At Disney, There’s Something for Everyone
One of our last memories before moving to Korea was a family trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando. And as recent tragedies have taken place both in the parks and in the surrounding area, I wanted to touch upon the beauties of humanity and nature I experienced while at the Happiest Place on Earth. I have to say, it is called that for a reason. As a child, I had always wanted to go to Disney World, but never quite got around to it. I saw all the TV commercials about Disney World, with the Flying Dumbo ride, roller coaster rides with Roger Rabbit and pictures with Mickey and Minnie in front of Cinderella’s Castle. But the strange thing was, I did not really care about what to do there, although I was always a huge fan of Cinderella. I just wanted to be there—at Disney World. It was a special kind of magic that had a lure of its own. So I determined, as sort of a parenting bucket list item, that my children will visit Disney World during their childhood. Fortunately, my brother helped me cross that off the list, as he obtained employment there, and we were able to visit the parks free of charge, which helped immensely, as a trip with three kids would have cost a considerable sum.
On our drive down to Orlando, I found the natural environment in Florida to be beautiful, unique and intriguing. The palmettos, the Spanish moss hanging like beards from ancient trees, snowy egrets and blue herons stalking the shallow lakes like pond ornaments. I even kept my eyes on lookout for gators by the roadside everyone I knew seemed to keep fussing about. I actually wanted to see one; but anytime we stopped, and I looked, I did not find one. Even inside the parks we visited, including Epcot and Magic Kingdom, nature seemed to overlap with Disney infrastructure, which resulted in grave consequences at a particular resort this past year. However, the man-made lakes throughout Epcot teemed with numerous ducks and egrets, completely at ease and unafraid of the usual crowds. It was as though, despite the loud attractions and throngs of tourists, people and nature coexisted in harmony, which was very moving to me.
After a few hours of huffing around after my kids, I found myself dying for a Starbucks (Downtown Disney has one now) as I craved both refreshment and caffeine. And I knew I could not have been alone in this as a parent strolling the expansive grounds of Disney World. This is when my brother took us inside the big Golf Ball, and showed us an International Food and Wine Festival—which, to me, seemed very un-Disney. But it was such a relief to be able to sit down in a cool terraced auditorium and take in a coffee demonstration, covering different ways to brew, drip and press different types of coffees to get different types of flavors. And the best part were the free samples, which just about satisfied my Starbucks itch! I also snagged an adorable Remy the Rat doll with my brother’s 30% cast member discount. And we were also able to get one-stop shopping indoor photo ops with different Disney characters without the ghastly outdoor lines necessary to score commercial-grade Mickey pics in front of Cinderella’s Castle. Although for some, those are worth the hassle.
We then strolled through Magic Kingdom, we visited several cultural exhibits like Bavaria, Polynesia and Mexico; but the attraction we spent the most time in, one that was correlative to our children’s roots, was the Japan exhibit. Inside was like a Little Tokyo, with Sanrio, Pokemon, Beyblade, Transformers merchandise colorfully displayed with “testers” for demonstration purposes. But what stood out the most was the oyster tank, where for about $15, you could select a pearl bearing oyster and keep the pearl as a souvenir, or pay a little extra to have it set into jewelry, which my brother did to make a ring for his girlfriend. The Japan exhibit also boasted an on-site candy artist, who could fashion a sort of lollipop into any creature you ask for. My sons asked for dragons, but I also saw how skillfully and exquisitely the lady crafted a parrot, even tweaking the candy with extra pleats for feathers!
But the most memorable event of all, which, I believe to be the highlight of a Disney trip is the late-night parade in Magic Kingdom, right in front of Cinderella’s Castle. This is where Tinkerbell “flies” across the sky waving her wand between the tallest turret of Cinderella’s Castle and Tomorrowland Terrace to signal the beginning of the fireworks display and the parade, featuring floats from all the different Disney movies and characters—my favorite was Captain Hook’s pirate ship float. But what intrigued me the most, perhaps, was a few of the people who surrounded us—the faces in the crowd that often disappear when it gets dark and the attractions light up. I noticed a little girl in a wheelchair who was dressed in an Ariel costume from “The Little Mermaid.” I complimented her costume, and her mother said she had the full Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique makeover, which includes the costume dress, a glitter-gel princess bun up-do, topped off with a tiara comb and a signature rhinestone Mickey barrette. Her father mentioned that they were from Mexico, and that it was their daughter’s dream to go to Disney World just one time in her young life. They mentioned she did not have very long, and I knew not to ask any questions. All I could say is that I had the same dream for my own children, and that I was happy she could make it—and that I absolutely loved her costume.
All in all, Disney, and Orlando’s surrounding natural environment, possess an unexplainable magic, much of which I have yet to discover, even after three previous trips. At Disney World, there is something for everyone; and the Disney dream continues to bring all ages, races, creeds and ethnicities together to celebrate one big party, and proves that it really is a small world, after all!
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