How did you get hit by the DSE?

[Sherwin]

A lot of people grew up in DL and have a natural affinity with the parks, but there are also some of us who were initially apathetic and then got smacked by the snowball!

I had always loved DL, but wasn't crazy about it. Went every 3-4 years. Did WDW 2 years ago, had a period of depression when I came back, but got over it and went back to normal life. Over the past 1.5 years, I still liked DL but really didn't give a hoot. Then there was a time when I had a dread fascination of re-watching old Disney classics. I did Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, etc... and then I came upon Cinderella. I thought it was just a tongue-in-cheek film, a nice Disney princess classic. But I kept rewatching some clips, and then I got hooked...Cinderella ROCKS! I fell in love with her character , the storyline, the other characters and in particular the Grand Duke.

I decided to order the Platinum edition on DVD, which only fueled the fire, I should say. I spent a period of 1-2 months then gaining interest in the parks. I would watch videos of Fantasmic online daily, look up wikipedia articles of DLR, and find other ways to pique my interest. I thought, "there must be a way to interact with other crazies like me..."...and I searched, and behold! The DIS!

Then the snowball smacked me HARD in the face. I had already planned my original June trip, but man did I wish I came here first! Now, I've added on two more following trips (which hopefully the last will fall through), and hope to add even more! I'm never leaving here!

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I am an East Coast girl and spent most of my Disney time at the World. Occassionally I would go to DL on an extra day of a business trip.

My real magic began when a friend took me to DL as a belated birthday gift. I had been hospitalized for my birthday 2 months prior and was still shakey when we traveled.

We stayed at the Grand Cali. I loved it.


Fast forward 4 years. I had met my DH at BTMRR at WDW.....we had just been married and the same friend and I decided to take my DH to DL. DH had never been interested because he thought it would be too ..... small.


What he discovered is the same magic I do. We LOVE the compact aspects of DL.....we can walk everywhere. 5 minutes from room to Main Street.

More importantly.......it's where Walt walked. I'm in my mid 50's and have photos of me in my little rocking chair, mickey ears and my Dale Evans cowgirl dress on......watching the Mickey Mouse Club.

DH and I love Disney.....DH is a castmember....we have been disapponted with the conditions at WDW of late.

Perhaps we have been fortunate on our recent DL trips.....we have found it clean and service the way Walt left it. Pixie Dust lives there. Yes, we have seen the menus dumbed down out there as well.....but at least it's still clean.

We have just decided to celebrate DH's birthday at DL this year. We will be nestled at the Grand Cali and we will make our normal first stop....to the Partners Statue and then walk through the castle........to "walk in Walt's footsteps".

DL IS different.

 

[nottellin']

I have always been in love with Disney (not the parks...just movies and collectables), then we went on our first family trip together to DL in 2006. I feel in love INSTANTLY. It is so bad that I have researched buying a "vacation house" in Anaheim.
I love the whole atmosphere at the park...it really is such a happy place!
For me it's like crack...only good....I just can't get enough.
Maybe one day I will have my "vacation house".... or just say the heck with the regualr house and move there

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I was hit by the snowball even before I was born since my parents put a Mickey and friends poster in my nursery. They took me to Disneyland for the first time when I was 2 and subsequently took me and the siblings who later joined me to just about every Disney film released and/or re-released in theaters.

 

[MommyWithDreams]

I always loved going as a child, but when I took my son for the first time that's when I saw DL in a whole different light. There's nothing better than seeing my sons face light up at Disneyland. Our first trip was kinda a dream. My divorce had just been finalized, I had just returned to the working world after being a SAHM....things were tough for us at first. I met a man that really believed in me and respected the fact that the mom side of me came first. This will be our 3rd trip together for the three of us........I can't get enough.

 

[Mike_M]

I fall into the grew up with DL group. I grew up in Northern CA and we went every couple years or so.

My last trip of the 90s was a one day visit setup by my High School where we were part of a parade in the park (I was 17 at the time). The parade route started backstage by IASM and ended backstage next to the firehouse. Something about being backstage killed the fantasy of the park for me. Seeing the real buildings and the backsides of certain structures was kinda like seeing how magic tricks are done. It's not magic anymore if you can see how the card is marked for the trick.

A few years went by, I moved to the east coast and took the oportunity to visit WDW a couple times. It was fun, but didn't have the same magical feel that I had as a kid.

I moved back west, and now have a family. For my DS's 5th b-day, we took him to DLR for his 1st trip and that was the mac truck to the face that brought me back to magical times. Seeing the wonder and excitement in his eyes brought back all the memories of going there as a kid in the 80s and suddenly it was just as special and Magical again.

