The Happiest Place on Earth
According to the Bartletts, no family holiday in California was complete without a visit to Disneyland. Consequently, on Saturday morning the Turners found themselves approaching the main entrance to the theme park, hoping somehow they would later be reunited with the Chevrolet they left in the vast car park.
Once they passed through the front gates and under the arches of the Disneyland railroad, they entered the village green. A tall flagpole rose in the middle of the square, the Disneyland City Hall and Fire Department stood to the left with the High Street straight ahead of them.
"This is Town Square and Main Street; they were modeled after Mr Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri," Timothy informed them, reading from the pamphlet they had been handed at the gate. "It was built using forced perspective, the upper storeys are constructed on a smaller scale than the lower ones, so it's actually not as big as it appears!"
Moving down the thoroughfare, they passed shops on either side including an Emporium, the Penny Arcade, a Glass Blowing shop and the Carnation Ice Cream Parlor. Old fashioned motorcars and horse drawn streetcars ferried visitors along the short street, but most of the guests preferred to walk and window shop. In the background nostalgic tunes were piped in, augmenting the small-town atmosphere, several of which Shelagh recognized. She pushed Teddy's stroller as she hummed along, hearing the words in her mind, You hold her hand as she holds yours and that's a very good sign…
Beside her, Patrick must have been doing the same because he took her hand as he whistled, then broke into song with the last line, "That she's your tootsie wootsie in the good old summertime!"
Shelagh giggled and they beamed at each other, much to their teenage son's disapproval. "So you two are intent on being embarrassing even in America?" In response to his groan, Shelagh patted his shoulder in apology.
Looking the length of the street, they could see Sleeping Beauty's castle rising in the distance drawing visitors further into the park.
"Mr Disney's dream for a theme park wasn't met with optimism by most people," Tim continued from the brochure. "In fact, it's opening day in 1955 was a bit of disaster."
"Timothy," Shelagh scolded him, "I wish you would display a more positive attitude."
"It's true, Mum," he countered, "it was so hot the pavement on Main Street melted into a sticky mess and trapped the high heeled shoes of some of the women!"
Patrick chuckled and gave Shelagh a sympathetic look; as usual, their son's information was fact-based.
"And not all of the rides were finished in time either," Tim elaborated. "But things turned around quite quickly; within seven weeks attendance had reached a total of a million visitors!"
"And the rest, you could say, is history," Patrick noted as all five of them took in the impressive surroundings.
Shelagh studied the map Tim was holding, "Mrs Bartlett suggested the best place to start for Angela and Teddy would be…Fantasyland."
Tim traced a route with his finger, "That would be straight ahead then."
Approaching the castle, they crossed the bridge over the moat, complete with a pair of white swans, and passed atop the drawbridge. The castle itself was effectively an entry tunnel into the children's paradise known as Fantasyland. Angela's eyes widened as she took in the flying elephants, life-sized spinning teacups, vendors with enormous bunches of balloons and a noisy and colorful carousel.
Patrick eyed the map over Tim's shoulder, "Oh, look at this; a proper Wind in the Willows attraction!" He was keen to start with Mr Toad's Wild Ride, the novel held such fond memories for him, first as a boy and then again when he shared it with Tim. Angela was more interested in fairy tales but he looked forward to introducing Teddy to Mole, Ratty and the irrepressible Mr Toad. The two youngest Turners, however, had spied King Arthur's Carousel and so the family joined its queue, allowing the little one's squeals of excitement to set the agenda.
Patrick helped Shelagh onto a white carousel horse decorated in pink and purple, nearest the center of the merry-go-round. She sat sidesaddle and held Teddy on her lap. Tim put Angela on the pony next to her, then clambered onto the third and final steed in that row, a black stallion with a regal red and blue caparison. Patrick stood between his girls to be certain no one fell off once the ride started moving. Angela's horse was light pink, trimmed with pale green and white, and she patted it's head and talked to it as the carousel began to spin. Teddy kicked his little legs, delighting in the movement of his horse, the flashing lights and the joyful sounds of the calliope.
