What keeps you coming back?

[Gehrig1B]

Our girls are now 16 and 25. We rarely are all together to enjoy each other. What Disney does is transport me back to when the girls were younger and still both at home. At Disney they seem to become 10 years younger and we are taken back in time. They still request character meals and enjoy meet and greets! They also still love to spend Mom and Dad's money. Keeps me feeling young...and I don't mind spending their inheritance!

 

[Mary2e]

This does make me sad. I asked another member in a different thread why they lost the magic. They it was gone on the dis as well.
I have real issues with quite a bit at Disney. I certainly haven't made as many trips as you so one day maybe the magic will fade...I pray it doesn't though!

Yes.... It's like something very special was taken away from us. It was a part of our life and not unusual for us to say "lets go to Disney for a long weekend" several times a year. The magic didn't fade... the Disney company made it very difficult for us to enjoy the magic as we once did. At this point, given the money involved, we would just rather go elsewhere than spend a small fortune trying to force our vacations of the past - because those are gone.

 

[Jess_S]

We are different from many on these boards in that we don't get to Disney that regularly. My vacation schedule generally only allows one trip per year, and we generally go somewhere we haven't been before. But Disney is one of the few places we have visited multiple times and I think the reasons are service, value and family-friendliness. Disney has so many little touches that make the trip memorable for everyone in the family. For example, after our son's first trip, he asked at every hotel we stayed at if the TV told bedtime stories (because he enjoyed the Duffy Bear bedtime story that plays on the WDW TV at night). The answer to that was, of course, no. If there's another place in the world that has a TV that "tells bedtime stories," I have yet to find it.

People may think I'm crazy when I say value, but I really do think that Disney is a good value. Your vacation package includes pretty much unlimited entertainment. At most other places, you are just paying for a room and the activities are an extra charge.

I think the family-friendliness is self-explanatory, but the example I think of is that we were able to go out at night at WDW by putting our sleeping son in his stroller and bringing him along. Find me another place where you can take your kid out for drinks without having people question your parenting. But at Disney, people expect to see kids and no one blinked an eye.

 

[DisneyFive]

Probably the simplest way I can put it:

It's for the enveloping, happy experiences and the resulting memories that we'll have for life.

Dan

 

[GATORinaZ28]

Tapping into that nostalgia. I have been going since I was a little kid and love it.

 

[CeruleanMoon]

Disney really does know how to do magic! I love how it doesn't matter how old you are, once you are at Disney, you are a kid again. When I first saw the Beast come into the dining room at BOG, I think I squealed louder than any kid there.

I wonder, do people whose first trip to Disney happened when they were adults feel the same level of magic that people who have memories there as kids do? I'm sure I'd love Disney either way, but there's a certain nostalgia in having those memories of being a kid and being really caught up in the magic.

Perhaps more than anything, and this probably sounds weird, but I love the way everything has a unique smell there - one that brings back memories.

They say that the sense of smell is strongly connected to memory, more so than any other of our senses. I have two strong smell memories of Disney, both from when I visited as a child, and they are an integral part of the memory for me. The first is seeing the dinosaurs on the Universe of Energy ride. I had longingly stared at a tiny picture of this ride in a brochure they sent us months before the trip, and the reality of being there was so much better than I had hoped! My first impression was of the smell as we crossed into that room...it was watery and thick and murky, and I felt like I had really gone back in time to a primeval swamp for REAL. I'm so sad that that I will never again get to experience that ride. I think the only time I ever rode it was that one time when I was a kid, and I would have loved to have experienced it one more time.

My other memory is of the orange smell on the Horizons ride. I don't remember much else, except that the ride had interactive elements, but I remember vividly passing by that orange grove and my Dad saying, "Can you smell that? It's the oranges!" And we all thought that was the coolest thing ever.

 

[yulilin3]

Not sure if any local APs have replied but for me, a local who lives 20 minutes away and has the monthly payment on an AP, quite practically, it is the cheapest form of quality entertainment for me and my daughter (my son now works and pays for his own ap) for about $80 a month we get to go whenever we want for our favorite shows, attractions and fireworks, don't have to spend an extra dime unless we want to. I know we are pretty spoiled.
As far as the feel, yeah, after 18 years as a APholder that has not been lost. We still love it even when visiting several times a week.

 

[DisneyFive]

I wonder, do people whose first trip to Disney happened when they were adults feel the same level of magic that people who have memories there as kids do? I'm sure I'd love Disney either way, but there's a certain nostalgia in having those memories of being a kid and being really caught up in the magic.

Speaking for myself, I never was fortunate enough to visit WDW as a kid. My first trip was in 2010 at the age of 37. It was our first family vacation, and our kids were 3, 6 ad 8 at the time. All I can say is that I can't imagine it being any more special and magical than that first visit! Around every corner throughout The World, everything was new, exciting, and FUN!!!

Hopefully our kids get to experience the nostalgia that you mention. For me, the nostalgia is in the amazing memories of those first trips when the kids were so little. It was only 7 years ago, but kids grow up so fast! Tugs at my heart strings just thinking about all that.

Dan

 

[glocon]

We also first experienced WDW as adults. DH and I were 36 and our DS was 5. DH was NOT excited to go- he thought it was just for kids. But even before our trip was over he wanted to plan our next trip back!
The magic is there I think no matter what age you first experience Disney.

 

[Miffy]

It's the magic, the atmosphere, the beautiful attention to detail in everything. Watching one's fellow Disney lovers in the parks and at the resorts. The awesome CMs. How truly beautiful so many things are, and you can look anywhere you want, not having to avoid the "bad parts," since there are (almost) no bad parts. The landscaping everywhere--parks and resorts--is gorgeous. The architecture is lovely. The mood is sublime, exciting, fun, relaxing, enjoyable. Great public transportation. So so so much to do yet doing nothing is also great at WDW.

