The Holland Family Blog » Erica Holland Photography and Family Happenings

We finished off our marathon vacation in France with two days in Disneyland. We saved it for last, figuring that it would give Annika something to look forward to when other parts of our vacation got too boring for her. We stayed in Disney’s cheapest accommodations – the Davy Crockett ranch where our singlewide had fake wood paneling and was referred to as a cabin and in all of our paperwork we were addressed as “trappers” or “explorers.” It turns out Europeans have a thing for the American West (which was reaffirmed last week when we made our way up to Cologne for an American rodeo). The “cabin” really was perfect for our little family though, and allowed Wendy and Justin to stay with us without having to pay extra.

We anticipated Annika’s excitement, but we weren’t quite as prepared for how many things in Disneyland would scare her. The Disney princesses and Toy Story characters were a dream come true, until we got too close. She was quick to inform Brad (while clinging tightly to his neck) that she liked looking at them and waving from over there. She liked the Dumbo ride (good thing, after a 45 minute wait) but she absolutely did not like it when it went high. The Peter Pan ride and the Snow White ride felt more like haunted houses with Annika. She cried at every new corner and kept saying “I want to go home now! I think I just want to go home and sleep in my bed!” The highlight of the trip for Brad and I may have been viewing our photo after the Pirates of Caribbean ride. Wendy and Justin did a pretty good job of talking Annika through the ride, and reminding her that the pirates were just pretend, although Wendy could feel her heart pounding under her shirt. However, the big drop at the end surprised all of us. I’ve never seen a more terrified face than in that photo, and I kind of wish we had just paid the 15 euro to keep it.

That said, Annika really did love Disneyland, and even a month later she still asks me to tell stories about it before she goes to bed. She had some definite favorites, but I’ll let her tell her side of the story.

I liked the teacups. I liked the Buzz ride too. On the Buzz ride you had to shoot the bad guys – the Evil Emperor Zurg. But where’s Jessie? I should have brought my toy Buzz to show the real Buzz.  I liked the carousel. I liked Disneyland because I saw lots of people. Like Jessie – she was with the Incredibles. I saw the princesses too, but just in the parade. Why didn’t they come and see me? 

I didn’t like the Snow White ride because it was scary. I was afraid on the Peter Pan ride too where we floated up in the air in that thing. That was scary just floating. It was scary I was going to float out of the ride. 

For Wendy, Brad, and I, this was our second trip  to Paris;  but it was the first visit to the city of lights for Justin and the kids. We tried to hit all the major sights and broke all of our advice about taking it easy when traveling with kids. We hauled the kids around in backpacks all day and didn’t return home until after 11. It was exhausting and kind of a blur, but wonderful. Paris is always wonderful.

This first day was a whirlwind of sights. Annika is a devoted fan of Madeline, and as we walked through Paris we pointed out places that were featured in her books. It kept her interested for at least half of the day.

The rest of the day we used a combination of cookies, shoulder rides, crepes, and the promise of the Eiffel tower to keep them happy.

The second day we took the train to Versailles. Lucy and Elise enjoyed the ride and Brad liked the break from driving. Then it started to rain and we pushed our way into the palace with about a million other people. I am usually not claustrophobic, but there were a few places inside where it bottlenecked and I started to panic thinking about what would happen if someone yelled “fire!” After we made our way out of the palace, we toured the gardens. The last time Brad and I were there was in February, and I was excited to see the grounds when they weren’t dead. I was not disappointed, but after walking through what felt like miles of gardens and summer palaces and more gardens I was truly exhausted. After making our way back to Paris we picnicked on the Champ de Mars next to the Eiffel tower again. The highlight of the day, and maybe the trip, was watching Annika’s face light up when the sun finally set and the Eiffel tower sparkled. It glitters for five full minutes and I don’t think she took her eyes off it the whole time. Such an appropriate end to our two days in the city of lights.