Where was the best place for someone over the age of 18 to play dress-up, pretend to be a space-man, and have a tea party with all of their favorite cartoon characters in 2015? Nope, it’s not ‘in the privacy of their own home’ – it’s Disneyland in Anaheim, California! And we’re calling it Southern California’s number one theme park for grown-ups who still have some serious growing up to do.
“When my dad was my age, he owned his own business,” said Randall Mone, a 29-year-old self-described ‘Disneyphile’ who goes to Disneyland at least once a week. “I feel a lot of pressure to live up to that. But at Disneyland, all that pressure just disappears. I can just go there and pretend to be a kid again. It’s kind of perfect for that, because it was actually originally intended for kids. Some people don’t realize that.”
Featuring eight distinctly themed “lands,” the park is ready to cater to any whim your irrepressible inner child may have. Want to re-live the rush of playing astronauts at recess? Head on down to Tomorrowland and take a ride on Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters. Yearning for those carefree summer days spent climbing trees and getting scrapes? Then swing on over to Tarzan’s Treehouse over in Adventureland. Disappointed in the real world’s inability to constantly delight you? Just pop into any one of the park’s many fine eateries and you stand a great chance of running into Donald Duck, Queen Elsa, or even Mickey Mouse himself! Don’t worry – the actors portraying those characters are not allowed to deny you your moment of childlike wonder, no matter how many “actual” children are waiting their turn.
“I probably spend a hundred bucks every time I visit the park. Which is crazy, that’s like a million dollars to a 10-year-old. But my dad lets me spend my allowance however I want.” If you’re like Randall, you’ll hate to leave the magic behind at the gates. Lucky for you, the Disneyland gift shop has all the character plushies, voice-changing masks, and spinning light-up noisemakers you could ever want. Retirement planning can wait! “I save some money by getting the annual pass, and then there’s the SoCal resident discount,” said Mone. “Also I pretty much only eat candy, and stuff I find on the ground, like bugs.”
So what’s next at SoCal’s hottest destination for the perpetually youthful? According to Disney CEO Bob Iger, that’ll be a Star Wars land. The opening dates for that haven’t been finalized yet, so in the meantime, take these tips from Randall for planning your next trip to the Happiest Place on Earth: “Check the calendar online before you finalize anything. They black-out some dates, and no amount of crying or stomping your feet will help – believe me, I’ve tried it. And be on the lookout for special events, like Dapper Days: it’s a day when Disney fans dress up in really classy outfits to visit the park. It reminds me of raiding my dad’s closet to play dress-up as a kid. He still hates it, but I try to bring his suits back pretty clean.”
