Florida Bound!!
In a little less than a month I will be making my first trip to Disneyworld, and I could not be more excited! My roommate Laura and I are going to a 45th Anniversary screening of Bedknobs and Broomsticks exclusively for D23 Members (of which my roomie is one). We'll be there for a relatively short time, so rather than try and shove everything into two days, we have decided to focus on The Magic Kingdom which is both of our main interests.
My major fascination with DisneyLand (which I've been to several times) is the ability to step into these films that have meant so much to the formation of my imagination, and my love of story. Cinderella, Snow White, Pinnochio... these stories dictated how I learned about dreams and overcoming obstacles and becoming a good person. And being in those parks allows you to feel like a child again, to indulge in the purest part of yourself.
Fantasyland was always my favorite part of the Disneyland experience, so I am most excited to see the reimagined Fantasyland in Florida with Gaston's Pub, and the Beast's "Be Our Guest" Restaurant, The Little Mermaid Ride, and The Dwarfs Mine Train. Those things alone would probably be enough for me, but add to that the experience of seeing the attractions I love with a slight twist.
I remember my Dad taking my mom and myself to Disneyland when I was eight (he was the only one of us who had been) and how he prepared me by telling me each detail of the rides he loved. He rhapsodized about the hitchhiking ghosts from The Haunted Mansion and each detail of The Peter Pan ride. When I finally got there, I loved getting to see the things I'd imagined through his stories as they really were. It was such a bonding experience for us, and the days of my first trip to Disneyland are some of the clearest and happiest of my young life. Every time I go back I build upon those memories, and I am so excited to go to this new park and experience it for the first time.
Going with someone who loves Disney as unabashedly as I do (and who has been to the park before so is loaded with bits of info and glowing memories) is pretty exciting, and I can't wait to report to you all our adventures when we return.
PS: Cross your fingers that we are able to get a walk-in seat to the "Be Our Guest" Restaurant, as the reservations were booked up two months in advance, and I am aching to eat the "grey stuff" in The West Wing!!!
My major fascination with DisneyLand (which I've been to several times) is the ability to step into these films that have meant so much to the formation of my imagination, and my love of story. Cinderella, Snow White, Pinnochio... these stories dictated how I learned about dreams and overcoming obstacles and becoming a good person. And being in those parks allows you to feel like a child again, to indulge in the purest part of yourself.
Fantasyland was always my favorite part of the Disneyland experience, so I am most excited to see the reimagined Fantasyland in Florida with Gaston's Pub, and the Beast's "Be Our Guest" Restaurant, The Little Mermaid Ride, and The Dwarfs Mine Train. Those things alone would probably be enough for me, but add to that the experience of seeing the attractions I love with a slight twist.
I remember my Dad taking my mom and myself to Disneyland when I was eight (he was the only one of us who had been) and how he prepared me by telling me each detail of the rides he loved. He rhapsodized about the hitchhiking ghosts from The Haunted Mansion and each detail of The Peter Pan ride. When I finally got there, I loved getting to see the things I'd imagined through his stories as they really were. It was such a bonding experience for us, and the days of my first trip to Disneyland are some of the clearest and happiest of my young life. Every time I go back I build upon those memories, and I am so excited to go to this new park and experience it for the first time.
Going with someone who loves Disney as unabashedly as I do (and who has been to the park before so is loaded with bits of info and glowing memories) is pretty exciting, and I can't wait to report to you all our adventures when we return.
PS: Cross your fingers that we are able to get a walk-in seat to the "Be Our Guest" Restaurant, as the reservations were booked up two months in advance, and I am aching to eat the "grey stuff" in The West Wing!!!
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| Artist Rendering of the "Be Our Guest Restaurant" |