You Bring the Magic With You… But I Don’t Think You Bring All of It

I saw this picture on social media today with the caption:

“You bring the magic with you.”

I stopped on it for a minute, because my first thought was, there’s actually a lot of truth to that.

If you walk into your Disney vacation ready to fight, expecting things to go wrong or already looking for things to complain about, there’s a pretty good chance you're going to find them.

Because things ARE going to go wrong.

A ride is going to be down. A line is going to be longer than you wanted. It's probably going to be hot. Somebody is going to get tired. Somebody is going to get hungry at exactly the wrong time.

You can spend a lot of money on a Disney vacation, and I think sometimes that makes us feel like everything is supposed to be perfect.

It won't be.

And if you spend the whole trip keeping track of everything that isn't perfect, you're probably going to miss a lot of the good stuff happening around you.

So yes, I think you do bring some of the magic with you.

If you walk into Magic Kingdom ready to imagine, ready to have fun and willing to be a little bit of a kid again, there is something there for just about everybody.

But the more I thought about that caption, the more I realized I don't completely agree with it.

You don't bring ALL of the magic with you.

Because I can walk into my dentist's office ready to imagine and enjoy myself.

It's still the dentist.

There's something about Disney that's already there waiting for you.

Disney Does Some of the Work

Look at that picture again.

There's something about seeing that view and knowing what's waiting on the other side.

And you aren't even in Magic Kingdom yet.

That's not something you brought with you.

Disney created that.

They've spent decades figuring out how to tell a story with buildings and music and rides and characters and thousands of little details that most of us probably don't even consciously notice.

Then you walk through the tunnel under the train station, come out onto Main Street, U.S.A. and see Cinderella Castle at the other end.

There's music playing. There are people everywhere. Maybe a character is out. Maybe the Dapper Dans are singing.

All of that is already there waiting for you.

You Have to Be Willing to Play Along

I think that's the other half of it.

Disney can build the castle. They can play the music. They can have Mickey Mouse standing there waiting for you.

But you still have to be willing to play along.

Obviously I know that when my granddaughter walks up to meet Mickey Mouse, there's a person inside that costume.

I'm an adult. I understand how this works.

But she doesn't see a costume.

She sees Mickey.

And when I watch her reaction, I don't particularly care who's inside the costume either.

For a few minutes, that's Mickey Mouse.

That's part of the fun.

And I think sometimes as adults we can become so determined to be practical about everything that we forget it's okay to just enjoy something.

You don't have to analyze the magic trick while it's happening.

Sometimes you can just watch the trick.

This Is Also Why I Believe in Planning

This probably sounds strange coming from someone who spends a lot of time talking about planning Disney vacations.

I talk about Lightning Lanes and dining reservations and resorts and park strategies and all of that stuff.

And I absolutely think those things matter.

But I don't think the goal of planning a Disney vacation should be to create a spreadsheet where every 15 minutes of your day is accounted for.

The point of planning is to take some of the stress away once you get there.

Know which things really matter to your family.

Understand how Lightning Lane works before you're standing in Magic Kingdom trying to figure it out.

Have a general idea of what you're doing that day.

Make the reservations that need to be made.

And then leave some room.

Because some of the best Disney moments aren't going to be on your plan.

Your kid might want to stop and watch a character.

You might hear music coming from somewhere and decide to go see what's happening.

You might find something you've walked past ten times before and suddenly notice it.

Or your child might decide that the most fascinating thing at Walt Disney World is a duck.

You paid thousands of dollars to bring them to the Most Magical Place on Earth, and they're watching a duck.

That's okay too.

Maybe It Takes Both

So I've decided I agree with the original post.

Mostly.

You DO bring the magic with you.

Your attitude matters. Your expectations matter. Being willing to slow down, imagine and enjoy what's happening around you matters.

But I don't think you bring all of it.

Disney has put a whole lot of magic there waiting for you too.

Maybe that's what makes it work.

Disney creates the stage. You have to be willing to step into the story.

So make your plans.

Know what you want to do.

Have a strategy for the things that matter.

Then, when you get there, look up from the plan every once in a while.

There's a lot of magic happening around you.

You don't want to miss it.