The Most Magical Day

Today was a very big learning experience for me. It wasn’t about Shakespeare, or 

about theatre but about myself. Today I traveled by myself to Disneyland Paris. I was pushed out of my comfort zone. One thing you should know about me is that I hate asking for help, from anyone, but today I had to. I had to ask for directions, (hundreds of times despite my map) I had to ask for pictures, I had to ask questions to plan my day, and I had to do all of these things through a slight language barrier. Of course, most employees know some English in the park, but not all of them extremely well. I found myself struggling to explain words like wet, try, and other words we use in every day life and are so used to hearing. 

I also learned a lot about the kindness of others. I was alone the entire day, but I never felt alone. While waiting in line people would talk to me, when I sat next to people on attractions we laughed together, when I asked someone to take a photo each of the did it with a smile. Other visitors, cast members, and characters made my lone visit extremely not lonely. That’s one of the many things I love about Disney, I think it brings together the good in everyone. 

Not only was I learning about myself I was observing everything around me, more intently, and without distraction. As I looked around I noticed Disneyland is not just a park and it was not designed to be just a park. Disneyland is and experience, a fully immersive, magical, and exciting experience. It’s a whole production day in and day out of music, set, actors, choreography, costumes. Everyone has a time and a place, it is seamlessly rehearsed so you, the visitor, see it as a magical experience. I noticed most about the set. The artistry and thought behind each and everything you lay eyes on in the park is astonishing, and it is these details that often go without noticing that create the immersive magic one feels when entering the world of Disney. Each and every piece of an attraction, a restaurant, or even the path that takes you from place to place is thought out down to what the cob webs will look like on the light fixtures. Throughout the day I noticed many of these details

This is a picture of the pathway through frontier land, a land based on the old west. This is the main walking path and almost everyone goes without noticing but there are horse hoof prints lying in the cement of the path, that even though you don’t necessarily realize them, help to fully immerse you in to the old west. 

The Indiana Jones ride is set in a forbidden temple amidst the jungle. Our dear friend Mr. Jones has set up camp around the temple. The placement of this ride in the park is away from everything immersed in the forest at the edge of the park. The placement of this allows you to look around while waiting and feel exactly like you are awaiting to enter a temple in the jungle. 

The tower of terror is another attraction set in an abandoned, haunted, old Hollywood hotel. The decor you see around you as you are waiting in line is magnificent furniture, gold, and portraits, but they are torn, dusty, and covered in cob webs. You enter the service elevator in the basement of the ride and you are surrounded by rusty pipes, leaking furnaces, dim light, and more dust. These minor, often unnoticed artistic details are what are really behind the magic of Disney. 

On a side note in the midst of all my epiphanies about myself, humanity, and Disney magic I met goofy who danced with me, blew me a kiss, and tried to stop me from leaving after our time was done.

Darth Vader who convinced me to join the dark side (sorry mom),

Eeyore and Tigger who fought for my affection,

and Captain Marvel who not only invited me to join the avengers (woop woop) but also helped

me to bring out my confidence in my abilities and why I am important here (I cried but enjoy this picture of us looking like some heroes).