the most wonderful time of the year

Let me start off by saying that I abhor amusement parks. I don't want there to be any misunderstanding on that front. I can't stand the crowds and the trash and the jerky rides and the fashion on display. I can't stand the smell of the food or the slow-moving lines of people waiting for rides or waiting for their ridiculously oversized ice cream cones. Let me also state, before making this next proclamation, that although my husband is about to become a cast member--if you don't know, you don't know--that I am in no way working for the mouse. Disney World is not an amusement park. It's kind of the opposite of an amusement park where everything runs seamlessly and beautifully, even amidst the throng of thousands of people. If you could overlook the obnoxious American patrons (I'm not including myself or my family in that group, obviously) then I would wager to say that it is the happiest place on earth.

There may be some sort of serum that seeps into your blood through the Magic Bands, or perhaps it's the smell of hazelnut wafting through the bathrooms at Epcot Center that puts you under a spell, but when you're in Disney there is no greater place on earth. I could be exaggerating, but maybe I'm not. To illustrate my point, here is the scene we happened upon Friday morning while entering the Magic Kingdom. Main Street USA was dressed for the holidays, and the performers below serenaded us with the chirpy Christmas tome "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." I kind of got tears in my eyes. Well played, Disney. Well played.

Don't worry, there's more Disney to follow. I want to share the magic with everyone. (There's a wink implied in the previous sentence in case you think I really have had a chip implanted in me by the Disney folk.)