An Introduction... or Explanation

To all who come to this happy place... welcome.

...Or, so said Walt Disney on opening day, July 17th, 1955. The same holds true for this blog! Everyone is welcome here. Hello to you, my name is Alicia, or Practical Mouse, if you prefer. ^_^

It was brought to my attention recently that, owing to my experience as a former Disney cast member, I seem to have a wealth of knowledge on the subject of the Happiest Place on Earth. I don't claim to be an expert on inner workings and whatnot, there are plenty of websites available for that already. I decided to go ahead and create this blog for a much simpler purpose. Let me back up a bit.

I used to work as a Reservation Sales Agent for Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. For health reasons, I had to step down from my job, but it was one of the best and most rewarding experiences in my life. I was left with a (supposedly) vast amount of knowledge on the subject of Disney and, more specifically, Disney travel.

Recently, a friend from England visited me and I was able to show him around the resort a bit. He was impressed with how much I knew and, I am led to believe, the way in which I presented it. Apparently, the "Disney Magic" is still in me. I would always say that "I drank the Disney Koolaid" by way of explaining my particular... exuberance on the subject of Disney. Anyway, it was my friend who suggested that I start the blog. Because, while plenty of sites exist for seasoned Disney experts and well-versed Annual Passholders, I've been led to understand that there are not very many available for noobs to the whole "Disney way of life." And thus, the idea for Practical Mouse was born. A blog with practical information on visiting and enjoying the Disney Anaheim Resort.

It made sense. While at my job, I talked to plenty of people who had never been to Disney, had no idea what they wanted to do, where they wanted to stay, and were completely sick of looking for information on the internet. To be honest, the Disney website is confusing and hard to navigate, particularly if you have a slow computer and/or internet connection. But the website sure is pretty on a fast computer with a cable connection! :D However, any connection, fast or slow, will not change the fact that the information given is limited, sometimes hard to find, and booking a vacation on it can be next to impossible (or so it seems).

That's where my job came in. I cannot tell you the number of people who called me saying "I've been on your website for hours and I can't make heads or tails of it!" It was my job to say "Don't worry... I will make this as easy and painless as possible." It really made my day to hear the person say to me at the end of the call, "Thank you, you really helped me so much."

So, why shouldn't I continue to help people? While this blog may only hold amusement for Disney veterans, I am determined to get information out there to those that need it. I plan on posting everything, from airfare and transportation, to what to pack and what to do if you accidentally chip a crown during your visit. And please, if you have a direct question to ask, don't hesitate to comment! Nothing is too "stupid" or "obvious" to ask, because really, sometimes the answer just doesn't present itself. It's why I'm here!

I hope that someone, somewhere, will be helped by what I write here. I really want to make your visit to Disneyland the best it can possibly be.