Disneyland/Anaheim Day 2

Day 2 started out similar to Day 1.  Get up early and head to Disneyland.  We spent the morning in the park, again visiting places we don't normally go.

We had breakfast with two of the seniors at the Carnation Cafe.  It is the outdoor restaurant right on Main Street.  The food was delicious and surprisingly not ridiculously expensive like we usually expect it to be.  In the past we hardly ever ate in the park because it is so pricey, especially with 4 kids.  We decided to splurge this go round and it was well worth it. 

Peter Pan was just wandering around Fantasyland.  We asked him if he would sign the autograph book and have a picture with us.  He took the book and said, "Sure, I am walking over here, want to come with me?"  So we followed him.  Eventually he stopped, but only long enough for the picture, then he was off again, waving to kids and saying hello to everyone he passed. 

California was gorgeous, 85 degree weather.  It felt so good being in shorts and wearing sunglasses, and not because of the glare off the snow.

Today was also the first day of the JEA (Journalism Education Association) Conference.  You know, the reason we were in Anaheim to begin with.  At 1 pm we headed over to the convention hotel to check in and meet all the yearbook reps.  This is one thing I actually did that was JEA related.  We spent several hours there playing games, collecting free stuff and enjoying the recognition. 
This picture is the yearbookers posing in front of the Pacemaker Nominees Sign, pointing to their yearbook and smiling excitedly.  A Pacemaker is the equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize for high school yearbooks.  It is a national award that The Spud Annual (I know, right?) was nominated for, for their 2010 yearbook. 

Here is a closer picture of Ryan pointing out the yearbook.  He has been working toward a nomination for this since his Junior year in high school.  Needless to say he is super giddy and very nervous about the potential award.  One really neat thing the convention people did was give all the students a special ribbon to add to their name tag, noting them as Pacemaker Finalists.  Everywhere they went people would congratulate them on their nomination.  They felt like Rock Stars!

After spending the afternoon at the vendor booths, we took the students to Goofy's Kitchen for dinner.  We learned from our very first trip with the kids what a fun experience the character dining is.  The food is always super yummy and it is fun to meet the characters in a more relaxed setting, without the lines and mobs of people trying to catch them for a picture. 

Goofy has always been one of Ry's favorite characters.

Here are the other characters we got to meet at dinner.

Captain Hook, who was surprisingly flirtatious.

 

Dale, of Chip and Dale.  Chip was around earlier but we missed a picture with him.

Here is a first.  Belle in the dress she wears for almost the entire movie.  I loved that I got to meet her in her "normal" clothes and not the super fancy dress.  Did I mention she is my favorite?  I think I did.

Fairy Godmother.  Also another first!

Pluto.  One of our favorites.

Of the 24 students that went on the trip, only 5 were male. 

Here is "the Boyz" picture with Pluto.

I love how he puts the book on his nose to sign his autograph.

After Goofy's Kitchen we headed back to Downtown Disney to look around at the shops.  This Woody statue made of Legos was a new addition to the Lego store since the last time we visited. 

We rode the Monorail tonight, another thing we have never done.  I vaguely remember riding it when I was 8, but I am not even sure we did. 

Two more days of fun to be added soon.  Probably not until after the weekend though.  We are out of town and I don't have the pics on the laptop.