The last time I went to Disneyland was summer 2018, right before Pixar Pier opened! I was hoping to go to Disneyland this summer after the Stadium Tour in San Francisco. But of course, both of those events got canceled due to COVID-19. I’ve been watching more Disneyland videos on YouTube recently, and they remind me of all the great things I love about the Disney parks.
I want Disneyland to open up again so badly, but due to the pandemic, now is not the time to do so! Downtown Disney is open, and the cast members are doing everything they can to make sure guests feel safe. Until Disney California Adventure Park and Disneyland open up again, I want to reminisce on all the things I love about Disneyland and why it’s always been my happy place!
Disney has been a massive part of my life since I was five years old, after being granted a wish from the Make-A-Wish foundation to go to Disney World. Disney was my escape from reality and always made me feel safe! The music, the cast members, the attractions, and the characters; everything about the Disney parks made me feel safe. Mickey Mouse welcomed me with open arms the first time I met him at Give Kids the World, hence why he’s my favorite Disney character!
A year later, I went to Disneyland, but I don’t remember much of it because I was around the same age. I finally got a chance to go again in eighth grade during spring break, and as soon as I saw the sign across the hotel, I felt alive! I’ve seen videos and commercials about Disneyland, but I haven’t been there in years. It felt so surreal strolling through Main Street U.S.A, smelling the churros, hearing “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” play on the speakers, and getting on my first ride at the parks in years.
Meeting characters is another plus to going to the Disney parks. I’ve met Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald, Woody, Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit, Goofy, and more in the past. I was fangirling so hard when I met Oswald two years ago; I’m not joking! People grow up with these characters and have seen them on TV, movies, and commercials. They’ve built connections with these characters throughout the years, so when people get a chance to take pics with their favorite characters, it’s like their reconnecting with a friend they haven’t seen in a long time!
I love the attractions aspect because Disney is all about storytelling, and just like escaping the real world when entering the Disney parks when going on an attraction, people leave the parks and enter a story. Whether that’d be flying over Neverland with Peter Pan, sailing on the happiest cruise that ever sailed, encountering 999 happy haunts, exploring a lost temple with Indiana Jones, or diving under the sea with Ariel and her friends. Think of the Matterhorn Bobsleds as an excursion through a mountain while trying to escape an abominable snowman named Harold.
The Disney parks, whether that’d be Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park, are so magical, and you really do escape reality because these places do not exist in real life! People come to Disneyland to get away from their troubles, spend time with their loved ones, and remember the importance of living. When stressed out about work, school, etc., Disneyland is there to remind you that life is worth living, and there’s hope out there for a better future! Even during the pandemic, there is hope for a better future because we will get through this!
Disney touches people’s lives for a reason because the characters and the stories make them happy. I could listen to “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid for hours, and my life would be complete afterward. Ariel is the reason why I started singing in the first place. People see the magic on screen, and the Disney parks are a way of bringing the magic to life!
That is why I love Disneyland! The characters, the stories, the music, and escaping to a whole new world. Besides music, Disney is the only thing keeping me sane during the pandemic, as it is for a lot of people because I know there are those out there that miss Disneyland just as much as I do! Until Disneyland opens again, I’ll be riding the Disneyland Railroad virtually, singing along to music from Tangled, Lilo and Stitch, and The Lion King, enjoying every last bit of Splash Mountain while I can, and so much more until then.
Comment below your favorite memories of Disneyland and what you want to do first when it opens again!
Take care and see ya real soon!
Lana
Lana Teramae | Me, Myself and Time 
It really is the happiest place on earth! I absolutely love their fireworks. And the meet and greets with characters are pretty cute too 😍
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I’m so glad I’m not alone on this. The fireworks are part of the experience and Disney music playing in the background makes it extra special. The meet and greets are the best!!! The last time I was at Disneyland, I met Oswald and I was starstruck! 🙂
When was the last time you went?
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