“IF THIS IS A DREAM, I DON’T WANT TO WAKE UP!” – POP! Goes The Solo Trip **THE END**

[DisneyKid4Life]

Wow, that is such an awesome story! How cool you got to talk to that man and then top if off with the castle show.

It is such a wonderful memory Sarah. It felt like the night was building to something but I didn't know what... I will make sure to have that posted before you head back "home".

tO: dISNEYKIDFOR LIFE
I am particularly thrilled that you went back and took the photo. I've had too many regrets after I have gotten back home of things that I "shoulda, coulda, woulda" done, but didn't. APPLAUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love the castle photos from the show.

Aww thank you. I too am so glad I did as well. I initially didn't want to impose, but I knew they would be happy to do it.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Great story, thanks for sharing. Also love how you are able to see the unexpected bright side in things like rain delays

Like you said - it all started with a mouse. And just think, if Walt hadn't been in that park and saw the carousel which made him think of a park that was meant for the entire family to enjoy together, then who knows if DL is built, without which WDW doesn't get built, without which there is no disboard, and without which I wouldn't be reading this trip report


... ok, I think I just got a little too meta

 

[maryj11]

I have been behind but I'm caught back up

 

[marDgreen88]

Just wanted to let you know that I'm still reading along, it's just harder to comment now. But I'm really enjoying it! The gentleman you met sounds wonderful. That's what it's about! Like they used to say before The Magic, the Memories, and You, "...whether today is your first visit or your one hundredth, whether you are six or sixty, these special memories will live on forever..." And we can thank Magic Kingdom Entertainment Voice Guy for that one!

 

[crystaltink]

Wow, such a touching story, and I imagine you made him feel so special. My father is 82 years young and its amazing how many adults treat him as if he were a child. Just because the body may be failing, doesn't always mean that the mind is.
I would have loved to be able to talk to your gentleman friend. I'm sure he had a wealth of knowledge that we could all learn from.
Your trip report was such a pleasure to read.

 

[teekathepony]

Aww thanks so much Wendy. It was such a great memory and a great moment... BUT... this is not the story alluded to in the other updates. That's still to come. Bring a tissue .

No way! That wasn't even it? Hahaha well then I really can't wait!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[lovelygirl1975]

Aww thanks so much Wendy. It was such a great memory and a great moment... BUT... this is not the story alluded to in the other updates. That's still to come. Bring a tissue

.

Okay, so you know I am following this report and I read that sweet story and was like you really are a good guy. I really am the kind of person who sooo appreciates the older generations. And then with a true Disney story to go with it...I just knew this was the moment we are all waiting for. So now you say it's not....oh well, just more for me to read as I start to pack for my Disney trip, 3 days to go. ☺

 

[peachmermaid]

Wow, what an amazing story!! I think it's wonderful that he comes back with his family. That is just so touching. I love that even though he said no to the opportunity, he still has a sense of loyalty to the place. Beautiful. Take that universal! That man is just a shining example of why so many people return to walt disney world over and over. Thank you for sharing that story with us! And the picture! How cute!

I love that show. Blew my mind when I saw it. It's a great representation of what disney can do.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

I can not tell you how much I am enjoying your trip report!! LOVE IT!!!
Can't wait to hear more!

 

[khaleesi]

No way! That wasn't even it? Hahaha well then I really can't wait!

I know, right?!

What a sweet story. And one I need to remember. I'm NOT a good social talker, especially with people I don't know. We'll see how I do when I go in February. I really love being myself, even when surrounded by people. But I think it would be fun to come home with awesome stories like that. Then the thought of actually carrying on the conversation makes me all twitchy.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Great story, thanks for sharing. Also love how you are able to see the unexpected bright side in things like rain delays

Like you said - it all started with a mouse. And just think, if Walt hadn't been in that park and saw the carousel which made him think of a park that was meant for the entire family to enjoy together, then who knows if DL is built, without which WDW doesn't get built, without which there is no disboard, and without which I wouldn't be reading this trip report


... ok, I think I just got a little too meta

Thanks so much! Hey, when in Disney you must look for the positive.

