Guest Column: How To Have Fun at Disneyland
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How to Always Enjoy Disneyland
(Even when it's insanely busy)

One of the few places in the Parks that wasn't PACKED

Salutations All,

Yes, the Resort was busy. I guess one should expect this when visiting during Spring Break. If I was just coming down to experience the rides I would have been one unhappy passholder. Fortunately I have learned how to enjoy the Parks no matter how crazy they get. All you have to do is follow some simple rules.........

Rule Number One: Take children

Sam and Susie enjoying Tom Sawyer Island

Children don't care about Splash Mountain being rehabbed or that the Parks are really busy. They are just excited to be at DISNEYLAND. Let them pick what do to and they'll show you how to have fun. On this last trip we scrambled all over Tom Sawyer Island, (including through the caves, its amazing how quickly the Disneyland nurses can take care of head wounds ;o) ran around Toontown, climbed the nets on the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, played in the Animation Building, rode the train, and saw every show there was to see. We did use fast pass and fireworks times to do some rides (can't miss Dumbo ;o), but the main thing was BEING in the Parks. Drinking a milkshake on a bench outside Soarin' over California can be almost as exciting as GOING on Soarin' over California. (If you think like a seven year old. ;o)

A wise man once said you "must become like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven". Disneyland isn't Heaven, but being there with a child makes it seem awful close.

Rule Number Two: Hang out with adults who become like children when they enter Disneyland

3/5 of the Nurmis, some very some cool Canucks

Sometimes we Annual Pass Holders become a bit jaded about the wonders of the Parks. So its a good idea to tour the Resort with someone who doesn't get to visit it very often. This past trip we got to spend a lot of time with the Nurmis'. Since its a 23 hour drive from Vancouver, they hadn't been to the Park since DCA opened. The Nurmis' were a joy to be around. They were excited about everything, and they LOVED the new Resort. Their "childlike" attitude made me excited about the Resort all over again. So when the Parks seem to be getting tarnished try checking them out with someone who will see them as fresh and new and you'll see them that way too.