This year, when the park was decorated with holiday spirit, Clark seniors had the opportunity to spend a day at Disneyland with friends. On November 16th, students were joined by many chaperones, including Mr. Ghavam, Mr. Frazer, senior class advisor, Ms. Wilson, and many others to experience the magic of senior year, hosted by the Disneyland park.
Students waited eagerly to board the buses, and immediately began when the first three arrived, while the fourth was a bit delayed. About 15 minutes in, word got out that the fourth bus had broken down and wouldn’t be arriving for several hours. Clark admin quickly worked to find a solution to get the seniors to Disneyland to maximize their time at the park, by filling buses to a maximum capacity, while maintaining the safety and required limitations. Despite the unfortunate situation, students arrived to the theme park and entered in utter excitement.
After the traditional group photo in front of the castle, friend groups dispersed all over the park. Some people aimed to go on every single ride, while others wanted to take their time and enjoy the Disney atmosphere.
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As friend groups went their separate ways, many reunited to experience different attractions together. Space Mountain, a popular fast ride through outer space, brought together three friend groups along with Mr. Ghavam. Even though many reunions occurred unplanned, Clark students could bump into each other all over the park, giving them the freedom to explore with their friends. “Compared to the Catalina trip, I saw more Clarkies at Disneyland, enjoying rides with friends and Mr. Ghavam. Going on the Matterhorn with other friends was fun, as it was more diverse than just going with the same friends,” senior Alex Haroian said.
Many students made it a goal to go on rides with teachers; one friend group went as far as going on three rides with Mr. Ghavam. “Mr. Ghavam is iconic. He added to the Disney experience in an unforgettable way; I had a blast!” senior Charlotte Fernandez said. Fernandez, accompanied by her friends, experienced the thrill of Rise of Resistance, Space Mountain, and Thunder Mountain with Mr. Ghavam. “The time I spent with the students, standing in line, making fun of each other, people fighting over who wants to sit with me on the rides, so I made them do rock paper scissors to pick, was my favorite part of the day,” Mr. Ghavam said.
Disneyland’s newest ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, opened to the public on November 15th, just in time for students to experience the newest version of the original Splash Mountain attraction. Unlike the rest of the park, this attraction utilized a free virtual queue, requiring guests to get on the Disneyland app at 12 pm or 4 pm and attempt to get a time slot to experience the ride. “It was better than Splash Mountain! Even though the wait was long and getting wet on a cooler day wasn’t fun, the attraction was lively, co
lorful, and definitely worth it,” senior Rhymme Rillera said.
The free virtual queue was also required for guests wanting to experience the newest version of Disneyland’s The Haunted Mansion, which had been closed down for 6 months due to renovations and expansions. While some guests earned a spot to enter the ride, the line to make it just past the attraction gates stretched all the way towards Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the neighboring attraction, making many turn away in hopes of using their time more wisely.
This magical day concluded with the viewing of vibrant visuals on the Sleeping Beauty Castle and sparkling fireworks above Galaxy’s Edge. While Disneyland can be exhausting, memories and thrill experienced throughout the day creates an unforgettable day for the senior class.
