"I think what I want Disneyland to be most of all is a happy place--a place where adults and children can experience together some of the wonders of life, of adventure,
and feel better because of it."
~Walt Disney
I'm getting excited because I'm planning a trip to Disneyland with my son and granddaughter this summer. Today I am feeling grateful for the vision and imagination of Walt Disney, a man who believed in the power of dreams and envisioned a world where dreams really do come true. I'm grateful for this place where children and adults can experience fun and adventure together and feel the wild spirit of playfulness and inspiration.
I think Walt must have been a big kid at heart. One of Disney's Imagineers Bruce Gordon is quoted as saying, "I always believed the reason Walt built Disneyland was that he wanted one. He wanted the biggest train layout; he wanted a place for all his toys. In the park he had an apartment above the fire station. Walt would get up early in the morning, before the park opened, and he'd drive his fire truck around Disneyland. People would think he was crazy, but he was playing with his toy."
His delight and joy and passion for life permeated all of his creations. At the heart of all that he did was a deep respect for nature, a strong sense of integrity, a great deal of optimism, unbounded imagination...and an absolute delight in life. That's what we feel at Disneyland. We leave the world and all its cares behind as we enter the Magic Kingdom. There is a feeling of entering through some kind of portal to another dimension of time and space. You're not just going to a theme park; you're on a journey to a land of imagination and magic.
I was about 8 or 9 years old the first time I went to Disneyland. That was in the early 1960s. Do you know, I still have an "E" ticket from those early days...in fact I've got it right here! All these years later, it is one of my most treasured possessions, for the memories it evokes. "E" tickets were my favorite; good for admission to the Monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Jungle Cruise and the Enchanted Tiki Room! Since those days I've been back many times, with my kids on several occasions, and with a grandchild. I love it as much now as I did then. I still feel the magic.
As I write, I can almost hear Jiminy Cricket singing...
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you.
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do.
Thank you, Walt, and Mickey, and Jiminy, and Peter Pan and Tink...be seeing you real soon!
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