Disneyland Trip Part 1: Finding Nemo and Ariel's Adventure

I'm finally getting around to posting some Disneyland pictures! I have the rest on my computer at home but these are the only ones I had with me here (in the entrance station!). Dave and I decided we needed to get away from Moab and for work so we took two weeks off at the beginning of the month. He is from Carson City/Reno area and used to always go to California on vacations. I'd only been to Disneyland once, last September with Dave!

We knew which rides we wanted to go to first, since a lot of them were closed last time. The first ride we did was Space Mountain, and I was nervous about a roller coaster because my ribs were still hurting. I was worried it would knock something loose again! It wasn't rough, but to me it was scary! I don't like not being able to see what's coming at me and most of the ride was in the dark. The picture they take during the ride was not flattering....

The ride Finding Nemo was open this time so it's also one of the first we hit. That ride was great--nice and gentle and a good way to get started on our adventure!

We were loaded into a yellow submarine and told by the "skipper" to take a seat in front of a portal. The ride signs caution users not to go if they don't like close, cramped, dark spaces.

This is my portal to look through. I thought it was going to be a little strange if that was all I'd be able to see, so I started out by cheating and looking through Dave's too. We submurged partially, then began the ride into Nemo's world! They showed characters and snippets of the movie.

The coral reef. That's pretty much all I got pictures of because a lot of the ride was too dark, in the caves, to take good pictures. But I love how these turned out!

More pretty under water pictures. I like the light in this one. 

The thing that struck me about Disneyland was that everything is fake! I know that's a "duh" but it's also funny how they make everything seem so real! From their 4-D movies (beyond 3-D) to their "areas"--for example, New Orleans Square looks just like a block in a Southern town (not that I've ever been to one) and Frontierland is full of historic references--Tom Sawyer's Island, the steamboat, and Davey Crockett's canoes (the only self-powered ride in the park).

They also take you inside Disney movies, which is awesome. One of my favorites growing up was The Little Mermaid. I looked it up and it actually came out in 1989! Can  you believe it's been that long? I was shocked when I saw that date. If you look up youtube, you can see a McDonald's commercial to go along with it. (Sleeping Beauty is an older one too....1959!!) 

Under the sea!

Ariel's Adventure is also a new ride that we hadn't seen before so of course I dragged Dave along on the ride. He's a good sport. He's an even better sport if he watches The Little Mermaid with me--I ordered it on Netflix as soon as we got back and it arrived yesterday :)