The Magical World of Disney

I just got back from Disney World today and it was so much fun. I went with a bunch of girlfriends to celebrate a birthday, and I'm a bit tired, but really glad that we went.

While we were there we met a gentleman who was a Disney fanatic. We met him while waiting in line for Pirates of the Caribbean. (Disney has changed the ride a bit to include Jack Sparrow, and it looks so much like Johnny Depp, it was slightly disturbing.) Anyway, this man started to tell us all this trivia about the park and Mr. Disney, and it was really fascinating. He was so enthralled by the "magic" of Disney that he was actually moving his family down from Maryland just to be closer. His wife and daughter were still in Maryland, so he was at Disney World by himself because he liked to come when he was lonely. That is quite the commitment.

As I was walking around the park I was thinking about this guy and I started looking around at all of the people. There is always a very diverse crowd at Disney. You've got the Floridians walking around like they're superior because they saved $3 on their ticket price. Then there's the American tourists who are pretty easy to pick out because they normally have lots of cameras, kids, and socks with sandals. Mix in the foreign tourists with their capri wearing males along with the young couples who might even be on their honeymoon. These are all great specimens to watch, however, my personal favorites are the Disney junkies. You know who you are.......

But, not all the Disney junkies, the males in particular. I've always wondered if outside the confines of the magical gates these males are as committed to the Disney cause. Do they wear the Mickey sweatshirts, Goofy hats, and carry the Donald camera case in the real world? And if they do, are they publicly mocked? Does the guy we met in line tell his poker buddies about how Mr. Disney had his nurses map out Disney World on his hospital ceiling with colored push pins? It just all seems a little odd to me.

Maybe I'm being sexist.......or maybe I just don't have enough "magical" men in my life to help me understand.