We have annual passes now, thanks to Kelly's parents (early Christmas present). It's about an hour and a half from here with weekend traffic.





I was fully prepared to be disappointed by Disneyland as compared to Disney World, which most everyone knows Kelly and I love. But I wasn't disappointed at all, actually I like this Magic Kingdom much more than Orlando's version. It has a more thoughtful and permanent feel to it, and the trees are older and have more character.

The Haunted Mansion is re-tooled after the Tim Burton animated film, Nightmare Before Christmas, and they did a really good job with that theme.
 
New Orleans Square is really nice too, that's not a part of Orlando's. Splash Mountain was great, but I got a little wet.



It was not really that warm that day and I drippingly regretted getting that wet. Note to self, don't put the big guy in the front of the log, everyone suffers.

The park opened at 9:00, but Churros weren't available yet.



But we found some later.



Cinnamon and sugar is Kelly's chocolate.

Fantasy land is way better here and reminds me much more of the older Disney films like Alice in Wonderland, and Cinderella. I think they resist the urge to update to promote newer movies. My guess is that the business is different here, relying on more locals to get annual passes than on drawing people from other places. Disney World is it's own destination, but Disney land is really just a one-day excursion on a Southern California trip. So I think the Disneyland audience is less receptive to change.



My favorite rides are all boat rides. Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Norway in Epcot (Orlando), Mexico in Epcot (Orlando), Small World, and Jungle Cruise. I also like ones with dioramas. Disneyland has the Storybook Land ride, which combines the best Disney boat ride with dioramas. It reminds me of a place my parents took us when I was really young, like four, in the Adirondacks, I think called Makebelieve Land. It had the boat ride that started my fascination with them.

Way cool.

Of course, it's Christmas time, so Disney has gone all out decorating.

 

It takes a lot of balls to decorate this much.



I had my camera on the tulip for that one, Tammy knows what I mean. I have been experimanting with using some of the manual functions on the camera, drawing inspiration from Jeffrey. I played a little with the long exposures, but I really need a tripod or something. 











Across the way is Disney's "California Adventure," or as I called it, the Soarin' and Tower of Terror park, because that was all that was of any interest to me there. Soarin' is a great ride that takes you through a hang glider tour of California. The Hollywood Tower of Terror is simply the best themed Disney ride ever.



The rest of that park is styled after typical coastal amusement parks with a board walk and all that.

This is a fundamental strategic flaw for the Disney Imagineers. Walt Disney set out when he built Disneyland to create an amusement park that was nothing like the ones that existed then, one that was much more family-oriented and wouldn't become a teen hangout, with the seedy, carnival aura.

As with all Disney parks, it's the antiseptic, safe version of this boardwalk theme, but still, it's Disney trying to look like something else and straying away from the things that make some of us love the experiences they create. So the park as a whole just does not work. Of course it was cold the day we were there, making it difficult to get into the beach theme. And the big coaster was pretty awesome. It looks like a big old wooden coaster, but it's really steel, so it doesn't feel like it's going to break your neck. And it goes upside down.

Tomorrow, Kelly's first entry on The Price is Right!!!