Once Upon a Christmas Dream: Disneyland 2005 is Complete with pictures!

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

After reading some funny and heartwarming trip reports on the Walt Disney World side of the DIS, I've decided to write one myself and to practice for writing one after the upcoming family vacation to Disney World. So before, I start, I'll explain where my family's love for Disney came from.

It's probably fate that my mom would have been born in 1955 just months before Disneyland opened. I think our love of Disney comes from her. She loved watching Wonderful World of Disney as a little girl as it gave her a feeling of peace in a challenging childhood. And, so she lived until she met my dad in 1974. They married in the spring of 1975 and a few months later prepared to welcome a little one into their home. And so while decorating the nursery, mom made a fateful decision. As this was a long time ago in the days before ultrasounds, my parents had no idea what the child would be. As such, they decided to decorate the nursery in a way that would be friendly to a boy or a girl and hung up a poster of Mickey Mouse and friends. Consequently, their little boy(that would be me) grew up figuring that Mickey Mouse was a part of the family. Legend has it that I could spot Mickey from miles away. As mom moved closer to the thing that had caught my attention, she was astonished to find that it was indeed Mickey Mouse. She says I used to sit in my crib perfectly content with life until Mickey and Minnie jumped overboard, at which point I would forlornly cry, "Issy Wow, Issy Wow."

So, in 1978, my parents decided to take their two old son Mickey Mouse obsessed son to Disneyland for the first time. As a side note, they also took me to see Star Wars that year and thus my screenname becomes clear. I'm a Star Wars geek who loves Disney, hence my website with Princess Aurora wielding a lightsaber. Parents, be careful what you expose your children to in those impressionable years. Of all the things I loved in childhood, Star Wars and Disney are still the ones that capture my imagination(and pocketbook) these many years later. The decor in my room is dominated by Star Wars with some Disney pictures serving as my definition of fine art. I also have two plush Mickeys prominently displayed: Jedi Mickey and Vader Mickey. Rounding out the Disney/Star Wars theme is a 12" action figure of Princess Aurora wielding a lightsaber. Yes, I'm a geek and proud of it.

In some ways I've been dreaming of this trip since December 31, 2004. I spent much of the night in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle waiting for the fireworks to start. This castle in particular, holds special meaning for me. After years of frustration, hearbreak and difficult challenges in life, I had become rather cynical, with all of this coming to a boil in late 2003. While in Disneyland, I found myself wondering what had happened to my usual optimisim, hope and faith in the future. I had become the very thing I'd always wanted to avoid being, a bitter, cynical adult. And so one night during "personal time" at the parks, I chose to stake out a great seat in front of the castle for Believe in Holiday Magic. This night, I was moved to tears. As Disney played religious Christmas music and recreated the star from that first Christmas morning so many years ago, I remembered what it felt like to be optimistic. I was reminded that God is indeed watching out for me. I felt good again. And as Disney snow fell from the skies of southern California, a tear streamed down my cheek. Somewhere up in heaven, Walt Disney was smiling. The Disney magic was very real that December 2003 night and I felt a measure of peace and healing come to my troubled heart. I felt young again. For that reason, I suspect I will always want to watch the fireworks from in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle for the rest of my life. And so, the final night in 2004 I did the same thing. As the Disneyland ambassadors began to talk about what was in store for the 50th Anniversary, I knew that I wanted to come back to the park when the 50th was in full swing. And so, the genesis of this trip was born.

Cast of Characters:

DDad 55. An accountant by profession. He makes the money that enables us to take these trips, so he's very good at number crunching so we know just what he can do at the Happiest Place on Earth.

DMom 50. Has sacrificed many things, including some of her own dreams for her five children. Once, while in Florida with dad on a cruise, they chose to go to Universal with their free theme park ticket because going to Disney without the kids didn't feel right.

Me 29. A big Star Wars and Disney geek with a crush on Princess Aurora and a huge collection of Mickey Mouse plushes, including the aforementioned Star Wars Mickey ones via ebay.

DSis 23. Adores all little children. Has never met a baby she didn't find cute.

DBro 19. Still can't believe I convinced him to dress like a pirate when my friends and I went to see Pirates of the Carribean on opening night dressed as pirates when he was visiting me. Says running away from Cinderella's attempts to kiss him when he was 8 in Walt Disney World is the biggest regret of his life.

DSis 18. Her love of ewoks is entirely my fault. I gave her my old stuffed ewok when she was 2 or 3, and now she blames me for all the hair that thing has lost since she inherited him.

