Four Points Bulletin

Disneyland has been the happiest place on earth since 1955, rain or shine. It unexpectedly drizzled the first hour we were there, which made our hair extra curly, the ground extra slippery, and our glasses extra blurry, but it didn’t dampen our good time. Today was our first day back since the pandemic. We had to wear masks the entire time, but this is a small price to pay for 25% capacity. We joyrode King Aurther Carrousel, Dumbo, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Disneyland Railroad, Casey Jr. Circus train, Mad Tea Party, and Autopia, which happen to be seven out of thirteen original Disneyland rides. Creating joy for 66 years, Walt Disney himself oversaw every aspect of each one if these rides, and for this we are grateful. A1 especially loved the carousel, the teacups and Autopia. (Anything fast and/or with turns she is a fan of.) We went on these rides twice since the lines were so short. I think the longest wait we had all day was twenty minutes.

When we exited the train at Main Street station we were greeted by four characters, Minnie, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Pluto. All characters are roped off due to the pandemic, so no more hugs for Mickey Mouse. There were a few hiccups along the way: our Disney app wouldn’t let us order food, the rain meant no Mickey balloon souvenir, the pandemic means no personalized souvenirs like embroidered Mickey ear hats or silhouette portraits. Regardless of the snags, I don’t think we could have had a better day at Disneyland.

At 7:00am this morning we jumped onto the Disneyland app and joined a boarding group for the Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars Land. Our boarding group was called just before noon. You have a limited amount of time to ride the ride after your group is called, but they do allow you to check in and do a kid swap. First Eric rode, and then I was able to cut in line for my turn once he was through. (Disneyland thinks of everything!) This was our first time on Rise of the Resistance. We both LOVED it. It isn’t a ride, but an experience. You feel like you are an extra in a Star Wars movie as you get carted around from one portion of the ride to another. It is so much fun, even if you are not a Star Wars nerd. Walt Disney once said, “we keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” I think he would be thrilled with his new addition of the park. Everything about Star Wars Land is truly amazing. Disneyland is the best. We are absolutely thrilled it is open again. We are slowly returning to life as we know it.