Heading to Disneyland for My Birthday!

1.9K followers

5 years ago

Not everyone will be focused solely on the Super Bowl this weekend! I'm heading to Disneyland for my birthday January 31st!!

My family (partner, 18 1/2 year old son and 29 year old nephew) will be driving to Southern California from the SF Bay Area on Thursday. Friday will be a one-day visit to Universal Studios on Hollywood to see Harry Potter World and do the famous Back Lot Tram Tour.

Later that evening we will head to Anaheim and will be staying at a Best Neighbor Hotel across the street from the Disneyland Park. We will be tracking our "steps" on our iPhone and should walk more than 20,000 for sure!

And yes, I've been there before! Growing up in the LA area, Disneyland was an annual family outing! I can even remember spending my 7th birthday at Disneyland long, long ago! I have lost track but I must have been a couple dozen times!

I love Disneyland, not only for the rides, but for the way The Happiest Place on Earth makes me feel! The minute I see the Matterhorn off in the distance, I start getting really excited! Once entering the gates, something truly comes over me! It's like coming home!

I am still amazed at how much of the Disneyland experience remains the same and how much change has come to it during it's 60+ year history. I can remember when The Pirates of the Caribbean ride opened when I was a kid and riding in the front compartment of the Monorail, too!

When California Adventure opened (built where "the parking lot" was originally), who would have thought how amazing a nighttime water show would capture the essence of Disney characters on film would fill it's space up? It is sensational!

One of my traditions is getting and wearing a new Disney lanyard each visit. I carefully select and purchase about a 1/2 dozen attraction ride pins for it. Here is my shadow box that displays many of my lanyard/pin collections. Each represents a different trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World.

Disneyland is Tops to Me!

I do enjoy all things Disney, yet Disneyland is still my favorite of the parks. I know it like the back of my hand. Figuring out what the next ride will be, as we are standing in line at another ride is key! There is an app that shows how long the wait time is for the various lands and attractions. While sometimes the lines are long, no one has line management down like Disney does. They keep things moving and entertain with the landscaping, ambiance and characters!

People watching is another big attraction for me. I love seeing families dressed alike, or the sleeping kid in the stroller after the parade in the dark. Or hearing the screams from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I'm getting excited about my birthday weekend, just writing this blog post!

WA Like Disney?

I bet you are asking, what in the world does Disneyland have to do with our Wealthy Affiliate? Well, it's very simple. The feeling you get from being in a group of like-minded people is the best! Disney strives to make your whole experience a happy one and so does Wealthy Affiliate. And there is something for everyone at Disneyland and WA!

New Star Wars Land

Plus, both Star Wars attractions are now open at the Star Wars: The Galaxy Edge, and it's been since April 2017 since we all have been last. That seems like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away! Here is a pic of all of us greeting Darth Vader from our last visit!

My weekend will be busy: Universal on Friday, Disneyland on Saturday and California Adventure on Sunday. I am sure I will find out how my SF 49'ers fare in the Super
Bowl as the afternoon turns into evening, but nothing will stop me in celebrating my birthday at The Happiest Place on Earth!