Anniversary at Disneyland
It was a magically windy weekday in February and we headed out to Anaheim to the “Happiest Place on Earth” - Disneyland! This wasn’t just any random Tuesday though, it was February the 11th, our dating anniversary, and although we were married in October and don’t usually celebrate our dating anniversary anymore, this year was a momentous one. This was our 20th year together!!!
Check out our quick video below. :
Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom 2001
So back in the year 2000 we were going to school and working at Cal State Los Angeles at the Information Desk and Game Room selling theme park tickets and as our friendship soon blossomed into a relationship, we began dating.
It was a life-changing year for both of us as we navigated through college together, and found new jobs at Disneyland’s neighboring new park Disney’s California Adventure. As members of the Opening Team there, we trained in Disneyland and even took a vacation together to Walt Disney World and Magic Kingdom in Florida (see scrapbook page here).
So obviously, Disneyland holds a very special place in our hearts and we were so excited to visit again on our 20th Anniversary on February 11th, 2020 this year!
Sleeping Beauty’s Castle
Since working there, we have been Annual Passholders for 5 or 6 years or so (maybe more) but we honestly haven’t been there since 2012 and rumors of the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land at Disneyland definitely drew us in, but we were also just anxious to visit all of our old familiar haunts to reminisce and remember all the wonderful memories made there over the years.
Rainbow on Main Street Station
Right away as we were walking in, we could hear the brass band play on Main Street, we breathed in the smell of fresh churros (and horse poop) and we took in all the lively colors and characters all around us, which was such a treat! I even captured a beautiful rainbow in this shot as if Walt Disney himself was sitting right there on the bench enjoying the show too.
It was so nice walking down familiar Main Street and seeing that same wooden Indian in front of the Cinema, hearing the beeping of the Horseless Carriage and the clippity-clop of the Clydesdale horse pulling the Streetcar. It was like music to my ears and magic to my senses.
It felt good soaking it all in, but we had no time to lose and booked ourselves a boarding group online for the new Rise of the Resistance ride and rushed over to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to see if we could get a FastPass for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. No Fastpasses yet, but luckily they had a Single Rider option, which we took advantage of (and actually got to ride together after all.) *But we will post all about Star Wars land in a separate blog, so we don’t ruin anything for those who don’t want us to spoil any surprises. Don’t worry, this will be the only photo of us standing in front of the Millennium Falcon. All I have to say for now is - EPIC! :
Crystal & Mike - Star Wars : Galaxy’s Edge
We were able to hit a lot of rides, attractions and shows including Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, the Disneyland Railroad, The Enchanted Tiki Room, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Monorail, Star Tours, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, The Golden Horseshoe Stage Dueling Piano Show, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (twice) and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Not bad for a one day trip, right?!
My personal favorite has always been Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a high paced coaster style ride that has been thrilling riders since 1979! Please enjoy a video we took for Facebook Live at the time. I guess I’m lucky I didn’t drop my iPhone, cause this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness. :
We even got a chance to leave the main park for an afternoon break to check out Downtown Disney for a bit and grab a drink at Ballast Point Brewery & Kitchen. It felt so good to get away from the crowds for a bit and take a seat together to talk about some good ole times. Did you know that 20 years ago, Downtown Disney opened too! We used to love going to the Rainforest Cafe, or ESPN Zone then we would jump back on the monorail for a quick trip back into Tomorrowland. This was our land, our sanctuary, our playground, our dance club, and our social stomping grounds. I’m glad we finally made the decision to venture back on this day.
The Happy Couple
Basically, we felt like kids again! All-day long, greeted with smiles, fun rides, entertaining shows, and beautiful surroundings! By the end of the day we had realized that we just have to come back again soon, so we invested in a 3 day Southern CA pass and I cannot wait!!!
We explored all over the new Star Wars land, but didn’t want to put much about it here, so check out our other post- Olguin Scene at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for a review on the area and rides. We’ve got to check out the Cantina and get in early enough next time to get on an earlier Rise of the Resistance boarding group. We also want to go on some classic favorites like Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Matterhorn and Splash Mountain. There is so much to see and do at Disney, and without an Annual Pass, we see the need to make the most of our day. Magic truly exists here in the Land!
Thanks for reading/watching!
-Crystal & Mike Olguin
February 11, 2020
We’ll come back again soon!
