• I was at a Flyers game when an 84-year-old woman appeared on the Jumbotron and stole the show.
• The crowd cheered for her and booed the mascot, Gritty, whenever the camera switched away.
• Watching thousands of strangers celebrate her brought me to tears during a difficult time.

Since our kids left for college, my husband and I have been to many Philadelphia Flyers games.

The most recent, against the Colorado Avalanche, felt magical, and it wasn't just the high of a second consecutive win after a nine-game losing streak. There was an older woman, way up in the upper section, who, in a purely joyful moment, stole the show and captured the hearts of all 18,353 of us in attendance.

I'm calling her Good Luck Granny.

People were being shown on the Jumbotron

During the third period, the Flyers were up 3-1, and the crowd was electric. Could they make it two wins in a row? During TV time-outs, cameras stationed throughout the arena pan to fans — parents holding ear-muffed babies aloft, kids jumping up and down, waving "My 1st Flyers game!!" signs — or to our beloved mascot, Gritty, in his Chaos Corner, doing what Gritty does.

I love seeing the reactions of people who make it on the jumbotron, and, yes, I may have, on occasion, attempted to wave at a camera pointed in our direction. Being at the game means losing myself and any worries I might have for a few hours in something everyone can agree on.

With less than 10 minutes left in the third period, the camera found a grey-haired, bespectacled woman, straight out of central casting, in a royal blue hoodie. She was chair dancing, arms up in the air, her bright orange Flyers microfiber towel ready for waving. The arena exploded into a unanimous uproar for this stranger.

The camera panned to Gritty, and everyone booed. Then they went back to the woman, and we watched her moment of recognition in real time along with the guy seated next to her who'd been pointing her out to the cameraman. She lit up and began pointing at herself, as she mouthed, "Oh, that's me!" This was met with uproarious cheers.

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat and fought back tears as we continued to scream for her.

Everyone was excited for her

Everyone wanted more, and the camera operators obliged, cycling half a dozen times between Gritty, who played along with the boos and disappointment, and Good Luck Granny, who elicited raucous cheering, much to her and everyone's delight. I'm not sure why it made me so emotional, but the feeling remains.

After the game, fans followed and cheered her all the way out of the building, taking photos along the way.

Fans went crazy for her in the comment section, too. Under a video posted by Sports Radio 94WIP Reporter, Dave Uram, @anfieldcards wrote, "I sat right next to her and her daughter, she was crying after being on the screen. It meant so much to her. She's 84 years old but was screaming and cheering all game."

That woman was the distraction I needed

Maybe it's because 2026 has been filled with what feels like an endlessly worrisome, increasingly overwhelming news cycle, along with some personally painful moments. When my mother died in January, a few months shy of her 82nd birthday, I hadn't seen or spoken to her in 17 years. Not surprisingly, this has brought up some complicated feelings. Turning 59 this summer brought up a lot of thoughts, too (because I am a professional overthinker), about my own mortality and what the state of the world might be for my grandchildren.

For those three hours, though, being enveloped by the energy of strangers who come together for a shared, emotionally vested experience, the games have been a salve and a healing distraction. I also believe that now more than ever, we're all craving joyful, feel-good moments like cheering for an unsuspecting elderly woman in a crowded hockey arena.

So, thank you, beautiful stranger, our Good Luck Granny, for your infectious good vibes and an experience that will not soon be forgotten.

• I worked in several locations across Disney World, and fall is my favorite time to visit the parks.
• I love dressing up for the Halloween events at Magic Kingdom and seeing the characters in costumes.
• There are some great food opportunities in the fall, like the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. 

If you're planning a trip to Disney, I suggest you look at the fall.

After years of working at Disney World and visiting during every season, fall is still my absolute favorite time of year to be in the parks.

It's usually less crowded since schools are back in session, and the Florida weather cools slightly from the oppressive summer heat. 

This is during Florida's hurricane season, which typically runs from June through the end of November, so I recommend packing a rain poncho and checking weather alerts before you travel.

Otherwise, here's my list of some of the best things to do, see, and eat at Disney World in the fall. 

I love strolling down Main Street right after the fall decorations go up.

There is nothing like walking down Magic Kingdom's Main Street USA in the fall. It's lined with pumpkins, seasonal drapes, scarecrows in funny outfits, and Mickey-shaped jack-o'-lantern wreaths. 

I like to grab a seasonal coffee at the Main Street Bakery (Starbucks) and spend time soaking it all in. 

The decorations make it feel so cozy and allow for some really cute photos. I make sure to have a little photo shoot in this area every year. 

Although they cost extra, events like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are worth it.

I think Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is the best special event at Disney World all year.

It runs from the end of August through October 31, and it requires a special park ticket, which is usually a little more expensive.

However, during this event, guests get the opportunity to trick-or-treat all around Magic Kingdom and feel like a kid again. 