 

[bumbershoot]

"I had met my DH at BTMRR at WDW"

Awwwww!

******

I enjoyed a couple family trips as a child. Then I hit my 20s and got all serious and went to a liberal university and decided that corporations are evil (though I do remember going to see Bambi at the university films night! which was awful b/c one of my acquaintances is a die-hard hunter and had a TOTALLY different perspective of the movie, which he shared rambunctiously and noisily with us all). Read Carl Hiassen's The Mouse That Roared and really really disliked Disney. For part of my 20s I was living in SC, could have easily gone to WDW, but nooooo, b/c corporations are evil. I also hated the "mother always dies" aspect of Disney movies.

Then I hit 30, my mother actually died, and I started my journey through that. About a year into it, I realized what a HUGE journey it is, and I realized that that is why fairy tales generally have a parent-loss in them, b/c you are NEVER the same again, once a parent dies. And since Disney movies have generally been based on fairy tales (and the newer movies still have big themes of growth and change), that's why they always had a parent being lost, or the main character being separated from his/her world (Cars, for instance).

Once that hit my brain, things opened up for me. I got married, had a kid, my brother lived in San Diego, we planned a trip there. Decided that we might as well have a day trip to Disneyland, and since it would be a one time thing, we might as well do it right. Joined a Yahoo Disneyland group, planned the heck out of that trip, had a good day!

Went back to visit my brother the next year...did another one-day trip.

And then I was hooked. Decided to have a big family trip, doing it up right, and knew that we'd visit my brother during that year...might as well upgrade to an AP for that year, to cover the big trip and the one-day visit with brother. Uh huh. See my signature. We're now on our second AP. And are even pre-planning a WDW trip, maybe even in time for my birthday this year.

Seeing "the first 50 years" helped me get over my corporations are evil thing...realizing that huge companies start with one person and a dream...really helped me get over my way too serious 20s. Don't get me wrong, I can still take things very seriously, I'm just not that anti-corporation anymore, LOL.

 

[nunzia]

Wow..good question. I was a little kid when we first went. We lived in San Jose, and I was 6..it was 1962, so the park was pretty young too. I remember the Mules and Mine train and flying saucers. Soon after that we moved to Reno, but we still went to DL for vacation a couple more times before I hit my teens..then we took my grandparents for their 50th wedding aniversary..they were like little kids with the awe on their faces. We took our kids many times while they were growing up (did that one nightmare WDW trip..the kids still don't ever care if they return, we will next year to try and like it) and now we are taking our grandkids. There is just something special about DL and the Walt influence. I have always been ahuge Walt fan. I even did a report about him in 6th grade. So..lifelong thing that I intend to continue passing on

 

[f15robyn]

I'm a rose colored glasses kind of girl and I don't see why life can't be like a Disney movie.

We lived in VA when I was little, so my parents took me to WDW in 1973, when I was only 5 years old. But then we relocated to VT. That meant spending all family vacations traveling to east coast states to see family.

I didn't go to WDW again until 1995 (with a now-former partner) and for cheer events in 2003 and 2005.

And then I met the most wonderful man in 2006 who became my husband in 2007. He'd never been to any Disney park so we made the trip to WDW in Jan 2008. That got him hooked too . We went back this January.

Now we're thinking of starting a family and although everyone has their own thoughts on this, we don't want to take kids younger than 8 or 9. So figuring it might be quite some time before we go back, we decided we just HAD to squeeze our first trip to DLR before I can't ride rides for a while and/or we have little ones.

(How did that sound? That's the speach we give the families who think we're crazy for hitting WDW and DLR in the same year from VERMONT!! But mostly we're just stricken with DSE )

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm a rose colored glasses kind of girl and I don't see why life can't be like a Disney movie.

Now we're thinking of starting a family and although everyone has their own thoughts on this, we don't want to take kids younger than 8 or 9. So figuring it might be quite some time before we go back...

Well, I've already lost my mom and my stepmom (who used to be nice) is now getting grumpier and more "evil", so I guess I can be in a Disney movie. But I can't be the mom that dies, OK?????

Being the big Disney fans that you are...good luck with staying away for 8 or 9 years!

 

[f15robyn]

Well, I've already lost my mom and my stepmom (who used to be nice) is now getting grumpier and more "evil", so I guess I can be in a Disney movie. But I can't be the mom that dies, OK?????

Being the big Disney fans that you are...good luck with staying away for 8 or 9 years!

You can be the fairy godmother .

I know, I know, it'll be hard to stay away after May.

