Last year for Christmas, my dad gave me a three-day trip to Disneyland Paris for my friend and me while we were both going to be living in her flat in Paris. As an avid Disney-lover and never one to be too cool to act like a kid, I was absolutely thrilled (there were lots of thankful tears and hugging).
However, the more we told people our own age about it, the more I began questioning how fun it would be.
"Why would you go to Disney when you're already in Paris?"
"You're going to a theme park from the States while you're across the world?"
"Wow. You must really love Disney."
Such were the reactions. Now, I could have understood their incredulity had I only been in Paris to go to Disney, or even if I was going for a few days and made Disney my main priority. That would seem a bit odd, especially given that I go to school in Florida. It would be like going abroad and only eating at fast-food chains readily available in the U.S. But by the time it came for us to go to Disneyland, I had already been in Paris for a month, collectively speaking. I've seen most all the sights and taken in a whole lot of the culture and history. It wasn't like I was ignoring the actual point of traveling here, just making a fun pit stop along the way.
So I ignored all the sarcastic questions and remained hopeful that Disney would hold all the wonder it did for me as a child (and roughly a year ago when I went last).
Turns out, it did. It's hard not to have a great time at Disneyland. Even though it poured rain one day and was completely cloudy the first, there were smiles on our faces the whole time. But even more important than our happiness, there was a whole new element to being in a place like Disney in another country, especially where I don't speak the language.
While the primary language of everything was obviously French, the effort to make everything completely bilingual was incredible. There were always two characters or presenters speaking to each other, one in French and one in English—so no one felt they were being repeated to, or like the translation was a hassle. It was all one seamless story, going on simultaneously in two languages. Here were people that in everyday circumstances wouldn't be able to understand each other, brought together in one place, all sharing simple, joyful moments.
Without things like Disney—which let's be honest, is basically just a very large, very successful company—there would be far fewer common joys in the world. But at the heart of all their products and promotions are stories, ones that people around the entire globe are familiar with, and most everyone can enjoy a place where the magic of those stories comes to life. While I know that we were exceptionally lucky to be able to afford a trip like this and that there are many people who can't, it's important to realize that these kinds of uniting stories and places are important, no matter how childish or extravagant they may seem.
Call me brainwashed by commercialism, but I think taking part in that kind of happiness is something really wonderful, and my only complaint is that it should be made easily available to everyone. Of course, they are available in several other places besides Disneyland—nature, playgrounds, going to a sporting event, even a movie or the theater are all great uniting joys—but none of them should be discounted or dismissed as we get older, being together in happiness is what keeps this world going.
After all, no one really ever grows out of smiling like a 3-year-old when they see their favorite childhood movie projected up on a giant castle, do they?
