Just the way it is… (but I still get excited for some changes)…

Okay, so call me crazy (and I’m sure most of you will…) but I love California Adventure. I really do. There is something strangely magical about walking under that Golden Gate Bridge and into the idyllic California that I see in my dreams. I have long wished to move to the Golden State, its crashing waves and sunny skies have been calling my name for years, and, somehow, this idealized Disney version of the state is exactly what my heart is longing for.

Now I know you Disney purists out there must be shouting “No, stop… there is no theming at this park!” I know, I’ve heard it, and I’ve even wondered about it myself… but this tribute to California sunshine, legend and lore still gets me every time.

So, what does a perfect day at California Adventure look like? A little something like this…

  1. As soon as the park opens, leisurely stroll through the resort guests entrance and then make a bee-line for Soarin’.
  2. Soar over California… feet dangling, hair blowing, forgetting it’s only an “attraction…” sniffing in the sweet smells of California as the Golden State passes beneath my feet.
  3. With my favorite big-ticket attraction under my belt, I’m free to work my way through the park at my own pace, making sure that I never miss Monsters Inc., the Animation Building, a shopping stop in Greetings from California and a photo-op in front of the wave-drenched, Titanium Sun.
  4. Final stop? The Golden Dreams theater for a dose of history and inspiration… I know you are all groaning right now, but somehow this little video never tires for me…
With all my favorites checked off my list, it’s time to head over to the original… Disneyland Park… and yes, it’s only noon, and yes, I understand that is why this park needs a face-lift. I’m excited to see what Imagineering tricks Disney has up its sleeve… but I know that I will never forget that feeling when I first passed through those giant CALIFORNIA letters and into the Golden State of my dreams.

© 2008, Rays of Disneyland. All rights reserved.

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