Disney World

By: Brittany Feazell

I have to admit something. I am an enormous Disney fan. From the looks of me, I think most would assume otherwise, but that just shows what you get for judging a book by its cover! With all that’s going on in the world today, I think we’ve lost sight of what Disney really is. All we see now are teens making questionable music and even more questionable life choices (when will girls learn that it’s never a good idea to take nude photos of yourself and send them to various people?). But I just got back from a family vacation to Disney World in Florida, and I believe it truly is the happiest place on earth.

When Walt started his theme parks back in the ’50s, he wanted a place where families could play and have fun together — a place where you could forget your troubles, if only just for a minute, and remember what it was like to be a carefree child. Speaking as someone who can be quite jaded and cynical, I don’t think Disney World, as a whole, has ever lost sight of that goal. It’s still a place where you can skip down the street and not have people give you the side eye, where you can talk to true storybook princesses who are every bit as real as you or me, where people smile at you and tell you to have a magical day… I’m 25 years old and I still grin like an idiot when I see Mickey Mouse up close and personal. There’s a feeling you get when you step inside those gates that’s equal parts excitement, curiosity and pure happiness. It makes me kind of mad when I hear people badmouth Disney. They talk of turning our pre-teens into prostitutes and how greedy and controlling the company is. I just want to know if these people have ever been to any of the parks before, because I defy anyone to spend a couple of days immersed in the magic and still have those same feelings.

My boyfriend fought his hardest to not go with me and my family on our most recent trip. You see, he’s tough and macho and doesn’t remember what it was like to be a little kid. He grumbled and groaned throughout all the planning and even on the trip down. It was too expensive, he should be home and working, it would be too hot, yada, yada, yada. His unwillingness to give in to his inner child led to more than one fight, I don’t mind telling you. But when he got down there, when he saw all the sparkling, dazzling lights in the night parade, when Tigger gave him a hug, when we went down the first dip on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, well, his mind changed. He had to grow up fast, and I think he finally appreciated that there’s still a place in this world where we can all go back to childhood and relive those innocent days.

I grew up loving Disney and it was a big part of my childhood. I’ve only been to the World three times, but because of all the aforementioned reasons, it will always have a special place in my heart. Especially now. Even if (at first) my boyfriend didn’t want to have much to do with all this, he knew how much it meant (means!) to me, and so he chose it to be the place to propose to me.

Ariel (AKA The Little Mermaid) has been a favorite of mine since I was seven years old, and I was really looking forward to finally meeting her on this trip. I even had a sparkly Ariel head-band to wear! We had to wait in line for about ten minutes or so, all the while I was giggly and too anxious to stand still. When we finally got in to meet her, I think I almost had tears in my eyes! She was truly one of the sweetest people (er, fish?) I’ve ever met and didn’t make me feel lame at all for being so excited. I was riding on a big high when we got out and I was still grinning like a spaz. My boyfriend pulled me aside from the main walkway and took my hands in his. He told me he loved me and then he got down on one knee and said those four little words every girl wants to hear: “Will you marry me?” I immediately said yes and threw my arms around him. Then, out of nowhere, I heard clapping and looked up to see everyone around us smiling and clapping. Talk about magic!

I think it all comes down to what I said about not judging a book by its cover. When you look at Disney, you can see millionaire child stars, ill-conceived pop music, and ticket prices that might cause cardiac arrest in some people, or you can actually experience it for yourself and enter a world where elephants fly, magic is real, and Never Never Land is just a plane ride away.

I know which I’d rather believe.