Favorite Disneyland memory

4Mickeys said:

Ok so a few of these have made me a little teary!

@carrierael77 I hope my kids in the years to come remember their first visit just like you .... I am also a solo mum we live in Australia and last year after lots of saving (and credit cards - yikes) I took my 3 kids to Disneyland - it was a first flight for 2 of them and they had never been out of the country before so a first long haul flight for all of them. Your mum beat me I did not get brave enough for space mountain.

So some of my favourites from the trip as a group are watching their excitement as we got our 1st visit pins and walking under the tunnel towards Main St. also watching Fantasmic together.

Individually:
My daughter who was 10 at the time have her Princess makeover - I love this because I know some of her friends are already in the "I don't like the princesses anymore" phase and this was a chance for her to just enjoy this before she heads into those tween/teen years. Also, just watching her skip and twirl out the gates of DL late one night from happiness.
Son 10 - Jedi training experience - he was so excited.
Son 14 - Got my boy back - he had been doing that thing kids do for a couple of years where they don't want to walk next to you at the shops or get a kiss goodbye at school where they might be seen - but at DL I got him back lol - walked with me with his arm draped over my shoulders, hugged me in lines etc (it also kept up after we got home ). Also, seeing him so happy to get his personalised Mickey Ears which he promptly put on his head and wore everyday.

@Lalasmamma - I also have always been a huge Disney/DL fan - For me it was memories of those Sunday night Disney movies, seeing the castle come up. As a kid I always asked to go to Disneyland. In those times though air travel was a lot more expensive and it would never have entered my parents heads to take us. Mum used to tell me when you grow up you can go. So I did - for the first time in my early twenties but then again it was just such a huge goal for me to be able to take my children there. So I understand your mother's affinity for DL - it is hard to explain - maybe its part of those childhood memories and a desire to just escape from everyday life and DL just does that like no place else.

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I am sure they will! It sounds like your kids are near the ages we were. Trust me, they may not mention it when they are self absorbed teens, but as they age they will look back and remember fondly. Now, do me a favor and if you get back over to DL, face your fear and get on Space Mountain. A) it's an amazing ride, and B) if you can raise 3 kids alone, you can do ANYTHING! do not let a roller coaster own you, you own it. Laugh and cry at the same time. When you get off that ride you will be so glad you did.

carrierael77 said:

I am sure they will! It sounds like your kids are near the ages we were. Trust me, they may not mention it when they are self absorbed teens, but as they age they will look back and remember fondly. Now, do me a favor and if you get back over to DL, face your fear and get on Space Mountain. A) it's an amazing ride, and B) if you can raise 3 kids alone, you can do ANYTHING! do not let a roller coaster own you, you own it. Laugh and cry at the same time. When you get off that ride you will be so glad you did.

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What a lovely response/encouragement

Just spending time with my mom and dad. Being able to look back now, as a 36-year old and know that they worked so hard and saved all year to be able to take me and my two brothers each year.

Remembering how my no-nonsense dad would turn into a kid again as soon as we arrived. And how mesmerized he'd be by the Pirates of the Caribbean animatronics. In hindsight, now I know why he always had a video camera in hand during our trips. Making us pose and him narrating the whole time. He was having the time of his life too and didn't want to forget any of it. He passed away 15 years ago at the age of 44. Much too young. But he left me and my brothers those videos. And his happy voice narrating our every move. Wouldn't trade those memories for the whole entire world.

ALEXandFAB said:

Just spending time with my mom and dad. Being able to look back now, as a 36-year old and know that they worked so hard and saved all year to be able to take me and my two brothers each year.

Remembering how my no-nonsense dad would turn into a kid again as soon as we arrived. And how mesmerized he'd be by the Pirates of the Caribbean animatronics. In hindsight, now I know why he always had a video camera in hand during our trips. Making us pose and him narrating the whole time. He was having the time of his life too and didn't want to forget any of it. He passed away 15 years ago at the age of 44. Much too young. But he left me and my brothers those videos. And his happy voice narrating our every move. Wouldn't trade those memories for the whole entire world.

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Your so lucky!
When I was a kid in the 60's home movie formats (super 8) didn't have sound and on top of that, my dad was always the one running the camera. So we have very few movies with him in them and nothing with his voice.

ALEXandFAB said:

Just spending time with my mom and dad. Being able to look back now, as a 36-year old and know that they worked so hard and saved all year to be able to take me and my two brothers each year.