"How about Mr Toad next?" Patrick suggested. They queued up in front of the ride which was housed behind the facade of a canvas, medieval festival tent. The guests in front of them loaded into small old fashioned motorcars of various colors named for the familiar story characters. Patrick and Timothy attempted to explain the story to Angela while they waited but she was more interested in the biscuits her mother was offering from her handbag. When their turn arrived Patrick and Teddy entered the first car, a blue one called Moley, and Shelagh, Angela and Tim took a light green one with the name Cyril. The two cars followed each other into Toad Hall, past an impressive stained glass window. Traveling through the hall their car turned a corner into the manor's kitchen where they nearly collided with a butler and were launched out into the countryside; it was at this point that Angela started whimpering. From there they veered left and right as they careened through a series of obstacles and terrors including towering, tottering barrels and the bright light of an oncoming train.
"No!" Angela cried, "Go back to Disneyland!"
With one last sharp turn they raced through a demon's mouth where a sign in flames welcomed them; adding to the wicked mood, the entire room was heated. Angela sobbed and buried her head in Shelagh's chest. A welcome gust of cooler air brought them to the unloading station to disembark. Back on solid ground, Angela was still in tears and clinging to Shelagh. The three oldest Turners looked sadly at each other, feeling terrible. Watching the little girl they no longer felt this was the happiest place on earth.
"How did Teddy do?" Shelagh fretted.
"He was fine," Patrick reassured her, "in his own little world as usual."
"I think Angela might do better with one of the attractions that are out in the open," Shelagh recommended quietly. "If she can see the course of the ride from the queue then she will know what to expect."
Turning around, Patrick noticed Dumbo. Lifting Angela in his arms he dried her tears and pointed to the circle of rotating elephants, rising up and down as they went. She sniffed and shook her head.
"You don't want to ride in one of those silly elephants with Daddy?" he said, gently tickling her ribs. She giggled, still indicating no but a little less convincingly.
'I'll tell you what. Let's join the queue and if you change your mind, we don't have to ride."
This time she nodded and the family trooped over to wait for a chance on the flying pachyderms. While they waited Angela watched the Circus Train pass by, filled with laughing children, and noticed an enormous whale with a blinking eye.
"What's that, Timmy?" she asked.
Tim consulted the map. "That's the Storybook Land Canal Boats attraction. It says here they sail past miniature recreations of storybook character homes."
Angela wrinkled her nose.
"You'll love it Ange. It says you can see where the Three Little Pigs live and Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland!"
Her eyes grew wide at this new information. "We'll just have to talk you through the part where we sail through the whale's mouth," Tim muttered under his breath.
Shelagh elbowed him and whispered, "Let's have a successful Dumbo experience before you bring that to her attention." Tim sensibly agreed.
Patrick and Timothy juggled the ticket booklets for the family, pulling out the proper coupons at each ride and presenting the correct number to gain entrance. Timothy worried they would run out of E tickets too soon until Patrick reminded him they could purchase additional ones at any of the ticket stalls scattered throughout the park.
As they reached the front of the Dumbo queue each group of riders was handed a wooden magic feather, indicating there was an available elephant for them to board. Patrick swooped Angela off to their seat, talking to her and making her laugh the entire way, effectively distracting her from any fear.
Shelagh and the boys took the elephant behind them. Climbing in first, she exclaimed, "Oh, Timothy! There aren't any closing doors!" She squeezed as far to the other side of the elephant as she could, hugging Teddy tightly to her.
"We'll be fine, Mum," Tim soothed. "The ride is designed to keep us in. It's physics, centripetal force and all that." He reached forward to test the toggle switch that would move their elephant up and down as an attendant came round and collected their feather.
Shelagh pressed her lips together and huffed a nervous laugh, "All the same, don't take us up too high, dear."
Timothy rolled his eyes, "If you're uncomfortable, I'll take us down," he promised. The ride began to rotate which activated the toggle switches. Tim moved it and they started to ascend. He stopped them about half way up, "How's that?" he asked.
