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06/28/2002 Entry: "In the land of St Walt"

Yesterday we did it - and very good it was too!I'm talking about the Disney experience, that for which many Britons is the only reason for coming to Florida. They're very wrong, but it is hard not to be caught up in it. After all, this is a place that's designed to out-do reality, and in many ways it succeeds. The rides are great fun, and you're not in the Park for more than a few minutes before you discover that the personages you thought were merely fictional cinematic characters are in fact very real. You can do high fives with Baloo the Bear, see Peter Pan defeat Captain Hook (again) and collect the autograph of Mickey Mouse (provided you're prepared to stand in line).As we approached the car park for "the Magic Kingdom" I was struck just how much like a place of pilgrimmage this is. Streams of cars down a four lane highway, being met by the jolliest parking stewards you're ever likely to meet. (I've been told that Disney employees are not permitted to have a bad day at work - jollity is compulsory). Of course, there are hardships to be endured before you're allowed through the outer courts onto the sacred land itself. Your fellow travellers are apt to occupy more space than they're entitled to on the monorail seating. You may find yourself being jostled in the milling throng. You must stand in line to get your bag searched by a group who wore their smiles to cover a very serious attitude. Don't even think about bringing in your own food and drink - for your own safety and enjoyment of course.But once you're in the energy and enthusiasm of the place are infectious and irresistible. You really have to have a good time. Even standing in the inevitable lines for the rides seems more like a profession of faith than a hardship. We, the chosen, will wait with patience and be rewarded. And how wonderful the rewards are! Ruth and Catrin (our two daughters - 5 & 19months) were captivated by the whole proceeding. When the children are happy, the parents are too. Our children were exceptionally happy, seeming to be imbued with a supernal energy that kept them going long after their normal bedtime. Disney may not allow guests to bring in their own refreshments, but they did provide us with the best restaurant food we've had during our Florida visit. And any attraction that can persuade a 5 year old girl to stand in a 40 minute queue without a murmer of complaint must be getting something right.