The big D-land can be a little overwhelming for a four-year-old. Eva spent most of her day reluctantly wearing her birthday pin, and furrowing her little brow amidst what had to be the biggest crowd I’ve personally ever seen gracing the [alleged] Happiest Place on Earth.
It turns out the little girl who will parade around in costumes for her family, belting out “Part of Your World” at the top of her lungs, is just a tad bit shy. I don’t think she quite knew what to make of all those people, and all that excitement for the first few hours we were there (although she did shriek with joy when she spotted the REAL princess castle, she cowered with fear when presented with an opportunity to take a photo with Tinkerbell.)
It wasn’t until we hit the Tea Cups at about 6pm and I obliged her whispered requests to “go faster” that we finally saw her face light up with the glee that you’d expect from a kid at an amusement park. After that though, it was on…she grabbed me by the hand and demanded a second go at the Dumbo ride, where she insisted that we “stay high” the entire time, much to the dismay of her parents and grandparents who were hoping to snap the perfect picture as we flew by. Finally acting like the spazz she is, she ran out of the Dumbo gate and dragged me with all her might off in the direction of the carousel, and danced and shook and sang with excitement as we waited our turn to ride, jumping up and down when she recognized the music box version of “Under the Sea.”
I only rode a single roller coaster that day, but despite the crushing crowds and long lines, it had to be the most fun I’ve ever had at Disneyland.