Wednesday Fun

Yesterday I took off from all my work and my son and I went to Disneyland. It always amazes me that it seems like yesterday that he was sitting on my shoulders watching the Electrical Light parade and now we’re talking about when to take his son for his first Disneyland adventure. Right now we are the only ones in the family with season passes. Though I think that will be changing soon and the rest of the family will want passes, too.

The blackout days just ended for our level of passes and we were particularly anxious to go because some of the classic attractions have been closed for what seems like forever because a Star Wars land is under construction and it required changes in some basic parts of the park.

The train is back and we weren’t the only ones excited about that. The line was crazy long, but we waited anyway. The train has been there since the park opened in 1958, though they have moved the tracks as it goes around the Rivers of America. The steamboat is back. We missed the last departure. It shuts down early because it is part of a show put on in the evening. There’s always next time.

We did end up with an interesting view of the steamboat, though. It is used for the finale of Fantasmic and s all lit up with Disney characters on the various decks. But once the boat passes the crowd, the lights go off and it slides down the river in the darkness. There is a new walkway there right along water’s edge. We were standing there as the dark boat passed by and exchanged waves with Cinderella, Mickey, Goofy, Belle and the Beast, Woodie and the other Toy Story characters. I know they’re just people in costumes, but it still was magical. I guess that is the appeal of Disneyland. Just for awhile you can be in the land of make believe.

I say Disneyland, but there are two parks now. I think what I call Disneyland is referred to as the Magic Kingdom and the other park is called California Adventure. It was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday.

I have been there so many times over the years, I always think back to particular moments that I remember.

Really my first memory of Disneyland was the day it opened. I lived in Chicago and was at a birthday party. We were all watching the opening ceremonies on a small black and white television. I never thought I would really go there.

Ha! When my husband was a music agent and Disneyland had entertainment, we went there all the time so he could spend time with the acts. I particularly remember being there when Chuck Berry was performing. I was standing backstage where everything looked real and business like, but I could see out front where the fantasy began.

Another time we were there because of Marie Osmond and her children’s telethon. We left after the park had long closed and walked down Main Street when we were the only ones there.

We spent New Year’s Eve there once in drizzling rain. I remember being there a week or so before my son was born. And then of course, everything changed. Our trips there were all about him. As he got older, we’d bring one of his friends. We even brought neighbor kids for their first ever trip to Disneyland.

The funny thing is that in all that time I don’t think I ever got a pair of Mickey ears.