Disneyland captures the young and old

BY EILEEN OGINTZ | TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

August 13, 2006

It's sweltering and Disneyland is packed, but 8-year-old Katie Grace Dhority and her 6-year-old sister, Laurel, are too excited to care that it's at least 90 degrees in the shade and there are lines everywhere, even at the water fountains.

This is, after all, their first trip to Mouseville, and since they live in Pocahontas, Ark., they're not sure when they'll be back.

They're studying a map carefully to decide where to go first. The newly reopened Pirates of the Caribbean or the classic Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Fantasyland? Splash Mountain or a Snow White musical show? They don't want to miss anything, especially souvenirs. They've only just arrived, but they're already debating the merits of mouse ears vs. purple cone-shaped princess hats.

Watching their excitement is enough to make even the most jaded Disney-goer smile, despite the crowds and the heat. Whatever you want to say about Disneyland - too white-bread, too corny, too commercial - Walt Disney sure knew what he was doing. There are few places where you can see such a cross-section of America having fun, or at least trying to.

For some, spending the day here is a big splurge (tickets cost $59 for adults, $49 for kids); others will spend more than that on souvenirs alone. (Visit disney land.com for the latest deals on trips.) There are families of every color speaking different languages, pushing strollers, sporting Goofy hats and clutching plush Minnies, giant white Mickey Mouse hands and battery-operated spray fans (great for spontaneous water fights while waiting in line).

Memories of the Mouse

Fifty-one years after Disneyland opened, the magic is still palpable, whether you're 7 or 87. Just ask my 87-year-old mother-in-law, Lee Yemma, who first visited with her children shortly after the park opened. She and four of those now-middle-aged kids, along with a gaggle of grandchildren and other relatives from across the country and across the Atlantic, have gathered for another day with the Mouse.

We're all in Southern California for my nephew's wedding. Yes, the bride and groom, Chris and Lauren Yemma, are here at Disneyland, too, before they take off for their honeymoon. My brother-in-law, Mark Yemma, the groom's father, had decreed that a day at Disneyland would be the perfect way to cap the wedding festivities. (This being family, not everyone agreed, and some decamped for the beach.) I don't know how we would have done it without cell phones. It's not easy to corral 16 relatives in a theme park, but we managed to keep in touch via cell phone and designate periodic rendezvous spots.

The wheelchair also helped. We had rented one for my mother-in-law so she wouldn't get too tired. The added plus was that the wheelchair allowed some of us front-of-the-line access. No wonder everyone wanted to push her! That's not to say the day was perfect. Is it ever when you're hot, tired and fighting crowds with your family? But everyone managed to keep a sense of humor and a willingness to compromise - which is key with a big group.

Remember when?

There was another plus we hadn't anticipated: Watching Katie Grace, Laurel and 5-year-old Thalia Burke, a cousin from England, we couldn't help but reminisce about our first foray here years ago, when the groom was barely out of kindergarten and my two older kids were so scared of the Haunted Mansion that their dad had to take them out the emergency exit.

The little girls loved hearing those stories as we waited in line, and conjuring up those memories made this visit a trip down memory lane for many of us.

By early evening, my mother-in-law and some of the other seniors had had enough (good thing we had several vehicles), but Katie Grace and Laurel lasted till after the fireworks (which were awesome, they agreed) late that evening.

They left proudly wearing their pirate mouse ears.