Southern California Trip 1990 Part 2 - Disneyland

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Sunday July 22nd, 1990 DAY 21

Beginning our third week on the road. We are now camped at the Disneyland Campground and tomorrow morning, fortune allowing, we will be at the great gates for their opening. Excitement is mounting!

We had a relaxing day: packing up, driving here and setting up camp on our postage stamp sized site.

Anna trying to get the tame birds to eat out of her hand.

This must rate as the most cramped campsite we have ever had, but I have rigged a sun canopy off the side of the tent, so we should be fairly comfortable here.

Monday July 23rd, 1990 DAY 22

A very full day at Disneyland. I can hardly believe what we packed into one day. It seems more like two or three.

Disneyland Map from 1990

We got into the grounds shortly after 8 am and took the perimeter ride to orient ourselves, then we did Fantasy Land very thoroughly, leaving out only the Sleeping Beauty and Dumbo sections. We did the Peter Pan section twice, since it was so good and very evocative of the movie.

After returning for a rest and a light meal in the afternoon, we went back in and did several activities in Adventure Land, including the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House.

We also did the Jungle River Cruise, the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. The last two were probably the highlights of the day.

In the morning, we took the bobsled roller coaster down Matterhorn Mountain, which was quite hair-raising. Anna liked it a lot, but Chris found it a bit too wild.

The climax of our morning stint was the Disney Parade down Main Street which had a New Orleans Marti Gras theme. It paled any other parade we had ever been to.

The Haunted House had some very interesting holographic illusions: ghosts that appeared beside you in your "doom buggy". Holograms make great ghosts.

Tomorrow we do Tomorrow Land.

Tuesday July 24th, 1990 DAY 23

Another very full day at Disneyland. Anna bought an autograph book and already has the autographs of a dozen or so Disney characters.

Anna meets up with Robin Hood the Fox

Anna was nervous at first about posing with a pirate.

But the pirate and her soon became good buddies.

We went to Tomorrow Land today and enjoyed the Star Tours, Michael Jackson as Captain Eo.

I did not like the Space Mountain Roller Coaster. While sitting slightly sideways to keep an eye on Anna, and often bracing her around the curves, I managed to wrench a muscle in my back on one of the vicious turns. Space Mountain had little to offer but hurtling darkness.

Tomorrow will be our last day at Disneyland and we should be able to finish up most of it except for more roller coasters!

Wednesday July 25th, 1990 DAY 24

We took it a bit easier at Disneyland today. This morning we re-did some select favorites from Fantasy Land including Peter Pan and Mr Toad's Wild Ride.

We had brunch in the New Orleans area and did some of Frontier Land including the Ranch.

We got back here and decided not to go back in the evening. We have all had our fill of Disneyland!

Continue on to...

Southern California Trip 1990 Part 3