Magic, Nostalgia and Escapism

The only picture I have of me and my mom's solo Disney trip.

I have been thinking lately about what draws people to Disney parks, what keeps them coming back at all ages. I realized it is because of Disney’s deep nostalgic roots, the familiarity of the parks and the escapes they provide. Magic Kingdom is nostalgic in that it is a representation of a place that is static, old fashioned, and frequented by those who long for the peaceful easiness of childhood. Walt Disney World provides escapes from day-to-day lives but both are unable to completely keep the complexities of society out of their worlds.



It is the nostalgic feeling of Magic Kingdom that keeps people coming during all times and trials of life. It’s what drew my mother and I here when she was sick with cancer. When I remember that trip to Disney World I never seem to remember strangers walking through my photographs, the lines that are two and a half hours long (for a minute and a half long ride), the stifling heat and endless rain, or navigating through parade crowds towards the exit. I remember the moments that seemed easy: laughing at a passing parade, licking up hands covered in melted ice cream, picking out a brand new pair of Mickey Mouse ears.

Magic Kingdom became an escape from my mother’s cancer. But, no matter how many rides we went on, parades we watched, fireworks we gushed over, or how much I pretended she wasn’t, my mother was still sick. There were still pills to be taken, food that couldn’t be kept down, and hair falling out. However, the minute we entered that park we escaped into a magical world: me with thick hair bobbing behind me, my mother with none. It was as if for that brief escape there was no such thing as cancer, there was only Magic Kingdom, childhood, and happiness. What is interesting about Walt Disney World is that not only is it a nostalgic place, where everyone is a child whenever they come, but it is also an escape from the normal problems of reality. Nostalgia and escapism go hand-in-hand at Disney World.

Here, it is possible to pretend for the few hours you visit that we aren’t living in a time of social and political complexities, just as I could pretend that my mother did not have cancer.

Disney World is an excellent escape to simpler times, but our guests can never truly escape the “real world”—it is always waiting for them just outside.

Since it’s opening in 1971, Walt Disney World has closed one day, September 11th, 2001 due to the terrorist attacks elsewhere in the country. In the early morning of that infamous day, the Magic Kingdom and all other Disney parks were evacuated. Cast members were told not to tell the reasons why unless asked directly by a guest. Over the Magic Kingdom PA a single message of “Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Magic Kingdom is now closed” directed guests to the exits. A momentary glimpse of the “real world” made its way onto Main Street, USA, to Adventureland, Tommorrowland, Liberty Square, and the like.

Outside the gates of the most magical place on Earth, was the most devastating terrorist attack on American soil, dripping with sociopolitical injustice and inequality, and, in a single vague statement fear and concern sat in the hearts of guests. They were reminded of what waited for them outside.

The closing of Walt Disney World on September 11th, 2001 was a kink in the great production the cast members had worked so hard to maintain. The reopening the next day, brought limited crowds and enhanced security. It is possible that these people returned to seek a sort of escape from the political, economical, and social attack on the “real world”—a task Magic Kingdom assisted in by pushing the current intricacies of “real life” off the stage.

The “Happiest Place On Earth” resumed its role; rides were turned on, parades commenced, people bought Mickey Mouse ears. They escaped in their own nostalgia, in their own childhoods. For the few hours you visit there in a day all the worries of adulthood could be left behind you, forgotten.

When Walt Disney dedicated Disneyland he said, “Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world,”. Cancer without a doubt is a hard fact of America, so were the events of September 11th . When I think of that trip to Disney with my mother cancer is never vivid in my memories. Those few days of escapism were literally the only days during my mother’s illness where I cannot remember her being defeated by her disease just as I’m sure those guests at Magic Kingdom on September 12th were able to escape from one of our nation’s greatest tragedies, if only for a few hours.

Everyone remembers where they stood on September 11th, 2001. They remember the emptiness, fear, and confusion they felt on September 12th as well. Here at Walt Disney World, there is a quote that fuels the hearts of all cast members, to keep the show going no matter what might be going on just outside our gates. Walt Disney once said “Around here, however, we don't look backwards very long, we keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things.” No matter what happens in the real world, we here at Disney keep our eyes on the future; we fill our guests’ days with positivity, we keep moving forward. So while the Magic Kingdom may be a static place where nothing really seems to change, our eyes are on the future, focused on the positive: that there will always be a new day.

It is this positivity that keeps our guests coming back. It is this escape to their childhoods, to a world without responsibilities or unhappiness. For a brief moment in their lives they can feel safe, they can lift the heavy burdens of life off their shoulders. They can experience the magic, and make the memories for their families. Memories that will keep generations coming back for more.