"All you need is faith and trust. Oh! and Something I forgot-- dust...Yup! Just a little bit of pixie dust." -Peter Pan
For those of you who don't know me, I am a self-proclaimed Disney fanatic.
Disney movies have provided me my philosophy for life-- from believing that true beauty lies within, to true love conquers all, to the essential "Hakuna Matata" ("no worries").
In addition to the magic of the movies, I have fallen in love with the real-life magic Disney offers. I have visited Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida 26 times in my short 19 years of life (not a bad record for someone who lives in the Midwest) and Disneyland in Anaheim, California once.
I was inspired on my recent visit there to write a blog piece on WHY I love Disney so much and why it's not just for little kids, which is what many of my friends tell me when I am visiting Walt Disney World yet again. Please note that this is not an advertisement or meant to promote Disney, but rather an explanation of my passion for it.
Walt Disney World offers a magical experience like no other. For the most part, my experience with the Walt Disney Company has been positive. It has so many unique little aspects that make it seem all the more wonderful.
For example, employees of the Walt Disney Company are called "cast members," as they are always to put on a show for the guests, not customers. Cast members are trained to be polite, respectful, courteous and cheerful, making any interaction with a member of the Walt Disney Company magical.
As I mentioned, customers are referred to as "guests" and treated as such. Cast members are always happy to assist guests, help them meet their needs, and please them in any way possible (within reason, of course).
Being called a "guest" rather than a "customer" makes me feel more valued. I feel as though it's not about the money I'm spending there, but rather my personal happiness.
Walt Disney World is my favorite vacation destination because it feels so secluded. When touring a major city, the people you interact with are going about their daily lives and are not there to enjoy life as much as you are. People are rushign off to their jobs, picking up their kids, etc. At Walt Disney World, everybody (with the exception of the cast members) is on vacation! Everyone is there to have a good time and make some memories. There are fewer people working on their cell phones and computers, emailing that important file to their boss or trading stocks. The absence of this makes it easier to "forget about your worries and your strife" (Bare Necessities, The Jungle Book) at home and focus on having a good time. While I'm in Disney World, I'm not worrying about my duties at work or the drama I'm involved in with friends. I've been transported to a magical world at the moment I cross the property line. In this world, I can truly embrace the Hakuna Matata and enjoy myself.
Also, because other guests are also on vacation, people are much friendlier. Everyone is there to have fun. It's much easier to strike up a conversation with someone while waiting in line than it usually is in the outside world. In Disney World, it is socailly acceptable to smile at and wave to people you don't know. While people in the outside world would give you a weird look and assume that you are crazy, in Disney World, people smile and wave back. Such interaction brings about a feeling of unity and renews faith in the goodness of people.
Disney World is overflowing with a sense of magic. Your wildest childhood fantasies come to life here as you fly with Peter Pan, ransack the Caribbean with pirates, hang glide over California, soar to new heights on a mission to Mars, interact with wildlife, travel under the sea with Nemo and Friends, and land right on the set and behind the scenes of some of the most beloved non-Disney movies of all time -- all in one day (if you're really ambitious)! Having the opportunity to do such things can really bring out someone's inner child. Once people learn to let their guard down, all bets are off. Adults will dance in the streets and wait in lines to hug Mickey Mouse just like the toddlers do. Reliving the carefree days is, I think, the best way to spend a vacation.
Character meet-and-greets, shows, and parades bring some of your favorite Disney storybook characters to life. I still get excited when hugging Mickey Mouse, doing the princess pose with Belle, or waving at Ariel as she swims by in the parade. Coming face to face with those characters I loved as a child rekindles those positive thoughts and feelings in my heart that are brought on by watching the happy-ending Disney movies.
Speaking of Disney movies, these films definitely shaped me as an individual and helped me grow up to be a moral and optimistic individual with a deep belief in the magic in the world. I have trouble watching movies that don't have a happy ending. After watching a Disney movie, I feel touched by the magic. I feel inspired that my wildest dreams can come true, if I believe they can and am willing to work for them.
Disney films have inpsired me to believe that the quiet, sheltered girl can be noticed by the handsome prince (Cinderella), you never have to fully grow up (Peter Pan), and that poverty shouldn't get you down in life (Aladdin). Disney movies teach you some of the more practical life lessons too. For example, you shouldn't trust the strange old lady offering an apple (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), don't touch sharp objects (Sleeping Beauty), and of course, evil never pays off (insert any Disney villain here).
The magic of Disney makes life all the more bearable for me. It helps me to look on the bright side of life and inspires me to achieve my goals. Disney has taught me to "Just keep swimming" (Dory, Finding Nemo) when times are tough, reminds me of "Hakuna Matata" (The Lion King) when my worrywart self comes out, that "I [can] beat the odds/I can go the distance..til I find my hero's welcome right where I belong," (Hercules) and "If you can dream it, you can do it," (Walt Disney). ºoº
