What You love About Disneyland

[BigThunder]

In light of recent threads about nitpicking and such, and in the spirit of the Holidays, I thought I should take this opportunity to start a thread highlighting only the positives of a trip to Disneyland. I encourage everyone to participate by listing a few of their favorite things, and I especially encourage my fellow 'nitpickers' to join in.

I'll go first:

First, I love the scale of the place; how almost everything is slightly 'smaller-than-life'. This gives Disneyland a certain childlike charm and intimacy that the other parks seem to miss out on.

Second, I love the attention paid to color and graphics throughout the resort. Little details like just the right font on just the right sign in just the right spot are a great source of pleasure to a design geek like me. Heck, I even like the themed construction walls.

Third, I love the music. The artistic dedication that goes into picking the right song or piece of music to provide appropriate background for this or that local is astounding. This is something that could be easily overlooked but adds so much to the guest experience.

Fourth, I love the landscaping; the flowers, the plants and the mature trees. An awful lot of time, thought, cost and energy goes into this as well and boy would we miss it if it wasn't there.

Fifth, details, details, details. The Yeti cranking the popcorn popper by the Matterhorn. The Sword in the Stone. The character statues around the Hub. The Indy queue. The themed trashcans. Push. I could go on and on.

Sixth, the Cast Members. Good people make or break the guest experience, and Disneyland has been blessed over the years to have some of the finest people in the industry working there. I salute them all.

Well, those are some of the broad strokes and I didn't even talk about the attractions!

So what do you love about Disneyland?

[sleepybear]

I love that I can go to Disneyland and be instantly taking away to a whole new world (please don't start singing now). And throughout the day (or days) I can enter new worlds. I love the attention to detail (decor above the store fronts in Adventureland). I love the history. When people find out about my fascination with Disneyland they immediately start taking about the animation--and I say, "not a big fan of the mouse." They are always so surprised. I like Disneyland. The idea that it went from orange groves to a place of magic and wonder astounds me. I love that I still get a little choked up when I "feel the magic." I do tear up when the pirate ship comes around the corner during Fantasmic. I stand on my tippy toes just to get a peek at Peter Pan. I still get afraid when I see the talking skull in Pirates. I still get butterflies when I walk through the tunnel into main street. It's happy there. I allow myself to let the rest of the world stay at the hotel, I immerse myself in all things Disneyland. Where Dole Whip and fantasy reside. Ahhhhh. I can't wait for my next trip jsut after new years.
Thanks to this post for the spark of happy in between laundry and grading papers

[Crazybirdman]

Yeah, I just like walking through the tunnel. Bam! You're in another world. A world where you can buy a churro off the street.

[dragnman777]

I love being able to be anywhere. Frontiers, jungles, a town, a futuristic utopia, are all at my disposal. Delicious.

[doombuggy driver]

I love that for the 4 days that we are there my family is together. No outside stress, no jobs, no bills, no cares, no driving and no cell phones. When we go there it's a total escape from reality and we get to leave our worries at home for a while!

My DH likes the fact that time stands still while you are there. There are rides at the park that are the same as when he first went as a kid. He really likes the nostalgia factor that the park has!

Our DD (she's 6) likes to go because it's fun and the rides are cool!

[Datameister]

I love the sense that I can travel millions of miles--or light-years--all in the course of one day. I know intellectually that Br'er Rabbit's Laughing Place and a certain graveyard jamboree are separated by a few concrete walls and a narrow asphalt alley...but they still feel like entirely different worlds.

I love the way I can disembark from rides like Space Mountain or Indy, applauding like mad and grinning like an idiot simply because the Imagineers did such a good job.

I love the way I grow sentimentally attached to things like the smell of Pirates water, or Harold's roar, or the whistle of a BTMRR train, or the descending trumpet figures that play as you roll down the mudslide into the skull room behind Mara's head.

I love the way there's always something more to look for.

I love the way the backwoods of Frontierland feel like they've always been there...and the way NOS feels like it was just recently built near that wilderness, but it already has a deep and rich and interesting history.

