Today was the last day of our month long holiday, and I did wake up a little depressed about that fact. It felt like we had been planning this holiday for so long (a few years really) and now it was almost over. While I was sad, I instead decided to focus on the positives and really enjoy our last day at the happiest place on earth.
When we got down to the lobby of the Paradise Pier Hotel we ran into Santa!
I said hi to him and he asked where I hailed from and I said Australia and he said Oh yes, you live in Melbourne (obviously confusing me with another Australian guest he had bumped into) so I had to inform him that no I live in Perth. However to make him feel better I also told him I was born in Melbourne. Rather than come out of character and be all flustered by his mistake Santa simply said, Yes I remember delivering presents to you there when you were a little girl! it was so adorable! Soon after Jared came over and somehow the conversation came around to Christmas Eve. He told Jared not to stay up too late this Christmas Eve like he did last Christmas Eve otherwise he wouldn't be able to deliver his presents! The funny thing was we were up really late last Christmas eve!
After our meeting with Santa we made our way into Disneyland for the last time. It was our last day in any theme park and our last day of the trip so we were feeling a bit contemplative which was perfect, since it was our very first Thanksgiving (Australians dont celebrate any kind of Thanksgiving) and we had plenty to be thankful for. We spend a few minutes as we walked listing those things in life we were thankful for and those moments of our trip that we were thankful for. Then, as we walked into Downtown Disney the Enchanted Suite from Enchanted began to play. If you aren't aware the Enchanted Suite is a mixture of the soundtrack of all the songs played in the movie Enchanted beautifully put together, songs like True Loves Kiss, Happy Working Song, How do you know and my favorite, So Close. Its all instrumental and beautiful and I often play it in the car at home when I just want to feel Im at a Disney park again, because that music fills me with the same sense of the wonder and imagination I feel at Disneyland and the other Disney parks around the world. So of course, to hear it playing on the very last day of our Disney Trip of a Lifetime felt like a moment of Disney magic designed just for us to farewell us from this trip wed taken to so many Disney parks around the world and to remind us that if we keep imagination, wonder and love close we are never far from them. I almost cried! I really did! After that Zip A Dee Doo Dah started playing (which is one of Jareds favorite rides songs) and we just somehow knew it would be a really good last day of this most wonderful holiday.
Today was of course our Walk in Walts Footsteps Tour day. We were very excited to have a guided tour of the parks and its historic attractions as well as hear Walts vision for each land and place within Disneyland. We were especially excited to be able have a peak in the Club 33 lobby and get a look at Walts apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street! We arrived at the Disney Tour Gardens at 9am, as instructed and found we were the only ones there. Jared went to get some coffee. I sat on a bench and watch the people streaming into Disneyland, who all looked very happy and content to be there. It was so relaxing, an unusual feeling for such a busy day in the park.
We were soon met by our tour guide, Mychael and the other guests in our group. We had two other families with us, one from Colorado and one from Oregon. Mycheal told us before we introduced ourselves that wed have a little competition to see who had come the farthest to be at Disneyland on Thanksgiving and the winner would get a quick clap. Of course, Jared and I won having come all the way from Australia. We were also given audio devices which were used so we could always hear our guide, as well as to play clips of Walt talking about certain areas of the park.
To preface the information about the tour, I wasn't really able to take notes while we were doing it so the information I have here is from my memory triggered by the photos I took. I will try remembering as much as I can but this part of the report may be a little sketchy!
We started off the tour on Main Street. Walking down it Mychael pointed out some of the names in the windows and explained the significance of the honor of being given a Disneyland window. We also saw the Dapper Dans doing their Christmas carol line up which was fun.
We had listened to the dedication speech of Disneyland while standing near the dedication plaque and as we moved towards the hub we listened to more of Walt talking about how Disney was designed so that guests would always have a central plaza to refer to in case they got lost.
After that we walked on through the Sleeping Beauty castle to Fantasyland
As we approached each land we were given a clip of Walts dedication of each land from opening day in 1955. It was so surreal to see the park as you heard his voice speaking through the ages, imagining how different everything would have looked back then. It really gave you a sense of the history this park has and just how important it is to what the Disney Company has become today.
Once in Fantasyland we stopped at an opening day attraction, Peter Pans Flight. Of course as I mentioned earlier Jared and I have never stopped and taking the time to try any of the dark rides in Fantasyland so we were looking forward to this. Mychael was able to take us through the exit of the ride and we flew off to Neverland. That this ride was an opening day attraction really flaws me; it is so cleverly designed and has a few pretty cool effects. I really enjoyed it and it will be made a priority ride on our next visit!
After Fantasyland we proceeded into Frontierland. I believe we talked a little here about Walts love of the Diamond Horseshoe Review and how he invited friends and family for the first ride on the Mark Twain before the park opened in 1955.
We were also shown a tree stump donated by Lillian Disney, dont remember why now though!
The next logical stop was New Orleans Square. Walt had a vision for the New Orleans Square area that included an exclusive club where he could take visiting dignitaries and so Club 33 was born. It is named for its address, which is 33 Royal Street.
We all got awfully excited at this point. Mycheal told us how hard it is to get into the club unless you are a member of the guest of a member and suggested that wed have to pretend one of us was visiting royalty to manage it. Hence one of our tour companions joked she was the Queen of Persia and thats what we referred to her as for the rest of the tour.
Inside the Club 33 lobby is very small. We had a few details pointed out to us including the French elevator famously recreated after a French hotel refused to sell Walt theirs. It is rich and ornate but the darkness of it all makes it feel very small. Of course, I can see why they are in the process of building a new entry area to the club.
Even still we had gotten far further into the club than any normal Disney guest could hope to and for that we were extremely happy.
Outside we made our way through New Orleans Square and onto the Disneyland Railroad
Continued in next post...
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm getting a little sad that i'm almost at the end. Reliving the trip has been great. Yes we were very blessed to be able to take this trip! I work for the state government here in WA and we can purchase extra leave which mean't we could take more time. Perhaps one day you will have some time on your hands to go 
