First off Disneyland is the "Happiest Place on Earth" and it has been that way since the first day I went through the entry gates in the early seventies. Once I walk under the Disneyland Railroad Bridge my heart beats faster and I have the inner feeling of being home and happy. There are no crowds there is only magic.
This is Walt's park that opened July 17, 1955, that Walt designed and modified till he passed away in 1966. All over the park are Walt's personal touches that make it so magical. From the main street buildings that grow smaller at the top to make them look taller, to the important names in the upper windows of the main street shops, to the Castle that is seen at the end of Main street. Everything is clean and tidy and we constantly see people in uniform sweeping the streets to keep it looking so pristine.
The smells are also part of Walt's dream and as we walk by shops selling ice cream or meals the smells of the food is being piped out into the street. Rides also have their own scents and if riding California soaring you will get to smell some pretty cool scents, including the orange groves of California. The attention to detail in the parks are fantastic even down to where the sidewalks have been placed for the guest’s convenience. Everything is about the guest’s experiences.
As we enter Disneyland our first ride will be Pirates of the Caribbean which opened in 1967, there is also a smell of entering the swamps and then we travel below ground to the dungeons of riches and frolicking pirates. My favorite part of this ride is the start as we glide silently through the swamps with the fireflies and the old man sitting on his porch playing the banjo, then the fun begins. This was the last attraction that Walt helped design and was opened three months after his death.
Next stop will be the Haunted Mansion that opened in 1971 and smells musty as we enter the elevator of fright that no matter how many times I have done this the thunder and lightning clap at the end makes me jump! Next, we walk down the hallway to get into our Doom Buggies to see the rest of the ride. My favorite area on this attraction is watching the ballroom ghosts waltzing around and around. The Haunted Mansion is also decorated for Halloween and Christmas and is truly amazing to see.
Usually our next stop in Splash Mountain which opened in 1989 and features a 50' drop into the "Briar Patch" and sometimes causes us to get wet. Each year in the winter a major attraction is shut down and gone through to refurbish and this is the ride that is shut down. Splash Mountain is a log ride that goes through many of the Uncle Remus stories and contains some of the sets that were used in Bear Country Jamboree which closed in 2001.
Next stop will be Big Thunder Mountain! This ride is beautiful day or night and features a run-away train. A lot of work was done on the scenery that we rush past as we go in and out of tunnels. I know that if I put my arms up in the air I will not touch the ceiling but I have never been brave enough to do this throughout the ride.
Our next ride is clear across the park to Space Mountain which opened in 1977 and is the second roller coaster built at Disneyland with the first being the famous Bob Sleds on the Matterhorn. Space Mountain is a dark roller coaster where we are shot into the galaxy and career all over the place never knowing if we will be going up or going down in the next instant. Fun ride!
Once our favorite rides are completed it is time to see the rest of the park. We use the railroad to get from one land to the next and before we leave the park we will have rode the railroad all the way around the park. We will head back to ride the Matterhorn which is still a very rough roller coaster and often leaves us sore after we get off the ride. It is impossible to go to Disneyland and not ride It's a Small World and once we have ridden that we sing It's a Small World for the rest of day.
One of my favorite rides is "Storybook Land Canal Boats" and this is a ride that needs to be done twice once in the day and once at night. In the day time the attention to detail of these tiny houses and landscaping is fantastic and at night seeing all of the tiny houses lit up in nothing short of being magical.
As we go back through we have to stop and enter the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, or known as the Indiana Jones Adventure. This is a thrilling jeep ride that is really a fun adventure and will shake the crap out of you. The jeeps run away with us, across bridges that are falling apart, and make sudden left and right turns, before we are finally delivered safe and sound to the starting point.
There are also many memories that play in my mind and as I wait to see the Enchanted Tiki Room that opened in 1963 and was my mom's favorite place. When we could not find her in the park we would head to the Tiki Room and there she would be. As I sit and watch the birds sing I think of the look on my mom's face as she sat with a smile on her face transfixed by the birds. Reminds me of how much I miss my mom.
I have left one of the best rides for last and that is the Jungle Cruise which is one of the original rides and is still funny. Over the years the ride has been modified some as people found a few of the scenes disturbing. Each boat captain is a master of bad puns and at each scene, it is hard not to laugh out loud at their comments. This my favorite way to end our vacation at Disneyland is to make this the last right of the night. As we walk along main street we are smiling over the puns we just heard and already thinking of our next trip to Disneyland.
In between the rides we do many of the small ones after we make the first exciting loop. Last time I went the average mileage each day was over thirteen miles and that did not include standing time in line. We have learned to go like crazy in the morning, have a relaxing lunch and chill for a couple of hours watching people and the amazing parade, and then go like crazy once the sun sets and close the park down.
We will spend three full days touring not only Disneyland but California Adventure. We do not spend as much time in California adventure and on this trip my favorite ride "California Screaming" will be closed as it is being refurbished. My other favorite ride has not been reopened as a new ride "Tower of Terror" and so we will have to go back to see how that ride has been changed.
The rides are just some of the reasons why we go to Disneyland. The parades are amazing, seeing the characters is fun, and seeing the water shows in both Disneyland and California Dreaming are worth the admission price. Many years ago when our youngest daughter was old enough to pay her own way into the park she complained bitterly about the price of admission. By the end of the first day after the rides, the parades, the atmosphere, finishing the day with the fireworks, and then due to the time of year there were snow machines on the buildings and all of the sudden it started snowing on our heads, she turned to me and said "Mom, they don't charge enough for all that we have received and done". She was so right.
Once this vacation is over I will be reinvigorated and ready to get back into trucking. You might wonder what Bob is doing? What he finds most relaxing staying at home and puttering around in his shop on his time schedule and thanking his lucky stars that he is not with me and our older daughter as he does not see the magic.