I’ve been a fan of the Mouse for pretty much as long as I can remember…
I grew up in a very Disney-centric household, with walls covered with cross-stitched pictures of my Mom’s favorite animated scenes and bookshelves filled with seemingly every Disney storybook ever published, not to mention the movies themselves! I believe the first full-length Disney animated feature that I saw in an actual theater was The Little Mermaid, although our VCR can certainly vouch that many more were viewed time and time again in our living room long before that! The characters decorated birthday cakes for me and my sister each year, once computers began to creep into my life, Dad made sure that the creative inspiration kept a presence first through the classic “edutainment” Disney titles and later by actually trying our hands at animating on the computer ourselves – to say that Walt Disney played a significant role in my childhood certainly wouldn’t be an understatement by any means.
So nowadays not much has really changed – I’m a bit taller and I know bigger words than I did back when I first visited Walt Disney World at the tender age of four years old, but I’m still a fan of all that the Mouse stands for through and through. When I walk through the Magic Kingdom, I feel like a kid again … like I can only imagine I felt when I rode the Tea Cups or hugged Mickey Mouse for the first time. Granted, I probably didn’t tear up during the fireworks like I tend to do these days, but I guess there’s just another level of appreciation for all of that magic that builds inside you as the years go by.
My Time with the Mouse… is a monthly column where I discuss all-things Walt Disney World, from favorite memories and occasions to tips for others on how to make their own trips special, and even a few of my own suggestions for making the World a better place as it continues to change and grow. Really, it’s the perfect opportunity for me to share my love of the magic with all of the other dreamers out there who either countdown the days from one trip to another or are still waiting to walk through those gates themselves for the first time.
Besides, who could think of a better creative outlet for a guy who lives within an hour’s drive of The Happiest Place on Earth?!