This morning I walked through a new land at Disney California Adventure -- the first proper space dedicated to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in one of Disney's North American parks -- and what I remember most is a moment of silence, a collective pause clearly dedicated to the late Chadwick Boseman, the star of "Black Panther." Avengers Campus, opening Friday in Anaheim, boasts a new interactive ride and a glossy, silver airship. But what truly contrasts the land with others in the Disney parks is its devotion to theater, its embrace of the present and its lack of fear of the so-called "real world." Here, you may not mind standing in lines for food or rides -- or maybe you'll mind a little less -- because you might catch the royal female guards from the world of "Black Panther." When the battle spear-equipped warriors known as the Dora Milaje make an entrance, it's safe to say audiences will stop and pay attention.

After a year in which the world came to a halt and so many experienced some form ofpain, stress or grief, perhaps a theme park that can charge more than $150 per ticket would be seen as ... frivolous? Yet if early demand, hype and talk are any indication, one of our most treasured experiences is the great American theme park. And the original Disneyland, just a few months shy of its 66th birthday, still stands as our preeminent example. Deeply embedded with a playful and sunny Southern California leisure lifestyle, Disneyland for locals is a habitual, cross-generational hangout -- as much a tradition as baseball's opening day or a hike to the Hollywood sign. When Disneyland re-opens today after 13 months of closure -- essentially its second grand opening after July 1955 -- it will do so as a Californians-only locale due to pandemic restrictions.