Disneyland: The Experience

Disneyland is not a theme park; it is an experience. Disneyland calls itself the happiest place on Earth, and to my surprise, I think I have to agree with its self-proclaimed title. You have never seen more pleasant employees in your life. The employees are either actors who fake being unbelievably happy, or they genuinely love their jobs. I'm not just talking about the folks who wear the Disney character costumes. I'm talking about the people at the food stands, the line directors who keep people in line, the sweepers who clean up trash, they're all happy! Here's the most shocking observation of all - the guests are happy, too! It's hot and humid in August, the lines are long and the kids are wiggly and impatient, but everyone is happy. I never saw anyone get upset about anything. Did I interrupt the space-time continuum and land in utopia? How can this be? Our world is full of unhappy, self-obsessed people, but none of them came to Disneyland last week.

Here's another interesting observation. The people mix could not have been more diverse. We saw newlywed couples wearing Mickey and Minnie Mouse head gear, we saw different types of religious garb and national dress, every race and nationality, young and old, babies and teenagers. There was no hatred, no distinction of any kind. Just a group of human beings acting nicely toward each other and who all came for the same reason - to experience the happiest place on Earth. I had to wonder when everyone went back to the real world and their real lives, would they keep that happiness alive? Disneyland was an experience, one that I will not soon forget.

On a family note, the boys enjoyed the rides and the 3D short movies. Their favorite ride was Buzz Lightyear where you shoot a laser blaster at the aliens while riding through the alien ship. The freakiest 3D movie was A Bugs Life 3D. Black widow spiders drop down from the ceiling, you get sprayed with termite acid, and bugs crawl under your bottom in your seat. The coolest ride was Soarin' Over California. You sit in a row of seats elevated 20 feet in the air while your feet dangle, and you watch a video on a 20-foot screen. It is a simulation of being on a hang glider soaring over all the great places in California.

Believe it or not, the highlight of Disneyland for the boys was the snail. We were walking along and Leif saw a beautiful shell on the sidewalk. He stopped to look at it and saw that it was a snail. We spent a good 20 minutes with that snail. We rescued it from the busy sidewalk and put it up on a ledge near some water.

Here are some photos of our adventures at Disneyland.