When we first arrived at Disneyland we ran with hundreds of other people toward the finding Nemo ride. The new and improved submarine ride opened last week and everyone was eager to ride it! We had the amazing wait time of 40 minutes (the average was about three hours!), and while enjoyable with some fun highlights it wasn't worth another three hour wait later in the trip! We enjoyed the underwater adventure and some of the cool techniques they used to bring Nemo and his friends to life, but it wasn't our favorite ride by far! It did, however, become our favorite ride for other Disneyland guests because as they all rushed to stand in line for Nemo, we were able to walk onto rides like Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Pirates! So while it wasn't our favorite to ride, it was our favorite crowd reliever! Here's a picture of Herb and me in front of the new subs.
We spent most of our trip trying not to think about the Year of a Million Dreams and how we wanted to have a dream granted so badly! While we didn't get an official dream granted we did have an encounter that was a dream to us! Friday morning we went in to get our annual passes from the official office, and it was here that we met the wonderful cast member Cheryl. Cheryl asked us for our IDs and when she looked at them she wished me a happy birthday and a happy anniversary as Herb explained that it was also our anniversary. She congratulated us and gave me a new birthday button (the one I had from Wednesday broke), and she didn't want Herb to feel left out so she cut the birthday sticker into a space ship so he could celebrate too! Then she asked us if this was our first annual pass, and we explained that it was. Cheryl then said that she wanted to give us a gift; she gave us her employee discount and took $40 off of the price! She said that we could go to lunch or buy a birthday present on her! My eyes welled up with tears and we just felt so blessed! God truly provided for us in this trip and with our annual passes, and He used Cheryl as a vehicle to do so! What a magical dream! She left an impression we will never forget! She embodies all that I love about Disneyland! Her generosity and desire to make this a special trip reveal a hope that we will find magic in the park! And we certainly did! Here's Herb and me on Big Thunder (I now wish we got a picture with Cheryl to remember her by; I guess she'll just have to live in our memories!)
I think the one thing I realized in being at Disneyland again is that it truly is a magical place! I know people complain about the cost and some people feel it's excessive or over the top, but when you see their attention to detail and to making your experience perfect, you can't help but feel it's worth the price you pay. Like I mentioned they gave me a button for my birthday and buttons for our anniversary, and as we walked around the park Cast Members wished me a happy birthday by name. It certainly made me feel special to have people continue to celebrate me throughout the day! Then as we watched the Electrical Parade, Fantasmic and the fireworks show I realized the time, cost and energy invested into transforming the park into a place of imagination! The magic continued as we watched the fireworks next to a family with two little girls; as the girls told us about their day their faces lit up with the description of each ride! But nothing was as priceless as having them point out with twinkling eyes Tinkerbell floating through the sky as she brought magic and fireworks to the castle! Disneyland isn't just about the rides, although they are fun and a huge part of the experience, but it is more about transforming a normal day on the calendar into a world of imagination and excitement! Thinking about it just makes me smile! Those days were worth every dollar spent to make my soul smile and giggle like a kid again and again and again! The next picture is of the four of us finding our "laughing place" on Splash Mountain; I haven't laughed so hard in a long time as I did when Mika and Melinda got soaked by a tidal wave on the ride and Melinda shrieked and then started laughing uncontrollably! Definitely a highlight for me!
Another bittersweet highlight for me was in remembering my Aunt Kelly. Little things around the park brought tears to my eyes as they helped me remember her. Of course it's almost July 4th and as a result there are patriotic Disney items throughout the park. No one loved the American tradition of Disneyland more than my Aunt Kelly! As we sat through Fantasmic I remember camping out for the show while she ran to get in one more ride! She went through that park with such gusto, dancing and singing along the way! So each time I strolled down Main Street singing and dancing I could picture her walking right along with me! I think it was a very fitting way to remember her; I think it's how she would want to be remembered--living it up in the happiest place on earth!
The hardest part about Disneyland is that it is truly an escape from reality, and as a result there are some pieces of reality that continue in your absence. While I escaped to the Happiest Place on Earth, my friends Rachael and Mark brought their new son into the world! What a wonderful, joyous event, but I missed that piece of reality in my escape! Cody's entrance into the world was a good reminder that there are pieces of reality worth returning to! Because I think my three travel companions will agree that returning from Disneyland is a difficult task...going back to the real world after such an exhilarating escape can be hard! I can attest to that seeing as reality for me brought with it an awful sore throat that has me lying in bed today! Although it is tough to return to reality, it is worth the pain for the escape! A little piece of happiness to carry with me the whole year through is worth the shock of returning to the real world! And Cody is a good reminder that the real world has amazing and magical experiences to offer as well! So here's to finding those exhilarating experiences in everyday life to give us a little magic to hold us over until the next trip to Disneyland! Here's a final glimpse of our Disneyland magic; this is the four of us celebrating our anniversary and our sore feet as we ride the train back to Main Street! Thanks for letting me share the magic!
4 comments:
who's that fine chap in the diamondbacks hat? what a fantastic excursion for you all -- i have been further convinced that my long absence from disneyland may very well be a cardinal sin.
Do you think Cheryl was a "starfish"? Do they have starfish at Disneyland? Either way, I love little blessings when they come disguised as surprises.
Cheryl was absolutely a starfish! I think I might need to write a starfish entry. :-)
Write on! Write on! (if this does not strike you as humorous, then you are too young...)
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