What is your most blissful/epic experience at Disneyland?

[disneydadazut2]

This is a great thread! I can recall several, but here are just a few:

#1 I got lost when I was just 7 years old... I went to "City Hall" as I was told to by my parents, but didn't realize that I should have told someone inside. I was not scared at all, and even walked over to the Emporium and got some licorice. Some 2-3 hours later, my Mom finally made it there and was in near tears with relief. Apparently all the security in the park had been looking for me, including those working at City Hall, until finally one said, "that kid sitting on the stairs looks like who we are looking for..." I think about my Mom (now deceased) every time I walk by City Hall.

#2 Racing with my older sisters to get to Haunted Mansion. My sisters rarely let me 'hang out' with them (5-9 years older), but when we were in Disneyland I could tag along with them like one of the gang. Standing in the stretching room (elevator) as they screamed with the lightning flashes/hanging body is something I will never forget.

#3 Riding the Tea Cups with my Dad. On one particular trip, My Dad was spinning it so fast I couldn't lift my head up off the cup... I can still remember him giggling like a kid the whole time me and my bother were getting woosey. Upon exiting the cup, we both fell down because we couldn't walk straight. My dad was/is a pretty strict person, so seeing him at Disneyland always happy was and epic experience for me... side note, my Mom and Dad went on their Honeymoon to Disneyland (1960) and would often leave us kids in Arizona and return there for Anniversary trips. They loved Disney probably more than us kids.

It's those memories that commits me to one thing: No matter how much the cost, no matter how hot the day, or stress at work - I make sure my kids (now 4 of them) have the best time, and see their Dad having the best time. I have even begun collecting pins and wearing them on a lanyard with my kids so they see Dad is loving the park and time spent with them.

 

[igomezhnl]

This is a great thread! I can recall several, but here are just a few:

#1 I got lost when I was just 7 years old... I went to "City Hall" as I was told to by my parents, but didn't realize that I should have told someone inside. I was not scared at all, and even walked over to the Emporium and got some licorice. Some 2-3 hours later, my Mom finally made it there and was in near tears with relief. Apparently all the security in the park had been looking for me, including those working at City Hall, until finally one said, "that kid sitting on the stairs looks like who we are looking for..." I think about my Mom (now deceased) every time I walk by City Hall.

#2 Racing with my older sisters to get to Haunted Mansion. My sisters rarely let me 'hang out' with them (5-9 years older), but when we were in Disneyland I could tag along with them like one of the gang. Standing in the stretching room (elevator) as they screamed with the lightning flashes/hanging body is something I will never forget.

#3 Riding the Tea Cups with my Dad. On one particular trip, My Dad was spinning it so fast I couldn't lift my head up off the cup... I can still remember him giggling like a kid the whole time me and my bother were getting woosey. Upon exiting the cup, we both fell down because we couldn't walk straight. My dad was/is a pretty strict person, so seeing him at Disneyland always happy was and epic experience for me... side note, my Mom and Dad went on their Honeymoon to Disneyland (1960) and would often leave us kids in Arizona and return there for Anniversary trips. They loved Disney probably more than us kids.

It's those memories that commits me to one thing: No matter how much the cost, no matter how hot the day, or stress at work - I make sure my kids (now 4 of them) have the best time, and see their Dad having the best time. I have even begun collecting pins and wearing them on a lanyard with my kids so they see Dad is loving the park and time spent with them.

I created this thread, to hear of amazing stories like yours. What a great experience.

 

[Speechphi]

Wow! What great stories. I'm reading this at work (lunch) with tears in my eyes. Thanks for sharing

 

[kirstie101]

1. Our first Chirstmas visit and seeing the snow! Its the only snowfall my kids have ever seen.

2. Running through DCA during the Tinkerbell half and seeing the WOC lights and Mickeys Fun Wheel all lit up. Running down Main Street in DL during the Half as well. Pretty sure I cried.

3. Visiting Club 33 - once in a lifetime moment for sure.

4. My daughter seeing Minne Mouse for the first time at Goofy's Kitchen. She was 2 and we thought she'd be afraid of the characters. She wasn't!

5. My super shy son (2 at the time) seeing Jake and actually asking me to take him over to meet him!

 

[spacemermaid]

1. For my 13th birthday (a million years ago, before DCA & DTD, when the Monorail still went to/from the Disneyland Hotel), my mom took my sister & I to stay in the hotel for a couple of nights to celebrate. It was a magical feeling, boarding the Monorail at the hotel in the morning & getting out in Tomorrowland...then having it return us back 'home' to the hotel at night!

