Disney Side

This past week, I went to the Happiest Place on Earth! ……….for the 23rd time! Disney World is my home away from home, and I have grown up with the privilege of being able to say that. You would think Disney would get old after going so much, but nope, not for Maddy! I love it, and every part of it brings back memories of my childhood. Every time I go through the Tower of Terror ride, I remember the fear in my heart while looking at the dusty props everywhere. I can go eat in America at the World Showcase (that describes my family, eating in America when there are 10 other foreign countries to choose from), and I go back to my mom taking a picture of me with half of a barbeque sandwich in my mouth. I can walk through Frontierland and remember when I tore my hamstring and went to Disney in a wheelchair, and how there were no people whatsoever in front of Pecos Bill.

It’s crazy how tiny things like that can bring back specific memories, and I think that’s why I love it so much! We went with our drama department last year, and I had SO much fun! That’s actually where Mared (Maddy + Jared) was created! We were “riding buddies,” and we had so much fun together! By the end of the trip, it was pretty obvious that we were a “thing.” So this trip was very special, since it was the first one we were actually TOGETHER together! We got to relive a lot of last year’s memories. One of my best friends, Reagan, also got to go this year, which was even better!

We left at about 6:15 Monday morning, and got to Orlando at about 3:30 that afternoon. We went to Downtown Disney that night, ate at Wolfgang Puck to eat (so good), and shopped around a little bit! It was a nice little warm up for the next few days!

Tuesday morning, we woke up and went to Magic Kingdom! We got a lot of rides in and we also got to eat at Beast’s castle... it’s so magical.

We even got to meet Gaston, too! He is possibly my favorite character to meet, him and his egotistical little self. Ginna, Reagan, and I decided to be the Silly Girls that swoon over him in the movie, and I’d say our picture turned out pretty well…

The bottom fell out and the rain came that afternoon, so our group went back to the hotel for a nap. We threw our rain jackets on and headed to Hollywood Studios! This was the night our group discovered one of the most hilarious things ever, and it shall be left at that.

Wednesday morning, we woke up and headed to Animal Kingdom. We rode Expedition Everest 3 times that morning, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, and then watched Festival of the Lion King right before we headed back to the room for naptime! It got surprisingly cold this day, so we also had to grab extra clothes to put on.

That night, we went to Epcot and rode the bigger rides there, so we would have time to do World Showcase the next day and also go back to Studios!

Thursday was our last day in the parks, and we started off with everybody heading to our workshop! It was SO much fun, it was held backstage at World Showcase, we learned some new games, audition techniques, and some more acting tips, too! At the end, we all got Mickey ears with a Performing Arts patch on them, so obviously a picture was necessary!

Afterwards, we finished up what we wanted to see at Epcot, and rode a boat to Hollywood Studios! We watched the Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular (where MY MOTHER was chosen as an extra, what are the odds), ate at Pizza Planet (where I found my twin but was too mesmerized to take a picture with), and watched Fantasmic (my favorite nighttime show)! By the way, I think the temperature got down to 34 degrees this day. 34 degrees. At Disney World. In Florida. Hence the jackets.

This trip was ABSOLUTELY the best yet, and my group was so perfect! Juliett, Mike, Romeo, Charlie, Whiskey, Tango, and Bravo were “FIRE.” We laughed the entire time, no one was ill, everyone got along so well, and I am so happy we all got closer! I’m incredibly thankful that we all got to have this week together! :)

My top 7 favorite memories from this trip?

1. Regressions

2. Peaches

3. The bus driver

4. "I AM."

5. Romeo getting to funky with her leg work

7. Joel

8. The other 36 things on our "made us laugh till our abs hurt" list on my phone

I've used this verse before, but I'm using it again because lately I've realized that I'm surrounded by so many people that make me so happy and influence me in the most happy, positive ways!

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

-Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV)

I like how it says “pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” When you pity someone, you want to help them, right? I do! I see homeless people in Atlanta and I want to open up the door and bring them home with me. But in today’s society, I can’t trust everyone. I know that. Anyways, I feel like helping each other up is a big part of being a Christian these days. When someone’s down in the dumps, encourage them! It’s kind of like the whole “Disney Side” promotion that Disney does… They have all of these commercials with people pretending to be Disney characters at home, or going back to their childlike manner in a Disney park, and it’s called their “Disney Side!” They just let loose and let their guard down. I love it! So why can’t we show our Jesus Side? ALL the time? A Jesus Side is when you let loose and let your guard down. Similar, right? Except instead of playing with lightsabers or dressing up like a princess, a Jesus Side involves encouraging others, forgiving, and glorifying God in everything you do.

Though I have a pretty rockin’ Disney Side, I still need to work on my Jesus Side. I know I will never be perfect, but that just means that there is always work to be done! I can always do better, and I will never be able to repay Him for all the blessings He’s given me. Even little earthly things, like going to Disney World, remind me how wonderful He is and how big his grace is!