What’s Your Disney Thing?
 

Jennifer Tucker over at disneydaytrippers.com asks, "What is your Disney thing?"I don't have any strong things, but if I go to Disneyland, I will almost certainly go on Mansion and Jungle Cruise. In DCA, I will almost always get a snack at Corn Dog Castle.

If by Disney thing, you mean Disneyland Thing - here's what comes to mind.

If you arrive at the Park at or near opening and are still or back there at or near closing - plus any and all Disneyland birthdays no matter what - you and all accompanying friends perform the sacred ritual at the S - the dual silly walks along the compass in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. It's a tradition as old as time, as old as rhyme.


Space Mountain with rainbow glasses. If you can manage it, and attempts are especially made on Disneyland birthday - add nitrous oxide balloons and LSD. Best Ride Ever. (though, for other reasons, The Haunted Mansion has always been my favorite attraction)


There are a few smaller traditions around the edges, but these are the stongest and longest lasting rituals of fun.

Man, I've had so many over the years. Watching people leave at the end of the night. Saying goodnight to the swans and lingering in Disneyana. Riding Big Thunder with a nearly full train of Padders/Fabbers/Swankers. Standing next to a bathroom talking for half an hour. Spending 45 minutes deciding where to eat, another 20 walking across the park to the designated restaurant, then two hours eating and talking and just enjoying myself so damn much.

Lately, it's been tough. T doesn't love the place the way I do. I'm sure he'll grow out of it. For now, the thing I make sure to do is get us a nice lunch somewhere, anywhere with a nice view. He loves the food there. Thank goodness for that.

A thread like this tugs my heartstrings. Next we can debate our favorite DL snacks or fireworks views. What a fun ten years we've had together. :)

One of my things has been I always enter and exit to the right. I enter by the Opera House and Exit by City Hall.... Always.

Most of the time I like walking down the dead center of Main St. avoiding all horse crap.

Walking in the shops to see what's new, especially Disneyanna.

Matterhorn (when I used to ride it) tap the top of the cave at the start.

Goofy holler after emerging from lift C.

Look towards the Firehouse on the way out.

My favorite Disney thing to do is the opposite of most people. It's to experience something new, something I've never done there before. The first year or two that I had a pass was easy. I had gone to Disneyland a hundred times and didn't even know that Story Book boats or Casey Jones train was even there! We dashed from E ticket to E ticket, ignoring some of the C rides. Then after I got to know every inch of the park, I waited for new attractions, starting with Indy.

Then as a new movie would come out, we'd see the movie, then go to the park to see the parade ( Alladin, Lion King), stage play (Beauty & the Beast, Pocahontas), or window display on Main Street.

Other treats like going on a rainy day, or doing the rope drop, or watching the firewoorks from the outside stares of the Mickey & friends parking structure corner closest to where they are shot off is great. Hanging out in off the beaten path places like the far end of Hungry Bear under the balcony and watch the river traffic go by that makes it feel like you have a special place is cool as well.

Then came the whole new gate with DCA. And it's re-launch. There is so many new things to experience there all of the time. My next one is to see the Oz 4 D preview in the tough to be a bug theater. The last one was the Golden Horseshoe review.

I use to love to close the park, and still can. But it is getting harder as I get older.

Although I always say goodby to Walt on the way out, to the light in the window of his appartment.

Really, it is just being there with a couple of friends and being an environment that provides just enough framework to the day while everybody's talking and cracking each other up.

If all my friends were into Legoland, then that's where I'd do it. If they were all into SeaWorld then I wouldn't have any friends.

Just getting there at all is my thing.

Riding all the rides my kids want to. Riding Splash Mountain at the end of a winter's evening, walking back through the empty park.

How could I forget Goat Trick?!! Or, if you can snag the back row on Big Thunder, looking backwards the whole time (really nausiating!)

Newer on Big Thunder, if you "snag" the front row, bloodcurdling screams of horror when you go through the "death cave."


Ah, red long johns. Long gone.



Sitting on the porch on Main Street to watch people leave and, if you can stay late, trying the invisibility cloak that guards that same porch (i.e., Disneyland staff will let you sit there forever, even if they get to hosing down the streets at 3am!)



OMG, before cell phones - and for decades - the meeting spot was Snow White Wishing Well on the hour. That song ingrained in all the brains of my pre-cellphone Disneyland pals.


The recent revival of the Golden Horseshoe Revue reminded me we used to watch it from "Roy's Box" as a must. (The one opposite of Walt's Box, though there was never any inkling Roy ever sat there - hehehe)



Sinking boats on Small World and Pirates before Unsinkable Molly Brown boats were installed.


Backwards on the big Splash Mountain drop was a thing for a while.


Oh, le sigh, le sigh.