30 Days of Disneyland – Day 3

Our third day at Disneyland was the most fun so far. The morning was a bit sluggish, but later in the day we got into the flow of just enjoying ourselves. We stayed until the park closed at 9pm, then strolled around and browsed through the shops for another 80 minutes before finally leaving for the day.

Being around so many people who are having fun becomes a bit infectious after a while. We’re only 10% of the way through this experience, and I’m actually looking forward to the remaining 90%.

The small amount of work-related reading I did yesterday, combined with the stimulation of Disneyland, has been great for creative thinking and pondering some next steps for upcoming projects. While standing in line for a ride, I ran the Numbers app on my phone and used it to create a decision matrix for evaluating some options. I got the answer I was looking for right as I reached the end of the line.

It’s really helpful to take these mental breaks away from all the playful stimulation. Even just reading a few pages of text now and then gives my subconscious something to chew on in the background. I’ve been getting some wonderful ideas during the past two days and using my cell phone to note them as they come up. I’m only doing this intermittently, and I definitely don’t feel like it’s taking away from my sense of being present for the rest of the experience. In an 11-hour day at the park, it’s nice to switch gears for perhaps an hour in total. It helps me feel more grounded, and I think I enjoy the experience more because of these mental retreats.

Some people have suggested filming some personal growth videos at the park. I don’t think that would work very well though. There are crowds of people almost everywhere, and even in the uncrowded areas, there’s usually music playing. I haven’t felt inspired by the environment to create any videos except for personal memories.

Since we’re spending many hours each day at Disneyland, I don’t have time for much else. This is like a full-time job and then some. A lot of things will have to wait till the 30-day experience is over. Initially I was resisting that aspect, but now I feel that the resistance is fading, and I’m in the mood to just go with the flow. I’m getting used to doing what I can in the limited slices of time I have outside the park.

Yesterday Rachelle and I decided to try intermittent fasting (the 16-8 variety), so we skipped breakfast and only ate between noon and 8pm. I thought it was pretty easy, but Rachelle felt she didn’t eat enough during those hours. We intend to continue intermittent fasting today and maybe for the rest of the experiment if we like it. It saves us some time because by skipping breakfast, we can get started on each day earlier. It’s also pretty easy to distract ourselves from eating in the morning.

Since we’re spending so many hours together each day, aside from bathroom breaks, this type of experience could be a pretty intense cauldron for our relationship too. It’s a lot for a couple to experience together. I’m curious how it’s going to affect us a couple and what changes or revelations may bubble up because of it.

On Day 1 I was concerned that I’d get sick of being around so many people day after day, but I’m getting used to it and even enjoying the extra social stimulation. Yesterday it actually felt comforting, possibly because a lot of those people were smiling. There’s no sense of scarcity here either, so even if the crowds slow our movement through certain areas, we aren’t in any rush to squeeze out the maximum value. In fact, we don’t necessarily want to race around too much each day since we need to pace ourselves physically.

Last week in anticipation of this adventure, I bought some new Skechers shoes with Memory Foam inside. They’re super soft and comfortable, like walking on clouds, and they keep my feet cool. Even after a long day of walking, my feet still feel great. Having the right shoes really helps.

Most of the rides at Disneyland aren’t physically intense, but I wonder how much all the bouncing and jarring movements may throw my body out of alignment by the end of the 30 days. I may start doing some extra stretching here and there if I can squeeze it in.

We’re about to head out for Day 4 soon. It’s Friday, and the park hours are 8am to midnight, so it’s likely to be extra crowded. I’m looking forward to it. 🙂