I guess I'll just have to keep coming to DIS to get my "fix" after that.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We went to DL growing up off and on. Got married at age 20, continued college, and taught preschool. Being around all those kids brought out my Disney mania gene. I loved going home from work and watching the Disney Afternoon, I had a Rescue Rangers thermos I took to work, I wore all the Disney shirts I could find, I played Disney music for the kids at work. When I graduated from college my parents gave me and husband a trip to Disneyland as a present.

My mania subsided when I became busy with my own kids but we did managed to sneak off to DL when our boys were two- they stayed with Grandparents.

We continued to go off and on but last summer I wanted to see what was on the internet about DLR. I knew there must be tips and tricks that I was missing and I love to research everything. That was how I found this site, which only fed my tedency toward Disney mania. From there it wall all down hill for my snowball.

 

[PHXscuba]

I grew up half an hour from Disneyland (see the avatar) and went often as a kid. I even vaguely remember individual ride tickets. As a teen, I went with friends, with the marching band, and with my dad.

DH and I actually spent a day at DLR for a belated honeymoon!

They came The Dark Years. We moved to the Midwest for graduate school and were too far and poor to attend anythign Disney for about eight years. After moving back to the west, we started taking each child as they reached about age 4 (nice to have grandma nearby to watch a young one). So we were content going about every three years.

Two things happened recently to start the Snowball Effect I'm desperately trying to hold back. DH wants to take his staff and their families to DLR for a trip this fall, and I've been pre-planning it since last summer by lurking here (yes, I'm a tad OCD). Then at the last minute last fall, Hurricane Ike redirected our trip to the FL Keys and I "planned" a last minute adults-only trip to WDW in less than a week using this lifesaver of a site!

Even though we're not taking the kids to WDW for a couple years, I can't seem to quit visiting those boards either! I've been calculating how I can justify an AP to DL. Help me, I'm addicted!

PHXscuba

 

[LavenderPeach]

Now we're thinking of starting a family and although everyone has their own thoughts on this, we don't want to take kids younger than 8 or 9. So figuring it might be quite some time before we go back, we decided we just HAD to squeeze our first trip to DLR before I can't ride rides for a while and/or we have little ones.

That's what I used to say too. I didn't want to take any kids until they were potty trained, didn't need a stroller and they could ride on all the rides. Well, the DSE was just too great to resist and now we have APs and take our DS3 who is still in diapers, needs a stroller and isn't tall enough to ride on a lot of the rides.

 

[BELLEDOZER]

You have to love the snowball effect. Our trip to DL in Feb this year started out as a 1 week trip, and ended up being 15 days in duration as we decided to drive down to DL instead of flying. Even though we can't afford to go for another couple of years due to some major expenses coming up, am starting to save up for the next trip, and may surprise the family once I save enough money to head south to the mouse again. Have a great day everyone!!

 

[Sherry E]

I grew up half an hour from Disneyland (see the avatar) and went often as a kid. I even vaguely remember individual ride tickets. As a teen, I went with friends, with the marching band, and with my dad.

DH and I actually spent a day at DLR for a belated honeymoon!

They came The Dark Years. We moved to the Midwest for graduate school and were too far and poor to attend anythign Disney for about eight years. After moving back to the west, we started taking each child as they reached about age 4 (nice to have grandma nearby to watch a young one). So we were content going about every three years.

Two things happened recently to start the Snowball Effect I'm desperately trying to hold back. DH wants to take his staff and their families to DLR for a trip this fall, and I've been pre-planning it since last summer by lurking here (yes, I'm a tad OCD). Then at the last minute last fall, Hurricane Ike redirected our trip to the FL Keys and I "planned" a last minute adults-only trip to WDW in less than a week using this lifesaver of a site!

Even though we're not taking the kids to WDW for a couple years, I can't seem to quit visiting those boards either! I've been calculating how I can justify an AP to DL. Help me, I'm addicted!

PHXscuba

There IS no help for you here in fighting the DSE! We are all doomed! Even if the snowball hasn't gotten to someone just yet, it WILL! It will sneak up on you when you are not expecting it! We support your addiction and NOT your recovery.

 

[mommyof2boys1girl]

Wow - this is really interesting - to see how a love for Disneyland can be fostered by so many different backgrounds and experiences!

As for me, I am a total "surprise addict" in that I had never experienced anything to do with Disney other than watching the movies before we took our family trip to DL last year. I have always loved Disney films, but the joys of Disney parks just weren't appealing to me. I get pretty nasty motion sickness, so amusement parks weren't much of a draw to me. And I thought Disneyland/world were just expensive, movie themed amusement parks!

