This past weekend, thousands of dance music fans and adventurous souls looking for a trip away from reality gathered in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia for TomorrowWorld's third year. The start of the long weekend promised five days and four nights full of “unlocking your happiness.” What some attendees experienced was much less than that.

A series of downpours over Thursday, Friday and Saturday left the once breathtaking 8,000 acres in disarray. Areas of DreamVille were mired in mud, while many pathways and sections of the festival grounds were deemed unusable. Three of the high-production stages closed on Sunday, and the roads used for entry and exit shut down for safety reasons at the end of Saturday night. After Saturday’s celebrations, thousands of attendees staying outside of the campgrounds were virtually trapped in the mud and madness, unable to get home for hours. Social media was flooded with complaints about what is now known as the “#TomorrowWorldDisaster”. Fest300 enlisted a festival emergency specialist to give a full breakdown about what went wrong, and you can read that here.

In light of all the negative coverage, it may seem like TomorrowWorld 2015 was one of the biggest flops in dance music festival history. However, many happy attendees would argue otherwise.  Yes, many people experienced unfortunate hardships that Saturday night after the festival. Yes, many people in DreamVille forgot to check the weather and were not quite prepared for the volume of heavy rain. And yes, TomorrowWorld itself was not adequately prepared despite the terrible weather that had been forecasted weeks before the festival began. But thousands of the People of Tomorrow left with smiles on their faces and a lifetime worth of memories. Here's why:

The Production

TomorrowWorld is known for its otherworldly, fairytale-like production that transports you past the realm of reality. The stages were larger than life; the main stage towered higher than you can imagine, and was decorated with mesmerizing, moving parts that captured and held your attention. Everywhere you looked, something new emerged. Character performers were strewn throughout the festival, decoratively dressed dancers graced the stages, and floats even made their way through the crowds. Lasers, lights, confetti, bubbles, and mist descended over the 50,000+ people who stood watching the main stage in awe while their favorite artists hypnotized them with magical sets.

The Unusual Artists

Many came to TomorrowWorld to check out their favorite main stage artists like Tiesto, Afrojack, or Martin Garrix, but the lesser-known artists added an exotic touch to the festival experience. Techno lovers gathered in the tents to experience the dark, enticing beats of underground artists, while bass-heads spent their days at the “library” losing their minds to hard drops. The 7’1’’ former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal even threw down a once-in-a-lifetime DJ set as his alter ego DJ Diesel. Where else would you be able to experience such an off-the-wall set?

The Friends

The entire vibe inside of the festival was positive. Acquaintances lent a helping hand at the drop of a ball to their neighbors in DreamVille, forging friendship bonds right and left. If someone needed a rain coat, assistance, or even a drink, fellow DreamVille dwellers were ready to offer anything to lighten the experience for fellow attendees throughout the rain. Strangers became friends on the dance floor by sparking up random conversations about next to nothing. Some people have claimed they met the love of their life over the span of the weekend. Nothing beats the warm feeling you get by attending TomorrowWorld, where everyone comes in peace.

The Food

When you travel to a festival your first thought isn’t usually about your next meal, but TomorrowWorld takes the dining to a higher standard. A full-scale, sit-down restaurant hosted by Chef Kevin Gillespie and Red Beard Restaurants offered a variety of fine dining options, including 10-course dinner on Saturday night while guests overlooked the main stage. An array of award-winning food trucks scattered about the grounds were on hand to satisfy any foodie’s unique cravings. If you were there, hopefully you didn’t miss out on the amazing festival hit Parmesan Truffle Fries from the Fry Guy!

The Hidden Treasures

You may not have realized it, but there were a variety of hidden gems strewn throughout the festival one could only find if they searched hard enough. A special pool for the VIPs overlooked the main stage. Free-standing bars were scattered throughout the grounds each with their own decorative themes, performers, and workers decked in costumes. DreamVille had its own set of unique finds, including hair salons, bars, massage parlors, and even a contest where you could play to win a key that won exclusive prizes, like an all-expenses paid trip to TomorrowWorld Brazil 2016.

The Unity

Even though TomorrowWorld is the sister festival to the original Tomorrowland in Belgium, you still get the same feeling of world peace. Just like Tomorrowland, TomorrowWorlders ventured from all areas of the globe to experience a piece of the magic in Chattahoochee Hills. It almost felt as though we were actually in Belgium, what with the amount of culture and international travelers surrounding us. Music truly unites us all.