The secret to ROCKING the Astro Blaster...

...is to hold the laser RIGHT in front of your face, as I demonstrate here.

And, um, I loved Disneyland. :) I kind of wasn't sure that I would love it - I tend to be fairly cynical about big commercialized money-making machines, and Disney, uh, makes a lot of money. And they sell TONS of stuff. But it was REALLY different to BE there, and to SEE the kids get excited and to FEEL what Walt was going for when he conceptualized this idea in the first place - a place where kids and parents can have fun together. And, ya know, I'm an adult, right? But yes, I did multiple rides multiple times, and yes, I DID run back in line immediately after getting off California Screamin' AND the Tower of Terror. And I got my picture taken with Mickey, and it was a little magical, even tho I KNEW there was a person inside, probably even a female person.

One moment that pretty much captured the new feeling that I have for Disneyland was when Crista and I got off the Tower of Terror after our third ride (and we would have gone back for a fourth, but the Electrical Parade was starting and it was our last night there and I hadn't seen it yet) and there was a family of four that had been on the same ride as us, and it was their first time on it. And the kids seemed to have enjoyed it, but the dad was TOTALLY cracking up - it was obvious he had LOVED it! And Crista said something like, "Walt would LOVE that - that the dad liked it more than the kids did!" She said, "Kids need to see their parents like that." And I think it's a cool thought, and it makes me rethink how much I like the Disney commercials where the parent "turns into" a kid while in the park. The adults we saw there, and there were plenty without kids, seemed to be having a really good time. And the adults we WERE there :) had a FANTASTIC time! :) :)

So despite this overly-commercialized THING that I was expecting, I came away instead with a very sweet, tender feeling - a man planned and worked with a very specific family-oriented goal in mind, and I think that's GREAT. And the magic of the movie characters coming to life, and of BEING in Toontown, and of sailing through the Pirates' lair, and of hearing your voice, and your friends' voices, as the audio of a scene in one of your favorite animated movies, and of Crush the sea turtle swimming down this big tunnel that they dug from the ocean to come and talk to you - it IS magical! It's as magical as you allow it to be - and maybe that's the key. :)

So there will probably be more posting about the spring break Disneyland adventure - the driving, the craziness, the finding-out-about-your-friend's-arrest-record, the tears, the wonder, the penny presses, the walking, the reading a book outloud while we stood in line for Star Tours and getting another guy in line intrigued about the story, the rain, the churros, the crowds, the fast passes, the magic, the dreams coming true - but since we got home at 2 this morning and I had to get up early to plan French lessons for today and hence am operating on very little sleep, that posting will not be happening now.

But kids - good times, seriously good times. :)