10 years and 10 moments

Today marks a really cool milestone for this blog. 10 years ago, exactly today, I started a Disneyland blog. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with it or how long it would last; I just knew that I had a lot of Disneyland knowledge and excitement and needed somewhere to put it to spare my college roommates yet another excited rant.

I figured out what I wanted to focus on (mostly writing about the little things that make Disneyland special), and just had fun with it. In those 10 years, this blog has never become my job (nor did I want it to be), but it has served as a creative outlet, a springboard for new online friendships (some that transferred to real life, amazingly), and in hard times – an escape to a happy place.

What I wanted to share today are 10 moments I’ve experienced in the last decade that I felt were really special for one reason or another, and honestly kept my love of Disneyland going strong for so many years.

#10 – Becoming an annual passholder

In 2014-2015, I was a senior in college. Two of my roommates and I got lucky enough to coordinate our class schedules so we had most Mondays off. Even though it was expensive, we decided to take a once in a lifetime opportunity and we bought cheap tier annual passes (and honestly, with Magic Key prices now, they actually DO seem cheap by comparison). Thus “Magic Mondays” were born. We didn’t make the drive from San Diego to Anaheim every week, but we went a LOT.  This timing coincided with the 60^th anniversary celebration, and even so many years later, I look back on this time as such a special season of life that I treasure and miss so much.

#9 – Seeing Galaxy’s Edge for the first time

In the last 10 years, a lot of Disneyland’s big projects have been kind of a letdown…looking at you, Pixar Pier. But the first time I walked into Galaxy’s Edge, my jaw hit the floor. I could not believe the scale, scenery, and energy of the area. I look back on that experience as a true “wow” moment, which is a pretty amazing thing for someone that visits Disneyland a lot.

#8 – Being the sole audience member at the Enchanted Tiki Room

I’ve told this story on the blog before, but one of the weirdest experiences I’ve ever had at the park was being the sole audience member in the Enchanted Tiki Room. I was visiting the park with my mom on a weekday in January, and in the early 2010s, the park was actually fairly dead at that time of year (wish that was still the case!). She started to feel sick and went back to our hotel room to rest, and I decided to visit the Tiki Room. When I walked up, the doors were already open, so not thinking much about it I just walked right in. The room was completely empty. Confused, I turned to the cast member (in my memory his name was Alex but I wouldn’t bet money on that) and he went…”let’s do it then.” The doors closed and he proceeded with the whole intro speech and waking up the birds, even though it was just the two of us in there. We were both cracking up laughing, and I gave the show a standing ovation at the end. It’s an experience I don’t think will ever be replicated given crowds these days.

#7 – Walking through Tomorrowland with a storm trooper escort

I attended my first Halloween party back when they still happened in Disneyland, not California Adventure. My friends and I dressed as the crew from Frozen (Anna, Elsa, and Oaken), and we were headed to Tomorrowland – I think to ride Buzz Lightyear. In any case, as we entered the land, several stormtroopers spotted me (Elsa), and immediately bowed out of respect to a “foreign queen” and kissed my hand. They then escorted me over to a photopass area where our group could take photos. It was so unexpected and a really great little moment.

#6 – Visiting Carthay Circle for the first time

The dessert so nice we ordered it twice.

Generally speaking, I stick to the cheaper dining spots at the resort. I’m perfectly happy to do quick service, split a few appetizers, or snack around all day vs. having a fine dining experience. But after walking by the beautiful Carthay Circle so many times, my mom and I decided to give it a shot during one of our trips. The atmosphere in there is so special; it’s beautiful and they really make you feel like an important guest. We also had the sweetest waitress who gave us a free dessert when a table ordered one and then changed their minds. It was so good we ordered another one! To this day, it’s my favorite restaurant at the resort and to me is worth the splurge every once in a while.

#5 – Getting a surprise upgrade to the Grand Californian presidential suite

On a trip with my brother and cousin, we were only spending one night at the Grand Californian. Unbeknownst to us, when the hotel’s suite is not booked they’ll sometimes upgrade one-night stayers as a surprise. We were very confused when at check-in a staff member escorted us to our room, and when he opened the door the three of us burst out laughing. It was absurdly nice, with a panoramic view of what was then Paradise Pier. We ended up ordering room service to watch World of Color from our window. It was a truly crazy experience.

#4 – Riding Splash Mountain 4 times in a row without getting out of the log

That same trip, the three of us did our usual visit to Splash Mountain. This was at night in the winter, which meant NO line at all. When we finished the ride the cast member said, “want to go again?” We cheered enthusiastically, and without offloading, he sent us back through the ride. After the second ride he asked again, and we did it again. We rode 4 times in a row before I finally got off because I was soaked and my butt was getting sore from the hard seat. My brother and cousin went for a fifth time before calling it quits. It was so much fun!

#3 – Recreating Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest

A few years ago, Disneyland security was not what it is now. I don’t just mean at the gate – they really didn’t stop you from bringing any crap you wanted onto rides (thankfully for everyone’s safety – that’s no longer the case). But in that lax era, my family got VERY into Splash Mountain pictures. We would bring elaborate props to recreate scenes, from poker games to Santa and his reindeer. Our favorite, though, was recreating Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Champion Joey Chestnut told us the photo “made his day”, which for us was the highest praise imaginable.

#2 – Dressing up as the non-princesses of the 90s

Coming up with costumes for Oogie Boogie Bash is so fun, but sometimes it’s hard to think of something you won’t see a million times that night. In 2019, my friends and I decided to go as the “non-princesses” of the 90s: Megara, Esmeralda, and Jane Porter. We had a great night, but this moment became special because of how cast members reacted. They LOVED the outfits, telling us at almost every trick or treat location that we were the only Janes/Esmeraldas/Megs they had seen all year. One sweet cast member said “you’re not princesses, you’re queens!” and gave us extra candy. I just loved sharing in the joy with cast members and it inspired us to keep thinking of creative costumes for future parties.

#1 – Visiting the Disneyland Dream Suite

 We were NOT allowed to take photos inside – but here’s me on the balcony above Pirates!

And finally, I had the chance to visit the Disneyland Dream Suite. I went as part of the Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps Tour, which was an interesting experience in and of itself. But going into this amazingly detailed suite and seeing all the “secrets” in each room was fascinating. My only regret was our timing; they added Walt’s Main Street apartment back to the tour a WEEK after we went and I would’ve loved to see that too. But the suite was incredible, and seeing New Orleans Square from a birds-eye view was something I’ll never forget.

I hope sharing these brought you a little secondhand joy too, and if you’d like, I’d encourage you to share your own joyful moments at Disneyland in the comments so we can all share in the magic!