Indeed, the happiest place on earth

There are moments in our lives that we are lucky enough to vividly remember. That's exactly how I feel about Disneyland. Despite only being nine when I first stepped foot there, somehow I could still recall the smell of the spring breeze and the warm, fuzzy feeling I had upon seeing smiles of the prince and princesses during our three-day stay at the park. I was blessed enough to visit Minnie Mouse's adorable house, walk through Sleeping Beauty's (Aurora is my favorite!) castle, embark on an adventure with Indiana Jones, get my own driver's license and cruise at Autopia, and a lot more. Maybe that's exactly the magic of Disneyland—or Disney, in general: it's being able to go back to our childhood, reminisce all the fun times we had while watching those home videos at least twice a day or playing with the dolls until all their hair fell off. Needless to say, I've been wanting to come back ever since.

Imagine my glee when my uncle mentioned about a possible day trip to the park; I was more than thrilled!!! And when they told me that our tickets were finally booked, what was left for me to do was scream with excitement. For the longest time I have been needing my dose of happiness and this was the perfect cure. More so, I found it quite fitting that I was able to return the year before I become an adult at twenty-one (Although I'm certain that wouldn't really change what I feel), it's as if everything is coming full circle. But then, I could always go back to Disneyland and there I would be a kid again and be able to relive these short but very sweet memories.

Before we begin, here is a 2010 map of the park via Theme Park Brochures in case you get lost. ;)


Tito Tan, Tita Lalee, and I had to go before the rest of the group to settle tickets. While waiting, we had an amazing breakfast-turned-brunch at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. I got myself a whooping plate of steak and eggs, enough to keep me energized for a fun-filled day. Since Tita Shas, Melissa, EJ, and Tita Earl were stuck at the bad traffic outside, the three of us went ahead, took the monorail, and rode Finding Nemo's Submarine Voyage. After our underwater journey, we were greeted with Endeavor, flying over the skies of Tomorrowland. What a treat!


We then made our way to the main entrance to finally meet up with the latecomers. Much to my surprise, there I was reunited with Aurora (The lady who dressed up as her was so pretty, nice, and looked a lot like Sleeping Beauty herself!) as she taught the little kids how to be a princess. We entered Main Street where we stocked up on refreshments and along the way found Alice and the Mad Hatter playing a game of musical chairs.


Splash Mountain at Critter Country was our first stop; it was blazing hot that day and found the need to cool ourselves with the water. On our way there, we passed by Tarzan's Treehouse at Adventureland, the Mark Twain Riverboat on the Rivers of America, and the Haunted Mansion at New Orleans Square. Log rides aren't exactly my cup of tea. In fact, I often stray away from them—or any kind of amusement park ride for that matter. They scare the hell out of me! But Disneyland had to be an exception.


Our tour of the Haunted Mansion came after and the casket carriage outside the house reminded us of our then-family business of a memorial home. (Oh how we miss that place dearly!) The elegant New Orleans Square had no trouble of luring me in. With my penchant for things fancy, I couldn't help but admire everything about the area: the beautiful courtyards teeming with color-busting flowers, the lacy wrought iron balconies, the sidestreet cafes, and the crowd dancing as the jazz band played. It was all so picturesque, it made me want to pay New Orleans a visit someday.


After riding with the Pirates of the Carribean, we went back to Tomorrowland to have our fill at Pizza Port. There I found a few stormtroopers stomping around like they owned the place and although I am not a huge fan of Star Wars (unlike my cousin Joey who watched all the movies and have what may be a thousand Lego Star Wars pieces), I had to take a photo for keeps.


No matter how short that day was, it goes without saying that Disneyland will always have a special place in my heart. And also, it's about time we move on to California Adventure. To be continued...

P.S. Thank you for this, Tito Tan, Tita Lalee, and Tita Shas!!!