Sometimes Disneyland really is the most magical place on earth, and I don't say that ironically. I knew we were going to have fun. I was with my kids and my 21 year old niece Robin, who is visiting from New Zealand and who we haven't seen for 5 years. I don't know if it was the perfect weather or my niece, but I wasn't expecting such a fantastic day.
Disneyland used to bum me out. I would get caught up in all the waste, the commercialism, the obesity, etc. and just find the whole thing ugly and distasteful and corny. Of course I had to pretend to have fun, which only made it worse.
But in the last couple of years, I have gotten into the spirit of being there, mainly brought on by watching my daughter light up when she saw a princess or devoured a wad of cotton candy. And today I found myself able to just be there, to be carried by the girls excitement and to feed off the joy that almost every child I saw was showing on their fat little faces. Kids love Disneyland! They don't mind the racks of junky stuff that is being pushed on them, or the fatty food, or the sugary treats. They are fine with long lines and long walks from place to place. They know they are going to get on some thrilling rides, eat some delicious food and easily talk their parents into three souvenirs. They are set. And if they see some characters along the way, all the better. The whole day is about them having fun, and they know it. If I let myself be a care-free kid again, it's easy to have as much fun as they do.
What I realize after a few years of carting kids to places designed with them in mind like the zoo, the over-designed kid's "museum", the aquarium, and other theme parks, is that Disney has a way of making sure everyone is taken care of. The place is clean, well organized and designed, and the staff are not allowed to be rude or pushy. Even on a day like today, when it was absolutely jam packed with people, everything flowed pretty well. We never waited that long for a ride and we got on everything we wanted to. We found the good food (which exists if you know where to go) and managed to avoid over eating. Amazing!
I also had a great time taking pictures. I saw things I'd never noticed before. The way the pink and blue sky at sunset matched the castle. How many birds there were. How great the fake trees look next to the real ones. How photogenic Tarzan's tree house is. And all day, the winter sun made everything sparkle.
