The Mad Tea Party is one of the most popular — and dizzying — rides at Disneyland. The California attraction offers a memorable family vacation. (Julia Pelish/Vacay.ca)
Story by Julia Pelish
Vacay.ca Visuals Editor
You don’t need to be a kid (or even have any of your own) to enjoy the magic of Disney. That’s what I discovered on a recent summer vacation when my husband, our nieces, their parents and myself loaded up into a rental van that could have fit twice as many of us. We left Vancouver for a trek down the west coast watching DVDs that featured Snow White, Ariel and the other Disney princesses to prime ourselves for the experience.
The girls were eight and four and as giddy as Goofy to reach the epicentre of entertainment in California. We stayed over in Oregon and San Francisco, enjoying the road trip as the girls quizzed us on our Disney knowledge, including some biographical information I had never known about Walt Disney himself.
When we made it to Anaheim on a sunny morning, the first stop was Fantasy Faire, where my youngest niece, Isabella, came face-to-face with her idols: Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Ariel. Decked out in a Little Mermaid T-shirt, Isabella sat awestruck and listened as the princesses inspired her and the other girls in attendance to enjoy all that Disneyland offered. I was convinced then that if all teachers wore princess outfits, every girl in the world would be an ‘A’ student.
Meanwhile Samantha, Isabella’s sister, was off with her father and uncle giggling through ride after ride. Their fun started with the cheerful “It’s a Small World” and then moved on to the dizzying Mad Tea Party featuring giant spinning cups, and culminated with the Astro Orbiter, which turned out to delight Samantha so much she kept getting back into line for another turn.
At some point, the kids needed a break and while they recouped, my husband and I strolled off to New Orleans Square to get a taste of the Mardi Gras atmosphere (and some grown-up drinks). As brief as our date was the experience was made enjoyable with good food, service and a jazz band that kept our feet tapping the entire time.
We got back to Main Street, U.S.A in time to see the night’s fireworks display, starring Tinkerbell. It was the experience we were promised: An enchanting day full of endearing memories.
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As you plan your family adventure this year, think about what fun it can be to bring along aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.
Visit Disneyparks.ca for more information and start planning your magical vacation today.
“Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Disney Parks via Glam Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Disney Parks.”
