122. Disneyland

            This probably sounds corny coming from a middle-aged man, but I really like Disneyland. It’s definitely a nice representation of the good things about America. They do such a nice job of collecting fairy tales, myths and legends from around the world, and they also show American stories and landscapes in their displays and rides. When you go to Disneyland you see signs of it being the happiest place on earth (as they say) and I can certainly deny that claim because it is expensive and crowded, but I won’t. (Making money is also and American thing, isn't it?) I think Americans are generally more willing to hang on to our nickels and dimes; I also think we like our space. But for the sake of a little fun and escape we will gladly relinquish a little space if our compatriots are also smiling, and forking out too much money for a churro or a meal. Because of the willingness to suspend our daily tension it really does rival some of the happiest places on earth.

            I was there just a few weeks ago on Friday, December 27, 2019 and it met capacity for crowds so they actually had to turn people away at the gates. Even with that there were people willing to wait three hours in line for popular rides. My family and I chose to use a disability pass so we didn’t wait too long in line, but we didn’t do as many rides either because those passes are limited. Still, observing people, shopping for souvenirs, and running into people from the Northwest that we encountered (knowing them because of the clothing they wore) made for an enjoyable day. We also lived high off the hog for lunch and dinner eating great traditional foods like burgers, fried chicken, pot roast and good old Christmas cakes.

            In Disneyland you can ride roller coasters, go to a boutique and be transformed into a prince or princess, build your own droids, stroll through European fairy tale towns, bobsled the Matterhorn and get your pictures taken with superheroes or Goofy. You can ride a steam boat and visit New Orleans and a haunted mansion. It’s just a fun place to see the world all in a few blocks. While it’s just a complete fantasyland, it’s particular to the American dream as well as the American fantasy. You can’t have any of that without a little nightmare, so maybe price it a little high (help Disney’s American dream) and cram it full. It’s still a very happy place.