Written by: Jude Bokovoy

Everyone has a different level of appreciation for Disneyland. Some couldn’t care less about it, others are full blown “Disney adults.” This article is for those who like the idea of Disneyland and are curious about what there is to do after the childhood glamor wears off. 

One’s company — Who one decides to go with can affect what one ends up doing throughout their time at Disneyland. For instance, if one is with family, one should do things that appeal to a variety of ages and interests. The size of one’s party comes into play when getting into rides with limited seating.  Recently, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to go to Disneyland with the entire WOU cheerleading team. We were able to split off into groups and mine had eight people. This way we were able to take up entire roller coaster carriages and carts for bigger rides. This also allowed us to break into smaller groups if our interests differed at certain parts of the day. 

Rides — The only “kiddie” ride I recommend going on is “Mad Tea Party” — commonly known as the “Tea Cups.” The ride is completely outdoors, follows the theme of “Alice in Wonderland” and is the perfect place to take pictures. Other than that, the fast rides are the way to go. We started out our journey with Space Mountain, the infamous roller coaster in the dark. Another ride one cannot miss is Matterhorn Bobsleds. An angry yeti follows as one’s bobsled weaves in and out of the mountain, ready to give a jump scare. The bumpy ride filled with waterfalls, sharp turns and loud noises will give participants a smile and whiplash. Lastly, my favorite ride —that we were able to go on twice— was “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.” The realistic characters, enthusiastic employees and interactiveness left me, as a non Star Wars fan, in awe. This ride will keep one guessing as they go from location to location. I do want to keep this one a secret for those who haven’t had the chance to attend. Just know that the bigger the party the better because taking up a cart with one’s friends is much more fun than sitting with strangers on this thrilling ride. 

Food — When spending the day walking around, standing in lines and having a fluctuating heart rate from thrilling rides, it’s good to be honest with one’s group when one is hungry. Chances are  there’s more than one person who needs a meal. Disney is known for their unique snacks and desserts which are great to eat, just don’t forget to have a full meal. Being hungry and not getting a balanced meal can affect one’s mood in “the happiest place on earth.” I do have to say, my favorite food item was actually during our second day in Downtown Disney. A little stand called Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs sells a creative spin on the classic. Another cheerleader and I got pickle corn dogs. It was a hotdog inside of a pickle, battered, dusted with panko, fried and served with creamy peanut butter. It sounds crazy, trust me it was, but it was actually pretty good. All the other cheerleaders that thought we were weird for getting them turned out to like them as well. They were huge, if one ends up getting one, keep in mind that it could feed up to three people as a snack. 

Overall Disneyland is a great place to go on rides, eat interesting food and take in the scenery. No matter one’s age, there will always be something to do — just try to have it thought out before entering the park. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu