Disney Column

We all remember how it was to be a tiny child.  Maybe watching our first movie, drinking our first Swiss Miss dark hot chocolate after a snowy day, playing our first game of Monopoly Jr.,  or even opening our first present on Christmas morning.  But everyone has had their favorite childhood moment.  Going to Walt Disney World is mine.  From the giant "Walt Disney World" sign when you first enter Lake Buena Vista to the view of Cinderella's Castle from the monorail.  Disney is my favorite place to be.  But, now that I am a teenager who isn't as into character meet and greets and shows, what keeps my family and I coming back each year?  

The service.  Or not the service, but the people who provide it.  I don't think that any Disney Cast Members, the employees, have ever been anything but polite, respectful, and helpful to anyone I know.  They always return questions, comments, and critiques with a smile and a helpful response.  To me, Disney is fantastic.  Of course, not everyone thinks this way.  To some,  the rides are boring and character meet and greets a waste of time.  To some, the thought of planning out a vacation more than a month in advance is pure torture and getting there without plans is even worse.  To some, Disney is a soul-sucking corporation that just wants to take your money.  It’s true, after   almost 60 years prices have increased by $101.50,  full price today being $105 for a day.  But, even so, I ask them, “Have you ever given it a chance?” 

When I was 3, we visited for the first time.  After my birthday there, we lost our Casio camera with all of the pictures from that day.  Now, how many places that big would be able to get back that nice camera?  We were able to get back all of those memories with the help of Disney’s staff.  It’s times like these when almost all hope is lost, that memories are made and something becomes truly special.  I think that maybe we don’t give enough credit to something that should be standard.  I believe that the world, in the most general sense, needs to be more caring, more respectful, more loving, more Disney.  There are other companies out there that are mostly this way, one that comes to mind is Carnival.  But, nowadays it is too hard to find businesses, or even people that care more about others than money. That, I believe needs to change.  So think hard about this the next time you give someone an attitude or are rude, remember the “Golden Rule” : Treat others how you want to be treated.