“Over at our place, we’re sure of just one thing: everybody in the world was once a child.”
Walt Disney
We all know who this magical man is, or more appropriately, was. He was the reason that we have these wonderful ideas from Disney movies. We were introduced to our princesses that we all know: Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, and the list goes on and on. He is the reason we have our movies about Mickey Mouse, magical spells, and the charming princes. Walt Disney was an icon and gave us so many characters that we love today.
However, he did not just create movies and the stories. We were also given the amusement park, Disneyland Park, originally Disneyland. It is one of two amusement parks that are built in Anaheim, California. The other one being Disney California Adventure Park.
As a kid, I dreamt of going to this magical place where you were told to wear the Mickey Mouse ears as souvenirs and to be surrounded by all the candy of the world. It was the place where we could find the magic of what we saw in the theaters. We could meet our princesses and take pictures and acquire their autographs. We could meet Mickey Mouse himself and stare at the castle that was so famous in the opening sequences of the movies.
Nonetheless, I did not live in California and was always on the other side of the country or in another country sometimes. I never lived in California and we never visited. The only time we ever visited California was Summer of 2012. We only visited Universal Studios and I was a bit disappointed.
Since I took the semester off, a trip was planned to visit California to relax and have a wonderful time. We went to San Diego, the beach, and fancy clubs for VIPs. However, the one day I was the most excited about was Disneyland.
Yes, I am about to be 22 years old and I was ecstatic for Disneyland. There was no judgment from my family but some of my friends that I had spoken to stated: “Well aren’t you a little old to go to Disneyland?”
It is OK to love Disneyland even when you are older!
We all have been children and loved things that people judge us. I will proudly state that I watch those movies for relaxation and I usually watch the new movies that come out when they are released on DVD. I have gone to premieres of Disney movies and I am not ashamed of it. Why not hold onto your inner child as much as you can?
I went on all of the classic rides from the Teacups to Thunder Mountain. I ate the most amazing churro in the world because that is a classic dessert there. I bought the Mickey Mouse Ears that I had dreamt about receiving. I am 21 years old and I had a blast at Disneyland. Although there were rides that were more acquainted for the younger generation, I enjoyed every bit of the adventure. We went on Space Mountain, we traveled through Star Wars in Star Tours, and we even rode on the merry go round that is right next to the Disney castle itself.
I got to meet some of the most iconic characters of my life. Those individuals were Mad Hatter, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, and even Pluto! Now, although Star Wars was just recently added to Disney, they are incorporated so well and I absolutely enjoyed this experience!
I took so many pictures and had so many reactions to everything. It was a dream come true. I was a little kid again and it was one of the best feelings in the world. Who is someone to judge me for enjoying Disneyland? I would go there again in a heartbeat! Watching those fireworks fly over the castle and hearing the classic, “Dreams come true” trailing off in the distance.
It is OK to love Disneyland and anything that reminds you of your childhood. Go be that little kid again! You only live once!
