In the 80s, my parents and I went to Disneyland at least once a year. Only on Sunday's though, since my dad worked nights and Sunday was the only normal day. It was kinda awesome, Disneyland at that time. There was a balance of 80s charm, day glo and marginal safety restrictions that are since long gone. And my dad had a pretty fierce mustache. You also had the original Captain Eo, the perfectly slow People Mover, and The Submarine Voyage still had affixed mermaids.
They also had parades. I don't know about other kids, but I hated parades. The dancing, the loud music, and jerks never picked me to interact with them. Plus, even though you could hear the commotion, it took at least another 15 minutes to see because of the slow. The ONLY one I ever enjoyed was the Main Street Electrical Parade, because it was brilliantly colorful, had a single, catchy tune that didn't hurt my ears* and it only happened at night. Even if you weren't right up front, a great view could still be had because the fluorescent lights glowed perfectly. Here were my two favourite participants to see: Dopey's Jewel Train and the snails, bees and wormies. But just because I hated waiting on hard concrete, in the sun, for hours in order to get a good seat, doesn't mean my mom did. She loved the parades for reasons I still don't know.
One such occasion, we still had waiting time, so I imagine it must have been around 2:30pm, because they all seem to start around 3. My mom, dad and I waited on Disneyland's main street in order to watch that days' offering. We were on the left side, if you were to look towards Cinderella's castle. I was SO bored, staring down at my feet, the people around me (this may be where my people watching fixation started) and anywhere else, when my dad said he'd be back.
I didn't know where he went, but I was hoping it was to get a soda or ice cream. Anything to keep me occupied a bit longer. I finally saw him and his mustache across the street... why was he over there talking to another family? Maybe he knew them from work. It was a guy, lady and some kids. what ever I thought. I saw a few vertical bodies but their faces have since turned into grey privacy circles. Sometime later he came back and whispered something to my mom. I don't remember if it was then or many years later, but I eventually actually found out who he spoke with.
He spotted Tom Hanks and the family. holy what! You mean Mr. Bosom Buddies and Mr. Money Pit and other things at that time! Awesome and a half! From what I remember of the conversation, he non-chalantly asked for his autograph after chatting a bit. Tom politely declined, indicating he was just being a family man that day. My dad totally understood, so I think they chatted a bit more and that was it. Two families, across from one another, without ever meeting.
Tom's son Colin and I are a few years apart. So had the mustaches aligned and our families decided to hang out, who knows what could have been. It's not unheard of at Disneyland for families to meet, talk and decide to pal around for a couple hours. I mean you're mostly standing around anyway, grab lunch after and have a grand time!
We didn't make new friends that day but an 80s sunny filtered montage of laughs, ice cream and ride riding could have totally happened. We could have grown up during our awkward phases, been each others pen pal and dished on all the people we were into. Totally. I'm just saying, Colin and I could have made that initial bond over, you know, wanting ice cream to pass the time.
* I have a self-diagnosed condition where certain frequencies really bother me. Up close parade music because it's high pitched, loud clapping while not at a concert and sudden bursts of anything in a seemingly quite place are just a few.
Showing posts with label Disneyland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disneyland. Show all posts
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Tell You Thursday: Grad Nightmare
You know those songs that pop in your head for an indeterminate length of time, so much so that you to tell everyone around you. But in turn, you're transferring it onto the next person so you can rid yourself of the mind curse. You also know those songs that no matter when you hear it, will always make you stop to stir specific memories.
This is a tale that covers both.
It was the 90s, as many of my tales are. Oh crap - is the 90s my November 5, 1955, where everything revolves around that period of life? nah. But it was the 90s, where days of high school were filled with friends and the weekend brought parties. Lots of parties with booze, drugs and debauchery. We lived in the desert, the Antelope Valley desert. And I understand your formidable years may not have any similarities, but this was all very normal for us. Even though these experiences are not for everyone, these were great moments of getting to know my friends, exploring who I was, and discovering mind altering solutions.
Because I steered clear of anything relating to "the norm" or "trendy/popular," I hardly ever participated in school events. I did, however, go to the battle of the bands contest the one year they had it, because my best friend was performing her screaming mic technique. It was my favoritist. But I didn't go to football games, I never sold World's Finest Chocolate bars in order to get cheaper prom tickets, and I never had school spirit. I just didn't see the point. The ONLY exception I allowed myself was Grad Night. Grad night is for Los Angeles high school seniors to visit Disneyland from 10pm to 2am, after it's been closed to the public. I made this exception because Disneyland.
The rumblings of Grad Night were starting to broil around school, so I went looking into the rules of attendance. I had to know what we could get away with! The first thing I discovered was the prior years' selection of dates was almost 30. Our years' selection dropped to 8. That meant 210 schools, each with several hundred seniors (at least) vying for one of those slots. That's a lot of fucking kids. The second thing I discovered was their strict dress code. In my day, gents had to wear collard shirts, while birds could only wear skirts or dresses. What the?! I hadn't worn skirts since I was a kid and the only dresses I owned were babydoll. I didn't think Disneyland was hip on grunge, so those were out because if they didn't like what you wore, you couldn't get in. Lastly, the tickets were expensive. $75 or $100. I had to really work extra hours and beg my parents for cash so I could go. Me and two other friends made the commitment, but it wasn't easy.
