What Disney World means to you!

[Robin4]

I know there have been similar threads like this one but today I couldn't help thinking about how Walt Disney World keeps people like us constantly checking the DIS website and always planning a trip! It's funny how much going there has changed me, I was watching our most recent trip video today and started crying! It just hit me really hard how just being there makes u so truly happy, nothing else in the world matters! So in honor of all the magical memories Disney has given us I wanted to start a thread to thank Disney and talk about all the reasons you love it most; anything from memories to simple gestures of kindness Disney has done for you! Tell us what Disney means to you!​

 

[twojo21]

it embodies magic, fun & family to me. ive gone to disney since i was little with my family, they were always great with my handicapped brother with gac & he loves their swimming pools. my mom & i took mother daughter trips & i was married at the yacht club in march to my soulmate. there again disney went above & beyond with our special day & our family/guests had so much fun. disney holds such great memories for me & so much fun. when im at disney there is no outside world, it allows you be a kid, have fun, eat well, relax & be with those you love at a magical fun place.

 

[sweetpea3470]

THE BEST OF TIMES....I MADE MY 1ST TRIP IN 1971 AT THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 1. I HAVE ALL THE PICS OF MY GRANDFATHER TAKING ME ALL AROUND THE PARK. WE WENT EVERY YEAR UP UNTIL HE BECAME ILL AND HAS SINCE PASSED AWAY, BUT NOT BEFORE I GOT TO SHARE THE MAGIC ONE LAST TIME WITH HIM AND MY SON. 3 GENERATIONS, AND THE GREATEST MEMORIES. FROM THE CRYSTAL PALACE, SITTING ON MAIN ST. WATCHING THE GUY PLAY THE PIANO, RIDING SPACE MOUNTAIN...I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS. EACH TIME I VISIT I FEEL CLOSE TO HIM, SOMETHING I FEEL DEEP IN MY HEART, YEA, I CRY BUT ONLY BECAUSE HE MADE ME SMILE THERE SO MANY TIMES. I'LL BE CRYING IN 13 DAYS...GOIN' BACK AND CAN'T WAIT.

 

[Becky_Boop]

To me, Disney World is pure happiness. It really is the happiest place on Earth. It's magic.

 

[DisneyGirl17]

Disney World to me equals family. We call it "The Disney Dome". Haha. It's a place to escape everything from our daily lives to a difficulty in our lives. I can't imagine my life without Disney...I imagine my family wouldn't have our happy moments and I imagine I would never see my Dad... It's been amazing to see my parents smile and my sisters and I actually happy. I feel like I don't have any more worries. And I know...Cinderella probably goes home at night and parties like non-other...But I still get excited to see her...
I can't wait to share the exprience with my family someday.

 

[phisigprincess]

Disney is really magic. It's cliche, but I don't think I could describe it any other way.

My parents and I were just reminiscing about our first trip there and being 11, I didn't really remember too much of what led up to it.

My parents had both wanted to go to WDW since it first opened. My mom said she used to dream about being in the teacups and meeting Mickey all the time. My dad came from a very poor situation, so for him, he said it was too much for him to even dream of doing when he was younger. Well, the first time they sat down with a financial planner he asked them what their #1 goal was. It was to go to Disney as a family.

So in 1993, we were on our way to our first trip. My mom had just been laid off of her job and was busy getting things in order for the person who would take over while taking classes to get her masters. Her last final was the night before we left. My dad was in the middle of negotiations on 2 different jobs and the final decision was being made while we were in Disney. My parents were a ball of nerves and my sister and I were jumping out of our skin.

The minute we got to the CBR it was like all of that melted away. All four of us were so overwhelmed by the magic at the resort alone, we couldn't imagine what the actual parks would be like. It was from that first step onto Disney property that we were all swept up in the Disney magic and it hasn't let us go. Since then so many happy memories revolve around Disney, I can't imagine people not "getting" how magical of a place it can be.

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

To me Disney is "Life, Love, Friendship and Happiness"...

Disney is in almost every important memory I have ever had. My first trip was when I was 5 years old, we have all the pictures, but my only memory is "Hoop Dee Doo Review" funny how you remember random things. We moved to Florida when I was 7 and had Florida resident passes every "other" year... It was the first place that I was allowed to go alone with my friends, it was where I got my first real job (in 1995 and I'm still going...and LOVE it). It is where I met my husband (Jungle Cruise), got married (The Wilderness Lodge), Honeymooned (Disneyland Paris), had my family reunion (Disney Cruise Line), met one of my best friends in the world (he works at Disneyland), my dogs are named after Disney Steam Trains, we are DVC members and my son's first visit to MK was when he was 1 month old... I truly can't wait for my son to have all the exciting experiences that Disney offers... So my best description of Disney is "AMAZING"... it is amazing how something can make such a huge impact on your life...I truly would not be the person I am right now with out Disney...

 

[Disney's Fab 4]

WDW means so much to me.... I remember the first time I was there, looking at the castle and having the emotions of being there come over me... I was 15 years old in 1983 .... I actually had the same feeling in September of 2003 when I took my children there for the first time... They were 5 and 7... I think of family, fun and lots of smiles.... Came home from another trip in October of '05 and already can't wait for our 2007 trip!!!

 

[Robin4]

Thanks for posting! I really appreciate all the stories! Disney World has left a mark on all of our lives and I felt that we should celebrate it, there are too many great memories not to share!

