As a little girl, I went to Disneyland one time, and I dimly remember it being the greatest day of my life – the pinnacle of existence. As an adult, I wonder why I thought that. Now, I have the chance to go to Disney World quite often. The bulk of the time is spent dashing from air-conditioned shop to air-conditioned restaurant, squeezing in between sweaty people, and waiting in line - to get your bags searched, to swipe your ticket, to use the restroom, and maybe ride a ride. Disney, in its mere popularity, has cursed itself with an unpleasant atmosphere. But then something happened last week that helped me remember why I loved Disney as a little girl.
It was 4th of July, and I brought Rosie to the Magic Kingdom for the first time that she could remember it. It was hot and crowded. It took 30 minutes to walk from our car to the the monorail that would take us into the park. Within that 30 minutes, I had developed blisters between my toes and on the sides of my feet.
As we surged with the crowd into the park, someone appropriately said, "mooooo." As we passed Goofy and other Disney characters in full get-up, I could only imagine the oven it must be in those suits.
Then we rode a ride - the Buzz Lightyear ride, an interactive continuous motion ride where you can shoot targets with a laser from your car. Rosie rode with her dad and grandmother in the car ahead of us, and I could only catch small glimpses of her wide eyes and mad scramble to control her laser gun. It was a chaotic experience, and I wonder what she got from it.
After we shuffled off the ride, I took Rosie to the bathroom, and in the relative quiet of the bathroom, I asked her how she liked the ride. "I beat the aliens," she happily said. "Good!" I replied. Then she became serious. "Mom, tomorrow, I will be stronger."
For some reason, that struck me as very profound. This 3 minute ride opened up the imagination of a 3-year old. It put her in a winning situation, and let her "beat the aliens", something that she no doubt will have to do figuratively in life. But what touched me most was the resolve she had after the ride. "I will be stronger."
Of all the things that happened that day, Rosie didn't see the heat, the crowds, the sweat. She saw that she could be strong and would be stronger.
I think that's why I loved Disney as a little girl. It opened my eyes to what I could do and be. So while there are many things that make Disney unpleasant, I'm glad I got to experience it through the eyes of a child once more.
Thanks for sharing. I feel that reminder very useful for me in this stage of life. Can't wait until my little one can teach me some of those precious lessons only a child can. :)
ReplyDeleteFlora