Roger Colton has sent us the perfect story for Christmas week. We invite you to think back to your warmest Disney memories and share that special moment of magic you fondly remember from the parks.
I am lucky in that living in California, I get to visit Disneyland several times each year. And each visit, there is that moment when I am taken back to my first visit to the Park. Usually, that happens after passing through the gates, with a view of the Main Street Station as a train of the Disneyland Railroad comes to a stop. It is like the opening of a great adventure story.
For me that first visit was back in the summer of 1965 or 1966. Memory is funny and I can’t recall exactly which. But it was a big family adventure. All of us in the Volkswagen bus making the trip down the Pacific Coast along US-101 from Mountain View in the Bay Area to Pasadena (where relatives lived at the time) and then on to Anaheim and Disneyland. It was a special moment when we first spied the Matterhorn as we headed to the Park. Taking it all in was more than a bit overwhelming. Yet, we wouldn’t have missed any of it.
Now it is many years later and many days at Disneyland have passed. There have been some great times with many people. Family, old friends and friends made new. Some of those people no longer with us. But each day, there is a moment of Disney magic that takes me right back to that first day.
One in particular comes to mind from Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. I watched a young girl with her father board a pirate ship for the adventure ahead, flying with Peter Pan off to Neverland. It was the smile on her face that told all of what Disneyland is truly about. That shared moment of fun; entertainment for children of all ages.
And in that moment, you could see how right Walt Disney was. When he first thought of a park, it was to have such a sharing for everyone. Say what you will, but that smile proved it.
So, on your next visit to the Park, remember that more than a few people – children of all ages – are seeing Disneyland for the first time. Taking in all of the magic and having their own special memories created. Here’s hoping that seeing them enjoy it as much as you did on your first visit takes you back to your own special moment.
Do you have a special memory of seeing someone experience the Disney magic for the first time?