Day 1 at Disneyland Park

Who says Disneyland is only for kids? Disneyland has become a great destination for grownups, too. There is the new park next door called Disney's California Adventure, and Downtown Disney, an outdoor mall with dining and shopping. This was it, the moment I have been waiting for...time to hit the parks! There's nothing like Disneyland. From the moment you walk through the gates, I can see and feel the magic everywhere. The front lawn by the railroad as you enter was done up fantastic! With the golden 50 years and Mickey! We took some pictures and headed in through Main Street and I looked around at everything with such an amazement (it felt like I had walked back in time when I stop to take pictures)! I didn't have an exact plan for order of rides, but I had a basic idea of where I wanted to go today. Since we had the 3 day pass, I didn't want to try to do everything at once.

Fantasyland was our first stop. My first ride...was on the King Arthur Carrousel. It was a fun ride. Everyone else was waiting in line with the kids for the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride. It was then that we all decided to split up and meet back at the castle entrance around 4-ish. Everyone agreed and so da boss M, my co-worker S and myself stuck together & continued on our way.

In our fast-paced world, we often need reminders of the similarities that make us all human. And Disney has created the perfect showcase with "It's a Small World," a true celebration of humanity. It's hardly a visit to Disney without taking the 10-minute boat ride through displays of different cultures from around the world. You are taken through several "lands" of animated figures all singing "It's A Small World", see traditional costumes and learn about other ways of life. It is sweet, schmaltzy and touching. But that infectious tune and lyrics are so easy to remember that you have trouble forgetting them no matter how hard you try!

Next, we headed towards Mickey's Toontown. This whimsical land offers interaction at every turn. Most everything in Toontown is designed to be pushed, pulled, poked and prodded. I had read somewhere that here's a good spot where you can almost always count on finding certain characters to take photos with and boy, was I in luck. I immediately spotted Minnie standing outside of her house, graciously taking pictures and signing autographs as well. I quickly rush over to get in line and patiently wait for my turn.

My next stop was Mickey's house. Inside is peppered with real personal mementos, show business memorabilia in addition to silly items. I walked through as if I was in a museum. Eventually I reached Mickey's Movie Barn; where a continuous film featuring segments from four of Mickey's early cartoons are shown on a bed sheet serving as a screen. Did I want a picture with the Big Cheese himself? Definitely! Then, the door opened, and it was time to see Mickey!

moi spoke out loud on 9/22/2005 02:57:00 PM

[2] told me everything loud and clear