For Walt Disney it may have all started with a mouse, but for yours truly, and so many of my fellow Disney fanatics out there, it all started with a moment, a memory, that split second(s) of epiphany that made us the Disney dreamers we are today. These moments could have taken place in our childhood homes gathered around the television enjoying what are now our favorite Disney and Pixar films, or they could have taken place in the theme parks on a family trip as a child, with our own children, or with that someone special. While nostalgia may be a huge part of why we love Disney as much as we do, there is no time or age limit on what films, attractions or experiences reach inside your soul and give it a  gentle hug. As a ‘late bloomer’ in this magical world of eternal childhood, I know that all too well. 

Some of my most magical Disney  memories have been in the parks while others have been from the comfort of my home. While there are certainly those moments that make us shed a tear, require a tissue or even weep uncontrollably, that is not necessarily what we’ll discover today.  There are many more, and far too many to count, but I invite you to come along as I wax poetic about just a few of those special moments that carried me out of the real world and into the land of imagination from the very beginning.

1. Spooky Season is the Best Season!

The Halloween season has always and forever been my favorite time of the year. And for those of you who don’t know, Halloween officially starts in August, both at Casa Stephens and in the Disney parks as well. Paying a visit to any of the parks during this time is great and all, but it doesn’t truly feel like Halloween until you attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! I remember the first time I attended this soiree – I was a new Disney lover and  on Cloud Nine as my dream of combining my childhood love for Halloween and my newfound love for all things Disney was coming to fruition. I don’t think any Disney trip, not even my very first one, will ever compare to the joy I felt the first time I saw the spooky multicolored glow on the castle amidst purple smoke, the Sanderson Sisters Spectacular, and riding the Haunted Mansion, my mansion, three and four times in a row and having a different, just the right amount of creepy experience every single time. 

2. It’s Not a Party Until Elsa Says So!

Second only to the spooky season in the Disney parks is of course the Chiristmas/holiday season. I have never known a Disney Christmas without the castle dreamlights, or without queen Elsa ‘getting the party started’ with her icy touch, for that matter. Unlike Mickey’s Not So Scary party, I am not of the opinion that you need to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party to encompass the true spirit of the holiday. If you have the opportunity of course, you should absolutely take advantage – but the magic of the holidays are alive and well in any four of the parks with abundance regardless. Watching Elsa freeze the castle is a must see, but just walking down MainStreet USA in the evening to see her majesty all aglow is enough to lift your spirits and maybe even create or emphasize that little moment of ‘oh, that’s why I love this place’ that will last a lifetime. 

3.The Best Movie on Disney+

The streaming network Disney+ has given us so many of our childhood favorites as well as some brilliant documentaries and Disney+ originals. My absolute favorite of all things the network has produced has to be the movie Togo based on the true story of a heroic team of sled dogs on a mission to procure a live saving medication for a small town in Alaska in the early 1900s. While Balto may have gotten all of the recognition, it was Togo who led his team over 300 miles round trip in unthinkable conditions to save countless lives. But there is one scene in particular that took my breath away in the way only a Disney feature can do. Without giving away too much in the event you haven’t seen this film yet, there is a scene wherein Leonhard Seppala, portrayed by William Defoe  and his sled team are attempting to cross a quickly deteriorating ice scape, and rather than panic and give in to what appears to be certain death, he begins reciting a scene from Shakespears Henry V in a powerful, yet soothing tone. It portrays the bond between man and dog in a way only a Disney production can achieve, and one I will never forget and will watch over and over again.

4.All of the Best Things in Disney Happen on a Boat!

As a self proclaimed romantic, there is nothing like a good wholesome, realization of love Disney scene. From Ariel and Eric’s ‘Kiss the Girl’ attempt to Prince Hans and Anna’s failed kiss mission (less romantic when we find out he’s the villain, but work with me here) to one of my all time favorite Disney love boat scenes, Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder AKA Eugene Fitz Hubert. Nothing says love, romantic, and my love for Disney scenery like beautiful lanterns, a lavender and gold color scheme and a shared desire to find looking back at them. The way Ryder looks at Rapunzel as she’s revealing parts of her past, as well as her future hopes and dreams is the way every girl in the world wants to be looked at. (take notes, people!)  Per usual, the combination of the heartfelt musical score, the breathtaking scenery and the backstory that has gotten the two lovebirds to their happy realization make this scene in Tangled one of the most romantic and unforgettably touching of all time. 

5.Hurry Back…

Ever since my first tour of The Haunted Mansion, I have been captivated by it’s delightful eeriness and otherworldly charm. From the spooky stretching room to my very favorite and magically detailed ballroom scene, this attraction is absolute perfection from start to finish. While madame Leota and all her glory in the seance room may be the star of the show, it’s little Leota that has had my heart from the very beginning. The first time I saw the tiny, eerie apparition at the conclusion of the Haunted Mansion, it quite literally sent hot and cold running chills throughout my body – it was, and remains the perfect, most genius way to wrap up the entire lighthearted sinister experience that is the Haunted Mansion. 

What we love most about Disney isn’t always summed up in an attraction, film or experience, but in specific moments that make up the aforementioned. Nobody does nostalgia like Disney but likewise, nobody does the creation of new and magical moments, the ones we look for in the mundane and hope to see in the ordinary quite like Disney. These moments and so many more have moved me in the same way that music catches your soul completely off guard with the ability to overwhelm, inspire and transport you to places that only exist in the mind’s eye. We may be missing our favorite place on earth right now, but nothing can take away those little moments, that one little spark that makes us feel all the feels.