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Pater: Timeless even after all this time
Posted by Pater , Sunday, February 23, 2020 3:29 PM
What is it about Disney that makes it so timeless? With rare exception, everyone who comes in contact with the movies and the characters loses themselves in the innocence, in the wonder, in the enchantment. And they continue to do so regardless of age, gender or culture. But why? Is it because, while lots of films provide an escape from reality, few also teach us to believe in magic, overcoming hardship, and pure, basic kindness? Or is it because, while lots of movie characters capture our attention in the moment, few manage to do so for decades after we first saw the film? Maybe. Probably. But how? They can't be that good!
Pater think it's because Disney knows this feeling of timelessness also needs work on our part. We have to believe that a beauty will fall in love with a beast, that an evil usurper to the throne will not prevail, that a girl can lose her parents and battle the odds to become a queen. And we need to do it whether we're 7 or 70. So, beyond the movies, Disney works darn hard to create physical locations of magic and wonder on land and sea that we can visit and revisit, each time allowing us to recharge our childhood awe and wonder at the timelessness of the Disney message of innocence and joy.
How do Pater and Mater know this? Because five years after successfully suspending a life time of honestly-gained adult cynicism, during a week on the ocean waves with AJ1-3, Grandma London and our favourite childhood heroes, we did it all over again in February. And guess what? The second we stepped onto the boat we were hit with a shot to the arm of pure Disney captivation, and by the end of the cruise, our belief batteries were recharged. What could be better? Well definitely experiencing it with an additional Avocado Junior who wasn't around the first time (#4), not to mention Grandma Toronto, Aunty Toronto and two Cousins Toronto!!!
