Keep Dreamin'

“To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past...and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America...with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” - Walt Disney


Now I'm not going to Disneyland (that's in July), but I am going to Walt Disney World on Wednesday and I cannot wait. And whenver I mention my fasination with the company and the parks, some people question me. "Why?" And I guess - in all fairness - it's a good question.

Why would a 21-year-old be so very excited to meet Mickey Mouse for the 10th time? Why should a 21-year-old wait in a line surrounded by 4-year olds in princess gowns to meet Snow White?

The answer is simple - happiness.

I am beyond happy when I am in Walt Disney World. Not that other people aren't - far from it. I have some very important memories from WDW. For example - it's where I saw my dad smile even though he knew he was dying. It was where my mom and dad had their honeymoon and it was where we were able to forget that dad was sick for a week in April of 1999. Not only do I have those memories of Dad in the parks, but also Mom and Tyler in the parks - being carefree and happy. And I don't think I've seen anyone in my family as happy since then. Yes - we went in 2001 for Christmas and it was just as magical, but we had lost Dad and the sparkle that we all had had two years earlier was missing. And recently I was able to do a whirl-wind trip with Ernestine and Clayton - a memory that I hope I do not forget as I can now pride myself on saying I've done Disney in 17 hours. And now I get to go with a new group of people - a group of people who love Disney just as much as I do - if not more.

And even though I'm working for the company and I know how some of the magic happens - I don't care. I'm still an 8 year old when I see costumed characters and get autographs and pins and wear my Mouse ears.


I'm also asked sometimes "Why do you want to work for Disney?" and my answer is pretty simple - to be happy. I don't want a job where I don't want to go to work. I want to also make other people happy. I want to be able to do something that someone will remember for the rest of their lives.