{"id":3734,"date":"2026-02-28T10:24:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T15:24:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deborahblackwell.com\/?p=3734"},"modified":"2026-02-28T10:25:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T15:25:33","slug":"a-trip-to-disney-world-changed-my-life-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deborahblackwell.com\/?p=3734","title":{"rendered":"A Trip to Disney World Changed My Life. Here\u2019s How.\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n

\u00a0By Deborah Blackwell<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

It all shocked me. From the planning to the afterglow, I couldn\u2019t believe most of it. I didn\u2019t even know if I could do it after years of immeasurable strain and drain. But I did. And not only did I do it, but this trip to Disney indisputably changed my life.<\/p>\n

Just days after my mother died \u2014 after twelve years of her long, exhaustive, dramatic, and traumatic health problems \u2014 my sons, Sir Husband, and I booked a week-long trip to Disney. While we didn\u2019t see it coming, and nope, it\u2019s not a cheap trip, we realized, wow, we had earned it.<\/p>\n

\"\"I love Disney. It really is the happiest place on earth. Utopian, even. The whole outside world drops away as soon as you walk through the gate. There\u2019s an overwhelming, immersive sense of magic in the air (across all 25,000 acres). There\u2019s breathtaking, ambient beauty everywhere you turn. The castle. The sphere. The scenery. The colors. The characters. The sweet aromas. The music. How the parks light up at night, like something from a fantasy. The mind-blowing rides. The iconic food. The enchantment. The nostalgia. And get this \u2014 people are kind. Not just Disney staff (cast members), but regular people. This isn\u2019t your parents\u2019 Disney World. It\u2019s a magical bubble of joy.<\/p>\n

But in all the times I\u2019ve been to Disney, it had never changed my life, until now. This trip hit me deep down and brought me back to a place I had forgotten. Joy is embedded in our wiring, but it\u2019s so easy to let it go or leave it behind in our daily lives as we trudge through, facing whatever problems we may have. The outside world has a way of hammering away at our joy, depleting our reservoir, and zapping our resilience. Experiencing something this happy, joyful, and magical was a rare occurrence in my everyday life, which, from a very young age, was built on survival.<\/p>\n

My mother, in Disney-speak, was a villain. I don\u2019t know what happened before my sister died when I was three, but after that, all I remember is being on the receiving end of my mother\u2019s rage until the day she died. As an adult, I went from that house of pain to other houses of pain, laden with problems that needed to be dealt with. I felt pretty beaten up. Then I married Sir Husband, which brought unparalleled joy. Guess what. His ex was a villain, too \u2014 like one from a blockbuster movie. Then I got Long COVID.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve really needed to heal.<\/p>\n

For most of my life, I\u2019ve been the one to ensure everyone else\u2019s needs were met. Making happiness a guarantee for everyone around me was my mission. I did my best to fix whatever needed fixing, carry the weight and burdens, and be sure they were satisfied. This mission felt mandatory.<\/p>\n

But this trip felt mandatory, too. My nervous system was shot. I needed something joyful. Something that felt familiar, safe, and guaranteed to bring happiness.<\/p>\n

Either you believe Disney is the happiest place on earth, or you don\u2019t. I know plenty of people who don\u2019t. Even Sir Husband was a nonbeliever. He went once as a kid and once as a young dad, and neither visit left its mark. This time, though, his happiness quotient soared. So did our kids\u2019. We had the. best. time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Disney has a way of doing that. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was jolted into joy. High performing fell away. Obligation disappeared. Caregiving, meeting needs, searching, trying, fighting, pushing, winning, fixing, have-to-ing, it all vanished. And it became so clear: I don\u2019t want to do that anymore. I don\u2019t want to compete, or perform, or prove, or fix.<\/p>\n

Wait, I think *I* matter.<\/em><\/p>\n

The death of a parent can change your perspective on life, but sometimes it also takes some magic. Disney, for me, was an awakening to, and a reminder of \u201cThis is what joy feels like!\u201d and \u201cI can actually feel good!\u201d So now I want to be part of that daily vibe. I\u2019m ready for something joyful. Energizing. Something that is authentic and isn\u2019t pressure, urgency, and struggle. I want to build a new life filled with that rediscovered magic. I\u2019m on a mission for simple, steady, satisfying joy.<\/p>\n

Even the thought of uprooting our lives, moving away from the kids and home as we know it, and working at Disney was never in my wildest dreams. Will we do it? I don\u2019t know. But, like the glass slipper, it\u2019s OK to try something on to see if it fits. To lean in and explore. Exploring isn\u2019t committing; it\u2019s an opening to the possibilities of what\u2019s ahead on the path, wherever that path may lead. In the words of Winnie the Pooh, \u201cLife is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.\u201d Gosh, how quickly we forget.<\/p>\n

Have a magical day.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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