This morning I had one of what is likely to be many ‘Por favor’ moments. After the last week I am absolutely exhausted so after trying to catch up with the diary late into the night, I only opened my eyes at 10 am. Now it appears that the housekeeping staff at the Menage are accustomed to families leaving their rooms really early for a long day in the park, as every so often they would knock at the door with a barely audible ‘housekeeping’ in a heavy Spanish accent and had it dead bolted. After a few of these, I got out of bed and went to the door and tried to explain that I’d be in the room for approx hour or so more and then they could come and make up the room….
But you would think that I was talking Swahili with the blank look on her face and then a ‘you want I come back?’ I just smiled and nodded.
Finally had that sorted.
It was lunch time when I caught the shuttle to the parks. Only another Disney nut would understand the bubbling euphoria as I got closer to nirvana. Taking the front seat so I could see the very first glimpse of the park as it became visible, I could barely contain the giggles as I stepped off the bus and beamed my way to the ticket office. The sun was shining, Disney music enveloped me and the magic of Disney took hold. One of the best moments of the trip so far.
I decided that the first thing to do would be to buy that annual pass that I didn’t have time to organise before leaving Australia. Lucky for me, that when you rock up at the ticket office, it is the cheapest I have seen it. It cost me $20 less than anything I could get on the internet and I was really pleased with that.
Soon after that I had to make my first really tough choice.
It appeared that I needed to go into Disneyland to finalise the photo id on the card and therein lies the problem. I wanted the first steps into Disneyland to be momentous and somewhat memory filled.
I resolved to just make a bee-line for the Bank of Main street which mercifully was just inside the gate and then turn on my heels with a will of steel and leave the park so that my first real day in Disneyland was a full and eventful one.
And I am happy to say, I stuck to my resolve.
So after having my backpack checked for the 3rd time since I entered the park grounds, I began my meandering through the Downtown Disney precinct.
The first place I went into was of course, World of Disney. What a huge shop… I lost hours in there. Emerging with a book on the hidden Mickey’s in the parks, the first fluffy of the Disney trip ( Mickey of course) a necklace and, following on from the first portion of my trip where I made a point of trying a new ‘local‘ lolly every day, today’s lolly discovery was white chocolate covered pretzels…. Which as it turns out is quite a taste sensation.
I was hungry by then so I went into Wetzels Pretzels and bought the most wicked cheese Dog and lemonade. I’m not sure if that is the usual size of hot dogs here in the US or not, but it was more bratwurst size than a hot dog. And I know you are all thinking what I’m thinking…. Yep, I was careful how I ate it, dainty nibbles were the order of the day. I found a shady spot and sat and listened to the street performers for a while, which I did many times throughout the day. People watching in Disney is unlike anywhere else in the world.
Then I found Build a Bear. Wow… its probably a good thing that no one else is with me because I lost nearly two hours in there. Now, I am not an indecisive person but there was just so much choice that I was spoiled and went through the full gamut of possibilities, ranging from Nascar, to Baseball, to various Disney characters, to singlet and Y-fronts… even a brief foray into cross dressing with a cheerleaders costume as I wavered between my panda being a girl or a boy , finally coming to a decision on a Woody outfit. And then you have to pick accessories and name the thing. And what it has to go through before you even get to the point of the dressing rooms demands a hug to make up for being unceremoniously stuffed, having a heart transplant, being sewn up and then washed in the ‘fluffing machine’….
But boy was it fun. I didn’t opt for a sound box, I wanted a heartbeat instead. And feeling that ticker under his fur is magic.
And the best bit? Because I am an AP holder, I got a discount and a free Build a Bear beach towel.
I just wandered along then for a bit, listening to the musicians, taking photos, and decided to buy a ticket to see the new Indy movie in the AMC theatre. I still had an hour to kill so I hit the Lego shop, then watched a show outside the Rainforest Café with a macaw that kept biting the handler ( hehehe… Australia Zoo could teach that boy a thing or two ) and then ended at the Disney pin stand, buying my first pin and lanyard. The pin was a limited edition, AP passholders only 3D pin of the Tiki room.
I had every intention of seeing the new Indy movie here at Disneyland and it didn’t disappoint. I loved it every bit as much as the first one which is my favourite.
I’m really enjoying discovering new and interesting things to eat too…. Who knew that Creole food was so divine?
Oh… ok… well, I didn’t.
Maybe it was sitting outside in the soft early summer breeze listening to live music, surrounded by tiny fairy lights in the trees, as I ate spicy creole fries and some other concoction that I can’t remember what its called, and finishing with fresh square donut things that have so much icing sugar they are a heart attack in motion as you put them in your mouth… but I was in sugar high heaven… I loved them, and will likely have them again.
It being Saturday and the end of the school year here, tonight was one of the designated Grad Nights for all the high school graduates and they were out in force and many many of them dressed to the nines and in celebration mode. There was quite a police presence to go along with that - ala Gold Coast Schoolies - but I didn’t see anyone behaving badly. I think in hindsight thought, it was probably a really good night NOT to be in Disneyland proper.
Today was really only a taster of what is to come and I can’t wait for tomorrow when I’m sure as I walk through those hallowed gates with the whole day at my disposal, I will be a little teary with the overwhelming sense of having arrived in Utopia.
Ok, one last thing I have to comment on… I am constantly surprised by how germ phobic the average American is. Their public toilets standards are well above most in Australia and I have become so accustomed to not having to touch anything anywhere - no not even to flush ( if you sit there too long it will just do it for you… there is something a little disconcerting about having a toilet you are sitting on just flush of it own accord.)- that when I do have to touch a tap or dryer I think to myself ‘ewww… I have to touch it’ and really, at home, I’d not give that a second thought. Funny how quickly your perception changes. And you’ll not see reams of paper on the floor from drifting seat covering attempts - every toilet without exception has those paper seat covers that you only see in the likes of DJ’s at home. I see people with their little bottles of sanitising gel out everywhere and I wonder how much their over use might alter ones immunity.
But anyway, I’m finally here… almost said the word ‘home’ then….. I guess I have read and seen and done so much Disney stuff that pertains to actually being here, it feels remarkably familiar. Bring on tomorrow.
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