Chapter Nine
Not only doesTyler have me take a picture with Ariel, but he also buys the PhotoPass upgrade so we can take pictures around the park all day with the professional photographers and have them added to our online account. After taking the pictures, we follow the crowds to wait for the rope drop.
The pictures on the website didn’t prepare me for the enchantment of Main Street. I can’t stop staring in the windows of the stores, already preparing for candy and ice cream later. Once we’re through Main Street, we walk a little more until we’re waiting with the crowd by the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse holding hands. Each of the different “lands” split off in different directions, like the spokes of a wheel.
“The plan is to ride Peter Pan first, right?” Tyler asks.
I nod. “Is that still a good idea?”
“Definitely. Especially since the families heading there will have to park their strollers first. And later in the day, it’s always the longest line of the kids’ rides. We got this.”
I nod again, feeling the stirring of excitement and nerves fluttering my stomach. Why am I nervous? I’m a grown woman at the happiest place on earth. But it’s good nerves. I haven’t felt this alive in a while.
Out of nowhere, I feel Tyler grasp my hand firmly in his. I look up at him, and he grins and squeezes my hand even tighter. “Excited?” he asks.
I nod and bounce on my toes.
He opens his mouth to say something, but the crowd presses forward. The rope has dropped, and it’s time to rush off to our first ride.
“Hang on!” Tyler says, stepping in front of me and leading the way while still holding my hand. I laugh out loud and run with him, trying to take in Sleeping Beauty’s castle as we rush up the bridge and through the castle itself.
The Peter Pan ride is just off to the right, and Tyler was right—we made it before most of the parents who have to park their strollers. There are about twenty people ahead of us, meaning we’ll hopefully have our turn in just a few minutes. Now that we’re in line, I can relax and enjoy my surroundings. Each of the rides looks like a little cottage. Across the way is Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, which Tyler said used to be way scarier, but they changed it for the kids. There’s also Pinocchio’s Daring Journey next to Snow White. In the center of Fantasyland is King Arthur’s Carousel, playing music from different classic Disney movies, and in front of it is a sword sticking out of a stone. The whole atmosphere is, in a word, enchanting.
I glance over at Tyler, who’s observing me with a small smile.
“What?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “I love watching you. You seem so happy.”
My cheeks flush, and I look down at my incredible shoes to avoid his gaze. “I am happy.”
“Perfect.” He pulls me into a side hug, quickly squeezing me before we have to take a few steps forward in the line.
A few minutes later, we climb into our pirate ship and pull the safety bar down across our laps. Tyler casually rests his arm over my shoulders, and I lean into him for my first Disneyland ride ever.
It’s just as magical as I had hoped for.
Instead of moving on a track below, the ship is held up top, so it feels like we’re flying. We start in Wendy, John, and Michael’s room, then over the city lights of London, then to Neverland. The music swells around us, filling my soul. I laugh when Captain Hook is stuck between the crocodile’s mouth, and the ride ends with the mermaids.
I sigh as we emerge back at the entrance of the ride. The safety bar pops up, and I step out of the ride, then wait for Tyler to follow.
“How was it?” he asks.
“Incredible.” We walk out the exit and I look all around, taking in the sights. I can’t believe I’m here.
And not just that I’m here, but that I’m here…with Tyler.
I never would have expected this to be the perfect day, but it is.
“I once sawZac Efron over there,” Tyler comments.
I look over at where he’s pointing, close to where we’re standing in line for Space Mountain. After Peter Pan, we spent about an hour riding the kids’ rides in Fantasyland, and then headed to Tomorrowland for our first roller coaster.
“Really?” I ask.
He nods. “It was back in the High School Musical days. He was with Vanessa Hudgens.”
“And they were waiting in line?”
“No, no. They let celebrities cut in front of everyone. It was pretty cool to see him, though.”
“Have you seen any other celebrities?”
He tilts his head from side to side. “A few. Kobe Bryant was here a while back. There was a huge commotion in front of Alice in Wonderland. But I haven’t had an annual pass since I was a kid, so I’m not here often enough to see celebrities like I used to.”
Even though I’ve grown up around a few celebrities, since that was the circle my family ran in, it seems more exciting to see them at Disneyland.
When it’s our turn, we’re assigned the front seats of the ride.
“Yes!” Tyler exclaims. “This is the best spot for this ride.”
“Oh, really?” I ask.
“Yep. When you’re in the front, it’s harder to see where you’re going, so it’s more fun. The further back you are, you can see where the people in the front are heading, so it’s not a surprise.”
“Oooh.” In all honesty, I haven’t been on a ton of roller coasters. That’s part of what appealed to me about Disneyland—that most rides are slower paced, acceptable for a Westfield woman to keep her hair in check.
But I want to live.
So Space Mountain it is.
We get into our little rocket and start moving. Tyler waves at the attendant behind the glass window who’s running the ride.
“Tradition,” he says to me. “Sometimes they wave back, but it’s rare.”
The attendant didn’t appear to notice him.
“Bummer,” Tyler says, but he’s smiling and doesn’t seem to mind too much.
Still, I decide to help him out and wave my arm at the attendant like he’s a long-lost friend. The attendant finally looks at us, shakes his head with a smile, and waves back.
Tyler laughs out loud. “Of course he’d wave at you. Who wouldn’t wave back at a gorgeous woman with a smile like yours?”
Although he’s said things like that to me before, I still feel a flush from the tips of my toes all the way up to my cheeks. Before I can reply, the train turns, and we head up a little hill as if we’re rockets exiting a space station.
We emerge into a gigantic room, completely dark except for the “stars.” I can kind of make out some tracks, since we’re still moving fairly slowly, and then…we’re off.
I squeal out loud without realizing it, then clap a hand over my mouth. Next to me, Tyler whoops loudly and raises both arms over his head. The ride pulls us up and down, around and around in circles, and I find myself laughing every time we move in a direction I’m not expecting.
I feel a high like I’ve never felt before. Laughing with no one judging me, squealing out of delight. I’m not brave enough to let go of the lap bar, but I feel a lightness and freedom that I haven’t experienced…
Since I was with Tyler five years ago.
“This is the last turn,” Tyler shouts. “And then there’s a camera at the end.”
“Okay!” I yell back, turning to face him.
His smile, combined with the adrenaline from the ride, fills me with bubbles. I could float. I feel alive and happy and free. Better than I’ve felt in years.
And when we finish the final turn, I prep myself for the camera. Just like I’ve always been taught. Smile, tilt my head slightly to the left, and sit up straight.
But then Tyler’s words from this morning sound in my mind. Don’t worry about how it looks or what other people think. What do you want to do?
And at that moment, I know exactly what I want to do.
I turn in my seat to Tyler, grab his face, close my eyes, and barely register a flash as I kiss him on the lips.