Today I went to Disney World.
I spent 48 hours in the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”
Most people call Disney World the “Happiest Place on Earth” but that is actually Disneyland’s tagline. I’m not sure why Walt and his team chose a slightly different variation for the Florida parks. Whether you call it the “Most Magical” or the “Happiest” the sentiment is the same.
It’s easy for me to write about the excitement of a Disney trip, but since this space is for the seemingly insignificant, mundane moments of each day and the beauty that can be found in those, I’ll share a less exciting moment from our trip: our time at the hotel pool.
I usually never – and I mean NEVER – spend time at the pool when we go to Disney World. I find it to be a waste of time and money, plus since we live by the beach and go to the water often, I don’t often find the need to visit the pool. The purpose of this trip, however, was not to ride all the rides, but to relax and rest. So instead of walking around Magic Kingdom and battling the crowds, Matt and I spent the afternoon lounging by the pool.
We found our chairs in the shade, grabbed our towels, and ordered fruity tiki drinks. We pulled out our books, put on our sunglasses, and plugged in our headphones. The sun warmed us, but not too much thanks to the umbrella overhead. It was a slow moment; peaceful and relaxing with no agenda but to sit with our books and each other in nature.
Soon after we arrived, a resort employee came out with a microphone and speakers to gather the kids at the pool for a round of water games. They congregated to the center of the pool, and the water slide line got shorter and shorter as the sliders had a new activity to keep them busy. I found my eyes less on my book and more on the water cascading down the twisting plastic tube. Before I knew it I was out of my chair and walking across the hot pavement to the wet staircase. If you’ve seen the movie Moana you may be familiar with the song “How Far I’ll Go.” In it, Moana sings, “See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me!”
This water slide was calling me!
So I went. It was fun! And it was fast! As I splashed into the pool at the end of the slide, the lifeguard and I laughed to each other. I climbed out of the water, returned to my chair, and began to read again. Matt commented he could hear me giggling all the way down.
These simple moments are what make life so beautiful. A Disney vacation can quickly become expensive and overwhelming, focused more on planning and budgeting than on being together. Without the park tickets, the fireworks, and the Mickey Mouse shaped waffles, it can still be magical and meaningful. In fact, when we are focused on being present in the moment, it can even be more magical and meaningful. Instead of manufacturing memories, we just make them. We just live our lives, and no matter where we are or what we are doing, we experience true joy!
Today I went to Disney World. I went to the “Most Magical Place on Earth.” And I remembered that magic can be found in the simple, unplanned moments just as much as it is in the produced ones.
