From the podcast: Tell Your Disney Story

[doconeill]

The podcast segment from the NE DISmeet was about telling your Disney story. I would have told mine, but it was running long and we did have a lot of people get up and tell their stories, and I was busy taking pictures. So let's make a thread!

Like Kevin, it started for me on Sundays. Watching the Wonderful World of Disney and reruns of the Mickey Mouse Club. I was fascinated by these, especially the ones that talked about the technical side of things and the parks. Remember the one featuring Kurt Russell and the Osmonds going through the Haunted Mansion? (I'm still made that they took away Vault Disney on the Disney Channel.) I liked the nostalgia that even the 20 year old episodes had.

I had told my parents I wanted to go to Disney World many times. I'd even cut out ads from the local TV Guide that featured Rex Trailer (anyone outside New England know him?) featuring cheap WDW trips. But our very limited vacation money was spent on trips to England to visit my mother's family (she was born in Dublin and her family emigrated to England when she was in her early teens.) My dad kept telling me that Disney was planning to build a park in New England, but I think that was just to make me stop asking...but the desire to visit never left.

After I was out on my own, the desire was still there but it was pushed to the back. It was someplace that I wanted to visit with someone, and I just didn't have someone to visit with.

It wasn't until my late 20s that I finally met someone that it turned out shared a lot of the same interests. Her nickname was even "Tigger"! For Valentine's Day 1997, I have her (and me) a trip to WDW - the first for both of us! We stayed offsite (at a timeshare I'm very thankful I didn't buy in to at the time), but enjoyed the then three parks. But there was this Test Track thing they were building, and something called Animal Kingdom, so we had to come back...

Oh, and by the way, I married her. 17 years this December!

We returned in 1999, but this time with a large group of friends - we had a great time! But they were building this Rock'n'Roller Coaster thing, so we had to come back...

But we didn't return again until 2003. Our first daughter was born in 2000, and not long after my father - who I grew up watching TV with and got me hooked on things like Disney and science fiction - passed away. In a way, it kind of hurt to think about Disney in a way, because of the connection of sitting with him and watching the shows on TV. But it also brought a smile to my face as well.

So in 2003 we had our first trip with a child, and our first staying on site (All-Star Music). We went to Magic Kingdom first, and got there around 2-2:30, so we decided to stop on Main St. in a good spot for the parade, with our daughter sitting right on the curb waiting patiently. And the parade came, and it was great...princesses would wave and make direct eye contact with her. But the point at which I think the hook was finally in 100% was when one of Sleeping Beauty's fairies grabbed my daughter by the hand and took her out into the parade and around Cinderella's float. Completely unexpected and magical!

We returned again in 2006, after the birth of our second daughter in 2004, but it was also not long after my mother passed away. The trip was already planned and paid for and we kept it, but I was also dealing with a lot of things then like the estate, selling the house, etc. It would be an escape for us. This time we splurged and were going to stay at the Poly, but garden view. But when we checked in, the CM said we'd won the "Disney lottery", and got upgraded to Concierge! That was great, because we had a toddler (who was on medication at the time), and this gave us 24 hour access to milk and other items. The concierge staff even helped us book the Spirit of Aloha show for us and another family who was offsite, and when we forgot our souvenir mugs, they sent them to us in the mail...alas, I couldn't fully escape the outside world as the prospective buyer for the house decided to use this time to try and pressure me on the sale, threatening to back out if I didn't get something signed and returned in 24 hours...I was in the Animation Courtyard on my phone with a realtor and a lawyer trying to make sense of it, to the point that I said he could pound sand (not what I REALLY said), but we worked through it, and the concierge staff at the Poly helped every way they could, getting me faxes and sending them back. It helped make it better.

Since then we became DVC members, and we've visited many times and different times of the year. I still get the tingly feeling when my kids become part of the magic - they've helped usher the parade at Animal Kingdom, opened the doors to 1900 Park Fare to be greeted and escorted by Cinderella and Prince Charming, etc.

We joined the DISboards, listened to the podcast, made new "our kind of crazy" DIS friends including members of the podcast team, and more.

