Living in Southern California, I’m lucky enough to live about an hour and a half away from the Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland! Over the past few years, I have had the chance to have a season pass to both Disneyland and California Adventure, and these are the reasons why the park is so magical to me:

1. Watching little kids enjoy the magic

There is nothing like watching a little girl meet her favorite Disney princess for the first time, or watching a little boy walk right into Cars Land and instantly feel like they have stepped into a Pixar film. There is something magical about Disneyland that people from all ages can experience, but it’s truly special for little ones. Observing the way cast members treat little kids is amazing, and you can tell that the people who work at Disney are really there to create memories for people of all ages.

2. The things that Disney is always adding

With all their offerings, from the Disneyland App to Star Wars Land and so much more, Disney is always coming up with new and exciting ways for us to enjoy the magic they are producing! They are always going over the top with things such as fireworks and parades in order to make the experience something you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. Indeed, Walt Disney himself once said:

“Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

And Disneyland has run with that idea and expanded the park in ways we could only have imagined!

3. The parade and the fireworks

I have to admit that I’ve always been a little kid at heart, but there is something about the Disneyland parade and fireworks that takes it to a whole different level. Watching large floats come down Main Street with dancing characters and catchy songs will always bring me to this overall happy place -- and that is a feeling that only Disneyland can create. The fireworks at night bring a feeling of joy to not only me, but all of the people around me. Normally, while I watch these amazing shows that Disney provides for us, I’m also watching the people around me, and that is almost even more amazing, because I love being able to see people so happy.

4. The rides

After spending so much time at Disneyland, I have to appreciate the classic rides that drag us on time after time. Some of my personal favorites would be Peter Pan, Tower of Terror, Pirates of the Caribbean, Toy Story Mania, and Big Thunder Mountain. Disneyland does this amazing thing where, as you wait in line, you are slowly being brought into a different world, and then the ride completes your trip. This almost makes it seem like you’ve been taken somewhere else for a few minutes, and then you’re being dropped off right into the amazing world of Disney once again!

5. The food

The food has to be one of the top things about Disneyland. Disneyland has many different themed areas of the park, where you can find amazing treats such as pineapple Dole Whip, Mickey-shaped waffles, turkey legs, hamburgers, Mickey-shaped ice creams, clam chowder, Mickey pretzels, caramel apples, Mexican food, Chinese food, and the list is pretty much endless. Disneyland food rocks.

6. The characters

Disneyland will always go over the top with the characters. We have Mickey, Minnie, and their crew in tons of different themed outfits in different places around the park, Star Wars characters in Tomorrowland, Pixar and Marvel in California Adventure, princesses in Fantasy Faire, and we can’t forget the random Disney classic characters that roam around Fantasyland!

7. The memories

This is my favorite part of any Disney experience: the memories. Disneyland is epic at creating the most magical things to look back on. So, next time you’re at Disneyland, remember to take a ton of pictures and videos. Interact with children and cast members. Smile and have fun, because that is what you’re going to want to remember when it comes down to it!