DDog. Mom was going to name him Wookiee based on his uncanny resemblance to Han Solo's furry sidekick, but decided against it because it would have been too weird to call the dog Wookiee. I'm still bitter that they changed dog's name, so I usually call him dog. Plus, it annoys my little sister who thinks that I don't like the dog.

Prologue: After many talks with my parents, we decided that the week before Christmas would be the time we go. would be home from college and since I work in a college town, that would be a real easy time to get time off work. And so I looked excitedly forward to my trip for the 50th. Whenever I came across an Anaheim address or the 714 area code at work, I got excited just thinking about going to Disneyland again. I fly back home Saturday night, knowing that we're going to leave to see Issy Wow the next morning after going to church.

Day 1: Are we there yet, or I can see the Matterhorn and we're not even in Anaheim yet.

Bright and early in the morning, we pack up the motor home and head to church. After leaving church, we head out to the motor home, change our clothes for more comfortable travel attire and begin the ride down to see Mickey. I think Disneyland is dog's favorite vacation since he gets to come along and go bye bye in the Motor Home, which is one of his favorite things to do. The drive down from the San Francisco Bay Area to Mickey is long, but not too bad. I pass the time by catching up on some reading that I've been trying to finish before the end of the year. As it starts to get dark out, I have to stop reading, so I just look out the window. The closer we get to L.A., the more signs I see reminding me that it's the Happiest Homecoming on Earth. When we reach Orange County, I continue my tradition of trying to spot the Matterhorn first. At one point, I see a big, gray thing in the sky and think wonder if it's the Matterhorn. After a few minutes, I become convinced that it is and announce it. Dad then tells me that my vision is amazing since we're still 10 miles away from Anaheim, so I guess it wasn't the Matterhorn after all. Oh well, we're getting closer.

We finally get to Anaheim and while going through a city street, disaster strikes. Some truck is parked illegally and while we pass by, the side mirror on the motor home is knocked off. The screeching sound startles everybody. is mad because the motor home is damaged, thinks that dad was driving foolishly, and is frustrated because he feels there was nothing he could do. This little mishap could really make the drive unsafe because a motor home really needs a side mirror. We find a local school parking lot to park in, and and go to visit the scene of the accident and call the police. gets mad at me when I tease her after she asks "how do I use the toilet?" While at the school, I decide to take for a walk. He's very excited to get out and has to explore every nook and cranny of the school and playground. He investiagates every tree and trash can on the grass and likes to see the assorted gates at the school. He eventually finds a suitable pottyland, and then runs around to investigate his new surroundings some more, while gets worried because she can't see , despite the fact that he's with me. and return with the good news that the other truck was illegally parked, so we're not responsible. We make the rest of the journey to the RV park without incident, except is still mad at me because I tease her too much. What she doesn't get is that I tease the others as much as I tease her, but I digress. At the RV park, goes for a walk again right around the time of the fireworks. I always enjoy watching the fireworks, and the new show looks nice, but I can't wait to see it in the parks for myself. Soon, it's time for bed, and I squeeze my 6'4 frame into the tiny bed in the motor home with a steel bar in my back. It doesn't matter though. I'm going to Disneyland in the morning and all is right with the world.

Coming soon: How to find your family members amidst the crazy crowds of Disney.

 

[Tink33]

You are a gifted writer. I couldn't get to the actual trip report because I have tears in my eyes from the prologue. I will be back later to read on.

 

[AspiringCindy]

I have tears in my eyes from the prologue.

Me Too!!
Can't wait to hear some more! I hope my DDs will still enjoy going to DL and WDW with us when they are adults!

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

Me Too!!
Can't wait to hear some more! I hope my DDs will still enjoy going to DL and WDW with us when they are adults!

Thanks to both of you. I too hope your kids still enjoy Disney with you when they're older. My mom recently told me that when she dies, she doesn't want a funeral, instead she wants us to gather at Disneyland or Disney World a year after she goes to the Disney parks in the sky and enjoy being with one another again in one of mom's favorite places.

I'll be back either tonight or tomorrow to continue the report.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Wow - what a great start to your DL adventure. You do have a gift for words.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

As seasoned Disneyland visitors my family long ago gave up on the idea of going to the park from rope drop to closing, although a part of me still thinks that I'm going to do just that on every trip. On a surprise trip to Disneyland when I was 12 years old I cried our last night there. I just didn't want to leave. Even now there is something about how Disney brings out the emotional side of me.

