Okay, I purposely didn't read any of the other posts in this thread before I posted this one because I didn't want to be influenced by anything anyone else said (I will go back and read them after I am done typing!). I want to express it exactly as I see it and convey how I experience Disneyland.
As a child living in a troubled household, Disneyland was a haven for me, an escape. Starting at age 5, it was something to look forward to once or twice a year, where I could forget about my other problems and totally immerse myself in the magic of it all. It was, literally and figuratively, my happy place. There were no problems at Disneyland. Everyone slipped into sort of a euphoric state. I loved the drive up to the parking lot, past the big Disneyland sign. I loved getting on the tram that brought us to the front gates. The excitement of first seeing Main Street and Fantasyland, of first venturing onto Tom Sawyer's Island, of getting my first Mickey Mouse watch, of interacting with characters in Tomorrowland, of riding the Jungle Cruise, of taking in all the sights and sounds and tastes - it was all overwhelming, but I knew I had to take it all in and go back for many, many visits. I enjoyed examining the ticket books and knowing that I would get to ride one of the "E' attractions soon. Every year I would get one of those booklets sold in the park that outline every land and attraction in those lands - a sort of 'tour program' for Disneyland. And at the end of each trip, I would get home, examine my program and mentally start preparing for the next year's trip.
As the years passed, yearly Disneyland trips took on a different form but were of no less importance, where suddenly I was no longer going with 'adults' or people of authority, but I was going with my peers - and even, gasp, boyfriends and dates. We could eat where we wanted, ride what we wanted, buy what we wanted, stay in the park until midnight if we wanted - all without anyone of authority looming over us with a frown. We could stay at the Disneyland Hotel, which, as an innocent child, had seemed to me like some distant building which was only there for adults from out of state. We discovered the splendor and majesty of Disneyland at Christmas, which made it appear like a whole different world from its usual existence. Disneyland was a constant. All kinds of things could transpire during the year - people would get involved with boyfriends and girlfriends; people would break up from those boyfriends and girlfriends; people would go to school; people would have parties; people would take trips with parents; people would get sick - but there was always at least one Disneyland trip for our main core of friends every year, that much was certain.
Now, in more current times, financial problems and unemployment have set in; parents and family have passed on; other folks have married and divorced; some people have moved far away.... but those of us who are left, and available and healthy enough to go to Disneyland, still try to make the yearly sojourn, if possible. I confess I have had to stay away from my beloved park for several years at a time in the past, but as soon as I make a return, I am swept away into this land of make believe all over again, and know I can never stay away that long. I still get home from one trip and immediately begin planning the next one in my mind! It is STILL my happy place. Now, I view the park as an adult - I notice the cost of things; I gripe when it is hot and crowded; I get impatient and cranky - but I also get that same sense of childlike glee when I first set foot on Disney soil and take a long look at Main Street and breathe in the scent of some sort of popcorn, peppermint and churros concoction. I recognize that it is an assault on all my senses, but one which I am willing to succumb to! I notice all the details and tender love and care that Disney puts into Walt's park. I love hearing about and discovering details and little touches that I previously had not known in my 36 years of visiting this most magical of kingdoms. There is always something new to do and see - even for the most seasoned and jaded of Disneyland guests - you just have to open your eyes and keep an open mind. That is what Disneyland provokes in us all, I think - limitless imagination; boundless dreaming. Sure, my body is older and my bones are tired, and I suffer from various aches and pains now, but I still have the imagination and the inner spirit of the 5-year-old I was when I first visited the Happiest Place on Earth!
.The interesting thing for me is that I have never remained friends with people who "hate" Disneyland or think its "lame". By no choice of my own, these friendships seem to fizzle out. The thing I do love most about Disneyland is that those of us who love it all have that in common. Mention DL to anyone who is a Dis-er and you will always see that same twinkle in the eye.
When we were there Monday, I asked Dfi "how long do you think DL will be around?.....'Welcome to Dl we will be celebrating our 200th Anniversary!" 
Since we took our own family for their 1st visit in 1997, we have been to DLR, WDW, and the DCL many times. It's a place where you don't have to think about what's going on in the "real world" if you don't want to. We're looking forward to experiencing that magic again this December when DD's DBF is going to propose to her at DL with both families present!! 
)
