CA 06: Truly the Happiest Place

Honestly, I went to Disneyland because I felt obligated to see the place that seemed to impress so many. But I've been to theme parks. I've waited in the lines. And the population of the LA area is astronomical, the number of tourists there, far larger. The financially capable juggernaut that is Disney: substantially more evil.

My expectations were low. I assumed the lines would be terrible, and we would be very luck to be able to ride all the rides on my list, even once. I supposed the food costs would be astronomical, in keeping with tomorrow lands theme. I thought the rides would be kitschy and boring and the evening shows would be a disappointment

I have to admit, I was very pleasantly surprised.

We were able to ride all the rides I had written on my list, except one, and we probably would have been able to do that, if I had known what fast pass was prior to waiting an hour to ride Splash Mountain. Not only is the fast pass fantastic (I barely had to wait in line at all after that), but its a free service. They could easily charge an extra buck or two, and being the huge corporation that they are, I expected it. But they don't. Those tickets are free which is simply awesome. If you're wondering, you get ticket from a machine near the ride entrance that tells you to come back between such and such times, and you get into the fast pass line, which was usually empty when I was there, and pass all the people waiting in the regular line. And I'll add that if we had gotten there at the planned 8am, instead of the much delayed 12pm, we could easily have ridden the rides twice.

Food costs were more reasonable than the airport. We ate outside the park, at a little stand by the Disney downtown. Chicken fingers, chili cheese fries, coke. About $10. I was a little surprised at that. We also discovered that they will let you bring food and drink into the park. We hadn't brought our backpack though, anticipating, incorrectly, that this would not be allowed. We chose not to make the hike back to the car, because we were already running late, but this is very good to know.

The rides while kitschy were absolutely wonderful. Splash Mountain tricked me. The jungle cruise entertained me. The Matterhorn was fun, and Space Mountain actually awed me. The haunted house impressed me, and made me laugh. These aren't the fast pace, rip your heart out speeds, loose your stomach drops of modern rides. The roller coasters and other rides are almost leisurely. Jake and I both agree that the themed part of the theme rides is a big part of what makes them great.

The evening shows absolutely did not disappoint. The Fantasmic show by the water was really fun and entertaining. A grin inducing mixture of video, pyrotechnics, costumed character, and a magician like ability to sneak in the scene changes including entire boats. Afterwards we had time to get over to the main street to watch fireworks which were sweet, and dare I say, romantic, despite the massive crowd watching.

Good crowd control is a big part of what keeps Disneyland fun. In addition to the fast pass, when they are having shows, such as Fantasmic or the parade, they rope areas off and help keep pathways open for walking.

Wherever you look while at Disneyland, there's something fun to see, whether it is costumed characters or swing dancers in the evenings, it all comes together to make for a surprisingly great time.

While the entrance cost is somewhat high, it's worth it.