Disneyland – There’s More There Than You Think
Just another family, enjoying a day at the Park.
It has become amusing to read, see, or hear some of the Disneyland faithful tell that a day at the Park isn’t what it used to be in more ways than they can count. It’s become such a litany of complaints that make one wonder why these folks still gladly hand over more and more of their disposable income with such abandon if they really are so unhappy in the Happiest Place On Earth.
I have said so before, but no experience in any themed entertainment will ever be the same as it was on a previous visit. There is so much that differs from day to day that nothing can ever be preserved as a moment amber. Even your memories of that experience, even with photographs or videos of that day, are different than what the actual moment of experience was. It may be hard to accept but it is a simple truth.
Take the photograph above. A fairly typical group, in the day. Mother, Father, infant Son, Grandfather, and Grandmother. Okay, so maybe a bit more than typical, but each one will have a differing memory of this experience. What made it special will be different in one way or another. And that will be what they remember going forward. Given the opportunity to repeat this experience, anything can and will contribute to making the new experience different from the previous one. Everything from weather to personal health to clothing to mobility to crowd conditions to attractions and more will all play a part in making the experience diverge from the previous one.
Last month, I was fortunate to enjoy a day at Disneyland. A Wednesday to be exact. Now about a year ago, I also enjoyed a day at Disneyland on another Wednesday. And as luck had it, with the same folks and a few more than had been there the previous year. If you really wanted to compare the two experiences, there were more than a few things that were similar from the two. If you looked closer, there were plenty of things to fall back upon that take us back to moments from that last experience to many more from years gone by.
Coming clean, yes, I have had an Annual Pass many times and at different levels for Disneyland. I go back to some of the earliest days of AP’s before the term “Annual Passhole“. But, I do not have a Magic Key, nor am I likely to purchase one, barring a lottery win, any time soon. I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, some 300 and 50 miles plus away from Anaheim. Even in the times when I did have an AP, it was the routine that I made the trip by driving or flying no more than two or three times a year. Occasionally solo, but more often than not with friends and family. I have stayed at all levels of motels and hotels, on property and off.
My experiences have allowed me to enjoy the Disneyland Resort fairly completely. Between the first family visit in 1965 and now, I believe that I have enjoyed almost every attraction available. When it comes to entertainment, there were some truly special moments that I truly appreciate, particularly due to those whose performances can’t be repeated due to the passing years. As for dining, churro’s may be about the only thing I have passed on imbibing. ( Brown extruded snack foods; ask me another day.) And yes, I will admit freely to having had more than my share of adventures (and a few misadventures) that the usual crowd doesn’t get to take in. Perhaps all of the above make me blasé to a particular level. However, it does give me an appreciation that goes along with it.
Sure, if you go looking for peeling paint, burned out light bulbs, full trash cans, or the unusual cast member, you will find any and all of them. I don’t understand why this would be part of a day at Disneyland, seeking these things out. But if that’s what makes you happy? Well, as a friend likes to say, “What ever makes your boat float.” I guess I just have better things to do when I pay the admission price than that.
It is not difficult to find reminders of what you might have enjoyed on a past visit to Disneyland. There are plenty of reminders all around. Here are just a few that you might encounter in your day:
So…
Let me share some wisdom from a few years of Disneyland visits?
Make the best of the moment. Take it all in with those around you, be it family and friends or just the rest of the Park guests. For this day, you are at Disneyland. Sharing in the dreams of Walt and everyone who has, and will yet, bring those dreams to reality for everyone to enjoy, “who comes to this happy place.”
Sounds pretty good to me. Now when can I do it again?