By Staff
Television wasn't very old.
Our set had a big cabinet with a small screen in the center which we gathered around.
Yes, there was only one set in the house when I was a small child. Many homes had none.
Though I don't remember, I am sure the way we knew about the opening of a magical kingdom was through that screen.
What I do remember is my father had a convention in a faraway place called California and we were going to go there.
And there was this magical new kingdom called Disneyland.
Last week I wrote about the book which described the great fair in Chicago in 1893.
What I didn't mention was working at that fair was a young man whose son would remember the wonderful things his father told him.
That man's last name was Disney and his son's name was Walt.
It was 50 years ago that Disneyland opened in California.
I wasn't there for the grand opening, but it wasn't very long after that when my family took its magical vacation there, while my father had to attend conferences.
I am sure I had those famous mouse ears, but I can't tell you what happened to them.
Years ago they were made with blue or pink ribbons on the top.
The quality was quite good, unlike the mouse ears of my own children years later, which had plastic ears stapled on, which always came off.
Though the ears didn't last, the memories did.
The castle of Cinderella was magnificent and I am sure millions and millions of children have had their photograph taken in front of the arch.
We rode in the "It's a Small World After All" boats again and again, listening to the same music and looking at the dolls with their ethnic clothes and bobbing heads.
We waited for hours in line for the Pirates of the Caribbean.
I was a scaredy cat so I didn't want to go on any rides which were too high or too fast. I got sick after riding on the teacups.
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride I enjoyed then and again with my own children years later, when my daughter was about the same age I had been when I first went to Disneyland.
Our children learned to love Disneyworld before ever going to Disneyland. Florida was closer and we could drive and live in our converted Toyota pick-up which had a camper added to the back.
We went time and again and were always delighted.
Here was a place we could really leave all our troubles behind.
The parks continually added new things to see and even having a few days there was never enough.
My daughter the other day was a little embarrassed to tell someone she was going to Disneyworld for her honeymoon this September.
She shouldn't have been.
Look at all the stars of the sports world and major celebrities who say they are going there. I would go back in a New York minute.
She can be e-mailed at marcia.steffens@leaderpub.com.