The alarm clock goes early this Sunday morning, because we have planned an awesome long day in Disneyland. Just before 7am we drive to Matt and Nancy’s favorite coffee place Kaene’s where we enjoy some caffeine and breakfast. It’s nice to be with them again, I always have fun with these two.
After breakfast we drive to the Happiest place on earth. It’s only about 20 minutes driving from where they live. The Disneyland parking lot is quite empty still, which promises that it might be not too crowded today. We walk to the park entrance and it’s not busy at all indeed, we’re lucky again. We’re extra lucky, because today is the last day of the Holiday season, so the park is still decorated in Christmas style. The enormous Christmas tree still stands at the start of Main Street and the castle is covered in snow and lights. Everywhere you hear the Disney Christmas music I’ve been listening to quite a lot again this winter. It’s fun to have one more Christmas Day in January. Just walking around in the park makes me so happy already. We go on a few rides and around ten in the morning are joined by Alec, Nancy’s cousin, and her friend Abigail. We’re a fun group together and have the best time. Matt and Nancy are the two most child like adults that I know, you can have so much fun with them. They scream the loudest in the rollercoaster and do silly things from time to time. Actually while we’re in the Space Mountain rollercoaster, the carts suddenly stop and after a moment the lights go on. Apparently the ride was broken and we have to wait there for a moment. Two park members come and push our cart further and we slowly roll to the end. It’s interesting to see this ride in the light for a change. Normally it’s a dark rollercoaster and all you see are little lights, like you would probably see if you’d actually go to space. We get to go on the ride another time and now it’s normal again and a lot faster. This apparently almost never happens, so it was a fun unique experience. In the afternoon we have lunch with Abi’s parents. It turns out that their great-grandfather was Dutch as well, they even have a Dutch family name. We have a nice meal together, I’m happy to get to know more friendly people. I think if there is one thing that stands out on this journey again, it is the large amount of friendly people I meet every day. It’s one of my favorite aspects of America.
We enjoy more rides in the afternoon. One of my favorites is Jungle Cruise. It’s a funny ride on a boat on which you get to see many fake, but very real looking animals in the jungle. The day goes by way too quickly. One day in Disneyland is not really enough and for a moment I’m a bit sad when the sun goes down. We say bye to Alec and Abi, because they have to school tomorrow. Fortunately for us the the day is not over yet and we continue walking through the park in the evening. It’s very pretty with the lights everywhere. We have a fast dinner at one of the restaurants, to be just in time for the fireworks. That’s always an amazing show. I’m glad I got to see fireworks after all, since I missed them with New Year’s. After the fireworks we have time for a few more rides. We’re all quite tired by now, so we don’t stay till the park closes at 11pm, but leave about an hour before that. It was a long, but super fun day. Absolutely one of the highlights of this vacation.
