Becoming Miniature Epcots: How an iconic Disney park reminds us of our influence
As the ship moved in the night, I peered over the edge of the railing of the Dream, marveling at the magic Disney didn’t manufacture, and yet it was as enchanting as any animated special effect. Light from the nearly full moon above sparkled on the waves below like brilliant fiber optics, shimmering in the darkness.
Everyone else was inside the ship, dining and dancing and tucking little ones into bed. But I was enjoying a show of a different kind, one made by the dueling of darkness and light.
In a season where grief and joy competed for my full attention, I could relate.
I thought about how so many of Walt Disney’s greatest triumphs were birthed in heartache or opposition.
Micky from the loss of Oswald.
Snow White despite the critics’ doubt and derision.
Disneyland after the studio no longer felt like home.
And eventually, Walt Disney World, but with his brother Roy carrying on the tradition after losing Walt.
In the season that followed, the Imagineers at WED had to continue creating without their creative leader. They couldn’t pause progress to grieve, so they funneled it into their work. From that era of deciding who they were without Walt, a new type of Imagineering was born, one that preserved Walt’s legacy of hope and optimism for the future in a more profound way.
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Spaceship Earth and Ray Bradbury’s influence discussed in this article are featured in the second book in my Pixie Dust in the Parks series, What the Mansion Eyes See.
Enjoy this bonus excerpt:
“Eric’s last words hung in the air between us as he pulled away again, a question I didn’t know how to answer. The glowing orb of our Earth, suspended above our heads, silently witnessed our dilemma.
Do we let the past dictate our future, or do we step out into unknown territory and let each next moment write its own story?
My heart thumped wildly in my chest. The chaos raging inside me contrasted starkly with the peaceful scene that surrounded us, all covered in stars and hope and yearning for a great, big, beautiful tomorrow. But I knew what needed to be said.
I looked toward Eric, and he shifted to do the same in the dim light. Our time machine rotated backward, and I held on to his hand to keep my bearings, terrified of what came next.
Using Ray Bradbury’s words as a guide, I made them my own, a window through a wall.
‘What if all the dreams you ever dreamed,
All the things you wished to be,
All the ideas you ever had,
Poured from your mind - rushed from your fingers
to recreate your life
and change the world?’
I swallowed. ‘What if the future we are waiting for is just waiting for us? Hoping we choose it? Sitting with us in this moment? What if…’
I took a deep breath. This was it. ‘What if we are meant to burn together, creating light to chase away all the dark that has held us captive?’”
What the Mansion Eyes See is available here:
Paperback — Audiobook — eBook — Signed Copy
