AllEars, on one of their Instagram stories this past week, mentioned how going to Disney every day as a job can allow you to "lose sight of the magic." And they're right. Sure, they mention ways that the little things of magic can still remind you how amazing Disney parks are, but the staff for AllEars are all young and childless and so they miss one of the most amazing magical experiences ever: seeing Disney through the eyes of your kids.
While this is not a bash on AllEars at all. In fact, we love and appreciate their content. But what thing we would add is rekindling the magic from a parent's perspective. Being able to see it through my daughter's eyes for her second time visiting (and first time since prior to the pandemic) was truly a magical experience. Let me explain.
When Ava first went to Disney with my family, it was in February, 2020. We were starting to see people wearing masks in the parks but, honestly, I didn't think it was going to be a big deal. Of course I was wrong and, like everyone else, I was wearing a mask when I went outdoors for the next three years, waited in line to get into grocery stores those first months, etc. But the memory of us going down for that first time never left my mind.
Ava is very much a "girly girl." She's five years old, loves princesses, the color pink...and Goofy. Yes, that's right, she loves Goofy and there's nothing wrong with that at all! During our first trip, we did many meet and greets because not only did we, the adults want to see the characters (and it NEVER gets old!) but we wanted to make sure the kids got to meet them too. Meeting Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy were fun and both Josh and Ava liked it. But then...Ava met Goofy just inside the World Showcase entrance into EPCOT from the Boardwalk and Beach Club resorts and things changed.
If you went to the Disney Parks as a child, do you remember your first time meeting your favorite character? It was that sense of wonder and excitement as you inched closer and closer until you were right there and you got a high five or a hug, got to talk to them, and even got their signature? It was something you may still remember to this day and, if you don't, you still have that favorite character who, in the depths of your very core, gets you excited to meet them again.
Now, take that feeling but now, you're a parent and you see it for the very first time with one of your children. The first time Ava saw Goofy, she toddled to him and just hugged him. She couldn't speak yet but the feeling and emotions were there. We must have held up the line for 10 minutes or so as she didn't want to let go. She would pull away, smile at his face, and go back into the hug.
When she finally let go, you could see the magic in her eyes. She had met her favorite character! Minnie and Daisy were great; Mickey, Donald, and Pluto were awesome! But Goofy? No competition there! When we later went to Animal Kingdom, we got her her very own Goofy stuffed animal...the same one she sleeps with at 5 years old. Sure he's a little loved and his fabric is pilling and he's kind of gray and dirty in places...but this Goofy is Ava's and there are very many like it, but this one is hers. We have added two others to the mix but...well...they're not the same.
Fast forward to earlier this month and we spent a day in The Magic Kingdom the Friday before we boarded the Disney Fantasy. Stacey, my mom, my dad, and I all knew we had to make sure that Ava got to meet Goofy and, lucky for them, I knew just where to find him: Storybook Circus! In Storybook Circus, the meet and greet is for Goofy in a daredevil outfit (as "The Great Goofini"), Donald as a hypnotist ("The Great Donaldo"), Daisy as a fortune teller and Minnie as a dog trainer. It's a great place for getting all four characters at once because you can literally hop from one to another. Even better than that is that they're on set for longer because the location is air conditioned so they can have back-to-back characters coming out when it's time for one of them to "add gun powder to his cannon" in the case of The Great Goofini and then they come back out. Your wait time for all four characters may be about 30 minutes to an hour depending on the lines but it's well worth it and, for Ava, it was perfect!
She hadn't seen Goofy "in real life" in almost three years so she was shy at first. But as she warmed up, we could see that magic return to her eyes. It was just like she was 17 months old again. This time, she could talk and tell Goofy how much she loved him and everything and, after "breaking the ice" again, it was easier for her to do the meet and greets with other characters after. So much so that, when we were on the cruise and we saw a meet and greet for Goofy on board, her exclamations of "Goof!!!!" could probably be heard throughout the atrium!
As an adult who goes to Disney often, it's easy to lose sight of that magic and wonder that Disney and their cast bring every day when you're there...but sometimes all you need is a meet and greet to remind you of that magic from when you were a child or your first time there. And having a child meet their favorite character? That's something that will never get old!