Tales of Time and Travel v.3.1: Disneyland

Carol was our wonderful hostess while spending 3 days and 2 nights in The OC; making breakfast for me and Grant each of the next two mornings (when was the last time somebody made me breakfast?).  Carol is a great and fun friend from High School days, who after 30 years, had tracked me down and called me up to discuss earthquakes and imminent destruction of life-as-we-know-it along the San Andreas fault, especially as it related to Orange County.  I shared my philosophy for facing destruction with Carol; Eat, Drink and Go to the 'Happiest Place on Earth', for tomorrow we may die.  Whether Carol totally bought into this philosophy, I can not truly say, but she did provide clean sheets on two beds, thus sparing us the cost of a hotel and she also scored discount tickets for Disneyland! 

While in high school together, Carol was my quintessential 'California Girl' kind of friend; a petite blond, with a quick laugh that went with the bounce in her personality - and she drove a Mustang.  And now, come to find out, she lives just 10 miles from Disneyland.  Carol works out of her house as a consultant for commercial real estate corporations, developing budgets etc. for building managers and owners.  Since she did not have to punch a clock, so I suggested she join us for a day in the midst of Tinkerbell's Castle.  She thought she could take a day to do just that.

After a late night at the Dodger game, we slept in a wee bit.  After breakfast we planned to be at Disneyland around 9:30.  Carol then got a call from a client in a big pinch, so she told the client she could work on their problem beginning at 2.  We modified our plans for a half-day for the 3 of us, and Grant and I would return to ride the rides into the night.  Now come to think of it, I have been to Disneyland with Carol more times than with anyone else, including my wife and family.  As high school seniors I recall that we went to Disneyland for 'Senior Night', for 'CSF (Calif. Scholastic Federation - Honor Society) Night' and some other club-type 'Night'.  This trip made four times with Carol in the Magic Kingdom.  Strange how events coincide and combine over the years.

The Suneson Family tradition is to start with Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

Mark and Grant at Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
The second ride of the day

But this day, we opted to start in the 'California Adventure' section of the park, and Carol suggested we first go on the "Soaring Over California" ride.  We got in line, but it soon stopped moving forward.  Eventually, we were informed that a person in the first group through had gotten sick and turned the ride into "Barfing All Over California" (must have been from NY).  Even though the ride does not move, you watch from your seat as the images on a big screen in front of you show you gliding airborne over various landscapes of the Golden State.  When you glide over orange groves, a scent of citrus can be detected, this time I think they cranked up the citrus smell to compensate for any vomitous odor that might remain. 

Then it was time for Mr. Toad.  Grant commented on the old Disney being a bit darker, as Mr. Toad's careening carriage goes through an antagonistic courtroom, a violent explosion and a demon-infested underworld.  I kind of like the saccharine removed.  We were all going to finish with Pirates of the Caribbean before we took Carol back to work - but that ride broke down, so we hopped the fence and had one last go before leaving the Happiest Place on Earth.  

We rode the parking garage elevator with a mom and her teary 5-year old, with the boy sobbing in protest that he did not want to leave. Mom explained that it was his behavior that had crossed a boundary and had brought an abrupt end to his Disneyland adventure, despite in tearful protests.  Back in our car, Grant and Carol roundly condemned mom for her decision, "You just don't revoke Disneyland privileges from a kid! - too cruel."  I suggested mom was playing her 'Mom Card' and taking the boy back to the hotel for some food and a nap.  Then later on, with sincere apologies all around, I confidently predicted they'd be back in the Magic Kingdom by afternoon for the time of their lives. It's an old parent trick; enforce preset boundaries on behavior and reward, take a break, regroup and restart. Even I have pulled a few 'parent tricks' in my day.

Carol brought us to a taco place for lunch (beats Theme Park prices) and then we dropped her off and left her to fix the budget crisis.  Grant and I returned for a tour de force.  Grant goaded me into riding the California Screamin' roller coaster despite my better judgement.  I used to do roller coasters with joy, but now they mess with my inner ear and put a slight pal on my well-being.  But, my manhood was challenged by my own son.  Hell yeah, I can take it!  Bring it on.  

Now I learned something: I won't do that again.

We rode the Grizzly Rapids Wild River ride with an Arab family, where the mother spend the entire ride time fussing and covering her 12-year old daughter with a scarf, I assume in mortal fear that I would see a girl in damp clothing.

We boarded the Jungle Cruise, being the river guide on the Jungle Cruise is the most coveted job in the Magic Kingdom, since the entertainment value of the cruise is largely dependent upon the corny jokes and wit of the guide in the bow of the boat.  I enjoy the Jungle Cruise and the corny jokes, but mostly the puns.

Mark about to head up river
Non-stop bad jokes and
many of the mythical 'great puns'

Grant and I regretted that the Roaring Mountain Runaway Train ride was closed for repair, but we enjoyed the Matterhorn, Space Mountain and all of the attractions we wanted to experience.  I for one, was surprised that "A Few Moments with Mr. Lincoln" still exists.  Back in 1961, the 'animatronics' employed into make a life-like Mr. Lincoln stand and deliver a speech with smooth robotic human-like movement was a marvel of the age.  The few of us gathered in the theater awaiting Mr. Lincoln's address on his views of the Union and the character of the American.  I was gratified when at the close of his delivery, the audience broke out into applause.  To find that others appreciate the oratory of a great American Statesman and applaud the performance of a 50+ year old animatronic robot was an experience that I say, gave me hope that in what I believed to be dead or dying in the American experience and character did in fact still remained.

Our last ride of the night was to be the Hollywood Tower Hotel, where we ride a terrifyingly out-of-control elevator during an electrical storm in a 'Twilight Zone' experience.  Afterward, Grant said, "I remember that ride being longer."  Yes, my son, things are not always as you remember them once revisited.  Sad, but true. 

But Disneyland remains a grand experience, even if it is not quite like you remembered it when you were a kid.