I’ve always been a huge Disney fan. My parents tell me that even as a toddler I instantly reached for anything having to do with Disney. In fact, I don’t believe I can remember never knowing Mickey Mouse. I am reasonably certain that along with my childhood teddy bear, a plush Mickey went with me on numerous adventures as a child. However, I don’t think that I really became a big Disney fan until I first visited Disneyland.
I remember a few things from that trip but I recently realized that the things I remember most- the things I’ll never forget- are the small things. I remember our grand entrance into Disneyland; we entered the park through the right side tunnel. This being our first trip to The Park, we stuck to the sidewalk, going around Town Square. Everything seemed so big, bright and perfect to my tiny eyes. Taking the long way around Town Square made the next moment even more magical and something I’ll never forget; as we turned down Main Street, I got my first view of Sleeping Beauty Castle! I instantly fell in love with Disneyland and with what I still feel is the most beautiful building in the world- that castle!
The rest of those days at Disneyland are now a mishmash of memories; I remember when my sister first saw Cinderella and was too excited to speak and my first trip through the Haunted Mansion- I wanted to figure out how they got those ghosts to appear! As soon as I got home, I wanted to find out as much as I could about Disneyland and the man who created it.
That first Disneyland visit transformed me from an average kid who liked all things Disney into a full-fledged Disney fanatic. When I wasn’t begging my parents for money to buy some Disney book or toy, I was begging them to take me back to Disneyland. When other kids had grown out of Disney and went on to other pursuits, I became even more of a fan- going to new Disney animated films, buying Disney classics on video and still wanting to strap on mouse ears and fly on Dumbo.
So the big question that I know we’ve all been asked- (I assume that if you’re reading this, you’re about as crazy about Disney as I am) why Disney? People often try to figure it out for themselves; it’s because of my birthday, (December 5th) my parents, or some repressed desire to be a kid again. I can safely reject the first one- I was already on the road to being a Disney fanatic well before I found out that Walt was born on December 5th. (That’s a story for another time, in any case.)
So what about the parent theory? That guess has seemingly more truth to it. My parents were definitely part of the reason why I did become such a Disney fanatic, but not for the reasons you might be thinking. Back before the SUV driving soccer mom who packs up her kids into the Explorer for an afternoon at the Mall Cineplex became a cliché, my mom used to plan surprise trips to the movies for my sister and I. We watched just about all of Walt Disney’s classics on these special adventures- Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, etc. These films are all the more special to me for the wonderful memories they bring back of our special movie nights.
About that last theory- a desire to be a kid again- it’s probably somewhat true, but I think that other than family memories, the other big reason why I’m a Disney fan is Walt Disney himself. Walt Disney is such an inspiration; he just about willed things into existence. His brother is also someone to be looked up to; after all, he had the unenviable job of finding money for all of Walt’s so-called crazy ideas. I can’t think of better role-models for the great things that can happen to those who follow their dreams!
To me, Disney means so much; fun family memories and pursuing one’s dreams. So that’s what drives my Disney fascination. So what will I be writing about in this column? I plan to write about the things that seem to be small and insignificant but really make Disney what it is. I’ll mention the smaller things that make a Disney film, theme park or television show unique and special to me. The Small Stuff!
