When asking fans why they are crazy in love Disney Parks... why they listen to podcasts, why they obsess over the history of attractions they've enjoyed a zillion times, why they go to fan expos, why they buy merchandise, the scope of explanation will undoubtedly cover nouns such as nostalgia and adjectives synonymous with 'happy'. Although the specifics may be different, the fact is that you feel different at Disney than you feel in your day to day life. You have escaped.
The plaque over the entranceway tunnel at Disneyland puts this sentiment in succinct terms:
From what I understand, the phrase was taken from an article written in 1954 about Disneyland for 'The Miniature Locomotive':
"The visitor to Disneyland will leave behind the cares and confusions of the world of today and enter a world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy."
Below is an image I pulled from Marty Sklar's memoir Dream it! Do it!. Although Walt never saw the plaques (both Disneyland and Disney World's were installed after his death), he planned for them to be there; he personally edited the copy! Sklar muses: 'It was a clear illustration of just how personal Disneyland was to Walt Disney…':
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| From Marty Sklar's book Dream it, Do it! |
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| A cross-stitch of the phrase available on Etsy. |
To fans of the Parks, these words are weighty and valuable. Although it is inevitable that most will miss them as they hurry towards the tunnel, others will stop, look up, and be reminded of why they find themselves there again and again.
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