A Russian, his dog, Disney, and me

I had a true Pavlovian moment this weekend. I’m riding the Disney tram from the shopping village to the exit near the hotel I’m staying at. I get on the tram and I’m just hit with a huge sense of happiness and anticipation. So I sit there and think why. I’m just going back to the hotel and to a snoring JDub and about four hours of sleep before having to navigate LA traffic and take a cross country flight and possibly be stuck in coach for that flight, ick. Why am I happy and anticipating being even happier. Now one could think that it is because I’m about 20 hours from seeing my family, I just saw a pretty good Harry Potter movie, or even that the hard work of a con was over. I did miss my family and was very happy to get back to see them, Harry Potter was really good, and it was great the con was over.

It wasn’t any of those things, it was almost a surreal moment. I sit there wondering what it was and I put my hands down on the seat and it all becomes clear, almost like the car commercial where the guy puts his hand on the car and is transported through all sorts of different imagery. I put my hand down on the sandpaper-like seats and it hits me. These are the same type trams Disney has used at both Disney World and Disneyland since as long as I’ve ever gone to the parks. I vividly remember some of the many countless times I went to Disney World with my mom, the few times with the whole family, the time with my aunt and my brother, the once or twice with friends, the school trips, all with such happiness and anticipation. This was the tram that brought you to the happiest place on earth and you were almost there. I also remember the family trip to bury my grandfather and stopping as a much needed release. That trip also marked Emily’s first trip to the Magic Kingdom, I still remember the smile on her face when she realized we were actually going to where Mickey Mouse and the Princesses lived.

We’ve since been able to take her to Disney World again and even to Disneyland. Both of those trips were this year and absolutely made her world. Many people don’t like Disney for whatever reason, not me, I love Disney. Either what it means to my daughter, the great times my wife remembers despite her tumultuous childhood, to my many great memories, to the ones the three of us are still going to make, it truly is a Magic Kingdom.