The Essence of the Disney Parks’ Magic
Now that I’ve “Aired My Disney Parks Grievances,” I figure it’s time to show the other side of the coin and share why I enjoy the Disney theme parks so much. Frankly, there’s a lot more that makes Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and the other parks special places imbued with a sense of magic than there are mild annoyances.
Most of the time, the little pet peeves I mentioned don’t even phase me; they’re just little, fleeting moments. I’m guessing this is true for most people. While America’s national pastime is complaining (sorry, baseball), I think we all mostly enjoy life or, in this case, the Disney theme parks.
For the most part, what I’m going to list here as the “essence” of what I find endearing about the parks is what makes the experience something more than the sum of its parts. Sure, the parks wouldn’t be what they are without amazing E-Tickets like Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror, but rides alone are not what makes the Disney Parks special.
There are literally hundreds of different things about the parks that put a smile on my face and make me a hopeless Disney “addict,” but instead of simply posting a laundry-list without much explanation for each, I want to focus on a select few, saving the two most important things for last…
Quiet Places
I am a huge advocate of the Disney theme parks as holistic experiences. I don’t mean that in the hippy-dippy, new-age medical sense (although if some crackpot wants to assert that the parks are beneficial to my health, I’ll totally buy that and use it as an excuse to visit more). Rather, that the parks are so much more than a collection of attractions.
This will be borne out throughout this post, but what I mean as a general matter is that to me the parks are much more than racing from E-Ticket to E-Ticket, experiencing attractions as if I’m scratching items off of a checklist. For me, part of drinking-in the parks is taking quiet moments for relaxation, to soak up the ambiance, and to reflect upon the experience.
Whether this means quietly sitting on a bench at park closing in Tomorrowland as the neon and background music assault my senses (totally in a good way) or watching the sunset along the Rivers of America at a tucked-away table in Hungry Bear Restaurant, these moments are as paramount to the park experience for me as doing Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean.
Lighting
Have you ever noticed that the parks have a totally different vibe and look at night? That they have a certain texture and color not seen during the day? This is the result of meticulously arranged lighting schemes, and when you think about it, it makes perfect sense that the parks would have a better visual storytelling quality to them at night.
One thing at which the Imagineers excel is perfectly controlling environments to evoke certain thoughts and emotions, but this really isn’t possible in terms of outdoor lighting during the day, because of that pesky “sun.” Night provides a blank canvas for lighting, and the Imagineers largely use this to great success via hidden show lighting and visible light fixtures.
Regular readers of this blog know I’m a huge fan of the lighting of the Disney theme parks, and view it as a big deal in the parks. Lighting might seem like an insignificant detail that many people take for granted, but without this attention to detail in terms of lighting, instead of the great kinetic energy and beauty the parks have at night, they would instead feel dark and empty.
Background Music
Continuing on the topic of things that many guests don’t notice, but that they would definitely notice if it were missing is background music. A lot of effort goes into creating the music heard in the parks, and while the songs from ‘it’s a small world’ and Haunted Mansion have permeated pop culture, most music in parks isn’t so prominent.
Off the top of your head, you may not have any idea what music plays in the ‘background’ of Tomorrowland or the Innoventions breezeways. If you’re a regular guest, though, and you were to download and play those tracks, I’ll bet not only would you instantly recognize them, but you’d be transported to those places, or memories of being in the parks. You know music is pretty powerful if it has an evocative quality like that despite you having no explicit memory of it!
The Cast Members
This really should be its own article, and at some point soon, it probably will be. I guarantee any of you who have been to a Disney theme park can think back to a moment when a Cast Member put a smile on your face. Whether it be someone in Guest Relations fixing a frustrating problem with a MagicBand or the custodial artist painting Donald Duck with a mop, every Disney Cast Member has the capacity to make the guest experience special.
For me, this is embodied by two things: the regular and consistent hard work that the Cast Members put into the regular aspects of their jobs, and those small moments when they do something that leaves a lasting impact upon a guest. Of these two things, the former is what I feel is the bulk of what makes Disney Cast Members so amazing–and also where they are most under-appreciated.
