How I became a Disney crazed maniac and drug my family into it, too ….
I was lucky enough to get to both Disney World and
Disneyland as a child. My dad was I the Navy and we traveled around a lot – my amazing parents always made sure that my sister and I saw as much of the country as possible.
As I mentioned early we weren’t big campers, but we were definitely budget travelers. We stayed in Kissimmee a few times, I honestly thought that you had to be rich to stay at Disney World! And really, I still sort of feel that about the Poly and Contemporary, which were the only hotels on property back then. I’m pretty certain that if my parents had been aware of FW we would have ended up there – but they just never looked into staying onsite, I guess.
But I do have very fond memories of marathon days at Disney World (now known as the Magic Kingdom). My dad always made sure that we were at the park when it opened and we always closed that baby down, too!!!! I have memories of falling asleep on the tram to the parking lot after a magical day. Eventually as a teen I went to Epcot, too. We were day trippers at the Disney Parks. I loved them, but sort of outgrew the Magic Kingdom, I guess. I know – CRAZY, huh?
Eventually my parents moved to Florida and my husband and I spent about 5 years there, too – in the Orlando area. We were young and newleyweds and we did venture to the parks on occasion – but it was expensive. I seem to remember a conversation that we had about it being $40 a person and out of our budget. But that would have been in the early 90s so I am thinking that I must have that wrong – it would have had to be more than that at that point, right ?
Anyway, we did spend a couple of New Years Eves at Epcot and visited the studios, too. AK wasn’t around yet. We liked Disney well enough, but it wasn’t a huge part of our lives or a vacation goal or anything like that.
Fast forward to 2005, we live back up north now and we have our two little boys. My entire family decided to go to Disney – for a week – TOGETHER. I am talking my sister & her husband, her three kids, my parents, my aunt and uncle, my cousin and her husband and their son … it was 16 people in all …
I found some giant houses to rent and tried to get everyone to go that route. In my ever-budgeting mind that was the way to do it. But my sister decided that it had to be all inclusive. She does NOT cook on vacation (go figure!) So we all booked rooms at ASMo. We had Park Hoppers with Water Parks & more AND the Dining Plan. This was back when the dining plan included appetizers and tips, too. Ah, the good old days
We had absolutely no idea what we were doing, and lucky for us one of the kind souls that are CMs asked me at one point if we had made our dining reservations. We had not, and we had to really hustle to get reservations for all of those people, but we did get them.
About a month before the trip I discovered the disboards and realized how woefully unprepared we really were.
I also discovered that some people were insane when it came to Disney. I actually called my husband over to the computer and said – You’ve got to see this, these people are nuts! They talk about Disney incessantly – they take pictures of food – they go back over and over again. They live and breathe Disney. Can you imagine?
But although I thought those people were crazed, they definitely had some good info for our twice in a lifetime trip. I figured we’d do that one when our boys were 6 and 3, and another down the road when they were teens and “old enough to appreciate Epcot”. Ha. Silly, silly girl I was.
Anyway, when we reached Movies and checked in I swear to you I was
immediately bit by the magic bug. I had it bad.
Part of it, of course, was the all-inclusive thing. I had never been to anything all-inclusive and I have to admit I was loving waving that KTTW card around and getting all those fabulous dinners.
But it was way more than that.
It was they way that my 3 year old looked up in awe at the giant Woody statue.
It was the way that he would ask at night – Do we get to sleep in our Toy Story bedroom again?
It was the way that my 6 year old’s eyes lit up as he tried to pull the sword from the stone.
It was how my husband and I loosened up, and skipped through the parks and how we just spent time as a family – just being and exploring. Utter, pure, magic. It took me by surprise and I was hooked. Seriously hooked.
We did lots of stuff “wrong” on that trip. We spent too much time running from park to park, from ADR to ADR. We stayed up too late and wore ourselves out. We forgot to relax, but we wanted to see
everything. After all, who knew when we'd ever be at Disney again.
So as soon as we got home I knew what had to be done. We had to go back. There was no other option. I started reading the Dis religiously. It was like I was studying for the Disney bar. I discovered Tour Guide Mike. I became one of those crazy people who just couldn’t get enough Disney. I followed the discounts and priced out trips that we couldn't afford.
And honestly, another trip wasn’t in our cards for awhile. I dreamed about them, and I knew that we’d get back someday and that when we did it would be perfect. And while my extended family all said that they wouldn’t return until they could do the whole shebang again, I felt differently. I’d go however I could. I’d stay at the Super 8 and eat take out in the car. I’d do anything to spend an hour on Disney soil. Must. go. to. Disney.
My husband began to think I was losing it. So I toned it down a bit – kept my Disney musings to myself for awhile.
Then it was 2008 and I was about to have a birthday. Normally my birthdays are no big deal, but this was a pivotal one. You know, one of those birthdays with a zero at the end.
And my husband, who I am certain had a restaurant in mind when he asked, said - Where do you want to go for your birthday?
And of course I replied,
Disney.
And my sweet husband said something to the effect of Baby, if I can get you there I will.
That was all I needed. We were going to Disney!
So last spring she asked what I wanted and I told her I wanted a tent. I have to say the look on her face was priceless. Utter disbelief. 
