"The Happiest Place on Earth?"

I haven't yet figured out at which point our trip was doomed...was it when my break-up eliminated the participation of the grown-up with whom i had planned this trip and who was super-excited to be going?  Or was it instead that decision - that fated decision the Sun made - to wake me up at 2:30am yesterday morning complaining he had a computer virus.  On his new computer. Delerious from sleep I felt a twinge of anxiety ripple through my body as i registered the time - 2:30 - i was due to get up in 30 minutes so we could hit the road at 4am and be at Disneyland by noon. It was a fantastic plan, hatched by Will, myself and Tre.  And I do believe we were all stone-cold sober at the time.

The plan was this: the kids would stay up all night playing Minecraft and then sleep in the car all the way to Disneyland.  Well-rested, excited and happy to be in the "Happiest Place on Earth" in what seemed like mere seconds, the stage is officially set! And so begins the "magic" in the Land of Disney! 

The other kid's mom didn't think it was such a good idea, but what doe she know anyway - she only has 11-year-old triplets. 

in the car - 6am

And so, while her kid decided to crash at 10pm and get some good zzzzzzzz's, tre stayed awake, as if on a vigil, fueled by the promise of excess in his future and the good fortune of 6 straight hours of Minecraft in his present moment.  When he woke me at 2:30am, I fiddled with the machine until I realized the sheer madness of trying to fix a computer virus at this ungodly hour.  I  sent tre to bed, re-set my alarm for 3:30am, and finally peeled my eyes open at 4:30am.  While friend woke up well rested, tre woke up exhausted and surly.  Long story short - 7 hours later we arrive at our destination, our "home away from home" Disneyland's Paradise Pier Hotel.
 
Advertised as a "return to the heyday of California Beachfront Boardwalks," I had envisioned shabby chic.  What I got was just plain shabby. 

Stay tuned for installment #2 of this report, an in-depth review of the Paradise Pier...and meltdown #1.