Haha, not meta at all, you are 100% correct. It really does make you think. We're really lucky all that happened.

I have been behind but I'm caught back up

Yay, I'm so glad Mary!

Just wanted to let you know that I'm still reading along, it's just harder to comment now. But I'm really enjoying it! The gentleman you met sounds wonderful. That's what it's about! Like they used to say before The Magic, the Memories, and You, "...whether today is your first visit or your one hundredth, whether you are six or sixty, these special memories will live on forever..." And we can thank Magic Kingdom Entertainment Voice Guy for that one!

Aww Marissa, you're such a trooper that's for sure and I sooooooo appreciate you sticking it out. I really hope you get your computer issues fixed soon!

He was such a lovely man, I can't even. He really set the stage for what comes next.

That's it in a nutshell. Ahh I forgot about that from the beginning of MM&Y. So wonderful and so true.

YAY Magic Kingdom Entertainment Voice Guy!

Wow, such a touching story, and I imagine you made him feel so special. My father is 82 years young and its amazing how many adults treat him as if he were a child. Just because the body may be failing, doesn't always mean that the mind is.
I would have loved to be able to talk to your gentleman friend. I'm sure he had a wealth of knowledge that we could all learn from.
Your trip report was such a pleasure to read.

Thank you so much. I really hope I did. I know he made a very special moment for me.
You are absolutely right! My father turns 84 this December (my mother is just early 60's... cradle robber that guy ) and I'm hoping to take him to Disney to celebrate.


Thank you so very much and before I forget . I'm so glad you're here.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

No way! That wasn't even it? Hahaha well then I really can't wait!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Haha, nope that wasn't it. Next update though I 100% promise. Honestly, I don't think I've obsessed over any update this much before. I really hope it pays off.

Okay, so you know I am following this report and I read that sweet story and was like you really are a good guy. I really am the kind of person who sooo appreciates the older generations. And then with a true Disney story to go with it...I just knew this was the moment we are all waiting for. So now you say it's not....oh well, just more for me to read as I start to pack for my Disney trip, 3 days to go. ☺

Thank you so very much Nikia. It really was a wonderful meeting and wonderful moment. In any other circumstance, this would have absolutely been the day's highlight.
But, alas, this was not the moment I've been alluding to. That's up next.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Wow, what an amazing story!! I think it's wonderful that he comes back with his family. That is just so touching. I love that even though he said no to the opportunity, he still has a sense of loyalty to the place. Beautiful. Take that universal! That man is just a shining example of why so many people return to walt disney world over and over. Thank you for sharing that story with us! And the picture! How cute!

I love that show. Blew my mind when I saw it. It's a great representation of what disney can do.

Jennifer, it was such a awesome meeting. It was also really inspiring. You're so right, it really shows the loyalty people have to that place. I could tell how much he loved it there.
And I absolutely adore that picture. So glad I went back.

It really is fantastic. If they took the best of that show along with the best of MM&Y, I'm not sure I could handle it.

I can not tell you how much I am enjoying your trip report!! LOVE IT!!!
Can't wait to hear more!

Thank you ever so much!! I so love hearing that. I really and truly appreciate it

I know, right?!

What a sweet story. And one I need to remember. I'm NOT a good social talker, especially with people I don't know. We'll see how I do when I go in February. I really love being myself, even when surrounded by people. But I think it would be fun to come home with awesome stories like that. Then the thought of actually carrying on the conversation makes me all twitchy.

I so hope it plays as well as I hope it does.

Thank you so very much! Haha, well, I will say this. I can't think of a better place to make that happen than WDW. Generally, people are in such good moods and so friendly here that conversation often just happens.

 

[Chief Powhatan]

Rob - That's a really great story about meeting the older gentleman; as always, thanks for sharing!
Rob

 

[LutheranChick82]

I am totally subbing on this TR!!!
I am putting my DD down for her nap when I read this!!

When I entered, the handler noticed my shirt immediately and told me it was awesome.

