My family is four weeks home from a trip to Disney World. I was gifted some rare uninterrupted time today to
write and try to express what I have needed to say about the trip. I was having trouble finding the way to
connect the magnitude of the experience in relatable terms. I still am.
I underestimated the context through which I’d experience the trip in
adulthood and motherhood. Here’s a quick shot at it.
When planning our first family trip to Disney, the first
time I’d been back since working there in 2001, I was admittedly a ‘bit’
stressed about the actual coordination of what needs to happen months and
months in advance of your “magical” adventure.
My hubby was all in with this, much more excited than I actually, so I
was not alone, but this didn’t alleviate the stress! We vied for dining reservations and fast pass
selections with the thousands of families also wanting their piece of the magic,
out clicking them on the computer at midnight as soon as our window of time
opened. We mapped out treks and strategies around the parks, to assure we didn’t
miss a single “must see” ride, show, character, parade. Color and characters of
bracelets were chosen. Friends who’d
been with their families were consulted.
Apps were downloaded. Transportation was coordinated. Ponchos ordered, autograph books delivered,
stroller arranged, groceries ordered, pool breaks programmed into daily itineraries. Even the least busy restroom locations were
circled on a map. Phew! It’s a lot!
It didn’t feel like we were prepping for a vacation. For the boys, we’ll do anything. All this planning was for them in our hearts. But a few weeks before the trip, I was
secretly planning our next vacation to an island in my head, thinking about how
great laying on the beach with a rum runner would be, watching the kiddos swim…once
we ‘made it through’ this upcoming extravaganza.
We woke up at 4am to head to the airport. From the minute we opened the boys’ bedroom
doors, tip toed into their rooms, and rolled them out of bed in their Star Wars
t-shirts (part of the planning for increased exit efficiencyJ), I never gave another
thought to the stress of the planning.
It was worth every single second of the effort and we plan to do it
again and again, as much as we can, as long as we can, as long as the boys enjoy
it.
Mark (inspired to be a historian of our Disney adventure) documented
the details of the days to our Facebook friends, so details here are
unnecessary. But, there is so much more
to discuss, something so much more profound and beautiful than parks,
characters, rides, parades and logistics.
In a world where we are bombarded by the media that often
portrays emphasis on abhorrent political dialogue, religious conflict, anger, stress
and cruelty, for survival, I shut it out. Perhaps you do too? The beauty of what it means to be a human being, living on this planet, being
kind, treating others as you wish to be treated, can easily get lost when one
pays too much attention to the sound bites of chaos constantly in front of
us.
But in the world of Disney, from the moment you step on the
Magical Express, you are reminded that Disney World was created by the vision
of one individual with a great idea. He
did it, those that supported his vision built it, and they sustain it, and grow
it, and build on it, year after year, decade after decade. The business woman in me notes it as a
creative entrepreneurs dream, a brilliant business model, a case study of
succession planning perhaps better than any company ever in the world, but it’s
so, so much more.
As I sat on the ground in front of Cinderella’s castle, watching
the evening fireworks show, being serenaded by music
reminding the thousands nearby that a dream is a wish your heart makes, as
Tinkerbell flew overhead, it struck me. There we were, all human beings,
enjoying our families, disconnected from the static flow of the media’s awful
news of the day, all of us, of all ages, economic statuses, cultures,
religions, parts of the world, staring at a castle, believing in fairies, and
magic, and our dreams coming true.
It really is Earthly magic.
I claim we all need it, and in a breathtaking symphony of experiences,
Disney brings it to each of us, meets us where we are, and gifts us with a
feeling of limitless possibility and peace. Limitless possibility and peace, lived through
the sparkling and joyful eyes of our dear, sweet boys, was so profoundly
beautiful that I may never find the words.
The world can be changed with an idea. Dreams do come true. There is magic and it’s alive and well, in a
land started by a man and his mouse. Thank you for the gift, Walt Disney. Your dreams are forever.
