No Plans, Just Magic: A Chill Day at Disneyland California
Some days at Disneyland California are about rope dropping, lightning lanes, and maximizing every second. But this wasn’t one of those days. This was the kind of Disneyland day that felt more like hanging out than running a marathon. I didn’t rush and there wasn’t a list. We would occasionally look at the Disneyland app to check wait times and to order some quick service food. We just wanted to get on some rides and enjoy the day without stressing ourselves out.
Take it Easy
We started the day walking down Main Street U.S.A. watching families trying to gather themselves while their kids were in awe over Mickey balloons and and marching bands. There is just something about that turn-of-the-century music and the smell of popcorn that instantly tells your brain: “Hey, relax-you’re here.” We casually made our way to Indiana Jones and even though there was a wait, we just enjoyed the theming and people watched until it was our turn.
As we walked through New Orleans Square towards Big Thunder Mountain, we can see the Mark Twain River Boat making its return on the Rivers of America to drop off and pick up more guests. After our time in the wild west, we headed towards the Haunted Mansion. You can hear the whistle blow next door from the Disneyland Railroad Train as it made the stop at the New Orleans Square Station. The Haunted Mansion ride went down as we were in line, but no big deal.. we waited it out and it was back up in 15 minutes!
Lunch Time!
For lunch, we had hot dogs and chips. Not because it was on some “best eats” list, but because that’s what we wanted. We found some seating in the warm sun, but it felt nice as it was a cool day. Despite thousands of people around us, we sat and enjoyed the music being played on the piano as we ate. We wrapped up our lunch time and as we walked past the pianist he started playing the UP song and it was a nice moment for my wife and I.
A Pirates Life For Me
After our lunch, we got a fun drink to cool us down and went to Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates is a great ride to sit back and enjoy some drops and watch the show. Not to forget about the great air conditioning and the chance to get off your feet for awhile is a big plus. After Pirates, I got a Mickey pretzel and we walked through Galaxy Edge and just enjoyed the detail in theming despite not being a big fan of Star Wars.
We had no missions, reservations, no rush – just enjoying our time together in the theme park. We looped towards Fantasy Land and rode almost all the dark rides and enjoyed the simple yet immersive themes. We then looped back towards Big Thunder for another go on the: “wildest ride in the west!”
An Ending With a Bang
As the sun started to drop, we parked ourselves by the Rivers of America and watched the sky change colors. We walked towards Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Disney fireworks show exploded into action. As that ended, we strolled into Tomorrowland and took a second go enjoying some of the great neon signage. We ended up riding Star Tours and then Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters (where I won) and reminisced about our first time riding together.
Thats’s the thing about Disneyland: You can have big, busy days where every second is planned but sometimes, the best days are where you just let the park happen to you.
No pressure. No Schedule. Just Vibes.
If you’re looking another place nearby to just hang out and relax, check out the town of Orange, CA. It’s full of unique local eateries, historical buildings and interesting thrift shops. Here’s a look at their annual car show!
If you’ve been someplace like Disneyland California where you just took it nice and easy, I’d like to hear about it in the comments. What is your favorite thing to do in the parks?