I thanked her and she followed with,

“That’s right… there will be No Dancing… No Smiling… No Fun Whatsoever.”

My reply was simply,

“Wait… Am I at Universal??”

Then…She Lost It.

And I nearly lost it and woke her back up again!!!
I guess I can't read this TR while putting my DD down for naps anymore

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Rob - That's a really great story about meeting the older gentleman; as always, thanks for sharing!
Rob

Thanks so much Rob! It's definitely my pleasure to share.

I am totally subbing on this TR!!!
I am putting my DD down for her nap when I read this!!

And I nearly lost it and woke her back up again!!!
I guess I can't read this TR while putting my DD down for naps anymore

Yay and I'm so very pleased you're here. You're here at a great time too as the next post will include the TR title reveal.

Awww, I'm so sorry I made you wake up your little one. But I'm really glad you're enjoying. That makes me

 

[Hisgirl]

You know how Brer Rabbit had his laughing place?

Well, THIS trip report is my happy place!

I can't tell you how many times in the midst of bills, leaky crawlspaces, lost papers, ants and other unpleasantnesses....that I have come here to melt away into the wonderful world of your vacation!

SO looking forward to the next installment!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

You know how Brer Rabbit had his laughing place?

Well, THIS trip report is my happy place!

I can't tell you how many times in the midst of bills, leaky crawlspaces, lost papers, ants and other unpleasantnesses....that I have come here to melt away into the wonderful world of your vacation!

SO looking forward to the next installment!

Aww, thank you so very much.

Wow, that is so unbelievably nice to hear, I can't even tell you.

That just made my night!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

THE MOST EMOTIONAL, MEMORABLE, UNBELIEVEABLY WONDERFUL,
PERFECTLY MAGICAL MOMENT IN TIME... EVER!
Day 4 – April 30, 2013 Part 5


OK, before I continue, let’s briefly recap the day so far.

I awoke to heavy rain, but still had a pretty successful morning at MGM …
A not so great but still acceptable Downtown Disney visit highlighted by a speed demon turtle…
A pretty darn good start to a Magic Kingdom evening…
Topped with an amazing encounter with a wonderful family and a wonderful man…
Followed up by my first ever viewing of Celebrate The Magic…

Which brings us to now... And the final update for this day…

And the one that I have obsessed over for weeks.

It’s wordy, and I apologize for that, but it just needs to be.
I only just hope that after all the writing, re-writing, editing, re-editing, and tweaking,
That the following brings to you even a fraction of what it brought me...

Or you'll just think "That was IT!!??" and move on.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of the many things I love about the projection show is that it also fills time, so that when it’s over,

Wishes is only minutes away.

All of the Disney nighttime shows are wonderful, amazing, captivating, and exciting,
And the seasonal shows are probably even more impressive.

Out West, Disneyland’s nightly fireworks might even be “better”,
And World of Color is simply off the charts magnificent and a true work of art.

My love for all the Disney night-time shows is massive, but for me...

Wishes is the ultimate Disney night-time spectacular.

Not because it’s necessarily “the best” in a technical sense,

But because Wishes is the show that reaches right into me and hugs my soul in the deepest, most personal way possible.

It’s the one that most releases my inner child that resides in all of us;
That inner child that Walt spoke so often about.

It’s all about wishing and dreaming which is the very heart and soul of Disney.

Plus, the fact that its centrepiece is Cinderella Castle,

THE Disney icon,

It just can’t be touched in my mind.

It’s not a Disney show…

It’s not a fireworks show…

It IS Disney.

To say the very least, this show affects me on a profoundly emotional level;
More than any other thing in all of Walt Disney World.

Which is another way of saying that I’m pretty much a useless mess during the entirety of its performance.

It is the time during those 12 minutes when I think I am most at peace...

Not just in Disney...

But in life.

If you were to ask me where my happiest happy place is...

It's right there... In the middle of Main Street USA.... In front of that castle... During Wishes.

