Disneyland at Christmas Time
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) is particularly remembered as an American film producer, known as an innovator in animation and theme park design. After winning fifty-nine Academy Award nominations and twenty-six Oscars,seven Emmy Awards, he, along with his brother Roy, put up the Walt Disney Company. He and his staff created several of the world's most famous fictional characters including the ever popular Mickey Mouse, a character based on a mouse he had adopted as a pet while working in a Kansas City studio. With many more animated characters to populate his own fantasy-theme park, soon Disneyland was opened as the happiest place on earth, for all who spent a day or so in this magic kingdom. The The Walt Disney Company, today has annual revenues of approximately U.S. $35 billion. The magical, holiday season is here in Disneyland! Two friends and I went there for a couple of hours to experience this season in Disney fashion, along with about 40 to 50 thousand others, that day. Our plans were to have a late lunch at the Blue Bayou Restaurant, catch up with each others' lives, and visit a section or two. And so we did. The Magic Kingdom's castle was our gateway to our fantasy land for the next hour or so. By the time we were queuing for "It's a Small World," the lights went on... and soon the international doll characters paraded before us... followed by a number of lighting effects on the Small World castle...like magnified snowflakes falling... and after the snow-falling, the blue lighting effects came...and that's when we got on for our boat ride to... it's a Small World!...a place where hope for peace on earth from a child's point of view is celebrated — to the tune most of us are familiar with, on a joyful boat ride around the globe... where different countries and continents are featured...and different languages are "spoken"... with a message about "Peace on Earth"... and in living in harmony with one another. The magical minutes came to an end, but the joy in our hearts warmed us on this cold evening. And, soon the sky was going to be lit up...pop, pop, pop...and the fireworks display was underway! Those pyro-technicians surely entertained us! Then, the evening shade finally fell over the Magic Kingdom... and we started to trek out...along lit up streets... and taking one more look at the castle that brought us to another world. We joined the crowd on Main Street...as we headed out... and finally, we took a good look at the towering Christmas tree, admiring the big-sized ornaments...which, at one point, will be auctioned off for charity. After taking a break at the California Hotel, we went to the other park: California Adventure, to ride, "Soarin' over California," where in one ride we "flew" over all the scenic places to visit in this Golden State. This visit to Disneyland was reminiscent of days past when we used to bring our children. This time, we were alone in our child-like mode, to enjoy the happiest place on earth!
