Origins

When I was a kid I had an uncomplicated relationship with Disneyland.  I grew up in the Bay Area, about six hours north of The Happiest Place On Earth, so my family would drive down every couple of years or so. It was fun. I loved riding the rides, seeing Mickey, and eating lots of ice cream. I didn't think too deeply about it.

Everyone grows up and starts thinking about the world a little differently. I ended up going to college in New York, and staying there after I graduated. I've traveled a fair amount both domestically and abroad, and like to think of myself as educated and my worldview as reasonably cosmopolitan.

I live in Brooklyn, ok? I can sometimes be a bit of a cultural snob. It's not something I'm proud of. Well, not that proud of anyway.

In August, my boyfriend John suggested that we should plan a vacation together.  It was a difficult time. My father had just passed away after a long battle with cancer, and though John and I had only been going out since June, he flew out to California to be there during my dad's memorial service.  Pretty amazing.  So of course I'm like "Yes I'll go on vacation with you." I wanted to go some place relaxing, where I didn't have to think that hard and we could just have fun together. But that was the end of the conversation for the time being.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to a friend who is planning a vacation at Walt Disney World down in Florida. As soon as I heard the words "Disney World," my mind started racing. I felt visceral pleasure, like waking up on Christmas morning. I booked a hotel and bought plane tickets the next day.

Then I had a crisis of confidence. Though John seemed excited to go, I thought he might think less of me for suggesting it for our first vacation together. I mean, let's be real. It's Disney World. Vacation destination of obese Republican families and old ladies from Arkansas who think Times Square is still full of rapists. Symbol of American provincialism and mediocrity, a celebration and deification of a corporation that has peddled middle-of-the-road entertainment, implicit and explicit racism, and a dangerously simplistic view of good and evil for the past 75 years.

Eh, whatever. It's fucking fun. My vacations at Disneyland are some of the best memories of my childhood, and the one time I went to Disney World as an adult I had a blast. This is going to be awesome.