64 things I love about Disneyland

Sixty-four years ago today, on July 17, 1955, Walt Disney stepped to a microphone and uttered these immortal words:

"To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here, age relives fond memories of the past, and here, youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."

All these years later, Disneyland maintains its reputation as being "The Happiest Place on Earth" - somewhere people can go to have fun, escape the worries of the world and, even if temporarily, become a kid again.

It is my all-time favorite vacation and one of my favorite places in the entire world. So today, in honor of the park's birthday, I came up with a list of 64 of the very many things that I love about Disneyland. (For the record, this list is only about Disneyland - not California Adventure, and not Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, which I haven't been to, at the time of writing.) I've tried the best I could to put the numbers in order as if you were walking in a loop through the park from entrance to exit. Close your eyes and come with me on a journey. Actually, on second thought, keep your eyes open. I actually want you to be able to read this blog.

Anyway, here we go:

1. Ball Road, Katella Avenue and Harbor Boulevard

Ok, so this one isn't technically inside the park, but when you see street signs for Ball, Katella or Harbor, that means you're only a couple blocks away from Disney Way. The excitement is real!

2. The Ticketing Area

The first of many, many lines to come... But you can't help but be excited while waiting to get inside Disneyland for a day full of adventure!

3. Magic Morning

The "Magic Morning" is an opportunity to get into the park an hour before the rest of the peasants that surround you. It's a great opportunity to hit up some rides that typically have longer lines later on in the day. Make the most of this time!

4. The Mickey Flowers Photo Op

What would a trip to Disneyland be without a classic tourist photo in front of the flowerbeds below the train station? Say cheese!

5. "Here you leave Today and enter the World of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy."

This iconic sign sits above visitors' heads as they walk below the bride that leads from the entrance to Main Street U.S.A.

6. Retro Attraction Posters

Immediately after passing beneath the plaque in #5, visitors will see posters advertising Disneyland's most popular attractions on both sides of the brick walls below the railroad bridge. The unique art style evokes a sense of nostalgia and nods to the park's historic roots.

7. The Music on Main Street

Upon entering Main Street, park-goers are greeted by the musical stylings of Disneyland's classic soundtrack - a ragtime mixture of a 1950's big band, ukulele and xylophone.

8. Mickey Ears

Gotta give a shoutout to one of the most recognizable pieces of apparel in the entire world. Who hasn't donned one of these caps, complete with their embroidered name on the back?

9. Main Street Candy Shops

There are a lot of delicious treats to be found on Main Street. My personal favorite are the bags of sour candy from Goofy Candy Co.

10. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln

While certainly not one of the most popular attractions in the park, "Mr. Lincoln" was a technological marvel at the time it was created, and the animatronics hold up to this date. The first time I actually remember seeing him stand up during his speech, I think my jaw dropped. Did not see that coming! It's also a nice place to beat the heat and give your legs a rest if you're in the area later on in the day.

11. The Walt and Mickey Statue

At the end of Main Street is the glorious statue of the creator, himself, alongside his lovable rodent pal. Walt and Mickey stand, hand in hand, overlooking the park with watchful eyes.

12. Hidden Mickey Hunting

There are hundreds of "Hidden Mickeys" around the park, camouflaged in buildings, queues, architecture and all throughout the attractions. How many can you find?

13. Sleeping Beauty's Castle

While I've never really been one to go out of my way to go inside the castle, I can't deny that it is one of the most beloved buildings anywhere in North America.

14. FastPasses and the MaxPass

Back in my day, we actually had to wait in line if we wanted to go on the attractions! The development of the "FastPass" ticket in 1999 truly changed the way that we experience amusement parks. Essentially, it's a legal way of cutting in line. Grab yourself a FastPass and come back within a given time to have access to a shorter line and a minimized wait time. The roll-out of the MaxPass feature made FastPasses available through your smartphone, meaning that my brothers and I no longer need to run all the way across the park to reserve a time for a far-away attraction. Now, you can book a FastPass for Space Mountain while taking the kids through Toontown with the Disneyland mobile app. Throw in the fact that the MaxPass gives you access to digital copies of any pictures of your party taken on rides or by Disneyland photographers and you've got yourself a real deal! The MaxPass comes with a daily fee, but it's incredibly worth it if you're planning on riding the biggest rides and if you want some high quality, professional photos to remember your vacation.

