Free rides

Since I grew up in Orange County, I used to go to Disneyland a lot when I was a kid. Not so much any more, one reason being that it costs 72 bucks to get in. But on your birthday, it's free! So my brother Greg and I took advantage of this, along with our sister Angelyn. (Her daughter and Eloise got in free, too, since they're under 2.) Above, the Enchanted Tiki Room--one of the best things about Disneyland.


Lucia and Eloise wore their Shonen Knife dresses from last night (Halloween). Saoirse wore a princess dress. I'm not much into the marketing of princesses, but I kind of like the whole cosplay thing that has evolved in the last few years. It's fun.


Of course, I wanted to take Eloise to the site of my summer job... I used to go into the heart of darkness three times an hour, six hours a day, six days a week between my freshman and sophomore years of college, and can still recite the spiel. The guy we had today was pretty good.


Wendy and I made a point to go on the Haunted Mansion, which is made over during Halloween like Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. All the goth kids come out to ride it, which is cool. The ride itself is great. Unlike other older rides, it hasn't been modernized during the rest of the year (not like Johnny Depp added to the Pirates of the Carribbean or various characters added to It's a Small World).


This is where the hitchhiking ghost would usually be.


When I worked for the rat, we used to say that the Submarine dudes wished they were Jungle Cruise guys. They'd give a little intro then push the button for a recorded spiel.


But it was kind of a cool ride, with a cold-war sub that went on a progressively weirder trip culminating in a mermaids and a giant squid! A couple years ago, it became Little Nemo themed.


Actually not so horrible, but I think Elose and Lucia had as much fun in line as they did on the attraction.


I bought Eloise one souvenir from the Mod Hatter in Fantasyland by the Tea Cups... A classic.


The designs that Lucia and Eloise chose actually happened to match their Mondrian patterns really well. Such stylish girls...


Wound up back at my parents' house for dinner and dessert. Happy birthday to Greg... and me!