The Keep


Main Street, Disneyland, Anaheim, California


"To all who come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts which have created America... with the hope that it will be a source to you and inspiration to all the world."

-- Walt Disney, July 17, 1955



Everything I Needed To Know About Life
I Learned At Disneyland



  • Adults have the best of both worlds: the ability to a kid when they want and an adult when they need to.


  • A rainy day can be the best time you've ever had.


  • Wear comfortable shoes.

 Mickey Mouse, in rain coat, waving from a fire engine on Main Street
  • Sometimes your dreams land you in an unlikely place, like an orange grove.
    Keep following them.

  • It really is a small world, after all.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Frontierland
  • Dress for the occasion. You can't enjoy the wind whipping through your hair on a roller coaster if you're worried about whether your hairspray is holding.


  • Arrive early.


  • Some people are determined to have a bad time no matter where they are.


  • Don't be afraid to get wet.


  • You can tell a lot about someone by how they act and what they say while they're standing and waiting for something.


  • Carry water with you and drink it often.
Guest pausing a bridge to drink water
  • Wait your turn.


  • If a ride breaks down while you're on it, it can be an annoyance, or an opportunity to get a rare glimpse behind the scenes and a free pass to ride something one time without waiting in line. Attitude is everything.

Sleeping Beauty Castle


  • Castles are beautiful.


  • Cotton candy and churros are good once in a while, but not every day.



  • Figure out how to how fun by yourself. There are advantages to not having to call a meeting to decide what you're going to do next.


  • The good guys outnumber the bad guys.


  • Sunscreen wears off, people get hot and cranky, and sometimes there's a line even for using the restrooms. It's still better to be at Disneyland than at work.

  • You can't do everything in one day.

 Guest asleep on a bench on Main Street

  • A little research and planning can go a long way toward making things more enjoyable.


  • Stop here and there, look up, look down. There is magic all around you but you'll miss it if you concentrate only on what's coming next.

Snow White's Prince, Snow White, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and Prince Philip

  • Happy endings might come at a cost but they're always worth it.


  • Sit back and let others entertain you without worrying about anything else once in a while.

  • The bad guys can be entertaining, but that's about as close as you want to get to them.


  • Be prepared for surprises.


  • Never pass up the opportunity to study a map of where you're going.


  • Interactive water fountains are the great equalizer.

 Guests looking at a map

  • The right song can change everything.


  • Respect your surroundings; you are not the only person intended to enjoy them.

Walt Disney in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle



  • Know when it's time to say good-bye.


  • One person's dream can reach millions.



Do you have a life's lesson you learned at Disneyland? Email me!


�1998, Kelley Collins

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