Distilling Disney

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Boss Radio, what a great post, a fantastic addition to my OP! Dig!

Must sleep now, much more on this tomorrow.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Man, we must have all got an overdose of magic this weekend.

I know that I did, from the moment I pulled into the parking lot.

Now to humbly add to the discussion. I must preface by saying that CP and Boss Radio are hard acts to follow though. You both made such wonderful posts.

One of the comments I have made most often at the park is that I feel "centered". It is like a therapy session, a total state of relaxation, no matter how big the crowds are or how long the line for Space Mountain is. I always feel myself letting out this big sigh of relief when I walk through the tunnels, as if I am home. (Of course, when Main Street is lined with cast members welcoming you home it really accentuates that feeling.) I truly leave the stress of the world behind when I walk through its gates. And as someone who has more than a passing interest in Buddhism, I find a lot in common with how I feel at Disneyland and the sense of being centered that comes with meditation.

And strangely, I am not that big of a "Disney" geek. I love a lot of the movies but I don't know them all by heart. I'm not especially attached to any one character. I don't know the lyrics to all the songs. I know that many "geeks" love everything that is part of Disney. For me though, my specific geekiness is focused on the park and Walt Disney's dream, rather than the company as a whole. And it is only Disneyland Park. I have visited WDW and it just didn't do it for me. It wasn't as quaint and it wasn't as magical. I'm sure others disagree but that's just MHO. Maybe it's that DL was the first one but I suspect that it has to do more with the fact that I know that Walt put everything he could muster into this park. He walked its streets, rode the rides, he was and will always be the most special part of it.

Once on another board, just to be odd, I decided to post a trip report, circa 1973. Those are my earliest recollections of the park and they are still so ingrained into me that writing a trip report was easier than I thought. It wrote itself. I remember everything about those trips, even though I was so young. I remember how I felt on the rides, what they made me think and wonder about. Those thoughts all resurface to this day when I ride those same rides. I can stare in wonder at the pirate ship firing its cannonballs or the ghosts in the ballroom or even the magic carpets floating around Small World. And to be honest, I feel very priviliged to still be able to suspend disbelief and let my imagination take over. It keeps me young, it keeps me sane, and it keeps me happy. And most importantly, as an artist, it keeps me creative. I have a constant reminder that there are no bounds to imagination. If you can think of it, you can make it happen. It is an invaluable part of the creative process.

And for too many years, I thought that there was something odd or rather, unique, about my attachment to Disneyland. It never occurred to me that there were so many other people that felt like I did. Meeting everyone and being able to share all of these thoughts and musings has taken my appreciation to a new level and I cherish that I have all of you in my life to share it with. So glad to know you all.

Ok, time for bed. I'm gettin' punchy

[Boss Radio]

Originally Posted by Motorboat Cruiser

I can stare in wonder at the pirate ship firing its cannonballs or the ghosts in the ballroom or even the magic carpets floating around Small World. And to be honest, I feel very priviliged to be able to still be able to suspend disbelief and let my imagination take over. It keeps me young, it keeps me sane, and it keeps me happy. And most importantly, as an artist, it keeps me creative. I have a constant reminder that there are no bounds to imagination. If you can think of it, you can make it happen. It is invaluable to being creative.

You nailed it.
Imagination. Pure imagination.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Motorboat Cruiser

Man, we must have all got an overdose of magic this weekend.

Hell yes. I've been trying to articulate these feelings for a long time. The total immersion of the past weekend definitely made it all the more possible.

Originally Posted by MBC

And strangely, I am not that big of a "Disney" geek.
<snip>
For me though, my specific geekiness is focused on the park and Walt Disney's dream, rather than the company as a whole. And it is only Disneyland Park.

There's nothing strange about it. Each of us has a focus. I know my main focus is the park itself. I'm about to visit my first other Disney park (Paris in Oct) and I know that no matter how beautiful it is, it will not compare to home sweet home.

Originally Posted by MBC

I remember everything about those trips, even though I was so young. I remember how I felt on the rides, what they made me think and wonder about. Those thoughts all resurface to this day when I ride those same rides. I can stare in wonder at the pirate ship firing its cannonballs or the ghosts in the ballroom or even the magic carpets floating around Small World. And to be honest, I feel very priviliged to still be able to suspend disbelief and let my imagination take over.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I'd like to hear from those that feel more at home at WDW. I know from the many trip reports I've read over the years that there is magic to be found at every Disney destination. How does WDW make you feel?

