Category: Hope

Where do you find yourself in the story?

Disney Cicerone June 5, 2021 0 Comments
Hey Disney friends! Let's consider some deep Disney thoughts today. Are you up for it? Yes? Great! Let's make some magic.... First, think of a wonderful thought: Your favorite Disney ride, movie, and character. Go ahead, I’ll wait. No really, take your time. Got your answers? Ok, let’s go. What you answered reveals more about you than you know, and I’m not talking about those...

Entering the Magic Kingdom – Words

Disney Cicerone March 22, 2021 1 Comment
Walking under the familiar arch the fade out fade in I so desperately need sights and sounds pull me forth and the curtain is lifted on yet another one of the happiest days of my life The big reveal curve around one way, and then back weaving around the steadfast mainstay who loved his brother until yes there in the distance magic in turrets and gleaming accents lifting my eyes from every sorrow...

Changing Lands and Traveling Into the Unknown

Disney Cicerone February 11, 2021 0 Comments
This week while walking with my brother in Hollywood Studios, he pointed out a fairly abrupt transition that has been on my mind ever since. There is a place where the Muppets Courtyard (or Grand Avenue, as it's now called) blends into the entrance of Galaxy's Edge, and while most Disney transitions are seamless, this one is not. It's abrupt. Two different conceptual identities competing for a...

Finding wonder when you need it the most

Disney Cicerone December 7, 2020 5 Comments
I'll be the first to admit, this year has left me a bit jaded. All the constant changes, the battlefield that is social media, and the challenge of re-learning how to live everyday life has taken a mental toll. So much so that when I pulled out my Christmas decorations this year, I didn't feel like putting up half of them. Even Disney is tinted with sadness as all our hopes for Disneyland...

Why we need Disney in the midst of a pandemic

Disney Cicerone November 2, 2020 2 Comments
Today, we visit the WHYs that everyone is asking us, my fellow Disney friends. Why would anyone choose to visit a theme park, a breeding ground for germs, during a pandemic? Why would anyone want to travel to a hot, muggy climate and wear a mask all day in the unrelenting sun? Why would anyone pay for a lesser Disney experience, with so much of the parks closed and unavailable? Why can't you...

Weather makes a difference (but not the way you think)

Disney Cicerone September 17, 2020 0 Comments
Nothing builds the dread in a Disney planner's heart more than seeing a week's worth of rain in the forecast for a much-anticipated vacation. Sure, we all say, “It’s better when it rains! It clears out the parks!” But nobody really wants it to rain/thunderstorm/hurricane/you name it during your delightfully, thoughtfully planned Disney adventure. But you see, friends, it’s exactly these...

How Disney Provides Stability in an Unstable World

Disney Cicerone September 15, 2020 0 Comments
I sat in my teacup this week watching the families around me laugh and spin, arms in the air, and as carefree as ever. And that’s when it hit me. It’s stability. Something that hasn’t changed in a world where everything has changed. Sure, we were all wearing masks and dutifully sanitized our hands before and after. But there were beloved (likely motion-sick prone) family members around the...

How Disney Teaches You to Persevere

Disney Cicerone September 14, 2020 4 Comments
The fire notices screamed from my phone this week while I dashed haphazardly around my home and debated about what I wanted to take with me as we evacuated the wildfires that have plagued our side of the nation. I picked up objects and put them back. I looked tearfully at others realizing I may never see them again. I threw odd things in my suitcase and forgot what I was doing as...