September 18th, 2015 • 2015: Orlando
First-time visit to the House of Mouse

Standing near the International Food and Wine entrance of the Epcot Theme Park in Orlando Thursday evening, Michael Pearson looked forward to seeing what the attraction was “all about.” It was Pearson’s first time at a Disney theme park. Meeting Mickey Mouse, watching fireworks explode into the sky at night, and spending hours in line at the Disney empire’s biggest physical stage has become a childhood rite of passage, an almost religious experience.