Disneyland Everyday

There is something about the parks that makes most of us want to take pictures. Here's a bit of a story. Way, way back when I was a kid we went to the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. I remember quite a bit of that trip, even though I was somewhat young. I remember walking the paved trail in the cave and thinking about how cool it would be to skateboard in the cave. I remember the little speaker thing they gave us so we could have a "guided" tour of the cave, the stalactites, stalagmites, and other things. And, a memory pertinent to this blog post: I was lining up what would be an incredible picture of a stalagmite. The lighting was good, the angle was good. I was instinctively incorporating several good photography techniques in my effort to get a good picture. My mom stopped me from taking the picture. I was confused, but she told me that the best pictures have people in them, people that we know. She was right. A year or two later I wouldn't have cared at all about ...

Menagerie is a PhD level word that means a strange or diverse collection of people or things. This post is going to be a menagerie of pictures from Disneyland.  Here we go. Here we have two cousins. They are standing side by side. Judging by Kaiden's shirt I'd say this pic was taken when we went to the park in 2022. I think this was on October 24. I think we're in line for Jungle Cruise here.  What I do know is that NASA hats and shirts were popular at that time. The Little Mermaid line is pretty good, at least when you get into the building. It's nice and cool in there and if it's raining they don't close the ride. Here's a great picture of a bunch of people waiting in the line. Fun hats. Fun shirts. Fun sunglasses. If you zoom way in you'll see fun earrings too. Here's one where we're actually on a ride instead of just waiting in line. Splash Mountain. It was fun.  I mean, there were a few seconds of really, really fun ride, but the other 9+ mi...

Here's a picture of Lissa and some kids about to ride the Mater ride: And here's another, similar, picture, except this time it seems the kids aren't nearly as excited about this ride: You know, now that I look closely at that pic, it might not be the Mater ride.  What ride could that be? What ride is so scary that not one, but two kids have to plug their ears? Anyway, the Mater ride is good. Speaking of tomatoes, Mandy grew a bunch earlier this year: One more random pic.  Remember the carousel? I don't think the kids have wanted to ride this in about three years, but it used to be a fun thing to do while the adults would ride the Incredicoaster. The long story: The Great Grouping Debate As they neared the ride entrance, a cast member explained that each flight would require six people—two pilots, two gunners, and two engineers. This sparked an immediate debate among the families. "Okay, who’s gonna be the pilot?" Lissa asked, trying to keep the peace. "I...

If you go back through this blog far enough you might find that I'm on record as saying the tree house is dumb. It's a plain, old walkthrough. No ride, no thrills, and you have to climb up stairs. With a day that is jammed full of walking I've always thought it ridiculous to do even more walking!  Leave it to Chat GPT to sensationalize it to the max! Tarzan’s Treehouse (formerly the Swiss Family Treehouse) at Disneyland is one of those attractions that makes you feel like you’re about to embark on an epic jungle adventure—until you realize you’re basically just going for a really scenic hike. Located in Adventureland, this towering structure invites you to climb its winding staircases, cross swaying rope bridges, and explore a series of rooms nestled high up in the treetops. It’s the perfect combination of nostalgia, cardio, and a great view. If you're in the mood for a leisurely exploration that’ll also remind you of your stair-climbing limits, this is the attraction f...

It used to be a thing to get autographs from the characters.  Do people still do that? Can you still buy an autograph book at the park? Moving on. Here's a nice pic of some kids meeting Minnie Mouse: What is this?  First of all, those kids are young! Barely old enough to be called babies. Secondly, the Mickey character looks like he's right out of a horror movie. Seriously, what is going on here?! Let's watch a fun little video: And now the long, long story that doesn't have a plot, doesn't have an end, and doesn't have any entertainment value: Bathroom Break After their brush with the Dark Side, the group decided to make a quick bathroom stop before continuing their adventure. Naturally, with so many people, coordinating the bathroom break turned into a small production. As they waited outside the restrooms for the others to finish up, two Stormtroopers suddenly approached, their white armor gleaming in the Batuu sun. The troopers stopped in front of the ...

Check this out: She is clutching that churro like it's the last one at the park! Do you guys remember the Bug's Life ride? What a lame waste of time! Disney knew it was not good so they got rid of it only a few years after it opened.  When they opened Disney California Adventure it was kinda low rent. Disney learned that their customers expect something better than a cheap county fair situation. Lucky for us we have a bit of documented evidence: Here's a video Check out this picture from a long, long time ago: When we first started going to Disneyland we just parked at the Mickey and Friends Parking Garage. We didn't know any better so that's what we did.  The security lines were awful.  The giant escalators are cool! Now, Universal Studios has escalators and I think they are longer than the Disney ones, but the parking escalator is pretty long!  You can tell we are on our way into the park because there are still smiles! One more. A fun little video riding the esca...

What up home skillet? We are going to throw it back, way back! I'm going to give you the 411 on how big a bomb the parks are. Disneyland is all that and a bag of chips! So take a chill pill and enjoy all these old pics. The Disney worker lookin fly with the headband while dapping up the young, young kids! Check out these cool cats sitting in the bright green ride. Hasta la vista, baby! Brandon does not look excited to be riding the 'Cups! In his best impression of Bart Simpson: "Eat my shorts." Okay, enough of the tight 90s slang. Here are a few more pictures: The long story: Blue Milk Blues After the thrilling ride on Big Thunder Mountain, the group finally made their way to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The towering spires of Batuu greeted them as they entered, and the families were immediately swept up in the immersive world of Star Wars. "Alright, guys," Steve said, clapping his hands. "Before we conquer the Millennium Falcon, who’s up for trying the fa...