Our little pontoon boat churned noisily across the lake. We sat in rows on the hard metal benches of the fairly full boat. I was next to Cassie with Allison and Jack behind us and Emily and Mike in front. The other passengers were mostly families, all clearly headed out for an August Halloween. The slightly acrid smell of the lake filled my nose. The low drone of the boat’s engine rumbled in my ears.
As I thought about where we were headed, I was struck by the strangeness of it all. We’d been at Disney for four whole days. We’d visited three parks, consumed a ton of alcohol, and had wild, polyamorous encounters whenever we could.
And yet, somehow, this was the first time we were going to visit the Magic Kingdom. That’s like going to Vegas and skipping the casinos. Sure, you can have a ton of fun that way, but you’re kind of missing the point, you know?
At first, we saw nothing but forest and lake. The platformed tan track of the monorail cut through the greenery on the shore. Gradually, our destination rose before us. In some ways, it had felt like the Cinderella Castle had been watching us this whole time. Distant and aloof. The idea of a place not fully conceived in my mind.
Now, the building grew ever closer. All the more real. The low sun gave the world a golden tint. The castle, itself, was lit bright white and shining blue. Allison must have seen me staring because she reached over and squeezed my bicep.
“Amazing, isn’t it?”
I nodded my agreement.
“I can’t believe we didn’t make it to the Magic Kingdom till now,” Cassie said.
“In some ways, I think that makes it even better,” Mike said, “Like we’ve been building to this.”
Ironically, as we got closer, the magical castle became less visible, obscured by the entrance to the park itself. Our boat puttered to a stop at the dock, and we gingerly stepped off.
The six of us walked up a brick path to what looked like an old-time train station. In front of that was a field of bright, multicolored flowers. Even the glow of the security areas seemed to add to the atmosphere. We went through the gates, under a tunnel. And then, like stepping through a portal, we were there.
It looked like a small, old-time, midwestern town. Scarecrows in costumes ringed a large flagpole in the middle of the square. Mickey-shaped pumpkin heads hung from the streetlamps. Energetic, poppy music blared. I felt myself getting giddy, like a little boy.
People flowed past us as they entered the park. There were a lot of the expected superheroes, princesses, and Star Wars heroes. It says a lot that it was the guests who weren’t in costume that now stood out.
“What should we do first?” Emily asked.
Allison showed her wicked smile. “What we always do,” she said, “Have fun.”
*
On an evening of changes, we made one more crucial alteration: we broke the ‘Emily Rule.’ To this point, my wife had insisted that, even if the couples were coupling with other people, we should all stay together. This was part of her admission from the first night that while she enjoyed playing with another partner, she liked seeing me with someone else just as much.
Sure, we were apart on occasion, but, to this point, we mostly stayed grouped. That evening, though, we separated almost immediately. After all that this time, you’d think this would have been momentous. Maybe even requiring a large argument, followed by an eventual compromise. Instead, it happened naturally, without a second thought. Again, we broke a massive barrier without even giving it the proper due.
The six of us stayed connected as we walked down Main Street, past the souvenir stores and the inevitable Starbucks. In the middle of the street, photographers lined up shots of people standing in front of the castle. On the sidewalks, cast members held up massive bundles of Mickey balloons, looking like a strong wind might carry them away.
The majority of the traffic was headed in the other direction towards the exit. Halloween was a ticketed event, and most people wouldn’t attend. So the park was clearing for the party. It made for an odd chaotic flow, both upstream and down all at the same time.
It was when we got to the top of the street, with the iconic castle looming over us, that we broke.
Emily wanted to meet characters. The familiar Mickey cast would appear in different costumes (Winnie the Pooh as a bumblebee, etc.). She felt like it was part of the Disney experience she’d skipped to that point.
Allison, on the other hand, wanted to try all the special treats that were for sale only during the party.
“We can go on rides tomorrow,” the athletic blonde explained, “Tonight should be about doing the stuff that only happens at the Halloween parties: treats, parades, and fireworks shows.”
Cassie, however, didn’t care for characters, and she wasn’t interested in Allison’s logic.
“If I don’t go on Space Mountain on this trip, I’m going to rip someone’s lungs out,” she declared in her most bubbly voice.
Not wanting to be lungless, I took the hint and grabbed Cassie’s hand. Emily and Mike headed straight for the castle and Fantasyland, where most of the special character events were happening. Allison pulled Jack to the left, heading to Adventureland to start her snacking escapade. Cassie and I went the other way, past the statue of Mickey and Walt, towards Tomorrowland.
For a moment, as we headed towards the gear-shaped gateway, I let my thoughts wander to what might be happening that night. Were Allison and Jack going to make out over cupcakes and ice cream? Would Mike take a liberty or two with Emily — perhaps an ‘accidental’ grab during a picture or something like that?