2. When Captain EO first opened in the 80s, my parents (bless them) took little me there to watch it the week it opened...the line was sooooo long! But they were patient and I was so happy to be one of the first to see it. Fast forward 20+ years...even though the reason it was being shown in the Park again was so sad, when I was in that theater again & the movie started, suddenly I was a kid in the 80s again...I know it sounds sappy and ridiculous, but I cried some happy/sad tears...I was in awe of how a time in my life could be magically brought back like that

 

[BirdsSingWords]

Mine was the time that my mom, who went to DL opening year as a girl and many, many times thereafter, was reminiscing when we got on a Storybook Land boat about how, as a child, she'd always wanted to be a guide on one, sitting on the stern with her ankles perfectly crossed and doing the narration. She said she even used to practice the "Oh, noooo, we've just been swallowed by Monstro, the very same whale that swallowed Pinocchio!" using a hairbrush as her mic.

Before our boat launched, the CM stood up, patted the stern, held out the mic, and said, "Your turn comes now." And Mom, then age 57-ish, hopped up there and proceeded to give the entire spiel (with some occasional whispered help from the CM).

And yes, her ankles were perfectly crossed the entire time.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I love this thread!

Here are mine

1) The castle lightening during the holidays. I have a video of it if anybody wants to see it. It takes my breath away and brings tears to my eyes every single time.

2) Riding BTMRR with my mom and two oldest kids and the fireworks went off. It was our last night and the most epic way to end the trip.

3) My husband surprising me by having my parents & grandmother show up at the parks for a weekend during our stay. Riding IASW with my grandmother and my children (4 generations) and seeing all the memories come back to her of when she used to take my mom was priceless.

4) Standing on the balcony of our room at the GCH, with all my kids in their Christmas pjs, wrapped in blankets watching the fireworks.

5) And then two fun ones - Chip & Dale grabbing my daughter's hand when she was 2, one on either side, and walking through Toontown with her. And Mary Poppins & Bert doing the same with DS years later through Fantasyland.

 

[DLfan4]

1 - The first time I went to Disneyland with my kids and entering mainstreet with the castle in the background, and my children with the look of excitement and then me realizing "we really are here!!!!!! "

2- that same trip, on our first visit to DCA, we went to ariels grotto. It was off season and the park was pretty empty. the weather was perfect so we sat outside overlooking the paradise pier area. We had the entire patio all to ourselves. the kids loved meeting the princesses. it was epic.

 

[mydisneyfix]

My blissful moment was last year. We were watching "Remember" fireworks up front by the castle. My DD9 couldn't see the castle effects. I held her up on my waist so she could see. She leaned her head on my head and had her hands hugging my neck for the whole show. It killed my back to hold her that long but it made me feel like she was my little baby girl again. Utter bliss.

 

[Jedi Mouse]

Watching Fantasmic for the first time with my wife on the deserted patio at Cafe Orleans at the end of our date night on our first family trip to Disneyland. We had late reservations and drug out the meal. The staff was really cool and let us stay after closing and turned off the patio lights. We finished dessert and watched the show with a great view due to extremely low crowd.

The whole day was great, it had drizzled on and off all day. Never enough to get you soaked, but enough to keep crowds away.

 

[igomezhnl]

Mine was the time that my mom, who went to DL opening year as a girl and many, many times thereafter, was reminiscing when we got on a Storybook Land boat about how, as a child, she'd always wanted to be a guide on one, sitting on the stern with her ankles perfectly crossed and doing the narration. She said she even used to practice the "Oh, noooo, we've just been swallowed by Monstro, the very same whale that swallowed Pinocchio!" using a hairbrush as her mic.

Before our boat launched, the CM stood up, patted the stern, held out the mic, and said, "Your turn comes now." And Mom, then age 57-ish, hopped up there and proceeded to give the entire spiel (with some occasional whispered help from the CM).

And yes, her ankles were perfectly crossed the entire time.

omg. that is such a great story. Wow that's nice that the CM allowed her to do that, and your mom had that beautiful opportunity.

 

[jetskigrl]

Gosh..there are so many I have no idea where to start.

1) Being picked to ride as honored guests in the Halloween Parade. I thought when they asked that they just picked a lot of people in costume out of the crowd and we would be walking. We had no idea that it was just 10 people and we would be riding in the special car. While we were backstage waiting for the parade to start, the characters all stopped by to greet us. Then the princesses came by to teach us how to wave (elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, touch your pearls and blow a kiss). We all still talk about that night and use our princess waves whenever possible

2) Standing in Walt's apartment, looking out the window down on Main Street and thinking "Wow...I'm standing where Walt stood!"

