Warmer weather is upon us here in Columbus meaning ... Very high humidity and flash rainstorms. It also means the start of some amazing events happening that only summer can bring. The local theater organization here in Columbus hosts a summer movie series every summer, where for a $5 ticket you can go to the beautiful gem of the Ohio Theater (normally reserved for the symphony, opera, and traveling Broadway tours) and see a movie on the big screen just like the old days!! We get to watch movies and hear the old organ all throughout the summer time!! It also signals a weekend of artisan work, live music and food all around the riverfront area of Downtown Columbus, lovingly called Art Fest (Check it out here http://columbusartsfestival.org/).
It also means the kick off into National Pride month and you know I'm all for a good celebration. This year I am fortunate enough to get to take part in two different Pride celebrations here in Ohio. Next weekend (also during my birthday) I am privileged to represent the Ohio Gay Pride Pageantry system as the current Miss Columbus Gay Pride and twirl about in the biggest outdoor drag show and Pride celebration I've ever seen, appropriately names Dragapalooza. Afterwards in July, I'll be taking part in the first ever Mansfield Gay Pride ... Yes that's right Mansfield, Ohio is hosting it's very first Gay Pride celebration!! Being able to say I am a part is truly what gives me pride as a person, gay man, and drag queen!!
Needless to say summertime always excites me because of all the happenings including ... TRAVEL!!!!! This summer also marks the 60th Diamond Anniversary of Disneyland ... the place where it all began!!! So many fond memories of going to Disneyland growing up and the start of my belief in Disney Magic. Now ... I will admit that this will be a nostalgic post and that means yes indeed ... I'll be telling you a Disney story. Let me take you back to one of my first memories of Disneyland:
I would say this was probably back in the 1980's though the actual year I can't really remember. This was a family roadtrip ... Imagine it ... two RVs and three families of parents, cousins, aunts and uncles. You could say it was a little hectic and crazy to say the least, especially with cousins ranging in age from 9 to 3 on the way to Disneyland. When we finally arrived in Anaheim, we didn't end up staying in Disneyland Hotel but the Disneyland RV park (yes there was a Disneyland RV Park). I can still remember getting up in the morning and walking to the Disneyland Hotel coffee shop for breakfast (to get there we had to walk about two blocks one of which had a strawberry field, I can still smell the strawberries ripening in the summer sun). Well ... My parents taught me that vacations are meant to slow down and enjoy, which when you're a kid at the age of 4 so close to Disneyland just doesn't happen. See we had a normal pattern we followed when we went on vacation to Disney: The day we arrived it was normally around afternoon or early evening so we didn't do Disney right off (didn't make sense to spend the money on a ticket for a partial day I guess), instead we went to the Disneyland Hotel and had dinner. After we got done eating, the kids would get a roll of quarters from the parents and go play with these R/C cars and boats on the Disneyland Hotel property.
I believe this is the area where you could find the R/C fun area.
The next day, breakfast and then catching a monorail into Tomorrowland. While I very much enjoyed going to the main gate and getting the experience of walking up Main Street before entering into the park proper, Going to the Monorail Station made me even more excited because of the view it gave of my favorite ride in the entire park, Submarin Voyage.
Favorite view
From there the day started with all the joy that Disneyland can give. Eating, riding, shows (yes I do remember going on the Carousel of Progress while it was till in Disneyland), and then the parades, the music of the Main Street Electrical Parade still makes me smile. Sometimes we would stay for the fireworks while in the park or sometimes, we'd beat the crowd out of the park and go back to the RVs where we could see the firework show from the park (normally sitting out in the front of the RVs). The trip would also include other excursions like Universal Studios, the beach, Knott's Berry Farm and of course shopping at the many malls in LA. But we always came back to Disneyland and we had many trips back: Family trips, Anniversaries (my parent's spent their honeymoon there 50 years ago!!), and even a few trips in high school with the Magical Music Days. But those first trips are what really sparked it all for me and later sparked more trips to Disney World.
Well everyone, I admit this time I didn't do my research to see what is upcoming with Disney. So I apologize for not being on top of that. But ... I would love to hear your first memories of Disneyland or Disney World. What was your first trip to the park like? Where and when did you go?? Let me know in the comments below and as always ...
Make It A Magical Day -- Pat A
