Bonjour, Monsieur Mouse!

Main Street USA leads us to Fantasyland. Nation/Chusri Ngamprasert

My trip to Paris is going to be memorable because I have the chance to visit my friend at Disneyland. Well, I couldn't say that I have Mickey Mouse as a friend, though she and Mickey have a lot in common.

I eagerly wake up and hop on the train, the RER B line (Green line) from Gare du Nord station, and switch to the RER A (Red line) at Chatelet Les Halles station, heading to Marnela-Vallee-Chessy station.

"Don't forget your train map," my friend told me on the phone. "Your destination is Marnela-Valee-Chessy, the one with Mickey Mouse icon."

Only 45 minutes from central Paris, I'm now in front of Disneyland.

My friend takes me to the main entrance, and the first thing I see is Main Street USA, the charming American town transported from the 1900s.

The stores are Victorian in style and the main street leads us to Fantasyland. I really enjoy strolling along the pretty lane. I can see a marching band playing on the stage in front of Fantasyland and kids waving and dancing to the upbeat music.

Fantasyland is lovely, but I need an adrenaline boost, so I walk to Frontierland to try Big Thunder Mountain, a minetrain roller coaster.

The queue is quite long but the ride is worth the wait because I can scream at the top of my lungs and laugh to my heart's content.

Next I walk to Adventureland to board Captain Hook's Pirate Ship and climb the terrifying Skull Rock. Actually, I intend to go to Discoveryland on the other side of the park, but my legs don't allow me, so I rest in Fantasyland instead.

I can't resist the beauty of the castle, so I walk up the stone steps to La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant. I read the tale of Sleeping Beauty in lavishly illustrated books and admire the magnificent stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the story.

Reality bites when I get a call from my friend saying her work is done and she's ready to leave Disneyland. Time does fly, doesn't it?

"Au revoir, Disneyland," I whisper to myself, and I literally mean it. I mark on my todolist that I still have Discoveryland to explore.