joshualyle
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2014
So all my life I've been a pretty avid Disney fan, and some people don't quite get why. I mean, I'm a 21 year old Australian guy with about 40 hours worth of tattoos and a qualified HVAC Technician...why the heck would I like Disney? Why am I not doing regular 21 year old things!?
Who cares. I'm happy.
I have friends in Nashville so I try to visit them about once a year, and this time I decided screw it! I'm going to Disney World. Well, I was hardly prepared for the magical week I was about to experience. I mean, I had heard stories and read things, but this was just mind boggling.
I arrive at Orlando Airport, pick my bags up and follow the signs to the Disney Magical Express depot. The second I stepped on the bus, I had this feeling wash over me, like I was being transported to somewhere where people will understand and the outside world just didn't exist.
I check into the All-Star Movie Resort and was greeted by an incredible gentleman at the check in desk. I really wish I remembered his name so I could praise his lovely service and gentle personality. He hands me my magicband I kinda freak out. Like, this is the real deal. How cool are the magicbands!? Think about it, honestly! I get to my room, put my bags down, check the time (about 6pm) and decide to go Downtown, and just wow. I walk through the entrance per-se, into the downtown district and I can hear "A Whole New World" playing. I was stoked! That's my favourite Disney song! (at the moment). I was just in complete awe at how insane that whole area is, and it's not even a park! I had dinner at the House Of Blues (which was a big deal for me being a musician) bought a bunch of stuff and headed home in preparation for the next day.
I woke early and jumped onto the bus to Animal Kingdom. Due to my flight schedule, I really only had 3 full days, so I planned on Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom & Epcot and decided to leave out Hollywood Studios (I managed to get there though, read on!) Animal Kingdom was awesome. The thing that really got me was how much detail was within the park! So impressive!
Back home in Brisbane, I have about 4 zoo's within an hours drive so a fair portion of Animal Kingdom was a little repetitive for me (only because I'm at a zoo every second weekend back home!) so by about midday, I had seen everything I wanted to see, and decided to trek over to Hollywood Studios!
Holy wow, Hollywood Studios. I am SO GLAD I managed to make it there. I would have kicked myself if I had never gotten there! As I walked through the park I got to see all the super cool pop up shows that happen and that just made me smile from ear to ear. I went on the Rock n Rollercoaster and had the time of my life..that was just so much fun! Haha, I'm smiling like a wierdo on the plane home right now. Someone told me "make sure you see Fantasmic!" so that's exactly what I did. I saw Fantasmic. Wow. That is all. It was about this time that I started to see how amazing this place was and how happy I was.
After hearing an incredible amount about Magic Kingdom, I set my alarm for something way too early for a vacation, knowing that I would need every second of the day. I walked through the gate, into Main Street and was greeted by the most magical castle I have ever seen. Instantly, all these visions came rushing back to me. Watching Disney movies on VHS and seeing the Disney World ad with the castle and begging my parents if we could go, of course, they would say something very diplomatic like "one day Joshy", well suck it Mum & Dad, I did make it here!
Honestly, I won't bore you too much (as I probably already have) but let me just say this...this was without a doubt, the happiest day of my life. I live a positive lifestyle, so much so that I have PMA tattooed on me (positive mental attitude) and Magic Kingdom just completely embodied that. Even in a complete fantasy world, I felt so at home. Only one time before have I ever been that happy and that was when I played my guitar onstage with my all time favourite band Thirty Seconds To Mars about a month earlier.
I may have a slight obsession with Disney Princesses and I think it's kind of because that's what I look for in a girl; loving, caring, innocent, fantastic personality e.t.c so as weird as this may be for a 21 year old male...my biggest objective of the day was to meet as many Princesses as I could.
Now, I don't think the Princesses genuinely understand how happy it made me that they didn't act any differently. We all know their friends are under strict instructions, but I really want to thank them, from the bottom of my heart for making me the happiest guy at the park that day. I can't even describe it. It was like my all time favourite stories, stories that have helped me through rough times, are standing there in front of me...and they care about me. Thank you Princesses and thank you Walt Disney.
I went to watch Celebrate The Magic and the fireworks later that night and honestly sat there and teared up. I don't even care what my friends may say about that, it really touched me and it made me smile form ear to ear. I had the best day ever.
I went to Epcot the next day and I enjoyed it, but for me personally, wasn't quite my cup of tea. I can definitely understand it's place, but it just wasn't for me. So after about 2-3 hours, I went back to the hotel, dropped off some things, had some food and went straight back to Magic Kingdom.
When it came time for Celebrate The Magic and the fireworks, I set up base camp a little further toward Main Street in preparation for the spectacular show. I had two American girls standing next to me, and they were saying something about "What accent should we impersonate tomorrow!?" and I honestly couldn't help myself so I turned to them and asked "So what is about to happen right now? I've never seen this before". I'm such a smart ***. I spoke to them a little and they found me on Facebook and now we're like international pen pals and that makes me super happy!
After the show, I walked around a little bit just to soak it all in and eventually told myself it was time to go as I had an early flight in the morning. I left Disney World a happier, more fulfilled person.
Thank you for letting me get things off my chest and thank you for reading (if you made it this far)
Thank you to every cast member at Disney World and Walt Disney himself. You have made me so happy that I'm struggling not to tear up as I write this on the plane ride home. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
(I may or may not have applied to work at Disney through the international program, fingers crossed!)