 

[kittythepoohbear]

To me Disney represents a magical little part of the earth where magic, hope, and love will always exist. When I am at WDW, I no longer think about the horrors happening in the world. I leave those behind and enjoy being in a world where people are a little bit friendlier, where 11 countries can coexist peacefully, and where the human spirit it celebrated. When I look at the castle, I think of Walt Disney and remember that this all started as one man's vision. This never fails to inspire me since it proves that one person can change the world for the better.

 

[thotfulspot]

I always describe Disney World as my spiritual home. I can't go too long without a pilgrimage to the Mouse, to reconnect with the magic and refill my happiness and childlike wonder tanks. There's a benevolent feeling and a goofy smile that wash over me as I pass under the gates at the limits of Disney property and that deepen as I stand at my favorite place in the universe -- Main Street, USA, at the beginning of another wonderful Disney vacation.

My first trip was in 1973, when I was 7, and I have loved every Disney minute since.

Sing with me! 'When you wish upon a staaar ... '

 

[snow_white22]

I have been to Disney every year since I was 8- I am 24 and this year I am going with just my mom. To us it is a place where we can just be kids again. We have so much fun and will hopefully continue this tradition. We just love the whole magic of Disney and it brings back great memories! To my mom-a single mom of 2 it means a lot because she always said that when she was young her family couldn't afford to go on any vacation- let alone a Disney one so she wanted us to have that opportunity.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

innocence and magic

 

[krissyh]

That rare opportunity for a cynical, stressed out adult to experience the innocent, wide-eyed magic of youth. To be silly, laugh out loud, skip down Main Street, act like a child and know that nothing worse than dropping your ice cream can happen.

 

[JulielovesDisney]

Disney holds so many wonderful memories for me. Some bittersweet, others just plain hilarious. Disney also offers an escape from all the pressures and stresses of everyday life. I've been going down multiple times a year since I was in 3rd grade. I am now a junior in highschool, and the stress is coming. I have to keep my grades up for college, start deciding which ones to send out applications to, ect. But knowing that I have a WDW trip coming up in a matter of months always eases that stress. And being down there, I forget everything. As soon as you drive under that WDW sign, everything gets left back there. I don't think there are many other places that allow you to do that.

 

[vatchr]

I went to Disney when I was in fifth grade, but don't remember it much. We stayed offsite, and were only in the Magic Kingdom for one day. I just returned from our first family trip - my dh, myself and my 2 dd's ages 4 and 6. All I can say is that it is truly magical. I've been dreaming about going since my first daughter was born. My husband had never been before. We've been home for about 5 weeks and already I am planning our next trip, even though it won't be until June, 2008. No one can understand how magical Walt Disney World is unless you've experienced it first hand. I was told that before we left, and now I totally understand what they meant. Walking down Main Street with the castle in front of you, watching Wishes at night and listening to the music that accompanies it, riding "It's A Small World" (that's all I remember from fifth grade), seeing the grins on my daughter's faces as they find different characters to hug and get autographs from...it all brings tears to my eyes. It was the best family vacation that I have ever had, and I can't wait to make many more happy memories with my family in the years to come. To me Disney World is magic and happiness!

 

[Flora Fan]

I've tried to write exactly what it is, but I can't put it into words. Everytime I try it just isn't quite right. All I can say is...when I see the smile of a child, I see "IT"...that something that is indescribable.

I have one very strict rule while at the World..."Once I'm on property, I don't leave until I'm on the way to the airport." I just don't want to miss a moment of that wonderful magic.

 

[Al and Kate's Mom]

That rare opportunity for a cynical, stressed out adult to experience the innocent, wide-eyed magic of youth. To be silly, laugh out loud, skip down Main Street, act like a child and know that nothing worse than dropping your ice cream can happen.

I am so with you on this. The best week of my life was the one I spent with my daughter at WDW - I didn't take my laptop, didn't check voice mail - only called home to check on DH and the devil child (my DD2) once per day - spent the whole week focused on Al. It is the most relaxed I have ever been, and I was able to create memories with my Pally that we'll both always cherish!

 

[kwdietrich1]

WDW is home sweet home... It is a tradition of memories and a place to get lost in your childhood.

My DH says it is magic, inspiration, and guilt free fun! I happen to agree with him

What ever it means to each person that walks through those gates, one thing is for sure... it is a special place in which everyone leaves a little bit of their heart, and must return again and again to recapture that part of themself.

 

[chigirl]

Hokey smokes! Didn't they hit the nail on the head with the phrase, "The Happiest Place on Earth"! It really is!

WDW is my Paxil...whenever I am stressed or upset (and I have a crazy job where I deal with a bunch of lunatics, so one can imagine how frequently that is) , I think of my upcoming WDW trip, or the one I took with my family (our first!) last year, or when our DD was 2 and we went to Disneyland for my SIL's honeymoon, or the one I took w/my parents when my DD was a baby inside me, or my first trip as an 8 year old with my chersihed Grandfather, where he yelled at the CM's for having the audacity to close the park for the night when obviously he was NOT FINISHED HAVING FUN YET. I think of the laughs and the magic and how my eyes instantly filled up with tears when we arrrived as a family last year, after years of saving & dreaming...
it makes me forget about customers and employees, makes me forget I am paying $3.22 a gallon for gas, makes me forget for a moment about the bad stuff in the world...and it just makes me smile. It really is a prescription drug for me, and I am glad I will be getting a refill this October!