GOLDEN STATE DISCOVERY - DAY 2: CALIFORNIA/DISNEYLAND

​DAY 2 - CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME  & DAY 1 DISNEYLAND

We were up early and after checking out of the hotel we took the hotel shuttle over to the airport.  The hotel is located on the airport grounds, but it is not feasible to walk over to the airport flight check-in center.  The drive took less then five minutes.  

We checked in at the airline ticket counter (no lines) and since we have Global Entry we enjoyed the benefits of TSA Pre Approv and quickly made our way through the security check.  We relaxed at the airline lounge.  

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Anne Marie Wearing Her 2012 World Cruise Jacket

We heard from our daughter Jennifer after she, our son-in law Gui and grandchildren Andre and Emma made it through security and we met them at the gate.  Our son Eric, daughter-in-law Kara and grandson Jackson flew from another airport close to what they live and less then three hours from our home.  

We had a first on this flight.  We were delayed by thirty minutes because the food catering company messed up on a few meals.  As it turned out they couldn't get the precise items so we left without them.  The irony as we learned later is it involved the fruit plate associated with our meals and probably one or two others.  If someone would have checked with us ahead of time we would have said no worries and push off from the gate.  LOL but true.  The pilot thought we would make up all of the time but we were slowed by turbulence but the good news is we were only fifteen minutes late.  We got our luggage fairly quickly so that was good news.

After we claimed our luggage we were driven from the airport to the Disneyland Hotel where we will spend three nights prior to boarding Crystal Serenity.  Keith arranged three different vehicles for the family.  

This hotel is very dear to us.  We stayed here starting in the late 1980's when we visited Disneyland over a couple of different trips with Jennifer and Eric.  

We returned to Disneyland for the first time since the early 1990's last year and stayed at this hotel with with Jennifer and Andre.  As expected it was too early for our room to be ready.  We prepared for that with backpacks to carry electronic devices, jewelry and important documents and had the hotel hold our luggage so we could make our way directly over to Disneyland.  

Eric, Kara and Jackson arrived to Disneyland about thirty minutes before we did and they met us at the Hotel shortly after we arrived.  A short while later we all made our way towards the Park.  We had lunch at a restaurant in the downtown area and after lunch made our way into the Magic Kingdom.  Immediately we saw a parade featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck and a few other characters and then got on our first ride.  

A short while later we received a telephone call that our room was ready so the two of us went to the room.  We have a three bedroom suite with a common area so we can all be together.  These are photos of just a couple of the rooms.

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Some photos of Disneyland.

We will return to the park shortly after getting settled in the room and have dinner plans at the Carnation Restaurant one of three restaurants that Keith made sixty days prior to our arrival.  Tomorrow evening we have a Character Dinner.

We are very excited to have the family together and to be at Disneyland.  Disneyland brings out the "kid" in all of us regardless of our actual ages.

TODAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

This is only the second time we are visiting a Disney property directly before or after a cruise.   The first time was almost twenty-five years ago when our family went on our first ever cruise on- board the Oceanic cruise ship which at the time was part of the Big Red Boat fleet.  We sailed on the other coast and the post cruise was a three night stay at Walt Disney World in Florida.  It's been a fast twenty-five years.

Anne Marie & Keith