Like every child, I had always dreamed of going on a trip to Disney World. I’d always seen pictures and heard stories, and it sounded so incredible. But I guess you could say that my dream got a little delayed. My opportunity to go to Disney didn’t arrive until my senior year of high school. When I heard that a group of teachers were organizing a seniors-only trip to Disney, I became immediately interested. The number of spots was limited to 60 students, and I was thrilled that I was one of them. Once my spot on the trip was reserved, I could not wait for April 19th to come. My sister and two close friends had chosen to room together, and couldn’t be more excited to go on this trip together. For three of us, it was our first time going to this magical place, and were expecting to have the time of our lives.
We had prepared for weeks, each of us buying a whole new wardrobe and other basic necessities for the trip. Our chaperone, Ms.Barber, was very knowledgeable about Disney, as she formerly lived in Florida, and answered our many questions about what was too come. The eve of our trip had finally come, and we all slept at my house. We finished packing and tried to sleep, but between excitement and having to wake up at 2 a.m. to be at our school an hour later didn’t really leave much room for sleep. To our dismay, we woke up to the pitter-patter of heavy rain outside; this is not at all how we envisioned the day to start out. After getting ready, we loaded up my mom’s van, and headed to school where two coach buses awaited us.
As we boarded the bus, we overheard that our chaperone was nowhere to be found. We began to get a little nervous, but were hoping for the best. “She will just meet us at the airport,” another chaperone announced, “we can’t wait any longer.” During the bus ride to Providence, it was evident that the other teachers and students were more than just a little worried, especially when Ms.Barber didn’t answer multiple phone calls. We arrived at the airport and filed into the check-in line, where the members of my group were soon told to move out of line since our chaperone still had not arrived with our tickets. After about an hour or two, we were so relieved to see the apologetic face of our chaperone rushing through the sliding doors or the airport entrance. After expressing her apologies and regret numerous times, we were boarding our Southwest flight to Disney.
I was incredibly nervous as I buckled my seat belt. I had never been on a plane before, and had absolutely no idea what to expect. It felt as if it took hours for the pilot to come over the intercom and announce that we would be taking off. As the plane picked up speed and floated into the sky, I was still a little panicky, but at the same time I was amazed at how everything looked at such a high altitude. After napping on and off for the duration of the two-hour flight, it was time to land, and as I expected, that was not my favorite part. At the Orlando Airport, I could already see palm trees and feel the heat. My classmates and I then got onto another set of buses and were on our way to Disney World.
I couldn’t even bare anymore anticipation. The bus ride seemed to take forever, but needless to say, we got there. With tickets in hand, my friends and I were granted admission to The Magic Kingdom. As we walked in, I felt like I was in a dream. Twinkly music and laughter filled the air, and the scent of popcorn floated to my nose. We rounded the corner onto Main Street, and I saw before me a sight that made my jaw drop: Cinderella’s Castle. As I said earlier, it was the first time for me and two others going to Disney, and seeing the Castle left us in awe. We stood there, watching the Castle in the distance, with smiles on from ear-to-ear. One thought that came to mind was: “pictures and television definitely don’t do this place justice!”
Although I may not be a six-year-old child, this magical place still amazed more than I thought possible. Over the course of our six day trip, we visited other parks including Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At Hollywood Studios, we attended and event called Grad Nite, where there were multiple concerts and seniors from around the country, which was a ton of fun. It was sad to the trip come to an end. I did not think that a single place could be as astounding as Disney World was. It may be an assumption many people make that Disney is a place for children, but that is not the case at all. I continuously saw things that shocked me more and more, but the single picture of Cinderella’s Castle resonates in my mind, and as I think back, I remember how it took my breath away. And It may sound juvenile or exaggerated, but no matter what it sounds like, I now look at that trip as more than a “just a trip”, it was an unbelievable experience.