As we're staying in the motor home, there is no wake up call, so I have to hope that my watch alarm will do the trick to get my up at an early enough hour to go to Disneyland. As it turns out, the metal bar in my back will take care of that. I'm sleeping in a hideaway motor home bed that is a few inches too short for someone tall and the metal bar right in my back makes it even more difficult to curl up and sleep somewhat comfortably. So, when that watch alarm goes off, I have no desire to actually get up. This isn't too bad though as I'm mainly here to see Disneyland decked out in it's 50th Anniversary finest. Finally after an hour of tossing and turning, I decide that more sleep isn't coming, so I get up and get ready to head to the parks on the bus from the RV park. Except by this time, others in my family are up, and I'm told to wait for them to get ready so I can go with them. Now, in my family I know that this means it will really be at least an hour and a half before they're ready, but there's no sense in arguing.

To further delay my entrance into the park, my brother has started making calls about repairing the side mirror on the motor home. This gives everyone a chance to get ready, and so, 1 1/2 hours after I was ready to go, we're on our way. After parking in Disneyland's massive parking structure, we board Disney's Windstormer, otherwise known as the parking lot tram. Since I haven't been to Disneyland during summertime since 1995, I have no idea what this tram is like in the summer, but during the month of December, it can get very cold on this tram. Maybe it's part of their plan to get us to buy Disneyland jackets and sweatshirts, which I did one year, but have worn it maybe five times since. Since that trip though, I've always made sure to bring a warm jacket and hat with me. That helps me resist the urge to buy a Disney sweatshirt(and end up spending the money on other Disney things).

Having made it through the windy trek to the security gates we are on our way and head to Disneyland first.

There is something really magical and wonderful about entering Disneyland. I've always loved seeing that little floral display of Mickey Mouse right after you enter. I take a few seconds to admire it, especially since it's different this year for the 50th celebration. Then we walk under the trains and we're on Main Street USA. There really is something special about Main Street USA. There's something so special about the whimsical Christmas music playing over the loudspeakers. The Disneyland Christmas Tree is as tall as usual, but this year it's decked out in gold in honor of the 50th. I think I liked the past Christmas decorations better, but it's Disneyland's Golden Anniversary, so this is only a one time thing.

And so we walk past the tree and I go into Disneyland walking mode, which is considerably faster than my usual walking pace, heading straight for Space Mountain. I haven't been on this ride since 1998, so I'm excited to see if they changed anything and simply go on the ride again. What makes Space Mountain different is the fact that you're blind on the ride and don't know what's coming next. I wonder if the ride would be as cool if we could see the turns coming, but then again, it wouldn't be like flying through space, then would it? A testament to Space Mountain's brilliance is the fact that this is still a hugely popular ride even after theme park technology has enabled us to attempt to travel to the Forest Moon of Endor with a rookie droid at the helm. Perhaps if R2-D2 had been the pilot instead of the navigator, we would have made it safely to Endor without all the sidetracking. Of course, then again, R2-D2 is probably the reason we make it safely back after taking on the Death Star. That little droid is the real heroes of the movie. But I digress here as I'm supposed to be talking about Space Mountain. We see that the standby line is around 35 minutes long, so we decide that's not too bad, so we hop right in line. After moving to the top of the building, the cell phone rings. And while cell phones should be used as little as possible at Disney, they do serve their purpose. When you're a family of 7, it's helpful to have a way to find each other when necessary. After dad stayed back to wait for mom, an RV repair place called. They have the part we need in stock, but they'll have to drive there. My bro and I need to go the front gate to meet mom and dad, pick up the wheelchair in case my sister who's still recovering from foot surgery needs it and get the all important Disney Visa rewards card. Why is this card so important? Since we're staying in the motor home, that is also the source of our sustenance. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are inside. Since we don't know how long the repairs will take, mom and dad are giving me the rewards card to buy us lunch. This rewards card is my life. It contains the Disney reward given to my parents for all the money they've spent on all sorts of things. It's as precious to me as a lightsaber is to a Jedi.

So, I hop out of line and head with my brother to the front gate, and meet up with mom and dad before heading back to Space Mountain. I wonder if I'll be able to meet up with my sisters or if I'll have to join up with the back of the line. I explain my situation to the CM and he assures me that it's no problem, so I head back up to find my sisters. Now, it's pretty difficult to pick out one short girl and one average height girl in a crowd at Disney. As I scan the crowd, I find that I'm grateful, and not for the first time, for silly Disney hats.

People will buy all sorts of things at Disney that they would never be caught dead in back home, especially at Christmas time. I've seen grown men wearing Christmas trees with light up ornaments on their heads, tough guys wearing Santa hats with mouse ears, or hats with 3 or 4 hat parts and long, black ears. Or red christmas hats with orange and black stripes. So, I start looking for silly hats, and sure enough there they are. One red hat with big ears sticking straight out of it and a pink Santa hat with a tiara on it. Boy am I glad my youngest sister loves Stitch and the other one loves Princesses. It's real easy to find them when they both have their hats on.

