In addition to meeting Mo Willems, we got to do something else this last weekend we have always wanted to do:
stay at the Grand Californian Hotel by Disneyland!!
I fell in love with this hotel the first time I visited it, with my mom and my sister when it first opened like 10 years ago. Since then, a lot of special things happened there, from one of me and John's first dates to getting engaged there. Suffice it to say, I love this place, and never ever thought we would be lucky enough to stay there.
We decided that we would renew our Disneyland passes with our tax refund, and that we would activate them over my Spring Break (this week-woo hoo!). I decided to look for a hotel near the park to spend a night or two away, since we have both been needing it lately. Of course, the first hotel to pop up on my Expedia.com search was the Grand Californian, and of course, they were offering 30% off Spring Deals. I was really hesitant to book it, but after discussing it, we decided to go ahead and do it, since we were thinking of spending our tax money on a trip anyway. Who knows when we would have the chance to do it again?
It was the most amazing weekend. The hotel is beautiful, it was relaxing and perfect. We admired the gardens and tried to identify some plants we might want to have at our house. We paid attention to simple Craftsman style details (exposed beams, natural colors, use of plants, colored glass) to see how we can use them in our decorating. We observed the pool to find when it was least crowded, and were able to enjoy some time in the pool and spa all by ourselves. Their pool chairs were nicer than our couch, and we took naps in the sun on Friday and Saturday.
The parks were sooooo crowded, with it being the beginning of Spring Break and the weather being so beautiful. We enjoyed being able to go to the park earlier than everyone else as hotel guests, but left as soon as the park opened to regular visitors. In that short amount of time (about 45 minutes) we were able to ride 4 rides, including Space Mountain, which is usually a 1.5 hour wait! It was also lovely to walk into California Adventure directly from our hotel, peruse the lines, and decide to go back to the hotel to wait out the crowds. We tried our best to go places and do things we never usually do, and wouldn't be able to do again if we weren't staying in the hotel. We rode on Pinocchio and watched the fireworks. We rode on the rockets (John didn't get sick!) walked in all the stores. My favorite discovery was the Tim Gill Allstars Big Band that performed near the castle. I remember Kim telling me about going to listen to big band music and watch the dancers, but I figured they didn't do it anymore. It was fun to sit and watch some older folks with real jitterbug skills! The excitement from the dancing and the music was infectious for sure and gave us some extra energy for staying in the park later.
I tried to be as in the moment as possible, and to tell myself You are having a life list moment. Pay attention. It was a really special time together, but now I think I am spoiled! :)
Pictures to follow.
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