Over winter break, I spent a week at The Most Magical Place on Earth. I always have a hard time leaving Disney, and during this trip I started thinking about why it’s so difficult to part with the Mouse. Like Notre Dame, Walt Disney World exists in a “bubble”, with an atmosphere far from the real world. However, the life lessons it teaches me are immensely helpful to navigating college life (and hopefully the real world someday). Why would I want to leave a place that completely changes my outlook on life?
I’ve picked a few of my favorite lines from Disney World that stick with me long after coming home. These mottos show that Disney World is a place for all ages and that spending time there can mean something different to everyone.
1. “To all who come to this happy place, welcome”—Walt Disney
This quote that Walt Disney delivered prior to Disneyland’s opening captures the accepting environment that every corner of the parks exudes. Unlike today’s society, Disney is free from judgements that often discourage self-expression. Every person is welcome as they are, and I think our real world could learn from this unconditional acceptance of others.
2. The Young and the Young at Heart
Disney World always refers to adults as the “Young at Heart”. This subtle detail has always stuck with me because it reminds me to never lose sight of the creativity and wonder we possess as children. College is filled with highs and lows, but the lows tend to have a greater impact on our creativity. But if we are all young at heart, who says that rejection should take away from our imagination?
3. There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
One of my favorite rides at Disney is the Carousel of Progress, a show that begins with early 20th century inventions and ends with the possibilities of tomorrow. Between each segment, the show plays a theme song called “There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”. I love its cheesy lyrics that pick me up after a bad day and keep me looking towards a brighter future.
These mottos only scratch the surface of what Disney teaches everyone, regardless of age. I’ll never outgrow the happy-go-lucky theme parks, because they seem to say the exact right thing at the exact right time in my life. As a new semester starts, Disney offers the positivity I need to take on new beginnings. Like Dory says, “Just Keep Swimming!”
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