But some friends of ours suggested that we take our kids once the oldest hits 5 yrs old, and so I began researching for our trip last May. I did all my homework - anally planned absolutely everything down to the last minute. It was our first vacation ever with the kids (other than the cross country 12 hour drive to visit Grandparents), so I was pretty nervous.
The entire experience was so fabulous and magical, dh and I started talking on the way home about our next trip and we are even now still debating about purchasing a vacation home in Anaheim just so we have a place to stay when we come to Disneyland!
And this year, I am trying to convince him that we need AP's, so that I can compel another trip this year, as well as a possible Christmastime trip (so I can see DL all decked out for Christmas - my favorite time of year!). And the kids have caught it too - our oldest ds threatened to go without dh when he said he may not be interested in going this year (job related issues). Ds just looked him in the eye and said "Well, Daddy, then we will just go to Disneyland without you!" And since our last trip, dd has become an absolute princess and Tinkerbell addict, so she is totally supportive of another trip. She walks around with a DL park map, showing anyone who will look where the "Pincesses" live!

It is actually something that is hard, and sort of embarrassing to explain (to those who don't understand - not YOU guys!!) my addiction to DL. I am a scrapbooker, and as I look through our pictures from last year at DL, I get almost homesick for that place - something which dh cannot even begin to comprehend. He had a great time, but it didn't affect him deep in his soul like it did me.

So something that was only supposed to occur once every 2 or 3 years has turned into a yearly (at LEAST!) excursion, and permanent addiction!

DSE hit us HARD!!

 

[mystic_path]

Growing up I have watched every single Disney movie known to man. I was fascinated by the old Mickey classics, dressed as characters for halloween and school plays, and have cried for my parents to take me to the land of Disney. But with job lay offs (years ago) we didnt really have the means. So we have a wax museum near by about 2 hours away, and so my parents used to take me there to get a fix . I have always wondered how different it would be at DL or if I would have the similar feeling as in the museum.

A few years ago when we were all grown up with jobs, and totally financially stable, I said "ENOUGH". I told my parents to pack their bags, take the time off work and get their butt on the plane with me. It was time they kept their promise and go with me.

When we got there I found the feeling I had was TOTALLY but far superior then I had ever imagined. From the minute that we walked through the bus loop hearing all the magical Disney music I started to cry. Then I saw the main gates with the Mickey head behind and I started bawling my eyes out. I couldnt believe that I was finally there in the place I dreamed of as a child. But mum was crying along with me.

Now we go twice a year

 

[DizNee Luver]

As a child, my family went twice to Disneyland....this was a trip I really looked forward to because there were things for me to do. My dad was a partner in a CPA firm & took lots of business trips, so most of our family trips revolved around that & usually in boring places.
Right after my hubby & I got married, we wandered to Wyoming to work for the summer & made a "not so straight" line back to Oregon..... we spent one day at Disneyland in October & pretty much had the parks to ourselves. I don't think they were doing what they do now for Halloween....don't really remember seeing lots of decorations (that was in 1984)
Well from that point on I kept trying to figure out how to take our kids (after I had my 3 sons) to Disneyland. We just never could come up with the money to do it. That did not stop my love for the mouse.... Kids had Mickey shirts, sweats, blankets, sheets, posters, etc. I of course collected Disney movies & books. My kids grew up loving Disneyland & they didn't know why.

In 2005, we decided to celebrate one of our sons graduation at Disneyland. Going for the 50th Anniversary was a must in my eyes. Well my boys finally got to experience Disneyland for themselves & they were sold!!!! They still talk about that trip, as does our 7 yr old who was 3 at the time.
We took a spring break trip last March (but only 3 of my growing family of 7 kids got to go). This time we saw the park thru the eyes of a 2 yr old. I fall more in love every time we go. We come home from these trips & try to figure out when we can do it again.

Well we're headed back in 10 days, & i'm getting super excited!!! We are actually wanting to move to Anaheim & plan on looking around while there at possible housing & jobs. Thats how much we love Disney....in fact our 19yr old wants to work there!!!! How cool would that be???

So now my house is full of Disney stuff that I've collected & I always have my eyes open for the right "thing" to put on my shelves that shouts Disneyland everytime I see it!!!

 

[Sherwin]

There IS no help for you here in fighting the DSE! We are all doomed! Even if the snowball hasn't gotten to someone just yet, it WILL! It will sneak up on you when you are not expecting it! We support your addiction and NOT your recovery.

I bet the tag fairy throws it.