Disney Memories - Part 2
Page 1 of 2

Disney Memories
by Paul Perrello
Part 2

I’m walking right down the middle of Main Street USA
It’s the heart of America
The heartbeat of a holiday
The place was made with a magical plan
And just around the corner, there’s a Fantasyland
I’m walking right down the middle of Main Street USA

There is an excitement that sparks guests as they make their way to Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Even before guests begin to wind their way through the turnstiles or the ticket counters, you see people, young and those young-at-heart, all eagerly awaiting the chance to pass through the front gate and into a land of make believe.

For some the excitement begins early in the morning as mom and dad lather on the sunscreen and pack up the kids to board the bus and begin the day’s travel to EPCOT, the Animal Kingdom or Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando or perhaps Disney’s California Adventure at Disneyland. For others the eager anticipation may begin with the first glimpse of the Magic Kingdom from the windows of the monorail while for others it may be the thrill of their first boat ride across the Seven Seas Lagoon and their arrival on terra firma and their visit to the “happiest place on earth.�?

All of this anticipation adds to the excitement of walking through the gates and onto Main Street USA. There is a feeling that you are leaving the real world behind and entering a world of fantasy, adventure, fun, thrills and chills. A land of princesses and princes, pirates and Tiki-birds, cruise ships and rocket ships and where Mickey and Minnie reign over the Magic Kingdom.

While many visitors have their strategies planned before arriving, there are those guests who are sidetracked as soon as they arrive at the doorstep of Main Street USA. As you embark on your journey to the fairytale land you are greeted by a cast of Disney characters scattered around Town Square in the Magic Kingdom greeting park-goers with hugs and kisses, while posing for pictures and signing autographs.

No matter where you turn upon entering the Magic Kingdom you are likely to find Baloo and King Louie, Donald and Daisy Duck, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Pluto and Snow White and Dopey all greeting excited guests. They strategically line Main Street around City Hall, the Emporium and the Fire Station.

So where better to begin the second installment of “Disney Memories�? than with some celebrity reflections of strolling “right down the middle of Main Street USA.�?

Jamie-Lynn DiScala

Actress Jamie-Lynn DiScala has traveled to the Disney theme parks a number of times and most recently during the Christmas holiday season. She says she was amazed at how they decorated the park for the holiday. But despite the beauty of the holiday decorations, DiScala says nothing can compare with her earliest recollection of visiting Disneyland as a very young girl. Perhaps best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on HBO’s “The Sopranos,�? Jamie recalls her first encounter with Minnie Mouse when she was six years old. Jamie says during her visit, she was so obsessed with Mickey’s friend that she had to follow Minnie around the Magic Kingdom so much so that when it was time for Minnie to take her break, Jamie recalled following Ms. Mouse into the bathroom.

What followed next according to DiScala “was not a pleasant experience for a six-year-old.�? Jamie recalls seeing Minnie going into a stall in the bathroom. Inquisitive as to what Minnie was doing, Jamie crawled under the stall door and saw Minnie without her head on. Jamie says while she was confused by the incident, her parents had to explain to her that the real Minnie was busy at other locations around the Magic Kingdom and that the Minnie she saw in the bathroom was just one of her helpers. (Click here to hear Jamie DiScala relate the story - MP3 format, 20 seconds)