When I approached the gates of Magic Kingdom, I was feeling the pressure to capture the moment. I was at Disney World for the first time, so everyone needs to smile, okay? Ready? Say cheese!
Let’s try again.
One more time!
Oh, well. Good enough.
But when I crossed the threshold, my expectations melted away. The music. The dancing. The castle. I was captivated by the human-generated magic. I snapped more photos and trailed behind my group making a beeline to Space Mountain. Which, by the way, was So. Much. Fun.
After a day of riding rides, eating ice cream and shedding a few happy tears (It’s a Small World is awesome, ya’ll) we gathered in Frontierland to watch the Celebrate a Dream Come True parade.
“Please don’t stand in the walkway! Please keep moving!” A Disney employee said to the latecomers. I looked down. My feet were firmly planted inside the boundary… right on the edge. We made it just in time.
And then the announcer-voice-person added to the hype, “Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls!”
The parade was coming! The parade was coming! The music was playing. “Celebrate a dream come true! Celebrate a dream come true…” And I was feeling happy, happy, happy.
That is, until the Disney employee opened the walkway, a crowd rushed in and a woman parked herself directly in front of me. Grrr. Each time she clicked her camera, she leaned in closer, invading my line of sight and personal space.
“Ma’am! Please!”
I startled myself with my outburst. In fact, I was so embarrassed, I stopped my Flip video recording and started it again. I didn’t want my childish actions clouding the family archives. With all the injustices in the world, I got upset because you blocked my view of Goofy? Apparently, yes.
Luckily, the woman did not turn around and slug me in the face. Instead, she lowered herself to the ground and took a seat. Confrontation over. But I felt terrible. And still, happy music filled the air. “Celebrate a dream come true!”
I started to feel better. At Disney, it’s difficult to run from the happy. Even when I temporarily forgot my manners, Disney reminded me that dreams are possible.
After the parade, I was all smiles. Then, my friend laughed and said, “I heard you ma’am that woman.” Ugh. I have a feeling it’s going to take a while to live that down. How I ma’amed someone in the middle of the happiest place on earth. Because of me, ma’am is now a verb.
The next night, during the Electrical Parade, when I noticed a young girl peeking around from behind me–trying to get a closer look–I stepped aside and said, “Here you go, stand here.”
I didn’t even ma’am her. And I felt happy, happy, happy.
Told you that you would love Space Mountain, did you keep your hand up the whole way or did you do the good parent thing and hold the kiddies in place.
The crowds can get a little hectic, especially at the parade, but, it’s all good in the end. We always enjoy ourselves and leave happy and full due to all the food and goodies.
May the spirit of Disney and Mickey give you happiness throughout the year!
I did the good parent thing, and at the end he told me, “It didn’t help.” My son didn’t like Space Mountain at all.
Well, he’s only 4 and he’ll love it by the time he’s 8 or 9.
Hopefully he’s not too traumatized!
One of the days, I’ll have to make it to Disney World, but I promise I won’t mess with your personal space
Vera, I’ll definitely make room for you.
You were right to express your pique with the lady…that’s what gets me in trouble…that I never express my issues, then they come exploding out. She needed to learn to think of others and if she couldn’t do that on her own, she needed a teacher. Without someone helping me see how I can improve, how will I see those opportunities myself.
Space Mountain! When I took my boys there, they put me in the very first car, in the very first seat…and I screamed bloody murder through the entire thing. I’m not crazy about roller coasters. I’ll ride them every now and then, but in the dark! I startle very easily, and so to just fall off into nothingness! That triggered my startle reflex big time. My 2nd son was seated with me and he kept saying, “Mom, stop it.” But I could no more stifle the primal scream of terror than cut off my own leg.
Cheryl, that’s why I surprised myself. It’s not that I don’t ever get angry… it’s just that I’m usually a keep the peace kind of person. Re: Space Mountain– I was laughing and screaming the whole time.
Too funny! We love Disney World, but have had that happen too. Both by us and too us. Sometimes, things just wear thin. It is like the rest of life – the key isn’t that it happens, they key is how you deal with it. Just breath in, breath out, move on.
Oh, and always be nice to the snottly nosed little kids. The adults can fend for themselves.
I should have done a few yoga “Ohhhmmmm’s” before the parade. Live and learn.
Angie, if “Ma’am, please!” is as bad as you get, I’d say you’re doing pretty well. It must be a Southern thing, ’cause around here I doubt people would even be that polite. Nothing wrong with speaking up for yourself. I wish I had when the, uh, “pungent” gentleman sitting next to me at jury duty kept encroaching on my personal space!
At least in my own head, I sounded like a barking chihuahua. And you’re right, it’s definitely a Southern thing!
I love that you’ve made ‘ma’am’ a verb. I think it is a polite, creative way to address someone who is being rude. You should think nothing further of it. She likely deserved much more.
I’m glad Disney was what you hoped it would be. It’s one of those places that everyone hears about ad nauseum, and it is great that it actually lives up to all the hype, at least, for most people.
That’s one of the reasons I wasn’t so sure about it… but I’m happy that in my case, it lived up the hype. Although, in some ways, it was a lot different than what I expected.
I cry EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. I go to Disney. I know it has something to do with memories of my childhood, because it’s a complete boo-hoo fest when my mother is there with us! But they’re happy tears! Because it’s the happiest place on earth! You are too funny – you ma’amed that woman!
P.S. Every single one of our pictures at the front look like yours, too. So don’t feel too bad
Glad you had such a fun trip!