I love the way Disneyland is interesting on all scales. You can keep looking closer and closer, moving deeper and deeper into these worlds, and they keep engaging you. Space Mountain becomes more and more mysterious as you move into its depths...Main Street becomes more and more charming the closer you look...Pirates of the Caribbean reveals more and more possible side stories the weather-er you keep your eyes.

Yeah, I basically just love Disneyland.

[rurounikengyrl]

I love Disneyland for it's ability to bring a huge feeling of nostalgia over me. I love Disneyland for being DISNEYLAND.

[Jolly Trolley]

First, I love the scale of the place; how almost everything is slightly 'smaller-than-life'. This gives Disneyland a certain childlike charm and intimacy that the other parks seem to miss out on.

This was done because castles from where Walt Disney was inspired were built to intimidate. So the castle was built smaller, to look more friendly. And after one thing is minimized...everything else has to match. I love it because it's like a storybook that you're entering, and it doesn't have that feeling that it's all pretend like you get in A Bug's Land where you can tell that you're supposed to be feeling like a bug. (When you see real bugs, it kind of spoils the effect )

I love Tomorrowland, because things like Push and Asimo really bring it to life.

I love Splash Mountain, because you can see Space Mt at the top and think, "Wow, have I really ridden in a spaceship in this same park?"

I love the fireworks because they're the best in the world and I could never even try to compete with them.

I love the castle because it's like a huge memorial for Walt Disney and his dreams.

I love the easter eggs, the hidden Mickeys, and, of course, the secret bathroom.

I love the ridiculous sign on the Autopia with all of the puns and jokes because it's timeless.

I love the food because it's unique and delicious.

I love the canoes in the morning because that's when the animatronic Indians and animals come to life.

I love FASTPASS and miss it dearly in other theme parks. No FASTPASS, no back up plan!

All in all...what's not to love?

[Datameister]

This was done because castles from where Walt Disney was inspired were built to intimidate. So the castle was built smaller, to look more friendly. And after one thing is minimized...everything else has to match.

Well, sorta. It wasn't so much that the castle's size necessitated everything else being downsized; everything was downsized to give it that less intimidating, more intimate feel. Plus it reduces construction costs and leaves more room for other things.

Another thing I love: the night. Disneyland's nighttime lighting is spot-on (no pun intended) in just about every area. Some areas simply remain as magical as they were during the day, but others become even more exciting. Tomorrowland's a great example of the latter--even during its pukey-green days, it still managed to seem pretty exciting at night!

[StrikeYerColors]

I love the smells:

The smell of churros and popcorn carts.

The smell of the inside of the Matterhorn when you're going up the lift.

The glue-like smell in the Indy queue.

The smell of walking through the Candy shop through Gibson Girl and out the bakery.

The smell of the diesel of the parking lot trams and Indy jeeps.

The chloriney smell inside Pirates.

The smell of the smoke from the Fireworks and Fantasmic!

I love the easter eggs, the hidden Mickeys, and, of course, the secret bathroom.

Where is this secret bathroom of which you speak? I must try it out!

[Datameister]

The smell of the diesel of the parking lot trams and Indy jeeps.

Oddly enough, I agree wholeheartedly! That's one of those "you know you're a Disneyland freak when..." things.

[StrikeYerColors]

I also love the smells of parking garages and gas stations... not sure why I love the smells of automobiles, but hey.

[Inanimate]

THANK GOODNESS.

Finally some positivity.

Well, I like the feeling of escaping into something happy, magical.

[thrax]

everything!

theres to much to count but the main reason is because i love how happy it makes me when im there

[CAspace]

Along with everything that's been said I love the Flag retreat, the sense of Patriotism during that ceremony and respect given to our Nation and her Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. It is always emotional and very uplifting seeing the Veterans step forward and getting some appreciation and respect from the public (sometimes it may be the only time they have experienced that appreciation before) Anyways that is just one small reason why I love the park, you guys all brought up lots of great points!