Anyone who has been to Walt Disney World or Disneyland enough times has likely seen a guest meltdown directed at a Cast Member. These meltdowns happen for any number of reasons, but the underlying reasons mostly relate back to the sense of entitlement at the core of the Disney Parks Pet Peeves article, or the stresses and pressures that many adults feel when going on a Disney vacation.
With rare exception, in my experience, these meltdowns are not the fault of the Cast Member who catches the ire of the guest, but are caused by the guest themselves or decisions made by Disney management that are out of the hands of the front-of-the-line Cast Member.
It is thus no small miracle that Cast Members are able to deal with belligerent guests while essentially becoming a punching bag. Not only that, but once the unpleasant interaction is over, the Cast Member resumes their normal role as if nothing happened, putting on a smile and going out of their way to be pleasant to other guests. These Cast Members are typically not especially well paid, and yet they are verbally abused by guests and then can quickly set aside those emotions so it doesn’t negatively affect the experiences of other guests.
Let the incredible fortitude and positive attitude that requires sink in for a moment. I’d like to think I’m a pretty level-headed person, but based on some of the guest horror stories I’ve heard from my Cast Member friends, I doubt I would last a week as a Cast Member. I simply don’t have the incredible level of restraint to ‘smile and bear it’ that it takes to handle some of these situations. How many of you do? Can you honestly say that a negative interaction with a coworker hasn’t soured the rest of your workday before?
The role of the Cast Member as “magic maker” is that which is more commonly lauded, and probably what is brings the sense of satisfaction and joy that keeps them going through those unpleasant encounters. I’m sure this role is no easy task, either, as you never know what will trigger a special moment for each individual guest.
For some people, it’s a Cast Member telling them “happy birthday” or “have a magical day”, for others, it’s being given a sticker or a surprise snack on their honeymoon. The list of potential examples goes on and on. Most of these things are not major in the grand scheme of things, and could just as easily be ‘throwaway moments’, but end up being things that stick with guests for years after the trip.
One of my fondest memories from our engagement trip to Walt Disney World some 8-years ago was being congratulated by the Cast Members at Crystal Palace and being presented with a certificate signed by Pooh and friends. We still have this certificate and whenever I look at it, it brings a smile to my face.
The Children
Children have a sense of wonder and innocence about them that is amplified by the Disney theme parks, and seeing the parks reflected in their sense of wide-eyed mysticism is truly something to behold. Whether they are running around swinging around light sabers or watching in awe as they witness a giant talking Mr. Potato Head, there is a sense of life that kids breathe into the Disney theme parks.
What, exactly, that means is impossible to articulate. It’s one of those things I know when I see, and it brings a smile to my face, every time. If I had to try to pinpoint it, I think it’s probably equal parts envy and nostalgia. Even as adults, many of us are entranced as we watch Mickey Mouse fight a huge dragon in Fantasmic. There are many jaw-dropping moments that are impressive to kids and adults alike.
However, some of that mysticism wears off as we get older. Whether it’s a result of the natural cynicism everyone grows to various degrees as our lives wear on, or due to simply being “wiser” and understanding more about how things work, or something else entirely, adults tend to see less magic in the world than children.
While this blindness exists in every adult to varying degrees, one thing we all can see, if we look for it, is that sense of mysticism reflected in the eyes of children. The things we can’t see directly, we can see through them. For parents, this ability to experience the parks vicariously through children must be truly amazing. For non-parents like me, it’s not quite the same, although as someone who has been going to the parks since I was in diapers, it brings back fond memories of those simpler days when everything at Walt Disney World was magical.
I am loath to quote Walt Disney as I think his quotes are over and misused, but I think this quote is apt here: “you can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” Those words ring as true today as when he uttered them five-plus decades ago.
Other guests may do things that irritate us and it’s easy to fixate on that, but I think it’s critical to remember that people–all people–make the parks what they are, and usually our fellow guests have no malicious intent in what they do; even if misguided, they are just trying to have their own little slices of the magic.
For Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide. For those headed to the West Coast, check out our Disneyland Trip Planning Guide.
