The Disneyland Grief Group

Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland. (Photo courtesy of Disneyland website)

They meet on Tuesdays at the Blue Bayou Restaurant adjacent to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. They’re all women, most in their 30’s. Their numbers vary but typically 3–4 people attend. They first “met” on a Disneyland Reddit site during Covid. Disneyland was closed due to the epidemic and they promised to meet in person once the lockdown was lifted. In July 2020 they convened at Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. There were five of them, each wearing Covid masks. Since then, they’ve become close friends and gather at Disneyland whenever possible.

My connection to the group is Juliet. We met at a senior home in Tarzana. She’s a 28-year old activity assistant who helps with my block printmaking classes. One day she asked if I could bring her a Mickey Mouse block design so she could carve a Mickey print. I now bring her a new Disney design for each class.

I asked Juliet about her love of Disneyland. She said it started when she was ten when her parents were divorcing. “It was a tough time. My older sister worked as a Disney merchandise buyer. She had free tickets to Disneyland and we went every month. It took me away from my parents’ fighting. Disneyland became a place where I could feel like everything’s going to be okay.”

Juliet purchases a yearly Magic Key Pass for $1,750. This allows her unlimited entry to Disneyland, free parking, discounts on food…