Recently, while hanging out in downtime of a class, the subject of Disney came up. For me, when that subject arises, I can never resist participating. My professor, upon hearing us talk about Disney, walks over and says, “Never get into Disney. You’ll never escape.” To which I looked at him and said, “I never had a chance.” This is an interesting concept, because, I mean, everyone has a chance to choose or not choose to like Disney, right? Well, I may be one of the few who didn’t get the opportunity, and I am more than okay with that.
Anyone who knows me knows that I hate clichés, but there is one cliché that I have no problem saying, and that is that Walt Disney World is the most magical place on Earth. My mother started working for the Walt Disney Company on Halloween of 1989 on Listen to the Land boat ride. Three years later, my father became a Vacation Club Guide at the Disney Vacation Club. The two didn’t know each other at the time, but after my mother was transferred to working for the Disney Vacation Club, they met. And that is why I let myself say that cliché phrase, and that’s why Disney is my second home – I was born in Orlando.
But just because my parents met while working for the Walt Disney Company doesn’t mean that I’m forced to like it. I choose to enjoy Disney every day because the company stands for so many things. It inspires me, but also allows an escape from the real world.
I don’t understand adults or kids in high school or college who don’t like Disney. I’m not going to tell all of you to like Disney (even though you should), but it just baffles me. I’ve had friends in the past who tell me, “I don’t want to go to Disney. It’s for kids.”
Do you really want to be a mature, responsible adult forever? Yes, Walt created Disneyland and began work on Walt Disney World specifically for the enjoyment of children, children who were constantly writing him to ask to see where Mickey Mouse lived. Disneyland, Walt Disney World, EuroDisney and Tokyo Disneyland were created for children – or a place where everyone can go to release their inner child. You can be a kid at Disney no matter how old you are.
I love hearing from the people who say that Disney is too childish for them when they’ve just returned from a trip; they usually look at the ground and admit quietly that it was one of the most fun experiences they’ve ever had. Disney is just a giant playground
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I’m not just saying that I’ll never outgrow Disney in terms of the parks, because I won’t, I plan on working for the mouse himself. I still have VHS tapes of Disney movies. I’m pretty sure I have almost every single animated Disney movie on DVD, and I have a list of personal top ten Disney movies. While I can’t keep all of my movies with me at college, I do however have several in a movie drawer in my room that I watch when I can’t find anything good on Netflix to watch. I’ll always buy a ticket to a Disney movie when it’s in theaters because I know that it will be undeniably good, because everything associated with the Disney name brings me on a full circle of every emotion (let’s not get into the emotional rollercoaster that Disney-Pixar movies give me). There is a movie for every occasion, a relatable quote for every experience, and a tune that can be sung at any time (I love "Frozen," but when it comes to playing those songs on repeat, I think we all need to let it go).
(Yes, I know these Tower of Terrors are at different parks but it's close enough from what I have.)
In short, Disney will be a part of my life for… well, ever. And that’s okay. It’s okay to be a child when being an adult is becoming taxing. It’s okay to cry every time you watch "Toy Story 3." It’s OK embrace your feelings, because you’re built to feel (see "Inside Out"). It’s OK to make corny Disney jokes 24/7.
Walt once said, "If you can dream it, you can do it," and I don't think there's any quote that fits what everything the Walt Disney Company is about. It's constantly expanding, it's constantly connecting, attempting to conquer the impossible, because like the imagineer said himself: "It's kind of fun to do the impossible." I’m going to choose to never grow up, and you can fly to Neverland with me if you choose to join.
"Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever." - Walter Elias Disney
