Wednesday, June 25

Unexpected Magic

photo courtesy of, kc1296426
Tower of Terror,
Walt Disney World

Why on EARTH do you love Disney World of all places? Don't even get started on the Disney Cooperation! That unforgettable shrine to all things capitalistic and horrible. Where every ride dumps into a gift shop with kids begging their parents to BUY BUY BUY! The place is an anti-consumerist's worst nightmare. So why, in the name of all things holy do I love going there? Why do I feel incomplete if I don't know the up to date dish on everything? Why am I constantly planing trips that I can barley afford when I'm cutting down on buying just about everything else?

I'm a daily reader of eviro blogs, but then... in the other corner of the galaxy I'm also a member of this little community called wdwmagic.com. Its a place full of people who love the World (Yes, Disney World is THE World) as much as me. I don't have to defined the illogical to them because they just get it. I have read lost of accounts of "magical moments" and reasons why people can't get enough of The Dream. I have my own reasons for loving the place. Most of them are abstract and indescribable. I'll steal Tom Hanks from Sleepless in Seattle for a moment and say, "It's a million tiny little things and when you add them all up..." Yeah, to me the magic of Disney World is about the million Little things. Yes, the rides are fun. I can't wait until I can jump on TSM. (Oh, sorry Toy Story Mania, it's a new ride). But its not about the rides. Its not about the promotions or merchandise. Its about seeing the look on Alex's face when she saw the castle for the first time. The first time she realized she had enough courage to get on Space Mountain, and then I follow her as we rode it again (4 times in a row). Its about fantasy and living in the moment of childhood dreams. Its about the history of the place. I love eating there. I love just walking around. And you know what? I love the waiting.

Today, a person whose member name is kc1296426 posted the above picture on the boards. Its a digitally manipulated picture of the cue area for the Tower of Terror ride. I love this picture. It is Art. To me it represents the side of Disney that I love. The side that you don't see unless you put down your guide map and look around. If you go to Disney once in your life and you freght about getting from TOT to RnRC before the 3:00 showing of LMA you will miss this. Chances are, most of you will never see Walt Disney World through the eyes that stood in line for a ride and saw this picture.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I went to Disney World when I was 11 and I loved it. I can't wait to take my son. I know, I know, Disney is really corporate and ... well ... icky. But come on, its also awesome! How old do you think my son should be when I take him? I want him to be able to ride all the rides and remember it, at least a little, but I don't want to wait till he's 11. He's bordering on that "too cool" age by then.
Who am I kidding, I just really want to go back. When I got pregnant that was one of the first things I thought, "Now I have an excuse to go back to Disney World". Awesome.