3) Dining in Club 33 for my son's 7th birthday. I'm assuming this is something that we will never get to experience again so it makes the memory that much more special.

4) I'll also add in riding BTMRR during the fireworks to my list. Especially during summer when we time it right so that we are going up the hill just as Dumbo is landing (managed to get that timing right a few times).

5) Watching my son light up the Big Thunder Ranch at Christmastime (this was before it was a BBQ Restaurant). He was picked by a CM prior to the show and when it came time for the Christmas lights to come on, they called him up on stage and had him ring the sleigh bells to turn the lights on. Then he remained on stage with Chris and Farley to lead everyone in Jingle Bells.

OMG...there are even more I can list but I will stop there. People ask how we can keep going back to DLR so much (AP'ers for 14 years now). These are the reasons why

 

[dnamertz]

Here are my epic memories:

1. In the mid/late-1970's I have a vauge memory of being hoisted onto my Dad's shoulders to see the Main Street Electrical parade. Then the parade was absent from the DL parks for so long. On my daughter's first trip to DLR in 2009 at the age of two-and-a-half, she was enjoying DL but not as totally excited as I was expecting, until the end of the 2nd day when we saw the Electrical Parate in DCA. Because it was in DCA, and they dropped the "Main Street" from the name, I was expected it to be some modernized revamped version where they've updated the music with some hip-hop theme. But I was so happy when the familiar music started playing and I saw basically the same parade I remembered from my childhood. I have video of my daughter sitting on my lap, and as that Electrical Parade music began she started bobbing her head to the rythym. Then moments later she was on her feet full of smiles and laughter as the floats and characters went by. It was the highlight of that trip.

2. That same trip, at the end of the night we took the monorail back to the DL Hotel and realized we left our stuff in the lockers on Main Street. My wife and I took the monorail back to the park and got our stuff, then got back on the monorail just before closing and they let us ride in the front of the monorail...just the two of us. I never knew you could sit there, so it was quite a surprise.

3. Last October we went to the Big Thunder Carnival at Halloween time and wasn't expecting much. Among all the carved pumpkins and games, there were characters (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto, Chip and Dale) haning out, in Halloween costumes) just walking around mingling with guests. Then Bill Hilly and The Hillbillies came on the stage and performed a few songs, while all the kids got to go up in front of the stage and dance around with the characters. I'll never forget the joy I felt watching my daughter get to dance with Mickey for about 20 seconds and then hold hands with Minnie and other kids and dance around in a circle.

 

[nannyz]

My husband and I are 67 years old.
I still remember going to DL when we were 13 years old and kissing in the dark on Peter Pan.
Needless to say, PP is still special to me.

 

[4Vals]

This would be it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3LaLfeZirs&list=UUut3yY-acwjWWIAkXdZmlRQ&index=16

 

[igomezhnl]

Keep the posts coming this is some great stuff here

 

[bethy]

Our first trip with kids. It was late at night and balmy and DH had gone back to the hotel to sleep. My baby was tucked safely and happily asleep in the stroller and my 4 year old daughter and I just wandered fantasyland and soaked it all in. We stopped at the tinkerbell store and bought music boxes for both girls. Because I knew it was a night I'd never want to forget. Just me and my girls and Disney magical bliss!

Second was a year later - another balmy night when they both danced in the street while we watched the Electrical Light Parade together.

I love Disneyland best at night.

 

[conniehar90]

WOC! After all the hype, I was expecting to be let down. But no - it was awesome!!!! DD wanted to go back again but we just couldn't get it to work in the schedule as it does take up a chunk of time waiting.

 

[DisneyAsh21]

I have a couple:
1) going to DCA for the limited time magic of meeting Mary Poppins. Well bert and one of the penguins was there as well. We waited in line for a while but it was all worth it because they saw it was my birthday. The penguin starting singing happy birthday to me and Mary and Bert soon followed. Something I will never forget.
2) seeing three generations of a family meet Mickey for their first time with their first time buttons. They handed me their camera to take a picture as almost all of them were crying. It was fun to see that.
3) walking under the bridge to see the christmas tree for the first time in years!
4) playing with my school band on a stage in the park. I looked out at the audience, and the castle and took it all in.

 

[brocklesnar69]

Taking people there who have never been before and getting to enjoy it all over again through them.