The show started right on time.
And as the very first strain of the Wishes soundtrack filled the air,
Right before the lights of Main Street went out,
I took a deep breath, as I knew that would be the last deep breath I took for a while.

"When stars are born, they possess a gift or two.
One of them is this: They have the power to make a wish come true."

Due to the weather still in the area, for safety, there was no flight for Tinkerbell, but I expected that.

My emotions swelled as I watched my favourite thing in the world taking place right in front of me,

And I relished every second of it.

The preceding sequence ended with hearts in the sky,

Me entirely mesmerized, invested, and vulnerable,

My emotions completely overflowing,

And a hush in the crowd.



Then…




Before the next sequence began…




Out of the silence...




The lone voice of a young child…




”IF THIS IS A DREAM… I DON’T WANT TO WAKE UP!”





OH




MY




GOD!






My emotions were already peaking, so I didn’t think it was possible to go any further, but I was oh so wrong.

I completely broke down and I truly believe you can still see spots on Main Street where my heart literally melted.
I can’t even describe how impactful this was to me.

Yes, I am a grown man, yet this touched me in a way I did not think possible, and that inner child had completely taken over.

There are moments that are captured in your heart and mind so vividly, they will always be a part of you.

This was one of those moments.

I cannot think of a more perfect, honest, and real statement ever spoken, and I have no problem admitting to tearing up one more time as I write this.

In one simple statement and one brief beautiful moment,
This little child, who was no more than 3 or 4 years old, summarized not only Wishes...


But my Entire… Disney… Existence.


If this had happened at any other time in any other situation, I would have been touched by it beyond any doubt.

But, the fact that it happened right in the middle of Wishes, when I am probably at my most vulnerable, just made it all the more powerful to me.

It was for me, THE MOST EMOTIONAL, MEMORABLE, UNBELIEVABLY WONDERFUL, PERFECTLY MAGICAL MOMENT IN TIME... EVER!

It was completely unrehearsed, spontaneous, and sincere.
She was simply saying what she felt in that moment in a way that only a child can.

Time honestly stood still.

I've struggled for years to explain Disney to non-believers;
Just what makes it so special?
Why do I (we) love it so much?

I always used descriptions like magical, amazing, spectacular, emotional, fun.

Only because I just could never find the right words or the right way to explain it.

Until now...

And it’s all just so simple…


If Disney was a dream… I would never want to wake up.


With my eyes welled up even more than usual, I did my best to keep it together throughout the rest of the show.

“See what a little wishin’ can do?”

After the show ended, I remained still in my spot for a while, reflecting on the show I not only just watched...

But felt...

Complete with the most perfect moment imaginable.

I thought about this moment made possible by a child of maybe 3 or 4 years old,

And I also thought about my unlikely encounter with a man 80 years her senior.

Neither of whom you would expect to have anything in common,

And yet both of whom touched me in immeasurable ways simply by their love of Disney.

I didn’t want to leave (as if I ever do) because I wanted to hold on to that feeling as long as I could.

Eventually, and reluctantly, I made my way towards the exit where a group of wonderful CM’s became the cherry on top of my emotional sundae by posing just for me as I left.

It was almost as if they knew how special this night was for me, and as a group acted on behalf of Walt Disney World to say...

“You’re Welcome.”

Oh how I adore Disney CM’s!

I posted on Facebook:
"OK… picture the little girl’s voice from It’s a Wonderful Life. Got it?
Now picture a pause during a sequence of Wishes where it’s relatively quiet. Got that?
Now hear a little girl, “If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up”.
The absolute most emotional and beautiful moment I have EVER had at Disney.
Oh… My… God."

I will never forget this night.



UP NEXT… "I’M GONNA RIDE THAT PUPPY... AND I’M GONNA GET WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!"​

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I'm sitting here at my computer on a sunny Sunday morning in Ontario, many many miles away from WDW, and just sobbing reading that report. I literally have tears running down my cheeks. You are absolutely right: Disney somehow can speak to the heart of the 80 year old man and the 3 year old child and everyone in between.

TP