There are also special entertainment offerings unique to the event, such as the "Boo to You" Parade, the "Hocus Pocus" stage show, and exclusive character meet-and-greets. 

"Boo to You" is my favorite. It features all the classic characters, including Mickey and friends, the Hundred Acre Woods gang, most of the princesses and their princes, Pixar stars, Haunted Mansion maids and butlers, and a wide range of villains. 

For adults, this is also the only time of year to go all out with costumes in the parks.

Typically, only children under 14 are allowed to wear full costumes at Disney World. But when special events like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are running, adults can go all out (as long as they're still following park guidelines).

This is such a fun way to celebrate Halloween, especially because you can see all of the unique costumes that everyone comes up with. 

If you're not into wearing a full costume to the parks, you can also Disneybound by using your regular clothes to match the color scheme or aesthetic of your favorite character in a more subtle way. Park employees and other guests will usually pick up on your outfits, too, which makes for some fun interactions with fellow fans. 

I love Disneybounding different characters all year, but it's especially fun when the park is decorated for Halloween. 

This is probably the best time of year to see characters in unique outfits.

Seeing characters is always a huge highlight of any Disney trip, but it's extra special in the fall when you can see their Halloween outfits. It's the cutest thing to see Mickey dressed as a vampire or Winnie the Pooh dressed as a bumblebee. 

You never know what your favorite character will dress up as, and it's exciting to see them in something other than their typical outfit. 

I also love seeing all of the Magic Kingdom park employees in their festive Halloween uniforms.

Hollywood and Vine gets a total makeover for Halloween.

Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios serves a buffet-style meal with character meet-and-greets. But in the fall, it typically transforms into a Halloween-themed dining experience. 

All of the classic Disney characters — Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald — are dressed up in their Halloween costumes. They also have Halloween-inspired desserts and festive decor throughout the restaurant. 

Haunted Mansion always gets me in the Halloween spirit.

Out of all of the rides at Disney World, Haunted Mansion truly embodies the Halloween season.

If you're anything like me and like to be spooked — but are also a huge wimp when it comes to anything scary — this is the perfect ride for you. It has such a good mix of scare and fun. 

Taking a ride always gets me into the Halloween spirit.

You must pop over to Epcot for the International Food and Wine Festival.

Fall isn't complete unless I go to Food and Wine at Epcot, which usually runs from August to November.

It's my favorite festival that Epcot offers throughout the year because it's full of amazing foods and drinks inspired by cuisines from around the world.

The stands and offerings always rotate, but one of my favorites was Appleseed Orchard in the Canada Pavilion. It had an assortment of different beers and ciders along with sweet treats like a frozen apple-pie drink and apple-crumble tarts. 

Garden Grill reminds me of a Thanksgiving feast.

One of my favorite things about the fall season is all of the amazing food, and the Garden Grill buffet reminds me of a Thanksgiving meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, a harvest salad, and a berry shortcake.

This restaurant, located in Epcot's The Land pavilion, is another character dining experience featuring an all-you-can-eat, family-style meal.

The seasonal, Halloween-themed treats are absolutely worth getting, too.

Speaking of food, there are a lot of great seasonal Halloween-themed treats to be found throughout Disney World at the resorts, parks, and Disney Springs throughout autumn.

Although these tend to rotate, one of my favorites is the candy-corn milkshake at Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies in Tomorrowland.

It's candy-corn flavored and topped with a big Mickey-shaped marshmallow. Whenever it's available, I'm sure to order one.

This story was originally published on September 19, 2024, and most recently updated on October 21, 2026.

• Caitlin Conway is a mom of two who lives in Colorado.
• She sends her two kids, ages 8 and 5, to a forest school and homeschools them.
• She says the impact on them physically and emotionally is unparalleled.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Caitlin Conway. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Years ago, when my oldest was an infant, my husband and I had seen a documentary about outdoor schooling in Nordic countries. It really resonated with us, but it also felt intense because we're not used to seeing that kind of setup here. It was cool, but also terrifying — kids were using knives in the woods.

Then I found a forest school in Colorado, where we live.

We started forest school when my oldest was 4.5

We started my son on the coldest day of the year, in February, and I was nervous. We sent him out, and when he came home, he didn't say anything about the weather. He never even mentioned that it was cold; he was immediately engrossed.

It was his primary source of education until two years ago, through first grade. They age out of a full-day program around then, so we now homeschool and leverage a homeschool enrichment program for him because we were not ready to leave the program. My youngest attends forest school three days a week and is also homeschooled the other days.

The school goes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day as long as it's 15 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Sometimes they have a shelter; sometimes they don't. They learn how to keep their bodies warm.

The primary focus is on social and emotional development. It gives kids opportunities to test their capabilities, both physically and emotionally. The guides are there to keep them safe, but they're not there to solve a kid's every problem. They learn to negotiate conflicts with each other and can get help when they need it.

