14 hours at Disneyland

Maybe it’s hypocritical to like Disneyland, given the problems I have with the Disney corporation, but I prefer to think of it as a shades-of-gray issue. The craftsmanship and imagination that went into the old attractions (and a couple of the newish ones) is well beyond your average theme park. I spent 14 hours at the “happiest place on earth” yesterday, and it was a very happy day indeed.

15+ Attractions that I loved. Among the best: Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Tiki Room, Mark Twain, Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Indiana Jones, A Bug’s Life, Storybook Land.

1 very low score on in the Astro Blasters ride. Jessica is a far more talented blaster. See pic.

2 Attractions that I did not enjoy: Star Tours and Soarin’ Over California (I feel sick just thinking about it).

5 food stops: Bengal BBQ (pictures coming soon), Pineapple Whip from the Tiki Room, French Onion soup and Monte Cristo sandwich "in" New Orleans, steamed milk around 10:30 (recharge!) and a peanut and caramel apple to go.

2 gift shop purchases: 1955 commemorative mugs for me and Jessica, and a Shag print of New Orleans Square.

1 Tinker Bell pin that the operator of Sleeping Beauty gave me as part of Disneyland's Year of a Million Dreams.

1 annoying conversation with a cheerleader mom about how I should pray for her daughter's team to win the junior national cheerleading competition that was being held at California Adventure that day. At the time, I just smiled and nodded. But I thought about it later and realized that, at the risk of offending this woman, I didn't stand up for my beliefs. I let her talk to me about God, and I didn't have the guts to tell her how I felt about cheerleading.

I'm still not sure what I would say if I could do it over again, but it was one of those moments where I realized that there is a difference between being polite (I could have expressed my disagreement politely) and being complicit. We saw girls from that squad and others in the park throughout the day and were just amazed at how grown up, and well, for lack of a better term, hot, they looked. Middle school! On that note, I've heard this film is good. Going to see if I can rustle up a copy somehow...