Disney Friends

One of the things that I love about Disneyland is that once you get through the front gates, it seems like you've entered a land where everybody around you feels the same thing that you do. Everyone is happy, everyone is having fun, and everyone around you loves Disney. It's like sharing the park with several thousand of your closest friends. Granted, on days like Leap Day I could do with a lot fewer friends, but most of the time, I appreciate the camaraderie.

I used to think that this mass friendship effect was unique to Disneyland until we got a chance to go on a Disney Cruise. On a boat in the Pacific, we found the same dynamic that we knew from Disneyland, only in a much smaller group. With the numbers reduced, we found it much easier to meet people...get to know them...and create some new Disney friends.

At mealtime we were paired with the nicest possible people, the Gomez family from California...

We barely saw our children while they hung out with all their new friends at kids club...

...but my daughter took it to extremes. We could barely get through our breakfast on the final morning as her new friends kept coming over to say goodbye.

Even Lori felt motivated to create a new friendship, and even though her new friend was a little more affectionate than I'd usually be comfortable with, I decided to let this one slide...in the name of Disney Friends.

This post is a part of Wordless Wednesday over at Focused on the Magic. If you didn't get here from there, you should really head on over and check out some of the fantastic people that hang out there on Wednesdays. It's kind of like being surrounded by Disney friends, without having to actually go to the park. Although, if you want to go to the park, I'm sure at least a few of them would be willing to go along with you.


Written by Steve Pratt