A typical sunny morning on Main Street at Disneyland.

Over the years, I have learned quite a bit about a day at Disneyland. Most of this experience came about first hand, and a fair amount of that through trial and error. That time goes back to my first visit with family in June of 1965, with one of the first annual passes (for Magic Kingdom Club members), and many more to follow up to the end of the program. Since COVID, my days at the Park have been fewer, but now it’s a focus on quality, not quantity.

A complete book of 11 adventures with the admission coupon attached!

First and foremost, relax. You are at Disneyland. How many people wish they were, but are not. Do not become stressed about things out of your control. Don’t like a long line? Don’t get in it. Just go with the flow. Enjoy your day.

Second, don’t try to do everything in a day. You can’t, especially if you hop between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Even if you plan to spend a full day from park open to close, there is simply too much for you to see and do it all. Even better, plan your day so it includes a midday break of some kind. Best is to get off your feet at some point. Relax and recharge to come back later on and enjoy the night. Maybe enjoy a meal during an off period at a dining location outside the parks? You might find it quieter and less hectic than inside. I’m a fan of afternoon naps myself.

A relaxing voyage down the Rivers of America aboard the Mark Twain is a great break.

Third, Planning. Yes and no. While some is good, be ready to be flexible. There’s an old saying that no plan survives initial contact. A day at the parks can easily prove that as true. It’s good to have an idea of what you would like to do, but if for some reason that is not possible, be prepared to explore alternatives. As well, you may want to give thought to the kind of experience you want to enjoy. Younger folks might find a first visit over-stimulating, whereas an older group may enjoy a relaxed pace of things. Either way, the parks offer a great mix of entertainment for all ages to enjoy together.

Another option is to try riding the more popular attractions during times when other things can be the focus. Especially good may be busy meal times; during parades or even fireworks; and late at night before park closings. Go where people aren’t!

A great example of why alternatives are a good idea. If an attraction like this is not available, look for something else!

Fourth, dining! Standard meal times tend to be the busiest times at all dining locations in the parks. Consider early or late meals instead. Another point to consider is the variety of dining choices. While a sit down meal may have appeal, a quick service location may provide what best serves your needs. There is more to enjoy than just hot dogs and hamburgers.

Important if you’re considering a sit down meal! Reservations are available on the Disneyland app. Check ahead of time to explore options. And check the app for plenty of great information of all kinds.

The Tropical Hideaway offers the always classic Dole Whip treat in multiple flavors!

Fifth, let’s give credit where due. The folks who bring these parks to life each and every day deserve our thanks at every opportunity. The Disney cast members from the bottom to the top are committed to exceeding our expectations. Share some appreciation. It can be as simple as saying “please” and “thank you”. And if someone has gone above and beyond, guest compliments are a wonderful way to express admiration for that.

Last but not least, enjoy yourselves. And mind the words offered below!

Love those Seventies theme park graphics!

Fans of the Mouse and all the related interests always seem to have something to catch their attention. This summer is no different with plenty going on throughout. Depending upon who you choose to get your information from, there’s a never ending stream of content. YouTube is filled to overflowing with all kinds of producers sharing views of anything and everything Disney.

Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. It’s that firehose blast kind of thing. Coming as fast as you can watch. A real melange of everything from reviews of food, beverages, and merchandise to live streams to hints on your best strategy to maximize your theme park misadventures. I’ve seen a fair amount of it, and while the content is amusing, some of the content providers take the whole thing far too seriously.

Call me old fashioned but I prefer unvarnished streaming. Without the running commentary that borders on inane. Just give me the simple audio and video. Sharing that puts the audience there virtually. And that should be your goal in live streaming content.

Another big concern expressed online by the faithful involves non on property hotel guests using the transportation system at Walt Disney World to move between the variety of experiences. It seems that guests trying to use these vehicles found delays and placed the blame on others. Specifically, it seems there are too many people who park at Disney Springs and travel about. Disney’s response to the issue is to exclude these folks from using the system. Seems a bit shortsighted to discourage guests from spending about the properties. More to come as things develop.

Out west, Disneyland has once again changed rules related to guests pin trading in the parks. No longer can you bring pins in mass quantities past into the parks. I frankly never understood how this came to be. And often, these “pin sharks” rarely trade one for one. Some want multiple pins for a single pin. I have even been asked to purchase a brand new pin to trade for an older one I desired. That request bordered on the comical. While I have a fair collection of Disney pins, they represent the experience and the people that I shared it with. Much more important to me than the cash value someone sets arbitrarily based on what they saw someone pay online for it.

When it comes to trading, I always have a few unusual pins just in case. Trading with other guests, children especially, should be a social moment, not a mere transactional one.

Something that tends to be the cause of concern is limited edition merchandise of all kinds. I get that the company doesn’t want to be stuck with an oversupply of unsold items but it seems that once something sells out, that’s it. No extra edition or another run of product. Maybe a return to consumer advisory panels is in order to find out what guests are interested in purchasing and at what price point? Feedback can be a good thing.

