Gud mawning! Welcome to this quaint Jamaican village of Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, where we find ourselves held in the throes of a most persistent tropical rain. The stormy skies and leaning palm trees accent the color palette - shades of cool turquoise, sunshine yellow and vivid violet.... Lush greens will become even deeper and richer in hue when the storm has passed. The sun, wherever hidden, will soon illuminate the raindrops that cling to each leaf and frond. Maybe we’ll even see a rainbow stretch from one side of the island to the other, a brilliant promise that joy awaits those who pursue it in the midst of inclement weather.

That’s the thing about joy - it’s everywhere. It hides in plain sight, often to be found in the places and spaces that we overlook as daily demands direct our attention elsewhere. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing and whatever today holds for you, we hope you’ll find small reminders of that truth along the way. Look for them today, in your backyard or on your daily walk, in your child’s delight or your partner’s diligence. Like a rainstorm waking the tropics from a hazy summer siesta, it will bring you to more vibrant life, more delighted purpose. Sit with that today, and we’ll be back tomorrow morning. For now, just be Here. Irie. ☔️🌴

Music: Butterfly Traces by Sight of Wonders
https://herewiththemagic.com/2020/02/09/disney-skyliner-riviera-resort-station-flight-to-epcot-5k-3d-180/

The prologue of any Disney park is often the most overlooked space. Park icons draw floods of guests inward toward the central hub, dispersing them this way and that into uniquely themed lands, pavilions, and attractions. Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth, the Chinese Theater, and here at ...Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Tree of Life - each unique and striking in its own way, become the focal point of the arrival, any former pretenses forgotten in the wake of such majesty. However, to rush past The Oasis would be a big mistake.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom holds a Magic entirely apart from that found in any other place on Earth. It is real, natural, wild and wonderful, teeming with the sounds of lush rainforests and vast savannas, mysterious jungles and dense forests. It is truly alive with a Magic no human could ever manufacture. Every detail is intentional, every moment a story unfolding for the beholder - us. Be Here, and let the wilds of our marvelous planet engulf you in their timeless narrative. Hear the waterfalls in their endless cascade, the tropical birds of paradise burst with song. Watch the breeze create light and shadow as it dances with the sunlight playing through the trees. Be enchanted by the natural world as it lives and thrives all around you, ducks and flamingos splashing and playing and resting serenely in their own personal paradise.

Animals darting in and out of their hideaways, the wind rustling the bamboo and the leaves…it beckons us to linger, if only for a moment. No matter how pressing the day ahead may seem, this is a place that reminds us to pause. This humble Oasis, so often overlooked by passersby, is waiting for you. In your everyday, there are places like this one that will rejuvenate you on your journey. They can be your own Oasis, your own hidden Magic in the middle of the mayhem. Find them. Be Here. 🍃

Music: Simple Reminders by Esme Cruz
https://herewiththemagic.com/2020/02/02/tour-of-oasis-at-disneys-animal-kingdom-5k-3d-180/

Across the Rivers of America in the wild heart of Frontierland is Tom Sawyer Island, a hidden playground of adventure and surprises. Overlooking Cinderella Castle and Liberty Square to the north and the Mesa of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to the south, this island is very aptly named, as it is ...only accessible to us by a humble, makeshift raft down the river. So all aboard, let’s give way to the labyrinth of our imagination and that of one of Walt Disney’s most favorite creative minds - Mark Twain.

Here on Tom Sawyer Island, we dare to spelunk our way through Smuggler’s Cove and Old Scratch’s Mystery Mine, and tiptoe in trepidation over Superstition Bridge. We may even climb to the outlook at Fort Langhorn to enjoy the vista of that faraway Kingdom on the other side of the river. We listen to the skitter of the island’s animal residents, the birds chirping from their treetop lookouts, the sound of Aunt Polly humming to herself from her dockside inn, where we may catch a whiff of freshly baked pie or biscuits wafting enticingly from an open window. There's no shortage of spaces to discover and investigate.

Let your inner child roam Here. Wander through the trees and among the various fabrications of a child’s daydreams; add your own story to them as you go. Never underestimate the power of a moment spent indulging the playful side of your spirit, for that is precisely where your Magic lives. We hope you’ll come along with us as we find new places to explore, together. 🍃

Music: Going There by The Undertowns
https://herewiththemagic.com/2020/01/26/relaxing-at-aunt-pollys-dockside-5k-3d-180/

Today, high above the beautiful world below, we’re gliding along marshmallow clouds resting contentedly against a brilliant blue sky. Where are we going, you might ask? The destination is hardly as consequential as the journey. It is the journey which gives us an opportunity to pause, to ...contemplate, to be present with our joyful anticipation of what's to come. Let’s simply be Here, looking out the window, floating among the clouds. Wherever we’re going, we’ll get there eventually.

Most moments are ephemeral; that's part of their Magic. But this particular moment is held for you, whenever you should need to gain a little space…or 30,000 feet. We’re always Here With The Magic.
Where shall we go next? ✈️

Music: Desired Divine by Cody Martin
https://herewiththemagic.com/video/

“If you focus on what you left behind you will never see what lies ahead!” ~ Gusteau

🍂 Autumn in the Colorado Rockies is awesome. But it’s even better when accompanied by a four legged buddy.

As golden hour gives way to dusk, even a place called “Adventureland” can provide a calming respite from the kinetic energy of a busy Magic Kingdom. Step away. Pause. For a moment, all is still. Magic lies in store for those who linger in treetops or stop to enjoy this tropical hideaway.

Early fall in Granby, Colorado does not disappoint! Fortunately, the wildflowers, even at high elevation, were still hanging on for at least a few more days so we could enjoy them along with the golden Aspens and evergreens of the continental divide. Sadie also approved. 🤗

🌞 Some things are worth getting up early for. Pause. Breathe. Be here.