The Happiest Place on Earth

"To all that come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America... with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."- Walt Disney,  Opening of Disneyland July 17th, 1955

What makes Disneyland so magical?

Is it the fact that Tinkerbell flies over the castle during the nightly fireworks? How about the snow that falls at night during the holidays? From the glitter on your cupcake to the social acceptedness of walking around with mouse ears on your head, being in Disneyland is truly being transported to another magical world. Sadly, after the age of 10, it's not hard to get burnt out on how hard Disney tries to create "the happiest place on earth." By day three of your trip, you've had it with the peppy music, bright lights, long lines, and huge crowds. With all of these annoying distractions, how does the park maintain it's magical appeal? As I've grown up, I've learned that it's the fleeting magical moments that you witness as you're trudging through a sea of strollers, standing outside of a store or bathroom, or trying to balance on the ever-too-small metal fence partitioning the mile-long line for Peter Pan. These episodes are not created on a conveyor belt in a Disney merchandise factory or painstakingly rehearsed and delivered by a park cast member to thousands of guests a day. They are genuinely magical, the memories that stay with you after the glitter has faded and you've given away most of the Disney stuffed animals and park paraphernalia cluttering your room for years.

Here are a few of my favorite Disney memories: 

One Last Ride: A few years ago, my mom and I stood in line for what felt like an eternity to ride Peter Pan. I fundamentally disagree with waiting in line for that ride, as it's less than five minutes and more or less uneventful. My mom cannot ride most of the rides at Disneyland because they don't make her feel well, so it's one of her favorites. By the time we finally got on the ride, the park had officially closed, though there was still a good fifty people in line waiting. When our pirate ship reached the end of the ride, my mom said she wished that she could go again. To my surprise, the ride operator said, "Would you like to go again? Please stay seated." Seeing the people in line grunt and scoff as we flew by was fun, but seeing my mom as giddy as a five-year-old was truly unforgettable. 

Boo! Most times, my friend Meghan and my favorite part about riding the Haunted Mansion is reciting the opening intro and cackling as loudly as possible while the entry room stretches. Our favorite memory of the ride will always be the time when the employee checking the safety bar in the Doombuggies played a little prank on us. As we ascended the stairs into the ride, he walked inconspicuously beside our buggy, then he stuck his face in ours and said "boo." Such a simple trick, but his cleverness still haunts me until today. 

Rapunzle: In Fantasyland, your little princess can now get "Bippidy Boppity Boo'ed," which usually means tying her hair into the tightest little bun possible, sticking a petite crown, and dousing her scalp with glitter. The store also sells the infamous princess costumes and wigs that every young girl covets from the moment she steps foot into the park. The cutest little princess my mom and I have ever seen at Disneyland was a little Japanese girl who was sporting a Rapunzle dress and matching long blonde braided wig. We first saw her outside of the store, gently admiring and stroking her new long blonde locks while following closely behind her mom. While this scene might make most Sociologists go off on a racial hegemony tirade, the girl reminded me of how Disneyland seems to make boundaries disappear and fantasies come alive. I was actually proud that her parents didn't make a fuss over tracking her into the Mulan costume, dolls, or other merchandise. Rapunzle's wig was the best anyway; it was the longest, the most intricate, and it had pretty flowers woven into it!

Ducklings: This past visit, I saw one of the most heart-warming things I've ever seen at a Disney park. As my mom and I were waiting to be seated at an outdoor restaurant in Adventureland, a duck and six or seven little fuzzy ducklings wandered through the crowd and into the restaurant. The floor under the tables still had puddles from being spray-cleaned that morning so the ducks spent a half an hour or so rolling around and swimming underneath the restaurant tables. Even the nature at Disneyland is magical. 

Donald: As my mom and I were waiting in line for churros in Tomorrowland on our last night at the park this trip, we saw a small crowd beginning to form nearby. When I asked my mom what it was she said, "I don't know, something about Donald Duck." When I went over to look, I discovered that someone had drawn Donald Duck's face on the ground in water. Soon, a park employee emerged and drew Minnie Mouse and then Goofy with his broom and some water in his dustbin. He had been mopping the ground when he decided to delight parkgoers with his unique talent. 

Sword Fight: As we were eating lunch at Downtown Disney, I noticed something kind of peculiar happening behind the window. A father and son were having an epic balloon-sword fight that lasted for almost twenty minutes. Lunch and a show...

After years of thinking about it, I still don't know what makes me love Disneyland as much as I do. Even though it begins to seem more corporatized and bureaucratized as I grow older, something about walking through those gates makes me feel inspired, adventurous, and imaginative. Maybe it's the simple fact that Disney still excites me as much as a 21 year old as it did when I was a 10, and that I know I'll love it as much as I do now when I'm an old lady taking my grandchildren for their 50th time. I love Disneyland because it's a place where yesterday has not been forgotten and it's still okay to be a dreamer. It captures America in the way that most people will never experience it and it awakens our dream of an exciting and adventurous future. 

Adventures: Packing Essentials for Short Jauntings

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” -Lao Tzu

...And for most people, that step is packing your bags. 

No matter how many times you go on a trip, packing never gets easier. While choosing the right clothes is always hit or miss, it's really important to know when you have the basics and when you've over-prepared. What's the likelihood that you wont be able to find a drug store or Target somewhere nearby or on the way? (Unless you're traveling to a remote desert island, in which case-take me with you!!!) If you rely on this wisdom too much, however, you can end up with 7 different bottles of ibuprofen and 5 tubes of Neosporin like me. There are some things everyone should have on even the shortest of getaways. Here's a little swatch of the essentials I'm bringing to Southern California with me this week: 

A Well Equipped Bathroom Bag

I've had this tiny Betsey Johnson pouch for years, and you'd be amazed how much fits into it. There are some things (facewash, toothbrush [though not always!], sunscreen, shampoon/condx) that wouldn't fit even if I tried. And that's totally fine, because I prefer putting those things in a zippered Ziplock bag anyway so I'm sure nothing spills (and if you're flying- you have to do that anyway!)

