There's a relatively new movement in the field of psychology called "positive psychology." This movement tends to focus not on the "what's-wrong-with-me" modality of our lives, but rather on what makes us happy, satisfied and fulfilled.

As I've read more and more about this movement, it has dawned on me that Walt Disney World captures the idea of positive psychology in a really tangible way. (Of course, for those people who are naysayers about the Disney experience, Walt Disney World may represent something else entirely. It's sometimes easy to feel--particularly during really crowded times at the parks--that Sartre's philosophy that "hell is other people" may have some validity!) From the theme song of "Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It" Street Party--"Celebrate Your Life"--to the "Welcome Home" greetings at Disney's resort hotels, Walt Disney World immerses us in a delightful exploration of what captivates our lives and makes us happy. In fact, I can recall not feeling quite up to par on a day I visited Magic Kingdom--thinking that even Disney wasn't going to be able to put a smile on my face. However, once this parade began, and the stick-to-your-brain-cells theme song started, I realized that I was already smiling. In fact, even my body began to move to the beat, and during the guest participation portion of the street party, I gravitated right on out into the Hub. There's something incredibly uplifting about the lyrics, "Celebrate your life...celebrate you" that transcends egotism. Because, really, it's not that participating guests are just celebrating their lives, but indeed, celebrating life itself.

At Epcot, the celebration of diversity really makes me feel a connection with people from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities. At World Showcase--though I really wish Disney would celebrate more than shopping and eating here by installing more shows and rides--I'm able to step outside my own European-American background, and into the shoes of people from around the world. So many times, I have been able to initiate a conversation with someone from one of the World Showcase countries, and find out a little bit more about his or her culture. I've even convinced a few cast members to give me a free language mini-lesson or two! I think this kind of experience makes us feel less alienated from people who don't share our backgrounds. Instead, we look for commonalities, and become a little more interdependent. Positive psychology supports the idea that people need social supports, and that people who make human connections are more psychologically and medically healthy than those who live insulated lives. One thing for sure: a Walt Disney World vacation ensures that you're not insulated!

And speaking of interdependence, a trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom allows us to have an inter-species connection. Marveling at the animals who live in this park makes us appreciate life on another level. From the safety of a forest or jungle trail, or a safari jeep, we get to admire the beauty of hundreds of animals, and in that admiration, we learn to appreciate similarities and differences in the way humans and non-humans live their lives. In this most dramatic way, Disney allows us to experience the "Circle of Life" and in that experience, we feel appreciative of living on a planet with such rich beauty and manifestations of existence.

To be honest, I was getting a bit bored with Disney's Hollywood Studios until the recent upgrades there. Now, I think that park is a wonderful tribute to what distinguishes us most from the creatures showcased in Disney's Animal Kingdom. It is the human spirit of creativity celebrated here, from wonderful voices at the American Idol Experience, to a history of cinema and the talent that has defined America's leadership in the entertainment industry. One positive psychology founder wrote extensively of a concept called "flow," which is the sensation of losing yourself in an experience about which you're passionate--in effect, an immersion into an experience typified by an altered sense of time and consciousness. Even a "thrill ride" like Twilight Zone Tower of Terror taps into the experience of flow, as it immerses you into a preoccupation with--well, just what kind of "drop" is the hotel going to subject you to this time?

Each park, in its own way, offers us an adventure--and that's what makes life exciting, really, when you get right down to it. As humans, I think, we crave novelty--but we also want a healthy dose of security thrown in as well--and Walt Disney World can give us that. Usually, we experience Walt Disney World with people we love, people we care about--and that's a kind of security, too. So we have this sensation that 's unique to Disney--that we're refreshingly "out of control" of our lives, yet that "reckless abandon" is tempered by the people and the company we love. In a way, Disney provides us that "flow" experience. Our Disney experience is like a balloon that floats gracefully, aimlessly high in the sky. Though it may be tethered, with our own awareness that we can "come down" from the experience whenever we're ready, it is still an adventure--and one that is never stale for those of us who truly "get" Disney.