My relationship with Disney was not love at first sight. In fact, it was quite the opposite. WHAT?!?!? I can hear all of your gasps and sense your horror. Let me explain before banishing me from the land of Magic Bloggers.
As a child I saw advertisements at the beginning of every Disney movie on VHS that we owned (Yes we owned them ALL) for “the most magical place on earth”. I would stay up most of the night after watching them and dream about going to the best place on earth, knowing full well that my parents would never take me there. No, I was not raised by wolves.
As I grew older I began to despise my friends who had headed to Disney. In my mind, they were throwing money at a business geared towards exploiting families by selling them expensive souvenirs, outlandish priced park tickets and Mickey shaped ice cream bars (Which I had convinced myself tasted like disappointment and dying dreams).
Then I met my husband. It was all hearts and flowers at the beginning like most romances. Then it all changed. I learned his family’s horrid secret; They were… DISNEY fans. Oh and not just Disney fans, they were obsessed.
When I was pregnant with our first child, MousekeDad and I were dragged along with my in laws for my first trip to the most sappy place on earth (Please don’t judge, I was a wayward soul). The trip went horribly. I had morning sickness, I also had the flu and was still feeling jet-legged from my first commercial flight. Mostly I remember laying on a lot of benches while my party enjoyed the park.
Things came to a head in front of Cinderella’s castle. I was exhausted, sick and tired of trying to fake enjoyment for my starry eyed mother-in-law. It was 30 minutes before the fireworks and I begged my husband to take me back to our hotel. “But you will miss the fireworks!” his family exclaimed. In my head I was thinking “Are you people nuts they are JUST fireworks”. I should explain I absolutely love fireworks. I also was entirely sure in that moment that the combination of flu and morning sickness meant certain and immanent death.
Being the loving, doting and conflict fearing Husband I love, MousekeDad sat with me on a bench (I still think we were on the ground but he assures me it wasn’t). He left for a few minutes after making sure I was ok and came back with a funnel cake. He plopped it in my lap and simply said “eat”. So I ate, and as I ate I realized I was feeling better. I was keeping that funnel cake down and the world seemed a little brighter while consuming that bundle of deep fried love. Then the fireworks started and I was mesmerized. These were not just fireworks, they were Magic in the sky. I forgot about being sick, pregnant and calories as I sat eating and staring into the sky. Right before Tinkerbelle’s flight MousekeDad handed me a small Disney store bag. Inside of it was the first item we would ever own for our growing bundle of joy, a bib.
In that moment, from the magic surrounding us, the pixie dust in the air, and my increased hormone level, I cried. I don’t cry often but when I do I make it worth it. I sobbed… on a bench… in Magic Kingdom… in front thousands of onlookers. Somehow it was okay, because in that moment I realized Disney is something bigger than souvenirs, ear hats, and Mickey ice cream. It is family, and memories and magic.
My name is Sarah and I am proud to say, I love Mickey Mouse Ice Cream. It tastes like dreams.