Here are my bathroom bag essentials: 

Pictured(from left to right): My signature perfume in roll-on stick form(Marc Jacobs). Great Lashes (Lots of Lashes) Mascara. Mary Kay Cream Eye Color (tinted eye shadow primer that doubles as stand-alone eye shaddow). Neutrogena Naturals Facial Scrub (great because it also takes off makeup). Jergens Ultra Healing Lotion. Neutrogena Naturals lip balm. Neutrogena Healthy Defense Moisturizer (with SPF 30). Tums. Toothpaste. Toothbrush. (Hello Kitty) Band-aids. Essie Nail Polish, Emory Board. Betseyville Toiletry Bag

Not Pictured (but still essential): Hair brush. Hair accessories (hair tie, clips, bobby pins- whatever you'd need at home), shampoo/condx (or, if you're staying at a hotel, you don't really need these. Nice to have so that your hair is behaving more or less the same way as it would at home). Lady products, deodorant. Lipstick. Sunscreen. Pain/Allergy Pills. Floss.

Basics (Hygiene)

You'll obviously need more if you're camping or staying with a friend, but you can really pare down to the basics if you'll be staying at a hotel or hostel (Note: most hostels in the U.S. will provide soap and possibly shampoo/condx. might want to bring them just in case). 

It's good to bring face wash, especially if you're camping or planning to be active and outside a lot. A lot of what I've read says that bar soap isn't good for your face and can actually dry it out quite a bit. A lot of stores will carry travel-size versions of your favorite wash at home, but I prefer bringing a full-size tube from home. You can really only get a handful of washes with a travel-size tube anyway. Note: if you're jet-setting, make sure every liquid you bring is 3.0 oz or under- and make sure it all fits in a gallon-sized ziplock.

It's really important to bring a facial moisturizer or sunscreen, if you're planning to go outdoors at all. I don't really enjoy wearing sunscreen on my face and I pretty much hate the smell of it no matter which brand I use. I like the Neutrogena Healthy Defense moisturizer a lot because it feels so much lighter than regular sunscreen but it still has a strong SPF (30) in it. Best of all, it fits in your purse so it's always ready to go with you for re-application. 

Warning: Bring chap stick wherever you go! The temperature could suddenly change on your trip and chapped painful lips can completely ruin your day.

Another tip I've learned is to always bring a nail file and/or nail clippers with you WHENEVER you're away from home. The worst thing is to have to walk around for days with a super jagged broken nail or even just one that keeps hooking onto your clothes for whatever reason. 

Make sure to stick your toothbrush in a plastic travel carrier. That way, the bristles wont get smashed or it wont taste awful if something spills in your bag.

First-Aid

Rule #1: Don't go anywhere without medical essentials like 1-2 band-aids, topical antibacterial cream (like Neosporin), and essential pills like pain killers (ibuprofen or Tylenol), antacids (Tums), and allergy meds. Skip bringing whole bottles and just bring a little pill pouch with 2-3 of your most frequently used pills (can be purchased at most drug stores). I swear not following this simple rule has forced me to buy duplicates and triplicates and quadruplicates of almost all of the first-aid items above. Plus, you should be spending your vacation money on fun things, not band-aids. 

Makeup

A lot of people bring a completely separate case of makeup with them, and that's totally fine. I'm pretty low-maintenance in terms of what I need to bring with me, but you never know what occasion could come up where you'd like to be dolled-up. I'm bringing the ultimate basics with me- mascara, tinted eye primer/eye-shadow cream, and one color of nail polish.

Why nail polish? I can only really justify getting a mani-pedi once or twice a year, because it's always really expensive. Plus, I tend to be really active with my hands so a nice manicure will last for like 5 seconds before it's ruined. If you're going on a trip that's a little bit longer, you might want to try getting a gel manicure. Only problem is that it's a little expensive and only really worth it if you're going for 2 weeks. Purchasing a fabulous nail color only usually costs $9 (at the MOST) and the great thing is, you'll have it for many uses. On this trip I'm bringing an Essie Luxeffects color that I'm in love with: "Shine of the Times." It's great because it's subtle but the glittery flakes in it make your nails look like Opals. I like Essie because it's Formaledhyde/Dibutyl Phthalate/Toluene-free (nasty toxic chemicals in many nail polish formulas).

Well that's enough of my ramblings for today. Adventure-on, world travelers. 

Au Début

"Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end. Then stop."

-Alice and Wonderland

Hooray! This is my first post, and I'm so excited to begin this writing adventure! I really don't know anything about blogs, so it'll be quite the learning experience for me. On this blog, I will be exploring the things I love: tea, dessert, antiques, travel, exploring, and the infinite wisdom of life. I'll also be posting all kinds of things--pictures, quotes, ramblings, and other musings I find along the way. So, I hope you enjoy!

Here's a sampling of the themes my future posts will fall under:

Adventures: Tips for travelers, places to go, things to see.


Words: stories, quotes, books, and philosophizing.


Color of the Month: Every month, a new hue to live by.

Festivities: Themes and ideas for get-togethers and celebrations.


Curiosities: T'wouldn't be curious if I told you now.

and most importantly- the reason d'être for the blog: All Things Tea: stories, reviews, and raves about all things related to the most delightful drink of all.


That's it for now, darlings.

Bisous


d.