FEATURE ARTICLE
But something truly miraculous happened in my home every week when all of us, including my parents, crowded around the television to watch “The Wonderful World of Disney.” Half a dozen children in the same room, and we were so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Now that’s a miracle! We looked forward to that weekly event and wondered where Walt would take our imagination this time. Would it be the Swamp Fox, maybe Daniel Boone, or Professor Ludwig Von Drake? It didn’t matter who or what or where it was; all were special in their own way! As for me, from the moment I first saw Tinker Bell fly across the television screen and with a flick of her wand release a multitude of colorful fireworks over a castle that could only exist in my little girl dreams… I was hooked! My love for everything Disney was nurtured through childhood with books and movies and then into my adult years with those oh-so-special visits to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and an occasional Disney cruise. So when my son turned 16 and this stay-at-home mom retired as the household chauffer, it was time for me to turn my love of Disney into a part-time job. As a MouseEarVacations.com agent, I was expecting to work with clients and help them plan special vacations; after all, I’d been doing just that for friends and family for years. But then an unexpected thing happened… clients became friends.
My part-time job has since become a full-time job, and some days I put in more hours than I care to think about, but for me the true joy of being a MouseEarVacations.com agent has come from the people I’ve met along the way. And though the love of Disney brought us together, it’s the heart that keeps us coming back for more. The heart of each cast member, the heart of every fan, and above all the heart of Walt Disney, keeps the magic alive. Do you think Walt had any idea his dream would touch the lives of millions? Or that the magical roots he planted would grow and flourish from generation to generation? As for this Pollyanna, I’d like to think he did.
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Growing up in rural Indiana in the early 1960s didn’t offer much in the way of excitement for this little blonde haired girl or her brothers and sisters. I guess there was the miracle of the occasional calf being born or the flowers my mother used to call “Four O’Clocks” spreading their petals every afternoon, but all that was ho hum… just another day on the farm.
Some shared vacation memories and photos, and others shared so much more. From an Australian friend I learned that “chuck a wobbly” means “throw a tantrum” as in, “My sister chucked a wobbly when she heard my husband and I were going on holiday at Walt Disney World!” Then there is the dear friend from Pittsburgh who has welcomed me into her home and has made me an honorary Red Hat. She is truly a gem beyond compare. Or my high school band instructor who I never knew shared my love for Disney until a year ago. He and his wife, along with my husband and I, have spent many hours over this past year sharing memories of Disney vacations gone by and dreaming of those to come. Then there are those friends who have shared tears of sadness over the loss of a loved one and tears of joy over the birth of their first grandchild. And to think I would have never met any of these special, wonderful people had it not been for Walt Disney. 