I Love Disney!

 The next two weeks will have some fun Disneyland adventures. We have three different sets of friends coming into town and we will be joining them at Disneyland.  That's why Disneyland is on my mind. But honestly, Disney is usually on my mind. I love Disney! Here's a couple of the earliest pictures I have of me at Disneyland.

With my mom and grandma.

With my dad.

I have a really bad memory. I don't remember the trips to Disneyland as a kid. I love looking at these pictures though. I do know that we didn't go much when I got older. But I loved Disney movies and characters. This is me as Cinderella in 1988.

Didn't my mom make a great costume?

 My first real memory of Disneyland actually comes from when I was in high school. We had moved from Southern California to Northern California. Our high school band went to Disneyland.

I'm on the left with a flute on my lap.

This was exciting. What teenager doesn't want to go to Disneyland with their friends?

But for me there was the additional of excitement of seeing my grandma and my best friend, Cindy.

What a memory! The day after high school graduation I came back to Southern California and lived with my grandma. Cindy was working at Disneyland, so I applied. I was hired in the Main Entrance department in late 2006. Just in time for the farewell season of the Main Street Electrical Parade.

I worked for Disneyland until 2003. After that I worked another year in Disneyland but for another company. There were so many great things about being a cast member. Every time my family came to visit they got in free. When my husband and I started dating, he loved going to cast member exclusive events. Our first one was a parade preview. I saw Disneyland change completely when Disney's California Adventure opened. By far, the best thing about working at Disneyland was the friends I made.

 It took a few years, but eventually I became an annual passholder. Yep, I'm one of those. Before Melodie started school, it was great to go on weekdays. But now she's in school and they are so expensive. They expire in November. I'm not sure we'll renew.

Rocky worked at Disneyland for a short time when we were first married. I wasn't working there anymore and he just wasn't getting very many hours at his real job. He worked in attractions.

 I waited until Melodie was a year old for her first visit. We went to DCA before that, but not Disneyland. I wanted to see reactions from her to things. My whole family and two best friends were there.

Isn't the onesie I made her adorable?

 We've been to Walt Disney World a few times. My first time was with my sister, Kelly. It was while I was working for Disneyland. We made the mistake of going in the summer (it was so hot!) but we had a blast. Rocky and I went for our honeymoon. Our latest trip was last year. We went in October. It was fun to celebrate Halloween there and I loved seeing Melodie enjoy her first visit.

Those aren't the only times we've gone, but I don't want to bore you.

 Rocky and I have even been to Disneyland Paris. I couldn't stand the thought of being so close and not going. We left the rest of the tour group and spent half a day there.

The crazy Disney love goes beyond just the Parks. When I went to New York with my mom, aunt and cousin, I chose to see Mary Poppins on Broadway and spent a silly amount of time in the Disney Store there (did I mention I also sought out the Disney Stores in Venice, Italy and in London? I did.).

This is what happens when you trust a stranger to take a picture. The other three went to see Les Mis, so I was on my own.
Another great Disney thing we get living in Southern California is the El Capitan Theatre and Disney Soda Fountain in Hollywood. I've seen several movies there. Sometimes they have events after the movies. We went to see Cars 2 in 2011 and they had an amazing event.

 Oh yeah, the other reason I have Disney on the brain is because my family is planning on a visit in October to go to the Halloween party at Disneyland. We've all gone once before.

Our little family has gone several times, but only one other time with my whole family. We did the group costume thing and had a blast. Melodie is the poisoned apple. I thought that was pretty clever. This year we're doing Peter Pan, but more on that later.
 Rocky tolerates my love of Disney. He's not the fan I am, but he has his moments too. Here he is running the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon.

 Melodie has inherited (or had forced on her) the love. But hers went in a strange princessy direction that I hope she eventually will grow out of. More about that later too. This is her latest picture with a Disney princess.

 Come to think of it, Melodie got her name in a Disney way. She is named after Ariel's daughter. I loved the lullaby Ariel sang to her baby in Little Mermaid 2. Then I changed the spelling (a lady I worked with a Disneyland spelled Melodie this way).
 I named my first dog after a Disney character. My roommate and I sat down with the Disney Encyclopedia and picked out the name Jock. Then when Rocky and I got another dog we had to name him Trusty. After all, in Lady and the Tramp they are best friends.
 I sound a little obsessive, don't I? Well the reason I tell you all this is because we've had some really great Disney adventures in the past that I can't wait to blog about (Pirates of the Caribbean red carpet! Julie Andrews at Disneyland!) in the future. And there are more Disney adventures to come. Be prepared!