I’ve heard some talk lately from parents and grandparents who are about to visit Walt Disney World. They’ve been worried, because the kids in the party have realized that the characters “aren’t real”. They worry that the magic will be ruined for the little ones.
That started me thinking (always dangerous.) Why do we visit Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and take Disney Cruises? What makes them magical, even though we’re old enough to know the truth about characters?
For me, characters are just part of the Disney magic. Yeah, I love meet and greets, even at my age. There’s something special about receiving a hug from Chewbacca or Winnie the Pooh. It takes me back, and for a moment I do feel like a child again.
But a Disney vacation is about so much more than seeing characters! It’s about more than rides, shows, and dining. It’s about making memories. It’s about atmosphere. It’s about leaving the real world behind, even if it’s just for a few hours.
I was a child when my family and I first visited Disneyland. We were there for one day, part of a bigger vacation. I was probably still around the age where I could suspend disbelief. I can’t tell you if we saw one character on that trip. But I can tell you what we did see, the brand new Main Street Electrical Parade. I was in awe, and I still am to this day.
You know what else I remember about that day? I remember having a great time with my family! My mom didn’t like rides, so my dad rode things with my two sisters and me. I couldn’t wait to tell my mom all about it once we got off. It was a near perfect day, definitely what core memories are all about. That was the day that my love of the Disney Parks was born. I relive it a bit each time I return to Disneyland with my own daughter.
There’s so much more to a Disney vacation than believing in characters. If you’re traveling with kids who don’t want to believe, that’s okay. There is plenty more magic to go around. And who knows, the kids might decide that a hug from Mickey is pretty cool after all.