I join them back in line and we prepare to go on Space Mountain. While waiting, we start talking about plush Mickey dressed as a Jedi and Vader. I wonder if they'll make Minnie as Princess Leia or branch out into other Disney/Star Wars characters. declares that if they make a Jedi Goofy, she'll buy it in a hearbeat. I would too. Goofy's up on my list of favorites along with Mickey Mouse and Sleeping Beauty. My little sister also thinks they should have ewoks wandering around the parks. I'm not sure that we'll ever see that one. isn't sure about ewoks wandering the parks. I think that has made her afraid of the furry little creatures from near Endor. I'm a Star Wars geek and she's made me afraid of them too . Space Mountain seems wilder than I last remembered it, but I don't mind that at all even if my stomach no longer allows me to go on thrill rides 50 times in a row without skipping a beat. Now, it occasionally asks me for a brief break before I head back on.

We head over to Frontierland to check out Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This is another family favorite and my first experience really pushing a wheelchair in Disney. My dad has done this for years, and it's more exhausting than I ever realized. My sister is now about six months away from recovery from surgery on both feet. She can do some walking, but her feet still need a break. Since mom is not with us, will take advantage of the time she has to rest her poor feet. Plus, we get to use the handicapped entrance. This has its' perks as it can sometimes reduce the waiting time for a ride. However, I will also say this. You earn that shorter ride wait time. Pushing a wheelchair around is very hard work. You have to navigate the crowds with it, and in the case of Thunder Mountain, you have to go up and down hills with it. This can be very challenging. I've heard of people who rent a wheelchair to cheat the lines. They're crazy. The only reason you should push a wheelchair around Disney is because you really love the person you're pushing and they can't possibly do all the walking that is required in Disney.

On the way to Thunder Mountain, we pass Sleeping Beauty Castle, and I take some time to finally see how they've decorated the centerpiece of the park. After seeing some past Disney attempts at castle decoration(think DLParis' 5th anniversary) I'm somewhat concerned. Thankfully, they've done it right. The castle maintain's it's classic look while adorned with some gold for the golden anniversary. I'm also happy that they've toned down the Christmas decor for this year. Don't get me wrong. I love the castle Christmas deocrations, but was worried that they would overshadow the 50th decor with the garland and wreaths. They haven't. The garland is gone with just the wreaths on the banners leading up to the entrance of the castle.

Coming next: Meeting up with the rest of the family at Splash Mountain, or are we?

P.S. I'm trying to get pictures into this, but no luck with the image hosting site I use.

 

[perfectmatch300]

I'm thinking if you want to see ewoks on the streets, you need to come to WDW for sStar Wars weekends! June, I think. Check disneyworld.com, sorry I don't remember exactly when.

Thanks for the trip report. Waiting to see how you made out with the motorhome, and did you finally meet the family at Splash?

 

[dornen]

hey just so you know space mountain is wilder than it was before. in 2002-2003 they completely closed space mountain and redid the track and lights. but great report dude.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

I thought Space Mountain seemed wilder. It's been so long since I had ridden it that I wasn't sure anymore. And now we return to your regularly scheduled trip report. I've long wanted to go to Star Wars Weekends, but our WDW trip is two weeks too early. I'm a little bummed, but we're going the only week we can, so I'm okay with that. After all, we're going to Disney World. And now we return to your regularly scheduled trip report.

So, it's off to Frontierland where we decide to go on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I learn here about the challenges you face when pushing a wheelchair around Disney. On some of the older rides, the wheelchair line at DL is shorter than the regular line. I've heard stories of people who abuse the system by renting a wheelchair and taking turns pushing people in it so they can beat the lines. Frankly, they're crazy. I got a great workout in pushing the wheelchair up and down the wheelchair entrance for BTMRR. The only reason one should ever endure the challenges posed by pushing a wheelchair around Disney is because of the great love you have for the member of your party who needs one. Otherwise, you're just tiring yourself out in an effort to cheat the system. But I digress. As it's getting near lunchtime, we decide to head over to Red Rocket's in Tomorrowland for some lunch. My mom and sister say this is one of the better CS meals in DL, so we head there. I call my family to find out how much money we have to spend. Turns out there's more than enough on money on there, so we can basically order what we want to. After seeing the prices, we decide to get just enough food to tide us over, figuring that we can always eat a big dinner later. You're probably bored reading about a rather non-descript lunch, but this will be important later. The three of us ordered one slice of pizza each. The slice was big, but I easily could have eaten more. Again though, we can eat for cheaper in the motor home. When at Disney, I like to save my money for permanent memories of my trip. After lunch we wander around the park some more and head over to Indiana Jones. This is one of the best rides in the park. The theming is incredible and I actually enjoy going through the queue of this ride. I love seeing how Disney immerses you in the world of Indiana Jones. Plus the geek in me gets excited seeing Gimli appear explaining how to use the safety restraints.

