• Do you believe in magic? Some people, who are devoid of imagination, believe that there is no such thing as magic, and that dreams cannot come true. I felt the same way for the first seven years of my life, thinking that there is not a single place on this universe where one can be truly happy, and nowhere on this earth is there a place where dreams can come true. As I reached the ripe, young age of eight, I was proved pleasantly wrong as I embarked on my very first adventure to the place where dreams really can come true, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

    Almost there….almost there….. I thought, as our car whizzed passed many green signs reading, “DISNEY WORLD NEXT RIGHT”. After what seemed like an excruciatingly long time, we finally reached our destination. As I hurriedly ran toward the front gates, I could smell the buttery aroma of freshly popped popcorn mingled with the sugary-sweet scent of pink cotton candy. As the tall, oblong gates slowly opened, I could hear cheerful music playing faintly from a distance. Eager to find the source of the sound, I ran further into the park and found myself in front of a brightly painted building. Upon entering the ride, I was soon ushered into a quaint, but quite comfortable boat along with many other excited people who looked my age and others who seemed nearly sixty years of age. The boat took sail and soon I was transported into a world of gleeful little dolls singing the tune, “It’s a Small World”. What amazed me was that the dolls were all from different countries, ranging from Africa, to the lovely city of Paris. Although they were from all different countries, all the dolls were singing the same, cheerful song. As I watched, mesmerized by how realistic the settings looked, I had not realized that our boat had come to a stop. I was so drawn into the happy little world of the dolls that I did not know the journey had ended. Our next ride was inside what appeared to be a space station. After waiting impatiently in a long line, I finally was settled into a one-person “space orbiter”. I sat patiently as my “space orbiter” slowly ascended a steep hill. Before I could adjust myself comfortably, the “space orbiter” quickly plunged down into a starry, pitch black void of darkness. My heart raced as the “space orbiter” turned a sharp turn and went from a slow 10 mph, to an unexpected 60 mph. It was all so realistic, that I felt like I was actually in space, trying to escape from a horde of little green aliens. The adventure soon ended and I was jolted back into reality. As the day quickly drew near its end, there was one more spot I had to see at Magic Kingdom before I left: the Cinderella Castle. As a little girl, I had always dreamed of what it was like to be a princess like Cinderella and to be able to see her castle. Unfortunately, it was late, and the castle had already closed; however, I was still able to admire it from a distance, as luminous fireworks danced near it, lighting the sky with brilliant colors. Being drawn to the beauty of the castle that was lit up by fireworks, I almost had not noticed Tinkerbell flying down from the Cinderella Castle. Before then, not even in my wildest dreams, could I have imagined that Tinkerbell actually existed. Amazed and entranced, I watched, smiling, as the glowing, tiny pixie flew gracefully into the trees beyond.
    “Mommy, mommy, look!! It’s really Tinkerbell!!” I had said to my mom excitedly, tugging eagerly on her sleeve.
    “Yes, dear,” she replied, “but now its time to go.” As I walked out of the tall, oblong gates for the last time, I slowly walked back to the car, while looking back at the park with a warm and fuzzy feeling in my heart, and with fond memories that will stay with me forever.

    After my trip to Disney World, I learned that dreams really could come true, if you believe. With a little bit of Disney magic, I was able to travel in space, see Tinkerbell soar in the night sky, and learn that the world is really a “small world after all”. I learned to believe in magic and believe in my dreams; if I use my imagination, my dreams and hopes just might come true someday.