Disneyland -- I ! Love ! It !

SUMMARY: summarytext

From a facebook MiceChat group discussion 5/12/20

I'm so glad my parents took me there more than once (at least twice when I was 5-6ish)--I ! loved ! it! -- and at least a couple more times in Jr. High and High School. And for the latter visits they let me wander by myself, as long as I made our prearranged check-ins. I ! loved ! it! And in those early years, Disneyland began to fill my heart.

One of at least 2 times in '61-62 when I was young.
(I know, because I have photos w/2 sets of clothing and 2 hairstyles!
Here, me in blue with long braids. Sisters  holding hands with Dad also and with Mom.)

 With my great aunt and uncle, looks like.  [unedited] Look at all the crowds!.... not!
Why am I always looking backwards over my left shoulder?
From shadows, nearly midday--where'z da peoples at?

In high school, I was lucky enough to travel on our speech and debate team for invitational tournaments and the coaches allowed us to come here, at least twice during high school. Holy mickey! I ! Loved ! It!  Thus ended my not-legally-adult visits. And by then, Disneyland fully inhabited my heart and has stayed there ever since.

My college freshman year, came with friends. My junior year, came with the Cal Band. SO MUCH FUN! By then, I knew my way around like the back of my hand; knew the ins and outs of getting in to Blue Bayou; knew the routine for which rides were popular... all of it.

February 1977 - just missed 20th anniversary year (by a few months)
Me in brown pants and sunglasses

Couple years later, visited with my fiancé. Came at least one time that I have no specific memories of shortly after we were married, before we came again with friends, and came again with family, and came again with friends, repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat....

I started taking photos more seriously when we visited right after the all-new Fantasy Land opened. The changes blew us away, and I realized that I had NO PHOTOS of the "before"!  (I look back at the "lot more photos" and there are maybe a couple dozen a year? back then, compared to hundreds and hundreds per trip now!) Sometime later, had a season pass for a year when it cost less than two weekend passes, and visited maybe three times that year. Since then, averaging roughly once every year and a half to 2 years.

I ! Love ! It!

The other person's facebook post reminded me of my multidecade journey, always starting exactly as they described it: going through the security line, walking under the bridge, and onto Main Street. (Well, except before 9-11, I don't recall a security check.) And, yes, nearly EVERY SINGLE TIME after I pass under the bridge, I find things to take photos of right there at the beginning of Main Street.

"Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy".

  - Walt Disney, 1955

Now I'll share selected photos from Disneyland anniversary years (mostly) with my traveling compadres. Just those years. Not all the ones in between (wellllll with a couple of exceptions).

1990 35th anniversary--
might have "35th" photo with actual Disneyland sign somewhere, not yet scanned?
Or magnet or mug or clothing...

August, 1995 - 40th anniversary

Feb 2000 - 45th anniversary
Me in the middle; my ex and my sis

x

Feb 2006 - 50th anniversary (note "50" in flowers for 50th anniversary)
(Linda's eyes blinked, sorry, sis! Me on end, same sis and bro-in-law)

November 2009.
OMG did I really not go during its 55th anniversary year?! (2011-mid-2012?)
Me on left, same sis and bro-in-law and her friend from Australia

Sept 2012!  Apparently we completely surrounded the 55th anniversary
without going during that actual time! Ratz! :-)
(My friend Les came with us but preferred not to be in the photo, so there ya go.)

November 2015 - 60th anniversary
For a change of pace in the group photo

Nov 2017 -- just because it's the biggest group we've been with at Disneyland
--technically in Downtown Disney, because only a couple joined us in the actual park.

I didn't get there in 2019, which would've been the 65th anniversary, but had expected I'd go this year while they're still celebrating. But no: thanks, COVID. [grumble] And thanks, hip and knee, for keeping me home.  [I don't exactly mean that, either.]  I *did* have an opportunity a couple of days after we got back from Walt Disney World, but turns out I had made a couple of commitments for that time (oh, and also ended up with a nasty cold, so really good that I didn't go then).

