Mermaid Birthday in Disneyland 2016

Melinda Palacio

Disneyland is one of the few places in California with water fountains. 

The presidential election results sure gave me a bad case of the blues. Things were so sad at Casa Palacio, so much so that my husband cancelled our birthday party. Every year, we give a November birthday party for the two of us and any friends with birthdays in November. Mine usually falls close to Thanksgiving and Steve's is always two days after Veteran's day. Although none of our friends were in the mood for celebrating, we still managed to gather at my insistence. However, with the possibility that our way of life will take a dramatic downturn during the next four years, not to mention the rhetoric of hate and lack of decency bubbling up as the new normal, we were both dejected and not in the spirit for celebrating. 

As someone who is now living the adult life that my mother did not have the opportunity to experience, I vowed that I'd see every day as a gift. When my sister invited me to spend the day with her and the Prince Palacio at Disneyland, I decided to shelf my anxiety and try to have fun for the day.

Melinda Palacio, Emily Palacio and the Prince Palacio

My mermaid Halloween costume had inspired my sister to declare that we should go to Disneyland as mermaids. I went ahead and made her a mermaid crown. We wore long curly wigs and our crowns, which were a big hit. Many people stopped us to ask where they could purchase mermaid crowns. Expect to see mermaid crowns on the streets of Los Angeles. I'm not especially crafty and don't even know how to make clothes for myself, but I did figure out how to make a mermaid crown. It's easy and only requires 3 things: a headband, a glue gun, and lots of sea shells. When I made mine for Halloween, I was surprised by how well it held up during the parade I joined in New Orleans. Sturdy and easy to make.

When we reached the tram that takes you from the enormous garage complex to Disneyland's main entrance, a phrase from the helpful recording about how to enjoy the theme park jumped out. It said something about a rule prohibiting any guest over the age of 14 from wearing a costume or mask. I recalled my last visit to the Magic Kingdom of two years ago as being surprised by how much the park had changed and even more surprised at seeing so many adults dressed in costume, many as their favorite Disney characters. At the entrance, I was a little nervous and half expected to be told when we bought our tickets that we would have to leave our mermaid crowns and wigs in the car. It was a long trek back to the car, and too long to make with an anxious toddler in tow. We bought our tickets and entered the gates with no problems. The rest of the day we received endless compliments from guests and park staff, even Tinker Bell was envious of our crowns. We even managed to get a table at the sold-out Blue Bayou restaurant for a special mermaid birthday celebration. Politics and its reality were forgotten for one day at Disneyland.

A mermaid birthday celebration at Blue Bayou.

While I've already received some great gifts for my birthday, including a trip to Disneyland and a fabulous antique hat, I am asking that anyone who would like to celebrate my birthday with a gift, to kindly offer a donation to Reyna Grande's toy fund. Bring the gift of Christmas to a needy child in Iguala, Mexico. I am grateful to all my friends and family, including Steve, who have donated to Reyna's toy fund. Thank you for being in my life. I appreciate every one of my friends.