Remembering how my no-nonsense dad would turn into a kid again as soon as we arrived. And how mesmerized he'd be by the Pirates of the Caribbean animatronics. In hindsight, now I know why he always had a video camera in hand during our trips. Making us pose and him narrating the whole time. He was having the time of his life too and didn't want to forget any of it. He passed away 15 years ago at the age of 44. Much too young. But he left me and my brothers those videos. And his happy voice narrating our every move. Wouldn't trade those memories for the whole entire world.

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That is really beautiful. Thank you for sharing that

I have a couple, some more special type memories of others.

I remember when I was young and my family went to Disneyland. My parents took my brother and sister back to the hotel room to change. They let me hang out and ride the old Motor Boat Cruise ride over and over until they got back. I remember getting in one of the boats and sitting there was a wallet, full to the brim of cards and cash. I remember being so proud to give it to the CM after the boat got back around. If I remember correctly the man came looking for it quickly afterward. I will never forget that wallet, it was a light tan color and it could hardly be folded over because of so much stuff in it.

Having my daughter's third birthday and my son's second birthday at DL, having family all caravan down from NorCal with this. They both had their birthdays with Patt E Cake when he was still there. We still sing the birthday song on the kids' birthday even though they are 16 and 11 now.

But my favorite memory of course is proposing to my wife at DL and the set up/help I received from both families. I had to sneak the ring into my luggage. I also had props that I had to have my future in laws hold onto and sneak into the park. I ended up doing at at night when DL was all lit up. We were coming back from hanging out at the hotel room (pre-planned suggestion from the in laws). The whole group of about 11 of us were walking back to DL. When we were almost to the front gate my future Sis-In-Law slipped me her room key. I then made up an excuse that I had to go run back to the hotel to use the restroom real quick and would meet them by the castle. Ran back to the hotel, grabbed the ring and my props and came back to the park. I made my way into the park and went through Tomorrowland, hiding behind people so that I wouldn't be seen in case anyone was looking around. Made my around to the backside of the castle and came down the walk to the wishing well when I called my future wife and asked here where they were. She said they were in front of the castle. I told her that I must have just missed them and that I was at the wishing well waiting for them. So the whole group comes around the corner, my family kind of blocking the view of my wife and then they kind of seperated. I was there waiting for my wife on one knee with a glass slipper on a pillow with the ring in the slipper and a glass rose. While this was going on there was a lady just standing off to the side and it took her a moment to figure out what was going on and when she realized we just got engaged she started freaking out and saying "oh my gosh, oh my gosh" and she came over and congratulated us. Then it was pictures around the wishing well for the next few minutes. That is why DL will always have a special place in our hearts.

My only trip to Disneyland was in 1980. I was 8 years old and it was Disneyland's 25th, so I got silver Mickey ears with my name on it. It was an overcast day in February and we had the park practically to ourselves. The only other people we saw in lines was a tour group from our home state of Massachusetts! If we weren't the first people on a ride, we would be in the next load. (This did not set me up well for my first trip to Magic Kingdom/Epcot 3 years later.)

These are my very vivid memories:

- I was a ride chicken and had to be begged to go on EVERYTHING. I loved every ride afterwards, but the funniest was getting on Thunder Mountain Railroad after being told it was just a 'train ride'. My mother was shocked to find out it was a roller coaster and we screamed and laughed the whole time.

- Finding out that all clam chowder is not New England style clam chowder on Captain Hook's boat.

- It was gray skies all morning, but no rain. The only time it rained was when we were inside Country Bear Jamboree. When we came out, the ground was wet, the sun was out and the park exploded with color. It was like someone had waved a wand over the whole day.

I have many fond memories.
1)50th Anniversary of Disneyland. I wanted to go so bad, but I was 25 and broke. We were going to spend Christmas with family in San Diego. My mom offered to take my sister and I to Knots Berry Farm. I agreed, but said I really wanted to go to Disneyland. My mom worked some magic and we went to Disneyland for 1 day. It was a wonderful trip just the 4 of us. The fireworks were breathtaking. It was the last time it was just us 4. The next time we went as a family, we had added 2 husbands and 4 grandsons.
2)My 29th birthday at the Parks. I was able to leave my son with my parents and sneak off for a few rides and lunch with my husband. We have never gone to the parks alone, so it was a dream 2 hours.
3)Our last trip in December. I took my younger 2 boys on the Haunted Mansion. Very difficult to keep them in line, but they loved the ride. They were not scared and ooed and awed over it.