Happy New Year
Walt is often quoted
as saying it all started with a mouse. Others argue that it all started with Walt.
I want to take it back a step further. I’m going to argue that it all started
on January 1, 1888 and it started with two people: Elias Disney and Flora Call.
New Year’s Day, 1888, Elias Disney married Flora Call in Acron, Florida. Acron,
Florida was a small town when they were married and it now longer exists today.
If it were still extant, Acron would be 40 miles north of where Walt Disney
World stands today. Elias and Flora moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890 and in
1901 Flora gave birth to their fourth son, Walter Elias Disney. The circle of
life, Walt was drawn back to where it all began for his family, central
Florida.
Perhaps the biggest
influence on Walt’s life was when Elias moved the family to a small farm in
Marceline, Missouri. Walt only lived there for a short time but it stamped a
love for small town America on his heart that lasted Walt’s lifetime and
beyond. Mainstreet, USA is Walt’s attempt to capture the spirit of simple,
small town, America and it’s a wonderful way to start any trip to Walt Disney
World; looking down that stretch of turn of the 20th century real
estate toward Cinderella Castle, the hub that opens all the lands of the Magic
Kingdom to thousands of guests each day.
This New Year’s Day,
if you are fortunate enough to be at Walt Disney World, take a moment to ponder
the Wedding Pavilion at the Grand Floridian. You can see it from the monorail
but take a minute to stop by the Grand Floridian and check out the beautiful
and elegant surroundings. Stand there for just a moment and imagine it is 1888
and Elias and Flora are getting married 40 miles away. I guarantee they were
happy, even if their surroundings were probably nowhere near as elegant.
Happy New Year, I am
looking forward to the next nine months of blogs and I promise to give you at
least one daily excuse to visit Walt Disney World.
Remember, your best
excuse is always: waiting for your dreams to come true.
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