Disneyland Christmas 2011

An excitement chases away any hope of sleep I might get as I stare at the dark ceiling of the hotel room. I turn and look at the clock for the fourth time in five minutes. Only 3 hours and 12 minutes until the magical gates open and I am admitted to the Happiest Place on Earth. Even after 15 years and over a dozen times of going, the magic is still as strong as it was the first time I entered Disneyland at 8 years old.

Over the next two days of our vacation, my childlike anticipation is perfectly satisfied through the thematic consistency of Disneyland. Mouthwatering smells, cheerful music, and smiling faces melt years away and I feel as giddy to see Mickey as my toddler is-- and she is almost as excited as my parents are. Our party has ten people with an age span of 9 months to 46 years, each of us with our individual hopes for our vacation.

The park was so full, they stopped admitting guests. Despite the crowds, we were able to use some Disneyland ride software, fastpasses, and various smartphone applications, to get to each desired attraction and even more; our longest line was 45 minutes for Pirates of the Carribbean, and even then we didn't mind the wait. I like waits in Disneyland queues because we have an arsenal of games to play together to combat boredom, but also because Disney does its best to keep its waiting guests moving and entertained.

Examples of Disneyland's solutions to hideous lines are: the fastpass and switchpass. There are many rides you can go to that allow for you to get fastpasses. These fastpasses allow you to return at a determined time and stand in a significantly shorter line. A switchpass functions to allow those who tend small children to still enjoy the ride. Each ride has its unique protocol for the switchpass, so its best to ask about the policy before you stand in line. Usually, the party leaves one or two people out to tend the kids while the rest wait in line for the ride. At the end of the line, they are given a pass and can use it for up to two people to get in the fastpass line for the ride.

The lines are also designed to keep you from thinking of the wait. My favorite line to wait in is for the Adventures of Indiana Jones ride. The line is typically very long, but also very true to the theme of the ride. From bamboo railings, to stone blocks and booby traps—our favorite one being the wilting bamboo that, when pushed in, causes crashes that sound like the cave is falling in, to a TV you watch in queue, the details never cease to amaze me.

This thematic consistency holds true from ride to ride and land to land. Each "cast member"-employee- has a costume that corresponds with the location of their work. The architecture is unique from land to land, with foods and stores adding to the theme. The Disney characters have their homes in appropriate areas that only make sense as well as the rides. The integrity of the magic is even found in the very words that the cast members use. I would argue that this thematic consistency is one of the integral aspects of the magic of Disneyland, that and the business of wish fulfillment.

We came to Disneyland with individual wishes and left with shared memories of the fulfillment of those wishes.

-Note: Pictures to be posted at a future date.