The Disney Touch

I just returned from a marvelous vacation at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Even though it’s a costly trip, it is a trip I insist on taking every other year (although I’m a year behind schedule due to a very popular virus…ahem…).

I am legit psycho when it comes to all things Disney and I am also legit unapologetic. Some people drink their troubles away.

I Disney-fy my troubles away.

I also Disney-fy my creative impulses.

I’ll binge classic Disney movies all weekend, scour Disney news blogs for the latest updates, or scroll through fun photos on IG just to keep me from going into withdrawals, but a full-out WDW trip is the ultimate fix. Not even one day after returning home, I was already plotting my next trip—barely shying away at the consideration that it might have to take place in JUNE!

What is it about WDW that matters so much to me?

WDW is more than a place to vacation. It’s a reflection and extension of my true self. It is the one place where it is acceptable to admit I’m just a kid in a grown-up suit, and that magic is really real.

As a writer, I’m usually seeing the world through a lens of imagination and what-ifs and story. Everything can be molded and shaped by the magic of creativity—Walt Disney taught me this.  His famous quote “If you can dream it, you can do it” has guided me through the ups and downs of my writing career, supporting me in my dreams even when things felt too impossible, too out of reach.

Before leaving for Disney, I was struggling with my novel. I finished my first draft, got feedback from my writing group and a literary agent, and I mentally prepared to revise—knowing it’s going to be a big, tough job.

Then, supreme exhaustion and a sense of “this is beyond my skill” overcame me. Hit me out of the blue, no warning. This kind of imposter syndrome that I suffer from is nothing new, but every time I get hung up by such demoralizing emotions, I end up wondering why can’t I just believe in myself? What is it about me and my life that makes it so hard to believe I can do anything I put my mind to?

 It felt like my writing journey had suddenly come to a screeching halt. I was confronted by the biggest, unscalable mountain yet, and there was no way I’d reach the summit of this one.  

These are the kinds of questions and thoughts that have plagued my writing journey for years. I have a pretty solid idea about where the self-doubt started. However, knowing why I struggle and knowing how to fix that struggle are two different ballgames.

So there I was, heading for my big trip to my favorit-est place on earth and I was feeling pretty low and anxious about my looming deadline for revisions. However, I opted to not bring my writing with me. While I could have easily set aside a few hours every afternoon to work on my novel, it was more important to me to fully immerse in my vacation, be completely present for my family, and take advantage of this amazing opportunity (because let me tell you, finding a hotel and getting park tickets and flights and making it all happen smoothly for a family of 4 who have different schedules and different vacation-wishes is no small feat!).

Then, Day #1 at Magic Kingdom. Rope drop. 7:30 in the morning. Speed-walking to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

I was enchanted, totally sucked in, inspired by the outdoor setting of this ride. The energy and enthusiasm surrounding me a salve to my anxiety and low self-esteem. Suddenly, I’m picturing a scene in my novel and figuring out how to fix an issue in my book.

And just like that, I was struck by Disney magic of possibility. Inspiration shoots off inside me and I feel like the writer that I am.

Anything and everything feels possible and attainable when I go to WDW because the magic of creativity is alive and breathing all around. We can touch the magic with our fingers, feel it rumbling through our hearts, hear it through song and laughter, see it in every conceivable space.

The magic means something different to each one of us, but that’s why it’s magic—because it fulfills whatever any one person is seeking. For me, it’s creative inspiration. For someone else, it might be their inner child. For another person, it might be peace and harmony.

The reason WDW can provide what we seek is because the very nature of WDW is about fulfilled dreams.

WDW reminds us all that magic exists inside and outside of us, and that the more we tap into it, the more real it becomes.

When we allow that magic to be a part of our daily lives, then the idea of impossible is laughable. We can see that what we once thought was an un-climbable mountain was really just an invitation to put your imagination to use.

Because… “if you can dream it, you can do it.”

Thanks, WD.