Happily Ever After...
Disney is the most magical place on earth. Recently, I had the opportunity to go on a work trip to Orlando, Florida. While I was there, I decided the obvious choice was to stop and take an extra day to see my good pals Mickey and Minnie. It had been a while since I checked in with them. Boy, can I say that was the best decision of my life. To say this trip was planned on the fly would be an understatement outside of the fact that I knew on the last day of my trip I wanted to go to Disney I did not have anything else.
When I got off the plane, I was greeted by the elating sight of Mickey, Minnie, and all their friends instantly, my mood skyrocketed, and I was ready to bounce from place to place. I assumed once I reached the no doubt mid-level hotel chain, I would use my go-to app Air BnB to plan my activities. I was very wrong about my hotel; I was put up in one of the Disney properties and quickly realized my opportunities were endless. Upon arrival, I was offered discounted tickets for park entry that evening for the firework show. Obviously, I jumped at the chance to get a little more Disney in than initially intended. I went back and forth if Disney alone would be any fun or weird as I was adjusting to my new normal.
Now I will say I had prepared two Disney shirts and hair bows in case I made an appearance at the park even though I had no idea if I would use them. I felt the stars were aligning and telling me just to take the risk and go to the park, so I did. I follow my instincts, and I am so happy I did. After unpacking and changing into my Minnie mouse gear, I headed for the park. An anxious and suspenseful ride, I took the hotel bus to the bus parking lot walked from the drop-off area to security through the lines to the Monorail from the Monorail to the entry gates and from the entry gates to Main street. The moment you step foot into the park, things felt different , time stopped, and chills ran through me. I knew instantly I made the right call. People are buzzing past and starting to line up for the firework show I knew being a solo traveler; it had some instant perks. I was able to wiggle my way to the perfect spot to watch the show. Darkness fell upon everyone, and you hear a deep voice over the crowd. “The show will begin in 5 minutes.”
After five long-awaited minutes, the same voice begins with safety instructions, and then he says in the most comforting voice, “And they all live happily ever after.” Quickly, the castle starts its transformation to what I describe as a toy soldier aesthetic. Whizzing around the castle soon, you see the first burst of fireworks. Of course, like everyone else, I had my phone out videotaping, I guess for the folks back home, although we all know you rarely actually go through the photos and videos you take after the trip. Then there came a moment where a story is being told through the various characters, and instinctively, I put down my camera. No hesitation or thought I stood there, enjoying the moment. It could have been the words being said, or the amazement that silence can fall over such a large crowd or the simple fact that Disney magic is impressive, but I could not help but stop, listen & stare into the sky. This 10-minute show takes you on an emotional journey of reflection and empowerment. I spent 10 minutes tears rolling down my face reflecting on the past and what is to come.
The show is exactly what I needed to hear and what I needed to rejuvenate my soul. Many ages, cultures, group sizes made up the inspired that night, but it seemed no matter the age, gender, race, or any other identifiers, everyone was able to take away a message from the show. Disney recently unveiled this new show in May of 2019. This was my first time seeing it, and I could not have been more impressed. Talk about setting an expectation for my full-day visit to come two days later.
After a hard day of work with no Disney, I was ready to take on the park for a full 8 hours before my flight took off that evening. By this time, I used my AirBnB experiences app to find a photographer who will get some great shots for you guys and just make me feel special. Running around like a little kid again, I took the same journey as two nights before to get to the same walk down Main street. I began my day with an hour in Magic Kingdom as I got on the wrong bus instead of taking the bus to Epcot. (Directions are not my strong suit). Giving me just enough time to ride Space Mountain in the single rider line, which allowed me to zip past all the waiting groups.
Once the monorail started running to Epcot, I quickly hopped on the first ride of the day. Upon arrival, I began soaking in the giant round sphere and the rides with growing lines, but I was most excited to see the single rider lines for most of the major roller coasters. I rode Chevy’s ride twice, mission space, and a few other smaller rides before immersing myself in an international journey. I walked through Mexico, Japan, France, Morocco, Canada, England, China, and so many others. I enjoyed a glass of Champagne in France & got a parasol, some henna in Morocco, and even bought an adorable Minnie mouse bag with the Union Jack on it in England. I met Minnie Mouse in France, Mary Poppins in England, and Mulan in China. When I say I was living my best Disney life, I would not be exaggerating. Around 15:30, I decided it was time to take the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom to be on time for my photoshoot with Noelle, a master behind the lens.
Noelle and I got right to it taking pictures from various angles of the castle. All of the sudden standing by the wishing well, we felt one raindrop then two, and instantly it began to downpour so hard I had to duck behind the well to avoid being pelted by aggressive raindrops. Five minutes later, the rain continued, and I began my battle with the very cheap rain poncho that did not end up holding up to me, putting it over my head. Rain poncho 1 vs. Alicia 0, I decided that I wanted these pictures more than I cared about being drenched, so we battled on. Taking jumping photographs and enjoying the fact that no one was in my shots. I lived for these pictures, and this adventure was a real story to tell.
In summary, the first day at Disney, I cried my eyes out and got lost. The second day, I went to two parks in 8 hours, got drenched for a good picture, and had the most magical time possible. I can sum it up by saying…
