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.
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