I watch in horror at the slow-motion scene unfolding before me now. The iconic symbol of a worldwide corporate powerhouse stumbles and drops like a rock to the floor. Help rushes to the aid of Mickey Mouse, and I'm thankful that no costume malfunctions would ruin our moment or the dozens of others waiting patiently in line for this special one-on-one moment with the star. Wrapped around the knees of the superstar is my daughter Jessica.
It isn't our first trip to the Florida resort; it is our first trip with two daughters and a son. Our oldest daughter Desiree is ho-hum about the whole event; however, our youngest daughter holds the wonder and imagination that powers this kingdom's magic. As a father, watching that young face light up is my reason for being.
I had switched jobs a couple of years ago and was hitting my stride at a career readily identifiable within my wheelhouse. Financially things were better, and although we weren't staying in one of the hotels on-site, we had our tent pitched on "Squirrel Lane" of a nearby camping village. Linda and I had elected to drive from Oklahoma to Florida, bringing our favorite babysitter to help hold onto one of the kids. Three adults, and three kids, sounded like a good combination for the large Disney resort.
Like everyone, we had stood in as many lines as we could stand and were lucky enough to be close to the door when "meet and greet Micky Mouse" doors opened. Disney is profoundly professional in their ability to handle crowd control, and they had all the families lined up in queue behind a crimson rope barrier. Micky's helper would unhook the rope and allow a family to enter, clip the cord back to the pole while a single family enjoyed some time with the most famous mouse in the world. Assistants would take pictures, autographs given, and then the family would exit out the other side of the room while Mickey waved goodbye.
"Therein lies the lesson," one of my management professors said. With Mickey's back turned, the attendant on our side of the room mistakenly removed the rope barrier too soon, and like Secretariat leaving the gate at the Belmont Stakes, Jessica is off like a flash. In slow motion, I witness Mickey beginning to turn around when wham! Jessica strikes just behind the kneecaps. Two things would have been inevitable if I had been holding a video camera. First, we would have won $10,000 on the latest T.V. craze for homemade funny videos. Second, every college athletic director would show the video to its defensive football team as the proper way to tackle.
With pose and professionalism, Mickey's helpers pry my little girl's fingers off from around his knees and help him to rise. Costume still in place, magic steals the moment while Mickey and friends laugh and move everything back on track. We take our pictures, get our autographs, and I apologize to the attendant as we exit the room. "Happens all the time," she whispers back, and we leave the space on our way to enjoy more of the Kingdom.
Written October 4, 2022
P.S. We would later visit Disney World with 3 of our teenage children, Jessica, Christopher, and Sean. I highly recommend waiting until the children are older to enjoy the resort.