I once came across a book about Celebration, FL, the suburban experiment that Disney set up. I didn't have the time to read it though. There are actually a few books written on Celebration. The idea of applying all that Disney has learned about Utopia into a real-life community interests me greatly, and I might have to dig up one of those. After I get to Harry Potter.

It's funny to me that I love the subject, since I hate homeowners associations and the communistic mediocrity I feel they harbor. Gated communities with homogenous houses couldn't be further from Walt's dream! Just look at Main Street, or anywhere else in Disneyland for that matter. Individuality is a part of the magic.

Homowners associations also involve FORCED caring. I'm polite at Disneyland because the environment engenders politeness. I pick up trash, not because anyone tells me to, but because I want the park to be clean. I find this bleeding over into my "real life", where my interactions with patrons at the library are as close to CM quality as I can make them (although I never went through Mickey U). I can only hope that the citizens of Celebration find that it's not rules that make the community magical, it's the voluntary participation.

[Boss Radio]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

I once came across a book about Celebration, FL, the suburban experiment that Disney set up. I didn't have the time to read it though. There are actually a few books written on Celebration. The idea of applying all that Disney has learned about Utopia into a real-life community interests me greatly, and I might have to dig up one of those. After I get to Harry Potter.

It's funny to me that I love the subject, since I hate homeowners associations and the communistic mediocrity I feel they harbor. Gated communities with homogenous houses couldn't be further from Walt's dream! Just look at Main Street, or anywhere else in Disneyland for that matter. Individuality is a part of the magic.

Homowners associations also involve FORCED caring. I'm polite at Disneyland because the environment engenders politeness. I pick up trash, not because anyone tells me to, but because I want the park to be clean. I find this bleeding over into my "real life", where my interactions with patrons at the library are as close to CM quality as I can make them (although I never went through Mickey U). I can only hope that the citizens of Celebration find that it's not rules that make the community magical, it's the voluntary participation.

I became fascinated with the concept, because it sounded like a real-world application - albeit scaled-down - of Walt's Progress City. A pure product of socio-economic engineering that would create a model community of the future.

People lined up, drew straws and the place sold out immediately.

I once bought something Disney-related from a resident, and I asked him about, and he was so happy that it was scary.

I think that in the not too distant future, we can expect to see themed developments that cater to specific segments of the population.

But I'm still holding out for Progress City. I want my moving sidewalk!

[Stan4dSteph]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

I'd like to hear from those that feel more at home at WDW.

In general, this is me. I grew up going to WDW, not DL.

BTW, Celebration is no longer owned by Disney.

There was an interesting article on Tues. on MousePlanet where each staff member wrote down some of their memories/feelings of Disney. Link

[Kels]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

I once came across a book about Celebration, FL, the suburban experiment that Disney set up. I didn't have the time to read it though. There are actually a few books written on Celebration. The idea of applying all that Disney has learned about Utopia into a real-life community interests me greatly, and I might have to dig up one of those. After I get to Harry Potter.

This piqued my interest. When I was high school I did an extensive report on the Walt Disney Co. for my economics class. It was right around the time that Celebration was established and I was facinated with it. I'm a little ashamed to say I haven't really thought about is since. A quick google search led me to their official website. I've only perused for a minute or two but once again I'm enthralled. Wow, a real live Stepford (in a sense). There are also some pics here. One interesting thing that I noticed is that it snows nightly on Market Street from Nov. 25-Dec 31st. Hmm.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Thanks for the link....it makes for amazing reading!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

From the Mouseplanet reminiscing, here's a bit by Mike Scopa that sounds a lot like what MBC was describing.

Which time was most memorable? It could have been the two or three times when I actually forgot the day of the week it was. It might have been the first time I saw my children interact with the characters.

It could have been but it wasn't.

On that visit, on the very first night we watched the Fantasy In the Sky fireworks something changed inside of me. I did not realize it at the time but I was making my first journey into the "Disney Zone." I was free of stress, free of worry, and free of care.

I guess you could say I was filled with "Disney Magic" at that moment and I knew that I had found the one place on Earth I could depend on to release me from the cares of everyday life. That moment brought with it some unexpected tears which still surface today. It was a special moment that transformed me forever.

I'm still reading, there's so much there...