After sorting the tickets, the outfit was next. I wasn't going to buy anything because that would mean more money and more commonplace. I decided to make a skirt with an elastic waist from a pattern in my head. Yup - I would wing it because screw them and their rules. I'll do what I want! But, in actuality it was the most awkward and ill fitting thing I've ever made to date. It was some sort of flower print that required strange sandals... If I would have seen me walking about, I would have totally judged hard.
And finally, for the evening's activity. Smoking pot was too obvious and would definitely get us caught. Acid was an ok option, but with the amount of people going could easily make a bad trip. The three of us finally agreed to take ecstasy. It's supposed to make you love everything & everyone. Just a mellow high that made feeling better, better. I was hesitant at first, not because of what it was, but because it had never worked for me. The few prior times I tried, my friends were having the best time petting each other while I was bummed, alone, in the corner. But ok, I'll try again...
The night was here! It usually took between 30 and 45 minutes to kick in, so our plan was to drop close to the park. That way the downtime could be spent going through the line and once we passed the magic gates, our night would emerge. We finally saw the signs to our future getting closer, so down the hatch they went. It was approximately 9pm when we rolled in but holy hell, ALL the buses were suddenly jam packed near the Disneyland entrance. This was a time where you could still drive up near the front, rather than the current giant structure near by. We were sitting in the back and I remember all the kids going to the right side of the bus, gazing out the dirty windows onto the heard we had just found ourselves stuck in. There kids outside were EVERYWHERE, not moving. Staring. The bus driver refused to let us out until things calmed down... but they never did. And here us fools were stuck, starting to feel the E. I started to internally freak out like I was going to miss all the fun sitting on a vinyl seat instead of a plastic one (you know, cuz the rides are plastic.) But eventually they gave up trying to keep us seated and released the desert flock. It took two fucking hours to go 30 feet. It was awful, awful, awful. Granted, we didn't plan well enough to anticipate the crowd, but I won't take all the blame. Some is on the park employees. It still boggles my mind how ill-organized and chaotic they made the process, for an event which had been going for years. But damn it, we finally were in.
Let's goooooo!!!!!!!! I want to be on ecstasy in Disneyland, where I can touch and feel and experience!!! screech. halt. stop. We were going nowhere fast. I should have guessed based on how many kids were out front, there could only be a million times more inside. But we all grabbed hands (ooh, that felt good) and made our way slowly through. With every step there was someone next to you, behind you or in front of you. Constantly. I no longer was having the mellow buzz I desiered, but a heightened sense of everything. The janky skirt, the kids in line, the food, the far off live music and the music playing over the loud speakers.
We were silent, gripping each other, trying to go somewhere. The E getting stronger as we aimlessly walked around. Our subconscious minds were drawn to the live music by way of the Tomorrowland stage. I think it was because we could just sit and stare at the lights and be with it and with each other. But the band, holy shit, was The Aquabats! They were a kinda popular catchy, ska-type band that made funny songs. What the hell were they doing here!? It was a nice surprise since it never popped up on my reconnaissance. We sat & stared & watched, trying to get back some of the high. It was all but too short lived. As if simultaneously with the last drum beat, the loud speakers barreled into my brain. I pushed it out for some moments because I wanted to people watch the band chat up high school chicks. I was soon pulled out of my fixated trance by the music genius' who turned up the volume to 11. ugh.
Let me tell you. The music director chose a TOTAL OF THREE SONGS to play, on rotation, the entire night. No skips to promote some food, no breaks for friends to talk, nope. And for someone taking something that skews yer brain, not good because you can never get away from it. It pokes, over and over at you like a woodpecker. My Grad Nightmare will never go away. They chose one song that was popular the year before, one that was popular at that moment, and one that was kitschy for our graduation year: 1999. (1) Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) by The Offspring; (2) No Scrubs by TLC; (3) 1999 by Prince.
To this day, each one of these songs brings me back to that night. It brings me back to the last time I tried ecstasy; it brings me back to a most bizarre haze of a night; and it brings back the enclosed feeling and the lack of escape.
Maybe if I roll now, it would have the reversing effect but I don't want to try in the event that I develop song tattoos...
This is a tale that covers both.
It was the 90s, as many of my tales are. Oh crap - is the 90s my November 5, 1955, where everything revolves around that period of life? nah. But it was the 90s, where days of high school were filled with friends and the weekend brought parties. Lots of parties with booze, drugs and debauchery. We lived in the desert, the Antelope Valley desert. And I understand your formidable years may not have any similarities, but this was all very normal for us. Even though these experiences are not for everyone, these were great moments of getting to know my friends, exploring who I was, and discovering mind altering solutions.
Because I steered clear of anything relating to "the norm" or "trendy/popular," I hardly ever participated in school events. I did, however, go to the battle of the bands contest the one year they had it, because my best friend was performing her screaming mic technique. It was my favoritist. But I didn't go to football games, I never sold World's Finest Chocolate bars in order to get cheaper prom tickets, and I never had school spirit. I just didn't see the point. The ONLY exception I allowed myself was Grad Night. Grad night is for Los Angeles high school seniors to visit Disneyland from 10pm to 2am, after it's been closed to the public. I made this exception because Disneyland.
