Making Magical Memories

Making Magical Memories

       Do you remember your first visit to Disney? I was two when my maternal grandmother decided I just had to go to Disneyland. I still remember that day 50 years ago. But what do I remember?

       What makes Disney memories special is not always what you think it will be. It does usually include Mickey, Minnie or one of the favorite characters and/or a ride but what about that moment truly sticks in your mind and heart forever? Is it the ride experience or the time with the character or is it some other form of Magic?

       I remember riding the Matterhorn Bobsleds that first visit. Do I remember the ride? Not so much. I do remember being on the ride and yelling, “It’s a blast!!” as loud as I could the entire time. What sticks in my heart is what happened moments after that ride. I got off the ride and ran as fast as my little legs would allow while pulling mom behind to my waiting grandmother. She was elderly and could not ride Matterhorn and waited on a bench near the exit for us. I ran to her open arms and jumped into her lap to tell her all about the ride. I squealed as I told her how fast I thought it went, had to be at least a billion miles an hour and laughed at how the old couple (in their 20’s I now think) were moaning. I remember grandma’s smile and her laughter as she listened to my child’s excited view of that magical ride.

       I remember a magical trip under the ocean down to the depth of 20, 000 leagues in a fantastic sub! What amazing creatures we saw! I do remember the live mermaids swimming by. But once again the memory is more vivid when I continue to look back. I remember my grandma’s lap. I was sitting on her lap for the ride because I was a tiny little thing that could not see out the porthole. She hugged me the entire time and we gasped in unison as we saw the mermaids, fish and sea serpent. Her eyes were as big as mine!

       What a magical trip it was to Neverland with Peter Pan. I sat between my grandma and mother. Grandma pointed out London and made comments about going to some of the locations we could see. She was born in England you see. I remember listening to her talk about growing up there more than I remember the ride. The ride holds a special place in my heart because of it.

       Over the years I’ve found it is not the Magical things at Disney that make you gasp and bring tears of joy to your eyes years later it is the moments. It is the shared experience of joy and whimsy. It is not so much meeting Mickey as how your child or someone else responds to Mickey that touches you so.

       So when you to a Disney destination don’t try to “make” memories. Enjoy the moments and let the memories make themselves.