Pre-Disneyland with Grandkids

Overview
Frank and I were to fly down to Southern California Friday September 13th returning Tuesday September 17th to visit with Dan and Robin's families and enjoy some time at Disneyland together on Sunday with all five grandkids. Frank and I would return to Disneyland on Monday as well with Robin's family.
  • Friday Frank, Diane arrive; visit Dan, Carrie, Vivian, Lillian, William
  • Saturday Robin, Jeremy, Autumn, Isaiah arrive; visit Dan's family
  • Sunday Two grandparents, four parents, five grandkids meet at Disneyland
  • Monday Disneyland with Frank, Diane, Robin, Jeremy, Autumn, Isaiah
  • Tuesday fly home

Friday Sept 13th
Frank and I  flew down on an 11:40 am flight  into John Wayne Airport in Anaheim, CA, IATA location identifier SNA. While waiting for our luggage on the baggage carousel, Frank and I admired this "canstruction" designed to promote public awareness and action against hunger. Airports often do have interesting things to observe if you pay attention. Somewhere over the rainbow U-n-I can end HUNGER! reads the sign by Fluor, an engineering and construction company with a strong employee volunteer commitment to feeding children everywhere.

We trundled our two suitcases across the roadway that circled the terminals, to get on a shuttle bus to our hotel, The Park Vue Inn, about 15 miles north of the airport and directly across from Disneyland. We rode in relatively light traffic, in air conditioned comfort for about 40 minutes as our shuttle visited several hotel drop offs throughout the Disney Resort area.

A smiling Mickey Mouse statue greeted us in the lobby of our hotel. We checked into Room 222 and were hopeful that when Robin, Jeremy, and kids arrived the next day they would be checked into adjacent Room 223 with adjoining doors. (No promises of course, but the management did come through for us!)

The construction company Dan works for has a project going at Disney and Dan had conveniently scheduled a meeting on site for the day we arrived. After it ended he would able to drive us back to his home for the evening. Frank and I just chilled, content to wait until he was available.

Dan's home is about 35 miles southeast of our hotel. He moved there in January of 2015. On our way there we picked up 3 year old Lillian from her day care, and 5 year old Vivian from her after-kindergarten care, then stopping to get and bring home delicious shish kabobs from the Luna Grill. We'd gotten excellent food from there last April 2018 on our visit to meeting newly born William. As I had done during that visit, I waited in the car amusing the girls with music and apps on my cell phone. At one point I sneezed – quite noisily Vivian's opinion. She said "Grandma, you sneeze loud! You sneeze like an old lady!" "I am an old lady," I retorted. Young whippersnapper! I remember four-and-a-half years ago her taking her first steps at ten months in the kitchen of their then-new home while Frank and I were there helping them move.

After dinner I read Lil and Viv a bed time story. The book Pinkalicious was really cute and had great illustrations. A little girl helps her mom bake cupcakes and wants them to be her favorite color, pink of course. She eats too many cupcakes and she herself turns bright pink! Spoiler alert: eating green vegetables is the antidote.

After the kiddos were snug in bed, Dan, and Frank and I played a game of Splendor. Dan won, of course. Then he drove us back to our hotel. We planned to visit again Saturday evening with Robin and crew after they had arrived and settled in to their room.

Saturday Sept 14th
The Park Vue Inn is nestled back aways off the street and its front is obscured somewhat by the Cold Stone Creamery just off its lobby. 

To assure that Jeremy would not miss his turn after driving from the airport, Frank practiced the pose he would use at curbside to direct them.

We ate lunch at the IHOP next door and a wandering photographer took photos of our happy gang. Considering the Oklahomans had needed to get up at 4:00 am California time in order to make an early flight and arrive mid morning everybody looks pretty happy.

The girls as well as the guys were in great moods.

There was an awesome balloon artist making creations beside the tables. He made a spider man for Isaiah complete with a silver ballon extension that looked like it shot out threads of web. He handed it to Isaiah complete with "pyeeooh... pyeeooh... pyeeooh..." sound effects.

Then he asked Autumn if she would like a mermaid or princess. As we'd entered the restaurant, we had seen a few girls leaving with pretty impressive Ariel balloon creations. Autumn asked, "Can you do Aurora?" The man said, "I have never had anybody ask for Aurora before but of course. I can make anything." He seemed pleased at the challenge (and was perhaps tired of making green and aqua mermaids with red hair).

He was about to hand Aurora to Autumn when she innocently asked. "Doesn't she have a rose?" "Oh, of course, she does need a rose. I will make her one." Which he did and Autumn was thrilled when he placed Aurora with rose into her outstretched arms. He then rushed off saying, "Wait one moment. I will be back." He went somewhere and came back with metallic balloons that he proceeded to mold into a jeweled crown. He showed Autumn how to size it for herself or for Aurora's head with its flowing golden locks. He was so talented and had such a rapport with the kids. By the way, the balloons were free, but you can bet we tipped him.

Our first meal and outing together was a grand success.

The IHOP we were at is to the left outside the range of the photo. We did not even have to cross a street to get to it, just a driveway. But note that crosswalk at the light.

Taking that crosswalk directly to the other side leads to the entrance to the Disneyland Resort and we would be going there the very next day... down the pathway and off to the right.

Isaiah and Autumn did take naps before we went off to swim with their cousins Vivian, Lillian, and William in a nearby pool, one of the perks of living in Dan and Carrie's planned community Baker Ranch. I have no personal pictures of us in the pool because I was in the pool enjoying it with the kids sans cell phone. We had pizza delivered poolside and enjoyed dinner al fresco.

This pool is at #6 The Arbor Club on the following map. Dan and Carrie live within walking distance and overlook #5 Barker Ranch Dog Park down the hillside below them.

After eating and a bit of hot tub dipping we went back to Dan and Carrie's backyard and made S'mores at their fire pit. It was quite amazing how the little ones managed to get melted chocolate everywhere. I think only one marshmallow caught fire and only one was dropped into the fire pit... not too bad statistics.

Just before leaving to go back to the hotel I read the kids a book titled Emeraldalicious. It was similar to the one I'd read the previous night but this one had a bit more of an ecological bent. When Pinkalicious and her brother Peter come upon a garbage dump that had once been a park, a bit of wishing, a dash of love, and a swipe of a magic wand and all becomes green and clean and beautiful. On that optimistic note, we headed for slumberland for tomorrow was to be our big day at Disneyland.