Say what you want about the folks behind the Mouse. They are always looking for new ways to get us to part with our disposable income. Stockholders like that. The bottom line is important to a business. That’s something that often is overlooked when it comes to entertainment.

As an organization, Disney set an example that others follow. They have learned what works for guests and what doesn’t. Sometimes, that’s not always easy. Occasionally, there’s a bit of a stumble. And even a flop, too.

As fans, we may not always agree or love every decision. But thankfully we do get opportunities to choose what we want to experience. Sharing those experiences is what it’s all about. Right back to Walt himself. Not a bad idea, actually.

The back side of the Yosemite Valley and Half Dome, as seen from the Tioga Pass Road overlook.

In all my years, I have been lucky enough to travel a fair bit. On foot, driving various road vehicles, aboard watercraft of different sizes, riding passenger trains, assorted airlines, and even by small aircraft. Usually with friends, but a good amount of solo mileage, too. The common thing between them is the journey.

For many people, travel is just something to get you to a destination. Understandable, but there is a lot along the way worth the time to experience. Everything from people and places, to views like the one above. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have just stopped and stood for a few minutes to appreciate where I was. Whatever the reason, it was always worth the time.

In many ways, this is a metaphor for life itself. So much happens to us everyday that it seems like those miles just pass by without notice. If you blink, you have missed something. And you don’t know what it was.

So, boys and girls, that’s the request today. Take the time to stop and see where you are, and what’s along the way.

You never know what you may find out there.

Note: This first appeared here on The Blue Parrot on November 7, 2008.

Nostalgia can be funny stuff.

Memories of places, people and events can (and usually are) effected by the passing of time. What we may remember, may not be what actually happened.

I’ve been reading “The Fog of Gettysburg” by Ken Allers Jr. He takes the time to point out the truths and fictions among many legends from the battlefield in July of 1863. As someone whose ancestors fought and died there, I found this an effort well worth the while.

In the foreward, Thomas R. Flagel makes one very interesting point.

     “Of all that is lost to history, worse are the myths and legends that attach themselves to facts. Misconceptions are painfully tenacious, and the more popular they are, the harder it is to dislodge their firm grip on the public psyche. But we historians must charge into the powder smoke of assumptions and slam against the stone walls of apochcrypha.”

This statement is true not only of Gettysburg and the battle, but of nostalgia in general. As time passes, it is all too easy to simply rely on the good stories. Facts tend to give way to myths. The comfortable can out more than the uncomfortable.

Disney fans know that some of the company tales related about various parts of the corporate history have been bent to fit a vision that is less than clear. The safe and happy tends to be easier to digest and repeat for the public.

But the problem is that reality can sometimes be more illuminating. Diane Disney Miller put it best I think when she said that “the truth is more interesting than some of the legendary stories (or myths) that have become accepted as reality.” 

A case in point, from a visit to the offices of the Walt Disney Family Museum:

While looking over a case with a series of medals awarded to Walt, Diane made a comment that “stories get lost.” To illustrate that point, she shared the tale of a 1935 trip to Paris by Walt and Lillian along with Roy and Edna. Over the years since, the story about the trip had been told that Walt had specifically traveled to buy books about European fairy tales as reference materials for various Disney artists. Diane related how a transcript of a journal written by Edna, told of the trip and how one entry noted that “Lillian, Roy and I did this today, while Walt went off to buy more books.” As Walt was always collecting figures, books and other items, this was easy to accept as being the truth about that trip.

The real reason for the trip was that Walt was being awarded the French Legion of Honor medal. It came with recognition of Mickey Mouse as “a universal symbol of goodwill.” And of course, while she was telling that story, there was the 1935 Legion of Honor medal on display.

Disney archivist Dave Smith further related to Diane that it was on that trip that Walt noticed how the theaters in Paris were playing four and five Mickey Mouse cartoons at a time. And he thought, “Aha! People are finally ready for a feature length Disney cartoon.” 

It’s just that kind of thing that is driving Diane’s (and others) efforts behind the Museum – the chance to show the reality, rather than the myth.

And that is not such a bad goal. While we all have fond memories from some point in our lives, we need to recall things with a bit of clarity. The good and the bad balance out. In my own case, it’s easy to overlook hours of hard and dirty work that went into a project. Recalling the achievement rather the effort it took to get there is always easier.

With everything that’s happened in the last few days, one can only imagine how it will be remembered by people years from now. Will they look back and see only the result and not what it actually took to reach the goal?

One can only hope that they enjoy a vision of events a little clear of the fog of time.

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Oh, yes… that quote at the top, today? 

From John Ford’s “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (1962)

Do you still send letters?

Pardon the interruption. Okay, more like distraction. Plural, at best.

Yes, I do need to spend more effort into filling this space with content. It is not for a lack thereof. More a lack of following through and spending time at the keyboard.

The next few weeks promise stories to be told, so be sure to check back for more to come.

Honest.