15. The New Star Tours

I loved the original Star Tours ride, but the changes that have been made in the past 10 years - namely, 3D technology and the addition of multiple ride combinations and on-screen locations - are a blast.

16. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

Though its popularity has diminished since the arrival of its sister-park counterpart "Toy Story Midway Mania," Buzz's Astro Blasters remains a game-changer in terms of on-ride interactivity. Here are 10 tips for reaching a new high score!

17. Space Mountain Fast Passes

In terms of Disneyland attractions, this is the one most in need of a FastPass. That line takes forever if you're waiting stand-by. You've got to claim the FastPass early in the day because they'll always sell out in the afternoon, but you'll be glad if you can hop on Space Mountain a couple times without having to wait 90 minutes.

18. Captain EO / Honey, I Shrunk the Audience

Rest in Peace. These shows were so fun.

19. Sneak Previews

Although "Captain EO" and "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" are no longer in operation, Disneyland will occasionally show sneak previews of upcoming movies in certain areas or theaters around the park. In recent years, I've seen special promotions of movies like "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," the live-action "Cinderella" and "Incredibles 2." If you're there during a time when they're showing something like that, make sure you go.

20. The Constant Smell of Churros

Churros. A must-have snack on any Disney trip.

21. Darth Vader and Stormtrooper Procession

If you're lucky, you'll see occasionally see Lord Vader and his minions march through Tomorrowland.

22. The .GIF of Darth Vader Riding the Astro Orbiter

23. The Sword in the Stone

Another classic photo-op. I've never pulled the sword from the stone, but one of my siblings did once. True story.

24. Short Lines at Pinocchio's Daring Journey and Snow White's Scary Adventures

Two scary rides located in the heart of a land meant for small children. You can almost always walk right onto either of these attractions at any point during the day.

25. "Driving" on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

Mr. Toad is arguably the most fun ride to "drive," as the steering wheel isn't slowed down by mechanics like on Roger Rabit or the Teacups.

26. Going on Peter Pan - But Only Once

That line is way too long and way to slow to justify standing in multiple times. This is Destination #1 for most of my Magic Mornings. Get there before all the kiddos.

27. The Alice in Wonderland Music in Fantasyland

The "Unbirthday" song is one of the catchiest tunes in any Disney movie. That thing will get stuck in my head for hours after walking through Fantasyland, and I don't entirely mind.

28. Cranking the Wheel on the Teacups

Unlike the steering wheel on "Mr. Toad," you can't spin the teacups to your heart's content - and that's probably a good thing - but that won't ever stop me from trying.

29. "Sit-Down" Rides (Storybook Land Canal Boats, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, it's a small world, Pirates of the Caribbean)

While they aren't all the most exciting of attractions, it's occasionally nice to find a 10-minute ride where you can just sit down and take it easy.

30. Bigger, More Comfortable Seats on the Matterhorn

The Matterhorn was never my favorite ride, thanks in large part to the old bobsleds that were probably the most uncomfortable vehicles ever designed. They also gave you the awkward experience of sitting with another person in between your legs. Not great. Now, the Matterhorn bobsleds are bigger, wider and intended for individual riders in each seat, which is a much better time than what I grew up with.

31. Watching My Brother Eat a Turkey Leg

He really wanted one, so he bought it. Then he ate it. With his bare hands. It was a sight to behold.

32. it's a small world

I'll say it: I like the song. I think the ride is creative. I love that they've added classic Disney characters to it in recent years. In 2018, I got to see it decked out for Christmas, which was a first for me, and that was great, too. It also has a short line with a good deal of shade that moves faster than almost any other queue in the park. Can't complain about that!

33. Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin

This spinning ride through the narrow alleys of Toontown was added to Disneyland in 1994. It's, far and away, the best attraction in that area of the park and would, apparently, give you a great view of any extended family brawls that might break out.

34. Toontown Photo Ops

There are a bunch of fun spots to grab a picture, including the TNT factory, jail and the homes of many of your favorite cartoon characters. I always love snagging a pic with the dumbbell.

35. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad's Utah Theme

The ride itself is great; realizing that it was designed to resemble Southern Utah makes it even better.

36. Riding Thunder Mountain During a Fireworks Show

It happened by accident once. And it was glorious. Gotta time it just right, but if you can make it work, you won't be disappointed.

37. Rancho del Zocalo

I've eaten there a couple times. Food quality (it's not bad) and pricing (pretty typical) notwithstanding, that is a tremendous name for a restaurant.

38. The Fantasmic! Soundtrack

The final song of the show is particularly good.

39. Extremely Short Lines During Fantasmic!

If you've seen Fantasmic! once or twice, you've seen it a thousand times. While everyone else is standing around watching the show and blocking foot traffic, hit up Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. If you don't mind potentially getting drenched late at night, it would be an ideal time for Splash Mountain, too.

40. New Orleans Square

New Orleans Square is possibly my favorite "land" in the park. I usually try to find at least a couple minutes during my visit to walk around and take in the sights and sounds of old school Louisiana.

41. The Smell of Pirates of the Caribbean

It's not the smell of dirty water. It's not the smell of dirty water. It's not the smell of dirty water.

42. The Addition of Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbosa

I suppose I'm somewhat of a traditionalist when it comes to stuff from my childhood. I don't like when they mess with the classics. But I do like what they've done by adding stuff from the "Pirates" movies to the Disneyland ride.

43. The Royal Street Bachelors

Whenever possible, I like to take some time to listen to the live music in New Orleans Square. It makes me miss playing my trumpet in the high school jazz band. Also, that is a sweet name for a music group.

44. Caricature Artists

In 2018, I finally did something I had always wanted to do: I got an artist to draw a caricature of me. The results were incredible.

45. The Blue Bayou

It's expensive as heck and, in my experience, generally way too much food for a single person to eat in one sitting. But it is one of the most immersive experiences you could ever have when dining out.

46. Re-riding the Haunted Mansion

My sister and I went to Disneyland with our mom for our "senior trip." She was graduating from high school and I was graduating from college. It was one of the best vacations I have ever taken. We worked that park, day and night, for the entire trip. One of my favorite parts, believe it or not, was going on the Haunted Mansion a whopping six times. It has never been one of my favorite attractions, but on this particular vacation, we lucked out and got some really short lines for it. We spent each new run looking for new details and hidden trivia on the ride. It really was a highlight of the trip for me.

47. When Splash Mountain Isn't Undergoing Refurbishment

Along with Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain is one of the rides that seems to have be most frequently closed down during my trips. So, when it's not being worked on, it's easily one of my favorite attractions - especially when I can manage not to get my shoes and socks wet.

48. The Mini-Drops in Splash Mountain

Yeah, the big drop is awesome, but there are a couple other drops in Splash Mountain that are completely underrated.

49. Winnie the Pooh's Permanently Short Line

Location, location, location. Winnie the Pooh got the short end of the stick, as far as park placement goes, but that practically guarantees that it won't be busy if you make it out to that corner of Critter Country.

50. The Swiss Family Robinson Easter Egg @ Tarzan's Treehouse

I'm an O.G. Swiss Family Robinson fan, so I was genuinely sad when I heard the treehouse was being re-themed. The Tarzan stuff is fine. My favorite part is definitely the phonograph that plays the "Swisskapolka."

51. Jungle Cruise Skippers

Honestly, I want this job.

52. Riding the Jungle Cruise at Night

A few years ago, I realized that I could only remember ever having ridden the Jungle Cruise during daylight hours. I decided to make a point to ride it after sundown, and I was pleasantly surprised. Riding the river under the cover of darkness almost made it feel like a completely different ride. Check it out if you get a chance.

