Magic Kingdom might be the one place on Earth that I could go to every single day and never get tired of. Anyone who has been there can recount the story of the first time they walked down Main St. USA and saw the castle. It's a once in a lifetime experience that you never forget. You comb through pictures online, your kids (or you) watch the Disney Vacation Planning DVD over and over, but there is no experience in the world like walking under the train station, round the corner on Main St. and seeing it stand before you
Some of us are lucky enough to be a part of the magic. To live every day watching face of those seeing the castle for the first time and be a part of Disney vacation memories. For a brief time, I was that lucky.
There are certain sounds and smells that transport me back to the time in an instant. Every trip we take we walk into the Confectionery just so I can smell it! The Confectionery is where I watched my first dress rehearsal of the Easter Parade. The Market House where I worked is where I saw my first Disney bride transported to the Castle in Cinderella's Coach...
where I awarded countless Mickey stickers for winners (and losers) of intense Checker games, where I helped a lost child reunite with her mom, a man plan his perfect proposal and the fiance that came back to share her ring. Those memories are filled with hope, dreams and magic.
I recently got to tour the new Fantasyland and because the park wasn't open yet, we entered through a backstage entrance. I was instantly transported back to those amazing days. Being on an empty Main St. is one of the best feelings! If you make an early breakfast reservation at Crystal Palace or Cinderealla's Royal Table you'll get this view too!
The new Fantasyland is everything it should be. The attention to detail was amazing and I can't wait until it's completed. It looks like it has always been there.
I'm sad about the loss of Snow White's Scary Adventure, Toontown and Ariel's Grotto, but this new Fantasyland is way more cohesive. More importantly I feel like this new addition is more true to Disney than past projects. It's not just some new Pixar name slapped on a ride (The Seas with Nemo and Friends...) but true Disney magic. Isn't it amazing that more than 75 years after the movie, Snow White is getting a major attraction?
In light of recent events, I just wanted to take a moment today to share why I still believe in Magic. We are a Disney family through and through, not because we like some vacation destination but because it's something we believe in. For a small moment in time, we can live in a world of make believe where dreams come true, where fairytales come true and you leave your worries and cares at the gate. It's a world of magic and make believe, something that I'm not sure exists in the world we live in anymore.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, on behalf of everyone here at the Magic Kingdom, we thank you for joining us today for a magic gathering of family, friends, fun, and fantasy. We hope your magical journey with us has created wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Walt Disney said that the Magic Kingdom is a world of imagination, hopes, and dreams. In this timeless land of enchantment, magic and make believe are reborn, and fairy tales come true. The Magic Kingdom is a place for the young and the young at heart. A special place where when you wish upon a star, your dreams can come true. Until we see you again, have a safe trip home. Thank you, and goodnight.”
I think I could live at the Magic Kingdom and never be unhappy about that! I wore that costume a couple of times when I worked there. I was based in Toon Town in Fall 2000, but sometimes they would assign us elsewhere if they needed an extra person. I'm still sad about Toon Town, but interested to see the new Fantasyland.
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