The rumblings of Grad Night were starting to broil around school, so I went looking into the rules of attendance. I had to know what we could get away with! The first thing I discovered was the prior years' selection of dates was almost 30. Our years' selection dropped to 8. That meant 210 schools, each with several hundred seniors (at least) vying for one of those slots. That's a lot of fucking kids. The second thing I discovered was their strict dress code. In my day, gents had to wear collard shirts, while birds could only wear skirts or dresses. What the?! I hadn't worn skirts since I was a kid and the only dresses I owned were babydoll. I didn't think Disneyland was hip on grunge, so those were out because if they didn't like what you wore, you couldn't get in. Lastly, the tickets were expensive. $75 or $100. I had to really work extra hours and beg my parents for cash so I could go. Me and two other friends made the commitment, but it wasn't easy.
After sorting the tickets, the outfit was next. I wasn't going to buy anything because that would mean more money and more commonplace. I decided to make a skirt with an elastic waist from a pattern in my head. Yup - I would wing it because screw them and their rules. I'll do what I want! But, in actuality it was the most awkward and ill fitting thing I've ever made to date. It was some sort of flower print that required strange sandals... If I would have seen me walking about, I would have totally judged hard.
And finally, for the evening's activity. Smoking pot was too obvious and would definitely get us caught. Acid was an ok option, but with the amount of people going could easily make a bad trip. The three of us finally agreed to take ecstasy. It's supposed to make you love everything & everyone. Just a mellow high that made feeling better, better. I was hesitant at first, not because of what it was, but because it had never worked for me. The few prior times I tried, my friends were having the best time petting each other while I was bummed, alone, in the corner. But ok, I'll try again...
The night was here! It usually took between 30 and 45 minutes to kick in, so our plan was to drop close to the park. That way the downtime could be spent going through the line and once we passed the magic gates, our night would emerge. We finally saw the signs to our future getting closer, so down the hatch they went. It was approximately 9pm when we rolled in but holy hell, ALL the buses were suddenly jam packed near the Disneyland entrance. This was a time where you could still drive up near the front, rather than the current giant structure near by. We were sitting in the back and I remember all the kids going to the right side of the bus, gazing out the dirty windows onto the heard we had just found ourselves stuck in. There kids outside were EVERYWHERE, not moving. Staring. The bus driver refused to let us out until things calmed down... but they never did. And here us fools were stuck, starting to feel the E. I started to internally freak out like I was going to miss all the fun sitting on a vinyl seat instead of a plastic one (you know, cuz the rides are plastic.) But eventually they gave up trying to keep us seated and released the desert flock. It took two fucking hours to go 30 feet. It was awful, awful, awful. Granted, we didn't plan well enough to anticipate the crowd, but I won't take all the blame. Some is on the park employees. It still boggles my mind how ill-organized and chaotic they made the process, for an event which had been going for years. But damn it, we finally were in.
Let's goooooo!!!!!!!! I want to be on ecstasy in Disneyland, where I can touch and feel and experience!!! screech. halt. stop. We were going nowhere fast. I should have guessed based on how many kids were out front, there could only be a million times more inside. But we all grabbed hands (ooh, that felt good) and made our way slowly through. With every step there was someone next to you, behind you or in front of you. Constantly. I no longer was having the mellow buzz I desiered, but a heightened sense of everything. The janky skirt, the kids in line, the food, the far off live music and the music playing over the loud speakers.
We were silent, gripping each other, trying to go somewhere. The E getting stronger as we aimlessly walked around. Our subconscious minds were drawn to the live music by way of the Tomorrowland stage. I think it was because we could just sit and stare at the lights and be with it and with each other. But the band, holy shit, was The Aquabats! They were a kinda popular catchy, ska-type band that made funny songs. What the hell were they doing here!? It was a nice surprise since it never popped up on my reconnaissance. We sat & stared & watched, trying to get back some of the high. It was all but too short lived. As if simultaneously with the last drum beat, the loud speakers barreled into my brain. I pushed it out for some moments because I wanted to people watch the band chat up high school chicks. I was soon pulled out of my fixated trance by the music genius' who turned up the volume to 11. ugh.
Let me tell you. The music director chose a TOTAL OF THREE SONGS to play, on rotation, the entire night. No skips to promote some food, no breaks for friends to talk, nope. And for someone taking something that skews yer brain, not good because you can never get away from it. It pokes, over and over at you like a woodpecker. My Grad Nightmare will never go away. They chose one song that was popular the year before, one that was popular at that moment, and one that was kitschy for our graduation year: 1999. (1) Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) by The Offspring; (2) No Scrubs by TLC; (3) 1999 by Prince.
To this day, each one of these songs brings me back to that night. It brings me back to the last time I tried ecstasy; it brings me back to a most bizarre haze of a night; and it brings back the enclosed feeling and the lack of escape.
Maybe if I roll now, it would have the reversing effect but I don't want to try in the event that I develop song tattoos...
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