53. The Indiana Jones Adventure Queue

I think this is one of the coolest queues in any theme park. It really helps guests feel like they are deep in the jungle of an Indiana Jones movie, and there are some fun aspects to the ride, like the "Do Not Pull" rope and the tourism video, to help make the wait more enjoyable. Also, #NeverForget these decoder cards they gave out when the ride first opened in 1995:

54. Sallah's Presence Throughout the Indiana Jones Ride

Having John Rhys-Davies lend his voice in his reprised role of Indy's friend Sallah is a great touch that makes the ride feel authentic.

55. Driving an Indiana Jones jeep

It's always an honor to land in the driver's seat.

56. Air Conditioning in the Enchanted Tiki Room

Like Fantasmic!, this isn't something you need to do every time you visit the park, but if you need to take a load off for half an hour and get some sweet relief from an air conditioner, this is a great place to do it.

57. Disneyland Pins

I'm by no means a hardcore pin collector, but I've got a few of them and I'd like to start an actual display for them one day.

58. The Dole Whip Float

Perhaps the best dessert ever invented. If you haven't had one, you need one. Quite simply, it is heaven on earth in a cup.

59. Cast Member Uniforms

I don't know what it is, but I love the uniforms that cast members wear, and I love that they're different, depending on which area of the park you're in. (My all-time favorites are the old Tower of Terror bellhop uniforms. Those things were awesome.)

60. Frozen Bananas

Second only to the Dole Whip, the frozen banana is a treat you've got to try while in Disneyland.

61. Character Autographs

At a certain age, you kind of grow out of this aspect of Disneyland, but the joy and excitement that these characters bring to young visitors is undeniable. I remember having an autograph book as a kid, and I always looked forward to getting new signatures with each trip to the park.

62. Main Street Parades

Here, again, is something that is good on occasion. They're a bit problematic because they clog up traffic and restrict paths to certain parts of the park, but they're fun presentations (especially at night, like the Main Street Electrical Parade). Years and years ago, I randomly got the chance to be part of one of the parades with my mom and siblings, which was most likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. My parade buddy was Gideon from Pinocchio. Not my first choice of characters, but it was what it was.

63. Window Shopping on the Way Out

There's a lot of really cool stuff in those shops. Clearly, you can't buy most of it, but that doesn't mean you can't look.

64. Saving Money by Buying Stuff Online

Pro tip: Take a picture of the stuff you want and look for it at a discounted price online. A couple years ago, I saved myself $40 by buying a couple art books and a shirt from Amazon and Walmart after I got home.

***

Surely, I could have made a much longer list of all the things I love about Disneyland, and surely I have forgotten or otherwise had to leave off others. What do you think? What are your favorite parts of the park? Let me know in the comments below, on Facebook or Twitter. We'd be happy to hear from you.

See ya real soon!

A-Town Playlist: No Sleep Till Hoboken

I'm headed out to Hoboken, New Jersey, next week for a business trip to see my company's corporate headquarters. This means I'm in need of a rockin' playlist. I've already got a pretty good compilation of travel tunes, but I thought it would be fun to create another playlist purely composed of music by bands that come from New Jersey and New York (or that wrote songs about those states). Here's what I put together:

1. Goin' Down to New York Town - Counting Crows
2. New York City - They Might Be Giants
3. We Are All Made of Stars - Moby
4. Hook - Blues Traveler
5. You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi
6. I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
7. Big Shot - Billy Joel
8. Juke Box Hero - Foreigner
9. Someday - The Strokes
10. Diane Young - Vampire Weekend
11. Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel
12. Two Princes - Spin Doctors
13. Dream On - Aerosmith
14. Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar
15. Layla - Derek & the Dominos
16. Smooth - Santana feat. Rob Thomas
17. Livin' On a Prayer - Bon Jovi
18. Helena (So Long and Goodnight) - My Chemical Romance
19. Broadway - Goo Goo Dolls
20. New York State of Mind - Billy Joel

A quick list. A brief list. Did I miss any of your favorite Jersey or NYC-based bands? Let me know in the comments below!

