Happy Holidays from Disneyland!
Yep, I’m here, in the middle of a mini-vacation with my husband and daughter. We live only about forty minutes away (without traffic), and we’re Annual Passholders, so we come ALL the time — to the point of glorious ridiculousness.
Can’t help it — I’ve been a Disney geek forever. Long before I had a kid, long before I was married, I still had an Annual Pass. My then-writing-partner and I would come down to Disneyland with our notebooks, soak in the atmosphere, and work. Sometimes we’d take in some rides, but that was secondary to just being here.
Happily, I married a Disney geek too, and our daughter has been equally obsessed since birth.
So we’re here, taking in the Happiest Place on Earth all decorated for the holidays, and as always when we come here, it’s a little slice of bliss.
It’s also the home of my all-time favorite quote.
Okay, not really, because the quote comes from The Muppet Movie, and I actually have Jim Henson to thank for it (which I do, pretty much daily). But since Disney now owns the Muppets (and the Muppet movies, I believe), I can make that connection…that, um, rainbow connection. The quote comes not from that song, but from the last song in the movie, called The Magic Store.
In my opinion, this song is the ultimate inspiration for anyone who yearns to follow their dreams and build a life in a creative industry. In it, Kermit and his friends, who have come together from all corners of the United States, faced all kinds of adversity, and finally inked their “Standard Rich and Famous Contract” sing about how it happened. And at the very end, just before the Swedish Chef calls out, “The flim is okey-dokey!”, Kermit sings:
Life’s like a movie
Write your own ending
Keep believing, keep pretending…
YES!!!! That’s it! We all have the power to make our dreams come true! And with all due respect to the amazing Walt Disney, it’s not just about making a wish upon a star. It takes more than that. It takes effort. It takes the strength to keep believing and keep pretending, even when the journey gets hard. And if you can do that, if you have the fortitude to stick with it… you get to write your own ending to the movie of your life.
It doesn’t get any better than that.
xo,
Enjoy Disney. The Muppets were pure genius. I’m looking at a three foot snow drift outside of the sliding door next to my desk. When you wish upon a snowdrift hasn’t nearly the charm of the original song!
KIM
OMG, Kim, that’s crazy. I don’t miss living on the east coast at all. And my blood has thinned — it was in the 50’s last night and I could barely take it.
Build a raging fire in the fireplace and make lots of s’mores!
You have an annual pass?! I am consumed with envy.
I wear the thing out, too. Completely obsessed. And if you stay on property you get the Extra Magic Hour and get in the park an hour early!
I think I’ve mentioned that I’m not a big Disney fan, but I do love me some Muppets. I think my favorite part of that quote is “keep pretending” – too many of us lose that gene when we grow up!
Many other people I love and expect are also anti-Disney, so I get that. I’d be much more worried if you were anti-Muppet, because the Muppets rule. There are rumblings that I might get to write for them again. If it happens, I’ll be elated… once I recover from the happiness coronary.
If you need help… I can add a comma here, a faintastrophe there…. Muppets. Wow.
Is it warm at Disneyland? If so, can I come visit? Please? Getting very sick of snow.
Even if it’s not warm, I appreciate the sunny sentiments!
Tawna