Ah, the old-school Disney logo. The one that, as a kid, let you know you were in for a treat for the next hour or two. There’s nothing in this world that made me happier than seeing that shooting star make its way over the castle.
And it still gives me that same feeling of euphoria and nostalgia at twenty.
My parents, and everyone who ever watched me as a child had at least one VHS of 'The Jungle Book' in their homes. As a sort of sickly baby who suffered from acid reflux that would have made most adults quake in their boots, it was the one thing that could stop my screams and replace them with giggles. This was the root of a twenty-year phenomenon. Every time I was sick, hurt, or just sad, there was nothing that could console me the way Mowgli and his friends did.
These past few months have been pretty dark for me, and Disney movies are still what I run to for a little pick-me-up. From oldies like 'Snow White' to new films like 'Wreck-It Ralph,' and of course good-old 'The Jungle Book,' the legacy Walt left behind is a major ray of sunshine in my life. And I can say I will never be embarrassed by this fact.
I’ve never understood why young adults can go to Disney and be accepted for it, but when it comes to appreciating the movies that bring these parks to life, we’re considered “childish” and “immature”. It just baffles me. These are the movies that molded most of our childhoods. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that most kids who were raised by these movies have a go-to movie that is their equivalent the solace I find in “The Jungle Book.”
Yes, lots of the movies pre-1970 are technologically outdated, with lots of problematic elements ('What Makes the Red Man Red', anyone?). But they’re the films with timeless stories, that taught me how to fly, to never give up on my dreams, and that everyone deserves a happily ever after. These are the movies that gave my childhood magic, a magic I need to revisit occasionally when times get tough. And I firmly intend on passing this magic down to my own kids, because to not do so would be doing them a serious injustice.
Next time you have a rough day, or a bad cold, watch the Disney movie that made you squeal with excitement as a kid, the one where meeting its main character at a park is one of the highlights of your childhood. I can promise that you’ll be left with warm fuzzies and a positive outlook on our day as those end credits roll.
