I will be completely honest: life at college can get kind of boring! Sometimes, an escape from campus is necessary to put a good break into studies and life at Caltech. One day, after planning for months on the best day to go, we piled into cars and left for Anaheim. 

Now, if you have read my other blog post (A Trip to Legoland), you know I have a soft spot for these theme parks, so it shouldn’t come to you as a surprise that we all went to Disneyland near the beginning of last fall. Now, a lot of people are surprised when I tell them that Disneyland is so close to Caltech! It’s about a 45-minute drive (let’s be honest, more than an hour with the usual Los Angeles traffic), so you can easily get there near the park opening hours to beat the worst of the crowds. Plus, let’s be honest, we all have that inner desire to go to Disneyland (just don’t call me a “Disney Adult”) and see California’s favorite mouse. Just like my last blog, I’ll be giving the highlights of this trip: both what I liked and what I didn’t like.

What I liked: Star Wars!

Now if you’re like me and were a huge Star Wars fan as a kid, this place is like a dream come true. You get to see a real life-sized Millennium Falcon while Storm Troopers patrol the park. We went on a ride inside the Millenium Falcon where you get to pilot the ship! (Turns out I’m not a good pilot.) You can also buy a lightsaber which I did not due to the following reason…

(Now that is so cool!)

What I didn’t like: PRICES

Now it is obvious that theme parks have overpriced food, but wow, I paid a lot. And I know that there are blogs or Instagram accounts that show the new food at Disney, but to be honest: I’m fine with a good sandwich. (Cheap and cheerful!) 

What I liked: Space Mountain!

I had never been on this ride. Now, I know that this is a “classic ride,” but I never got into roller coasters until later in life. But I LOVED Space Mountain, I truly felt among the stars. The only bad news was the lines were always long, so you do have to plan it out in the beginning. 

What I didn’t like: Ride Breakdowns…

So, we waited in line for almost an hour for the new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride. Then right as we were going to get in, it SHUT DOWN. This was what I was most excited to go on, but sadly we couldn’t. However, the silver lining is that they gave us free FastPasses that we used to go on Space Mountain again.

What I liked: Nostalgia!

Let’s be honest, we all get a little bit of nostalgia from time to time. Seeing characters like Buzz Lightyear or Mickey Mouse gives that special feeling that’s hard to describe. Going on the Indiana Jones ride or Pirates of the Caribbean brought to life some of my favorite movie franchises.

Overall, Disneyland is a hallmark of the SoCal experience! It is worth it to come as a student here, and maybe even get a season pass. Whether you like Star Wars, Marvel, or just love California’s favorite mouse, there’s something for everyone.