Unpopular Opinion: 2016 actually didn't suck

You can't escape the negativity these days. It's all over Facebook, moreso than on Twitter lately - although I did get my first-ever death threats this year, over something that I ended up being right about, which is hilarious - and, quite often, getting online is super depressing. Everybody has an ax to grind, a fight to pick and a reason to complain. People are still upset about the election results, Latter-day Saints are losing their faith over the Mormon Tabernacle Choir accepting an invitation to perform at the Inauguration, cop-killing has become a viable outlet for frustration, we're protesting everything (remember when that guy started a petition to shut down Rotten Tomatoes??) and the nerds won't stop blaming 2016 - the year - for killing their favorite celebrities. As if it has a mind of its own. As if it decides who lives and who dies. They're clamoring for 2017 to hurry up and arrive so famous people will stop passing away. (Sorry, kids, but it's not like people will magically stop dying on January 1.) I've seen people on Facebook making ridiculous statements like "Let's never do 2016 again." (News flash: that's literally impossible.) The culmination of it all is driving me nuts.

2016 is the angriest year I can ever remember. We are constantly looking for others to blame for our problems. This leads to a whole lot of arguing and a whole lot of unhappiness. Many times, I think it's like we are looking for reasons to get mad. This generation (my generation) has the thinnest skin in the history of the world, and when we've run out of reasons to be offended for ourselves, we go so far as to look for reasons to get offended for others. (For example, white people becoming outraged over the name of the Washington Redskins or straight non-Mormons trashing the Church for its so-called "policy change" a while back.)

I'm trying to think which would be a better slogan to sum up what happened this year: "2016: Protest everything!" or "2016: The butt-hurt was real." I'm open to suggestions.

But, of course, I can't post any of this on social media because it's 2016, the year in which my opinion and most of the things I believe became wrong. You read that right. My opinion is wrong.

Uh, ok.

Back when I used to blog all the time -- I can't imagine writing a weekly, un-fact-checked, non-P.C. opinion blog these days - I'd get crucified -- I used to have people vote for the best Signs of the Times in that particular year. In 2016, I realized that A) nobody really reads my blog anymore (thus the lack of posting) and B) nobody really cares what I'm doing in life, so I've decided to scour my Facebook and Instagram posts and determine 2016's best moments myself.

As far as I can see, I'm in the vast minority here - call it optimism, call it stupidity - or maybe I'm just wrong again, but I actually think 2016 was a pretty good year. A pretty awesome year, in fact. I'm not going to make you do anything, but I think it might be good for you, if you haven't already, to take a few minutes and think back about all the good things that happened to you this year. It certainly made me feel better about life. It has helped me realized that I'm doing ok and that a lot of the crazy stuff going on in the world usually has no direct impact on me, personally. (R.I.P. Carrie Fisher, for sure, but, no offense, her death does not truly affect my life whatsoever.)

In chronological order, here is a list of good things that happened to me in 2016:

1. I got a new nephew, #MegaMax, and he is the cutest little Charlie Brown doppelganger you'll ever see. Max is awesome!
2. I got to work for Salt Lake Comic Con for FanX 2016 and met some cool celebrities, like LeVar Burton, Jason Isaacs, Dean Cain and Jeremy Renner!
3. My sister, Amy, got married to Cole Morgan! Cole is an awesome guy and we're so glad to have him in the family.
4. Austin and I got laid off from Allstate. That pretty much sucked because being laid off is never fun, but I basically got two months of paid vacation, so that was fun.
5. Whilst unemployed, I took my first spontaneous road trip and drove to San Diego with Austin, Lex and Max! We did some fun things down there, including going to a Padres game, where they beat the Yankees on a walk-off home run. We met up with my Uncle Ryan during the game, which was cool, and Austin and I bumped into Yankees manager Joe Girardi outside the stadium.
6. I also go to help the Comic Con social media team for Salt Lake Comic Con 2016, where I met WWE legend John Cena! (My Halloween costume this year was spot on, too, by the way.)
7. I saw some great concerts this year, including Chicago, one of my all-time favorite classic rock bands. Coincidentally, it was one of the worst dates I've been on in years, but I had a great time, regardless of how bored she was. Her loss.
8. Check this one off the bucket list: I finally saw my absolute favorite band in concert - WEEZER! It was everything I hoped it would be, and it was the first concert I can remember where I actually knew all the songs that were played. I had a great time with Amy, Cole, Cody and my friend Laura.
9. I got a chance to go back and work for the Deseret News again in August! I had a great experience and was able to write some great articles and do some good interviews. They didn't choose to hire me full-time, but, if I'm being honest, I knew they wouldn't. Their loss. I got a different job in September and I'm doing just fine.
10. My mom let Cody and me bum along on her business trip to Baltimore. In a week-long trip, we toured Baltimore, Washington D.C. and even spent a day in Philadelphia. It was one of the greatest trips I have ever gone on, and I totally fell in love with National Harbor, Maryland. Look at that sunset!
11. While on the east coast, I went to Major League Baseball games in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., seeing the Orioles and Nationals play on back-to-back nights. We also took tours of the Orioles, Nationals and Philadelphia Eagles' stadiums, which was a lot of fun. Best of all, I got to meet the Racing Presidents before the Nationals game! It was a dream come true!
12. My family finally moved out of their rental house in Sandy. We had some great memories in that place, but we're sure glad they were in a position to get out. They're in a nice, brand new house in Bluffdale now and that has been a real blessing for us.
13. But that new house was out to get me! I took a tumble on their hardwood floor on Halloween night, partially dislocating my kneecap and straining some of the muscles in my left leg. Thankfully, with the help of a knee brace, some compression pants and some self-imposed physical therapy, I'm feeling a lot better now. Not 100% yet, but I'm getting there.
14. I turned 30! Oh, gosh, I'm old.
15. I'm still not married, but I did make some good friends this year, including the guys in the Union YSA elders quorum presidency. The four of us chipped in to buy a photo shoot during a service auction and I think the pictures turned out great. Additionally, one of my favorite things from 2016 was the creation of Men's Night, which started out as an idea to get all my brothers and brother-in-law together to go see Batman v Superman, but morphed in to an almost-monthly tradition of going out with my friends (and sometimes even my sister, sisters-in-law and other various female friends) to see action movies. This year, we saw BvS, Captain America: Civil War, X-Men: Apocalypse, Suicide Squad, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and Assassin's Creed, and had a great time. I can't wait to continue this tradition next year.
16. I got to spend Christmas with my family! I love the holidays and it was a lot of fun having everyone together for the weekend.

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There's my year in review! What are some of the best things that happened to you in 2016? Feel free to comment, if you feel so inclined.

I know it's easy to focus on the negative, to dwell on everything bad that happens and to complain about everything. I do it quite often, myself. Bad things happen to everyone. I've tried hard these past 12 months to make a conscious effort to look for things that are going well in my life. For things that make me happy and for the many blessings I receive on a daily basis. I'm even thankful for you, whoever you are, for actually reading this post. But, more than that, I'm eternally grateful to God, who has blessed me with an amazing family, some really good friends and a lot of great opportunities in my life, even in 2016, that dreaded year that so many people are calling the "worst year ever." Good things are happening each day. It's up to us to find them.

Here's to a happier, kinder and even better new year in 2017! Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.

Happy New Year,

Aaron

A-Town takes Anaheim - Five main differences between me and your typical annual pass holder

My name is A-Town and I just got back from vacation. Yes, it's true. A-Town took Anaheim last week. The  main intent and purpose of my visit is a whole 'nother story, as they say, but I would like to discuss, briefly, one aspect of that trip. I had the blessed opportunity to spend a couple days in the Happiest Place on Earth. I LOVE Disneyland. I'm, like, obsessed, pretty much. I also had the unique experience of spending those days in the Park with two native Californians. Now, don't get me wrong, I had an amazing time and had some great company - but, as the time passed, I began to notice that there are some major differences between myself and your average annual pass holder. I'd like to highlight the differences I noticed in five points.