Your Thoughts…
What do you love most about the Disney Parks? Think the magic is in the details, Cast Members, fellow guests, a combination of the above, or something else entirely? Do you agree or disagree with our list of what makes the parks special? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Some of my favorite moments from past Disney trips have been from great Cast Members. One trip we stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge and in the rooms they have little animals made out of towels and washcloths in the bathroom and on the beds. My mother wanted to know how to make them so she called housekeeping and asked them if someone would come and show her how to do it. I think they thought she was crazy, but about five minutes later two housekeepers came to our room with some stickers, washcloths, and pipe cleaners and showed us how to do it. I bet they spent nearly half an hour talking with us and helping us make mice out of washcloths. Apparently no one had ever asked them before and they were happy to show us how. It was just a fun little moment from that trip that I remember more than the rides or the shows. And I still have the mouse that I made in my bathroom. 🙂
I just want to say thanks to everyone for the comments on this post and your sharing of positive experiences, too!
I was traveling when I posted this, and didn’t have a chance to keep up on the comments. Replying to each now seems unnecessary (and that time would come at the expense of a NEW post), but I’ve read them all. I hope you all understand! 🙂
As a kid I loved watching Wide World of Disney on Sunday nights. And even as a kid, it seemed like that was my magical escape from the real world. And I think that is what I most love about Disney parks… It is my magical escape. The anticipation and awe of seeing the castle on Main Street; the anticipation/sighting of characters; the amazing attention to detail; the cleanliness; the friendliness; and most of all, the idea that this is how the world ‘could’ be if we really tried.
My only trip to WDW was in the spring of 1994. I was a freshman in high school. My father randomly developed pneumonia while we were there, and after sending us and my mom off to EPCOT for the day, he called the front desk at Dixie Landings to get directions to the nearest medical clinic. The cast member insisted on driving my father to the clinic, waited through his visit, drove him to a nearby pharmacy, and then drove him back to the resort. Cast members then called to check on him twice that evening, before we returned to the room. 22 years later, this memory still stands out, and is just one of the myriad of reasons i get so dang giddy and emotional when i think about our family’s 2017 trip. It’ll be a first for our three kids and I can’t wait.
As a child my family and I spent many vacations at WDW. My father planned them all and made sure they were really special. I saved for years and was finally able to take my two kids for the first time this past May and wanted to make our trip as special as my Dad always made ours. Sadly he passed away 12 years ago while I was pregnant with my first child so I felt a lot of pressure to do him proud and plan an epic WDW vacation. To say it was an amazing trip does not even begin to give it justice. I felt the first bit of nostalgia driving into the parking lot, the WDW signs and the “have a magical day” greeting immediately made me teary eyed. I felt the loving spirit of my father while having the opprotunity to share in beloved childhood memories with my own children. There were many tearful moments of sheer joy (splash mountain, the haunted mansion, mickey ear ice cream, the fireworks) Our trip was a success full of fun times, laughter and memories both new and old! Tom you and your blog are so awesome, you help keep my Disney spirit alive between trips, thank you for that!! Planning our next trip for May 2016, fingers crossed its as wonderful as the last!
Hi tom, love this blog, I left a comment earlier about my first trip with my kids and the castle. Phone died so I had to write again from my laptop.
I LOVE Disney, I go every year, either by myself (one of the only safe and truly magical place a single woman can go) or with a friend. After the first magical trip with my kids, we did go again and still loved it. The best was when my daughter turned 13. as most people know moms and daughters have a tough time when the daughter turns into a teenager. I told her that we were going on a trip, just the two of us to Disney, we had 3 rules, 1) she couldn’t argue 2) I could’t lecture 3) we had to wear matching mouse ears. What a great trip, Birthday dinner at the castle with Cinderella, fireworks from inside the castle, we connected and that would never have happened any other place but at Disney. All thru high school, she kept the picture of her and I with Cinderella in her locker at school and proudly showed it to all her friends. The wished they had a mom like me. I have not seen my daughter in almost 2 years, we live on different coasts. I called her on her 22 birthday and told her I wanted a special trip for just the two of us again wherever she wanted to go. She picked Disney we are going to be there in October, she is flying in from Seattle, and I am coming from North Carolina. I have planned this to the point that we will be arriving at the airport at the same time and taking the Magical Express together for a magical week of Mother and daughter again. You cannot put the magic of Disney into words its the magical feeling you get when you walk down main street, listen to the music, eat the food, see the characters and of course the cast members. My daughter and I will reconnect October 5th holding hands and skipping down main street. And we invite everyone to share in the magic that you can only get at Disney.
