Kid Stuff

It's been a full day. We finally walked through the gates of Disneyland at about 11 o'clock, and didn't return to the hotel until a few minutes ago. That's twelve plus hour of Disneyland, ladies and gentlemen.

Ever since we found out we were going on this trip, I've been ecstatic, but there's always been this fear lurking in the empty corners of my mind: "What if I decide it's a place for kids? What if this turns out to be lame? What if I'm (horror of horrors) a grownup?"

My fear was further solidified earlier today when I felt too lame to ask for Peter Pan's autograph. I mean, that's stupid, right? Only tiny kids ask for autographs. Grow up, Melissa.

Rides are fun. Really fun. But I wasn't getting the magic.

Fantasmic! rolled around and we ended our search for a place to watch by giving up. We hadn't staked out a seat and the Rivers of America were PACKED. As we shuffled through endless seas of people I found myself annoyed with how crowded the park was. Annoyed. At the happiest place on earth. I suddenly became aware of how bad my feet hurt.

But we didn't let that break our spirits. Oh, no. We decided to save time and stake out a spot to watch the fireworks. Main Street, however, was nearly as packed as the Rivers of America. After finally finding a place where we had a decent view of the castle, we sat down, only to be told by a Cast member that soon we'd have to stand up to watch the firework show. My feet throbbed in protest.

The lights dimmed. The music began. "The second star to the right shines in the night for you..."

And Tinkerbell flew down from the Matterhorn to cast her magic over Sleeping Beauty Castle.

I really can't describe the feeling that welled up inside me at that moment, but I bawled. I bawled like a baby.

Because it was Tinkerbell. And I believed that it was Tinkerbell. She flew back and forth over the castle and waved her wand and somewhere in that moment I got lost in the magic. I forgot how tired I was. I forgot the gobs of people. I forgot that my feet hurt. All that existed was Tinkerbell. I'm convinced I'll remember that moment for the rest of my life. It was the moment I realized I'm still a kid. And I can keep being a kid for as long as I want to.

So I'm going to gaze at the castle in utter awe and believe that there's a princess inside ready to be awakened with a kiss. And I'm going to believe that Space Mountain is a piece of the galaxy pulled down out of the heavens. I'm going to believe that Mickey will always slay the dragon, and good will always win over evil, and at the end of the day Tinkerbell will always fly over the castle. And I'm going to track down Peter Pan and ask for his autograph.

Because that's what kids do.