In response to the article Why I Wouldn’t Ruin My Disney Vacation By Taking Kids:
The below was borrowed from Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus by Francis Pharcellus Church.
Mike, you and your new wife are wrong. You have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. You do not believe except what you choose to see. You think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible in our little minds. All minds, Mike, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge.
Yes, Mike, children should go on Disney Vacations. This exists as certainly as Faith and Love and Pixie Dust exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would Disney Vacations be without children! It would be as dreary as if there were no Disney. There would be no childlike faith then, no fantasy, no magic to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
No Children on Disney Vacations! You might as well not believe in Mickey Mouse! You walk through Disney and see what you want to see, the few children who are hot, tired and overstimulated, but Mike, there are hundreds if not thousands of children on Disney Vacations, not just those who you appear capable of seeing. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see Tinker Bell dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that she’s not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You point out the few moments you seem to see to ask if these smiles are worth it? Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all worth it? Ah, Mike, in all this world there is nothing else as real and abiding.
No Children on Disney Vacations! Thank God they are there and will be there forever. A thousand years from now, Mike, nay 10 times 10 thousand years from now, Disney Vacations will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
Mike, while you are absolutely entitled to your opinion, as a Mom I wanted to share with you WHY I have taken my daughter to Disneyland, Walt Disney World and on Disney Cruise Line since the age of 2.
Age 2 – Walt Disney World
Yes, it was extremely hot and crowded! After a dreaded and expected melt down (I was on the verge myself) we were approached by Cinderella who proceeded to push my daughter’s stroller to a secluded area, remove her from the stroller and spend 15 minutes interacting with her and making her (and everyone around her) SMILE. Yes. This smile was completely WORTH the 2 minutes we spent with this overstimulated child!
Age 4 – Disneyland (4th Birthday)
Yes, another hot day in the park! We drug this beautiful child out of bed and spent 8 hours ‘in the magic’ before we had to return to the room to get ready for her 4th birthday dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen. Poor planning on my part because she was tired (as was I). I decided to let her sleep for an hour but when it was time to wake her, needless to say she did not wake up in the best mood! After a bit of drama, we arrived at the dinner! Aladdin (she was in love with him) noticed she wasn’t in the best of moods and once again in true ‘Disney’ style made this a memory she will never forget! Yes, this smile was worth it!
Age 6 – Disneyland
It had been a very long day but as usual, we didn’t want to leave, Disneyland had been closed for over an hour and the shops were starting to close so we knew if we didn’t leave soon, they would be ‘politely’ escorting us out of the park. There was only a handful of people on Main Street as we walked toward the exit. We stopped one last time to look at the castle when my daughter asked, “Mom, where is Walt Disney buried?” I told her I wasn’t sure, but I assume he is buried in Southern California (I made it a point after this to find out he is buried at Forest Lawn in Glendale, California). When I asked her why she asked that, she said “Because, Mom, I would like to put some flowers on his grave to thank him for today.” At that moment, I promised her (and myself) that someday we will visit Walt Disney’s grave with flowers to thank him, which we did when she was 8. Yes, the smile on both occasions was worth it!
That little girl is now a beautiful young woman with a love of Disney that equals mine.
Are these smiles worth it? ABSOLUTELY!
Mike, I was childless for 20 years of my marriage and visited the Parks over 100 times prior to her birth so I do know what it’s like to visit the parks childless. I too have seen the children you speak of but the SMILES I actually took the time to witness far outweigh any of these experiences and I believe that maybe if you stop looking for the negatives, you will see them also.
My stories are not unique and there are thousands of these stories out there. After returning home from one of these Disney Vacations with her, did I remember the tired cranky child? No, I (WE) remember these moments and hundreds more just like them and not for one second do I regret sharing my love of Disney with my daughter!
I do hope you are able to experience a Disney Vacation with a small child someday and sorry to say that when you do, I would love to be the first in line to say “I told you so.” 😉
