May 19–23, 2025 · Anaheim, California
I went to Anaheim for work and found a fitting way to mark 30,000 geocache finds. It involved Mickey Mouse, of course.
I was staying near the Anaheim Convention Center, and bapierson came along. We had time to visit both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. I slipped in a few finds between meetings, including UnconvenTional forM ACC (GC3387K) and Conventional Cache “Hall C” 2.0 (GC44FE9). At Wreck-it Yams (GC629HK), the rusty container gave us more trouble than finding it did. We got it open in the end.
A work badge and a pair of mouse ears
On Monday, after wrapping up work for the day, we headed over for Sign of Happiness (GC7B8Y7). The resort had just kicked off its 70th anniversary celebration. The next evening we were logging Happily Ever After (GC7B8D8) when the fireworks started. Between the music and the sky lighting up, I was glad we’d happened to be there at the right time.
Wednesday brought a couple of stops in Frontierland. We took a ride on the Mark Twain Riverboat before heading to Happiest EarthCache on Earth (GC3FQY7). There’s a petrified redwood on display there. I went from riding a riverboat to looking closely at a tree that had turned to stone. A few minutes spent studying it was a welcome change of pace. We also visited Disney’s Horseshoe Review (GCG926) at the Golden Horseshoe and caught some entertainment nearby.
For WD’s Original (GC4B24), we got a little help from a cast member with a stuffed raven on his arm. Or maybe it was a crow. I’m still no help on that part. He pointed us in the right direction, and we ended up talking about whether the center of the park had shifted when Galaxy’s Edge was added. I’d gone looking for a Virtual and wound up talking Disney geography with a man holding a bird.
When a Celebration Gets in the Way of a Geocache
Not every geocaching attempt during our visit went according to plan.
I'd done my homework ahead of time for Disneyland's Esplanade (GCB4P45), an EarthCache located in the area between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
I'd reviewed the requirements and was prepared to gather the information needed to complete the logging tasks.
Unfortunately, there was one rather large obstacle.
And by large, I mean 50 feet tall.
For Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration, the resort had installed an enormous sculpture inspired by Sleeping Beauty Castle right in the middle of the esplanade.
It made for an impressive anniversary display.
Unfortunately, it was also standing directly in the way of the features I needed to examine for the EarthCache.
The very thing celebrating Disneyland's history was preventing me from completing a geocache about the location.
You couldn't exactly ask Disney to move a 50-foot castle sculpture out of the way for a few minutes while you answered some EarthCache questions.
Well, I suppose you could ask. I'm pretty sure I know how that conversation would end.
I'd arrived prepared, but there wasn't a practical way to complete the required observations with the anniversary installation blocking access.
So Disneyland's Esplanade (GCB4P45) went into my records as a Did Not Find.
It's a little disappointing when you've done the research and arrive ready to complete an EarthCache, only to discover that the location itself is temporarily inaccessible.
But that's part of geocaching. Sometimes the coordinates lead you to exactly the right place, and circumstances still prevent you from completing the adventure.
At least this particular DNF came with a pretty impressive Disney castle.
One last stop in Downtown Disney
On Friday, May 23, before heading to the airport, bapierson and I went to Downtown Disney for Disneyland’s Largest Hidden Mickey (GC892TD). I’d picked that Virtual Cache as my honorary 30,000th find. The giant Mickey that gives the cache its name is formed by a concrete border around part of Disneyland Drive. You need an overhead view to see the whole shape.
The listing gives you a few ways to log the Virtual. One option is to photograph another Hidden Mickey. The one I posted in my original log was a little Mickey tucked into the tilework of a fountain.
We celebrated with lunch at Céntrico, then headed to the airport. I’d gone looking for a cache worthy of 30,000 finds. The thing I brought home was a picture of three circles small enough to walk right past. That seems about right for a hobby that started with me looking under a lamp-post skirt.
Field Notes
- Trip: May 19–23, 2025, in Anaheim, California.
- Companion: bapierson’s May 23 log.
- Honorary 30,000th find: Disneyland’s Largest Hidden Mickey (GC892TD), May 23, 2025.
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