words from the wonderful world of disney

yesterday was 2009's first trip to disneyland. we didn't get there until 2 but girl1 was bored and has been working WAY too many hours so she needed a change of scenery.

we knew it was going to be a strange trip when we got to the tram line at 2pm and we were about 4 trams out. It's January-there shouldn't be a line at 2pm. Heck, there shouldn't have been a line after the initial opening-crowd rush. No one goes to Disney in January. But there was a line - a long line - so we decided to walk to downtown Disney and catch the monorail into the park.

We arrived the monorail station just as train pulled in. Awesome, we'll be able to catch this train no problem. yea, right. the cast member decided that i don't look like my annual pass picture. "hmmmmmm....could you take off the sunglasses? hmmmmm.....the smile looks the same but it doesn't really look like you. can I see your driver's license?"

(note: my driver's license picture is 12 years old. taken when i was 20 pounds heavier and had long gray hair. i now have short, light brown hair. but i haven't had any work done, so i look pretty much the same. the annual pass pic is 2 years old - gray hair pulled into a ponytail - but still me.)

"hmmmmmmm....that doesn't help much. this doesn't look like you either." (we've now missed the train. and so has everyone behind me that was rushing to catch it.) "I'll let you in this time, but you need to go get a new picture taken. But I wouldn't do it today, the line is really long over there."

anyhoos...we get onto the train; they close the doors; and we sit. for 15 minutes. listening to the announcement, "our flight has been put into a holding pattern. we will be departing shortly" over and over and over. we should have just waited for the tram.

we FINALLY get into Disneyland and it is PACKED. not quite as bad as holiday packed but crazy packed for a Wednesday in January. so we decide to just have lunch at the Blue Bayou and go home. that was another adventure....we must have sat under the invisibility cone, because we couldn't get a waiter to give us bread and water or take our order if our life depended on it. (well, if my life depended on it, i probably could manage it.) after 20 minutes, and a complaint to the manager (which involved asking if the invisibility cone could be disabled so our waitress would be able to see us), we finally received drinks and bread. the meal followed shortly. i guess he knew how to turn off the cone.

we decided to ride Peter Pan because of an inside family joke. 45 minute wait. but we knew it would be, because there's always a 45 minute wait at Peter Pan. always. no one knows why. but it's always 45 minutes.

as we exited the ride, we overheard this statement (and this is where i've been headed the whole post): "it's the happiest place on earth and i'm damned determined to stay happy."

i gave her a "high five" and told her i loved her attitude.