California Adventure & Last day at Disneyland

We got to sleep in today - by like an HOUR. California Adventures doesn't open until 10, and closes at 6...We got there just before 10 and got a fast pass to Soaring over California (the wait was already 50 minutes and the fast pass time was an hour from then) so then we went around & jumped right on the rapid ride - did that 3 or four times - my camera battery went dead again (those stupid dollar store batteries are only good for 1/2 a picture) SO I had to buy a new battery from the highway robbery store...4 Dollar store batteries $1, plus a 45 cent debit card charge; 4 AA Energizer batteries at California Adventure park $18.36, Frustration for not buying 18 more 4 packs of AA batteries at the dollar store - PRICELESS...anyway - it says that these batteries last up to 7 times longer than "regular" batteries - so I'm hoping this will last me through the next 12 years, if so, it would be worth it - if not, I'm going back to CA Adventure park & getting a refund for false advertisement.

Okay - so just as the park was closing - we sent Ross & Kiersten to RUN to the back of the park where the loop-de-loop roller coaster was - we had 6 fast passes and wouldn't be able to use them, so they ran back there, got to the front of the line & wouldn't you know it - the ride broke down - three cars were stuck in various places on the roller coaster - Ross & Kiersten were the next ones on - and they even got FRONT ROW - but no, they got kicked off - early that day, Kali tried to get on it, but measured literally a HAIR too short, she started crying and the operator there gave her a fast pass to the front of any ride there...so that took the tears away (does she get this crying for free stuff from her mom? hmmm, I wonder) anyway - the kids came back frustrated that they didn't get to ride - so I ran by the front - "Customer SERVICE" booth and asked for free tickets - but because I didn't turn the water works on, I only got fast passes to the front of another ride- Kali used hers to get to the front of the Tower of Terror. I don't know WHY the kids think that's such a fun ride - I flew off my seat and about lost my lunch on it. Kali rode on it a second time w/ her dad.

So we took the extra fast pass back over to disneyland and went to the front of Thunder Mountain - which was real cool, because the line was wrapped around the mountain and there was a 90 minute wait with NO available fast passes for the rest of the night...well, funny story...the ride broke down - wait - did I say funny - I was lying. It wasn't funny - but while they were riding, I went to the front of the castle where the best viewing for the firework display was to be had....

So they rode on various other rides abusing the fast pass/switch pass trick - and then they returned for the firework display - which I must say was THE BEST I have ever seen. They put fireworks to various music attached to different rides - like Indiana Jones, Star Tours and Buzz lightyear, it was incredible! I got some out of focus pictures, here's one... you can't really see much of anything - oh - during the Indiana Jones display, they had these HUGE torch fire things shooting out the sides of the castle. Pretty cool if you ask me.

The park didn't close until midnight - but we were done in for at 10:00 - so we went to take the shuttle, missed it by a hair - Howie was out cold....we were losing Kali quickly - and the stroller was full of miscellaneous things - so we opted to huff it back to the hotel instead of waiting another 1/2 hour - and the cool thing is - we totally beat the shuttle. the kids were pert-near out cold by the time we got back to the hotel. We slept in until 8:15 the next morning - Brynn was SOOO good - she likes sleeping in the stroller!