I think I’ve mentioned before that I cry when good things happen.
When bad things happen I just get kind of quiet and internally miserable.
I spent the last few days in San Diego California with the very lovely Leah, there was supposed to be a group of us gathered together at her home for the weekend talking about our hopes, dreams, fears and favorite ice cream flavors. But life happened and one by one the other participants dropped off.
Except for me and my non refundable, non transferrable flight.
“I’m coming no matter what.” was my reply.
The two of us talked about our hopes, dreams, fears, kids, parents, and we even touched lightly on ice cream flavors (yes Leah, peanut butter DOES want to be in ice cream.) We wandered through the most abundant farmer’s market I’ve ever been to, we bought fresh eggs, ate heirloom tomatoes so flavorful I actually ate them by the mouthful (and I’ve never liked tomatoes in my life.) We tried something called lemon quark that has pretty much changed my life in whatever way a cheese can change your life.
As fate would have it, Disney had one of their cruise ships at port in San Diego and through Babble I was able to get onboard for a tour and a lovely lunch. Hello magic on the ocean, you lookin’ fine. (I cried three times on the boat, maybe once more because they made us get off.) Later that night we ate crab out of buckets while watching the sunset over the Pacific.
It was not a terrible way to spend a Friday at all.
Saturday morning we were going to poke around Old Town San Diego, eat some food and enjoy each other’s company when a line from an email I had received late the night before popped into my head.
“Be sure to let us know if you’re ever headed to Disneyland!”
The night before I brushed it off, I live in Indiana, we won’t be headed to Disneyland anytime soon. *sad trombone* You see, I had emailed the Disney employee (Hi Chris! Walk and talk! Walk and talk!) to thank him for hosting me on the ship that day. I was feeling especially grateful to be there since all the other lovely ladies on the tour were local to the area and had far more opportunity to interact with Disney than I have ever had. He wrote me back and told me about his wife’s birthday at Disneyland and how much fun he had being back onboard the ship as well, he closed with “Let us know if you’re ever headed to Disneyland!”
“Leah? Would you want to go to Disneyland today?”
“Uh. Sure?”
Through several somewhat confusing (on my part due to the excitement of OMGYAYDISNEYLAND! being a possibility) interactions, I got in contact with Chris and said “We’re headed to Disneyland! YAY!” We were going regardless of what Chris replied with, but bless his Long Island heart he replied with “There’s three park hopper passes waiting for you at Guest Relations.”
!!1!!YAYDISNEYLANDZ!!!11
Leah and her adorable husband Joe agreed that I had the excitement of a 10 year old in a 30 year old body which is probably totally true although I would argue 7 year old because have you met Addie?
There was some guilt that my husband and two small children were back home in Indiana while I was on Splash Mountain and winking at Goofy, but I told myself it was research, RESEARCH! Oh you guys, it was so much fun. The ambient noise of Disneyland is one of the most soothing noises in existence and the smell on Main Street? The one that smells like popcorn, candy, dreams and wishes? It’s easily my most favorite smell in the world. I cried, naturally, but I kept my sunglasses on to mask my joy lest I make anyone else uncomfortable with my enthusiasm.
After only 15 minutes even Leah, who I could tell was wildly skeptical about spending a day at Disneyland on a total whim, admitted to feeling things.
Shireen once said that if she has a raincloud over her head, I have a rainbow throwing out sprinkles with a unicorn leaping over it (or something to that effect) and it’s kind of completely true. Say what you want about Disney, Disneyland, Disneyworld and Disney cruises, but y’all? This world needs that kind of magic. This world needs streets that smell of cotton candy and caramel apples. This world needs princesses, giant dog costumes and happy smiling faces at every turn. This world needs fireworks every night and a place where responsible adults can walk around in ridiculous hats with ears and be considered completely normal.
Disney is where that stuff happens.
Perhaps if you’re a curmudgeon you’ve never noticed that no matter how grouchy people are after waiting in line for an hour for a four minute ride, they always come off windblown with happiness. We went on three rides Saturday, each with an hour long line. We maybe spent 15 minutes total on the actual rides but came out inexplicably happy from all three and those three hours we spent in line are just remembered as time we spent hanging out together as friends.
