Alexis Senge JohnsonPeople all over the globe save, sometimes for years, to make a trip to the happiest place on earth. I remember that fact hitting me deep both times I went through Traditions, which is the Disney equivalent of new-hire orientation, and yet it also was a tell of how second nature theme parks had been to me throughout my life. I’m a second generation Disney cast member (employee) and grew up learning each park on nights and weekends as if it was my backyard.
Now as I get to see the magic of theme park life through the eyes of our boys, I realize why so many families save up to make the big voyage. While everyone else is making their travel plans to come here, it made me think about a question that many of us central Floridians face at some point. When you live where everyone else vacations, do you actually ever go away for your own time off?
In my early 20s, while I was still finishing my undergrad and working at Disney the first time around, I almost never got out of town unless it was for a family reunion or somewhere that enabled me to be back at home in under 90 minutes. If I wasn’t in class then I was working or at the dance studio. By my mid 20s I was working at both Disney and SeaWorld and taking advantage of complementary access to both for myself whenever I had a moment and wanted to escape reality.
My 30s brought me back to Disney and now it’s brought my husband there as well so we both get to enjoy taking the boys spur of the moment. However, I realized if it wasn’t for my husband then I likely wouldn’t have ever planned a “real” vacation during the last decade of living in the land of theme parks. Aside from association conventions or work assignments, I’ve only left the state for trips that he initiated.
I’ve been a Cubs fan since my teenage years and have always wanted to visit Wrigley Field, but it wasn’t until my husband surprised me with the trip that it was a reality. Now, it’s not that I didn’t realize I had the same power to book the trip that he did. It’s almost as if when you’re working in theme park hospitality you begin to question if you even need to spend the money to leave when everyone else is traveling to be where you already are.
Luckily family reunion trips have gotten us out to California and Colorado during the last decade, but I think it’s time we start considering how to be tourists outside of Orlando again. That brings me to a new question though, so I think it’s time I turn to you all. When you live in the world of pixie dust, where do you go to get away?
