The happiest place on earth

A small florescent pink clump of wax crumbled apart and turned to a powder disappearing within the crevasses of the tan weathered and stained back seat. The clumps left behind from when my brother and I forgot our rainbow colored crayons across the back seat in the middle of a brutally hot summer day in California. My impatient fingers stumbled over one another like a man with no rhythm on a dance floor, eagerly looking for the next sun soaked nugget of wax intertwined in to the smooth fibers of the back seat. After not finding a single piece my mind skipped over to its next thought and my eyes flicked upward to scan the horizon our dreary dark green sedan, that like the seats was very well loved and held memories within every dent, scratch and chip.

After following the seemingly endless concrete paths the car came to a squeaking halt. Crackling and popping under the heavily worn rubber of the tires as if someone were cooking popcorn, the reason being that the breaks were many miles over the point of needing to be replaced, My fingers gently glided from the rough, textured plastic of the arm rest to the cool smooth metal handle of the door, slipping my fingers quickly around the petite metal handle and in one swift motion the door glides open almost hitting the massive circular column wrapped in a rich brilliant burnt orange banner. Reading “Section A, Row 6” in whimsical bubble letter that were once white but now a grayish brown from all the dust storms and age.

When stepping out in to the concrete prison of a parking structure, the gray walls stained with past residue of posters about parades and events. The floors rough and patchy the ridges of the concrete deeply soaked in round quarter like patches of gum, the oldest ones being almost black from the dirt they had collected from the hundreds of tourists roaming through every day. With every step the lose pieces of concrete would scream in pain from being kicked and stomped on by small children racing down to the escalators their petite and delicate hearts beating faster and faster. With excitement and with every jump, leap and scream from their mom to slow down.

Just like the little kids my own heart beat a bit faster knowing with each step I took, I was getting closer and closer to the park. My eyes flicked around taking in all the scenery there was to be scene in the prison like parking garage. The nearer and nearer we became to the escalators the chatter from people young and old, we all shuffled one by one on to the cold metal converter belt making sure not to bump in to or knock over anyone’s, worn tattered jackets, the loud crackling water bottles, cheap disposable cameras, oversized baby bags and who could forget the enormous strollers. The escalators patiently creaked and settled, in an attempt to become more comfortable with the weight it was carrying but with the numerous years they had been opened the escalators had seen much better days. As we got nearer to the bottom little kids would build the courage to jump what felt like five feet but was really only a step to the end of the escalators. The air carried the faint smelt of gasoline coming from the exhausted busses taking eager tourists from the cold lonely parking lot to the joyful and busting with excitement of the park. “All aboard” calmly stated a voice recording and as if under some sort of magical spell the crowd all at once moved hastily on to the bus, its hard plastic seats filled to the brim. The cool California air whipped past our faces with every twist, loop and sharp turn of the never ending ride but everyone’s excitement continued to grow knowing at the end they would be at the happiest place on earth.

The blindingly bright snow white bus came to a slow exhausting halt, along with a slight screeching from the worn out breaks which could be heard from across the park. As soon as the bus came to a complete stop everyone on the bus springs up from the stiff smooth plastic seats that because of the shear excitement of being that close to the park no one seemed to notice or care. We once again slowly exited the bus, which was agonizing going so incredibly slow knowing what was only a few hundred yards away. Weaving in and out of crowds of people, dodging baby strollers, and large tour groups I eagerly and rapidly scan the scenery around me, and getting up on my tippy toes in an effort to see over all the heads in the crows of moving tourists. My eyes lit up with pure excitement as they fell upon the sea foam green gates accompanied by cream, rose pink and light olive green accents on the vintage Victorian styed frames around the entrance of the park. Vein like vines wrapped up the sides of the structure, as we shuffled in to the ridiculously long lines just outside of where everything magical happens my heart began to beat faster and faster. Within a few minutes I was the next in line I fumbled threw my pockets for my ticket eagerly ripped it out of my jeans slightly ripping the edge of the small colorful ticket, then handed it to the bubbly man on the other side of computer, he turned the wrinkled ticket over, smoothed it out and scanned it sounding a cheery whistle and the bar at my hip it resting on the edge of my dark wash jeans unlocked and I slowly taking everything in pushed my way through, I was finally in the happiest place on earth Disneyland, and couldn’t wait for my adventure to begin.