Disneyland: Why This Half Is So Important To Me

My grandpa (whom I'm named after), my mom and one of my aunts. Technically I am in this because I was in my mom's ovaries at the time. This was my first "visit" to Disneyland! ;)

It's in the blood. Disney, that is. I still have faint memories from my first visit to Disneyland. I didn't look exactly like I do now. I looked more like this: 

I wasn't even in kindergarten then. I went back again in the second grade with my mom and her friend. The three of us would make many Disney trips together in our lifetime. I remember the Haunted Mansion having a ride-stop and someone walking through, shaking our Doom Buggy. My mom's friend and I screamed in pure terror!

When I was in the 7th grade my parents and I went down in the fall to see Phantom of the Opera and visit Disneyland. (Don't you love my spiral perm?) It was then that I just knew I wanted to be part of the magic. I was completely in love with everything. I was noticing details of the park that most my age probably wouldn't care about. Smells, sounds, background music, differences in the pavement in different lands. I became fascinated by the whole park. Not the movies and toys, but the way the park operates. I would try to notice small details in the attractions to help me understand more how they work. We went back again during the spring of my 7th grade year, and it was then I started a new tradition that I still do now, many MANY years later. Every time I go on a ride I make it a point to notice at least one new detail that I haven't seen before. It might be a particular placement of a prop or a blinking light in the distance. I love the details. I love the engineering. I love it all!

10th grade band trip

My parents split up when I was in the 9th grade, and after that my mom and I were able to make annual trips to Disneyland together. We would have so much fun and always found ourselves in unique, memorable situations. (My always dropping ketchup on my shirts; mortifying moments in front of young college male cast members; etc...) I was also one of those annoying band kids down in California for Magical Musical Days. Marching down the center of Main Street USA really was a dream come true. It solidified my knowledge that some day I would help create the magic!

11th grade

I feel like, at least back then, kids would buy stuffed animals and t-shirts. I wanted VHS "day in the park" movies and books about the making of the park. I wasn't normal. I know, I know ... I am still not normal, right!?! ;)  Finally, in 1997 during the end of my freshman year at Oregon State University there was one tiny little ad in our school paper. It ran one day. I was meant to see it. Before I knew it I was sitting in an auditorium with goose bumps all over my body. I was listening to Disney recruiters talk about the Walt Disney World College Program (WDWCP). At this time California Adventure in California and Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida weren't even built/open. Things were so different. They were only hiring a small select group of students to live in one small apartment complex. We would live on Disney property. We would have to go to weekly seminars, in full business attire. We had to do self-selected study sessions in our spare time and write papers on them (I earned a Mousters Degree!). We would work in Walt Disney World. We would be paid to be part of the Magic!  That was it. I was sold!  The next morning I applied for the internship and a few weeks later I was accepted!

My fall term of my sophomore year of college looked like this:

During "Traditions" - front row by my friend David

My 19th birthday in my Pecos Bill Cafe costume

Once in a while I even worked in the Pecos Bill Cafe kitchen!

I also worked at a hot dog cart in Frontierland .... even made the infamous Turkey Legs!

It is possible I have a Mickey Mouse tattoo now, traced off of a paycheck

Even got myself a boyfriend, Vinny! We are still friends to this day!

Yeah, I was small and had braces and freaking LOVED that dress!

All good things come to an end. The morning after that last photo was taken, Vinny took me to the airport and watched me take off back to Oregon.  It was so sad. I left behind great friends, memories and my dream.  Have no fear, it wasn't over!  In December 2000, I graduated from Oregon State with my Psychology degree and sent myself on a little present/vacation to Disneyland! I haven't been back since, can you believe it?

But I did get back to Florida! I went back for another internship and became a full time cast member. I was a trainer in Asia Attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom, then moved to the Labor Office to pay the DAK cast members. I loved it. It was the most amazing time of my life! I had more fun than should be allowed. I had many terrible moments, too, but let's ignore that. How about photos instead!

Kali River Rapids was my home base! ... and also how I got my e-mail address

They even let me learn to drive THIS huge tram and work at a bird show!

The parade route was a daily spot people could find me.

I left out Labor Office photos. I wore business clothes and sat at a desk that I had covered with all of my Cheshire Cat toys. Cutting out a lot of stuff here .... I knew I had to move back home. I needed to be with family. Things in my life had to change, and I wanted the support of my family while I made that change. I cried the day I told my supervisors that I was leaving and non-stop on my final day. I left a big part of my heart in Florida back in 2004. It is still there. I let my dear friends that are still living in Orlando babysit it for me. And every year I go back to visit, at least once. It never bores me. I love what it all stands for; to Walt, the Company and myself.

Now, after all of these years, I finally get to return to the place where my love affair began. Disneyland. To run the half marathon and be reunited with places like New Orleans Square and Critter Country. I have a date with the Indiana Jones Adventure. I need to say hello to California Adventure's insides - not just the entrance of a yet-to-be-completed park. I am soooo excited!! 

Basically I talked for hours here just to say that you shouldn't be surprised if you start to hear more and more about Disneyland! I am bursting at the seams excited! And to top it all off, not only to I get to meet up with some of you fabulous bloggers, but it is also Biker Boy's first ever visit. I'm like a kid in a candy shop right now!! Is it too early to pack?