Okay, y’all, I'll admit: I am not really a Disney person. I suppose I once was, but I’m not eight years old any more. The thing is, at Disney, I can’t stop thinking about how I spent as much money to stand in relentless lines under a ruthless Florida sun, liquefying in 95 percent humidity, as I would have spent to wander antique markets in the south of France. (Fake France pictured above).
And where are we with Disney and the culture wars, anyway? I don't know, and I won't attempt to advise you here. But I do know that if you are a faithful Catholic and a true Disney person, you aren’t about to surrender and forfeit your joy to culture wars. Cheers to being in the world, but not of it!
Anything we really love to do, or any place we really love to be, usually reveals something about who and what we really are. Why is Disney so beloved? Why do people return again and again, often at great (south of France-league) expense?
While I can’t offer you tips on cheap meals and ticket lottery hacks, I can help you add a sacred layer to your next Disney trip. What if Disney could be about more than rides and Dole Whip? What if Disney could actually help you and your family connect more deeply with God?
10 prompts for prayer, discussion, or journaling at Disney
These questions make all the Disney rides, characters, and experiences—what's happening anyway—into portals for deep insights. If you're on your own, journal. If you're with other adults, discuss at the hotel pool bar. If you're with a school or youth group, do a round-robin circle. But promise me you won't be weird about this if you're with your own kids. Deep discussion is a fragile art for parents. Don't look at them directly. Eat something while you talk. Be cool. Be casual—an observation here or there, an engaging dialogue for those interminable lines, or a conversation starter for your road trip home.
Who is your favorite Disney character? What virtues do you see in this character?
Why are we so drawn to magic and fantasy that takes us beyond what is actually possible in the normal laws of physics, time, and space?
How is this connected to this insight from St. John Vianney: “Man is so great that nothing on this earth can satisfy him”?
How is this connected to Ecclesiastes 3:11: “God has set eternity in the hearts of men”?
How is real joy different from fun, pleasure, entertainment, or comfort?
How soon after you leave Disney do you wish you could return? What does this reveal about the limits of even the best earthly experiences to satisfy our hearts?
What is something about relationships you’ve learned from Disney stories and experiences?
Why do you think people from all over the world make sacrifices to come to Disney?
What does this reveal about how sacrifice is connected to good?
Who is a Catholic saint or other holy person whom you think would love Disney? Why?
Beautiful sacred places to visit during your Disney trip
While you're away from your typical prayer routine and sacramental life, don't miss the chance to disrupt spiritual autopilot mode. Surrounded by the same artwork, the same people, and the same sounds Sunday after Sunday, we can slip into detached motions.
It can be surprisingly focusing to pray and worship in an unfamiliar setting. Simply placing your body and your senses into somewhere new can engage your heart and mind in fresh contemplation. You can go to Mass, Confession, or adoration at these sacred sites, or simply pray while you absorb their rich beauty. Connect with the faithful who came before you and the radiant Faith that inspires the human heart to build such glory.
The cathedral traces its roots to 1881. Today, you'll see breathtaking hand-painted murals surrounding the sanctuary and spanning its dome. Look for the scalloped seashells incorporated throughout the interior (for example, engraved onto the pews). The seashells are not a nod to Florida's endless beaches, but rather to the cathedral's patron, St James, the Galilean fisherman who left everything to follow Jesus. You can pray along with the 20 stained glass windows depicting the mysteries of the rosary, or in the adoration chapel.
This basilica has a unique mission: it was created to be not an active parish community, but a pilgrimage site that evangelizes and serves tourists (primarily those vacationing at Disney World). In particular, the basilica's mission is to help travelers avail themselves of sacred art, music, and the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation. It's hard to overemphasize the sheer majesty: there's room for 2,000 seated worshipers with standing room for another 1,000. You'll encounter intricate stained glass and majestic bronze sculptures depicting dramatic scenes of angels and saints. You can also pray in an adoration chapel, rosary garden, and an outdoor Marian grotto, or wander the gift shop or park-like grounds. If you have time, check the schedule for a concert series of sacred music—you'll have a rare opportunity to hear sacred music thunder from a grand-scale organ. You can get a pilgrimage guide here.
If you're road-tripping and have some time, only two hours from Orlando is this important site in American Catholic history. The first-ever Mass celebrated in the continental United States occurred in this area, offered in 1565 by Spanish priests who had come with an exploration expedition. The cathedral remains the oldest Catholic parish in the nation. Its design features classic Spanish mission elements, hand-painted murals, stained glass, and hand-carved wooden statues. There's also an amazing collection of relics housed here, including relics from St Justin, St Monica, St Maximilian Kolbe, and St John Paul II, and the finger bone of St Augustine. You can also request a tour.
Three more tips
You can easily start the day with lectio divina by using the scheduled daily Mass readings. Try the free Ascension app with several great, intuitive features, or set a shortcut to the USCCB on your device home screen.
A rosary takes about 15 minutes; a Divine Mercy chaplet takes about six. It's hard to imagine your line will move faster than that.
Pray grace at meals, especially in public. You know how everyone's heart universally swells and stretches when we see an elderly couple shuffle slowly together with gnarled, gold-ringed fingers intertwined? This is the power of simply being yourself and letting your body make visible what is invisible. Your public grace at meal is a brighter—and more important—witness than you might imagine.
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