Your feelings as you walk into the park...

[DisneyBiskit]

Hi everybody!

As I prepare for my trip next month, I'm starting to get that excited feeling in my bones!

I love the feeling of happiness and excitement as I go through the turnstiles and enter the park. I love walking down Main Street /Buena Vista Street first thing. Everyone (mostly) is an a good mood, and cast members line the street waving and saying "Welcome!" & "Good morning!"

At 43 years old, this place makes me feel so young again! I have so many good memories of DLR growing up.

I just want to hear about your thoughts, feelings, traditions, etc. as you walk into the park!

Let's talk about the fun stuff!
Let's talk about the happy stuff!
Let's talk about the magical stuff!
LET"S TALK ABOUT DISNEYLAND!!!

 

[superlarz]

I feel like Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah

 

[basketballmom]

We have been blessed to be able to go to Disneyland once a year. We've gotten to the point where we know where we want to eat, what we want to ride, and what shows we want to see.
We ALWAYS go in the left tunnel, and head straight to Big Thunder. We do early mornings and late nights with rest times as needed. We love the magic, the details, EVERYTHING!
Disneyland is truly our happy place.

 

[valiamo]

I have a feeling of great relief that we have arrived, and the fun can begin. If the boys are with us (and they are adults now) I like to skip across the plaza just the embarass them (BTW I am an over 50 male adult). This year I get to embarass the new DIL as well! Yahoo!

 

[Butterfly123]

I always feel the memories of all the trips when my kids were younger come rushing back, all those happy times at Disneyland. It feels familiar, and exciting, and I feel content, too. It's a wonderful feeling!

 

[jory29]

I choke up with tears every single time we have gone, it means so much to me.

 

[hyperminimalism]

To be honest? Sometimes, I tear up too as I make my way through the tunnel and into the park. Disneyland has always been and will always be a very nostalgic place for me. It brings out my inner child. Despite how crowded and hot and overpriced things are there, I always end up wanting to go back. I'm slightly wary about how much more crowded it seems to be compared to last year when I went the first week of July, but I'm trying not to let that dictate how I'll feel coming to the park in August.

 

[zanzibar138]

I always tear up a little walking into Disneyland for the first time. I think it's a combination of feeling so relieved to have finally made it after the long long trip from Australia, and just feeling so happy to be in my magical happy place again

Coming from so far, we always have plenty of time at DLR, so I always enjoy just wandering and taking in the atmosphere on that first walk down Main Street USA. I just can't imagine entering for the first time and rushing to get fastpasses or go on a ride!

 

[seacruise]

I admittedly am too busy going over our plan for the day in my head to think about how I feel entering the parks. Rushing off to grab our first fast passes, which ride we are heading for first, where we are going to eat lunch, etc. Once we get into the queue for that first ride I start to relax! I try to enjoy main street on the way out as we usually blow right by it on the way in.

 

[peterpanandwendy]

The crowds and lines don't bother me at all. As a teacher, we only go during peak season, so I expect it to be busy and just roll with it.

When I enter the park I usually have to fight back tears. I love to take things slow. We arrive at rope drop, leisurely stroll down Main Street, grab a coffee and a cinnamon bun at the bakery... Usually we would get a fast pass for space mountain, but this year we have littles with us, so we plan on just taking it slow and letting them set the pace.... I'm so excited to go back! It's the first time in 4 years!

 

[cindyland]

My husband and children are still teasing me for crying on a trip when we entered the park and cast members waved at us and welcomed us to Disneyland. But it's an easy and fun-filled escape from all the planning and running around that I do as the mom. We are getting ready for another college tour trip, and it's so much planning. Hubby was actually the one to mention that we could spend THREE DAYS at Disneyland this August when we visit a school in San Diego. Just so he can watch me cry when the cast members wave at me with their Mickey gloves. And we're not telling our daughters -- a surprise for our stressed-out overachiever who's trying to select a college, and her sister who is being dragged along on way too many college tours (at least seven this summer). I'm bursting with excitement in keeping this secret, and can't wait to walk through those tunnels!

 

[DisneyBiskit]

The crowds and lines don't bother me at all. As a teacher, we only go during peak season, so I expect it to be busy and just roll with it.

When I enter the park I usually have to fight back tears. I love to take things slow. We arrive at rope drop, leisurely stroll down Main Street, grab a coffee and a cinnamon bun at the bakery... Usually we would get a fast pass for space mountain, but this year we have littles with us, so we plan on just taking it slow and letting them set the pace.... I'm so excited to go back! It's the first time in 4 years!

I'm a teacher as well, so going during peak times is the "norm" for us. I don't care as much about the crowds anymore. It is what it is. As I get older, its more about the experience and the environment rather than the rides. (Dont get me wrong....I have my rides that have to go on!) lol

 

[DisneyBiskit]

One of my new "traditions" when entering DL is stopping at Market House to get my Starbucks and then walking up to cast members and just chatting with them while I drink my coffee. I'm pin collector so I'm also trading pins as others rush past to get that all important Fast Pass.

 

[BensWife]

I am another one that gets teary eyed! (Shoot, I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it!) I just love how it takes me out of my life (stressed teacher here too!!!) and puts me into the world of Disney - magic, imagination, and fun!!! I can't wait for our next visit in July because we are going without the kids. I am very much looking forward to getting to do what "I" want instead of what the kids want. Yes, that is pretty selfish, but we are taking the kids in September and when your whole life (work and home) is all about the kids, it is so nice to just be an adult for a few days!!

 

[gerilyne]

For me, it is a mix of fighting back the tears, pinching myself that I am really there, and the bubbling excitement and giddiness of feeling like a little kid again.

Actually, just the thought of walking through the tunnel again and looking onto Main Street with the music, and the sounds of the crowd... I'm starting to feel that way right now.

60 days till I get to feel it again!

 

[kylie71]

Put me down for tears in my eyes too! We always enter through the left tunnel, and I always stop and take a picture of the Walt welcome sign above it... and then stop and look to his window above the Firehouse, and say out loud, Thank You Walt!!
Then wander down Mainstreet, looking at the flowers, and listening to the music, and smelling the flowers... it's just surreal no matter how many times I have gone, which has been every year since I was 4... and now I am 43!

I may travel to other places, but Disneyland is coming home!

--Lori

 

[Disneyland1084]

I feel SOOO happy and energized when I first walk in Disneyland. Then I think how I better hurry up and ride Peter Pan first thing since that will probably be the ONLY time during the whole trip I will ride it.

 

[swooshbear]

After a few recent trips to WDW, walking through the DLR gates really feels like home to me.

 

[JennyN]

Yes I'm one of the ones with tears in my eyes as we walk through the tunnel (always the one on the left). Just to be back in our families happy place brings on an overpowering feeling of happiness and gratitude. Gratitude that life is so good for us. This year it will just be DH and me, the first time without kids in 21 years, I'm not sure how we will go, it won't be the same.