ROYAL HOLIDAY
Day 5: Redemption




PRADA MAMA's Log, Monday, December 27, 2004

12:30 AM: We were only human, and we reacted as humans would.

Accusations were hurled, heated words were exchanged. Our children were reduced to mute witnesses, their faces worried, their eyes bewildered. They sensed the tense atmosphere between their parents, so different from the playful mood everyone enjoyed mere minutes ago.

It all started with a phone call, received from a friend. It's amazing how the power of a single call could ruin an entire holiday. We were heading back home tomorrow, our memories sullied by the simple act of someone who did not care to exercise prudence in her actions.

We went back to our hotel, both of us anticipating the long night ahead. We put the children to bed. They were the biggest victims of this cruel joke. They didn't need to see any more. It was a good thing they were tired, so sleep came mercifully quick.

Other phone calls were made, and soon the REAL story began to unfold. We found it so hard to believe that people who were so close to us, people whom we actually LOVED, could act with such malice. I confronted the other party involved and got the whole story from her. I had to admire the way she dealt with the situation. She was the only one among us who reacted in a truly Christian manner.

And so the air was cleared between us once more. Lessons were learned that night, foremost of which was to TRUST each other above all. There were too many people around us with their own agendas. We just had to rise above the petty stuff, setting our sights on what's REALLY important, our relationship, the very foundation on which our family rested.

We had to be strong for each other. The wool wasn't pulled over our eyes anymore. There were wolves who were disguised as sheep among us.

We slept in each other's arms that night, our love tested, but stronger.


10:00 AM: We woke up to a beautiful day, and ate breakfast.

Our kids were happy to see us acting normal again. We made sure to lay it on thick, kissing and hugging even more than we normally do. We wanted to make it up to them. We wanted to show them that Mommy and Daddy still loved each other very much, and that last night was just a big misunderstanding.

We were scheduled to check out of our hotel around lunchtime. I called in to request a late checkout, not wanting to break the spell just yet. Lorenzo had an even better idea. Why not return to Disneyland for another day of fun? He was adamant about it. He could still remember our boys' disappointed faces. He wanted to make up for what happened last night.

And so it was settled. I called the front desk to extend another day, also calling Budget to see if we could drop off our rented minivan at Oakland Airport. Finally, I called Southwest to cancel our reservation. We were all set.

We told the kids we were going back to Disneyland and they were ecstatic. I think that blew away the final cobwebs of last night's nightmare from their minds. We quickly got ready and headed back across the street once more. This time around, there was no sign in the parking lot saying Disneyland was full. We were off to a good start.

We were directed to Disney's main parking structure, right by Downtown Disneyland. We took it as a good sign, meaning there were far less people today than during the past weekend. We lined up for tickets while Lance and Troy posed with Mickey. We were eager to explore Disney's other lands, since we were only able to fit in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland the day before.




The first order of the day was to collect Fast Passes again. Our first stop was the Indiana Jones ride, which, unfortunately, had run out of Fast Passes. A man with his family nearby must've seen our disappointment because he walked over and gave us his, saying he couldn't use them because they had someone with a wheelchair in their party. We couldn't believe our luck, thanking him profusely.

Next we headed to New Orleans Square, where my favorite ride, The Haunted Mansion was. Luckily, there were still Fast Passes available so we snapped those up quickly.

We were getting hungry and it was starting to drizzle. We decided to head for the Plaza Inn again for a late lunch. The timing was perfect. We would be able to catch a glimpse of Mickey's parade as it made its way to Main Street.





Our late lunch turned out to be an early dinner, since a downpour threatened to drown the tail-end of Mickey's parade. We lingered over dessert as I fed Reanna, waiting for the rain to stop. And then we headed for Mickey's Toontown, which closed earliest of all the lands, at 8:30. We rode Inspector Gadget's Go Coaster, which both boys later said was their favorite ride of all.

And then we headed for the Haunted Mansion, just in time to use our Fast Passes. It was different from the way I remembered it, probably since it was the holidays and the theme was "The Nightmare Before Christmas". After that we caught the "Fantasmic" show at the Pivers of America, right in front of the mansion before heading for Critter Country and the Winnie the Pooh ride.





We were starting to feel hungry again, but it was getting late so we decided to squeeze in as many rides as we could before the park closed. We headed back along the Rivers of America to catch Indiana Jones before our Fast Passes elapsed. Alas, when we got there, we found out we couldn't use our Fast Passes anyway, since Lance and Troy were both under the height limit. I found a nice looking family of four at the end of the line and gave them our Fast Passes, their grateful smiles easing my disappointment.

We ended up going to the Jungle Cruise next door, a leisurely boat ride on the river which everyone enjoyed. We stopped at the Jungle Outpost after, where Daddy helped himself to a juicy dill pickle while the boys picked out rubber snakes from an overflowing barrel.




It was getting late. The shops were starting to close. We went in search of a food stand and found one still open, right by the Haunted Mansion. Of course, since we were in New Orleans Square, the selection was predictably Cajun. Lorenzo and I ordered steak gumbo while the boys had clam chowder, all of which came served in sourdough "cauldrons". We also had a French sounding dessert which was similar to Spanish churros, which we washed down with mugs of hot chocolate.





Soon it was close to midnight, and we had just enough time to catch the finale of the evening, the Pirates of the Caribbean.




It was an exhiliarating experience. I'd forgotten how long the ride actually was. My family took in the many sights and sounds as the floating ride made its way from the bayou to the open ocean. It was a magical journey, and the perfect ending to a wonderful day.

It was past midnight when we emerged from the exit, and Disneyland was closed. We made our way back to Main Street, taking many pictures along the way. Soon it began to rain. We found shelter at the Girson Girl Ice Cream Parlor, where the kids asked for scoops of ice cream, I got a milkshake and Lorenzo ordered the granddaddy of them all: the Grand Gibson.




The rain was still pouring when we finished but we decided to make a run for it anyway. The Emporium was still open and we wanted to buy some souvenirs before we left. Lance got a Buzz Lightyear light toy while I got some Christmas decor on sale. Troy was having a harder time choosing what he wanted. With all the eye candy laid out in front of him, he surprised us by choosing a back-scratcher, of all things!

The guy at the counter was nice enough to suggest something else, a remote control Pluto which walked and barked. He got one from the shelves and my son was hooked, refusing to let go of his new toy. The salespeople gathered around him while I paid for my wares. One of them asked Troy what he was going to name his new dog. My son didn't even hesitate: "Spotty", he answered, naming the dog after our pit bull, Spot.

We were the last customers at the Emporium. We were the last visitors to exit Disneyland's gates too. We boarded the last tram which took us to the parking building, and piled into our minivan. There was no other vehicle in sight. We had closed Disneyland. Not too many people can say the same.




We headed back to the hotel, tired but happy. It was a definite improvement from the sullen, somber drive we took just twenty-four hours before. Oh, we weren't a pretty sight. All of us were bedraggled from the rain, a soggy picture of family togetherness.

But we had made it up to our kids, and that was all that mattered.


(PLUGGING: "Sticky Fingers", another story of redemption at The Prada Mama Chronicles.)