Even when it's the hardest time, Disney make it easier. We were on Podcast Cruise 3.0 in June 2012 (and met a lot of you). Two weeks before I had actually lost my job. Through a very strange 24 hours that involved reps from the US. Dept. of Labor, I had my job back temporarily, but it was very sketchy, and there would have been a go-no-go decision made while we would be at sea. I _should_ have canceled the trip (I did buy insurance), and been working on finding another job. But at the same time I didn't want to take that away from my family. And for myself, no matter what was going on or needed to be done, I needed to get away, and there was no place else I wanted to be, or with anyone else but those DIS friends - even those I hadn't yet met. So we went, and although whenever we were in port I was trying to get a good enough signal to check to see if I still had a job, I was still able to enjoy it in the in-between times. (I still say I need a "do-over" on the cruise though...)

Things ended right-side up in a good way too - shortly after I got a better job, I'm part of a group raising money for a good cause, and I still get to keep my addiction.

I think I've rambled enough now...

 

[Kristina4109]

This is not a ramble. This is beautiful. We are all here because we all have this special relationship with Disney!

 

[HubbDave]

Lol Rex Trailer with Crimson Travel

 

[OKW Lover]

Lol Rex Trailer with Crimson Travel

I remember it well. I often dreamed of being on one of their trips.

 

[HubbDave]

http://youtu.be/KtlwvrrOhUc

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Yesterday's DisMeet podcast has to be one of the best I have ever seen!

 

[doconeill]

It's been a week already?

No one else wants to share? Come on...tell us why you are a Disneyholic!

 

[jtwibih]

I'll try to make this somewhat quick and easy to read. My story is not too unlike the OP.

When I was a kid growing up we watched the Disney Channel around the clock. It was back in the days where they would show the live action/mascot shows like Dumbo's Circus and Welcome to Pooh Corner. In the afternoons it was pretty much straight cartoons until the then titled "Walt Disney Presents" would come on. Of course everyone knows, this was just reruns of Disneyland and WWOC. As a kid you don't really appreciate it as much as you do now. Still though I remember being totally mesmerized by Walt's enthusiasm when he would talk about things on my level. I have great memories of these times because they are what really got my imagination rolling. These times made me really want to take the trip because they would always show little clips of MK and Epcot. It would honestly make me go crazy.

My grandmother and her sisters/brothers decided to take a trip with their kids in the early 90s to WDW and stayed at the GF. The person paying for all of this was unable/unwilling to bring my brother and I on the trip even though my grandmother was begging for it. I remember seeing the pictures and being so jealous and sad that I was unable to go. So I was never able to experience WDW as a child either. My parents just couldn't afford it even though they mentioned later on that they wish they could have.

I'm 35 now for the record. About 10 years ago, my friend and I had both taken the week off from work. We were both looking for something to do and decided out of nowhere to drive down to WDW. My friend had never been either. Both of us were so excited on the 14 hour drive down there, we could hardly contain ourselves. It was pretty crazy if you can picture two guys who were really into the punk rock scene walking into MK for the first time acting like the 5 year olds you see meeting their favorite character for the first time. It was the most exciting trip that I can recall. We were so moved by everything around us and then of course seeing the fireworks just put it over the top. The next year we stayed on property for the first time at POFQ. We honestly had no idea that Disney had hotels outside of the GF. We thought this was greatest thing ever. The theming was awesome and we knew that we'd never stay offsite again.

Since that first trip, I have been to WDW every single year. My, then gf now wife, joined me in Year 2 and has gone with me ever since.

I love what Disney does for the imagination. I think I appreciate Walt's nostalgia more than anything as I am very nostalgic and always have been. I'll admit I've become a little cynical of the direction of the company now but I still enjoy going and don't have plans to stop. Now we take our 2 year old son with us and while he doesn't quite understand everything going on, he still has a great time. I still think I have the best time of anyone though. I love the planning almost as much as the trip itself.

That's my longer than intended story.

 

[SA mom]

As a kid of the 70s, I too loved The Wonderful World of Disney and all the fabulous movies. My dad decided in 1974 that he really wanted to take sailing lessons in Florida. I was 5 and two of my older siblings joined us. I did not like sailing and spent my vacation at a daycare where I broke my arm. My family spent one day away from the boats to visit Magic Kingdom. It was amazing, what else can I say. I was finally able to do something with my broken arm.

