56 things I love about Disneyland

It's the 18th of July today, exactly 56 years since Disneyland in Anaheim was opened to the public. I've been to this wonderful place 4 times now, and about to visit for the 5th time in December - not a bad effort, considering I live in Australia! So, as a tribute to my favourite place, I'd like to share 56 things I love about Disneyland.

1. Walking up the Esplanade on the morning of the first day you visit Disneyland, and getting goosebumps from the atmospheric music!
2. The chime when you enter through the turnstile.
3. The sign as you go under the bridge and into the park: "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy".
4. Main Street USA atmospheric music - all of the old-style tunes immediately take you back in time.
5. Creating pressed pennies and seeing how many designs you can collect.
6. Having a quick browse through the Emporium at the start of the day and already finding amazing souvenirs to buy.
7. Always taking a photo in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle as soon as you reach it for the first time.
8. My family's first-ride tradition: always either Snow White's Scary Adventures or Pinocchio's Daring Journey.
9. The ending of the Snow White Ride (my sister and I always laugh at this) - straight from the Witch's death scream to the 'And they lived happily ever after' end mural.
10. Seeing little girls running around Fantasyland dolled up as their favourite princess.
11. Peter Pan's Flight - still the most magical ride in the park.
12. Going on the teacup ride and trying to spin as fast as humanly possible.
13. Pinocchio Village Haus restaurant - we always ate here when I was young!
14. Going on It's A Small World for airconditioning in the heat, and for warmth in the cold.
15. Laughing at Australia's pitiful representation in It's A Small World.
16. Listening to the Jazz Bands in New Orleans Square.
17. Being 21 years old and still getting a little bit nervous about going on the Haunted Mansion.
18. The smell of the water in Pirates of the Caribbean! Weird but so true!
19. The transition from daytime to very believable nighttime as you ride POTC.
20. Riding Splash Mountain and laughing uncontrollably for no reason through the entire ride.
21. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters in general!
22. The smell of popcorn before a parade.
23. Sitting on a bench in Main Street in the morning and just watching everyone go past. The excitement in the air is palpable!
24. The sometimes uncontrollable urge to dance down Main Street in time to the background music.
25. The show that the It's A Small World clock puts on.
26. The snake in Indiana Jones Adventure which still manages to give me a fright.
27. Hugging complete strangers...and it's ok because they're in Disney character suits.
28. Watching the parade and always wondering which float will come around the corner next.
29. Seeing children watch the parade, like it's the best thing they've seen in their lives.
30. The cheesy songs that are always written for Disney Parades...I secretly want to sing one of them one day!
31. Riding the Disneyland Railroad for no other reason than to enjoy a round trip of the park.
32. Being totally creeped out by Roger Rabbit's Car-toon Spin as a child, and still a little creeped out now...
33. Riding Space Mountain with your hands in the air and hoping like mad that you don't hit the track around you.
34. Riding Autopia, and finding it still fun even though you have a driver's license.
35. Choosing which land you'd like to have dinner in.
36. Seeing the Evil Queen appear from behind the curtains above Snow White's Scary Adventures.
37. The Queen's transformation in the Snow White Ride...'Mirror, Mirror, on the wall...with this disguise I'll fool them all!'.
38. The stretching portraits in the Haunted Mansion; such a great effect.
39. The outdoors portion of the Alice in Wonderland ride.
40. The Fantasmic theme; again, one of those slightly cheesy songs that I just love.
41. The finale to Fantasmic, where all the characters appear on the Mark Twain.
42. The inevitable teariness that occurs during fireworks.
43. "Come on everybody, here we go! Off to Neverland!"
44. Getting that must-have picture with Mickey Mouse...always a bonus if you see him wandering out and about!
45. The stands where you can purchase your name written in Disney character artwork - I have a Sleeping Beauty one. Such a unique souvenir!
46. The fact that each land has its own themed garbage bins.
47. The smell of the Main Street Bakery.
48. The fact that you are 100% blissfully unaware of the outside world when in the Park.
49. Hitting 'Light Speed' in Star Tours.
50. Seeing a 5 minute wait time for a ride.
51. "Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. I am your host - your 'ghost host'."
52. The fact that the park is always impeccably clean.
53. Finding the door to Club 33 and desperately wishing you could afford membership.
54. Floating past the Blue Bayou restaurant in Pirates of the Caribbean.
55. The named cars in Snow White's Scary Adventures and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
56. Being able to believe that magic does exist, if only for a second.


Happy birthday Disneyland; thanks for the memories, and here's to another 56 years!

- Belle