When at home, we also prioritize being outside

We don't follow a strict homeschooling curriculum. Our main focus is on exposure. We homeschool so they can continue to stay outside and strengthen their bodies and minds. We've also found a group of people through forest school that we call our homeschool co-op. It's two other families, and we all help facilitate "adventure days" outside.

I'm not sitting at a kitchen table with them all day. We do an art program, and both kids also take piano lessons and swim. We also do our own work around reading, writing, and math.

I never expected to be homeschooling my kids, but they love it

I don't have an educational background. I come from early-stage start-ups and am currently a real estate agent. But I continue to double down on this method because I see an incredible impact on my kids' ability to adapt to different situations. They can sit still at a restaurant, but they can also jump off a cliff into a river. They know that bravery has a great payoff.

The hardest part is other people's opinions. We've had to defend what we're doing, something I'm sure every homeschool parent has had to do. An instant reaction to me sharing that my kids are in the woods all day is, "But how are they learning if they're not in the real world?" That can be frustrating, but I think it's important to make sure people know there are other options for early childhood development.

• While pregnant with my second child, an RTO mandate was issued at work.
• Going into the office five days a week wasn't going to work for me, or for my family.
• I decided to take the leap and build my own business instead.

I never imagined myself starting a business, but after a return-to-office mandate that wasn't going to work for my family, I had to rethink what should come next in my career. I spent a lot of time networking on LinkedIn, and after some encouragement, I started asking myself, "Why not?"

I worked in marketing as a content writer, and I've always been ambitious. I was a top performer at my company, receiving glowing reviews and setting a record for campaign performance. However, there was always a constant pull between time at the office and time with my family.

Being required to show up to the office five days a week simply wouldn't work for me

The office was about an hour from my house, which was fine for two to three days a week, especially with the flexibility to work remotely for additional days as necessary. When they instituted the expectation for a full five days in office with no flexibility at the beginning of the year, I knew it wasn't going to work. I was expecting my second child, and my 5-year-old had a weekly appointment and some commitments I didn't want to miss.

Showing up to my kid's events often meant working from home an extra day or leaving the office early, and even though I was crushing performance metrics, those absences made me feel like I wasn't doing enough at work, especially as my department began focusing on new goals. Worse, as departmental pressure increased, my boss made a few comments that left me wondering whether he felt I wasn't sufficiently dedicated to the new direction and my role, adding a layer of fear about my job when I was trying to be present with my family.

Then, there were the moments I felt like I wasn't doing enough as a mom. I apologized on more than one occasion for a school closure or my kid getting sick, and I found myself checking messages while he napped in my arms. It was uncomfortable to acknowledge the guilt I felt across all aspects of my life.

The tug-of-war had become a constant since becoming a mom, and I kept thinking there had to be a way to be true to my high-achieving nature while still being the kind of loving, involved parent I aspired to be. After a series of coffee chats with other "mompreneurs" and marketing colleagues, I realized building a business, like motherhood, isn't about having it all figured out. I could chase entrepreneurship like I once chased accolades.

I've always been a writer. Communication and storytelling have been the constants in my career across industries and roles. I'd helped friends and family with marketing for their law firms while still working full-time; I'd worked in education, both in the classroom and in marketing. I realized my experience would translate to the kind of business I wanted to build: brand development, content strategy, and ghostwriting in higher education and law. I spent most of my third trimester balancing business planning and baby preparation.

I took the leap and started my own business

My LinkedIn community encouraged me to take the leap and supported me again as I began shifting my personal brand to support the business after my son was born. I signed my first client before he arrived, and had two referrals come in during my first couple of months in business.

By the time both my children started school and day care earlier this year, I'd built something that would support the life I wanted without requiring an apology. My first client was recommended in AI overviews after only 30 days. I was a guest on a podcast about AI visibility called Found In AI and invited on a few others focused on motherhood and ambition.

I build my own schedule. I work between pickup and dropoff, and I don't feel the need to check my phone while volunteering or at school events. I relish the details I get when my oldest hops in the car: the games at recess or the math facts that fascinated him in class. I build Magna Tiles cities and go for "treasure hunts" around the neighborhood without guilt or explanation. Sure, there are days when I'm logging back in after bedtime, but instead of putting in those hours to chase titles or prove something, I'm simply putting the work where it fits for me or pursuing something I'm genuinely excited about for one of my clients.

I spent a lot of my career frantically trying to prove that motherhood didn't lessen my capability, while simultaneously feeling guilty for every ask that mattered: the Halloween school parade or my child's sick days. I was afraid of losing respect at my job and afraid of missing out on my kids' childhood.

Now, I recognize that fear was holding me back from building a life that feels much more fulfilled. I've let go of the competition between the roles of "Mom" and "Career Woman." Three ghostwriting clients alone equal my monthly salary from corporate, which was the goal, and anything after that is a bonus. The control of my time is priceless; I'll never have to ask permission to be fully present with my children.