I would show you some photos of me losing my mind whilst meeting some of the Princesses, but I'm a newbie!
Thanks again, you're all champs
Who cares. I'm happy.
I have friends in Nashville so I try to visit them about once a year, and this time I decided screw it! I'm going to Disney World. Well, I was hardly prepared for the magical week I was about to experience. I mean, I had heard stories and read things, but this was just mind boggling.
I arrive at Orlando Airport, pick my bags up and follow the signs to the Disney Magical Express depot. The second I stepped on the bus, I had this feeling wash over me, like I was being transported to somewhere where people will understand and the outside world just didn't exist.
I check into the All-Star Movie Resort and was greeted by an incredible gentleman at the check in desk. I really wish I remembered his name so I could praise his lovely service and gentle personality. He hands me my magicband I kinda freak out. Like, this is the real deal. How cool are the magicbands!? Think about it, honestly! I get to my room, put my bags down, check the time (about 6pm) and decide to go Downtown, and just wow. I walk through the entrance per-se, into the downtown district and I can hear "A Whole New World" playing. I was stoked! That's my favourite Disney song! (at the moment). I was just in complete awe at how insane that whole area is, and it's not even a park! I had dinner at the House Of Blues (which was a big deal for me being a musician) bought a bunch of stuff and headed home in preparation for the next day.
I woke early and jumped onto the bus to Animal Kingdom. Due to my flight schedule, I really only had 3 full days, so I planned on Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom & Epcot and decided to leave out Hollywood Studios (I managed to get there though, read on!) Animal Kingdom was awesome. The thing that really got me was how much detail was within the park! So impressive!
Back home in Brisbane, I have about 4 zoo's within an hours drive so a fair portion of Animal Kingdom was a little repetitive for me (only because I'm at a zoo every second weekend back home!) so by about midday, I had seen everything I wanted to see, and decided to trek over to Hollywood Studios!
Holy wow, Hollywood Studios. I am SO GLAD I managed to make it there. I would have kicked myself if I had never gotten there! As I walked through the park I got to see all the super cool pop up shows that happen and that just made me smile from ear to ear. I went on the Rock n Rollercoaster and had the time of my life..that was just so much fun! Haha, I'm smiling like a wierdo on the plane home right now. Someone told me "make sure you see Fantasmic!" so that's exactly what I did. I saw Fantasmic. Wow. That is all. It was about this time that I started to see how amazing this place was and how happy I was.
After hearing an incredible amount about Magic Kingdom, I set my alarm for something way too early for a vacation, knowing that I would need every second of the day. I walked through the gate, into Main Street and was greeted by the most magical castle I have ever seen. Instantly, all these visions came rushing back to me. Watching Disney movies on VHS and seeing the Disney World ad with the castle and begging my parents if we could go, of course, they would say something very diplomatic like "one day Joshy", well suck it Mum & Dad, I did make it here!
Honestly, I won't bore you too much (as I probably already have) but let me just say this...this was without a doubt, the happiest day of my life. I live a positive lifestyle, so much so that I have PMA tattooed on me (positive mental attitude) and Magic Kingdom just completely embodied that. Even in a complete fantasy world, I felt so at home. Only one time before have I ever been that happy and that was when I played my guitar onstage with my all time favourite band Thirty Seconds To Mars about a month earlier.
I may have a slight obsession with Disney Princesses and I think it's kind of because that's what I look for in a girl; loving, caring, innocent, fantastic personality e.t.c so as weird as this may be for a 21 year old male...my biggest objective of the day was to meet as many Princesses as I could.
Now, I don't think the Princesses genuinely understand how happy it made me that they didn't act any differently. We all know their friends are under strict instructions, but I really want to thank them, from the bottom of my heart for making me the happiest guy at the park that day. I can't even describe it. It was like my all time favourite stories, stories that have helped me through rough times, are standing there in front of me...and they care about me. Thank you Princesses and thank you Walt Disney.
I went to watch Celebrate The Magic and the fireworks later that night and honestly sat there and teared up. I don't even care what my friends may say about that, it really touched me and it made me smile form ear to ear. I had the best day ever.
I went to Epcot the next day and I enjoyed it, but for me personally, wasn't quite my cup of tea. I can definitely understand it's place, but it just wasn't for me. So after about 2-3 hours, I went back to the hotel, dropped off some things, had some food and went straight back to Magic Kingdom.
When it came time for Celebrate The Magic and the fireworks, I set up base camp a little further toward Main Street in preparation for the spectacular show. I had two American girls standing next to me, and they were saying something about "What accent should we impersonate tomorrow!?" and I honestly couldn't help myself so I turned to them and asked "So what is about to happen right now? I've never seen this before". I'm such a smart ***. I spoke to them a little and they found me on Facebook and now we're like international pen pals and that makes me super happy!
After the show, I walked around a little bit just to soak it all in and eventually told myself it was time to go as I had an early flight in the morning. I left Disney World a happier, more fulfilled person.
Thank you for letting me get things off my chest and thank you for reading (if you made it this far)
Thank you to every cast member at Disney World and Walt Disney himself. You have made me so happy that I'm struggling not to tear up as I write this on the plane ride home. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
(I may or may not have applied to work at Disney through the international program, fingers crossed!)
I would show you some photos of me losing my mind whilst meeting some of the Princesses, but I'm a newbie!
Thanks again, you're all champs
Good on you, so glad it met up to your expectations and had a great time