In 1988, we returned to visit Epcot. Again, this was one day away from a sailing trip and it was just me and my parents. The night before we watched Monte Python and they showed the skit of the Ministry of Silly Walks. My dad and I (not usually a jovial man) silly walked throughout EPCOT (not Epcot). It was the best day I every had with my dad. To this day, I get misty walking into Epcot. I remember the show they had over the lake at World Showcase. We stayed all day, until the park closed. That was so uncharacteristic of my dad. He was an introvert and disliked crowds, but he loved EPCOT and it remains a special place to me.

In 1999, my husband and I made our first trip. It was short, but fun, and we enjoyed drinking around the world, riding Rockin' Roller Coaster, and snapping pics on the Safari. We knew we would be back someday for Food and Wine.

In 2001, we had a set of twins that were 13 weeks early with lots of medical problems. One was eventually diagnosed as having Autism. We really wanted to go back, but I felt really uncomfortable taking a child that could run faster than me but couldn't say her name.

Finally, in 2007, we made our first trip with girls. It was a pivotal trip for our child with Autism. For the first time ever, our family was a family, all talking about the same things. We had real conversations. We couldn't believe the developmental leaps our daughter made on that trip and the close bonds that grew between the two sisters. Lots of misty moments. It was like years of therapy rolled into 10 days. We rebooked for their 7th birthday immediately upon returning home.

In 2012, we made our first trip to Disneyland. This trip was really special because we took my mother, then 81. She loved every minute. We rented a scooter and she drove us into the ground that day. We usually take an afternoon break but Mom would not let us. She said, "I don't want to miss a thing." She wore a 1st Visit button (like us) and received so much attention from cast members. They made her day at Disneyland very special.

There are several other trips scattered through out the years, all special, all memorable. I had a day in MK for my senior trip, a trip where my sister-in-law joined us, and the last visit, we met Imagineer Peter Ricci. I still haven't made it to Food & Wine.

And even though we are currently planning a trip to Rome, here I am on The Dis, looking forward to our next trip in a couple of years.

Julie

P.S. Thanks, to all for sharing. It was a hard weekend and I needed some uplifting content.

 

[New England Eeyore]

I absolutely loved hearing everyone’s Disney story. I can related to parts of each and every one shared so far. (I was in the audience at the live podcast but way too shy to get up and speak - this is more my speed.)


A love for Disney is truly in my genes. I believe I made my first trip to a Disney park in utero. Before I was born, my parents loved to go to Hawaii, but flying there from the east coast was a very long flight so they usually stopped on the west coast for a night or two on the way there to break it up. My Dad had grown up in Southern California and Disneyland was a place he had visited many times, so he suggested a trip there on one of their stopovers. From then on my Mom was bit by the Disney bug. It wasn’t long before they planned a trip to Florida to see the other park, then once I came along it was a yearly tradition, alternating between Disneyland and Disney World. (And you can bet I was an obnoxious little kid that would correct people when they used the names interchangeably!)

As a Disney child of the 80s, I had an entire wardrobe of Mickey clothes, a closet full of Disney toys and stuffed animals of nearly every character imaginable. We watched the Michael Eisner version of the Disney Sunday night movies and we got the Disney channel even though you had to pay extra for it (like HBO) on our cable lineup. (To the poster who mentioned Welcome to Pooh Corner - YES. That was on during school hours so I hardly ever got to see it. Whenever we had a snow day I would be glued to all those shows!) And of course there were the trips - those vacations remain some of the most vivid memories of my childhood. I remember playing the washboard at Hoop-Dee-Doo, talking on the phone to a robot at Communicore and my Dad running ahead to make dining reservations for the World Showcase as we entered the park in the morning. Sadly, my Mom passed away when I was 9. The Disney trips stopped then - my Dad never loved it like she did and the trips just wouldn’t have been the same without her. Disney sort of just faded out of my life.

