All content & photos: Copyright© 2008,
Jan Hight. All rights reserved.
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1997 Jan's Journeys West Coast Roadtrip! Wed. afternoon 9/24/97 thru
Sat. morning 9/27/97
Fri. 9/26/97
>>Next Stop -- Santa Catalina Island, CA
Copyright © 1997 - 2008: Jan Hight
Published -- September 27, 1997 |
The two biggest kids in the world
are at the "happiest place on earth"! It’s been five years since our last
visit, so it was time to make a date with the Mouse once again!! When we arrived on Wed.
afternoon, we found no lines at all; we sauntered at a leisurely pace up to the most
popular attractions (even Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom) and boarded in 5
minutes. In fact, I mentioned that we weren’t getting a chance to enjoy the
diversions that are placed along the mazes which lead to the rides with the (normally)
longest waits! I'm not complaining, of course, but I did miss listening to R2D2's
conversations on the path to Star Tours!! So mid-week in late September is a good time to
make the trek. Actually, all of our previous visits have been in the non-peak season; and
even though we've encountered long lines from time-to-time, we've never faced the fabled
2-hour waiting periods.
Yesterday’s (Thursday) Disney-excursion brings up another tip on how to
avoid crowds....visit during a hurricane!! In all honesty, Hurricane Nora only brushed the
area (although there was a storm surge in one of the oceanside communities). But
hurricanes are unheard of in California...until El Niño swooshes in bringing along
unheard-of weather conditions! So even a mention of the "h" word probably kept
some mousefans at bay. It did rain on and off until the afternoon, but lines were again
very short (we'd have gotten wet sooner or later on Splash Mountain anyway); and the
showers lent an entirely different perspective to Walt’s empire as we journeyed
through the various "Lands" within a roving band clad in yellow, rodent-faced
rain ponchos!!! 
Today being Friday, with the weather returning to Southern Cal standards, the
crowds are back! Since we’re staying at the Disneyland Pacific Hotel (the more recent
addition to the Disneyland Hotel Resort, which is kind of a mini-theme park itself) and
have a multi-day flex pass, we’ve had early admission to the Park each day (1 ½
hours before standard opening time) and can take the monorail for unlimited trips back and
forth from the hotel directly into TomorrowLand (home of one of my favorite rides....Space
Mountain). So we were at least able to wander relatively unimpeded once more this morning,
while
the gathering throngs were held back by polite little ropes until the magical moment of
opening. Watching the mad dash towards the first attraction circled on each individual map
was almost as much fun as the rides themselves!! You can reach the Disneyland Pacific
Hotel at 714-999-0990 and visit the Disneyland website at 
Over the years Mickey and Minnie have added new pals to their gang; some
attractions come and go...replaced by the latest in pop culture and
"imagineering" technology; the Matterhorn is again closed for repair (as it was
when I first visited in 1977!!); a major park expansion is just getting underway; some
rides are never quite
the same as they were
on that first enchanting introduction to the Magic Kingdom; some rides will always capture
the imagination no matter how often they’re enjoyed (The Haunted Mansion is still my most
favorite!!). With the passage of time and all of the rapid transitions of daily life, one
thing never changes: Disneyland is a place where everyone can be like a child full of
wonder, sprinkled with pixie dust, rejecting disbelief, suspending reality...while trying
to erase the incessant refrain of "It’s a Small World After All" from audio-memory!! So now
that I’ve allowed that deceptively simple little tune to insinuate itself into your
mind (I keep hearing it; you may as well, too!)...there’s no need for further words.
Here are a few photos that might return you to childhood; remember Tinkerbell and enjoy
the journey!!!
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