FROM: The 626 Published Fridays

First Time Disneyland

Can you believe it? Jeff Heimbuch is in Disneyland. And I'm stuck in Scranton, PA. The universe is a cruel place, my friends. But Jeff left behind this special installment of his column before he tearfully (ha!) departed for his Mickey meetup.

- by Jeff Heimbuch, June 24, 2011

As you're reading this, I'm walking around Disneyland.

Seriously. As you read these words, chances are I'm walking up Main Street, U.S.A., taking in all of the sights and sounds of the Happiest Place on Earth.

It's OK to be a little bit jealous. I would be, if I were you. I'm jealous whenever someone gets to walk around a Disney Park, and I'm still at home.

People go to Disney every day. Big deal, you're thinking. So what makes today any different for me?

Well, for starters, this is my first time back to Disneyland in over 20 years. I haven't been there since I was about 5, and needless to say, my memory of the place is a little shaky. But I do remember going there, and I know it was my grandparents who took me, but beyond that, I'm fuzzy on the details.

Sure, I have some photos of that trip, but seeing my younger self standing next to Br'er Bear doesn't really add up.

The Foreign Soil of Disneyland

I'm excited to be going back to the place where it all began, and I'm old enough now to fully appreciate the intricate details of the park. I've grown up with Walt Disney World. I have watched the parks there grow, evolve, and change right before my eyes every time I visited. It's become a second home to me.

But Disneyland is 'foreign' soil. To me, it's the epitome of a fantasy land. And soon I'll be exploring it, fully aware, for the first time.

People tell me that comparing the Disney World with Disneyland is like comparing apples to oranges. Disney World is a city; Disneyland, a town. People tell me that I'll be struck by the smallness of Disneyland, and that it will be a radically different Disney experience.

That's fine. I want it to be different. I want to see things in a new light, and see them how Walt intended them to be seen.

Run.Ride.Relax

So what am I most looking forward to? Would it be a cop-out if I said everything? Yes, it would, so i won't do that. Even though I really am looking forward to everything!

I most keenly anticipate riding attractions I've never experienced before. Like the Matterhorn. The original Pirates of the Caribbean. Going through Blue Bayou, and picking out the scenes absent from the Disney World version of the ride. And, of course, the original Haunted Mansion!

When I get to Fantasyland, I'll be making a beeline to Pinocchio's Daring Journey and Alice in Wonderland. And Mr. Toad, so sorely missed in Disney World.

But what I really want to inhale is the atmosphere of the park itself. I'll be there for three days, and I plan to sit on a bench and let it all sink in. Watching people walk by. Enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of what is for me a brand-new Disney park.

And deciding whether I feel as at home here as I do at Disney World.

See You There (Here)?

For those of you in the area this Saturday and Sunday, I'll be holding a Disney Dispatch Disneyland Meetup at the parks. Details are still sketchy as to where, exactly, we'll meetup, but for more information, check out the event page on Facebook.

I'd love for you guys and gals to come out and spend the day with me. And if any Disneyland veterans are available to give gratis park tours, well, I'd really like to meet up with you!

Make sure to follow me on Twitter where I'll be posting tons of photos and videos over the next few days from Disnelyand.

Maybe I'll see you there. Or Maybe you'll experience it with me, virtually. But, for now, I'm off to explore, and see the park that started it all!

See you real soon!

Follow me on Twitter for updates!

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