After Indy, we decide to head over to Splash Mountain. On our way there, I make a dumb decision. Thinking that it will be less crowded, I head on the cobblestone pathway in front of Rivers of America. It is less crowded, but those cobblestones are really giving my arms a workout. What's worse is the bumpiness is really jarring to my poor sister's still recovering feet. So as we bump and jostle our way along the path, the cell phone rings. As it turns out, the motor home is now fully repaired and my parents and brother are in the parking lot on their way to meet us. We tell them to meet us at Splash Mountain. Soon my brother and father show up and we go on the ride with my youngest sister receiving the honor of being in the front seat. Why she's so excited about this I don't know. Years ago, I was riding front with her and didn't hold on to her. She got a nasty bump on her head and I was sick to my stomach. Fortunately the nurse said she'd be okay and I bought her a stuffed ewok in an attempt to make it up to her. Well, she forgave me for not holding her on Smash Mountain. So, always hold on to little ones on a ride such as this.

As a seasoned veteran of this ride, I know what's coming next. Oh she knows that you get wet on this ride, but what she doesn't know is that the lucky passenger in front gets the brunt of the water, which is great in the summer, but not so much fun in December since you don't know how long it will take to dry out. I think she forgot the getting really wet up front part when she bumped her head. I'm laughing along the ride as I hear her scream as the water drenches her. Her pants are getting soaked, and that's just the small drop. As we all know, Splash has the really big drop and she really gets it, as evidenced by this picture.


So, as dries off, we wait for mom to come and meet us at the ride. See mom doesn't like Splash Mountain as she hates big drop rides and her walking speed is slower than the rest of us, but this is taking way too long for her to get to us. I'm starting to get really annoyed. Finally about 2:30, I call mom and ask where she is. I wonder if she heard the annoyance in my voice. Well, if she did, she hid it well. She has just gotten into the park and is going to meet us until she makes a remarkable discovery. An empty bench right on the curb on Main Street. She's going to sit down and rest her feet instead of walking to Splash Mountain, especially because it is literally a half an hour before the parade starts. Will our intrepid party make it to Main Street in time to find mom's bench? Will dry off or will she need to change into a pair of dry pants? Tune in later, same mouse time, same mouse channel.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

When you last saw us, was recovering from her front row experience on Splash Mountain as we prepared to trek across Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom for a front row date with destiny. I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. As I spent New Years Eve 2004 in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, I heard Disneyland really hype up their plans for the 50th Anniversary. They specifically mentioned Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams and Remember, Dreams Come True. Seeing this parade is one of my priorities in the two days we're here. I don't want to miss this. And so we make our way to mom and that glorious green bench on right on the curb. The Force is with us. As we near the bench, I notice the windows for the Emporium. This has long been one of my favorite things about Disney. I always liked seeing the elaborate window displays for Disney's latest film release and if you listen closely, you'll hear music from the film playing softly. It's a little piece of Disney that I think people miss. Since we're in a hurry, I make a mental note to come back and check this out later when I have time to really enjoy it. And so we come to bench and meet up with mom and fill her in on the events of the day.

In all the years of visiting Disney parks, I only remember 3 parades. The Main Street Electrical Parade, the Party Gras parade from Disneyland's 35th Anniversary with it's huge Disney floats, and a few vague memories from Mickey's 60th Birthday Parade from the surprise trip our parents took us on in 1988. Incidentally, this is a great way to surprise your kids. My dad had a convention in Las Vegas that summer, so we packed up the trailer and drove from Utah to Las Vegas. After that, my parents told us we were going to the Hoover Dam. As my ears began to pop and I asked them how to fix this problem, they made up a variety of remedies, all of which involved closing my eyes. This helped to ensure that I would miss all the Hoover dam signs and the signs informing us that we've entered California. At one point we stop for gas and I attempt to figure out why a Nevada gas station has novelty license plates for California. Now, if you've ever driven to California, you know about the produce check once inside the border. My parents couldn't figure out a way to hide that one from us, so I finally realized that we were really in California, and there's only one reason we go to Southern California.

