i went to disneyland (and notes on disney adults)

hello.

when i think about disney, i think about old disney. the disney i grew up with was 101 dalmatians (1961), cinderella (1950), peter pan (1953), winnie the pooh (1971), alice in wonderland (1951), and the list continues. this is the disney I continue to love. it comforts me and it’s what i raised my daughter on, too.

the new disney i think about today is tainted with over consumption and capitalism and there hasn’t been a good film produced since… ratatouille (2007)? with the exception of a very few. i’m sure you’ve seen the interview with Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli founder) where he shares his thought on art being replaced by AI. so we have two issues here when it comes to children’s literature, film, and art: over consumption and lack of originality (and character and pizzazz) and content being created by artificial intelligence. there’s so much i want to say on this topic, but that’s not the point of this newsletter. all this to say, disney just isn’t the same as it used to be. but, i have hope. and let me tell you what i mean.

we’re all aware of these concepts i listed above, but we have the power to shift our perspective and relish in the wonder of the nostalgia that brought us comfort when we were kids. even if you’re not going to disneyland, there are ways to channel your inner child by engaging in children’s media, art, and literature that makes you feel something.

i grew up in southern california and i was lucky enough to take a lot of trips to disneyland with my daughter (who is now 13). and so many of the trips we took together are some of my best memories and i cherish them deeply. as kids grow older, it becomes difficult to feel that connectedness, especially in the tech dominated world we live in. consequently, there are very few things that teenagers enjoy doing with their parents (although mine is a bit of an exception because i had her when i was a teenager so we’re pretty close in age). but disneyland is one of those places where both of us get to come together to commiserate and cling to the nostalgia of our youth. we escape into another world and make a conscious effort to look past the newness of disney and the inundation of rude touristy people who populate the parks so we can stay present and thoroughly enjoy our time together.

picture this… we arrive at disneyland early to eat mickey mouse shaped waffles at the plaza inn. there are characters like winnie the pooh and daisy duck who visit your table and give you a hub and sign their name in your autograph book. after breakfast, we make our way to fantasyland to ride peter pan (one of my favorites). you sail away on a pirate ship to neverland and leave the ride with a trail of pixie dust. we find our way to the tea cups and spin around as fast as we can, laughing until we can barely breathe. we visit the small world and get slightly creeped out by all of the animatronics, but get down and dance to the small world song in the back of our boat. we head over to tomorrowland to ride space mountain (and I definitely have a panic attack) before we eat our favorite meal at pizza port- their pasta and pizza is to die for, but only inside disneyland because i’m certain that it would taste repulsive the second we stepped foot out of the park. i’d also like to make a note that toy story is arguably one of the best pixar films and pizza port makes me feel like i’m living inside of their world. we make our way around the other lands, like adventureland for dole whip and the tiki room (a great place to sit and cool down on hot days). we ride the jungle cruise and laugh at all the skipper’s jokes, i’m forced to go on indiana jones. then we enter into my favorite ride in the entire park: the haunted mansion. after the haunted mansion, we head over to critter country and visit winnie the pooh and give him the biggest hug (we also see tigger and eeyore and go on the winnie the pooh ride (my other other favorite). there’s a little shop there that looks like a treehouse and it makes me feel like i’m in the hundred acre wood. we visit frontierland and ride big thunder mountain. we make a stop at the front of sleeping beauty’s castle for the best churros at the park. and the day just sparks the most immense joy for both my daughter and me. but can i tell you my favorite thing to do at disneyland is? walking down main street, listening to the ambiance and the ragtime piano music playing in the background, smelling the sweet vanilla cinnamon aroma from the candy shops, getting a strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone with sprinkles to enjoy on our favorite bench as the sun sets so we can watch the fireworks fill up the sky as our perfect day comes to an end. and if we’re lucky, we give mickey a hug on the way out as we exit the parks knowing that tomorrow we get to go back and do it all over again.

when i would visit disneyland frequently, my biggest fear was becoming a disney adult. because in my mind, there was nothing cringier and more off putting than a disney adult. their extreme enthusiasm and overconsumption overshadow the simple joys of channeling one’s inner child. it juxtaposes the whole point of enjoying a theme park. the constant buying into every new product or experience is excessive, making it hard for others to relate to or appreciate the genuine nostalgia and magic disney can offer. the reason i miss old disney is because it was simple. there was no such thing as social media and youtube and people vlogging their entire day. when the fireworks started, nobody had their phones out. you didn’t eat a mickey pretzel for the photo. and when you were spinning around on the teacups with your best friend having the absolute time of your life, you didn’t feel compelled to document it.

but regardless of my mixed emotions about my love for disney, i’m sharing this with you because the thing that matters most to me in my life is my daughter, and prioritizing moments like these to make memories that bring insurmountable joy and happiness to both of us. when she was a little girl, there were four movies that were constantly on rotation: 101 dalmatians, peter pan, cinderella, and winnie the pooh. we would snuggle up on the couch together. i had a little dumbo pillow pet that i would put on my tummy and she would lay her head on top and fall asleep in my arms to these films.

during one of our trips to disneyland, i took a photo of her giving peter pan the biggest hug next to the castle. she was so excited, and after i took the photo, peter pan asked her what her favorite treat at the park was. she lifted up her shoulders with a little pout on her lips as if to say she had no clue. he held her hand and walked with her to the ice cream shop and told her that strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone with sprinkles (very peter if you ask me) was “the best, most magical, most delicious treat at disneyland.” so i bought it for her and we sat down on our favorite bench on main street eating ice cream and talking about magic and fairies and what kind of ice cream tinkerbell might like.

disneyland can be cringe.

but it can also be a beautiful, magical, nostalgic escape from reality if you shift your perspective and embrace your inner child.

it’s been an incredibly difficult year+ for me, and it’s moments like these that give me a reason to wake up in the morning to keep trying.

if you’re suddenly craving escapism and nostalgia from your childhood, may i recommend a few things?

-the easiest thing you can do is watch old disney films. i use disney+, but i know you can access some of these on youtube. make a list of your favorite films from your childhood and then watch the one that brings you the most comfort. (it doesn’t have to be disney)

-listen to classic disney music or disney piano music. my other favorite thing to listen to is this video on youtube: disney oldies playing in another room ~ the ultimate comforting background noise.

-i’m not someone who is into gaming, but i do indulge in playing animal crossings and super mario on the nintendo switch. i will say it’s another fun way to have mama daughter time. it’s nice escape from reality that simulates your brain and takes you away from doom scrolling social media.

-make a pinterest board with all of your favorite books, tv shows, characters, etc from your childhood.

-read children’s literature. i enjoyed brambly hedge, beatrix potter, winnie the pooh, little bear, frog and toad, etc. i do this very frequently and i would argue that i’ve learned more about life from children’s books (and motherhood) than anything else in this world. it can be quite astonishing to re-read your childhood favorites as an adult. you’re learn things about yourself and the world around you.

okay, that’s all for today.

i hope this letter brought you comfort.

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i love you.

bye.

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