1- Frequency of visits
As a kid, back in the good old days of the booming American economy, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Disneyland on an almost bi-annual basis. As I have grown older, as the economy has gotten worse, and as Disneyland ticket prices have skyrocketed, the frequency of my Disney vacations has plummeted and, over the past decade and a half, I haven't been able to visit the Park as often as my little heart would desire. Because of this lack of quality time with Mickey and friends, I will look for ANY reasonable excuse to head down to Anaheim. I love going to Disneyland, largely thanks to the wonderful childhood memories that I've treasured for a lifetime, but also because it's something that I don't get the chance to do very often.
In comparison, the typical California native with an annual pass can go hit up Disneyland and California Adventure at the tip of a hat. They could go every weekend if they wanted or even visit the Park multiple times in the same week if they wanted! How lucky is that? However, because this is such a common thing for them, I fear that they do not truly value the experience they're having. That would be like me taking the Utah mountain ranges for granted. I've been known to turn down a hike or a backpacking trip from time to time. It's not that I don't like nature, necessarily, but I don't feel like hiking that often because it's something I could do whenever the heck I wanted. When I go to the coast, it's nice to see the beach. I like going to the beach because we don't have that in Utah. Contrarily, I'm sure somebody from California would love to come skiing or snowboarding in Utah because they don't get a lot of opportunities to do that on the West Coast.
Another example: Take a typical college student. I believe there are probably two general types of college kids: 1) those who pay for themselves and 2) those who are paid for by others. In my experience, those who will not only try the hardest to get good grade but also enjoy their college experience the most are those who pay their own way. Similarly, I believe that I enjoy Disneyland more than a typical annual pass holder because it takes so much of an effort to get me there in the first place.

...because I had just arrived.

2- Length of stay in Park
Once I'm at the Park, I want to be AT THE PARK. Story: I went on a Disneyland trip with a bunch of summer camp counselors back in 2010. Whilst enjoying ourselves on the vacation, several of the counselors suggested that we leave Disneyland that afternoon to either go back to the hotel and swim or take a nap. I was appalled. Disgusted. Like... really?? Why the heck did I pay so much money to go to California if all I was going to do was take a nap? I could have stayed home and taken a nap for free! And it's not like there are no swimming pools in Utah. No beach, sure, but they wanted to go swim in the hotel pool. Really?! When I go to Disneyland (and when I pay that much money to go TO DISNEYLAND), I want to be AT DISNEYLAND. Naps are for sissies. There will be plenty of time to sleep when you get home. I want to be there from open to close every single day, if possible. I want my money's worth. In my most recent trip to Disneyland, I spent one day with a Californian who had just obtained their annual pass. I think they were probably good to go home at like 3:00 in the afternoon. By the time 8:00 PM rolled around, it almost seemed like we were dragging her through the Park for the final three hours of the day. You know, I felt a little bad about that. She drove me there, so we were all going to end up leaving at the same time, but there was no way in H-E-double-toothpicks that I was letting her out of the Park before 11:00 that night. I felt kind of bad... but not really. There's difference number two between me and the fabled annual pass holder - average length of stay in the Park per day. Open to close, baby. Open to close.

Benefits of staying late.