My favorite disney memory is the first time I brought my two kids. Just me and a 9 year old son and 7 year old daughter. Taking them on the boat to magic kingdom and watching their faces light up when we went around the corner and magically the castle appeared. WOW.
Castmembers – Our family has had the most engaging encounters at WDW. I will highlight one example. We had just arrived in Downtown Disney, FL after flying in from California. Two young kids in tow it was a Friday night, busy, we were tired, hungry and had an hour wait for a table. We purchased a slushy drink for our girls to amp them up on sugar and my youngest dropped hers in the middle of World of Disney – needless to say it was a huge mess – she cried. A female castmember assured us not to worry the mess would get cleaned up and offered to replace the slushy drink. We refused and she asked us where we were visiting from and where we were having dinner. She never asked our names but after our meal our server told us that another castmember had told them about our family and dessert was on them. A $7 gesture made a life-long impact and lasting memory. I wish I knew her name – kudos to your thoughtfulness and conscientious service.
I left a comment on the Pet Peeve post so here goes…
It is next to impossible to describe what in particular I like most about Disney World. I think it’s that elusive “white rabbit” that pops up everywhere but you can’t quite put your finger on it… The music. The ambiance. The smells. The sounds. The memories.
Those memories are powerful. I grew up at Disney, one to two long weeks a year since my parents bought into the DVC at its very origination. So years later after being away from the parks for eight years, I returned with my husband. And I’m telling you every time I looked around I was scanning the crowd for my dad, mom, sister or my brother – I “saw” them everywhere. It was like stepping back in time and all the happy, magical memories flooded back. I swear I heard my dad laughing on Splash Mountain, like I was 12 again.
It’s what Disney does to bring a family together and help them capture that moment in time that will never be there again and yet somehow, impossibly, preserve it… In technicolor memory. That really is magical.
The sense of community happiness that envelopes you even before you get through the entrance line is my favorite thing. You can look around and observe a million sweet, generous acts between parent and child, cast member and guest, family members, complete strangers, and you can smile along knowing that you are witnessing magic being created everywhere.
The wonder I get to experience through my children is hands down the greatest. Even better are the things they get excited over that I would have walked by without notice. While my husband and oldest child were riding TOT, I was letting my two younger kids run around near by. My son who was 18 months stepped on a man hole cover, dropped to his hands and knees and touched the Mickey that was imprinted beautifully on it. We spent the next ten minutes with my son and daughter running back and forth over the manhole cover shouting ‘Mickey!’ each time they stepped on it. People around us were laughing, and one guy said, ‘you should have saved your money and just let him do this at home’. -but there wouldn’t have been a Mickey on it at home… And it wouldn’t be so clean… And i typically don’t let my children play in the street…
And you are right about the cast members. They ARE Disney. I have a dozen stories, but to pick one, we were eating at BOG in the West Wing at Lunch time when a young male cast member approached our table. He addressed our daughters(4 & 6), who were dressed as Alice and The Queen of Hearts, and asked them if they would like to join him in the ballroom for a dance. He taught them a simple waltz as all eyes were on them, and they felt like real princesses at a royal ball. We later saw this cast member busily serving food and were struck with how truly special this was. He wasn’t some character that Disney hired to dance with little girls all day, he was a server that has to deal with regular waiter crap who stole 5 minutes away from his busyness to make my girls beam. THAT is magic.
I read the pet peeve post (and commented as well) and agreed with every thing you said. We just got back from Disney last night and we experienced every single annoying thing that you mentioned in that post, but the crazy thing is that we still had the time of our lives! Sure we were annoyed for a minute or two and we grumbled to each other about how much people suck, but then we were drawn right back into the Disney magic. Disney does such a great job of creating an enjoyable experience, from the sights to the sounds to the smells. And of course, the cast members are truly awesome. We had one experience in Hollywood Studios (our least favorite park even!) that left a lasting impression. A young DCP cast member came up to us in a gift shop and struck up a conversation about our Baymax shirts. She asked us about our trip and who our favorite Disney characters were. She then gave us both “celebration” buttons (even though we were celebrating nothing in particular) with Baymax drawn on the front and our favorite characters drawn on the back. It was really spectacular to watch what she was able to do with a sharpie on the back of a button! We didn’t buy anything in that gift shop, but we left with two cool souvenirs and a really great memory. Little moments like that are what really set the cast members apart. I can not remember her name (even though I made a point to try and remember it….I am just plain terrible with names), but she was studying animation at the University of Oregon and I wish her the best of luck!
