I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Disneyland in California.
I flew in late Wednesday night and came home Friday afternoon. One of the benefits of working for a large corporation (The Walt Disney Company) with multiple sites around the world is the ability to travel to some of those locations and visit with colleagues I don’t get to see very frequently.
After we got through our mandatory work stuff (you know, meetings etc…) my colleague Tom and I snuck out for a little Disney fun. Tom had never been to the Disneyland before so it was all brand new to him. This was my 3rd time in the park so I led him to my favorite attractions first. I knew he had to experience Pirates of the Caribbean – Disneyland style. Their version of the attraction has some awesome differences from the one at Walt Disney World – like 2 waterfall drops, air blast effects and a longer ride through the storyline. It’s a must do if you get a chance to go there. I love it
We then made our way over to the Haunted Mansion. 
Again the exterior of their Mansion looks very different from the one in Florida. I have to say – this attraction blew me away! The Haunted Mansion Holiday is inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. The holiday overlay starts from the moment you walk into the first room and then continues throughout the entire ride. It is amazing and so much fun. I have to admit, I was not expecting such a fun experience and was taken aback by all the attention to detail the Disney Imagineers put into this attraction. I know, I should never be shocked at how they always think of everything, but it was inspiring to see such creativity.
With just a limited time for fun over, we had to boogie on back to the hotel and head home. Side note: The lack of direct flights from LAX to Orlando is frustrating. Our choices were either to leave at 7am or the red-eye at 10:45pm. We opted for the 2:30pm flight that stops in Atlanta and got us back in Orlando at 1:00am Saturday morning. LONG DAY!
View from take-off at LAX.
