ne of my very favorite things to do at Disneyland does not involve waiting in line or spending money or making a choice. Each and every visit I love to mosey over the back side of Thunder Mountain Railroad on the trail to Fantasyland, and stop on the bridge to look out over the water and watch the fish jump. I adore this detail of Imagineering and relish the quiet moment every time.

I remember the first time I noticed the fish were there. 

was in Disneyland on a weekend reunion of 3 families and their adult kids that had all been friends and school-mates while growing up.  Even though I was halfway through graduate school, I was one of the six “kids” present on that trip and it was a blast. 

ur large entourage was headed through Frontierland over to the Thunder Mountain BBQ for dinner when a couple of us stopped and said, “Hey, look at that! I saw a fish jump!” We weren’t sure if we really saw it, or if we just imagined it. 

We stopped and watched and waited … very still. 

Plop!  I’ll be damned, that was a fish! 

e stopped and pointed and made a scene.  Before you knew it, we had helped draw a huge crowd of about 75 people all watching the fish jump. It was a crack up, and fun to try and guess when they were going to appear next and to see if you could actually see the fish or if you were just going to see the ripples in the water left behind.

t seems so silly and may be just one of those “had to be there” type of experiences.  I have read of occasions where Walt Disney was accused of being corny. His response what that millions of people eat corn, so there must be a reason they like it!  I guess I’m one of those millions, which is why the little details like the fish are so appealing to me. 

ne can’t deny that Disneyland has a special charm in the details of sight and sound that are painstakingly applied to each attraction and each land. Many times I have been through the Park and never knew about the Hidden Mickey’s or the fish or the sounds coming from the upstairs doors and windows in New Orleans Square. Now that I know they are there, Disneyland has become even more interesting and more fun.  Each of these details draws us more into the experience and farther away from the regular old world. 

What fun!

I would love to hear your family's Disney traditions, please drop me a line at either:

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— Allison