Main Street at last - with its sights and sounds and smells. It is the first act of any Disneyland day and it works its magic precisely by being that place that immediately takes you out of your own world and all its cares and discomforts and replaces it with a world of simpler times, nostalgia, but also dreams for a bright future. Main Street works precisely because it evokes a period of yesteryear before all the cares of the world became daily headlines while at the same time leading you into a magic hub where you can select which dreams you wish to explore - Adventure, History, Fantasy or Future. It starts with a train station, city hall, opera house and flagpole and ends with Sleeping Beauty's castle. No other street like it exists in the world (unless you count the ones in Florida, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and soon in Shanghai... ;)
I always pause just inside the main square and soak in that feeling, take a deep breath of Disney air, and exhale Disney magic. In 0-60 flat, I'm forgetting the cares of the world and completely immersed in the fun of the day. I look around at all the old familiar favorites.
City Hall, on the left, with the stairs that lead up to guest services. My parents once got lost in Disneyland and I ended up at City Hall waiting for the cast members to find them. Ever since then I associate City Hall with OFFICIAL Disneyland. If there's a place where the Mayor, the City Council, and the Police Department discuss Disney Zoning Law and Parking Fines, it's in Disneyland's City Hall. I usually avoid it.
Next to City Hall is the Fire Department. Unless the fire engine is out, I usually walk past this building. Across the street from the Fire Department and directly across the square from where I'm still standing, is the Emporium. I can see the shop windows from here with their moving electronic displays of the latest Disney animated movie (mostly re-releases when I was a kid). I'll check out the Emporium later.
In the center of the square is the good, old-fashioned, city park with its flagpole at the center, four triangular garden plots surrounded by low fences, and more than a half dozen wooden benches. This is an ideal location to meet people and, indeed, has been our fall-back location should we ever get separated from the main group since the beginning of time. (It's rumored that Jesus's parents found him at the flagpole after he got separated from them in Jerusalem... that's how old it is ;)
On the right side of the square is the bank where my Dad will go later to write a check for some money. Only many years later will they install a convenient ATM machine. And now, even those have become obsolete. Around the side of the bank is the first set of restrooms and a water fountain. I note these locations as they are always important to discover.
Next to the bank is the Opera House which is still showing Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Although I've seen the show hundreds of times, I still find it inspirational. And besides, it's fun to watch them build Disneyland through time-lapse photography while Whistle While You Work plays in the background. We'll make a trip to Lincoln a little later.
Next to the Opera House is the Main Street version of the hat shoppe. It's usually pricier and fancier than the other hat shoppes. I don't usually go there.
Across the little street from the hat shoppe is the bottom part of the right side of stores on main street. Right now it has a tiny little exhibit space where they have maps of upcoming theme park additions. Last year, we all thrilled to see the new Discoveryland and Circus Land additions they were planning for where Bear Country and Frontierland ends. I heard that that project was canceled and its rumored there's a new model showing Westcot now. I can't wait to check it out.
Of course, its first thing in the day and our ride quotient has yet to be filled. So we quickly grab each others hands and start walking into Main Street and go with the crowds up Main Street towards the hub. We've got to get some rides done before the park starts to get crowded, and Dave loves to ride Space Mountain.
To be continued...
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