How do you keep the magic alive?

[alexx]

Hi all

It has been a long time since my last post but I read you almost every day.

We have been in WDW between 26-12 and 01-01. This year we find nice wine glasses with Mickey's head engraved as souvenir and we use them almost everytime we drink wine.

Over the time, we bought many little things (Mickey magnet on the fridge, Mickey antena topper, Disney cofee mugs etc) that help us not only to remember our past trips but maintain the hope to make an other one.

For us, it is all the little things we see everydays that keep the magic alive.

What is(are) the thing(s) that keep your magic alive?

Bye

alexx

 

[Tink10]

I have a Tink cookie cutter that my DD bought me hanging from my pot rack in my kitchen......She watches over me

I also have a ton of disney socks....Every time I put them on, it puts a smile on my face.

Then, of course, there's The Dis!

 

[OneMoreTry]

Mickey martini glasses.

We're doing a 1000 piece Mickey puzzle from Walmart.

Try not to obsess.

 

[Muushka]

Great thread!

We have the Mickey wine glasses also. So cute...

Our dinning room has several WL/VWL prints in it and 4 photograhps I took there (of the chimney at night and the waterfall at night, that sort of thing), and our house has so many Disney prints, we see them everytime we take a turn! I never realized how much Disney stuff we had until a precocious 10 year old friend visited once and walked around shouting "DISNEY" everytime she found something Disney. So embarrasing....

Oh, I almost forgot all the clothing...... and we have NO KIDS!

 

[newholidayx2]

Ive been sitting here drinking out of a Wilderness Lodge mug today. Its ceramic, has the Wilderness Lodge logo on front, mug itself is a tree w/knotch, handle is the WL Mickey totem pole

we have other mugs, etc - today I wore my Mickey coat for my walks

lots of little things around the house

 

[athenna]

So many ways-
I have a Snow White mug of coffee in front of me
I visit here at the boards canstantly!
I listen to Disney music
And watch the planning videos
And I could go on and on!!!!

 

[jennz]

Our latest favorite is the Mickey toaster we got about a month ago - it plays Mickey Mouse March when the toast is done! It always get a smile. We also have a Mickey phone - love the rings tones, hate the way I hang up on people with it all the time. The little things, like everyone's been saying...some socks, music, and of course the DIS boards! And finally - planning our next trip! (sorry, I just love that banana guy! Stick some mouse ears on him and he's mine!)

 

[DVCconvert]

to me, it how I feel in my heart, and act in my life-especially, towards others!

 

[lsutigger2]

I have two sets of dishes with Mickey on them. Always makes a meal taste better. Music is a great way! Play CD's in the car and on my computer at work. I got a really cute castle photo frame last trip and put my favorite photos in it. And as others have mentioned, the DIS helps a whole bunch, and planning trips.

 

[FreeTime]

Let's see.....
At home I visit these boards constantly. We have our BWV prints hanging up, Tommorland poster, 1971 MK map next to a current one, SSR poster, LK Broadway show playbook up, the kids bedroom and bathroom is done in princesses. I am always watching the planning videos and the park videos that I have purchased. At work I listen to theme park music,(everyone thinks I am nuts), I have trading cards hanging up, the wall calendar, and mementos such as MVMCP button. And I talk DH's ear off constantly about our next trip, down to every last little detail! And I dream of Goofy Bars, not Mickey ones!

 

[barbnbrian]

I like to listen to my Wishes cd a lot and sometimes I pull out our Disney photo albums and look at past trips. Always makes me smile, especially when I see how much my kids have changed since each trip!

 

[MrTerrorChair]

This year, I made a picture album from all our loose photos. I have one album of JUST us with different Walk-around characters!!! I have another album of JUST cruise pictures. Another of just Golf pictures (from WDW, of course). And another of miscellaneous pics from the parks/vacations.

Since I'm a golfer, I also collect Disney ball markers for my ball when it's on the putting green. I look every year when I'm at the parks and the golf shops for new or different ball markers that I may not have. Also, since golfers are supposed to put a unique identifying mark on their golf balls, I have adopted the "hidden Mickey" symbol in Dark Green as my mark. I draw two of these on every ball I use so I can identify it as mine. I used to use a blue Lion's paw (Penn State alum), but my cousin also uses that mark so I decided to switch. Those are a couple of the ways I keep Disney fresh for myself.

As for the question (which I think you are actually asking) about how do we keep our return trips fresh, my family does a couple things. First, we golf (obviously) and golfers love return trips to any good course(s). Next, we don't beat ourselves up at the parks when they're crowded. Get it, see what you want to see, do what you can, and get out. We're travelling with little ones now, so the E ticket rides are on hold for a while. That's ok. If we want to ride those "adult" rides, we can get a sitter (grand-parents are awesome at these times), and go during extended hours. We spend a lot of time at Blizzard Beach! It's cheaper than the parks, just as much fun, and the kids love it (Summit Plummet rocks!)

I believe most people try to do too much when they get there. If you know you'll be back year after year, be patient and look for interesting small activities to do. Tour resorts you've never been to. Rent a pontoon boat or those little "water sprites". Find an awesome game room (I recommend the one at the Contemporary). You'll be rewarded by finding out those little gem activities that most people don't know about or never find.

Also, have a plan. Plan in that "exploring" time. As the Admiral in The Hunt for Red October says, "The average Ruskie doesn't take a dump without and plan." Neither should you when you go to WDW. Even a loose plan gives you some direction.