Disneyland History in 30 Seconds

Disneyland history started on July 17, 1955. On that historic day Walt Disney opened his dream of a place where families could have fun and create happy memories together with the following words:

"To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past...and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America...with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”

Indeed it has been that. Although the first day was rough, with sweltering heat, unexpectedly large crowds that the park was not equipped to handle, workmen still planting trees and paint still drying, by its second year, the park was turning a profit. The original park covered 160 acres and cost 17 million dollars. There were 18 attractions. Today, the entire Disneyland Resort encompasses approximately 500 acres and features over 60 attractions, three hotels and a shopping district. In 2005, a study revealed that Disneyland contributes about $3.6 billion in annual economic impact and creates about 65,700 jobs throughout Southern California.

"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse." - Walt Disney

Disneyland Family Vacation Word Cloud

I did this on my other blog, and figured it would be even more fun here, with all the Disneyland-related words compiled into a piece of art. I think my favorite combination is "love magic" - that comes close to saying it all!

adventure attractions best blog california cd churros click code com comments dakota disney disneyland dream email enjoy envelope etc family friend fun going hotels law looks lot love magic mansion month people photographer photos planning posted really scrapbook send share site story things tips took trip vacation web wonder year

created at TagCrowd.com

Finding Balance at Disneyland

I have started back to law school this week. I find I am on a ride of a non-theme-park nature. For the rest of the year life will consist of nearly full-time work, 12 credits of law school classes, and precious little family time. This brings to mind a concept simple in theory, difficult in practice: BALANCE.

Balance is a wonderful thing to have in life - balance between work and personal life, earning money and spending money, taking time for your partner and time for your kids...etc. Balance can also be something to strive for on your Disneyland vacation.

Before you surf on to your next favorite blog, convinced that I am cracked, give me a moment. Many of us spend hours upon hours standing in lines at Disneyland, even with the FastPass system, right? We are all about experiencing as many attractions as possible. There's nothing wrong with that, but when was the last time you stopped to watch a show? The entertainment is great at Disneyland and Disney's CA Adventure. Breaking up your day by mixing in some entertainment along with your thrill rides can be one way to achieve balance.

Another way is to really think about how you are spending time with your family. Is everyone enjoying themselves? Balancing rides, shows, parades, shopping and eating to meet the desires of every member of your family is important. Also, down time is really important, especially during busy seasons in the parks. Consider if your family would enjoy the evening parades and rides on Pirates and Splash Mountain more if you spent a couple hours in the afternoon at your hotel's pool rather than surrounded by the Disney crowds. Sometimes to get the best quality time at Disneyland, you have to sacrifice some quantity, depending on your family's needs.

Balance is a worthy goal in all areas of life, even at Disneyland. It's something to think about, right?

Living the Disneyland Dream

Thought for the day:
Do we go to Disneyland to escape reality, or to enjoy the very best of what reality has to offer?

I like to think it is the latter. For me and my family, we often have our very best family times, best behavior from the kids, best fireworks, best smiles, best laughs, best parades, most wishes come true, best purchases, and best evening strolls while on vacation at Disneyland. Is that why so many families go back time after time after time? Want great rides? There are a lot of theme parks to choose from. Want a great overall experience that brings out the best in us all, and celebrates human genius? It's Disneyland, hands down.

At Disneyland? Relax and Breathe

One thing people tend to notice at Disneyland, especially during the summer or Holidays, is the crowds. Yes, there are often a LOT of people around you. You might be hot, tired, hungry, and tired of standing in long lines. You might feel overwhelmed if your toddler is throwing the third tantrum of the day and you have no idea where to find something he will eat. You might be rushing from attraction to attraction so quickly that you are missing some of the very best "stuff" that Disneyland has to offer.

My advice? Stop and Breathe. Take a nice deep breath, look around, and remember that you are in Disneyland. You may have waited months or years for this moment. Take a few moments and look at whatever is right around you. Really look. Check out the details of the wrought iron gate, or planter, or flowers, or wall that is right there. Absorb the fact that it is probably absolutely the perfect whatever-it-is for that location. Realize that it is there for your enjoyment. Enjoy it! People are in Disneyland to have fun, and if you are not having fun, change what you are doing so you can have fun. Realize it will be more fun to sit and eat a Micky-shaped ice cream bar and watch people pass by than to run from Main Street to Splash Mountain while your child is crying about the ice cream you just said no to in your attempt at being efficient.

While you are sitting, watching, you never know what you might see. It might be that very moment that Mickey strolls by and you get a perfect chance for an autograph and photo (granted, your child is now covered in melted chocolate), or you look up and notice a group of characters scaling the Matterhorn. It's worth it to take the time to stop, breathe, and absorb the Magic!

The Disney Magic

I know there are adults out there who have never been to Disneyland. There are some who probably never should go, or do not enjoy going. This post, in fact, this entire blog, is not for them. You are much more likely to enjoy my writing if you still believe, even just a little, in wishes coming true, in fairy dust, in grim grinning ghosts, in rocketing through outer space, in jovial pirates, in the child that still lives in you.

There is nothing quite like the excitement of walking through the gates of Disneyland, spotting the steam engine on the railroad tracks high above you and hearing the conductor shout "All Aboard" as you walk under the tracks and into the magic of Mainstreet U.S.A. I can literally feel the stress of daily life rolling off of my shoulders and the lightness of a Barbershop quartet tune filling my soul. A smile spreads across my face and I am in the land of Disney. Sure, I get that around every corner a specific experience has been manufactured for me, that what I am witnessing is not reality, and for that, I am grateful and willingly hand over my hard-earned money to be a part of the experience. I want to immerse myself in the fantasy and help my children do the same. Judging from the crowds, I'm not the only one!

I Need a Disneyland Vacation Now!

Who doesn't , right?

Welcome to my new blog! About 2-3 years ago I had a what I hope was a really useful website that was a guide to planning a perfect Disneyland vacation for your family. I'd researched a lot, put together great information about Disneyland, about entertaining families, and about including families in vacation planning. To supplement this, I had an ebook that was in its testing stages. I had good traffic and the responses to my ebook were really positive. Then a funny thing happened - I started law school. At that point, all my extracurricular activities ceased. Not hard to imagine since I have a wife, two small children and was still working full time. I closed the website, put the pdf on the mythical "back burner," and went on with my life.

We live in the Pacific Northwest and do not get to Disneyland nearly as often as we'd like. As a special treat, after the first year of law school, we took the kids, and ourselves, to Disneyland. It was magical - spectacular - just as I'd remembered from the days before children. It was so magical, that we went again that same summer - just last year. Talk about blowing the budget! We learned so much that summer that I realized I could make the book I'd written so much better. The book, as it read, had lots of tips and facts, and a playful tone, but it lacked a certain something. I wasn't sure what it was until I recently pulled it out again, thinking it was time to revise and get it into reader's hands, or at least, on their computer monitors.

What it needed was heart, and candor, and confessions from a real family who, though they were having the time of their lives, sometimes wondered how they could ditch their 1 and 4 year olds and have some real fun. I am in the process of rewriting, but I thought what might really help my process, as well as provide me with feedback, is a blog that I could start sharing stories through and seeing how others respond.

So, that's my story, or at least, the start of it. Please stay tuned, and feel free to post comments about this topic at any time.