Fast forward to the year 2000. My now-husband, then-boyfriend said, “Hey, I have a week in a time share in Florida that I have to use or lose. Do you want to go?” Boy, did I! He had no idea the monster he was creating with that innocent question. I started to drown myself in research. My last trip had been in 1987 - there were only 2 parks then! That was when I learned that planning the trips was just as much fun as going on the trips. And our vacation fate was sealed.

We drove down from Boston just the 2 of us and had a magical, wonderful, amazing trip. But it was supposed to be a one-shot. Disney was just too expensive to go every year. Until the next year came around. There were deals to be found and he had 3 daughters - we had to return and bring the kids, didn’t we? And we had to go commando and do and see everything because who knew when we’d be back, right?

The next year we got married, and there was no doubt about where we’d honeymoon. And then for our one year anniversary? We had a heck of a first year deserved a trip to celebrate, right? And then the next year we had to bring the kids back again. Mind you, on every single one of these trips I told myself - this is it for awhile. We can’t be going every year. It wasn’t until about 2006 when I finally just realized - I am a Disney person - we are going every year and that’s that. Then somehow it creeped up to twice a year. Since 2000 I have been to WDW 21 times (and DL twice) and am leaving on Sunday for trip #22 and #23 is already booked. (Which really does blow my mind when I add it up like that!)


I love Disney for all the same reasons most of you probably do - it truly is the happiest place on earth. We lead fairly stressful lives with high-stress jobs. Disney is a perfect and necessary escape from all that. Once we drive under those welcome gates and enter that beloved "Disney Bubble" the rest of the world just fades away. Even after so many trips, it never gets old and the excitement is still as real as the first time.

Disney is also a way that I can feel connected to my Mom. She was a true Disney nut (like all of us.) I have no doubt that if she was still alive she would be a frequent poster on the DIS, she would own DVC, be a frequent cruiser on DCL, have gone on multiple ABD trips and would probably have visited all the international Disney parks. Any time I am in a “Disney state of mind,” whether in the parks or dreaming of them, she is always with me. Disney will always be a part of my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[1Grumpy9]

I had been thinking about my Disney story for a couple of days now, and I think I finally got it together...

Every year since I was a year old, my parents and grandparents would go to Daytona for the NASCAR races. My grandparents would watch me while my parents went to the track. In 1979 as a 2 yr old, my grandfather decided that we should drive the hour to Orlando and go to Disney. So we all piled in my parents van at a very early hour in the morning and we went to Disney. I don't remember much about that trip, but I see the pictures of my grandfather holding me while meeting the characters. So the next year we went again. I remember a little bit more, but still I was too young to remember everything. We would go every year for about 6 yrs. We had not visited EPCOT because I was still young and my parents didn't know that much about it at the time. After a while we started alternated which theme park we went to when we were down there (i.e. Circus World...then Boardwalk and Baseball, Cyprus Gardens, Sea World).

Fast forward to 1991...my High School marching band was invited to come down to Disney as a part of the Magic Music Days program. We stayed on International drive at the Roadway in...affectionately known to us as the Roachway Inn...LOL!!! We had 4 day tickets with a meal each day at a CS restaurant. We had the amazing opportunity to march before Spectromagic parade. It was AWESOME!! Two years after that the band went down again. This trip was very hard for me as my grandfather was in the hospital and we weren't sure if we would go. He told us to go and have a good time. This time we stayed on I drive at a different hotel...I can't remember the name it was before, but it is now the Avanti Resort. This time we marched before the afternoon parade and we had a great opportunity to march around World Showcase. This was the first time I got to really experience EPCOT. I didn't go to the parks again until college. After college, I didn't really get to visit the parks and then in 2011 two friends and I decided to go for Halloween...It was my first ever stay on property. I found the DIS and now it has brought my love of the parks back to me and I have tried to go every year since.

I wasn't just the about the parks...I would watch on Sunday evenings the Wonderful World of Disney. I had all the VHS tapes of the movies when they came out and my parents would buy them for me. I am slowly replacing my VHS with DVD/Blu-rays, but I still have all my old VHS tapes. Most everyone I work with asks why I am going again and I say, "When I am there...I don't feel 37...I feel 5." It is how I like to spend my vacations. I truly think my love for Disney is from my grandparents...they are the ones that wanted to take us in 1979.