My husband and I are lifelong Disney fans, with many a trip to the parks under our belts.
But one thing that, in all our trips, we had not yet managed, was to see the famous Lilly Belle.
The Lilly Belle is a train car. Walt Disney was a bit of a fanatic about trains. The Disneyland Railroad was a favorite attraction of his. And in the caboose car of one of the trains, he created the Lilly Belle, an opulent car fashioned for his wife, Lillian. She even helped in its design.
The interior is decorated with mahogany and rich red colors. Flowers and lamps decorate the space, and there are tiny panels of stained glass in the ceiling which occasionally paint the furnishings with various colors.
The Lilly Belle has remained as it was ever since its creation, being maintained but never redesigned. In one corner, you will find a black and white photo of Walt and Lillian Disney. It cannot be ridden anymore, but sometimes you get lucky enough to at least see it.
At the beginning of the year, we did a New Year's weekend at Disneyland and decided spur-of-the-moment to ride the train. As my husband is in an electric scooter, they took us to the back of the train. It wasn't until we were seated and secured that we realized that we were right next to the Lilly Belle. The doors remain closed, but I was able to capture some great views from the window of the train car. Even just seeing it was such an amazing experience!