Had been doing so well on anniversaries! Well, if they reopen soon, mayyyyybe they'll still have "65th" up. But more than likely they'll take this opportunity to decommission it.  Still, hoping there will be many more anniversary years for visiting Disneyland.

And I did go to DisneyWorld during the Disneyland anniversary year, so that counts for something!

Nov 2019 - Disneyland 65th anniversary year
But this isn't actually Disneyland.
It's the Magic Kingdom. You can hardly tell. can you!

But you know what's really cool about that last image? Far as I know, it's the first time since the first photo in this post that these 3 sisters have been in a Disneyland (ish) photo together! How cool is THAT?!

Florida Day 2

SUMMARY: Universal Resort: Harry Potter!

Backfill: Nov 17

See the post of the days preceding the trip, with a trip summary.

And here's yesterday.

Saturday

None of us have been here before. We take Uber with my rented disassembleable scooter and meet up with Sis #1 and spouse.

Universal Florida Resort/Parks! 

Main goal is the new Harry Potter universe, split between two parks. So we have a park-hopper pass (you can take the Hogwarts Express or walk) to go back and forth.

Walking through the brick wall at the station to get to Hogwarts Express.

It's very well done, realistic, feel like we're actually in Diagon Alley or other environs. Ride a couple of rides. Eat and snack. Shop.

Breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron. I have oatmeal flan for the first time ever, and fruit... so healthy!
And, ahem, of course, bacon.

Universal did a wondrous and magical job of putting us into Harry Potter's world! Some of the many photos I took--

Two sisters and Mallory hangin' with their wands in Diagon Alley

Dragon breathes fire at random intervals. I waited and waited but never got the camera onto it when the flames came out.

Gringots. The place is just about made of money.

Hippogriff

Mr. Fox chats it up with the driver and head of the Knight Bus.

Hogwarts!

Used magic wands to try to get all the magic-wand locations to do their things--it's tricky!

Healthy lunch: Shepherd's pie and salad! I'm trying hard to allow space in my calories for occasional junk food (i.e., sugar) during our stay.

I walk a bunch but very glad for the scooter. We tire out and the one park is closing early, so we take the boat across the lake to Sis #1's hotel, where we meet up with Bro-in-Law #2 and rental car.

Boat across the lake.

[dinner where?], then to our hotel for the rest of our stay (Shades of Green at WDW--this is my 3rd time at this military-owned/run resort, although it's very Disney-like), where Bro-in-law #2 has already checked us in and moved our luggage in. Great guy!

The Other Coast Disney

SUMMARY: Walt Disney World (WDW) and environs, Nov 1-9

There's always so much to say about these trips, and I took no notes at all while it was all going on, so some of it is a big colorful fun blur in my memory.  So I'm going to try to capture just a few things about the 9 days, for me, at least.

First, though, my seester is considerably more succinct in her Facebook post:

Now that the trip(s) are over.. sanity has returned and recovery is ongoing. Nov.1st. Flew to Florida. Nov 2 went to universal studios for a day to see Harry Potter stuff. Nov. 3-5 went to WDW, nov 6 did monorail resort hopping and drove out to see the Atlantic Ocean. Nov. 7-8 did More WDW. Flew home Nov. 9. Nov. 12th drove to Disneyland. Did Disneyland resort for 3 days, returning Friday the 15th.

To say that my feet hurt would be an understatement.. and I’m a bit tired..

Wednesday before the trip

Finished packing my big suitcase because that had to go early with my bro-in-law #2 who is going a day ahead of us to sign in for his Saturday and Sunday races (Friday and Saturday? See, I already forgot). Drove half an hour each way to drop off the suitcase at my seester's place (call her Sister #2). Excitement is high. Hoping I can sleep well the next couple of nights. At the last minute, I dash out to Target to buy a new 4 TB portable drive to use as backup for my photos while on the trip.

Thursday before the trip

Lots to do: My sister (call her Sister #4) has come up from Nevada to stay with the house and dogs, so I need to be sure that things are in reasonable order and that I've given her all the info that she needs. Plus making sure that all of my last-minute carry-on packing is done. Don't want to forget anything important, like the camera! Or the batteries!  Then early-ish to bed because...

