This may come across as an ad, though it's not meant to be. It's a series of observations made while briefly visiting to Disneyworld this past weekend with my wife and extended family visiting from Ireland.
Despite my belief that Disney couldn't be so special, I learned Disneyworld really is a magical place. The magic, however, does not reside in what Disney does, how it is presented, or what it provides. That is all a manifestation of Disney’s corporate pursuit of perfection, a laudable and wonderful goal which its cast members manage to achieve daily. Before I explain the magic, I'd like to consider a few things Disney is capable of accomplishing each and every day.
Every morning, they restock and restore food and merchandise stocks to accommodate about 53,000 people. When you consider the average US town is about 20,000 residents, Disneyworld is a fairly large town (2 and a half times as large as the average US town). This town is renewed each day with new 'citizens' with a myriad of different tastes and desires. Many, if not all, share the love of Disney products of some kind, but there is no accounting for the plethora of other wants and needs that arrive daily. From the number of chicken fingers needed to the amount of spaghetti required, the slushies and ice cream served to mouse ears sold - Disney has quite a large number of items to prepare for each and every day. Yet Disney manages to fulfill its requirements in a more than adequate fashion. I'd go so far as to say they overachieve their goals each day, based on my experience.
When you arrive, you are met by a representative ("cast member") who smiles, welcomes you, checks your bags, checks your ticket, maybe one who gives you advice or information, another may direct you to food, or rides, or restrooms. Still another may direct you to the buses or monorails, and one even wishes you good night as you leave. All of them do their jobs with a smile or wave, I didn't see a single cast member looking dour or bothered. There are others who help you get on and off rides, buses and monorails and still others who manage the long lines. I shouldn't have to mention the security or the wait staff at the stores or resorts, or even the ride operators themselves. Point is, Disney works its ass off, so do their cast members, and they do it with a smile, a wave, and always with a caring and fun demeanor. Shirts are sold that say “Happiest Day Ever”. Meanwhile you can see many parents wear “Most Expensive Day Ever.” Both of these sentiment are likely true. But if it is expensive (yes, it really is, even if you are used to New York prices), you really do get what you pay for, and more. Nobody feels good parting with large sums of money. I have to say it pained me to pay for this trip...but I walked out with a completely satisfied feeling and a smile on my face.
It’s not just rides. It’s music, parades, light shows, character meetings and meals, fireworks and even movies (Cinderella’s castle becomes a giant movie screen, amazingly, in a multimedia late-night event). If it rains, it doesn’t matter. Smiling cast members arrive and parade about in umbrellas or on vehicles. They are singing in the rain and having a great time, so much so that you can’t help but enjoy it, too. They stop and hug adults and children, high-five them, dance with them. This is a non-stop party.
Beyond just the Magic Kingdom, it's amazing to see EPCOT and realize Walt had envisioned this in an era when people rarely traveled outside of the USA. It was his way of bringing the world to the citizens of the US, and helping them learn about other cultures and giving them the opportunity to see the world without having to go too far. Today, people can and do travel to these places regularly. Somehow, despite this, Walt managed to see this outcome, and EPCOT still provides a great way to enjoy the rest of the world even if you've been to the locales it features (and I have been to most of them). His forward-thinking vision and his commitment to excellence (a commitment which remains in place today throughout the park) has served him and his company well. Sure, it's a "Disneyfied" version of these countries, but I mentioned to my wife that we'd been to Bratislava only 2 years earlier and we found it incredibly enjoyable despite commenting that it seemed like a Disney version of a Central European city. Maybe Walt was on to something.
So far I've commented on what most people seem to think the 'magic' of Disney is. I really haven't even touched on that yet, though. Everything I mentioned is really just the setting and the mechanics which make the magic happen. Because the magic happens with each individual. The magic is what makes this the "happiest place on earth." The magic is the people. Not the cast members. The visitors themselves and the joy they bring.
It's easy to criticize most Americans anytime, anywhere. That's true at Disneyworld, too. It's a cross-section of every American stereotype you can imagine. I'd go into detail, but I don't feel that is necessary or even justifiable. These people don't show up to have some urban elite-type make fun of them. That's too easy to do and it's unfair to them. They're just there to have a good time with their families and friends. That's where the magic starts. But the magic is deeper than this. Looking around, your first impression may be (because mine was) "wow, this is one helluva cult." You really can't help but think that with the mouse ears, shirts and overwhelming amount of paraphenalia. You can think cult all you want, but when you find yourself singing along to the music of "Heffalumps and Woozles" during the late night movie on the castle, you stop talking about the behavior you earlier may have derided.
So looking past all the work Disney does - what is the magic, exactly? The magic is the smile on a child's face when he/she is hugging their favorite character or princess. It's the number of young girls dressed as a Snow White or Cinderella or the little boys dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow. All indulging themselves because they are finally part of the movies they love so much. What's more enjoyable than the squeal of laughter while a child plays tag with Pluto or Goofy?
There's deeper magic than this, though. It's found in the depth of love which is displayed on many shirts, or in the behavior of many parents. Shirts that read something like "Cancer diagnosed. Chemo starts. Marrow replacement a success. 1/1/2018 Cancer beaten. 6/2/2018 Jenny celebrates at Disneyworld." Seeing a young girl with a disfigured face in a stroller that was clearly made by her father to look EXACTLY LIKE Cinderella's carriage just so she could BE A PRINCESS. Then seeing dad take Cinderella out of the carriage to dance with her in front of Cinderella's castle while a band plays.
Disneyworld is fun for a person my age, sure. I have to admit it was my first visit (at age 56), and I'd really had no incentive to ever go before. I had fun (we met family from Ireland who were coming over for their first time, too), and it's not really my cup of tea. I might go again when I have grandkids, but it's not a place I want to vacation regularly. Despite this, I really was able to love this place and think it a worthwhile investment of time and money. It was enjoyable not because of the fun I had, but seeing the magic that everyone talks about. Seeing young children being wheeled out at 10pm, dead asleep in their strollers with smiles on their faces, after the fireworks.
If you're not on board with it, if you don't see it, if you're the kind of person who thinks this is just a means of separating you from your money, you lack humanity. I really believe that. I'd waved this trip off for years because I'm not a Disney-type person. I had no desire to give them any money. But I'd forgotten there is a part of myself in all this. I'd grown up on these films, and the memories all came rushing back when I saw how much those children enjoyed them. Sure it's a corporation and of course they are in it for the money. But this is Capitalism at its VERY BEST. Value for money, getting what you pay for, and loving every second.
