Never Too Old for Some Magic

“Aren’t you a bit too old for that?” my sister, mother of two, asked me when I told her of my plans. And the answer is no, I will never be too old to follow my dreams. I hope I never will be. I had wanted to do this for so long, and now I had the chance, so I’d better well do it.

I’m talking about the magical place of Disneyland, of course. I had planned a trip to Paris with my boyfriend and both being big Disney fans we of course had to go to this magical land. And what was even better, I had decided that if we was going to do it, we’d better do it right, so I took advantage of an offer they had and booked park tickets and Disney hotel with a lovely discount. This was going to be truly awesome.

And it was! It was like walking through the secret door back to my childhood – without annoying parents telling me what to do, of course. And I soon realised just how much this place was setting me free. Shortly after our arrival in the theme park, Mickey Mouse walked past and waved at us. I waved back. Not a wee wave with just with the hand, but with the whole arm and the biggest grin on my face. I realised then that I had just lost 20 years of my age.

Mickey and Minnie in the “Once Upon a Dream” parade

As mentioned, we stayed at one of the Disney Hotels. I had expected it to be super expensive, but when you buy the hotel and park tickets in a bundle, it is actually pretty doable. We stayed at the Santa Fe hostel, which is South West America themed complete with Route 66, indian and of course “Cars” decorations – including a crashed UFO just outside our window. When getting to the room I must have spent at least 20 minutes ohh-ing and ahh-ing about everything, from the “Cars” bedspread to the tiny soaps and shampoo with Mickey Mouse on them – they are now proudly displayed in my bathroom at home.

Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe

Walking just 10 minutes along the river from the hotel we ended up in the Disney Village, which is open even after the parks close. This is the place to shop, eat, drink and have fun after closing time of the 2 parks. You can even have a taste of the Disney spirit with a day in the Disney village without having to go to the parks.

The best thing about staying in a Disney hotel is the extended opening hours of the Disneyland Park. Already, we had chosen to go there after schools starts and on weekdays to avoid the biggest crowds, but even so, walking around the park an hour or two before it opens for the public with only other hotel-guests was incredible. It’s not often you would otherwise see a half empty looking Main Street.

I love theme parks and especially those which  target both kids and adults. This place is obviously perfect for family fun. But you don’t need to bring any kids to have fun – as long as you’re in touch with your inner child!