I did it!!! I finally took the plunge and took an airplane ride across country for the trip of my life. As a frequent visitor to Disney World, I have always wanted to make the trip to California to see where it all began. I wanted to see the only park that Walt Disney ever walked, to see the original park that started it all. However, as a very nervous flier, I never thought I could do it. Finally, my husband had three free flights and convinced me to give it a try. When else would we be able to fly all three of us to California for free? The free flights, along with the free car rental let us know that this was our chance. So, I went to the doctor, got a prescription to help me on the flight, and off we went. From the minute I stepped on the plane I knew it was all going to be worth it....and it was. The whole trip was amazing and I am so glad I faced my fears and made the choice to go. I loved every minute of the trip.
So, based on the fact that at least ten people had "warned" me before the trip that I would be disappointed, I didn't have high expectations for the parks. However, from the minute I walked through the turnstiles, I was in awe. I felt the magic as soon as we crossed under the train station. It was so wonderful to see my daughter holding her Daddy's hand, and literally running down Main Street with excitement. She couldn't wait to round that corner and see that castle. Until we rounded that corner, I felt right at home. Everything was so similar to Magic Kingdom in Florida. Then I saw the castle. Was I seeing things? It looked so small. Was that it? Maybe we were just too far away. Then we got closer, and realized, no it was really just a small castle. However, as I got closer and realized that I could actually walk through the castle and see the story of Sleeping Beauty unfold as we went through it, I realized that I loved it even more than the bigger, more regal one in Florida. I mean, I was walking through a castle "built for a Princess". How cool is that? It was the first of just a few differences between the two parks that I actually ended up loving after I finished analyzing the differences.
Another wonderful surprise was seeing Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Alice In Wonderland in Fantasyland. These are the rides that scream Disney to me. Don't get me wrong, I love the roller coasters and thrill rides at some theme parks, but nothing compares to these rides at Disney. I love getting in a little car and riding through a story while fun and familiar music plays in the background. Some of my favorite rides (at either park) are Peter Pan, it's a small world, Splash Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, and Winnie The Pooh. Of course, you have to add in Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain as well, though these are more about fun than stories. These are all true Disney magic in my mind. Nothing compares!!! Luckily all of my favorites, and more, were at Disneyland so we had no shortage of fun rides. Now if they would only build a Matterhorn and Indiana Jones ride at Disney World my vacations there would be perfect!
One of my favorite differences in the two parks was that Disneyland still has the Penny Arcade and Main Street Cinema on Main Street. These were two of my favorite things to do when I was younger at the Magic Kingdom and I was very sad to see them go away in recent years. It was so much fun to share these areas with my daughter. She loved taking a late afternoon break and watching Steam Boat Willie in the Cinema. Hopefully one day those great treasures will return to Disney World again. It is sad to me that they have been replaced with shopping venues.
One of the other big differences was the close proximity of all the parks. It was really wild to be able to stand at the ticket booths and see the entrances to both Disneyland and California Adventure, along with Downtown Disney. It was nice to be able to walk from park to park without spending precious time on buses. Also, one night we walked to Downtown Disney for dinner, then walked right back to the parks for more fun. It was an added bonus. Of course, I don't think I have ever walked as much at Disney World (especially since we walked from our hotel every morning), but there were enough ways to rest our legs throughout the day. It was nice to be able to hop between the parks to try to hit all the big headliner rides before the crowds got too crazy. It actually felt like the two parks were one at times.
So, why did everyone think I would be disappointed? I spent a lot of time trying to figure that out. I mean I thought it was awesome. I thought it was charming. I thought it was wonderful. Who are these people? Why would they think that? Then I really thought about it, and may have come to a conclusion. Maybe those people look for something different in a park. Maybe they look for thrills, or for roller coasters. Maybe they find the traditional Disney type rides boring. Maybe they never stopped to think about the fact that this was the only park that Walt Disney ever walked. These are all the reasons I came up with anyway. However, these are all the reasons that I loved Disneyland. Now, granted, I could not spend the 10 days there that we usually do at Disney World, but I would love to go back one day and enjoy the charm. Until then, I will spend all of my vacations at Disney World enjoying all of their extra parks and fun that they have to offer. I would still pick Florida over California (and not just due to the four hour plane ride), but I know that I won't be disappointed whenever we do decide to go across country again!
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