If you can dream it, you can do it.
I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained. ~Walt Disney
I’m back from a wonderful week at Walt Disney World with my family, and my mind is reeling with inspiration and possibilities. My parents started taking me to Disney World when I was three years old - now, 24 years later, I’m still struck by what an amazing place it is every time I step through its front gates. Walt Disney dreamed of creating a whole different world, where kids and adults could have fun together - and hopefully learn in the process - and what he created from that dream is truly magical.
I could go on for hours about the things I love about Disney World, but what it really boils down to is the experience that they create for their visitors. The minute you arrive, you’re greeted with the warm, inviting faces of Disney cast members, chatting with you as though you’ve known them for years. They make you feel like you were just away in the “real” world for a while, and now you’ve finally come home - you’re a part of their world, not just a visitor.
What does all this have to do with the Farm, you’re probably wondering? For me, it’s about the feeling of being included, being part of the experience. At other theme parks I’ve been to, I’ve always had the feeling that everything was being presented to me; at Disney World, everything they do makes you a part of the action. An example:
My sister turned 21 while we were there, and for her birthday we took her out to a comedy/improv club on Pleasure Island. This was no ordinary improv club, though - it’s called The Adventurers’ Club, and the minute we walked through the door, we were transported into a 1937 explorers clubhouse, complete with a zany cast of officers and adventurers milling about. We were greeted by Fletcher Hodges, Club Curator, who showed us around, pointed out various points of interest (bar, restrooms, outlandish club president), and told us to get a drink and pull up some chairs in the salon. Over the course of the evening we were sworn in as new club members, ushered in and out of various rooms to take part in club activities and lectures, and taught the club anthem - which we sang at least half a dozen times.
My sister and I talked about it the next day, trying to figure out what it was that made it so magical, and decided it really does come down to being included. The Adventurers worked hard to involve us, to make it a first-hand experience for us, rather than a show that they put on for us. It all goes back to that quote at the top of the page. Did I have fun at Disney World? Of course. Did I learn something while I was there? You betcha! I think Walt Disney may have been one of the very first proponents of informal learning…
What does all this mean for the Drama Farm? I’m still thinking about that one. I know we need to make it a place where our students feel at home, where we create an experience for them, and they live it out, learning as they go. Maybe that has less to do with the specifics of the program, and more to do with the atmosphere we create and the staff we hire. It’s something to mull over. Any thoughts?
And before I go, one last thought from Walt Disney:
It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.
