Last week I went to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure park for the first time. Throughout the past couple of years, I have been to Walt Disney World in Florida countless times; I even worked there for about a year, so I am familiar with those parks. One of the things I was looking forward to most was comparing the difference between the two parks and seeing how similar the rides are in both parks.

Since the park’s reopening, it operates on a reservation system. When you purchase your tickets for the park, you have to reserve the days you plan to visit. If you buy Park Hopper passes, you must specify which park you plan to visit first that day. We made our reservations for three-day Park Hoppers and alternated which park we started in each day.

A couple days before we went, the parks lifted the mask mandate, so it was nice to not have to worry about wearing a mask the whole day in the heat. Throughout my visit, I saw plenty of people wearing masks and plenty who were not, all depending on preferences. I personally didn’t wear one and felt safe the whole time.

There were a couple rides that were similar to the ones I am used to at Disney World but with some minor adjustments. Some I liked better in Disney World, and others I liked better in Disneyland.

Overall I enjoyed my time at Disneyland and had a bunch of fun with friends I hadn’t seen in more than two years. The weather was nice; it was hot, but unlike Pennsylvania there was no humidity, so it was more tolerable. One of my favorite rides in the two parks was Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! This ride recently took over the original Tower of Terror.

Even with all the craziness going on in the world right now, I am glad I got to make the trip to California, Disneyland and to see some of my long-distance friends. I can’t wait to go back.

— Mary Melnick, social media and editorial coordinator