West Coast wonderlands: Disneyland and California Adventure provide a treasure trove of family fun.

• Author: Barrett, Wayne M.
• Position: Going Places

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I'M LOOKING AT the blueprint--well, I guess it would be more accurate to call it a drawing; no, perhaps you better make that a rough sketch--for a proposed new roller coaster (called The Sonic) that was designed for either Disneyland or its sister park California Adventure. The coaster's architect refuses to be specific as to venue, maintaining that this high-speed, loopty-loop ride of a lifetime would be at home on either Disney property. Having drawn his inspiration from our visit to both parks, it's no wonder he's hesitant to be pinned down. Then again, with our seven-year-old son Trevor, you never can be sure what his motivation is. It was Trevor, for instance, who pointed out an obvious difference in topography between our native East Coast and the area we were visiting on our drive from Los Angeles International Airport to our hotel in Anaheim. "Look at all the palm trees growing fight along the street--and in people's yards!" He'd never seen a palm tree "in person" before. In fact, this was to be a vacation of firsts for all four of our kids--Trevor, his sister Julie (11), and brothers Alex (nine) and Jesse (two). First time on an airplane, first trip to California, and first visit to what has become America's promised land--Disney.

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My wife Margaret, who thankfully plans all of our adventures, understands my penchant for nostalgia and the retro scene, so she wisely decided that our first Disney experience as a family would be at the original hallowed grounds. Disneyland offers a variety of advantages--at least from my perspective. For one, it's walkable. You don't need a tram to go from one end to the other. Hey, don't kid yourself. Old Walt's place is super-spacious and designed brilliantly. Lots of shade; lot of benches; lots of pretty flowers. Second, all those L.A.-Southern California jokes aside, you can't beat the weather here--this from a person who and would rather see snowflakes than $100 bills fall from the sky. That stuff about "dry heat" is true. The sun--minus the humidity--feels good, real good. It has a sort of embracing effect and, come afternoon, it cools off beautifully. Each evening--and yes, since we're not the most efficient early birds, we've become pretty adept at closing down theme parks; after all, why leave early, especially since, the later you stay, the shorter the lines become--I almost didn't want to go back to the hotel; the weather was that perfect. In...