3- Hustle
As previously mentioned, I was just at Disneyland with a few people on vacation. One of my friends was awesome. She loves Disneyland, I love Disneyland. It was beautiful. The other friend, mentioned at length in Reason #2, wasn't quite loving it on an equal level as we were. At one point, she asked why we were walking around "like we're in a hurry." That comment right there is what sparked my idea to write this post. We weren't "in a hurry" - we were at Disneyland! That was why I was working the Park like the proverbial banshee. I only had a day and a half at Disneyland and California Adventure during that particular trip (which is nowhere even close to enough time to do everything I wanted to do, by the way), so I wanted to try to do as much as possible. I was walking around like I was "in a hurry" because the dang line for the Cars Land ride at Radiator Springs was never anywhere less than 45 minutes long. I was walking around like I was in a hurry because we were only able to go on Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye one time during my stay. I was walking around like I was in a hurry because there were thousands of other people there trying to get a better spot than me in line. And it's not like I was RUNNING. In fact, I don't even think I was walking that fast. I was just tired of getting stuck behind lollygaggers (annual pass holders, no doubt) that were walking around like the elderly. Sure, my feet were burning and my legs hurt like heck, but just think of it this way: your feet can either be killing you at Disneyland or your feet can be killing you at home. I'll take Disneyland. The pain is temporary, but the glory lasts forever.

Thrilled to be there, obviously.

4- Fast Passes
If you're trying to maximize your experience at Disneyland and California Adventure, Fast Passes are the only way to go. For those of you who don't know what a Fast Pass is, it's basically a ticket you can periodically get throughout the day that lets you bypass about 90% of the line for a given ride. There is a certain way to use Fast Passes strategically that will save you hours of time. For instance, we got Fast Passes for Splash Mountain last week and, instead of having to wait in line for over an hour, we were in and out and on our way to the next attraction within 17 minutes. Considering the fact that Splash Mountain is about 10-minutes long, that's pretty dang awesome. Don't want to wait 90 minutes for Space Mountain? No problem. Fast Pass it and come back later on in the day. The other trick is to make sure you are requesting Fast Passes as often as possible. The Fast Pass ticket will tell you what time your next Fast Pass is available - so be sure to find a ride to reserve as soon as possible. By always attempting to request a Fast Pass at the earliest available time, you thereby ensure yourself as little time waiting in line as possible. Another tip: Don't use Fast Passes on attractions that don't usually have long lines, anyway. Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters is a great ride, but it's usually not that busy in the first place. Reserve your precious Fast Passes for more popular attractions like Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and the Tower of Terror. Is this not common knowledge amongst annual pass holders? I was obsessing over the whole Fast Pass concept last week and there were times where they looked at me like I was crazy. Sure, I volunteered to walk all the way across Disneyland from Small World to Splash Mountain and back again to get Fass Passes for our group while they stood in line, but the benefits outweigh the awkward navigation, don't they? I saved our group 50 minutes of standing in line with those little puppies! They should have been bursting with gratitude!

Worth the walk.

5- Enjoying the little things
Another thing I love about Disneyland is the little stuff. Stuff that, again, would likely be taken for granted by someone who frequents the Park often. I love walking through New Orleans Square to hear the live music. I love eating churros and frozen bananas. I am OBSESSED with the Dole Pineapple stand outside the Tiki Room. I, for one, love taking a tour around the globe on Small World. Many would argue that the song is annoying, but I like it. I like it because it means I'm in Disneyland. I like the difference between riding the Jungle Cruise and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad during the day versus the same attractions once the sun goes down. I like how totally '80s Captain EO is. (That thing is HILARIOUS! Well, I thought so, anyway. I think the two '90s babies I went with probably thought it was really strange.) I like the short lines you can find while everybody else is off watching Fantasmic or World of Color. I am astounded by the detail and the imagination that is put into every aspect of those Parks. There is so much good stuff in Disneyland that not everyone appreciates like I do. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm obsessed, or maybe I'm just the best person you could ever take to Disneyland with you. I've always said that Disney throws the best parties - and I'm all about partying with Disney.

They were good.

And finally, a quick word about annual pass holders that don't live in California: What the heck are you? Loaded?

Now it's time to say goodbye, but hey - believe it or not, I actually want to hear from YOU PEOPLE! What do you love about Disneyland? What don't you like? Favorite rides? Favorite foods? Funny stories? Let's hear all about it in the comments section below. And, in the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter: @atownmania / @SotTUnderground

See ya real soon!