Disneyland - Summer Vacation 2016

We woke up to the hottest day in California. Where we had just eight hours before sat sipping cocktails on the back porch in front of a fire was now aflame with temperatures in the one hundreds. It was Florida all over again only with a dry, dry, desert heat that burned your skin to a crisp just walking outdoors.

Darcy: "Let's go to Disneyland!"
Tom: "I just looked it up and the wait for rides is less than 25 minutes. I don't think there are a lot of people there."
Clint: "Because intelligent people know not to venture out into 104 degree temperatures."

I was one of the intelligent people. I opted out of Disneyland so Tom and the girls set off before noon for Anaheim and scorching temperatures. I stayed behind, indoors, until around four when I swam in the pool. It was perfect. I swam laps, did some exercises, and then sat on the stairs and read. My body dried in twenty five seconds (I counted) and so I slipped in and out of the pool as needed.

The men and I had cocktails on the porch that evening and later dinner. The troops arrived home at eleven o'clock to find us watching trash television and laughing. They were hot, sweaty, smelly, but smiling. Here is there account of their day:

Maddy: "The drive to Anaheim was uneventful, but when we got to Disneyland it was confusing. It isn't big like Disney World with tons of booths under a big Disney arch. There were like four toll booths and no arch."

Darcy: "It wasn't confusing, Maddy."

Tom: "Let me explain. We drove up and the lady told me to go to the left so I did. But then a man started waving at me so I stopped and rolled down my window, and he told me the lady was training and had sent me in the wrong direction. He told me to just follow the signs, that it was easy and self explanatory."

Darcy: "Actually he told you to park over there. But Dad just drove past that spot. I suggested we park in the shade, and he said that was a good idea, but then again he drove right past. There was garage parking, but we parked in the only area with sun."

Maddy: "The bottom line was it was odd not to know where we were going or what we were doing like we do in Disney World. We were tourists doing touristy things. They have only one tram station from the parking area which we discovered after walking and walking. There are shuttle buses, but we found that out later. The park is like Epcot and Animal Kingdom where you buy your tickets and walk into the park. No boats or monorail like at Magic Kingdom. Dad told the lady at the ticket booth that it was our first time here and so she pulled out first time visit buttons which was exciting."

Darcy: "I got more buttons. I went to City Hall and asked for a Birthday button, and the guy told me where to go, and so I did and got that button. Then I told the guy it was also my parents' anniversary and we were celebrating that with my birthday, and so I got a Happily Ever After button."

Maddy: "Darcy scammed them for buttons. We put them on like tourists. It was very exciting. We had security tents to check our bags and then we had to go through metal detectors. I think that was new since the recent events in Orlando. It looked very thrown together. We had to walk quite a ways from there to downtown Disney. Both parks though are right there, one on the right and one on the left. We went to Disneyland. You walk in and the train station is right there. It was closed."

Tom: "The big difference is the tram takes you right to the park. I mean you get out and you are right there."

Darcy: "Yeah, Dad. We already established that."

Tom: "I thought the park was very similar, but smaller. Not as much walking. We walked the whole park. Same concept, but different. Like the castle wasn't as vertical or large, but horizontal, and you could walk through the castle. Not just through it like at Disney World, but actually inside of it like a ride. It's also Aurora's Castle and not Cinderella's."

Darcy: "Prince Charming is out doing Aurora in the castle. That's the .75 cents to the dollar."

Maddy: "What does that mean?"

Tom: "Cinderella's castle is more vertical. Aurora's castle is horizontal. It isn't as big."

Darcy: "Aurora had her own castle before Prince Phillip kissed her, but Prince Charming had his castle before Cinderella. Cinderella married rich. Men make more money, .75 to the dollar. Charming is out doing Aurora. Typical. That's what I mean."

Tom: "The main differences between the two parks, Disney World and Disneyland was the heat and the crowds. It was 104 degrees at Disneyland and a light crowd."

Maddy: "And everything is out in the open. No air conditioned buildings. Even the lines are outside covered only by trees, but no building structures overhead. Everything also was Star Wars. It was too much."

Darcy: "They (Disneyland) were not as technically savvy like Disney World. They still had the fast pass machines instead of apps. They didn't have wristbands."

Maddy: "Some of the rides didn't have wait time signs."

Darcy: "That's not true. I found them, but they were very small and it took a long time to find them."

Tom: "Disneyland couldn't handle the crowds that Disney World does. There is no way. They just aren't equipped."

Maddy: "On individual rides the Haunted Mansion was just very creepy where Disney World redid theirs to not be so creepy. It was like they said, "This might not be a good idea to scare kids", and so they toned it down."

Darcy: "Yeah, they took away the ghost riding in the car with you. This ride was more like what I remember the ride in Disney World use to be."

Tom: "My favorite ride was Indiana Jones Adventure Ride and the Hyper Space Mountain."

Darcy: "I loved Hyper Space Mountain. That was fun."

Maddy: "It was a roller coaster, but with no drops, just speed. I really liked the Thunder Mountain Railroad. It was fast with quick turns and cool scenery, and it went on for a long time."

Darcy: "That's true. Just when you thought it was ending, it started around another corner and continued. That was cool."

Darcy: "I liked It's A Small World. It was huge! And I liked that they had Disney characters in there."

Maddy: "It was cool. I liked the air conditioning and the water. I kept dipping my hand in the water and splashing my face and feet even though the automated voice kept telling me multiple times not to that. But my feet were bright red from the heat, and I was worried about them, and the water felt SO good and was SO cold. The ride itself was normal, but longer. I think Disney World shortened it. I think that was another thing they discussed when they revamped it. "Let's not drive the parents crazy. Let's shorten it so they don't have that song blaring in their heads." That's the way I picture the board meeting going."

Tom: "It was longer, cool. We walked right in. Pretty much what everyone else said."

Darcy: "The parade was "Paint the Night" and it was all in lights. I thought it was better than Disney World's parade."

Maddy: "But fewer floats and shorter. The wait for the parade was crazier. People lined up really early for the parade as the area to sit or stand to watch it was so much smaller."

Tom: "I liked it. It was well done with big floats and lots of lights."

Maddy: "Not as many shops there. Pins weren't a big deal there."

Darcy: "Pins aren't a big deal at Disney World any more either. I've been to Disney World this year, and it wasn't as big of a deal as it used to be."

Darcy: "Disney World is bigger. I like Epcot."

Tom: "I liked Disneyland better because the experience was newer, a novelty."

Maddy: "I think Disneyland has more for everyone, but I like Disney World because it is more spread out with more parks. And I like that Floridians can just go to Disney World and not have to stay all day if it's hot or whatever. We can come and go if we want. Today we were the tourists here feeling we had to get our money's worth and doing touristy stuff. I missed our show rides like It's A Bugs World and Monster Inc. where you can chill and laugh in the air conditioning. But it was a fun day."