I choked up all the way through these comments! If I didn’t already have a trip booked before reading all this, I would certainly be booking one now!
I choked up all the way through these comments! If I didn’t already have a trip booked before reading all this, I would certainly be booking one now!
I love how your insights are brought to life in this post! I, too, agree that the magic is all around, in everything Disney does, and we have to “stop and smell the roses” at times so we do not miss out on this magic! The hustle and bustle of the day often makes you forget the little things, because when on a Disney vacation, you want to do as much as you can in the time you have. Planning goes a long way in making sure that you not only get a lot in during your visit, but you get to enjoy the little moments, the magic, and the hidden detail that makes you appreciate Disney that much more. I highly recommend “The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World” by Susan Veness (there is a second addition out now too). It shows you the special little touches that Disney has put in, and trying to find them and notice them when you return is quite fascinating!
I agree with all of your suggestions, but I would really like to emphasize the quiet places. One of the things I really like about Disneyland are the places to unwind/cool down/collect your thoughts/take it all in.
I like that each theme has those places. Unlike other amusement parks, you can go a whole day without necessarily feeling tired because of these quiet places built in (many of which are an attraction in an of themselves, like the Tiki Room). Especially mid-day when it’s hot, it’s nice to have a Tiki Room or Mark Twain Riverboat. When you are tired later in the evening, it’s nice to have a place like Tomorrowland Terrace (for example) where you can hear live music.
The other thing I LOVE is the attention to detail put into every aspect of the park. It’s not simply slap a ride up and here you go. It’s detail in the flower arrangements, or carvings, or lighting, or paint detail, or background sound, or the hidden mickeys, or the “secret” aspects (such as touching the apple on Snow White’s ride). Each ride and aspect of the park is a full-immersion experience. You forget there is a world outside of the park gates.
I go to Disneyland Paris since 1992. I think that I have visited the park at least 50 times (I’m an AP holder since more than 10 years) and what I love is that I’m feeling “at home” there.
I nearly know the park by heart but I always find myself surprised by something. I’m 44 but I feel like a kid in the park. What I really love is the scenery, the atmosphere, the vegetation, the sounds, the quietness of some places, the light at night.
I have visited WDW for my honeymoon in 1998, one on my best souvenir, and I’m so happy because I’m going to visit Disneyland Resort in 45 days 😀 Will I be “at home” there 🙂 ???
I was a staunch critic of the pet peeve post. It felt more like a venting than an informational post. This article was very enjoyable and made a lot of key points. Thank you for writing it.
Great post! I’ve grown up with Disneyland and always loved the rides, sights, and smells but as an adult with children it is a completely different experience.
Seeing the pure joy on our children’s faces when they see the characters either at a meet and great or in a parade is something that just cannot be replaced.
In 2013 when our daughter was 4 and our son was 2 1/2, we were at DLR for 4 days and the excitement of seeing every character and princess wave to them during Mickey’s Soundsational Parade was incredible. The kids felt so special like the waves were just for them. And when we would run into a princess by the main gates you would have thought our daughter was going to lose it she was so happy and excited to hug them. Ariel (her favorite princess) even took the time to turn around with our daughter and face the Disneyland Train to wave to the passengers together as the train went by…it was a really special moment.
Christmastime is so special with the Disney attention to detail in the decorations. Again seeing the wonder and awe in our children especially during the nighttime Christmas parade is pure joy for me!
I totally agree with you on all your points, especially about the cast members. Last year when my family took a trip to Disneyland we were in a shop in Adventureland looking over some merchandise when a man knocked over a stack of hats, he kept on walking and my 3 year old picked up all the hats one by one and put them back on the rack. When we went to make our purchase the cast member who was working the till asked if our boys wanted their names embroidered on the Mickey ears each of them were wearing. I said that eventually we would and she said she insisted and that it was a gift from Mickey Mouse for the little boy who keeps the park clean. We were thrilled and touched at this gesture!