In the end, that's why Disney is so special to us. It's more than just a place with rides. Disney is a place of many happy family memories and dreams. And that's why this parade is so aptly named. See, sooner or later I'd get back to telling you about the parade. The Parade of Dreams is shorter than most Disney parades, but what it lacks in duration, it makes up for in quality. These are some of the most elaborate floats I've ever seen in a Disney parade. This is Disney at it's best. The details were amazing, right down to the performers. As Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty walked by, she wriggled her nose in determination and marched forward just like Merryweather did in the film when she had to accomplish something important to her. Such detail helps to immerse the guest in Disney magic and some may not even realize it. I caught that because Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney film. The other thing I loved is how the parade focused on true Disney classics. I'm a big Disney geek and I get annoyed when some suit slaps the words masterpiece or classic on some mediocre film. Some Disney films, while quite entertaining, do not belong in the same class as Walt's masterpieces. To that end, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King are the only post Walt films that make it into the parade. This parade is focused on the very best. The puppetry is great. The acrobatic Lion King float stops right in front of us. We had an incredible view of all the flips and stunts they were doing.

My family has very fond memories of Disney parades. My mom still remembers me and my brother putting our stuffed Bambis in our jackets during summertime so they wouldn't get cold while we were watching the Electrical Parade for the first time. One year, Cinderella's ugly stepsisters flirted with irate:. Maybe they heard about how he ran away from Cinderella in her castle when he was 8, or maybe they heard about how he attempted to kiss another princess in the parks. The moral of the story is: Never run away from a Disney Princess, especially when she wants to kiss you.

Then came the final float, the best float I've ever seen Disney do.

The detail on this float is incredible, and the Disney geek in me loves how they've combined the princesses from the 3 fairy tales that Walt produced, and followed them with an elaborate recreation of the first Disney theme park castle with Mickey and Minnie on top. After all, it was started by a little mouse.

As I've mentioned Disney spared no expense in this parade. The detail on the floats is remarkable, whether it be the sculptures on the side of the castle float, or the stained glass window with the Partners statue. My favorite parade picture is this one that captures Mickey Mouse and Sleeping Beauty in the same picture. When I was little, I thought it would be fun to play Mickey Mouse at Disneyland. Then, I grew really tall. Now, I'd like to play Prince Philip. Dancing with Princess Aurora isn't a bad way to make a living.


And so the parade ended. Short but sweet. I loved how they played so much of the classic Disney music from Walt's films and how they focused on the films that truly define what Walt Disney was all about. I felt like a little kid again. I love that about Disney. Whenever I'm feeling old, I can pop in a Disney movie or listen to Disney music and I feel like everything will be all right. Dreams come true. And Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams reminds us all that a beast can become human again, a puppet can become real, you can fly, a little girl can become a Princess, a Prince can defeat the dragon and save his beloved, and that a man who has just lost the rabbit he's drawn for years, can draw a little mouse who will be beloved the world over.


Coming next: Food! Water! And why it's a good thing that we only ordered 3 slices of pizza for lunch.

 

[dornen]

ijust remembered that they closed space mountain in 03 and just reopened it july 05. my dates where a bit off. for some reason though when i was smaller and actually got to sit in the very front on the log on splash mountain i never got that wet. my mom always gets soaked on that ride though.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

Maybe the water went over you and soaked your mom. I always get soaked in the front row, not so much any other row.

 

[dornen]

then again it could be the back just landed deeper. i think all three of us kids made about half my mom back then. we were tiny kids. if you go again before the 50th celebratio end you should try and find all fifty golden mickey ears.

 

[Minniespal]

Really enjoying reading your reports ~ Can't wait for more.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

After the parade, my sisters and I were absolutely parched. My brother ran to the motor home and returned with a lot of water, which we quickly guzzled. Then we headed back into the heart of the park. Along the way we passed the Emporium windows and I realized just what they had done this year. Instead of focusing on just one Disney movie like the Emporium usually does, this time they brought back window displays from all the Disney classics. One window contained some of Walt's most beloved classics. Peter Pan was telling Wendy about Neverland. Cinderella was sitting on a chair waiting for the glass slipper. The Blue Fairy was making Pinocchio a real boy.

In another window, Ariel sat waiting for Eric to kiss her while Sebastian tried to stop Scuttle from ruining the mood with his singing. Belle danced with the Beast in a scene that still takes my breath away every time I watch that movie. And of course, Prince Philip dancing with Princess Aurora after slaying the dragon and awaking her with love's first kiss.

