My first was in 2007 also.
I remember the 50th Celebration very well, as it was what grabbed my attention towards the West Coast and Disneyland.
Up until that point, I was a die hard WDW enthusiast who had been visiting well over 30+ years, as is typical of someone living on the East Coast.
Over all those years, I was never really able or overly interested in making the trip out to the 'other coast' to visit that 'smaller Park' ( !!!) i was aware of but not nessesarily drawn to.
That all changed when I saw what was going on at Disneyland for the 50th.
The marketing team did their work well, as even I heard the message and at that time I was a little cut off from the 'fan community' for the most part.
Didn't even have internet then...
The new entertainment offerings, Golden Castle decor, complete turnaround in quality compared to troubling earlier years, and the lure of unique DL exclusive experiences finally convinced me I needed to go see it all for myself.
Two years later i had the chance to visit CA with friends for a mega road trip and convention gathering.
During that first trek to CA, we all spent a couple of days at 'Walt's Park'.
I knew right then and there I needed to come back on my own to fully immerse myself in it all.
Visiting with friends is fun, but sometimes you are distracted and miss the little things that mean the most.
So I vowed to return alone.
I came back in 2009 ( with friends again for another convention ), but it was not until the first DL solo visit in 2013 the magical charm of the place really hit me.
Absolutely loved the Park and embraced the 'differences' to WDW.
Now I prefer Disneyland and have not been back to Florida since.
Now I visit yearly ( sometimes twice) and still love it all.
Every time there is something new to be discovered hidden in a corner or in a detail within a Attraction or Show.
The charm and overall ambiance inherent in the Park is just beautiful and truly unique.
Disneyland is where it's at for me now.
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