When Disney California Adventure closes for the night on Monday, February 16, the attraction Luigi’s Flying Tires will be closing… forever. Rumors had been circulating for months that the attraction would be closing and when it was officially announced, I, for one, was so disappointed to find out that one of my favorite family attractions in Disney California Adventure would be closing. (A new ride system will replace the tires in early 2016.)

I know what you’re thinking, “You LIKE Luigi’s Flying Tires?” Yes, I really, really do. I get that they are tough to operate. I will also admit that I was less than smitten with the attraction the first time I experienced it with a Disneyland spokesperson before it opened to the public. As we rode I remember her explaining how to work together as a team while riding to make the tire move. admittedly, the spokesperson and I didn’t enjoy huge success on the attraction, but it was fun. The true test for me would be when I experienced it with my family the day before it opened to the public.

As we approached the attraction with our three boys that morning, I explained how to operate the tire to my husband and the importance of  everyone leaning together–but not too much or you would be stuck. We got on and had a blast–chasing one another around and laughing the entire time. In fact, since that experience we always had fun teaming up, chasing one another and hovering across the platform, often going from one end to the other in a single stretch… always laughing. And yelling to one another. And laughing some more.

Late last spring when my parents got annual passes for the first time, I took my parents on the attraction during their very first visit to Cars Land. My parents, especially my mom, had been going through some really tough times. I don’t feel like I had genuinely seen my mom smile in a really long time. While standing in the queue, I explained to my folks how to best operate the attraction and teamed each of us adults with one of my kids.

This, my friends, is what happened next.

This is the face of pure joy–something that I felt like my mom hadn’t experienced in a long time. This joy is what the Disneyland Resort is all about. Walt Disney wanted to create a place where families could leave the outside world behind and have fun together. Where, for a day or even a few hours, they could leave their cares outside the berm and just enjoy life and one another. Luigi’s has always done that for my family and these pictures really say it all to me.

I know that a lot of people don’t share my sentiments about Luigi’s Flying Tires, but for this Disney-loving family, I would like to say thank you for the amazing memories and for providing our family with lots of smiles and laughs when we really needed them most.

My mom and the boys before taking their final “float” on Luigi’s Flying Tires on February 13.