Mickey and Friends!

Okay, the whole Disneyland adventure is a splurge, but SO worth it.  We stayed in one of the Disney Resort hotels, which allows you entry to one of the two theme parks an hour before opening time.  On Monday, we went straight to Radiator Springs.  Wednesday morning was also a California Adventure early admission day, so we rode California Screamin' five times in a row (with no waiting!).

Our last morning we enjoyed breakfast with Mickey and some of his friends.  So much fun!

Daisy and Cassie are just adorable!

Pluto stopped by, too!

And Minnie Mouse!  Sweet!

Loved the character breakfast experience.  Each of the characters stopped by our table and spend some time so we could take pictures.  They aren't very talkative, but they are very expressive.   And the breakfast buffet was pretty amazing.  An omelet station (which we didn't visit, but looked awesome), a yogurt parfait bar, salads, potatoes, Mickey waffles and pancakes, pastries, cereal, smoothies, sausages, and all the bacon you can eat.  We're talking a mountain of bacon, people.  

After breakfast we checked out of our room and took one last stroll through Downtown Disney. 

Overall the parks were not too crowded.  Lots of families with young children at the parks.  The Frozen Sing-A-Long in California Adventure was wonderful, and the Frozen stage show in Disneyland's Princess Fantasy Faire was hilarious and fun.

Just a few other notes about our Disneyland experience:

• When they ask for your name with your frozen latte order at Ghiradelli's, they don't even blink when you tell them "Qneen Elsa"
• There's a very nice laundry room in the Paradise Pier Hotel.  It's rather hidden down a long hallway, and you have to use a credit card to pay for the machines, but it was very convenient.
• Go see the Aladdin show.  Every time.  The genie updates his jokes, so it's always different.