There is Wonder in the World (Thank you, Disney)

What a vacation! Disney really is magic. It’s the land where oppressive heat and giant animated characters collide for some truly stunning results.

I think this goes without saying, but I look my absolute best in 100% humidity. I’m stunning, really, and have been all week. I’ve tried to take tons of selfies so that this is well documented. Hopefully Brian hasn’t minded being a single parent for the duration of the trip. Selfies don’t take themselves you know!

This week has gone markedly better than I imagined it would. We had none of this:

And lots of this:

It’s amazing to me that there is a place on earth that can appeal to such a range of people.

Let’s break this down:

Walt Disney was like, “You know what I think everyone will be totally into? Dressing up like a mouse and walking around a giant sweat basin with thousands of strangers! Yes! The elderly, young children, and everyone in between (from all parts of the world!) will have no qualms whatsoever about throwing on some mouse ears and then heading out for a night on the town! It will be the perfect place! We will serve alcohol and ice cream and giant turkey legs and have a ton of people dress up as rodents (for fun!) and also we will have epically long lines and nobody will care!”

And then all of Walt’s friends were like, “Walt, that’s a foolish idea. Nobody wants to dress up like a rodent and then go out to highly priced dinners wearing giant mouse ears (and likely a poncho).”

And then Walt was like, “Screw you, yes they will. That’s exactly what everyone wants. It will be awesome.”

And then Disney World was created. And Walt was right. It turns out that that’s EXACTLY what everyone wants.

Although it’s beloved by people of all ages, for a toddler parts of Disney must be like a bad acid trip. Nolan would routinely wake up from a nap to see faces like this staring at him:

That must not be creepy at all! Those faces are welcoming. 

Why yes Nolan, when you fell asleep you were just a little boy in the regular world. And when you woke up you were in the middle of a hallucination popularly called “It’s a Small World”

But acid trip or not, you can’t deny the pull of this place. I think it boils down to this:

At the end of the day, Disney gives you the space for magic. It let’s you break some rules and not feel bad about that. It makes you say yes to ice cream for lunch, and yes to staying up past bedtime, and yes to wearing your pajamas to dinner.

It gives you permission to say yes when you normally have to say no. It allows for whimsy. It tells us that we can all still be kids, sometimes, and there is something to be said for that.

It promotes joy.

Disney provides the backdrop for what is most important: spending time with your family. Watching your kids be little. Witnessing children feel pure awe. It reminds you that the classics are sometimes the best. It reminds you that there is wonder in the world.

That’s what all the best vacations do.

Thank you, Walt Disney, for reminding us of the wonder.