About Ally

I could write about myself, but I’d rather tell you all a story.

Last week I was going through my childhood bedroom when I pulled out a notebook I hadn't seen in almost a decade - my Walt Disney World travel journal. As I flipped through its pages, one entry caught my eye.

It’s Spring Break, 2016.

My family and I were through the park gates bright and early to line up for the newly-opened Frozen Ever After ride. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the intercom announced the attraction’s temporary closure. Groans echoed from the line, but not from me.

This was my chance to write.

My eyes darted around the room as I scribbled furiously in that journal, trying my best to record every element of how the ride’s designers were able to create this immersive experience.

I wrote about how the buildings had fake snow dusted over their roofs. How the room was centered around a maypole, just like the one seen in the movie. I even Shazamed the music playing to learn that it was a Norwegian folk song. Each was just a small detail, but working harmoniously they transported people to a fictional world that felt real.

In short, I love a good story. At a young age, I saw how the power of a well-crafted, cohesive story connects people who have never met. As an adult, I now see how that connection holds the power to bridge gaps, whether between cultures, ideas, and even generations. And if it’s a truly great story… people might even remember it a decade later.