Why Disney World ?

I have so many people ask me about my obsession with Disney World. Most people just don't understand how I can go every year and not get tired of the place. When I tell people I am excitedly planning a trip to the World, many look at me and say, "but didn't you just go? How can you be so excited about going again? Aren't you tired of it"? To those people I just laugh and say "No way"! Every year is a brand new trip and we experience things in whole new ways, or find new things that we have never done in trips past. I have a dear friend who tells me over again that she doesn't get it. She does not enjoy Disney (gasp) and only goes for her kids. She would rather go to the beach and relax for vacation. As a matter of fact she usually goes to the beach for a week, then will squeeze Disney into one day during her trip. I have challenged her to give it one more try, but next time to go in the offseason (or at least not during Spring Break week) and to go for several days so that she can tour at a more leisurely pace. I am not giving up on her and hope to convert her yet. I just don't get how anyone can not enjoy Disney. I don't know exactly when my obsession grew so deep, but I think it mostly started on our honeymoon in 1998. That was such a fun and magical trip and as soon as we got home I was ready to go again. Our next trip was in 2000, then we didn't go again until 2005 (my first trip with my daughter who was almost two at the time). That was when I fell head over heals in love with Disney World. Seeing the magic of Disney through the eyes of a child is amazing and our trips ever since have been so wonderful. We have been blessed to return every year since she turned three and I hope that the tradition continues. Disney World is the one place that our family can go together and have the time of our lives. We can literally forget about everything else and immerse ourselves in the magic.

The excitement I get calling Walt Disney World every year to book the trip never grows old. This is probably the only place I call that I look forward to being put on hold. Something about hearing that ding ding ding that I think is supposed to represent fairy dust and then listening to official Disney World music while I wait for a cast member to help me is just amazing. I still get chills calling them every year. Sometimes I look for excuses just to call them so that I can experience being put on hold (yes I know I need help).

Once I book my trip, I start a countdown calendar for my fridge. It has the total days and weeks until the trip that I get to cross off every day and watch my trip grow closer and closer. Once we hit the 100 day mark, my daughter and I make a chain link countdown that she uses to visually track the days until our trip. She loves to get up every morning and pull a link off. This helps her so much being almost seven years old. She can see each day how many days we have left and her excitement grows as the chain shrinks. It is fun for all!

I then spend my days visiting my favorite websites (see links to the right of this page) and get a little dose of Disney news each day, or look at menus, hotels, deals, etc. It is a nice break and it helps me with my planning. By the time my trip comes, I have planned my days in the parks, made my dining reservations, and have my daily itineraries. I sometimes drive my husband crazy with all the info, but for the most part he also really enjoys the daily Disney discussions that we have. My daughter is turning into quite the planner herself, and could probably help most adults plan their trips. She makes Mommy proud :)