Walt Disney World

"Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever."

-Walt Disney

The one place I can go to again and again and again and it is just like the first time I ever went, is Walt Disney World. It truly is the happiest place on earth. I was raised on Walt Disney movies and characters, and the messages and dreams and laughter Disney provided. I think Disney work is yet another great influence in my life in so many areas.

Each time I go to Walt Disney World, I am reminded of all the special feelings I get from all the classics and the music that remind me to hold onto your dreams, think happy thoughts and you'll feel as though you can fly, don't lie or your nose will grow, explore a whole new world from a different view, believe in magical things, and to this day I still wish upon a star. Almost every night, in fact.

Walt Disney was a brilliant visionary. He had all the pictures in his mind to make his dreams a reality. I always held onto my dreams. Everything I ever said I would do, I found a way of doing it. But even more so, when I went to Disney earlier in the month, I am reminded of Disney the man. There were so many other great qualities of this man that is represented not only in his work, but in these theme parks.

Disney had a phenomenal appreciation for this country and it's history. He had a fabulous appreciation for history in general! In the Magic Kingdom, the first thing you walk into is Main Street U.S.A and you are reminded of the great old days of our country in the early 1900s, with the trolley driving around and the hold town style buildings and cinema movies. HE captured the great Frontier of our country in Frontierland, and in Liberty Square it is always amazing to sit and see the Hall of Presidents where you are reminded of the privilege of what it means to have freedom.  

Of course there is Fantasy everywhere you look, but Walt's love for the future and technology and innovation brings you Tomorrowland, and the Carousel of Progress allows you to remember our country's roots of where we came from and where we got, and where we could possibly go to. 

This year we happened to also go to Epcot and the first thing we did was Spaceship Earth. Inside the ride takes you back to the beginning of time and you travel through the history of not only our country but our universe! To the times of the caveman and the days of exploration, the time we discovered fire and paper, then writing, language, and documentation, and saving old books and learning.

If there is one thing that kept standing out in my mind that I could appreciate so much is Disney's value on learning and preserving our history. He always encouraged good skills like always growing and building your mind, educating yourself, never stop using your brain. Whether it was from history, technology, reading books, using your imagination, use your brain! He knew it is our greatest tool and should be used and constantly worked on! 

His love for our earth you could see in Future World from learning about the fish in the ocean, seeing Figment and using your imagination, or even going into outer space! Ellen DeGeneres does a ride that teaches about energy and not only learning about energy but the importance to it in our world and how we should pay more attention to it to preserve our earth. Even in "The Land" attraction, Simba teaches the circle of life in a different way and encourage people to take care of our planet and be involved in seeking new ways to stop pollution and grow our plants and save energy.

I know there are many days where we see other people and get frustrated and say "Well no on else cares and I am tired of caring, so why should I!" I know I felt that way recently when I had an overflow of recyclables at TMAFC and I was getting frustrated on finding a solution to properly recycle them when it would be so much easier to throw them in the trash! (I DID recycle them). And seeing in Walt Disney the importance of such a thing, it gave me hope. Not only for our world, but just to think that enough people see these attractions of ALL ages, that seeds are planted for people to go out and treat our world in a better way.

And of course the World Showcase is absolutely fantastic. Disney's appreciation for the different cultures of the world is unparallelled. And needless to say it was nice to see my relatives in Italy and Norway, see the eiffel tower, see Mark Twain and Ben Franklin rejuvenate our patriotism for our country, and of course who doesn't want to play in China all day!!

There are two other parks, Hollywood Studios, showcasing his love for movie making and theater using imagination in a different way, and Animal Kingdom for his love of animals. Walt Disney was truly a well rounded, grateful guy. All of Walt Disney World truly embodies who this man was and has affected people in more ways than one could really imagine. When I think of Disney World, it gives me a great rush of happiness and a special kind of feeling nothing else really can. A lot of it has to do with fond treasured memories, gratitude for what it stands for (the MANY things it stands for), and with all the people I've had the pleasure of sharing it with.

I think the only thing that could EVER make me leave the life I know now and start all over is if I were to move to Disney World. Not Florida! Disney World! And I am dead serious about that. If you have never gone, it is well worth planning someway, somehow, a trip to Walt Disney World.

Yours in service,

MASTER A TRENTO