The last time I was at Disneyland it was 1987: I was 11, Captain E.O. was all the rage, all four of us were getting over the chicken pox, and my mother complained the whole time. Now I’m a mom, and although my kids have asked for years to go to Disneyland, I’ve always said, “Not this year.”
Until Disney invited me to go to the premiere of their new live theater experience Mickey and the Magical Map. Disney was kind enough to extend the invitation to my sons. I had the hardest time keeping it a secret from them. I didn’t breathe a word. The morning we flew out I even sent them to school as usual. I picked them up from school, to their total confusion, and drove to the airport. I didn’t tell them until we landed at LAX.
You’re going to Disneyland!
Yes, for real!
The thing is, Disneyland is magic. You forget where you are. You forget what real life is like. It’s like the quote from Walt Disney as you enter the park, “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.”
Everything about our adventure was a forever memory for the children. Who could forget dancing with the princesses at Fantasy Faire, the new story book village expansion of Fantasyland?
Or just the dancing, period.
I swore to my oldest that I wouldn’t post any of the pictures of him posing with the Princesses, because he would die of mortification, but don’t worry, I have them for emergencies.
The boys rode in the teacups under the pastel lights until they were almost sick. And then they did it again (because that’s what you do on the teacups.)
The truth about Disneyland is that you might start out sitting on opposite sides of the bench…
And end up being on the same side.
I hope their memories of our magic time at Disneyland will be one of their treasures, because now it’s one of mine.
I don’t know how Disney arranged a shooting star over Fantasy Faire, but if any place could, it would be Disney.
See? Magic.
Thank you to Disney for the invitation to be their guest. Visit the new Fantasy Faire, the expansion of Fantasyland, where we met all the Disney Princesses, and where you could met real-life Disney heroes, heroines, and characters. It’s just one more way that Disneyland Just Got Happier.
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