Wednesday with Walt: The Gift That Keeps Giving

“To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past…and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America…with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”

If you are a friend of Chip & Company, there is a pretty good chance you have read this speech before. It is, of course, the opening day speech Walt gave to the lucky visitors of Disneyland on July 17, 1955. Today, I just had to share it again.

Each evening after work, against my wishes, my husband turns on the nightly news. For people with a propensity to get down, it is not the greatest start to my evening. Yes, I am aware that ignoring what is going on in the world will not make it go away. Still, I dream of a better world – much the same way Walt did, but without the brains, vision, and stick-to-it-ivity of Walt Disney. Still, he said “if you can dream it, you can do it” and I am still dreaming.

Walt’s statement, “Disneyland is your land,” really couldn’t be more true to all of us who call ourselves Disney fans. Disneyland was Walt’s gift to each of us. For my family, Disney World is the same. It is so much more than a theme park – it is the hub of optimism; surviving and thriving at a time when we really need it.

Marvin Olasky, editor in chief of World Magazine, said, “Walt Disney built his vision in the 1950s and early 1960s when the Cold War was at its height and the likelihood of nuclear disaster seemed high. He wanted Disneyland to be not just a theme park but a portal to a better time and a different world.” As the world changes more and more, it becomes much easier to let pessimism set in. Walt was an optimist; so am I. Following his example, I try to be boldly optimistic.

Disney World isn’t only a place where my family spends time together, where adults can be kids again, and where we live out our motto “been there, done that, can’t wait to be back!” Disney World is the place where you enter an entirely different world. It is similar to when Alice enters Wonderland, only so much better. It is a time-warp to a world when people were nicer, families were together, children could just be children, and hatred is not allowed. It is infectious and lives and grows in our hearts every day until the next visit.

When Walt was trying to build Disneyland he said, “I could never convince the financiers that Disneyland was feasible, because dreams offer too little collateral.” What a shame. Dreams are our country’s greatest resource.

Walt shared his optimism for a better world when he opened Disneyland. I want to spread that love to the world, don’t you?

There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow! Thank you, Walter Elias Disney.

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