Extra Blog 2: A time when you felt especially happy

The Happiest Place on Earth

Many people describe Disney World as “the happiest place on earth,” and this statement is definitely true for me.  When I am at Disney, I forget about all of the problems in the world and my life and enter the world of Disney where everyone is friendly and happy all the time.  One experience in particular that gives me this magical feeling is the nighttime events at Magic Kingdom.  The night begins with the Main Street Electrical Parade, which is filled with bright and colorful floats and dancers.  But for me, this is just the beginning, an introduction to what is to come.

            The parade is followed Celebrate the Magic, a spectacular show that is projected right onto the castle walls.  As I watch the castle light up with artfully compiled clips from many of my favorite Disney movies, the detail and creativity of this show never ceases to amaze me.  At this point of the night, I begin to feel a rare sense of contentment.  As I sit on the ground with my family and enjoy the music, sounds, and laughter filling the air around me, I feel like nothing can go wrong.  I am normally a high-strung person who always focuses on my future goals and future plans.  In a world filled with hate, crime, and sadness, it is extremely relieving to, even for a short time, experience the peace of living in the moment and not worry about anything that happened in the past or what will come next.

            Following this show, the final event of the night is the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular.  This is Disney’s signature fireworks show that fills the sky with bursts of light that are perfectly timed to classic Disney music.  Even at the end of an exhausting day of walking around the parks and riding rides (we often arrive at the parks before sunrise so as not to miss one moment of the magic), this show fills me with energy.  As Jiminy Cricket’s voice is projected over the loud speakers and Tinker Bell comes flying through the air, I know that I am about to be taken on a journey through some of Disney’s greatest moments.  This show takes me back to my childhood when I was smaller and my worries were too.  In this moment, I am not a college student with deadlines to meet, grades to achieve, and the stress of getting into grad school; I am just a kid enjoying the magic of Disney.