Sure. This is Mike’s bucket list trip but I am a big Disney park fan, Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim, CA are my home parks. Ive been there more times than I can count.
My first Disneyland visit was when I was 4 or 5 years old. I have vague snapshot memories of the Jungle Cruise ride, The Electric Light Parade and wearing a plastic Disneyland poncho.
While I have fond childhood memories of the park my love affair with Disneyland really started in high school. Our jazz band and jazz choir competed in the Fullerton Jazz Festival and they invited me and my friends along to help fill bus. Our visits to the park are some of my fondest memories of high school. We were the drama club prancing around the park screaming and laughing at the top of our lungs (we were “projecting”) and having an amazing time.
During my college years I regularly visited friends in LA and these trips nearly always included a trip to Disneyland.
Then came the AquaSmart Live puppet show. In 2000 my puppet company began touring this show all over California. For weeks at a time I was touring elementary schools in LA during the day and spending the evenings at Disneyland thanks to a Deluxe Annual Passport that allowed unlimited visits. I once calculated the approximate number of times I’ve ridden on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and discovered I’ve spent over a day of my life on that ride. No regrets.
Mikey and Disneyland
Then along came my husband Mikey. He had similar childhood memories of the park due to regular summer family visits. He loved the place as much as I did so it was a thrill to begin to build shared Disneyland memories with him. In our first year together we visited the park on multiple occasions and for several years after that we both had annual passports and visited twice a year. In the last few years we’ve limited our visits to once a year. Work still takes me to LA pretty regularly but it’s not nearly as fun to be at the park without Mikey so I’ve stopped visiting by myself.
We slowly became fans of Disneyland’s sister park California Adventure. It’s been wonderful to watch that place evolve into an incredible theme park. During our more recent visits it’s not unusual for us to spend more time at DCA than Disneyland.
In 2011 we went to Disney World. I didn’t realize at the time that this was the beginning of Mike’s bucket list. We enjoyed the Parks in Florida but felt like our Anaheim parks kicked Florida’s butt.
A few years later we visited Disneyland Paris.
Anaheim parks, check. Orlando parks, check. Paris parks, check. Asia, here we come.
Art’s Travel Adventures 