Shelagh nodded tentatively. Teddy tried to push up to a standing position but she held him snugly and he began to protest. She could see Patrick and Angela in front of them, up as high as they could go. She felt a queasiness in her stomach even though she could see that Angela was safely on the inside edge of the car.
"Mum, let me move the elephant; it will keep him happy," Tim suggested and Shelagh reluctantly agreed. He moved them down a bit, then back up. Teddy shrieked with glee and Shelagh shared a nervous smile with her elder son. Timothy took them higher at the same time Patrick and Angela were heading down. Shelagh could see into their elephant and to her relief Angela looked to be having a wonderful time. Patrick had given her control of the toggle and they were skimming along about midway in flight. A few more ups and downs for both of them and the toggle disengaged; all the elephants slowly descended and the ride spun to a stop.
Shelagh watched Patrick unfold himself from the car and then Angela clamber out with a big smile on her face. Tim exited their elephant and reached for Teddy, while Patrick leaned down to help Shelagh out.
"Did you see me, Mummy! We went up…" Angela gestured with her hand, "and then down and up again!"
Shelagh beamed, "I did see you! What a brave girl you are!"
"So are you ready to try the boats, Ange?" Tim wondered as he handed his brother over to his dad, "Let's see where your storybook characters live!"
Angela shouted triumphantly, "Yes!"
Patrick and Shelagh shared a contented smile, their happy family was indeed a blessing. As they stood in the next queue, Shelagh rummaged for the crackers and sliced apples she had packed in her handbag. Empty tummies didn't bode well for the younger or older members of her brood.
Patrick and Timothy prepared Angela for the upcoming ride, "We will sail through the mouth of the whale just like that boat," Patrick began, "and just like Pinocchio!"
"But we'll return to where we are standing just like those other boats over there." Tim finished. Angela nodded resolutely, but her lower lip trembled.
Whilst Tim and Patrick convinced Angela she could pass through the whale unharmed, Shelagh found herself in a conversation with the woman behind them in the queue.
"You have a beautiful accent, are you from England?"
"I was born in Scotland myself; but, yes, we're from London's East End."
"Ooooh, London!" the woman marveled. "What brings you here?"
"My husband and I are in the medical profession; we came to visit a hospital in Bonita Beach in order to observe some of their innovative procedures. We hope to put something similar into practise once we return home."
The woman shared that her mother had trained as a nurse, but had given it up once she married. "I didn't inherit the nursing gene though, I see blood and run in the opposite direction!" The subject turned to their respective children and Shelagh mentioned Angela's traumatic experience on Mr Toad.
"Well then I don't recommend Snow White and Her Adventures," the woman cautioned, "and even Alice in Wonderland has brought my littlest one to tears."
"Even Alice?" Shelagh was disappointed.
"Yes, but there are two rides based on Alice, so you can make up for it at the Mad Tea Party."
"Quite," Shelagh agreed. "What about Peter Pan's Flight? I would so like to take her on that."
"It does look like Mr Toad from the entrance," the woman warned her, "and it's all inside; but the ride itself has nothing frightening."
"Wonderful!" Shelagh was thrilled, "J. M. Barrie was a Scot himself and the book is considered a British classic. Not to mention the blessing it has been to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital."
The woman nodded blankly, then smiled. "She'll be fine; now here's your boat, it was nice meeting you!"
They boarded a pale blue boat called Merryweather and Patrick distracted Angela by pointing out various other sights as they approached the whale's mouth. Once inside, there was nothing to see but the red, ridged roof of its palate but Patrick drew Angela's attention to the glowing light around the bend promising the end of the whale-tunnel. Soon she could see through to the outside world again and her little body relaxed. Their guide began to narrate their tour through the tiny landscapes and dwellings of fairyland such as The Three Little Pigs homes of straw, sticks and bricks, as well as the Big Bad Wolf's cave. Shelagh delighted in the little English village with a church and the entrance to the rabbit hole from Alice and Wonderland. The house of the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella's castle enchanted Angela. Patrick and Tim were chuffed to see that the tour included a tiny, intricate replica of Toad Hall. The ride concluded with the Alpine village from Pinocchio, complete with Geppetto's workshop, and the family disembarked with a happy Angela in tow.
