That’s right, you don’t. That was the lesson from Dumbo. The secret to achieving the things you thought were impossible is really no secret at all, it’s faith. Fear, doubt and unbelief are only hinderances and distractions. Can you believe that Disneyland has been around for over 58 years? What a testament to the fulfillment of Walt’s hope for his original “Magic Kingdom” to be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. I can’t help but wonder if he knew all along what it would become. I imagine that, in many ways, his foresight saw well beyond 58. It’s pretty obvious he believed in what he was doing and that that was a source of confidence and boldness. He didn’t need a magic feather and neither do you.
A Fantasy Faire Night
As has been wisely and widely shared about Fantasy Faire, I am not a member of Disney’s target market. That said, this new kid at the end of Main Street has appeal. I don’t see myself waiting in line to see princesses or taking seats from children for the performing thespian troop. I do see myself finding inspiration there. I’m in love with the textures and the play of the lights across them. With the quiet evenings, I can see myself spending a good deal of time enjoying its majestic atmosphere.
Sleeping Beauty Sunset From Fantasyland
I’d like to apologize if you’ve had a hard time with the site loading. We transferred domain name hosts and that caused a hiccup in our site linking through the web correctly. Everything should be back to normal by now. If pictures don’t load for you, try refreshing the page a few times and that should do the trick. As for tonight’s picture…
I am a firm believer that the backside of Sleeping Beauty Castle doesn’t get the credit it deserves. There’s so much detail. On the evening I took this, I was really taken by the way the sun just kissed the spires; it was very romantic and delicate, which is sort of how I view Fantasyland. There’s a lot of love tucked into a very small, intricate space.
Twilight Flight to Neverland
There’s really never a bad time to make a trip into Neverland. I’ve made the sad mistake of avoiding Fantasyland a bit to avoid the lines. I guess I forgot how much I love the dark rides. With the fast paced storytelling and the unique experience of some of the Disney classics, they can’t be beat. Maybe it’s the patience I’ve developed through photography talking but the “lines” are hardly a reason to avoid these attractions.
The Icy Peak
As a kid, nothing said you were almost to Disneyland like the icy peak of the Matterhorn coming into view. What seemed like an eternity in the back seat of a car quickly faded from memory as the mountain and the realization of all your excitement grew.
The Beauty of Christmas
Christmastime is one of those times that has a way of making you stop and look inward to see how things are going. Sure there’s the hustle and the bustle as well but with hope and warmth and love saturating so much around you it’s hard not to find a moment to see how your life matches up to these virtuous themes. Disneyland is a perfect place to find such a moment. Mine was standing right here, at the entrance of Sleeping Beauty Castle, all aglow with her Christmas attire. Contrary to what that plentiful picture takers behind me must have thought, I was not trying to photo bomb their images. I just wanted to capture mine.
This year has taught me a great many things, the most important of which is to value the people around me. It’s a common thread in Christmas cards, movies and music. Sounds easy enough and I thought it was a lesson I had already learned. But I realized that my actions weren’t showing the people around them how much I care about them; how much they mean to me; how my life wouldn’t be the same without them. I’ve allowed myself to become busy with things that when seen by the light of day, pale in comparison. The thing is, it’s an easy rut to fall into. The sun rises and it sets. Each new day brings about any number of mundane responsibilities that need tending to after which you grow tired. When such things have bogged you down, there are no spirits of Christmas past, present or future to visit you in the night and point you in the right direction. Should you recognize such things on your own, there’s no angelic chorus that sings overhead. There’s no big drama about it whatsoever. It’s up to you to wake up every morning and decide that your actions will show the people you love how much you care about them, tired or not.
But, you know, the good thing is that as long as you have breath in your body, it’s never too late. You can change. You can set out in a new direction and should you fall, you can learn to pick yourself back up again. The beauty of Christmas is not the things, the food or the time off but the loved ones we share them with.
Wishing you the most beautiful Christmas…