Ten years ago I was bitten by the bug — I guess you could say Flick got me. I sat on the bus leaving the Disney World resort, and all I wanted to do was turn that bus around and start my new life in Cinderella’s castle.
When I planned my spring break trip to Los Angeles this year, there was no way I was going to leave California without a visit to the happiest place on earth. I was Disney deprived for 10 years, so you can’t blame me, right?
Last week, my roommate and I embarked on our 14-hour Disneyland journey. We woke up at 6 a.m. to make sure we made it to the park no later than opening at 8 a.m. Normally this would fall under the “don’t say a word to me until less I’ve had coffee” hour, but this day it definitely did not. Nope, not one drop of me even thought about coffee.
We made it to the park at exactly 8 a.m. You could say I was as happy as a 5-year-old on Christmas, or Olaf when he sings "Summer;" probably a mixture of both, to be honest. After taking those mandatory pictures of the Mickey Mouse landscape and Disney railroad (if I didn’t take a picture, did I really go to Disneyland?), I ran straight into the main street entrance and headed right to Space Mountain. I mean, the only way to conquer Disneyland in one day was to hit all of the biggest rides first.
The ironic thing about Disney, in my opinion, is that it gets better as you age. Sure, the parks are filled with kids, but it doesn’t matter if you’re 10 or 20 years old, as soon as you slide a pair of ears on your head and see your favorite characters, you truly feel like you’re in a magical place without a care in the world.
1.You can stay however long you want to
Hello, 14-hour day. What parent would want to shuffle their kids around Disney for 14 hours? Probably not many.
2. Waiting over an hour for a ride is no longer a problem
I agree, it can be boring, but we all know that thrilling feeling while we're barreling down Splash Mountain makes it totally worth it.
3. Souvenir shopping is no longer a chore
The biggest question: Do I get sparkly or polka dot Minnie Mouse ears.
4. You finally understand the rides and you’re not scared of them
I am probably the only person who just realized the connection in the "It’s a Small World" ride and the many countries featured in it. That one must have flew over my head when I was 10. The good thing about going to Disney when I’m 20: I’m no longer afraid of every ride in the dark, hooray!
If someone ever tells you that you’re too old for Disneyland or Disney World, just know that they are 100 percent wrong. Take me, for example. I'm 20 years old and I went running into the park and didn't take my Minnie Mouse ears off once. Walt Disney’s mission for Disneyland was to create a place where adults could relive memories of the past and children could look forward to the future. Disney will always hold a special place in my heart and I don’t think there will ever be a time when I won’t want to be there. As Walt Disney said, “Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.”
