First visit to Disneyland! Day One, Post No. 16

On our way along Main Street USA as we headed to the bus stop, a well-lit window called my name at the Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen. Well, to tell the truth, the peanut brittle hollered, "Lynette!" That stuff was perfect--not too sweet, every single nut tasted fresh, and every bite scored at the tip-top of the brittle score. Nearby, a well-lit souvenir store, complete with three huge crystal chandeliers. See, the store is well-lit in this wide shot. Look, Superman's shopping! We're almost to the Disneyland Railroad depot when I notice these lighted balloons. I like the Mickey Mouse ears hat walking by. See it? I love buildings outlined in white lights! The depot looks especially great! On the way to the bus stop. I took this photo at 9:32 p.m. on January 17. Tired but ready to get a good night's sleep and come back the next day! Gotta make good use of the bus pass and the Disneyland four day hopper! I took this photo on January 17 at 11:03 a.m., so we were out and about for 10 and a half hours! Wow! And I just read online that the streets at Disneyland are paved with resilient asphalt to prevent aching feet. Hmmmm. Maybe that's why my ol' self made it there that long on my first day at Disneyland. That and the numerous places I found to sit for a spell.

First visit to Disneyland! Day One, Post No. 7

After we learned that the Monorail was down, we knew we'd have to walk back to the gates to Disneyland. On the way we stopped to look at this store window which we had noticed the day before--so many different styles of Mickey Mouse ears. In another window of the huge store I saw a T-shirt, one that I really wanted to take a closer look at. The three of us ended up wondering around in the store, the World of Disney, for so long that it got dark. Tired feet, never found the T-shirt. Couldn't find Sharon and/or Jenna. So, I headed for this smooth, low wall, decorated with a scroll shadow. A few minutes there and I was ready to go again, especially when Sharon and Jenna found me. Our ticket allowed us back inside Disneyland itself because we followed their security guidelines. I cannot remember for sure, but I think before we entered the first time that morning, we signed the back of our tickets and showed our photo ID. And we had our photo taken, too, so that there would be a photo of each of us associated with our tickets. And at some point we had the back of our left hand stamped--I think it was when we got off the Monorail and walked out into Downtown Disney. I felt pretty good about the security, and I heard someone talking with the handsome Estaban (while I waited to ask him my question) about having lost a ticket which had been found and all would be well very soon. Those folks at Disneyland thrive on first-class customer service. Number of visitors to Disneyland in the 50 years that it has been open: over 650 million. Number of photos taken here beside Mickey Mouse in flowers with the Disneyland Railroad Depot in the background: easily over 650 million, especially now that most folks either use their phones or their digital cameras which make it so easy to take more than one shot until you get the perfect one. I took this photo at 6:09 p.m. on my first day, ever, at Disneyland. Once we walked back inside and made our way around to the front of the railroad station, I cannot remember where Sharon and Jenna walked, but I stayed on the sidewalk, thinking to myself, "I do believe it is just about time for the night-time version of the Mickey's Soundsational Parade." I remembered reading on the park map that it was supposed to start at 6:30 p.m. I turned to my left, saw a bunch of empty benches just outside the station's entrance, up a few steps and right at the center of the view down Main Street USA. Oh, boy, I thought. Seats for the parade! Well, those seats were roped off for I-know-not-whom. However, just to the right of them, I spied a half an empty two-section bench! I asked the man who sat there with a lady, "Is this saved?" He replies, "Yes, for you!" Yea! Sharon and Jenna came back soon and sat to my left and before too long, the parade began. I took this photo with my iPhone 5 when I realized that I had better check-in on Facebook before Mickey Mouse got too far past me. Was I ever happy to be sitting on that bench at 6:41 p.m.! So cool. So exciting. So real. Remember when I said that the fact that the parade was going left to right in that photo yesterday would turn out to be beneficial? Here's what I meant. Every single element of the parade went from a gate where we were that afternoon by It's A Small World all the way to Main Street USA and out another gate to the right of the Disneyland Railroad Depot, where we were for the start of the night time parade! I'm not sure how that got turned around, reordered so that first was first again and ready for that start--I've looked at the Google Map image of that area and wonder if every single element turned into a building that looks huge on the image. I probably will never know, but I don't care. It's part of the magic that is Disneyland! I'll have parade photos tomorrow and a bit about where we ate our second meal of the day soon--thought I'd get to it in this post, but I'm out of energy. Gotta get to bed, y'all.

First visit to Disneyland! Day One, Post No. 1

12:32 p.m. and I have walked through the gates at Disneyland for the first time in my life. Automatically, I feel like a kid again. Well, mentally at least. I know my body is the age that I am, but who cares. I know that there will be benches and low walls and rides and such to allow me the chance to rest when I need to. My friends Sharon and Jenna have been here before, so they are my aces in the hole, so I know they'll keep me from making too many missteps as we spend lots of time here over the next four days. I bought those sunglasses at the Rain Forest Cafe the day before so that I could deal with that bright sun. Sharon and Jenna remembered to bring theirs from home--see what I mean about experienced travelers to Southern California? Our hotel sells not only bus passes but also Disneyland tickets! By getting our four-day-hoppers before we left the lobby, we avoided one line at the park. Eyes glued to the flower-filled Mickey Mouse on the slope that led up to the Disneyland Railroad depot, I would have missed seeing my first characters. Thanks, Sharon, for pointing out princesses! Belle and Cinderella? Yes! I Googled to check my answer. Not bad for an ol' lady! We rode the train around the park, twice, at my request. I just kept looking and looking and looking. When we got off at the station, I looked across the street and saw a few folks in line, looked to the left to see what had grabbed their attention. Mickey Mouse! I took off across the street and got in line. Yes, my first character photo is with the greatest mouse ever! What a good hugger he was, too! One photo I took while we were on the train--Minnie Mouse being so sweet with a little girl. Wow. My face had started to ache a bit from the full-time grin plastered on it. And I'm certain that the excitement level in every word I spoke, every thought I had soared to the stratosphere, just like a rocket in a Disney cartoon! P.S. I apologize for the fact that the photos may be loading slowly--I think it has something to do with a change made at Flickr. There is nothing that I can do about it. I hope you'll still visit the blog and enjoy the photos. Thank you.