In thirty minutes time they were stood near the front of the queue for Peter Pan. The entrance did indeed look like the medieval tent at the front of Mr Toad's Wild Ride and that was proving to be a stumbling block for Angela. Armed with the information of what they would meet inside, the elder Turners felt confident in their decision to keep encouraging her. She knew the story of Peter Pan and talking about the story with her made for a good start. Then they were able to see the ride vehicles, small galleon ships, with a variety of patterned sails, hanging from an invisible track on the ceiling. This time Patrick and Shelagh rode with Angela and Tim took Teddy after being given strict instructions to keep a tight hold on him.
Their galleon flew through the Darling's nursery, then out of the window and over London. Stars twinkled in the night sky as they passed such iconic landmarks as Big Ben and the Tower Bridge; it was truly beautiful. Angela fear vanished and she sat forward in her seat, mesmerized. Shelagh was surprised to find herself a wee bit homesick at the sight, just as Patrick reached over to put his arm around her and draw her closer as the space left by Angela provided.
"Quite a strange place to find a little bit of home, isn't it, my love?" he whispered into her ear. She leaned her head on his shoulder as their little boat took them toward the first star on the right and straight on to Neverland. The last scene was Skull Rock with Captain Hook and crew and before they knew it they were outside and the ride was over.
Tim and Teddy were waiting for them, "That was a really short ride after such a long queue!" Tim exclaimed. "And this one wants a nappy change," he added, handing the baby to his mother. "How did you like it, Angela?"
"I never saw Peter Pan!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, I heard someone else ask about him. The lad working the ride said we're supposed to be Peter Pan; we're viewing the ride from his perspective."
"Hmmm," three mystified Turners replied.
"If you could figure out where we should eat lunch, I'll get Teddy a clean napkin and then join you," Shelagh instructed.
A short while later, the family re-lived their exciting morning as they lunched at an ornate, white metal table and chairs, covered by a red and white umbrella.
"Mr Disney has certainly put a lot of thought into his theme park; he has incredible attention to detail," Shelagh remarked. "And I must say I am duly impressed by his inclusion of such fine examples of English literature!"
"Indeed," Patrick nodded.
Timothy interjected, "I'm keen to experience some American attractions as well! If we ever make it over to Frontierland they've got Davy Crockett canoes and Tom Sawyer's Island."
"That does sound like a proper American adventure!" Shelagh chuckled. Seeing Tim's eyes roll, she added, "Let's give a nod to Lewis Carroll and visit the Mad Tea Party before we're finished with Fantasyland, shall we?"
Tim laughed and began to clear the table of their lunch debris. It was decided that Patrick and Teddy would sit this one out and they headed to the viewing area while the three remaining Turners queued up to take a spin in a life-sized teacup. Each cup was brightly painted, some with designs while others were solid. A catchy tune, that might have been from the animated motion picture, was piped in; it sounded like the notes were being puffed from various sized teapots. When they reached the front of the queue they hurried toward the teacup Angela had suggested, pink and gold with large hearts around the sides. Shelagh was thankful that each cup had a little door that closed snugly. Angela sat back while Shelagh and Timothy placed their hands on the dinner-plate sized disc in the center of the cup; they would turn this to rotate the cup once the ride started. A quick discussion determined that they would both be turning in the same direction.
Patrick and Teddy watched as the cups started to spin. Timothy and Shelagh set a good pace and their cup was one of the fastest spinners. Shelagh's hair flew around her face and she and Tim laughed as Angela slid into her mother with the force of the spin. Teddy clapped and cheered as the colorful cups whirled in front of him and Patrick smiled remembering the time he had spun Shelagh in his office chair at the surgery; she certainly brought a special joy to each of their lives.
Angela was a little wobbly as they unloaded from their teacup. Looking around, Shelagh spied Patrick and, taking her daughter's hand, led the way over to him. As they approached, Patrick noticed Angela was holding her stomach, he crouched down to examine her more closely just as she vomited on the pavement, narrowly missing his shoes.
