First Baptist Church of Herndon

Don't mess with the magic!

Linda Soller | Jun 10, 2013

I’m a confessed Disney World fan. I’m not really a big fan of amusement park rides, but there’s just something about Disney World that makes me smile, it’s magical. Sure there are some rides and locations that I visit every time, but I always manage to find something new to add to my list of favorites. One of the things I love about Disney World is that there is something for everyone and when you are there it feels inclusive. Everyone is standing in lines, or escaping from the rain, smearing on the sun screen, maybe cheering on the sidelines as a parade goes by, or better yet waiting to get a photo with Mickey or a Princess. What’s not to like?

So you can only imagine my sadness when I saw an NBC expose on people who get and then use their handicap pass to beat the lines. I don’t mean people who get the pass and use it as intended to bypass the lines, I mean people who use it to make money and beat the system. They actually interviewed two such people on the show. The young women said, “It’s just capitalism.” The man said, “I don’t care about the people who are standing in line.” A producer for the show and his family were part of the setup, but these two people run ads and get responses all the time. There are people who are willing to pay money to participate in a lie because they have decided for some reason that they are above the rules.

As I watched I became so irritated. The people running the scam showed no remorse. But what really broke my heart and made me mad was the disservice to all those people who really deserved to use those special passes. The people Disney was trying to help to have a good time despite challenges they have learned to overcome on a daily basis. I wondered if the scam artists and their patrons really thought that standing in a line was a hardship that compared to the hardships that many of those handicapped Disney patrons faced daily. On one hand the story made me really appreciate how Disney tries to make Disney World magic for everyone. On the other hand it made me angry that these two people got a few seconds of fame on TV.

Our faith teaches us to care for others, to love, to nurture, to give willingly. The Bible teaches us to use the gifts we have been given to serve and take care of others. The fruits of the spirit include patience, kindness and generosity. At the end of the expose it was noted that Disney plans to review their programs in order to serve their special guests better and help prevent abuse of the system. I hope they are successful, and I am willing to stand in line to make it happen.  There is one thing I do know and that is, you don’t mess with the magic!

Have a great week :o) Linda