You will cry during the Magic Kingdom fireworks, but the question is, “when?” The day before I moved into Chatham for the DCP my parents and I went to the Magic Kingdom. Now we made a lot of rookie mistakes (though we had been to Disney many times) that I would never do now… like waiting in line for Splash Mountain and staking out a spot for the fireworks. But that is a topic for another day.
That night as we impatiently waited for our first viewing of Happily Ever After (they had rolled out the new show only a week or so before I moved in!) I had so so so many emotions. This was the first time I was REALLY going to be away from my family. I had signed up for a 7 month program that would go over the holidays–with little likelihood I would get to go home for my family’s annual beach trip, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Spoiler alert: I didn’t get to go home for any of them. And yet, I don’t regret doing the DCP for anything. I went to college instate about an hour and a half from home. I worked in college and had great jobs/managers that allowed me to go home or any vacations I wanted to. This was bound to be a “culture shock”.
The time ticked on and the spiel before fireworks began, “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dreamers of all ages!” followed by the swift change in music that just captivates your senses. Now I’ve seen HEA many times and know then entire show–I’ve been able to see the fireworks from the highway and know exactly what part of the show it is (pirates and the mass of red fireworks I’m looking at you!) But that first night when I was standing there with goosebumps all over my body (not to mention it was raining… because of course it was) was a feeling I can’t forget.
If you have seen the show, you know the scenes that get to you–and sometimes those change. That first night watching HEA with my parents before I moved in to my new life, You’ll be in My Heart started playing and my eyes immediately welled with tears. All the childhood memories of: watching that tape of Tarzan with my brother until it was ruined, every time I belted out that song with my mom, and every part of my emotional self that was scared and excited came pouring out.
But the funny thing about HEA is that every time I think that I am passed crying over this amazing show something else will find me. The day I accepted my extension for the DCP I went to celebrate with my second favorite show (sorry HEA, Fantasmic has my heart). I couldn’t see myself going back to South Carolina anytime soon. I love my home and of course I get homesick sometimes (getting to go home for Christmas this past year made up for it SOOO MUCH), but this is where I belong. So that night I went to celebrate as the music swelled for “right where I belong” from Hercules I cried again. I know this is where I am meant to be.
The most surprising part of the show I never expected to bawl my eyes at was “that’s what friends are for”. The last night before my best friend and roommate from the DCP went back to Iowa. We froze in the hoodies we brought expecting it not to get cold enough in Florida to need more than that. And my friend managed not to cry though it was HER last night… what can I say? I have a lot of emotions that seem to be triggered by the fireworks in Magic Kingdom.
*disclaimer* the firework pictures in this post are NOT Happily Ever After because I make an effort not to take pictures of things but of people since there are much better quality videos of anything I want to see than I could dream of getting while my crying self tries to enjoy the show 🙂 but here is the entire show if you would like to fact check me 😛 https://youtu.be/d7FFFENv6i4
The Wordy Over Thinker 