My change of heart was brought about in part by GE? (Childhood thoughts on Walt Disney World's Carousel of Progress)

     Once upon a time, I was afraid of everything. I don't mean like I was afraid of a lot of things, I was scared of pretty much anything you could think of. I didn't like for people to sing happy birthday to me because it was too loud. I couldn't go to my cousin's graduation because it took place in a theatre with the Comedy and Tragedy masks near the ceiling. The first time I went to Walt Disney World, I was a terrified little kid. I liked looking around the themed areas, but when it came time to actually get on a ride, it was a much less pleasant experience. I only rode three rides the first time that I went to the park when I was in Third Grade: The PeopleMover, Jungle Cruise, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. I was convinced that the PeopleMover was actually Space Mountain whenever it took a turn into that ride, and I was horrified for a moment before I realized that it was still moving at a pretty slow speed. On Jungle Cruise, I was so afraid that they let me sit up front with the skipper so that I could see what was happening, and that nothing bad was going to happen. I was able to ride Buzz Lightyear fairly easily for whatever reason, I don't remember any significant event happening around that. Now, why am I taking you on this drawn out narrative? If you know me or have read my blog before, chances are that you know that I love Walt Disney World a lot, constantly calling it my favorite vacation spot. How was there such a monumental change? That's what I hope to talk about today. This magical vacation spot has changed a lot since the days of my childhood trip, as has the company that owns and regulates it. I think the more important change however is the change in myself, and I owe that change to not only my friends and family, but to Disney World as well in a small way.

    I've already told you about my first experience, which was far from a good one, though it wasn't to the fault of anyone but myself. I have to take a tangent here because people often talk about how they were treated rudely by a cast member, but that has never been the case to me. Shout out to the amazing people that work at the parks, I can't imagine the amount of negativity that you have to face with a smile, but know that in my eyes, you're the true magic behind the parks. Tangent over, and it's time to talk about my second trip to Magic Kingdom. I was in 7th grade I think, which, as you probably know, is the worst time to ever be alive. Hormones are going crazy, the kids at school are mean, and you just don't want to be around anyone (or that's how it was for me anyways). There is an animatronic stage show in Tomorrowland called "The Carousel of Progress," that I had actually been on whenever I was in third grade, but I had my head down and my ears covered at that time, because I was terrified, as always. In 7th grade however, I actually watched the show and I fell in love with it. If you don't know about the ride, it was commissioned by General Electric for the 1964 World's Fair, showing how new technology has changed the life of the modern american family all throughout the 20th century. Of course, when it was moved into the parks, it was changed slightly to add a more futuristic ending scene, as the ending in 1964 wasn't quite up to par with what we see around our homes today (Even though the show is kind of outdated now, even with the new ending). The show does a great time showing all of the different inventions and technology that have been created over time, and it's all accompanied by an infinitely catchy "ear-worm" courtesy of the Sherman Brothers.

    "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" really cheered me up that day, as even though it was referring to the new inventions that would continue to come out, I took it to mean that there is always something good coming around the corner. As a 7th grade kid, I was so cheered up that I was pretty much convinced to have a more positive attitude for the rest of the year. More than that, I was kind of inspired to be a more positive, or at least kinder person. I didn't always meet that criteria, especially in Middle School, as we all had different things going on that were less than pleasant, but I did try. In addition to trying to be a better person though, I had a new favorite vacation spot, even though of the four parks, we only went to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT until we finally tried the other two parks out only a few years ago. The Disney Parks have encouraged me to become a much more creative person, to try my best to think of my own stories, even if they're built on the shoulders of giants, and ultimately, to start creative efforts like this one that you're reading right now. I love fantasizing about different stories or coming up with new things that could contribute to one of my ideas that I've already had, and maybe you'll see something come of those efforts eventually, who knows? Thanks to the parks, and specifically the Carousel of Progress, it has led me to this idea in a roundabout way, and even though things may not always be great right now, tomorrow is just a dream away.

    Thank you so much for reading this, friends. This is a really short post, I know, but it's one of my more personal ones. I know that Disney is seen as a money-hungry corporation and all that, but I can't help it. I can't stop rooting for them, and even though I don't agree with a lot of decisions that they've made recently, I truly hope that they'll make better decisions for the consumer so that more little scared kids like I was will be able to go on family vacation without having to sell an arm and a leg for that experience. Even though I gave credit to Carousel of Progress, there were lots of rides that helped me out. Haunted Mansion was a big step for me, and now it's one of my favorite rides, even though the first time I rode it, it broke down during the descent into the graveyard. The PeopleMover over in Tomorrowland may be my favorite ride in the whole park, it's really the equivalent of "comfort food" as an experience, and that's not to mention the many other rides and attractions that have meant a lot to me over the years. Since I haven't mentioned EPCOT in this post, I have to give a quick shout out to Living With The Land, which is just a wonderful time, though it often is overshadowed by Soarin', which is just across the way. Don't miss out on Living with the Land, take my word for it. Thanks again for reading this and I hope you'll all have a great week! Until next time, I've been Jonathan, your Self-Proclaimed Self-Reflective guy, and remember, "there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away."