Why we return to Disney…
I am starting this post as I sit in the airport, waiting to
return home from Disney trip #6 since 2006. Many people share my joy in
planning and going to Disney, and others shake their heads and can’t understand
why we would return time after time…well, here’s my reasoning for those who are
interested :
I’ve loved Disney “stuff” forever, with Mary Poppins and
Tinkerbell being my favorite, but the first family trip that we took back in
2006 with a 6 year old and a 4 year old sealed the deal.
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| Our Disney princesses in 2006 on our first trip to WDW! |
Those who know me,
know that I love history and with my love for history comes my fascination in
Walt Disney (the man) and his vision of life and creation of happiness and joy
for others. Though, Don will counter that with his vision being to figure out a
way to “suck” money out of innocent families. I know Walt Disney is not true “history,” but
the history of Disney and the creation of the movies, theme parks, animation studios,
etc. truly fascinates me. My first and
only trip as a child was in the mid 1970’s with my family, prior to returning
in 2006 as a mom and wife.
I’m a planner, but I also believe in trying to achieve the
impossible. I live by Walt Disney’s
quote, “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It!”
I apply it to my career choices,
my classroom teaching, inspiring my students, our family life, and our family
adventures. I don’t give up on a project or a vacation idea until I have
exhausted all possibilities and know that it is realistically (or financially)
impossible. Walt Disney lived by that
and his quotes and philosophies (for those that care), really are
inspiring…yes, it sounds corny, but ….. :)
Also, Walt Disney World (when done with advance planning and
appropriate expectations) really can be the happiest place on earth. It would
be another whole blog post, on how to have that “perfect Disney vacation” –
especially during the summer months, but we have pretty much achieved it on
each of our trips. Yes, we sweat non-stop, and have our little disagreements
about who wants to do what. But, in 6 trips (a cumulative 36 days spent in the
World), we have never had that complete and utter meltdown or family
“discussion” that resulted in tears or not speaking to each other for extended
periods of time.
Don has come to the point that he could take it or leave it.
His philosophy being that there’s a big, big world out there that is left to
explore, and we’ve done Disney – let’s do something else. I agree with him and
don’t “Need” to return to Disney, but it is still a fascination for me, and if
given the opportunity to return, I’ll find a way to sneak in a quick trip to
WDW.
Probably surprising for many
though, honestly…if given the choice of returning to Disney World for a week or
exploring out west or a new National
Park – I’d choose the National Park!
Though Don isn’t as excited about WDW as I am, he is the ultimate “good
sport,” with our trips here. Many of you
know that his wit and sense of humor are contagious, and he definitely brings
that to our WDW trips – whether he is excited or not.
Here's a photo comparison from our first and sixth trip to Disney - it's fun to compare heights of the girls to key parts of the pictures.....
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| 2006 |
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| 2013 |
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| 2006 |
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| 2013 |
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| 2006 |
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| 2013 - notice the bear's nose that they are rubbing for good luck. |
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| 2006 |
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| 2013 |
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| 2006 |
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| 2013 |
So...will we return to Disney World again? Yes...but probably not for another 2-3 years. We've got lots of other exploring to do around the world and country. Will Walt Disney continue to inspire me to do the impossible? Most Definitely Yes!!!
Stay tuned for "Don Does Disney!" - his approach to making a trip to see the mouse amusing and entertaining...or at least bearable for all!
