Hi and Welcome to the Walt Disney World Top Must Sees, a new weekly photo blog I will be doing for the Disney Driven Life. This countdown will focus on the top things that I enjoy about Walt Disney World, and will be written in the spirit of the great “Top 7 Must Sees,” which means that my blog posts will be filled with excitement, and quite possibly, corny catch-phrases.
In sharing my Must Sees, I will present an image each week illustrative of the theme. As a Neurotic Disney Person who spends a great deal of time photographing Walt Disney World, I think I have a unique perspective on the parks that others may miss (and I don’t mean because I only see the parks through a viewfinder!). Enough prefacing about the blog; let’s get it started!
…Because after all, home really is where the heart is.
Like any great blog, this is going to be anti-climactic. I’m going to start with my best material first to grab an audience, then fizzle out as I run out of worthwhile things to say. Okay, hopefully that won’t happen, but I am starting out with the very very Top Must See at Walt Disney World. Not because I want to, but because I think it makes a great way to introduce the blog and myself. Besides, there will still be the suspense in finding out what’s the Number Two Must See!
The Number One Must See is such a simple concept, yet one we all too often take for granted. That magical time we get to spend together, enjoying the parks in the presence of the one we love, sharing that infectious joy they may have for one thing or another, or just being filled with happiness when we see a smile spread across one another’s face. It’s a magic that is simultaneously enhanced by Walt Disney World, and is so much greater than Walt Disney World.
Some people prefer solo trips, some people prefer huge family gatherings, or meeting up with a lot of friends during the trips. While all of these styles of experiencing WDW have their own allure, right now the style that suits me the best is, undoubtedly, spending time with my fiancée, taking in those magical moments as we discuss, reminisce upon, and just plain laugh like children as we share our scamper about the youthful playground that is Walt Disney World.
So often people get caught up in the hustle and bustle of getting the most bang for your buck by racing from attraction to attraction. Now, we’re no strangers to commando touring plans, but we temper this type of touring with slow paced, reflective touring that allows us to enjoy our time with one another.
I often see this as I frame my shots, looking for the next magical moment. Often, this involves individuals interacting with one another or interacting with their surroundings (admittedly, I am one of those people at the parks who takes pictures of non-family members; but I swear it’s with good intentions and discreet!). While a small child gazes in awe at the sight of Cinderella Castle for, presumably, the first time, a family member tugs at her hand, indicating that they must get to Dumbo immediately so they can start having fun (of important note for the family who I saw last summer, if you’re reading, videotaping your child as he or she disrobes completely in the fountain at Epcot is not what I mean by embracing those magical moments; let’s remember to have some decorum in public).
Much like the empty box that becomes the favorite toy at Christmas, fun at Walt Disney World can be found in the most unexpected places or circumstances: having a chat on a park bench, having a Dole Whip eating contest with a friend, or even just riding the monorail back to your resort at the end of the day, tired as heck, sitting there in the arms of a spouse. Upon more careful consideration, are these places and circumstances where we find fun so unexpected? When we’re surrounded by such a happy environment, should we not find happiness in nearly anything, not just rides and attractions? Moreover, isn’t a vacation about spending time with one another?
For these reasons and many many more, my clear and unequivocal Number One Must See at Walt Disney World is spending time with my wonderful fiancee, Sarah.
Contributed by: Tom B. (NDH #25) Tom is one of the roving Walt Disney World photographers here at the Disney Driven Life.
