You've Been to Disneyland How Often?! Don't You Get Bored?!

You've Been to Disneyland How Often?! Don't You Get Bored?!

 

          You been to Disneyland how often?! Don't you get bored? That is the response I get when I tell people I've been to Disneyland over 400 days in the last 11 years. For about four years I was going to the park an average of once or twice a week. Then it changed to an average of once or twice a month. The simple answer I give is, NO. Then I'm asked, How can you keep from being bored?

          First let me tell you why I went to the park once or twice a week. When my daughter was young I homeschooled her. Disneyland was a great place to do schoolwork. In my early blogs I wrote about how I used Disneyland to educate my daughter. We would go with a goal in mine to see a certain attraction and spend some time talking about what we saw there. We would talk about things like what was life like at the turn of the last century, the development of transportation and the spread of the use of electricity. Learning became a natural thing to do because of this. We also went for family fun days and to spend time at the park with my ailing parents. We also celebrated all special occasions there. Our family joke was, "The sun came up today! Let's celebrate by going to Disneyland!"

          The simple reason I don't get bored going so often is I chose not to be bored. Before going we talk about what attractions, shows or even locations in the park we want to see that visit. Some days in the park we will not go on one single ride. We spend the entire day just walking and talking while we take in shows and look around. Other days it is a mad race to see how many rides we can get on in one single day, my husband and daughter have a record of 41 rides in one day. There is always at least one or two must does every visit. We make sure to see every parade several times a year and to do all but the rides we really dislike or that we physically are uncomfortable with at least three or four times a year. We think about what we've not done in a while as we are getting ready the night before and as we drive to the park. There are a few rides and shows we do more often than others.

          Even if I don't do all the rides every time I've done every ride enough that I know the music, spacing, timing and gags in each and every ride. So once again how do I keep from being bored? How often can you ride the same boat watching the same pirates destroy a village over and over again? Well I can do it a lot because I watch for what the playful third shift does and other subtle changes. Sometimes a third shift cast member will put a set of Mickey ears on a pirate! Once, while sailing between the pirate ship and the walls of the city under sedge I saw a Sorcerer Mickey hat on one of the pirates! Sometimes an animatronic character is missing from the ride. It is fun to look for the changes. I also start looking at the little, often over looked but yet important details in the background of the rides.

          The Aladdin show at DCA is a good example of a changeable show. Genie tells different jokes and changes them to poke fun at major events in California news and at celebrities in the news. It is fun to see what the "new" jokes will be or how this cast compares to the last cast we saw. It is also fun to start looking at the people in the background of the show instead of watching just the main characters in a scene. For example, during one scene when Aladdin comes parading into the palace Jafar is off to the side watching. Jafar is not the focus of the scene, Aladdin and Genie are along with the "parade". Jafar was standing off to the side fuming but as the music kept going he would find himself tapping his foot and starting to move to the music. He would stop himself and start to look angry then get to tapping his foot again. At the end of the parade sequence a rider "on" his horse spins around near Jafar and usually stops and bows toward Aladdin. This time the horse flipped its tail into Jafar's face. The rider then looked over his shoulder with a smug little, "oh I'm sorry" look. What a laugh that gave me! I'd have missed that little gem if I'd been watching the main focus of the show at that moment.

          Another thing we do when riding a well known and loved ride or show is watch the kids around us if we can. We enjoy seeing their reactions to it. While in line we can see the excitement building in them and we want to see how they react to the ride.

          We go more often than usual during the Holidays to see the decorations and enjoy the special events and treats at the park. It is fun to see the Christmas tree, lights and garland on Main Street with all the store windows in their Holiday best. It is amazing to see all the lands with the Holiday décor to match its theme. There is no way to see it all in one day!!

          Some days we go to certain areas just to take pictures. Toontown is an area we don't go too often. At least once a year we seem to go there just to take pictures because the area is so beautifully themed.

          The not so easy answer to the question is I chose to hang on to whimsy and let go of reality and believe for the length of time it takes to go through that ride that it is all real. It is the same as going to a movie and believing that the monsters on the screen are real or that unbelievable story with all the crazy happenings that make you laugh is real.

          I'll see you at Disneyland!

My Christmas book, An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas is out!!

You can find for all formats at

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94784

And for the Nook at

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

It is also available at the ITunes store for IPod, IPad and IPhone

It soon will be up at other sites such as Amazon