The title of this post is a bit misleading because I definitely don’t think that Disneyland, with its high prices and long lines, is the happiest place on Earth, but that’s where we were last Saturday. Vivian’s been to Disneyland twice in her life – when she was 5 and 6 weeks old, I believe. Obviously, at those young ages, she wasn’t able to enjoy any of the Disney magic. Now that she’s 8 months old, though, we were excited to take her back to the parks because we knew that she would enjoy the lights, sounds, and activity. The parks were very busy, but we were able to take her on Flik’s Flyers, Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train, and The Little Mermaid in California Adventure and “it’s a small world,” Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Pinocchio’s Daring Journey in Disneyland. We especially enjoyed taking her on “it’s a small world” because it’s a long ride with lots of lights and singing – she was fascinated! We also had fun taking her on The Little Mermaid (even thought she’d already been on it) because Dan’s sings one of the songs from it to her.
The parks were decorated for the holidays and quite beautiful.
Familytime at Christmastime at Disneyland Main Street
Despite all the busyness at the parks, we were happy to spend the day together and see Vivian’s growing interaction with the exciting world around her.
The Chambers Family - A.D. 
I love Disneyland, but I have to disagree with you about the high prices and long lines. I’m an east coast transplant in SoCal myself and my girlfriend and I are just starting on our second SoCal Select annual pass in four years, but we’ve been impressed by how cheap the passes (especially if you get the parking option) make getting into the park and how moderate the prices are once you’re inside (unless you hit one of the expensive restaurants; if you want to see high prices, wangle yourself an invitation to Club 33, Walt Disney’s own secret restaurant tucked away in New Orleans Square, where I bought the most expensive steak I’ve ever eaten). The lines for the attractions are surprisingly short if you go early in the week, too, which I strongly recommend, especially in January and February. And work the Fastpass system. Also, don’t miss World of Color, the most spectacular thing I’ve ever seen in my life, even if you have to let Vivian sleep on your shoulder during the presentation. Your jaw will drop.
Thanks for your comment, Christopher! You must have deeper pockets and more patience than me, though! 🙂 My husband spent 8 years working for Disney, five of them at Disneyland. He worked in project/program management on the construction side of things and left Disney just last May. So…I’ve never actually paid to get into Disney! Because I work M-F, I have rarely been to the park early in the week, but like you said, I’m sure that the lines are much more tolerable then than on the weekends. And yes, January and February are great times to go! If you go when it’s raining (today?!), you practically have the park to your self. As for World of Color – yes! It is fantastic. Perhaps we’ll have enough energy to stay for the show the next time we go to CA Adventure, which will probably be next Spring. Oh, and you are one lucky duck to have had the opportunity to go to Club 33. My husband has been there, but I never have. Maybe someday:-)
DIsney and Christmas. With a combination like that how can you go wrong? Even if all you do is take in the decorations and atmosphere. Glad you took Viv.