Thank you Leah for inviting me to your home, thank you Cody for letting me go, thank you Babble for passing my name along to Disney Cruise Lines, thank you Disney Cruise Lines for letting me tour your ship, thank you Chris for hosting us, planting the Disneyland idea and providing us with passes, thank you everyone else for canceling so I could spend the day with my friends at Disneyland, thank you Disneyland for being that place for me, and thank you to Joe for driving and taking such good care of both your lovely wife and me while I was in your home. (Also, a big thanks to Leah and Joe for just rolling with this Indiana girl’s crazy idea of “I KNOW! LET’S GO TO DISNEYLAND!”)
making unbreakable - formerly moosh in indy. 
I love this. I know what you mean about the world needing more “Disney magic”.
*flings glitter* I love that you share yours so well!!
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@angi, There should be more glitter flinging in general.
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This is happiness. All kinds of beautiful happiness up in here…
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@jennyonthespot, So much happiness it was silly.
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I was on the Disney Magic a few years ago and died happy deaths every day. Start planning a trip for the 4 of you to come to Orlando and take a Disney cruise once Vivi is at least 4 years old. DO IT.
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@Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing], Oh it’s done, or it’s at least on the list of things to do.
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I love Disney…and I don’t care what anyone else thinks about that. Your post made me tear up a bit, ’cause I love Disney and I needed that little pick me up today. Thanks 🙂
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@JMH, We’d get along just fine.
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Sounds so fun! I love DisneyLand. I wait to go again next year but with my kids.
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@saramd, It’s a good sign when it’s equally as fun with and without kids.
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We are a Disney Family. It’s my MILs fault :). All 10 of us go to Orlando every other year. Our next trip is this coming January. Yes, I pull my kids out of school to go to see The Mouse. It is family time and memories are made. You are so right. The world needs more magic. Yes real life goes on, but it is the magic that helps us face the challenges.
I just booked a cruise on the Disney Dream for next August (ssshhhh don’t tell the kids, it’s a surprise). I told Anne at Small World Vacations. We don’t really care where we go, we just want to expose the kids to the magic of Disney at sea.
When the time is right, you’ll get to experience the magic with your family.
Thanks for the smile. 🙂
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@Lee, After seeing a Disney Cruise close up, I have a healthy covetous relationship with them. Have so much fun!
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Disney is definitely the most HAPPIEST of places on earth!! So glad you were able to go an enjoy it so much. I’m so ready to go back!!
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@AmazingGreis, It really is, they don’t throw that tag around lightly.
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I went on a Disney Cruise for my 30th birthday care of my brother and sister in law and it was the best time I’ve ever had. I am so glad you had this experience. It is sure to be one you won’t ever forget.
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@Jessica, Oooh, that would be a fantastic birthday.
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This is a whole lot of good stuff with cute ears. Seriously, I’m smiling.
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@tracy@sellabitmum, I could have bought all the ears. SO MANY CUTE EARS.
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I love Disneyland. My family and I used to go every year for our vacation. I can’t wait to share it with my daughter.
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@KDA, My grandparents live right by Disneyland, so many amazing memories over the past 30 years.
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This post made me so excited!!! My husband and I are going to be out that way soon. And we are planning on going to Disneyland, wait for it…WITHOUT our children! And I have been telling myself for a month or more that it is research! (to help ease the little bit of guilt I’m having!) So your post is perfect timing! I am even more excited now!
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@AmandaVW, There’s so much fun to be had without kids you won’t even miss them, I mean, you will, but enjoy yourself!
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I’m sorry, YOU ATE TOMATOES? WITH YOUR MOUTH AND YOUR TASTE BUDS? ON PURPOSE?
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@Just Shireen, She did, Shireen. She ate them and SHE LIKED THEM.
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@Just Shireen, THEY WERE SO GOOD. But they were magic California tomatoes, I’ll give our Indiana ones a shot but my hopes aren’t real high.
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Whooo. Yay Disney!! I’ll admit you made me a little teary eyed and OMGexcited because I’m going to Disneyworld in like a month. For a whole week. With my soon to be hubby (finally, 7 years is too long). And I totally get like 7 year old excited when I go to Disney. And I couldn’t agree more that everything should be Disney magic. Without fail, Disneyworld has had the ability to bring me out of the depth of anxiety and depression. It’s my place for sure.