"Oh, Angela, you poor dear!" Shelagh exclaimed, rummaging for her handkerchief. "Let Mummy wipe your face." A park employee suddenly materialized, sprinkled sawdust on the offending mess and quickly swept it into his dustpan. "I do apologise," Shelagh did not like to be an inconvenience, "thank you so much for your efficiency."
"My pleasure, ma'am," and he was gone, leaving the Turners slightly astonished by his appearance and actions.
Patrick placed his hand gently on Angela's head. "I suppose the Mad Tea Party directly after lunch wasn't the most sensible of plans," he commented, then winced at the withering look he received from Shelagh. Trying to salvage the situation he offered to find them a quiet place to rest. Tim retrieved Teddy's pushchair and Patrick settled them on a cement seat in the shade, bordering a flowerbed. Angela lay with her head in Shelagh's lap and Tim set Teddy up with a bottle in the stroller.
"We'll be fine here for the moment," Shelagh thanked them and graced Patrick with a smile to let him know he was forgiven. "Why don't you boys have a look around the rest of the park?"
Anxious to expand his horizons beyond Fantasyland, Tim beckoned to his father and headed in the direction of the towering white mountain beyond the kiddie rides. Patrick squeezed Shelagh's hand before eagerly following him. Chuckling to herself, Shelagh reflected that sometimes it was like she had two teenagers, but she wouldn't have it any other way.
Angela quickly fell asleep and Shelagh watched as her breathing slowed and she rested peacefully. While they waited, Teddy's eyes grew heavy and she released the catch at the back of the pushchair seat, easing him into a prone position. He stretched, yawned dramatically, then gave himself up to sleep. Enjoying a moment to relax herself, Shelagh took in her surroundings, watching other families enjoy their day. After a pleasant half hour passed, she reached down to smooth the hair back from her little girl's forehead, praying Angela would be refreshed and ready to continue upon waking; they had planned to stay in the park until evening.
Glancing up, she caught sight of Patrick and Tim, faces flushed with excitement and hair ruffled. Laughing quietly as they came closer, she inquired, "What have you two been up to?"
"The Matterhorn bobsleds!" Tim exclaimed, "Mum, they're brilliant!"
Patrick agreed, "They were quite invigorating! And what an opportunity; I'm not likely to get anywhere near the Alps," he joked.
Shelagh giggled, "Nevertheless, they sound a wee bit too exciting for me."
"Tim is interested in walking over to Tomorrowland. If Angela is ready to wake up, I can carry her," Patrick proposed, "it looks like Teddy will sleep a while longer in his chair."
Shelagh approved, and Patrick leaned down to gently brush the back of his index finger against Angela's lips. She wrinkled her nose and pursed her mouth before slowly opening her eyes and looking up into her father's.
He smiled at her, "Are you feeling better?" She sat up and looked around for a moment, her small grin indicating that she was. "How about your tummy?" She nodded. Feeling her forehead and finding it cool, he reached out for her, "Up you go." She wrapped one of her arms around his neck and held on tightly as they left Fantasyland.
Passing the Matterhorn on their way toward their next adventure Tim pointed out the two climbers dressed in lederhosen near the top, "They make several climbs throughout the day."
Turning left, Tim enthusiasm continued, "Tomorrowland shows what the future of 1986 might look like!" Stopping at the entry they took in the Clock of the World, showing the current time anywhere on earth. "There's London," Tim pointed out, "eight hours ahead of us."
"I've only just surrendered to Pacific Standard Time," Patrick admitted. "I stopped counting the time difference yesterday." The family laughed together as they moved past the Clock and neared the 23 meter (76 foot) rocket poised outside the Rocket to the Moon attraction. Knowing she couldn't keep her boys from something as exciting as space travel, Shelagh agreed to watch the little ones while Patrick and Tim enjoyed the ride consisting of a film depicting a flight to the moon.
