Disneyland: My Happy Place – Memories of the Pacific

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All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them – Walt Disney

We all have a happy place. A place where we feel comfortable, at ease and of course happy. Nothing bad can happen there. For me that place is Disneyland. I grew up watching Disney movies and I still watch them nowadays. They are so emotional and tender that it\’s impossible not to fall under their spell.

If I could meet any personality in history that would be Walt Disney. And if I could meet a fictional character it would be Mickey Mouse. That little endearing mouse will always be my favorite. By the way, if you are a hard core fan like me you should watch Saving Mr. Banks where Tom Hanks plays Mr. Disney himself.

So on our recent trip to Paris we devoted a day to Disneyland. If you are planning to go, be sure to get your tickets online. You don\’t need to choose a date. They are valid for a whole year. I believe they are also cheaper.

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A day at Disneyland usually starts with a walk around the dreamy Main Street.

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Sleeping Beauty\’s home is the most photogenic castle in the world.

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For lunch we stopped at the fancy all American restaurant Walt\’s on Main Street. It is quite pricey and the food is not as good as you\’d expect but the beauty of the restaurant is undeniable.

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Yes, that\’s Jiminy Cricket wishing me Bon Appetit! 😉 Details like that are part of what makes this place so special.

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Alice’s Curious Labyrinth is one of the most popular attractions in the park. You can literally get lost in the maze but it\’s a fun area to explore.

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To my disappointment my favorite attraction, It\’s a Small World, was closed. For those who don\’t know it it\’s a boat trip featuring the children of the world which transports you back to the happiest moments in your childhood.

As you can see by the amount of pictures, I\’m a big fan of Fantasyland. But we also visited the other areas: Discoveryland, Frontierland and Adventureland.

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We had dinner at Colonel Hathi’s Pizza Outpost in Adventureland -pictured below. This one serves mainly fast food but it\’s worth a visit for the decor and the music.

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Our last stop was back at Sleeping Beauty\’s castle were the Disney Dream night spectacle takes place right before closing time. The show consists of fireworks, projections on the castle\’s façade and fountains.

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Right next to Disneyland there\’s a newer and much smaller theme park called Walt Disney Studios. Even though it\’s not as spectacular as its neighbor, you will enjoy it if you are a fan of Toy Story or Ratatouille.

It also includes a studio tour where you can see props and movie sets. I must say that I found this really disappointing. I had the chance to do the tour on Universal Studios in L.A. and that one was a million times better.

My favorite part here was the attraction where they show you the origins of animation and of Disney Studios in particular.

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