the perspective of a palindromic mind: March 2015

Spring break deserved to be celebrated this year. So, like the rest of America, Disneyland seemed like the best option.

I convinced my mom, Adam, Amanda and Stanley to come too, because I like to party. We were there 3 days, and 3 days was plenty for us. It was seriously so hot that weekend - like in the 90's - which happened to be hotter than it was in Mesa at the time. And I just thought that was wrong. But whatevs, we still had a good time!

We used our early admission on Thursday, our first day, and went straight to Space Mountain. We ended up riding that one 4 times that day. And one of those times it stopped working and all the lights came on. We were stuck there for a few minutes, and then they fixed it and we finished the ride, with the lights still on. That was kinda cool yet kinda unmagical. But they let us stay on the ride and do it again... and all the magic was restored! Man, I love that ride.

I also love Star Tours. And we also rode that one 3 or 4 times that first day! I just love how it is different every time you go.. it's just so fun!

Another fun memory was on the Teacups. Stanley was loving it at first, but Adam was spinning it as much as he could and after a while Stanley's smile completely disappeared and he laid his head down on Adam's lap... Apparently motion sickness is a thing!

Pretty much all the lines were close to nonexistent that first day and we got to do everything at Disneyland we could have ever dreamed of. We did miss a few in Fantasyland, but we got to those later.

We had to wait about 45 minutes, our longest wait time, for both Finding Nemo and Autopia, which strangely I think are 2 of the worst rides in the park. (You win some, you lose some)

Friday morning we got to California Adventure early so we could be first in line for Radiator Springs Racers. But it seemed we got there too early, because they were still only admitting people with magic morning passes, and we used ours the day before. So we just waited like fools for a few minutes. Then a magical disney cast member saw us and asked why we were standing there like goons instead of going into the park. She took our tickets and told us that we were supposed to get a magic morning at Disneyland, but oh well! Since we were there anyway, she gave us a ticket with a California Adventure magic morning and on we went! (So pretty much we got 1 1/2 magic mornings!) And we were off to RADIATIOR SPRINGS. Guys, that place was just so cool! Like wow! I was in awe that they put so much into making that look like the real deal, for just one ride. It was incredible!

We rode that one 4 times too and even had a leftover pass we didn't use. Mostly because we really took advantage of Fast Passes and stroller passes for that one! We rode it first thing in the morning, then got 4 fast passes for later in the day. Mom and I went and got a stroller pass. Then Adam and Amanda went and got another stroller pass. Then Adam, Mom and I used one of the stroller passes and later on Mom and I used the other stroller pass. So basically Stanley was the biggest asset to Radiator Springs Racers March 2015!

Stanley the founder!

Also A Bugs Life Land was pretty cool, too! You are surrounded by extremely tall plants on all sides, so not only is it immensely cooler in that land, but it makes you feel like a little bug in a big world.

Mom and I stopped in the shade one afternoon while Stan the man was napping and Adam and Amanda went on Star Tours. He had just woken up when out of a very discrete corner of the park Mickey and Minnie came out. Their chaperons asked if Stanley would like to take a picture with them. I went over to take their picture... literally 15 seconds after they walked out, and as I turned around there was already a line of over 20 people! HOW DID THEY EVEN KNOW THEY WERE THERE!? We were in the far corner of Tomorrowland... It seriously amazed me.

I had only been to Disnleyland 3 times before this and every time I was just so focused on the rides! I wanted to ride as many as I could as fast as I could. However, since we had 3 days, and the first was pretty much as great as a day at Disneyland could ever be - we could slow down a little the next few days. On Thursday we stumbled on a show - Mickey and the Magical Map. It was the first show I had ever seen and it changed my Disneyland thinking ways. The shows are so well done and a nice break from the scorching heat, so I started looking for more of the shows and the overall Disneyland experience instead of just the amusement park experience, and that was a pretty great change!

New Orelans Square

Mickey and the Magical Map (we saw it twice)

Trolley News Boys!

Aladdin - a highlight of the trip, i'd say.

Aladdin and Jasmine on a flying carpet!

Fireworks.

I know a lot of people who say they love Disneyland for the food. And as I mentioned before, I was too ride-minded (and my wallet has never been too gigantic) so I never experienced that realm either. I still don't have a pretty penny for food, and I will probably never be someone who goes to Disneyland to wait in food lines instead of ride lines, but I did expand my horizons and tried a few new things this time around. And I have to say... they do good work.