Teddy woke up just as the boys returned from space. Happy to see his brother, he squealed to be let out of the pushchair. Tim swung him up on his shoulders and the family walked through the House of the Future, marveling at wonders such as television remote-control devices and something called a microwave oven.
Angela agreed to let Tim take her on Autopia, meant to represent the future of driving. Tim drove them along multi-lane highways which predicted the future of mass transit. Concluding their time in Tomorrowland, the three eldest Turners thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on tour in the Hall of Chemistry.
Knowing Tim was anticipating a stop in Frontierland, Patrick folded the pushchair and the family boarded a Skyway bucket taking them on an aerial journey back across the park. They passed through the top of the Matterhorn where Tim pointed out the bobsleds zooming along the tracks below.
"Tomorrowland was fantastic!" Tim said excitedly, "do you think all of that will be commonplace one day?"
Patrick laughed, "Probably not in my lifetime, but quite possibly in yours."
"The cars though," Tim complained, "it was really hard to steer and took a lot of effort to press the accelerator. Driving a real car has got to be easier!"
"In some ways, son, but it demands concentration and executing multiple tasks simultaneously." Patrick cautioned him.
Tim rolled his eyes, "Can I start to learn as soon as we get back home?"
His dad promised they would explore the possibility.
Exiting the Sky Way, they turned right and arrived in the land of the American Wild West. Their first stop was the Shootin' Gallery, where Tim and Patrick competed against each other firing rifles at various scenes of the western town of Boothill.
When they finished, Tim asked eagerly, "Dad, are you still willing to paddle a Davy Crockett canoe with me?"
"Absolutely," his father replied.
Shelagh noticed that Patrick was looking fatigued, but knew he was reluctant to disappoint Tim. She and the little ones watched as the boys' canoe floated down the Rivers of America, powered by a group of twenty paddlers, varying in their levels of enthusiasm. The immense Mark Twain paddle boat sailed these same waters, but ran on an underwater track, a safe distance from the canoes. Later Patrick admitted some regret in his decision to join Tim, muttering that his arms were going to be sore for several days.
Late in the afternoon, they boarded a raft for Tom Sawyer's Island, for what would likely be their last attraction of the day. Timothy had read the works of Samuel Clemens and was anxious to experience the wild and free world of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Crossing the same river they had canoed, and arriving on a rough island complete with rope bridges, caves, barrel bridges and a tree house, it was a dream come true for a city boy like Tim. Angela had become restless during the boys' boating trip and was ready to stretch her legs. Tim took her up and down and around the island, over the bridges and into the treehouse, wisely steering clear of the caves which seemed too dark and spooky for her. Understanding that Patrick was more than ready for a rest, Shelagh settled him on a bench while she watched Teddy toddle around nearby. Later Tim took pity on his brother and gave him a quick trip across the rope bridge and into the tree house before they returned to the mainland.
Twilight was falling when they stepped off the raft and the illuminated fairy lights made everything seem even more magical than before, but it was time to leave. Teddy and Angela were fading fast, as were their parents. It had been an incredible day filled with non-stop amusements; Shelagh had to admit she felt indulgent. What kind of person had an entire day to devote to leisure? Certainly, none of their colleagues nor patients. There was work to be done in Poplar of one kind or another and today stood in stark contrast to life back home.
Still, it had been a special time with their family, one they wouldn't soon forget. Taking Patrick's hand, she met his weary smile with her own, then thanked Tim for his help throughout their visit.
"I didn't mind," he assured her, "there was something entertaining for everyone here."
"Who knows how many more family holidays we'll have with all five of us." Patrick pointed out.
"He's right, Timothy," Shelagh said quietly, "When you go off to university, it will change things."
Tim put his arm around her shoulders, "I'll always find my way back, Mum."
"Now if we could only find the car," Patrick lamented, his voice tinged with tiredness.
"Don't worry, Dad; I studied the parking system and recorded it here," Tim laughed, pulling from his pocket the card they had been handed upon entering the car park. "We're in Pinocchio, 5-B!"
He rolled his eyes as his parents shared a proud, yet puzzled, glance; How will they ever get along without me?