Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There’s a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
Someday I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That’s where you’ll find me
It’s a little bit weird to start a post about a Disney trip without quoting the lyrics to an actual Disney song when there are so many to choose from that would adequately convey the point, but this one, from The Wizard of Oz, just seemed to fit my current mindset.
The family and I spent the last ten days at Disney, and while that’s a bit longer than our usual stays (and we all agreed was perhaps a little too long), it was just what we needed after the year that we, collectively, have all had.
You know that I’m a Disney kid, and if you’ve been following for any sort of time know that my family of all-adults goes down twice a year for our double dose of magic. People have asked why three grown-ups with no children venture so often to the land of make-believe, but if you know, you know. It’s a whole different experience than going with kids, but no less magical, IMO. Maybe even moreso. It’s a trip that both my brother and I schedule around our more exotic escapades, making it no less a priority than a trip overseas.
This trip was the reschedule of not one, but three previous trips that we booked last year, so we snuck it in while we could before school was out for the summer. and Florida summer heat really kicked up in to high gear. With COVID fears still in the back of our minds, we weighed the risks of whether we should go to the parks or just enjoy the pools and the restaurants. We opted to go to a few because, as I texted my brother while we were planning a few months ago, “I NEED FUN.”
I needed fun. I needed the magic. I needed to be in a place where for 10 days, I didn’t have to worry about COVID numbers rising, about mass shootings, warring politics and people fighting over masks. I needed to be in my Disney bubble, so to the parks we went.
As we walked into Animal Kingdom on our first day, my brother looked over me and said, “it really is magic here, you know?”
I know.
The next evening, around sunset, I went back to the Magic Kingdom myself for some last minute shopping. Sunset is my favorite time to be at the parks. The screaming, tired children are mostly gone, the scorching sun is tucked away, the crowds are thinner and the lights sparkle all around. You can actually hear the music that plays through every speaker, and you’ll no doubt find yourself unconsciously singing your favorite tunes. The only thing missing was the fireworks, my absolute favorite part of going to Disney, on hold to avoid mass gatherings, but otherwise, it was exactly the thing that my weary self needed.
And while the heat in the latter part of our trip was almost an unbearable 94+ degrees, we spent most of it poolside, soaking up all the chlorine that this Florida kid at heart misses so much now that I live in Michigan.
And while I’m always excited to come home to my Crawley, I was glad to get to spend a few days over the rainbow.
To a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
Where happy little bluebirds fly.
Where you wish upon a star, and your dreams do come true.
Here you leave Today
And enter the world of Yesterday,
Tomorrow and Fantasy.
Practical note:
If any of you are worried about going in these pandemic times, don’t be. In fact, if you’re thinking of a trip, I’d say now is the time to go. The crowds are thinner, and masks are absolutely required, and the policy is strictly enforced. Diners are spaced out in restaurants and the only place we didn’t have to wear a mask was on the pool deck.
