07/18/2025
“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past — and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America — with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” - Walt Disney, Disneyland Opening Day- July 17, 1955
Happy Birthday, Disneyland! I visited this special place for the first time at the end of April, as I was attending a work educational conference. Growing up, we always went to Disney World, but Disneyland Resort had always been on my bucket list.
I arrived at Disneyland Resort excited, but not sure what to expect. What I left with is something that is so hard to put into words. I left with a deeper understanding and love of Walt’s dream. Walking the streets that he paved the way for, speaking to a cast member that had been there for 50+ years and him showing me pieces of opening day features that most wouldn’t know about, experiencing the bits of magic that I didn’t even know existed, and more, truly warmed my heart. Disneyland is a different kind of special. 🩷
Disney as a whole has always meant more to me than just a place to visit. It is a place where you can step away from your reality for a bit (good and bad) and step into the magic where smiles are constant, laughter is around the corner, and sparkle always shines.
Now with my kiddos, it is another level of happiness seeing them experience one of the places that I love most. I cannot wait to bring them and welcome them ‘home’ to Disneyland one day.
Happy Birthday, Disneyland! Here’s to many more years and memories to come.
