Day 3

We returned to Disney's California Adventure today and were so happy to be back in the magic.

Our first stop in the park was Paradise Pier. We returned to where we left off when the rain hit us on Monday.

We rode the Golden Zephyr, Jumpin' Jellyfish and then a twisty coaster called Mulholland Madness.

After those we headed to the Maliboomer, which bullets you 180 feet into the air. It rose so quickly it felt like the blood drained out of my legs. Brian, the boys and I rode together, then Brian's parents went with the boys. The boys loved it and would have ridden it again if we let them.

Carissa couldn't go, as she was too small (and again, she was so disappointed!) so she rode King Triton's carousel (again) and played a game in the midway, where she won a stuffed dolphin.

Another trip on California Screamin' for Dad, Brian, the boys and I (did I mention how awesome this rollercoaster is ... the biggest one I've ever seen and SOOOO much fun!) and then we decided to have lunch.

Some of us at pizza at Pizza Oom Mow Mow, which was not really that good. :( Brian opted for McDonalds, but was disappointed with spending $9 for a double cheeseburger meal(not quarter-pounder either, just regular cheeseburger). The good lunch deal for the day was found by Chase and Dad, who ate at Corndog Heaven. These corndogs were HUGE. They were footlong hotdogs covered in a super thick coating of golden, crispy batter. Even Brian's Dad couldn't eat more than one. I have a photo to upload on a later date to prove just how huge these things were.

After lunch we headed for another ride on Grizzly River Run (see photos from today... I couldn't take the camera on the ride so had to deal with photos from outside). It was a great time to do it, as the sun was shining and the line was short. And for one I didn't get totally soaked. We all rode once then sent Brian, Dad and the kids to ride again while Mom got help opening up the locker they rented to keep their items dry while riding Grizzly River Run (note to Dad: you can't lock the combination IN the locker if you expect to get it open again! LOL).

I had a bit of a sweet tooth so got a Mickey head ice cream bar then we walked to Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream for the fresh waffle cones and ice cream Brian and his Dad had been drooling over all week.

We headed to see the "Ugly Bug Ball" play in Bugs Land, after which Tristan fell and smacked his face on the fence. He now sports a beautiful black eye and bruised and scratched cheek.

We headed to the rides in Bugs Land, but most of them were too boring for our kids, who were now used to adrenaline packed roller coasters. Heimlich's Chew-Chew Train just didn't do it for them! We did hit "It's Tough To Be A Bug", but Tristan and Carissa both freaked out ... it was a little too real for their tastes.

By now we'd seen nearly all of California Adventure. Our last stop before exiting the park was "Turtle Talk with Crush", the totally cool turtle from Nemo. The show was awesome! He interacted with the crowd, asked questions, had us say "dude" and "Pshaaa" a lot and just had a nice 10 minute chat with the group in the theater. I still don't know how they do it, but it's really a well done and fun show.

On our way out we ditched Mom and Dad and headed to Baker's Field Bakery to buy Mom a wonderfully yummy looking chocolate cupcake to save for her birthday. Then we hightailed it down to Build-A-Bear in Downtown Disney so the kids could make her a bear. The kids chose to make a Shamrock green bear, which they named "Birthday Wishes". They personalized a message for her that says "Have a Magical Birthday Grandma. We love you" and each put their own special wished on and kissed heart inside the bear. They've done such a great job of not mentioning her birthday so I think she'll be surprised tomorrow.

We came back to the hotel and ordered Round Table pizza for dinner. We went swimming for a bit and then played cards before heading to bed. Tomorrow we are up early to enjoy our Early Entry day in Disneyland. We have a long day scheduled, but I'll check in tomorrow night with more photos and the rundown of our day.