Catchy tunes ring happily throughout the park. The smell of ice cream and cotton candy waft into the air, seemingly from nowhere or as a result of magic. Your smile widens as you walk past cast members who wave hello from behind the food cart. It’s the trip that every child dreams of, and every parents wish to surprise their kids with; this is the beloved trip to Disney World, college addition.
My first magical experience at Disney World happened when I was a tiny child. (About six years-old) So naturally everything at the park was a huge, gigantic, magical land! And despite the fact that I am now a taller child aka. a freshman in college I decided, why not go back?
My college provides J-Term. This is when classes are offered during the month of January right after Christmas Break. The one that I ended up going on was to… you guessed it, Disney World. Yeah, that’s right. I got college credit for going to Disney World and a Disney Cruise, what’s better than that? I jumped on board, and next thing I knew I was heading to Disney.
Soon though I had a worrying thought, what if Disney won’t feel magical because I’m not a kid?
I began to think I made a mistake in wanting to go. We’d all be going backstage to see the magic that typical park guests don’t see. I could visit and ruin all the magical memories about Disney that I had. And beside that fact, I am a college student. That means I’m a grown up, right? (or supposed to be) I still LOVE watching Disney movies, and hope to join their team someday, but I wasn’t sure how magical it would feel after knowing how it all works. Boy was I wrong!
The moment I got off the plane my group was greeted by Disney Cast members and we were escorted to a special Disney transportation bus and driven to our hotel. The entire atmosphere was incredible. From the themed hotels and Disney themed food you couldn’t get more magical than that… oh wait it did! When my group arrived at the parks the next morning something clicked, and my inner child was released. I skipped in past the main gate and looked up main street and there it was, Cinderella’s Castle. It was still as grand and beautiful as I remember. I spun around excited to what else there was. There were characters dancing in the streets, shops making fresh cookies, and so many happy people! Disney does such a great job in immersing its guests in a world that is no longer in Florida, or anywhere else on the plant; that is because you are now in Disney World. All the different rides there cater to children of all ages, teen and adults. I found myself acting like a little kid as I waited in line to meet one of my favorite characters, Peter Pan. I learned that all of the characters will still interact with you even though you’re not a child. So go for it, ask peter to fly to Neverland and see his response.
(P.S. Rapunzel and the Evil Step Sisters were also great character meet experiences!)
And for those out there blessed with a food allergy, fear not. Disney is great with catering to that! I traveled with a dairy allergy, my friend was a vegan and someone else was gluten intolerant. Disney works magic and it is delicious!
The only difference visiting now and a kid is that I realize I can be at Disney all the time and get paid for it. Three words, Disney College Program. Working at Disney is my next big step dream in life. There is something special about Disney that brings out my inner child, and I want to bring that magic to others. So next time you are deciding if you’re too old for Disney, stop right there; because you are never too old for Disney’s Magic. If you think you are then travel back to remember, you’re never too old to dream.
