Just Visiting: Disney World and the Permission to be Amazed
Somewhere along the way, many of us stop expecting to be amazed.
As children, wonder comes naturally. We ask questions, chase excitement, and allow ourselves to become completely immersed in experiences. As adults, life often becomes more practical. Our schedules fill up, our responsibilities grow, and without realizing it, we can lose touch with the simple joy of being captivated by something.
That was part of what surprised me during a recent trip to Disney World.
Of course, I expected the rides, the characters, and the fireworks. What I didn't expect was how much the experience would challenge my assumptions about adulthood and remind me how important wonder is.
As I walked down Main Street, U.S.A., I watched children race toward Cinderella Castle with unfiltered excitement. I watched parents become kids again. I watched grandparents experience favorite attractions alongside a third generation of family members. In the routines of everyday life, it's easy to forget what it feels like to be fully delighted by something. Yet throughout my visit, I found myself surrounded by people of every age who had given themselves permission to experience joy without reservation.
And for a moment, I realized how rare that is.
Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us begin treating wonder as something we outgrow. We become practical. Productive. Efficient. We learn to value outcomes over experiences and responsibilities over imagination. Our schedules fill up, our responsibilities grow, and without realizing it, we can lose touch with the simple joy of being captivated by something.
Yet wonder serves a purpose.
Wonder reminds us that life is more than a checklist. It invites curiosity. It helps us remain open to possibility. It encourages us to notice beauty in ordinary moments and believe there is still something new to discover.
Throughout the week, I found myself paying attention to details I might have overlooked elsewhere—the carefully designed environments, the music drifting through different lands, the smell of buttery popcorn, the excitement of guests experiencing a favorite attraction for the first time. None of these moments were life-changing on their own, but together they created something powerful: a sense of presence.
For someone navigating a season of transition, that felt significant.
Starting over often comes with pressure to have all the answers. To know exactly where you're headed and how you'll get there. Wonder asks a different question. Instead of demanding certainty, it invites exploration.
What if I don't need every answer today? What if curiosity is just as valuable as certainty? What if growth isn't only about achieving more, but also about remaining open to experiences that make us feel alive?
Disney World didn't solve any of my life's bigger questions. I still left with the same responsibilities, goals, and uncertainties I arrived with. But I also left with a renewed appreciation for something I hadn't realized I was missing.
Wonder.
Not the kind rooted in fantasy, but the kind rooted in possibility.
The belief that life can still surprise us. The willingness to embrace joy without needing to justify it. The courage to remain curious, even when we don't know what comes next.
Perhaps growing up doesn't mean leaving wonder behind. Perhaps true maturity is learning how to carry it with us.
If that's the case, then Disney World may have taught me one of the most valuable lessons of all: that no matter how old we get, there is still magic in choosing to see the world with open eyes.
bytaylormcgee
