Disneyland at Midnight

(Just realized I had this sitting in my draft box so I thought I'd post it......even a month late.)

Forgive me, I'm a little discombobulated today. Afterall I was at Disneyland until 4 a.m., had only 3 hours of sleep, and am making every effort to be completely functional. Apparently that requires occasionally humming Ode to Joy, quoting random kid's shows, and drinking a tower of Diet Cokes (I am currently trying to recreate the Disneyland castle using only cans of diet coke I've consumed today).

So back on topic. Disneyland.......at midnight. On very special occasions Disneyland will open it's doors for a full 24 hour time period, and February 29th (leap year day) was one of those (Actually, I don't know for sure that Disneyland has ever done this before, which would make it a very special occasion, yes?). Living in LA, I've discovered many of my friends have invested in Disney annual passes so the can drop in on the mouse anytime they randomly feel like risking the 5 Freeway otherwise known as the 5 Parking Lot to get there. Sadly, I do not have an annual pass, but bit the bullet and went anyway. Afterall, when else am I going to have the opportunity to be at Disneyland at 100% capacity on a Wednesday at midnight while hanging out with a friend and her legal professionals friends one of whom randomly went to high school with a friend of mine who was supposed to show up later (sadly due to the 2 hour traffic jam to get in the parking garage he arrived at the same time I was leaving), and snarfing down chicken nuggets while sitting on the streets in Frontier Land because there was no room to sit inside for the Hill Billy Show.

If I had not gone, I may never have discovered that:

• Riding the Big Thunder rollercoaster and watching Fantasmic just as you are hitting that level of exhaustion where the room is on the verge of spinning is really, really awesome.
• You should never trust kind strangers who offer to guard the men's restroom door when you are sure you will soil yourself if you have to wait in line for the ladies room.
• Goths like Disneyland too.
• Mixing black licorice and pina colada jelly beans is simply a bad idea.
• Disneyland staff do not appreciate people setting up social experiments on the sidewalk of Disneyland.
• Giving some people a name tag and a glow stick is like handing him them a superiority complex.
• Those furry animal hat/mitten combinations look silly on any grownup, especially when coupled with matching furry boots and a mini skirt/bloomer/shorts (I'm not actually sure what they were).
• Sometimes Mainstreet USA smells like urine.
• At 2 a.m., most people don't look so good.
• There is a direct correlation between your exhaustion level and how good fast food tastes.