Happy Thursday Main Streeters! What a whirlwind week of news with the opening of Disney Style in Disney Springs, the release of coke products to be shared with some of our favorite attractions, and the announcement of new hotels and restaurants coming to the Walt Disney World Resort. There is no better time than now to channel your inner Peter Pan and refuse to grow up.
That’s the magic of Disney really, for so many of the fans, Disney is a place where your childhood continues to remain intact. A sentiment that I’m sure Walt wanted to harness when he envisioned building places like Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Hopefully you have been following along with this series of life lessons taken from Disney movies. Today, I’m covering Peter Pan, the 14th film released by Walt Disney, and the last one distributed under RKO Radio Productions. After Peter Pan’s debut in 1953, Walt was able to establish his own distributing company which went by the name of Buena Vista Distribution. The story of Peter Pan came from a play called “Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” written by J.M. Barrie. However, the Disney classic was a technicolor dream of magic and adventure brought to audiences far and wide.
For the record, there have been several takes on this story, some live action versions, but for the sake of following along with the order of Disney movie releases, I will be taking quotes and discussing themes from the animated version. So let’s explore some life lessons from Peter Pan, shall we?
“Now, think of the happiest things. It’s the same as having wings!” – Peter Pan
Sometimes you just get that flutter in your heart, and you know that you’re happy and you feel like you can fly. I am guessing for some of us, it’s the moment we see the sign to Disneyland or when we cross under the sign for Walt Disney World as you drive towards the parks. It’s that child-like enthusiasm, and feeling of adventure or the excitement of being home. This quote is a good reminder that you can bring up that feeling by just thinking of something that makes you happy. This quote isn’t just a life lesson, it’s also a fact. Scientifically speaking, if you think of the happiest things, there are measurable health benefits associated to it. For example, positive thinking builds your skills, boosts your health and improves your work. Tons of studies and research find that people tend to downplay happiness, and focus on the negatives, or the things we cannot change leading us to be more subdued and susceptible to irritable tendencies. The good news is that as humans, we can train our brain and in essence rewire our state of mind, other than being much more fun to be around, being happy will give you the sensation of having wings, stimulates the growth of nerve connections, affects your view of your surroundings, leads to more happy thoughts, and the list of benefits goes on and on. In short, give happy thoughts a shot.
THEMES
There are some incredible quotes and quips in the movie that add to the comedic timing of the storyline, but the life lessons from this tale don’t necessarily come from quotable moments. So here are some of the underlying themes that can make for life lessons.
Seek Adventure
Had the kids not taken a gamble on Peter Pan to fly out the window, they would have never experienced Neverland, or met the lost boys, or had such interesting stories to come home with. It really is important in life to be spontaneous and choose to experience places you have never been to. You never know what you can find when you do so, or what stories and experiences you will collect.
Karma is no joke
Perhaps the most karmically jinxed character in all of the Disney stories has to be Captain Hook. With his insatiable desire to destroy Peter Pan, he loses a hand, and then had to go up against the same crocodile a second time. Why? All because he wanted his revenge on Peter. If this isn’t an example that Karma exists, and that perhaps Disney believed in it. I don’t know what to tell you. The other side to that coin is that good prevails over evil, every time.
So tell us Main Streeters, what lessons have you taken from Peter Pan? Share with us!
Erika is excited to be on the TMSM team and where Disney Parks are concerned, you won’t catch her dead on It’s a Small World. If she asks to ride that, this is a clear indication that she is in danger and you must send help. You will, however, catch her performing Random Acts of Disney (R.A.D’s), park hopping with her amazing group of impressively talented and kind friends (usually in some themed attire), hanging out by The Haunted Mansion, and ugly crying during fireworks… then begging for a Mickey Premium Bar to eat her feelings…this is a judgment-free bio.
Otherwise, Erika works for the State of Florida and is actively involved in her community. Erika believes in empowering others and spreading kindness to people from all walks of life. Erika also makes custom designed Disney inspired ears, etched glass, gifts, and accessories. You can check out, like or follow her work on FB, which also links to my shop’s Instagram: www.facebook.com/imagineering.emporium. She looks forward to getting to know everyone and sharing the magic of Disney!
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