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@Brit, You have to get the Mr. and Mrs. ears! Yes, Disneyland a little closer could cure a lot of my wintertime blues.
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@Casey,
positively planning on it miss casey 🙂
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Casey, we had the funnest time with you. Please come back again soon and we will eat quark and tomatoes and also PASSION FRUIT and see all the things in Disneyland your little heart desires, I swear. (Haunted Halloween at Disney starts in like, 2 minutes. Hurry up.)
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@Leahpeah, I’m so happy I spent a weekend of my life with you. Bonus that it was at Disneyland.
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We were on that Disney cruise you visited! We just got off the Wonder yesterday and it’s tough being back! We went on our first Disney cruise when our daughter turned one last December and she was 21 months for this one. We live in L.A. and are so sad that the Wonder is leaving the port here this December…but we rebooked a placeholder cruise on board just to have something to look forward to. We’ve never been treated as well as we were by the staff on that ship – everyone is SO nice!
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@Karen T., CRAZY SMALL WORLD! (Hey, there’s a song about that!) Did you have the raspberry soup because ZOMG RASPBERRY SOUP.
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@Casey, No, I didn’t! I think I got some fruit salad with watermelon sauce for my appetizer at Triton’s that afternoon but my friend got the raspberry soup and it was promptly claimed by her 2 year old 🙂
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Your life is just Awesome!
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@Charlane, I have to remember that moments of it really truly are at times. Thank you.
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It is THE happiest place on earth! For realz. And it DOES smell like dreams and wishes. I cry, too, especially on It’s A Small World. 🙂
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@Jen L., I’m a singer-alonger. And I’m not a very good singer.
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Does Indiana have quark? Are you going to tell me when you find it?
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@ClassyFabSarah, IMMA GONNA MAKE SOME QUARK IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS SARAH AND YOU COME AND EAT IT.
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How fun!!! I’ve only been to Disney World once, but whenever anyone mentions a vacation, it’s my go to suggestion. I would live there if they would let me!
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@KaraB, Can you imagine actually WAKING UP IN DISNEYLAND? (Or world?) Whew.
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@Casey, Mickey Mouse shaped foods for every meal… It would be heaven on Earth!
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1: Quark is German. I miss it. At the Christmas markets, they have booths that sell these little balls of deep-fried dough made with quark and glazed on the outside. Kind of like a doughnut hole, but SO. MUCH. BETTER. Imagine walking around a magical Christmas market after dark, lights twinkling, air crisp, nose red, drinking the best dark hot chocolate out of a real mug (it’s an honor system – you just return it!), and eating quark baellchen. Heaven. And now I’m homesick.
2: I love when you do that crazy wide smile that takes up your whole face and says you’re ridiculously happy, with no dark specters lying in wait. *mwah!*
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@Chrysta, One more reason to go to Germany. I want one of those Christmas tree wooden things that is run by candles, has the blades at the top? You know what I mean right?
(2. me too.)
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@Casey, The candle thingy is called a pyramide. I have an awesome one. Next time you visit, come at Christmas. My house is CRAZY-filled with German Christmas stuff EVERY-FREAKING-WHERE. 🙂
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@Chrysta, Follow this linky-loo to find the details on an authentic German Christmas market IN CHICAGO. you. must. go.
http://www.christkindlmarket.com/en/
And this linky-loo is to the US Kaethe Wolfahrt online shop, and specifically to a pyramide similar to mine. My pyramide is from her store in Oberammergau.
http://www.christmasfromgermany.com/Birth_Of_Christ_p/102105.htm
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@Chrysta, The sweet cheese fritters? Is that what we’re talking about? Also, that pyramide is like my mom’s, I feel really bad for destroying it now.
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@Casey, Yes, the sweet cheese fritters. I guess that’s as good a translation as any, but I wouldn’t have thought to call them that. Eat stoellen, also too. And snow balls (schneeballen).
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@Chrysta, Actually, just eat everything. But don’t drink the gluhwein, or I’ll have to have a talk with your bishop.
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I love your happy face in every picture!
You, my friend, easily fit in with the Disney magic.
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