We awoke to children screaming, HE CAME HE CAME!
Grandpa had already snuck over to Concierge to bring back coffee's BLESS HIM
Let the unwrapping begin. Santa's lots was demolished and there were some amazed and happy faces. Thank goodness we had started with an empty case to gather the booty on the way. The girls had packed their stockings and they too were filled to the brim.
We then all exchanged gifts for each other. We had set a $20 limit per gift which had been fun collecting along the way.
The girls played with their goodies and Grandpa did another coffee run. Our plan for the day was to experience the parks and go with the flow. And that is what we did. If we didn't go on a ride that was fine.
We just made breakfast over at Concierge. We then dawdled down Downtown Disney. The girls climbed on the
lego bricks. All Grandpa had wanted for Christmas was Jimmny Cricket but he did not arrive, but lo and behold he was on the trash can the Grandpa was resting on waiting for the photos.
For a Christmas gift I had purchased memory bricks before they closed last February for each family. I had wrapped the replicas and put them under the tree. Everyone was very keen to find our brick. During the week their had been lots of conversations about how cool it would be to have a brick. I told them you couldn't get them anymore and they were all a little sad.
Our bricks are right under the monorail track centre front to the entrance so each day a little bit of me is right there.
View of
Disneyland from our bricks.
Inside we went and for once visited the Gallery just inside the right entrance. We had so much fun in here looking at all the memorabilia. We then stopped for more coffee on our way to the candy shop. Morning Tea for the girls were sherbert sticks. Must tell you wandering down Main Street at 11am is much better than peeling potatoes for Christmas lunch. I might be a tad depressed this year.
Next stop Frontierland. We entered off the hub. None of us had every done the Golden Horseshoe and we timed it perfectly for a show. Well what a laugh. Grandma even got the CD to take home with her. It was a lovely way to spend an hour. We got a chilli bowl from the Horseshoe Restaurant and Fries and sat on a bench overlooking the Rivers of America.
Christmas Lunch
We decided it was time to visit the Pirates Lair and spent over an hour running around and trying all the bits and pieces. I love sitting and watching everyone at the bottom of Splash Mountain.
We headed back to the mainland and picked up some Churro's, should be a staple part of any Christmas Day. The lines were very long and fastpasses gone. If we had got to the park first thing like normal we would have been fine, but we knew that we were forgoing the rides today for just the ambience and fun.
We caught some of the Christmas Parade before heading back to the hotel to change for dinner. The kids fitted in a quick swim and a play session before heading over to the Grand Californian Hotel's Storytellers Cafe for Dinner.
We had roast meats, potato mash, rice sides, pasta sides and we sat by an fireplace and it was just lovely. A very special Christmas Day indeed.