Greetings from Radiator Springs

My friends who have taken their kids to Disneyland talk about the effort of keeping the kids settled down as the date approached - the stomach aches, the crazy energy, the incessant requests for updates on timeline - so it was with mixed feelings that we dealt with absolutely none of that.  From the moment that we told Finn that we were going to Cars Land until roughly ten minutes into our Cars Land adventure, four weeks later, he didn't seem to care much at all.

And then this happened.

Yes, Mater really does drive around Cars Land... talking.

From that point, it was on...

Since we were in LA paying off several of my more poorly advised sport bets, we only had a day at Disneyland, specifically at California Adventure, but what a day it was.  Things to note about DCA:

1. That place is immaculate.  There were no blemishes that I could find anywhere in the park - the lines were manageable (on a Disney scale), the rides were all perfect, there was not a spot of trash (except for one oddly placed champagne bottle on a trashcan in the parking garage), and there was not a carnie in sight.  Amazing that they can pull this off at this scale.
2. I mentioned manageable lines, but that's only if you know how to play the game.  As long as you enter the park the minute it opens and run to the Fast Pass machine for Radiator Springs Racers, you can avoid the only 1+ hr line on a day like the one we had.  Add to that the "stroller pass" that allows the parent stuck with the baby to skip the line, as long as the kid and other parent have already waited in it, meant that Finn got to ride many rides twice in less time than rookies rode them once.
3. Phinneas & Ferb can really throw a dance party.  Even though I watched them do it three times in about an hour, they never tired and their enormous faces never appeared upset.  Must be all the hot Fireside Girls at their dance party.
4. The Cars are real.  I swear it.  Their lips move, their eyes follow you, it's freaking spooky.  And it's amazing.
5. Lunch at Flo's V8 Cafe is awesome.  A kid's meal of Lightning MacQueen & Cheese in a Lightning McQueen box and an open faced turkey sandwich with gravy and an IPA for Daddy?  I LOVE this place.

We only meant to spend 4-5 hrs at Disney, but in the end, we had to tear ourselves away after about 8.  That place really was the happiest place on earth.  Except for this weird floating tire ride in Cars Land, where everyone looked so disappointed in the ride's obvious suckiness that we had to avert our eyes and close our ears to Finn's repeated pleas to ride it.  Apparently he's not as in-tuned to tangible depression.

And while this vacation was clearly more for Finn, even Edie had a good time, dancing in the water feature outside a Bug's World and napping in Radiator Springs.

That nap proved crucial, because it enabled her to avoid passing out cold in the backseat of the rental car with her face in a paper bag.  Unlike her brother.

I think it's safe to say that we'll be back here.  In fact, I'm going to start saving my allowance right now.  Those Fireside Girls have expensive tastes.