Loved all the replies here.

 

[Stasieki]

They magical memories and how the CM's go above and beyond. Just last week, we were leaving Animal Kingdom and our daughter lost her magic band dale (her favorite). She was crying and we were searching with my iphone flashlight. First a custodian saw us and told us to go go Guest Services to see if anyone turned in. I thought that was crazy but went anyways. In there, the sweetest CM (Stephanie) noticed her tears and asked what was wrong. After she told her, with no hesitation Stephanie asked if we would like to go across the path to the gift shop and pick out a pack on Disney. Not only that... the shop had closed. They re-opened just for us. And then, let big sis pick a pack out too. I was floored and cried myself. I did email Disney about our experience a few days ago. I will always remember that trip because of Stephanie!

 

[Sarah Brecht]

The rides, the resorts, and the feeling of having nothing at all to worry about except getting our butts to the buses in time to make rope drop.

 

[constanze]

Ohhh....this question is almost as big as...What is our purpose? Why are we here---For me, I grew up really poor...won't bore you with details. At the time, I knew we didn't have money, but it wasn't until much later that I would understand how bad it was. We lived in Arizona. No matter how bad things were financially, somehow...every summer...my parents would pack us into our broken down car, drive the 6 hours to Disneyland (literally sometimes breaking down on the way)...and once we arrived... feel like we were all princesses. We would be super lucky to get one whole day. 1 book of tickets. My parents dividing up the pink E-tickets to us like Willy Wonka chocolate bars containing the possibility of a golden ticket. ---- So to me, among many other things, all of which I agree with on everyone else's posts...It represents, family, vacation, fun---and that everyone is the same. No matter who we are, what we do or how much money we make. We all mostly want the same things out of life---Disney allows us all to do that. Today, because of some really hard work and Disney pixie dust, my DH and I make enough money we've been taking the kids to WDW every couple years. Now that one child is grown and gone and the other will be soon---they still experience the magic of getting transported back in time every time they go to WDW. This year we'll all be spending Christmas at WDW---My heart is full

 

[TropicalDIS]

100% nostalgia. Went there so many times as a kid, and have such happy magical memories of Disney, that every time i go now it's like getting a small piece of that back.

 

[kathy884]

I come back because I have such a blast with my 22 year old son at the parks (WDW and SeaWorld are our favorites), offsite accommodations are such a good value, it's the closest and cheapest warm place for me to get to, I'm not a beach person, so it gives me something to do in warm weather, my extended family enjoys meeting up here, my nephew lives in Orlando so I get to see him, my cousin lives in Tampa so I get to see him, and it's a super easy trip to plan. Do note: I normally go once a year for just four nights/three days -- one resort day, one SeaWorld day, and one day at one of the Disney parks. -- just a little mini trip, so I don't get too burned out on the place going there again and again.

Not sure if I'd like a longer trip or not -- prefer short I think. Maybe a factor is that DH doesn't like Orlando, so stays home and I like to save some vacation monies for other trips that we do with him each year and keep Orlando as a short / budget trip.

At the parks though I always have a Zippity Doo Dah day

 

[22Tink]

I love the rides, the food, the shows, the atmosphere, etc, etc, etc, and I love the instant magical feeling I get as soon as I walk into the esplanade!! Most of my family and friends don't understand but it truly is my happy place!!

 

[ols386]

The escape from reality. The unique restaurants. The feeling I get when I enter MK and catch my first glimpse of the castle.

 

[figmentedfollies]

I think a lot of people have hit on the head with similar reasons to me. There is certainly a Disney bubble. I can avoid the news if I'd like (though I seemed to binge cable news at night like a fool the last time I was there). When people ask me, I liken it to the feeling people get around the holiday season. Often time I find people to be nicer and happy to be there. (Obviously not all guests are cheery 100% of the time, but I see more good than bad.)

There is certainly a nostalgia factor. My mom and I have to do the Tea Cups and It's a Small World when we're there based on when I was five and went for the first time. While I am always excited to to try new things, there are the old favorites. It's going on Splash Mountain for the first time in YEARS and getting the most ridiculous pictures.

I'm sure there is a lot more that I'm missing, but like many people, Disney World is my happy place.

 

[LSUmiss]

For us, right now, it's one of the only vacations that work for us. Everyone has stuff they like to do. We're not outdoorsy people so no lakes or beaches for us, at least not for a week at a time. And we have no desire to cruise and I would probably die of seasickness

This is exactly how we feel. And visiting other cities does nothing for us either. We find all that to be too much of a hassle. I live in a city. Every city I've ever visited had different things, of course, but overall I just found them to be a larger version of the one I live in. Meh.

 

[neverlandsky]

Also hate to be a downer. We have never been to world yet. Going next month for the first time ever. Husband said today that we won't be back due to the stress of preplanning the trip that ADRs, FP+, and itinerary has put on me. Then factor in airlines changing layover times and having to change flights. Plus we were denied the fall discount. Wasn't counting on it to begin with, yet would of been nice with airlines changing layover times and change fees. Then to find out people hoard ADRs and FP+, plus some shenanigans that some play just sucked the magic out. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy we're going to do it since we've never been to world. Yet I can say with 100% certainty we won't be back to world due to all the preplanning loops and hoops. Preplanning has burnt me out. So far Disneyland wins for the ease of preplanning and for it being spontaneous.