The Disneyland Traveler Blog Turns 2 Years Old

Mickey bangs the drum and gives a salute to the Disneyland Traveler Blog turning 2 years old
(well, not really...)

Are you kidding me? I've been writing this blog for exactly 2 years?? Doesn't seem that long but at a certain age, time goes by much quicker than it used to. I started this blog May 28, 2011 after finding out that running the two previous Disneyland websites I started proved to be a little too much work to keep updated and took the fun out of being a Disney fan. The good folks at Google provide a simple blog tool (a couple of them actually) that just says "go out and write what you want and we'll take care of all the back-end stuff that makes it visible for others to see and keeps spammers at bay - and BTW - it's free".  Who can turn down free?

So I get to write about Disneyland and other Disney endeavors and from time to time, maybe a non-Disney item or two. It's my hobby hence anyone who reads this isn't being asked to click on an ad so I can make a nickel. I write this for myself and hopefully others can find a certain amount of information, enjoyment, and entertainment. Though I hear from a few people regularly through comments or through email, I don't really know who reads this blog other than mostly other Disney fans. Google doesn't tell me who reads this but they do tell me how many. At the end of May 2011, there were 17 pageviews of this blog. This May, there will be around 6000 pageviews of this blog which now totals over 60,000 pageviews in its 2 year lifespan. That's chicken feed compared to the big boys in Disney web sites which are viewed by thousands a day but again, I'm not here to sell anything but the experience of being a Disney fan (and sometimes a Disney critic).

So to all of you out there who are taking the time out of their busy day to read this for whatever reason, a sincere "Thank You" from the Disneyland Traveler (and Mrs. DisneylandTraveler too). As I posted earlier, we are currently having some challenges that almost caused this blog to sign off as we have taken in and care for Mrs. DLT's father who suffers from the sadness of what is Alzheimer's Disease. It's difficult for us to see an opportunity for our next Disneyland trip at least  together anyway. But as I thought about it, even dealing with the current circumstances, being a Disney fan remains a constant and an outlet. As always, there is a piece of me that sits on a bench in a shady spot of Main Street USA on a bright sunny day.

Disneyland Traveler Blog Adds More Fun

Mrs. DisneylandTraveler walked up to me a little while ago and made the comment "You know, you should made the blog a little more fun, why not add a Disneyland Trivia Question or something".

Somewhat surprised I replied "You know, that's a pretty good idea".

And so I have added a Disneyland Trivia Question to the blog. The answer to the question is at the bottom of the right hand column. I also plan to archive the questions so maybe the readers can impress their families, friends, and neighbors with their Disneyland trivia and knowledge. It's called being a smarty-pants.

While I was over in the right hand column of this blog, I took a look at the other gadgets Google has to offer and put over there. There is plenty of space to try out new things. How about a poll? Let's give that a try. And a Top 10 list that can be changed out from time to time. That's not bad idea either. I've even added a mini-movie review section. So far I have resisted Google's offer to stick advertising links over there. The Disneyland Traveler Blog is still ad free and a labor of love.

As the Disneyland Traveler Blog comes up on it's second anniversary, there is always room for improvement. More Disney fun and information, nothing wrong with that at all.

A Personal Note From The Disneyland Traveler

My apologies to all the readers of this blog - my Disneyland Traveler output has been a bit sporadic during this month of March 2013. Truth be told, over the last week or so I have been trying to decide whether I want to continue writing this blog at all.

Writing about Disney is a joyful pastime for me. But sometimes true life intersects with a Disney world and the realities of life will always win out in the end. My father-in-law is recovering from major surgery in a nursing facility in Los Angeles. He's due to be released in about a month or so. He no longer will be able to return to his home in Torrance but instead must be attended to 24x7 by someone, anyone who is able to watch over him. He has the onset of dementia, most likely Alzheimer's Disease. After going over the options, Mrs DisneylandTraveler and myself have decided the best option for now is for him to come stay with us here in Northern California.

Needless to say, with someone needing so much attention and care, planned trips to Disneyland have fallen by the wayside. So I thought about "killing off" the Disneyland Traveler is how I put it to Mrs. DLT. She said don't. 

I thought about writing a different blog, maybe something about movies or sports or gardening, but I'm failing in generating any enthusiasm toward those topics. It's Disney that keeps my mind looking at the world through the eyes of a child. I don't know what will happen with the Disneyland Traveler as we take this unexpected twist. Mrs. DLT said I should sneak off for a day or two just to take new pictures of the place that has meant so much to us.

As for trips for the two of us, at least for the foreseeable future, those may have come to an end.

Introduction to Disney - From All SIdes

I love going to Disneyland.  My wife and I have made the trek down to Anaheim from our home near Sacramento 2 or 3 times a year, for the last several years, usually for about a week at a time. Occasionally we go down with the extended family and make it a big event (I forget, one year we had somewhere between 16 and 23 people in a 3 bedroom suite at the Disneyland Hotel). We enjoy seeing most Disney (or Pixar) movies by either going out to a local theater or at home with our collection of Disney DVD's and Blu-Ray discs. We have Disney collectible figurines in our china cabinet.  Disney posters adorn the walls of our home.  We have ears, hats, t-shirts, books, purses, pins, magnets, mugs, blankets, and a whole lot of other trinkets and memorabilia (aka: crap) that celebrate our sometimes irrational fan-dom of all things Disney.

Now, by nature, I do not consider myself a complainer.  My wife does a far better job of that than I do when push comes to shove.  To paraphrase from an episode of the "King of Queens" TV show - her family crest seems to be a picture of a shaking fist followed by the motto  "I want to speak to a manager!".  I'm not like that.  What she considers me to be is a generally to be a nice guy who but sometimes treads in the waters of negativity - looking for the bad even in the best surroundings .  I don't completely agree with that but I also know I'm standing on shaky ground if I try to convince her otherwise. What I am is an occasional cranky person, someone has who lived long enough and been beaten down by life enough times to know when someone (or a giant corporation like Disney) is trying to get the best of me.

Yeah......I love Disney but a lot of this blog will take a slightly different view, a view where the dreams, creativity, imagination, and genius of the company founded by Walt Disney intercedes with its current role as corporate media empire.