These are the little things that Disney does. Seeing these elaborate displays of some of the best moments in Disney history just adds to the sense of magic and wonder that you feel when you're in the parks. I loved how the celebration of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary focused so much on Walt and his work. He gave the world this park through his films and his imagination. It's important to remember what he did, especially as the company he built seems to have forgotten at times what Walt stood for and believed in.

We made our way over to New Orleans Square where we took in Haunted Mansion Holiday. For those of you who have never seen this, it is a unique Disney treat. The regular ride is overlayed with characters and scenes from Nightmare before Christmas. And the assorted characters in the attraction sing songs from that movie. There is a gigantic Christmas tree in the famous ballroom sequence. I always look forward to seeing the holiday layover for this ride. I actually watched the film after seeing this attraction. Now, I'm not one of those who adore the movie. I found it fun and creative, but it's not one of my all time favorites. That said, I like the ride. I like how Disney, with the rest of the park decorated for the holidays, gave this ride a holiday themed makeover. I always come out of there humming and singing the songs from the movie.

Next we headed to Indiana Jones and near disaster. As we got on the ride, my sister handed her digital camera to my mom. Mom put it in the pouch and away we went. After the ride, we all exited the ride and mom, used now to years of traveling hands free, forgot about the camera. By the time my sister realized it, it was too late to get it. We spent a few tense moments as we fretted about whether or not the cast members were searching every car that came by. My sister was crying. My brother was detached, figuring that Disney knew what they were doing and it would show up. My mom was explaining why she hadn't remembered to grab someone else's camera. My dad was frustrated that cast members hadn't searched every car that came through. After being assured that they knew how long before the next car would return, they proceeded to search every car that came through anyways. Soon, a person stepped off, and handed a camera bag to the CM that my sister nearly jumped up to grab. The camera was returned and all was well. In watching this unfold, I was impressed at how Disney employees reacted. They followed their procedure and explained how they would do it. Then, after my family expressed frustration over seeing one car not searched a minute after the camera continued on the ride, they searched every car, not because it would be in there, but because we needed to be reassured. As guests left the car, CMs went through and checked the pockets. Once again, we see the little things that remind us of the normal classy and professional manner in which Disney employees conduct themselves.

One of the other great things about Disney is how you connect with other people. While in line for rides, my sister often talks with little girls about how much they love her Princess Christmas hat. They then talk about which Princess is their favorite and why. My sister also loves how all the CMs call her Princess when she wears that hat. It makes her feel special. This is what Disney is all about, making people feel special. There is a reason why so many sick children take their "wish" trips to Disney. In the midst of all their pain and suffering, they get a little bit of magic. I read on these boards where many of these children often pass away while at Disney, or when a character comes to their house to see them. I can only imagine how happy and peaceful a sick child must feel to be able to get a visit from a friend that they love so much. Disney characters are more than just drawings on paper or in a computer. They become trusted friends and confidantes, especially to those children who need to be reminded that someday their dreams will come true.

After riding Pirates of the Carribean, my parents ask us how much is left on the Disney rewards card. Remember that we ate cheap for lunch. After I tell them, they announce that since the amount can be split evenly 5 ways, we each get the same amount of money for souveniers. Mom will be in charge of choosing a gift for my brother, sister-in-law, and their 4 month old infant. This is a nice surprise as I now have a little bit more money than I thought I had. I always tend to go over budget on Disney souveniers, so this is good. I figure it's time to add to my collection of Mickeys. Also by this time, my sisters and I are starving, so we decide to go back to the motor home and eat. We also head to World of Disney where we start to check out the huge assortment of Disney goodies to be purchased there. At one point, I'm holding a plush Mickey and singing music from Haunted Mansion Holiday. Apparently, people were looking at me funny, but I don't care. I don't mind feeling like a kid again, excited about which Mickey I'm going to get. In the end, we're all still deciding about what we want to get. This is a common theme with my family. We get excited about new Disney souveniers, but always have a difficult time deciding just what to get to remember this trip by.

 

[dornen]

to tell the truth im a pluto man. i always try and get something pluto when i go to dl.last time i went i got the special 50th pluto beanie baby. i have several pluto pins and quite a few pluto plushies. i even have a pluto pez dispenser my parents got for me when they ran off to dl last sat. they do that often since they have ap. i have to get my own once i start working.

