The Magic We Seek

For this last weekend in late September, my friends and I planned a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida as there was a good deal with airfare and hotel included. The children would not have to take off from school because of the scheduled holidays. This trip was booked months in advance, and I almost forgot about the trip until a few days before the big day. As we took the red eye flight to Orlando, I was looking forward to some family time away from home and away from work.

We arrived at the Orlando Airport around 9 am. Wasting no time, we quickly went to the Disney Resort we were staying in. I always thought that Disney was a very well-run organization, and it made you feel that Disney was here to serve you. All the staff members are very helpful and friendly.

Magic Kingdom was our first park adventure. Many people enjoy going to the Disney parks. It is not just the adventure rides or their merchandise. I walk into a Disney park, I feel as if I was transported to a whole new world. All the details shown throughout the park, from the intricate designs of the main attractions to the decorations flanking the path to queue – even though I knew in my heart that they were man-made, I cannot but feel that, at that moment, I exist and live in this wonderful world created by Disney. In this magical world, I do not have to worry about any constraints from work. I get to use my imagination and be creative, without limitations.

The quality time with my family was priceless. Yes, there were little complaints here and there from the kids. Yes, it was hot and we were sweaty and exhausted from all the walking we were not accustomed to. And yes, the lines were so long that if you added up all the waiting or idle time we had, it was easily 3-4 hours of our day, if not more.  Yet I still enjoyed the day. I enjoyed it because my focus was family time.

The highlight of the day was the fireworks. It was much more than a show of shooting fireworks in the air. There was music and a story animated and projected on the castle. I am pretty confident to say that everyone in the park enjoyed the fireworks show. It was 30 minutes of lighting up the sky with various colors, and the castle changed its looks with sophisticated lighting more than I could count. What impressed me the most was that magical world of Disney shared with us where the true magic was. “The magic is within you.”

Many people associate the work “magic” to something that is supernatural.  There are several definitions I found and would like to focus on those here. One definition is “denotes a quality of being able to delight and fascinate”. Another definition is “denotes a quality of skill that is extraordinary”. “The use of one’s talents” is also another definition I found.

Thank you, Magical Kingdom, for reminding us that the magic is within us. We have what it takes to “delight and fascinate”. We all process at least one skill that is extraordinary – we just have to find it sometimes. We also get to train our brain more to use our hidden talents. Let us all sprinkle some pixie dust on our ventures. You will get to find out how amazing your adventure will be if you believe in the magic is within you.