Magical Blogorail: For Me Disney Magic Is...

Welcome to those of you joining me from A World View and those of you just hopping aboard.  I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.  On today's Magical Blogorail trip, Growing Up Disney is represented by DisneyDad.  If you are just joining us, please watch your head and step as we travel from the daily drive into the Magic of Disney.  Please collect all your Fairy Dust and feel free to sprinkle it around as we go.

Today’s topic is

For me Disney Magic is…

When I think of “Disney Magic” for me it begins in the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s watching the Mickey Mouse Club on TV. 

Who's the leader of the club

That’s made for you and me

M-I-C-K-E-Y  M-O-U-S-E

Every day had its’ own theme:  Monday was Fun with Music Day, Tuesday was Guest Star Day, Wednesday was Anything can Happen Day, Thursday was Circus Day and Friday was Talent Roundup Day.  Each show was something you would look forward to watching.  Then there were the serials that were part of the show.  The Adventures of Spin and Marty, The Mystery of the Ghost Farm, The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure and Annette (yes Annette stared in her own serial on the show). All brought you into a world of imagination where anything could happen. 

I remember going to the theater in 1960 to see Kevin Corcoran who was in some of the serials on the Mickey Mouse Club show in Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus at the Alabama Theater with my parents.  I was 6 years old.  It was an event as they did not go out to the movie.  This was a special event at a special place to see the movie at the Alabama.  I still remember sitting in the balcony watching the story unfold.

Then there was Walt Disney Presents and later Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color bringing that Disney Magic into our living room each week. With Walt Disney himself introducing the programs.  Always interesting and entertaining Walt drew you into the story he was about to present.  And there was the “Florida Project” that would be close to my home in Alabama. 

My sister lived in central Florida and one trip I was able to go to the Walt Disney World Preview Center.  In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by orange groves, was a strange shaped metal building.  But inside it brought you into the “World”.  There was a large model of the Magic Kingdom showing what was being built nearby.  You could sense the anticipation of the opening.  We were back shortly after Walt Disney World opened for our first visit in December 1971 for our first visit. The first of many.

My Parents, My nieces, and Me December 1971

I took my wife to Walt Disney World for her first trip on our honeymoon in 1973.  I remember sitting on Main Street USA with my daughter in my lap in 1980 when she was 3 or 4 waiting for the 3 o’clock parade to begin.  I remember her excitement of her first trip and the wonder in her eyes.  My son was almost 10 before we could take him to WDW.  He still has the Chip and Dale stuffed animals from that trip and he has pictures of his trip to Discovery Island of him with the huge Galapagos turtles that lived there. 

My Wife and Me on our Honeymoon December 1973

There was my daughter’s graduation trip we took with several of her friends, her job there in the College Program as a hostess at the Crystal Palace, her running her first marathon, and her wedding at the Wedding Pavilion.   

Just before I walked Amy down the isle - April 2005

When my father died and after everything was over, we took a trip to WDW to get away.  Amy asked if she could come crash on the couch while we were there.  The first night of the trip we were at EPCOT and just as the fireworks started she told us she was expecting Tink.  Then on Tink’s first birthday, I took my first Granddaughter’s hand as we went down Main Street together. (Check out the Growing Up Disney logo picture).  On another trip while at Olivia’s at Disney’s Old Key West Resort Tink surprised us with a t-shirt that read “I’m the Big Sister”.

Tink on Halloween 2010

There have been many family trips since and we have more in the works.  Ridge (my son) made several solo trips in 2011 for pictures and stories for Growing Up Disney. 

Ridge's First trip 1991 at Discovery Island

So what does all this “rambling” have to do with Disney Magic?  For me it Disney brings me back to my childhood and to my family.  Disney Magic has been part of my life and the important memories I have.  The magic of Mickey is the magic of the innocence of a child and the wonder in their eyes.  The magic of Disney has been part of me as long as I can remember from the child watching Mickey on TV to the father and grandfather watching my children and grandchildren as they marvel at the Mouse.  In creating Disneyland Walt wanted to have a place that is a “family park where parents and children could have fun – together”. The magic he created was not just part of a park but in family entertainment where adults could become children again and children marvel at the world.

Tink's first birthday 4/21/10

Now it's time to say goodbye

To all our company

M-I-C, See you real soon

K-E-Y, Why? Because we like you

M-O-U-S-E

--DisneyDad

DisneyDad September 2008

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Disney Donna Kay.


Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way   and want to reboard:

1st Stop  ~ A World View
2nd Stop ~   Growing Up Disney
3rd Stop ~   Disney Donna Kay
4th Stop ~   Disney on Wheels
Final Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney

PS.  While writing this, I took a side trip to the internet to Google the Mickey Mouse Club.  I found a wonderful website on the “Club” called The Original Mickey Mouse Club Show that brought back lots of memories.  You can visit it here.  http://www.originalmmc.com