Slot Machines

Here is your daily reminder to check the weather. Make sure you are keeping detailed records of the high and low temperatures and wind speed. Keep an Excel spreadsheet that you update every four hours so we can not only see the expected temps but also the trend line.

This is also your daily reminder to get yourself mentally ready for rope drop. We do not want to miss it. I know, you're on vacation and want to sleep in.  Well, I got news for you: this ain't no vacation. This is Disneyland. It's kill or be killed out there! You can sleep some other time! What? You want to linger around the motel breakfast? Too bad-Lissa got a place that doesn't even offer breakfast because she knows how important rope drop is.

Oh, and here's a few pics of us eating at a previous hotel breakfast:

Do you know what's a good breakfast? The Waffle Cristo sandwich. It's waffles with ham and cheese and syrup for dipping:

You know what else is good? The breakfast chimi:

Nothing beats churros for breakfast or any time of day:

Who could say no to a nice breakfast pickle?

At the big White Castle gas station they have a little casino area, because it is Nevada. Mom found an especially large slot machine to play and won exactly nothing:

The long story:

Things are Looking Up

The families laughed, but as they lined up to enter the park, the eerie quiet returned. Something was definitely strange about this morning, and it felt like they were getting closer to discovering what it was.

Steve, always the suspicious one, took one last glance at the deserted esplanade and approached the cast member working the turnstile with a frown. "Okay, I’ve got to ask. What’s going on here? Where is everybody? Is this some kind of Twilight Zone thing where we’re the only ones left in the park?"

The cast member, a cheerful woman with an overly bright smile, didn’t miss a beat. “Oh no, sir, nothing creepy here at all! You’ve just stumbled upon the least busy day of the entire year!”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “The least busy day?”

“Yep!” she replied, beaming. “Congratulations! You’re one of the very lucky few to come to Disney California Adventure on a day where the crowds are practically nonexistent. But that’s not all—you’re also in for a bunch of exclusive perks.”

The families exchanged confused glances.

“Exclusive perks?” Mandy echoed, crossing her arms.

“Oh, you bet! For one, we’re giving out free ice cream all day. Free Fast Passes too! Want to ride Radiator Springs Racers ten times in a row? You can! No lines, no waiting!”

Brandon’s eyes widened. “Free Fast Passes? Like... unlimited?”

The cast member nodded enthusiastically. “And that’s not even the best part! You know what else is free? Churros. Lots and lots of churros. All day, as many as you want.”

At this, the group went silent. Free churros? It was almost too good to be true. Kevin narrowed his eyes. “Free churros? For real? I’ve been burned by promises of free churros before.”

The cast member chuckled. “I promise! And... to make today even more special, we’ve invited a ton of celebrities to join us in the park. You might bump into some of your favorite stars!”

Lissa, ever the skeptic, squinted at her. “Okay, hold on. Free ice cream? Unlimited Fast Passes? Free churros? And celebrities? This sounds like some kind of elaborate prank.”