Yesterday was my (more or less) annual trip to Disneyland. One of the advantages of living in LA means that you can go frequently to "The Happiest Place on Earth" and therefore get to know it like the back of your hand (as things rarely change there, except for tickets and food prices which just get more and more expensive.) Surprisingly, it was not as crowded as say, a weekday in the middle of the summer, but it was crowded nonetheless.

And I hate large crowds, as I'm sure that most people do. It's because that many people in large crowds have no idea how to act. Instead of just walking ahead, as would make the most sense, any one of the following is more likely than not to occur:

1. The person in front of you will just suddenly stop. Just like that. You're happily walking along, remarking on the progress you're making, and then BAM! There's no good reason why s/he has stopped. Maybe there was something in the wind. Maybe their feet just stopped working. Who knows.
   
2. The group in front of you, instead of walking in pairs (a la Madeleine) or in threes, walks as a human wall. That is, they all walk right next to each other, nevermind that they're completely blocking the pathway so that there's no way to get around them aside from climbing on trees to swing over them or just plowing through them. This technique is very impressive if you're fighting another group of people and want to charge them, but in real life, is just inconsiderate and obnoxious, especially if they're moving at a snail's pace. Or stop suddenly.
   
3. The person behind you in line has no idea of what personal space is, and every time you move an inch forward, s/he moves 6 inches, thereby colliding into you. See, in line, it's okay to be stopped. (It is the only place where it is okay to be stopped, as a matter of fact.)
   
4. Staking out territory four hours before whatever parade/water show means yes, good seating for that family, but for everyone else still trying to get around the amusement park, they are just another obnoxious obstacle that you can't even step on. And the fact that they tend to spread out acres of blankets to reserve their room just means that less sidewalk for everyone else to step on, which means that you either have to suddenly become Catherine Zeta-Jone's character in Entrapment (because factor in the cords that Disneyland puts up to demarcate areas and you have to be limber enough to do the limbo to get by) or your risk getting very dirty looks from said squatters.

I'm sure there's more stuff. I just can't think of it right now. Incidentally, it's time for Disneyland to update the technology on their rides. Within the last year, a person got thrown off on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (as in, mid-ride s/he went flying off the car) and I believe someone else sustained neck/back injuries on Space Mountain. (Not surprisingly, both rides were closed yesterday. Or was that Indiana Jones? I can't really remember.) Note to Disney folks: you might want to check out Matterhorn Bobsleds next. The first time we were in line for that ride, one side broke down. The second time, we were on the ride ourselves and our side broke down. A little scary, suddenly being stopped mid-whizzing turn. They had to then push us back into the station. Needless to say, we didn't attempt the ride a 3rd time - who knows what would have happened then.