Friday

Sis#2, I, and Sis#2's good friend from Australia (call her Mallory, because that's her Facebook handle) fly together from the San Francisco airport. We've all done Disneyland together a couple of times, and it's fun.

To Orlando.  Flight is uneventful.

Arrive around dinnertime. Take Uber to the Disney Swan hotel (haven't stayed there before), meet Bro-in-Law #2 for dinner. And all are very tired, so not too late to bed. Mallory and I share a room.

See a few details with photos.

Saturday

Universal Florida Resort/Parks! None of us have been here before. We meet up with Sis #1 and Bro-in-law #1. Main goal is the new Harry Potter universe, split between two parks. . Ride a couple of rides. Eat and snack. Shop. Then to our hotel for the rest of our stay (Shades of Green), where Bro-in-law #2 has already checked us in and moved our luggage in. Great guy!

See a few details with photos.

Sunday

who knows about more details or photos. Jeez, have been at it for hours. So many photos! So little time!

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Up very early. To Orlando airport in plenty of time for breakfast at Ruby Tuesday's. Home again, jiggity-jog. Exhausted but not successfully sleeping on the plane again, and the window-seat occupants keep the windows closed, so no views. That's OK, though. It's peaceful.  At home, I unpack only a couple of things that I need and call it a night.

Sunday

How is it possible that, to unpack, I have to take one or two things to each of a thousand different places in my house and car?!  Took a lot of time, but glad to get it done and everything stowed away to await another exciting adventure.

Monday

Woke up with a cold. Children! Airplanes! Not enough sleep! Excitement, adrenaline, blah blah! Ah, well, it was worth it--and I'm on hiatus from work, so plenty of time to rest!

Florida Day 1

SUMMARY: Travel from CA

Backfill: Nov 17

See the post of the days preceding the trip, with a trip summary.

Friday

...Up at 5 AM, dress, grab carry-on bag and jump into house/dogsitter Sis#4's car to Sis#2's house, then she takes Sis#2, me, and Sis#2's good friend who's from Australia (call her Mallory, because that's her Facebook handle) the 45 minutes to the San Francisco airport. We've all done Disneyland together a couple of times, and it's fun. After automated check-in, we have plenty of time to get healthyish snacks at the airport shops and snack bars near our gate.

In SFO. Golden Gate Bridge plus Halloween spiderweb.

In the air again...  

Flying the friendly skies from SFO

We fly to Orlando.

Although I keep nodding off momentarily, I've never been able to sleep except in a window seat where I have a corner for my head. No, those little neck pillows (demonstrated by Mr Fox No.12) don't help much.

Free snacks are Stroopwafel (tasty cookie) or pretzels. I have water as my free drink; already had caffeine at SFO.

I love flying in an exit row--plenty of room to stretch out legs onto my carryon beneath the seat in front of me.

I'm on the aisle seat, so I can't really see the scenery most of the time... but sometimes.  Flight is uneventful.

San Francisco is not sliding off into the Pacific; plane is rising steeply.

Hello, Rocky Mountains!

Look--now we're in Florida! (Green and water and clouds and stuff.)

Arrive in Orlando around dinnertime. Plan was for bro-in-law #2 to drive back to the airport in the rental car to pick us up, but google traffic says traffic is a mess from his direction. So I request a Uber driver and he's there in 6 minutes. Trip to the hotel is less than half an hour; driver answers some of our questions about the parks, the traffic, and the hotels. (We've not stayed at the Swan before.)

We are here!! Yayyy!!!

We four have dinner in a cafe at the Disney Dolphin hotel (staying at its partner, the Disney Swan, the first night because ... reasons). And all are very tired, so not too late to bed. Mallory and I share a room.

 I try to eat healthy (love salmon! plus veggies!)

Walkway from the Dolphin to the Swan

Swan Hotel

Dolphin Hotel

Walkway from the Dolphin to the Swan at dusk -- lighting on the trees keeps changing!

Dolphin Hotel across the lagoon.

Nowwwww  ---- see tomorrow's post.