Have you ever been to Disney World or Disney Land? I've been to Disney World exactly three times.
The first two times, I was only eight or nine. My parents didn't have a lot of money, and back then they obviously couldn't consult the Internet to find inexpensive Orlando Vacation Rentals. So we would stay at cheap places like Motel 6 or Super 8. I have great memories of going on rides like Peter Pan and the Haunted Mansion. It was the perfect place for me, because even though I was afraid of roller coasters, there were plenty of rides that I could enjoy with my parents and brother. And then, of course, there was the Light Parade and the fireworks at the end of the day!
The third time I went, it was as an adult. My mom and I went with no kids, and really lived it up! Even though I enjoyed Disney as a kid, I definitely appreciated it a lot more as an adult! I could see all of the work and thought that went to each detail, from the ground up. Every ride, every piece of scenery, every mode of transportation, even every hotel, was a work of art!
Walt Disney died before he got to see the full extent of his legacy, but I think he would have been proud.
Speaking of Walt Disney, I've always had this theory that everything in the world can somehow be connected to Chicago. (Where I live!) It turns out that Walt Disney was born in Chicago, and actually lived in Chicago twice! His family lived in Chicago until Walt was four, and then they moved to Missouri. When Walt was fifteen, his family moved back to Chicago so that his father could work at the O-Zell jelly factory. Even though Walt was only a freshman, he took night classes at the Chicago Art Institute.
Fast forward thirty years. Walt Disney, who now owned a cartoon studio and had created several much-loved cartoons, was on a business trip in Chicago when he got the idea for a magical children's amusement park. He envisioned his employees being able to go there to spend quality time with their families. He wanted it to be an amazing place, " like nothing else in the world." He spent five years planning out what would soon become DisneyLand!
In 1959, Walt began thinking about opening a second amusement park that would be easier to travel to for people who lived closer to the east coast than to the west coast. Walt checked out several locations, including Orlando, Florida.
He liked Orlando because it was close to a major airport and the McCoy Airforce Base, and because several major roads and freeways ran through it. Walt Disney, sadly, died before he saw his newest dream come true... but the dream did come true, and to this day Disney World is one of the most magical places in the world.
Orlando had once enjoyed a major housing boom, which ended in the 1920's when the city was affected by hurricanes and the Great Depression. But the arrival of Disney World brought a new population and economic explosion to Orlando. It now continues to be one of the top vacation destinations in the world!
Just thought I'd let you know!
July 13, 2009
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