. . . in Disneyland, that is. My family and I took a few days over Easter weekend to visit the happiest place on earth. It appeared to be the busiest place on earth too! That aside, we hadn't been there as a family in over 15 years. The last time we went, my youngest was seven. She's in her 20's now. So it was time. I can't begin to describe all the changes that have happened since my first visit to Disneyland when I was 23 myself! Anaheim in general has grown so much. But much of the park was just as I had remembered it, which isn't a bad thing at all. I was still in stark amazement at the attention to every detail that goes into every attraction. I mean EVERY attraction, from the smells to the visuals to the smallest of props. It's all there. The rides were just as fully immersive as ever. It's the experience that counts, not that it's just another ride, it's an adventure.
It was good to re-charge the creative batteries too -- just being around the energy of Disneyland was good. All I could think about, when I had a moment to think, was how all this started with an idea. A cartoon mouse whose name was going to be Mortimer. What a bullet Walt dodged with that one, huh? But Walt's little idea, his little cartoon mouse, and his cast of friends, bloomed into what has now become a powerhouse media entity.
So that brings me back to what I do. I create stories that I hope people find enjoyable. The more people like them, the more I'll write. Will I ever get to build my own theme park? Probably not, but hey, you never know. All it takes is an idea that catches on. A little spark that takes off like wildfire. It happens, rarely, but it does happen and that is what makes creativity so exciting.
Keep on dreaming and creating and let's see what happens!
Terry