In the park

Because traveling took up part of the first day, we spent the remaining time looking around Downtown Disney (a shopping area between the two parks), buying groceries, and swimming in the hotel pool. The next morning we had an early breakfast at the restaurant next door - all the cereal, juice, and chocolate doughnuts?? the kids could eat. Then we headed to the front gates of Disneyland and waited in line for the park to open.



A few minutes before the park opened, the staff (called "cast members") manned the turnstiles. Each day a family is chosen from the line to stand inside the gates and lead everyone in counting down from ten and then shouting "let the magic begin", thereby opening the park.




We followed everyone to Main Street USA, a re-creation of the ideal small town American main street from the 1900's and is supposedly inspired by Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri (also featured in the film "Lady and the Tramp"). The street is lined with old fashioned stores (with modern prices) and the kids had fun climbing on the antique fire engine which was parked between the horse stalls in the fire hall. Incidentally, Walt Disney's private apartment is above the fire hall and even though it is off limits to the public, we could see a Christmas tree through the curtain in the window. During the rest of the year a lamp burns in the window in his memory.

At the end of Main Street stands Sleeping Beauty's Castle. We crossed the moat over the working drawbridge which was lowered once when the park opened in 1955 and then raised and lowered again in 1983 when Fantasy Land was renovated. In researching our trip I also learned that Walt had the spires of the castle plated in gold leaf so they would sparkle, but left one of them unplated as a reminder of his statement that "Disneyland would never be completed as long as there was imagination left in the world".




Once through the castle, Ella was drawn to King Arthur's Carousel so that was our first ride. I had read that all seventy-two horses had been hand carved and no two were alike. The travel literature suggested that these horses receive as much care and attention as the living horse in the park. I have since learned that the carousel originally came from an amusement park in Toronto but was modified to provide more seating and to match the storybook themes of the park. Originally, only one of the horses was white, but that horse was so popular that they were all repainted that colour. Supposedly, one of the seventy-two horses is actually a mule - but I didn't see it.



We next got on the Dumbo ride which usually gets long lines because it is so popular (probably because it has become an icon of the park). The kids loved it - even Tyson, and there were some rides that he did not feel that way about.



Mad Hatter's Teaparty - classic, Heather was acting a little woozy on this one.

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Mickey's Toon Town was neat to see because there was a lot of silly jokes and not a single straight line in the whole place. It turned out that the Go-Go Gadget Coaster was more exciting than people expected (or at least compared to some of the other stuff). I did manage to get a couple pictures with everyone smiling though.







The entire park was decorated for Christmas and most of the rides had a holiday theme added. The It's a Small World boat ride was covered with lights and the theme of it was Christmas around the world. The repetitive song that played throughout the ride was converted to a medley of Christmas carols.



In the evening there was a Christmas parade and a fireworks display (called "Believe in Holiday Magic") which ended with a surprise snowfall of artificial snow and bubbles from the lamp posts along the parade route.




Well there is a lot more that happened that day but I'm going to be late for work (again) and should sign off.




- C