The Disney World Adventure Essay, Research Paper

The Disney World Adventure

Throughout my childhood I can recall many memories that caused

emotional delight as well as emotional devastation. My memories go

back as early as conquering my fears of sleeping in the dark to

acknowledging I was never going to learn how to skate. Those few

examples don?t compare to the one childhood experience that still

haunts me today.

I couldn?t wait for my family and I to take our annual vacation. It was

during those times that I enjoyed myself most. I had anticipated this

vacation to be the best. After all, I was going to the greatest place

in the world. Little did I know I was about to embark on a journey

that would leave a scare in my memory, permanently. The incident

took place more than twelve years ago, yet I can recall the date and

time as if it were yesterday. The date, Saturday, June 13, 1987; the

time, 2:00 in the afternoon. The sun was at its peak and it felt as if

it was hot enough to fry an egg in the middle of the street.

As the large doughy hand reached down to grab mine, I began to

panic. My palms began to sweat and I could feel my heart pumping

wildly. This giant monstrosity before me was huge. I?d never been so

frightened. The closer the hand got to mine the more intense my

heart beat. The faster my heart beat the more frightened I became. I

could hear my mother?s sweet, faint voice from beside me saying, ?Go

ahead, honey, shake his hand.? I remember looking at her and looking

at the hand getting closer to me and immediately taking off. I wasn?t

running to escape fear. I felt as if I was running to save my life. I ran

through hordes of people. People who were talking so loudly I couldn?t

hear myself think. I had no idea where I was going. The sweet smell

of cotton candy was in the air. I could feel gum underneath my shoes

and I could see traces of peanuts on the ground. I continued to run

faster and faster. As I continued to run I could hear a song repeating

the same words over and over again. The words were simple yet very

agitating. It?s a small world after all, it?s a small world after all, it?s a

small world after all, it?s a small world after all. Those words rang in

my mind then and I can still hear them today.

There were lots of other kids around that looked to be my age having

the time of their lives. Yet I was beyond frustration and I would even

say I was having the worst time in my life. I eventually slowed down

to take a closer look at my surroundings. Just when I thought it was

safe I saw another giant coming my way. This giant was almost

identical to the one that had approached me before but, it wore a

dress with polka dots on it and a big red bow was sitting at the top

of its head. It appeared as though it was trying to get me, too. It?s

funny because over the hundreds and thousands of voices in the air I

could, again, hear my mother?s voice. The sweet, faint, sound of her

voice I had heard once before had changed into a voice of frustration

and anger. The truth of the matter was that she was having to go

through the same crowds of people I was going through to catch me.

She was pleading for me to stop. She didn?t understand that my feet

were unable to stop running. She didn?t understand that each time I

tried to stop another giant quickly approached me with a huge smile,

resembling that of the Joker from Batman. She didn?t realize I had to

continue my journey into the unknown. I had to run as if I was on

some great mission for the FBI. This great mission would decide

whether I lived or died.

Something strange happened next. I thought I had lost the giants

and that I was safe. I said to myself in a whisper that if I could run

up the approaching steps to take a look out at what was going on

behind me I would be able to see if the coast was clear. See, I

remember the last time I stopped to look around another giant came

in my midst. This time I had to be smarter than before. I ran up the

steps. I was hardly breathing. After catching two good breaths I

turned around only to see the face of my mother who looked as if she

could use a glass of water. She had sweat popping out from

everywhere. She quickly grabbed me and began to ask me why I had

run off so far. I tried explaining to her that those giants she wanted

me to take pictures with didn?t seem friendly to me at all. They had

big ears, big noses, and feet the size of … of…, well they had the

biggest feet I?d ever seen. She explained that they were harmless

and that I had nothing to be afraid of. I wanted to believe her, but I

couldn?t. I simply asked that we cut our day short and go back to the

hotel. She complied if for no other reason than she was pretty tired

herself. The rest of my family quickly gathered around me with looks

of aggravation as if I was the cause of their entire day being ruined. I

didn?t care. I knew I was getting ready to leave the place that

brought much turmoil to my life. I was preparing to leave the place

that many referred to as the greatest place on earth. I was leaving

Disney World, a place where memories are made, nightmares emerge,

and dreams turn to disaster.