Last time we talked about some of the things that can go wrong when we travel and how to get through them so that the whole trip doesn’t go up in flames. Those were all things that impacted just a piece of the trip. Whether it was not getting on the road at the right time, facing a room snafu, or having to miss out on your traditional picture of the family riding the Tower of Terror because of a FastPass incident, they’re over soon and you can get past them.
Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Sometimes things happen that you can’t just put behind you and focus on the next thing, knowing that you can smooth it out next time. Sometimes when things go wrong, it’s because they aren’t ever going to be the same. Today we’re going to face one of the most difficult things that I’ve had to learn in my love of Disney….
Things you love go away.
This one’s hard. We all have things about Disney that we love. If you’ve been even once, you have a favorite or two. If you’ve been a bunch of times, like my family, you have things that aren’t just favorites, they are what defines your trip and what makes your heart warm and fuzzy when you think about them. They just *are* your trip to Disney. The thought of being without them makes your heart break. You hope that it never happens….and then it does. You read that article or hear that news cast that something you love is going away. It is a gut-wrenching moment. My superhero friends can confirm when I tell you…change is hard. Extremely hard. It can make you feel like the world is ending and everything is out of control. For those who don’t see the world the way that we do, these changes can seem small and some may think that we are over-reacting. Let me tell you, it’s not small to us. It’s challenging. It’s painful. It’s scary. It’s sad. Suddenly all of the work that you did to get used to Disney and feel safe and secure there is gone and you are confronted with something new that you don’t know and don’t understand. It can even make you feel like you don’t want to go back because you don’t know if it will be the same or how you will react when you get there.
This has unfortunately happened to me several times in the last year. The Main Street Electrical Parade leaving the Magic Kingdom was awful. I am not afraid to admit that I cried bitterly. That parade was the anchor for many of my treasured Disney memories. It was the first parade we saw in the Magic Kingdom and several of the characters interacted with my little one. It was the soundtrack for many a date-night with the hubs. It was home. Now it’s gone. I dreaded going back after the parade left, but I got through. It was hard. It hurt. I was sad. But there were other things to see and things to look forward to. Now I’m facing the end of Wishes. I can’t even bear to think about it. Wishes is the heart and soul of the Magic Kingdom in my eyes, and the thought of our nights there without those iconic words crushes me. I have cried several times over this. I even told Hubster that I didn’t want to go to the Magic Kingdom at night ever again because I don’t want to see the replacement. I want Wishes to keep living on in my head.
But you know what? I will go back. I’ll see the new fireworks. I might even really like them. Why? Because it’s progress. Disney loved progress. He famously said that Disney World would never be finished. Who am I to question him? Progress might mean sometimes losing things that you adore, but it also means new experiences, surprises, and magic. I know that every time I go to Disney, there will be something different that I get to discover. That can be scary sometimes, but I also know that there are some things that will always remain familiar. It’s a wonderful reminder that just like when our good friend John from Walt’s favorite attraction thinks that “life couldn’t get any better” than what it is right now, the theater will always turn. There is always progress waiting to happen. There will always be a great big, beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day.
I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty done with the sad. Let’s talk about something happy next time, shall we? See ya’ real soon!
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Taryn was born and raised, and still lives in Richmond, Virginia. Neither she nor her husband ever had the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World when they were children, but when their daughter Avalon came along, they decided she was not going to follow in their footsteps. They brought Avalon for the first time when she was 3 and have been hooked ever since. Now along with Taryn’s mother and equally Disney-loving older brother, they go “home” at least once a year, and by the time she is staring longingly at Cinderella Castle from the ferry on their last night, Taryn is well on her way to planning the next trip. As a group consisting of two adults with Asperger’s, including one who is also vegan, a very accommodating husband, an only child, a senior, and a service dog, they are a pretty special family, but Taryn is excited to show that the World really is The Most Magical Place on Earth and that there is a place there for everyone. When she isn’t thinking about her next Disney adventure and trying to come up with a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party costume that will beat her Oozma Kappa nerd look, she is a professional blogger and novelist, but Taryn also likes to indulge her Disney passion on her Etsy shop It’s Better in Vinyl.
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