Disneyland Trip Report: The Perfect Day, Part 1

Every year, I have taken my staff at work on a teambuilding/fun day. Getting together outside of work, exploring new things, and enjoying a few meals together makes for a very happy team and creates relationships/bonds that you just can’t get during the work day. After a 3-year hiatus of traveling other cities and sights, this year I returned to the original location of Dland. Last Friday could not have been any more perfect: the weather, the lack of crowds, the flowers in bloom—it was a glorious day at Disneyland! Just look at that blue sky!







First stop of the day: Main Street Opera House to visit President Lincoln:



The realism of the sculpt and his movements had everyone enthralled:



Heading towards Tomorrowland, we were treated to The Dapper Dans. What a great way to start your visit to the park; how could you not have a smile on your face when you hear their old-fashioned harmonies in the heart of Main Street U.S.A.?



We had a few newbies to Buzz; despite the fact that some of the team were novices, they still had a “blast” (bad pun intended).





One of these days I’ll figure out where the camera for this is so that I can remove my constipated look of concentration from my face. This really is a fun little bonus; emailing this to someone after the game for free is really an awesome perk.



After a thrilling adventure through Space Mountain, we Moonwalked over to Captain EO and transported ourselves back to the 1980’s:



What trip is complete without a posed pic by the Castle? One very kind guest graciously offered to snap our pic for us. Again...the perfect day.



Not everyone knows about The Sleeping Beauty Castle Dioramas; they are a hidden gem that every guest should check out. The artistry and special effects make this trip inside the castle a must-see:







The troops were hungry after all that adventure, so we stopped by The Rancho del Zocalo for some very tasty Mexican treats.





When you’re sluggish from a delicious meal, what’s the best thing to do? Pilot the Mark Twain around the Rivers of America! 5 of the team hung out in The Wheelhouse and rang the bell, blew the whistle, and steered the ship around The River while the rest of us enjoyed the view.







I could definitely feel myself dangerously crossing over to "old fart" territory as I began to explain what The Burning Cabin used to be and what a Keelboat is. Sigh...I’m getting old.







Not that I didn’t trust the team to get us back, but just in case, Brennan & I found the life preservers!



Energized by our journey, the gang zoomed over to the Haunted Mansion to see it without the Holiday overlay.



I just do not get tired of this one; so many details, so many characters...you never run out of new things to see.







And on this last photo for today, I’ll leave you “hanging” until the next installment.



See more Disneyland photos at my main website.