Disney-ness

Next weekend I'm off to Disneyland for my first trip during the 50th anniversary celebration! I'm getting really excited as usual, and I'm ready to see my pal Dae, the beautiful park, some new Disneyland experiences, and of course, some massive crowds! I'm going to start planning our attraction itinerary soon. Part of getting ready is immersing myself is Disney-ness, so here's what I've been doing:

Friday morning I got up at 4:30 AM for the release of the next round of limited edition Disneyland merchandise! I bought a replica of the Tiki Room Barker Bird (who used to be outside the attraction inviting folks inside), a replica of an original Jungle Cruise boat, and a plaque of the Disneyland dedication speech (just like they have at the flagpole on Main Street). All of this stuff is super-detailed and amazing, so I can't wait till they get here!

Last night I watched a wonderful DVD of the new parades at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, the new fireworks, and even the new history exhibit. It was really well done, so I recommend buying one for yourself at Window to the Magic!

Today I sat in the sun and read the latest issue of The E-Ticket (which gave a complete history of the Matterhorn Bobsleds), while listening to A Musical History of Disneyland (including the 14-minute version of It's a Small World), which is the best collection of park sounds there will ever be (review coming when I finish all the CDs!).

This coming week I'll be wearing Disney T-shirts everyday and cranking Disney on my iPod non-stop. Disneyland, here I come!