As I walk through the turnstiles and hear the magical sound of entering a great land, I am a child again, a child who is visiting for the first time in her life. Distracted by all the bold colors, I can’t focus on a single point…except Mickey. With colored flowers planted in front, resembling his iconic image, this is my happy place. This is Disneyland.

I run my fingers through the soft, smooth plush of Pluto’s fur as I feel his warm embrace. Standing and waiting, I can’t help but let my eyes wander about, glancing at each and every tourist scurrying from place to place. Tiny tikes with mouse ears on their heads dash about, pressing their wide-eyed faces up against the glass windows of the Candy Palace, observing the enchantment of the fudge maker at work. While other children play around, spinning faster and faster, resembling the Tea Cups just around the corner. The aroma of buttered popcorn, so salty and enticing, makes my mouth water. But for the moment, a different odor fills the air: the scent of sunscreen, immediately conjuring up images of tourists, vacations, and beaches.
Journeying down Main Street, my pink cotton candy sticks to my fingers, turning dark red, and disintegrating the minute it touches my tongue. All the while, my sister savors her cinnamon sugar churro, with the rough outside and chewy, doughy inside, leaving her fingers coated in sugar. In the distance I feel the sheer joy from children’s laughter, while just behind me is the clip-clop of horses pulling carriages and the beeping horn of a trolley. Gazing to my left, parents and children alike are settling down with their chocolate-covered Mickey Mouse ice cream bars and over-sized rice krispie treats, lining the curbs awaiting the commencement of the fireworks spectacular, an iconic part of every Disney adventure.