To go back to the days of 101 Dalmatians on VCR: my beaten-up The Little Mermaid backpack happily sits on my back while I dance to the Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack and his light-up Lion King Sketchers glow as we play kickball during recess. I always catch my mind wandering back to those times, the times of seven dwarfs running around and Cinderella running back home when the clock strikes midnight. Disney never ceases to remind me of my childhood. The Walt Disney Company started in Los Angeles, California, on October 16th, 1923. Since that day, childhoods all over North America have been filled with Mickey’s heartfelt laugh and the image of Tinkerbell flying over Cinderella’s castle. We all understand the shared experience of Disney films being present in our youths. These films are reminders of the child we all have within.

Our generation continues to bond over Disney; I remember waiting for the new Wizards of Waverly Place episode to air every Friday and freaking out whenever I saw the cross-over episode between Wizards of Waverly Place, Hannah Montana, and The Suite Life on Deck. Memories like those are shared with thousands of people. Due to this, it is easy to make connections within our generation because of the love shared for Disney. As we grew up, Disney had grown, too, to be more than the fun animations we used to see when we were little. It branched off into theme parks, cruise ships, restaurants, shows for pre-adolescent audiences, and merchandise. Disney accomplished all this while keeping what initially captured the attention of their audiences: a sweet, heartfelt animation story.

One of my favorite studios of Disney will forever be Pixar. I do not know if it is the sleek and beautiful flow of their animation or the stories that leave me crying, singing, and laughing as I leave the theater, but Pixar will always have my heart. After seeing Coco, I knew I would be hooked for life. Then Soul, Encanto, and Luca came out, and I fell in love all over again. This inner child, present throughout Disney’s multiple forms of expression, brings us back to a time when everything was simpler, when we were young versus where we are today. College students can recall a time where was not a midterm in sight, debt was an unknown word in our vocabularies, and the only scary, unfamiliar world beckoning you is middle school. Most of our childhood memories contain laughter besides people who are now miles away. Disney movies played as we dance and sang; the moment was forever, our energy radiating as the soundtrack continued to the next song.

Disney transcends borders, connects people, and never ceases to disappoint. Whether it is the female empowerment in Mulan or the beautiful tunes of Pixar's Encanto, Disney movies continue to amaze and inspire us all, as we are reminded that, in Disney’s own words, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

The SLC is hosting a Disney at Night event on 3/24/22 at 8 PM. Come relive those moments, laugh again, and connect back to your inner child. See you there!

Written by Solymar Estrella
Art by Judah Bachmann