 

[luciloo]

Just Subscribing, can't wait to hear more

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

So after spending a long time in World of Disney and deciding that we don't know what we want yet, we decide it's time to return to the motor home and eat dinner. Fortunately, it's just in the oversize parking lot. At this point, I'm starving on account of eating just a danish and a slice of pizza all day, so it feels really good to sit down, rest, and stuff myself silly, which I do. Eating out in the motor home takes time and patience though as you have to either wait for dinner to cook or wait for your turn to throw the hot pocket into the microwave. Plus, there's the inevitable clamoring for position on who gets to use the toilet first. Toilets in RVs are a longstanding joke in my family. Somebody always has something happen to them. One trip when my sister was around 3, she announced in a paniced voice that the pump was dead. Then, she fell into the toilet. On this trip now in her early twenties, she asked angrily how to operate the toilet. I'm not sure if she's forgiven me yet for the ribbing I gave her on that one. It's a rule you know. Big brothers always have to tease their little sisters, but if anyone tries to hurt those little sisters, big brothers are more than willing to beat those punks into submission.

Well, by the time we get back into the park, it's right after the Christmas Fantasy Parade, so the crowds are packed and everybody starts settling in for the night's showing of Remember, Dreams Come True. We decide to settle in for the best seat we can find at this point, halfway between the entrance to Tomorrowland and the Partners statue. Most of my family has already seen Remember since they got APs for this year, but me and haven't. As it gets closer to 9:00, the crowd quiets as the PA system announces that the show will start, except there's one problem. Due to wind conditions, the show may have to be cancelled tonight. The gathered crowd begins to get very nervous. I had planned to watch the fireworks tonight and use tomorrow's show to get shorter lines on all the rides. When it comes time for the show to start, the announcer comes on and delivers the bad news. No fireworks for you.

Disney tries to make it up to the crowd by delivering their famous snow in southern California. Now, snow is nothing special to me. I lived in Utah until I was 12. I went to college at BYU(also in Utah), and lived in Moscow, Russia for two years. Nevertheless, the first time I saw Disney make it snow in southern California, I got chills. Seeing the sheer enjoyment on the faces of little children as they play in the Disney snow is one of those magical Disney moments. This time it's different though. It just doesn't feel the same. There's really something about how Disney ends the holiday fireworks show with the snowfall, and now they just make it snow without the emotional buildup to that moment when snow falls in southern California. I'm also especially disappointed because my mom has told me how much I'll enjoy the Star Wars portion of Remember. So, we pick up our stuff and head over to Tomorrowland. Maybe we can beat the crowds that are playing in the snow and get a ride or two in.

We successfully do this and make it over to Space Mountain. After that my siblings and father go on the one ride at Disneyland I refuse to do. Autopia. I have issues with Autopia. Partially because of the teenage "trauma" of riding the thing 5 times in a row when I could drive a real car because every single sibling needed to drive(this is what happens when you have 5 kids in your family) when I wanted to go on more exciting rides, while my parents had to make sure that everybody got to drive. The other part has more to do with the ride itself. Those cars are not designed for people who are 6'4 to ride in. My knees are right against that dashboard padding. For me, this is the most painful ride in the parks. It hurts to walk after the ride because of the shooting pain in my shins. So, I head off to do my annual Star Tours solo ride and browse the pin shop by Buzz Lightyear.

Because of the wheelchair, my family always gets a different line for Star Tours. We miss the entire loading area with C-3PO, R2-D2, and the goof off droids upstairs. For this Star Wars geek, the experience just isn't the same if I miss R2-D2 ticking off C-3PO and the droids conversing with the passengers. So, every trip, I have to on Star Tours without someone in a wheelchair at least once. After resisting the tempation to insert myself into a random Star Wars scene again(I already have one picture of me as a Jedi defending Padme that made the CM chuckle when he told me to look like I was defending Padme because my face assumed a serious Jedi position whereas most people can't keep a straight face for those pictures), I head over to Tomorrowland's pin shop by Buzz. Maybe someday I'll do a picture again, maybe with Yoda teaching me the ways of the Force.

Pin collecting is my new Disney fascination. I'm by no means serious, but I still enjoy looking at the creativity of some of the pins. I like this shop in TL because it's quiet. You can look at pins without much of a crowd. On my last trip, I got a pin for the 50th anniversary, and a nice pin of Mickey and Minnie looking at a black and white photo of Walt in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. That pin says Disney to me. This trip, I want to get some pins for the 50th, as well as some pins from Sleeping Beauty. After looking at pins, I head out to meet my family. Well at this point, we decide to call it a day. It's starting to get a bit chilly, we're all tired and sore, and we have one more day at Disneyland tomorrow, and as always, it's going to be a long one.

 

[sahbushka]

I really really really want to read more! Please post the rest!
SArah

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

I hope to get another installment up today. I need to start working on my Disney World trip report while it's still fresh in my mind, but since this report leads into that one, I must finish this one first.