If you live in Orlando, one way or another, you're going to have an opinion about the magical paradise that is Disney World.

Since moving to Orlando, I’ve been given a full-frontal of destination-travel lifestyle. But what most people who don’t live here don’t know is that although Orlando is one of the destination airports of the world, the City of Orlando is so much more than the parks and environs, which lay many miles from downtown. Because of that, there remain a lot of people who are ambivalent about the parks, as they have no need to decide about them one way or another.

But now that I’ve been here a few years, I realize how polarizing Disney can be to the rest of the people—those who decide to have an opinion. Of those people, there are two main groups: those who adore it and those who abhor it.

ADORE IT
The lovers care passionately for the mystical parks. They often apologetically don their Annual Passholder stickers, brand-new swipe bracelets, and rush to Disney in their freetime. For them, the place is full of possibility, wonder, and—of course—magic.

ABHOR IT
The haters believe Disney to be a fabrication, to be abhorred. “Get outdoors,” they might say.” “Go for a hike.” If you offer them a trip to the parks for free, they might tell you they’d rather go to the library, ride a bike, or sit leisurely in a snake pit.

But after years of contemplation, I’ve taken a conglomerate stance—I both like and dislike Disney.

BOTH
There is something to be said about a place that specifically fosters—as a rule—the ability to wonder. Sitting at the top of the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse dreaming about living on an island somewhere in the tropics, riding through Living with the Land envisioning what my garden might be like, or walking around the Animal Kingdom thinking about what it would be like if Lion King were real and we could interact with the animals. The ability to let my mind go can be freedom for me and can birth creativity.

But I also think the place can be contrived. Stories are valuable if they lead us to live our own with passion and dedication. If we choose to only live in someone else’s story—whether made up or in real-time—it is a partial failure on our part to step into who we’re to be. And though the area boomed as a by-product of the colossal attractions, how much do their fireworks and other expenditures cost?!

Often, I think I’d usually prefer to be doing some sort of outdoor athletic endeavor or gardening or dancing in the street or whatever. But sometimes, it can be inspirational.

The point is, most things in life have nuance, and Disney is no exception. So, whether you live in Orlando or don’t and whether you visit or don’t, just know that there is much that goes into the conversation about Disney than meets the eye. If you’re not sure about it, give it a try, but whatever your perspective is—as with anything—it should be obtained with thoughtfulness, balance and not at the expense of your own adventures and dreams.