One Day at Disneyland

My last trip to Disneyland was eight years ago. I don’t get to the Los Angeles area very often, and when I do I usually don’t have time to spare. But on Friday I found myself in Anaheim and I couldn’t wait to spend one day at Disneyland.

After flying to LA, I checked into my room at the Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort and beat a path to The Happiest Place On Earth.

Magic Kingdom

I arrived at Disneyland in the morning and headed straight to Fantasyland, my favorite area of the Magic Kingdom.

My first stop was the Peter Pan ride. As my boat sailed over the rooftops of London, I realized I’d inadvertently chosen my home city as the starting point for my Disney adventure.

It seemed fitting. As did my next ride, the England-based Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

Continuing with the English theme, my one day at Disneyland took me past thatched-roof cottages to Wonderland.

There I watched children getting dizzy on the Mad Tea Party ride before heading to my favorite childhood spot, the Alice in Wonderland ride.

Prior to walking over to Switzerland’s Matterhorn mountain, I started to notice that one of the reasons Disneyland is so magical is that it’s so clean.

Everything—from the rides to the roads to the buildings on Main Street USA—was spotless and sparkling. Fresh paint graced each surface and all the details were shining.

Speaking of details, they were another thing Disneyland did well. From the park benches by the castle to the engravings on the walls of the Indiana Jones ride, every tiny detail had been considered.

Overcoming my awe of the place, I continued my one day at Disneyland by enjoying a Matterhorn bobsled ride and walking over to Adventureland.

There I found myself in the middle of Asia as I rode a car through the Temple of Doom with Indiana Jones leading the way.

Minutes later I was on the sea on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

I hadn’t been there since the movies were released, and it was interesting to see how much the ride had been modified to include the likes of Captain Jack Sparrow.

From the Caribbean I continued my one day at Disneyland in New Orleans, enjoying the Disney version of fine dining at the Blue Bayou Restaurant.

It sits in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and no matter what time of day one eats there, it’s always nighttime by the water.

Lanterns light the dining area and jazz serenades patrons as they watch the boats go by.

I had always wanted to eat there when I went to Disneyland as a child, and I was glad to discover that the magic wasn’t lost when I finally went as an adult.

That said, the large number of children and the lack of alcohol made the restaurant a bit of a bizarre fine-dining experience.

After lunch my one day at Disneyland continued in Frontierland, where I walked past the Mark Twain Riverboat and rode the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad through the American West.

If that felt a bit too close to home, the next stop was Space Mountain, an intergalactic roller coaster through the night sky.

Disney California Adventure

After traveling all over the world and through the Milky Way, it was time to come back to California. Across from the Magic Kingdom sat a second theme park I’d never visited before: Disney California Adventure.

I’d heard mixed reviews of the park overall, but everyone told me that the one ride worth waiting in line for was Soarin’ Over California. As such, I spent the last of my one day at Disneyland there.

My chair lifted me up over a huge screen with expansive views of California’s mountains, rivers, national parks, ocean, and vineyards.