Shoveling My Way to the Magic: A Disney Nerd’s Winter Daydream
The shovel hits the pavement with a metallic scrape, and I heave another ten pounds of East Coast "white gold" onto the ever-growing mountain at the edge of my driveway. My back is aching, my toes are numb, and honestly? This real snow is a lot heavier than the stuff they use on Main Street.
As I look at the white blanket covering my everything, my mind starts to drift away from the freezing reality and toward the "snoap" and fiberglass drifts of the parks. If I have to deal with snow, it might as well be the kind that comes with a FastPass. And now reality, Shovel the Driveway.
The First Pass: Low and Slow Scrape. Heave. Repeat. As I clear the first path to the sidewalk, the biting wind makes me feel like I’ve just dropped out of lightspeed into the Hoth sequence on Star Tours. The icy white plains stretch out before me, and while I’m navigating past my neighbor's recycling bins instead of weaving between the legs of an AT-AT walker, the frozen wasteland vibe is spot on. I’d trade this shovel for a warm Starspeeder cabin and a working hyperdrive right about now.
Halfway Down the Driveway: The Big Peaks I’m starting to hit the heavy stuff near the middle of the drive. As I toss a massive pile of slush, I’m mentally transported to the Matterhorn Bobsleds. I can almost hear the clack-clack-clack of the lift hill and the roar of the Abominable Snowman. At least Harold doesn't expect me to clear his icy caverns before work.
I pivot to the left side of the driveway and my mind jumps across the country to Animal Kingdom. Expedition Everest has those beautiful, permanent snow-capped peaks. I’m currently building my own "Forbidden Mountain" at the end of my cul-de-sac, but I’m missing the high-speed tea train to get me back to the garage.
The Heavy Lifting: Frozen Frontiers The plow just went by, leaving a wall of ice at the end of my driveway. Great. As I dig into the "North Mountain" of my own making, I’m thinking of Frozen Ever After at EPCOT. Elsa makes it look so easy, one flick of the wrist and she has a palace; I’ve been out here for forty minutes and I just have a wet pair of gloves. I’d give anything for a bit of that "cold never bothered me anyway" attitude right now.
The Home Stretch: Holiday Magic I’m finally down to the last few square feet near the mailbox. My mind settles on the absolute best kind of Disney snow: the stuff that falls over Main Street, U.S.A. during the holiday parade. I can almost smell the peppermint and hear the toy soldiers marching by as the magical "snoap" gently drifts down from the rooftops. It doesn't stick to your shovel, there's no slush to slip on, and it simply disappears when it hits the ground. Just pure, festive atmosphere.
Mission Accomplished One last scrape. One last toss. I’m standing here, leaning on my shovel, looking at a clear driveway. I’m exhausted, I’m soaking wet, and I’m 100% ready to trade this winter wonderland for a Dole Whip. If anyone needs me, I’ll be inside watching POV ride videos and pretending the heater is the Florida sun.
Lupo
A Little Extra Pixie Dust! A huge, magical thank you to the incredible dreamers and creators who helped make this winter daydream possible! Without the high-quality POV videos from these amazing YouTube channels, my virtual escape from the cold reality of shoveling wouldn't have been the same. They do a fantastic job of bringing the theme parks right into our living rooms whenever we need a quick ride on our favorite attractions. Please take a moment to click the links below, visit their channels, and leave a little extra magic in their comments sections to thank them for all the hard work they do:
See ya real soon!