What's Your DIS Story?

[LCoulter]

DH and I had been to WDW many, many times before we had DD and I had relied on touring books and WDW website for updates on the parks over those years. Then DD came and we were excited about taking her on her first trip to WDW. While dreaming about taking DD , I discovered the Dis when researching taking kids to WDW and I have been hooked ever since. Now I don’t even bother with the tour books anymore for updates since I can get much better updates from the Dis.

 

[njmom47]

I found out about the Dis through a mom of one of the cheerleaders we went to Disney with for Pop Warner but not until the next fall. She's a DVC owner (which I realized after being on here for awhile!) and she mentioned this site before we came down for the competition. I did use some tips when we came back for the baseball tournament. I am usually on the Community or Budget boards, but sometimes lurk on the Transportation board because we might be driving down in 2013. All in all, I will be very prepared for our next trip.

 

[Rozz]

I don't remember exactly how I ran across the DIS but I think it was through an internet search. From my first DIS browsing, I remember Dan Murphy and a moderator who had an Ariel avatar. These two fabulous people and others just drew me in. It's been more than ten years now I think.

Awhile back, I took my respect for DIS up a notch and gave Dreams Unlimited a try. Once I hooked up with Kathy W., I was hooked. I then started listening to the podcast. I am hoping to step it up again and go on one of the podcast cruises!! I want to do an ABD trip also. The fun never ends!

 

[KristaTX]

Nikki - Aren't you going to tell your story?

I have to say that I am so thankful for KristaTX and WebmasterKathy. My DH, Dave and I were married in WDW in July 2003 and I planned my wedding and our family trip on a similar message board on yahoo groups. Unfortunately it wasn't till after our wedding that I discovered the DIS boards.

I will never forget my first DFW meet in early 2004 at Rainforest Cafe... and all of that wouldn't have been possible without the wonderful people here on the boards. I have really enjoyed meeting other who share my love of Disney. And although we only see each other a few times a year I feel like they are family.

Thank you to all those who make these boards possible. The podcasts and DIS radio bring a smile to my face on a regular basis.

 

[ilovehockey1979]

We are headed to my 3rd WDW trip my DD 1st and DW 1st trip. We were driving down and about 7 pm had stopped in Jacksonville, Florida, the day before we were going to meet up with family at Ft Wilderness. I was tired from driving alot and searched google for disney world opening times. i was hooked since may 2010.

 

[TinkTink78]

I had to go back into my signature so refresh my mind on how I got here....

10/05, right before a trip with my now ex husband.... DIS has been with me for many life changing events... And I've met some of my best friends here!!!! From all over the country.... And the best thing we have in common ???? DISNEY

On my 2 upcoming trips, one in 34 days we will be meeting Dis'rs from Indiana for the first time and meeting up with another couple of Dis friends. And then in May I will b doing th Expedition Everest 5K with a Dis friend from NC.

And now that I have fallen in love with my iPad and iPhone, I'm working on listening to the Podcasts

Thank u Disboards

 

[OKW Lover]

Hmmm, I'm not sure I have a "DIS Story".

I just don't recall how I first came across the DIS or how I found the PodCast. According to my stats I've been a member here since 2004. I've been a big Disney fan for a long time so I'm guessing I found the DIS while looking for good Disney info on line.

I started listening to the podcast after it had been running for a while. Bawb was still with us then. Enjoyed the banter and the info. Later I found out that these voices were coming from some really nice people. What you hear on the podcast is exactly who they are.

I first met some of the podcasters on a sad occasion. Bawb had unexpectedly passed away and there was gathering at the Gaylord Palms in his remembrance that coincided with one of our trips. Val & I went over there and wound up meeting John, Kevin and Kathy (and many other DIS'ers). I'm not sure they all remember that initial encounter with us. We sat and chatted with a bunch of folks that shared a love for Disney, and of course loved Bawb.

After that, we wound up doing various meets and cruises with the bunch and have become good friends with the podcasters and a lot of regulars here on the DIS. Valerie and I are a bit older than most of the people on here and in the course of these events, we've "adopted" several "DIS children" and even grandchildren. We have great memories of a few DATW evenings with our extended family. We've met so many great people that whenever we go to WDW or DL, we are always arranging to meet some of them.

We're going to be on PCC 3.0 in June, the Back Stage Magic ABD tour starting in late July and PCC 4.0. Looking forward to seeing our good friends again and making acquaintance with some new ones.

Here's a picture or two of us:

 

[AndyPok1]

I hadn't been to WDW for 12 years when I got an internship with DCL IT back in 09. I wanted to learn more about the program, and came across the College Board. I mainly posted there under my old name.

Then I had time to kill, so I drove down the east coast visiting a bunch of friends on my way moving down to Orlando. That made it about 42 hours of driving. I already was listening to a bunch of other podcasts, so i added the DISUnplugged to my list, and haven't quit.

It was always amusing listening to the team discuss new Cruise Line announcements (it was when they announced the Northern European cruises and the Virtual Porthole) in my headphones, and then walk to a different part of the building and check the things out with my own eyes.

 

[FrankieDplus3]

My DW and I (and DD 6 at the time) were invited to a wedding in Satellite Beach, FL in Oct 2007. Satellite Beach is south of Port Canaveral and about an 1hr from Disney. We saw this as the perfect opportunity to make our first trip to WDW.

A coworker was also making her first trip to the World in September of that year, so, she was already full steam ahead on her planning. She pointed me to 3 websites (AllEars, Mousesavers and WDWInfo.com) and the Unofficial Guide book.

I would only have 3 days available during this trip, and not knowing when I'd have a chance to get back, I wanted to cram as mush Disney in me as I possibly could. So, I read every page and weblink imaginable (all on work time cause I did't have a PC at home, yet). Everything I took in was extremely helpful for a first trip.

When I returned home, the only thing I could say was "Can't wait to go back!" (see my avatar). I found myself continuing to go back to WDWInfo, and it wasn't until I got my own home PC in 2008 that I discovered the DISboards.

I lurked for about a year and half before I finally created my on profile in 2010 to do some further research on my 2010 trip, which would now include our DS (3 at the time). I've been addicted ever since...planning my 2011 trip...and now planning my 2012 trip!!!

Yup..."Can't Wait To Go Back!!"

 

[lisah0711]

I discovered the Disboards in 2005 through a travel guide book when I was planning our 2006 trip to WDW.

I grew up in Anaheim and am a former DL castmember so I was thrilled to find a community of people who have the same love of Disney that I do.

But I have to say that it is the WISH boards who have made the biggest difference in my life. I've made lifelong friends on these boards. They inspired me to finally be a "loser" year after year instead of a gainer and gave me the courage to run four half marathons in the past year. Something I would never, ever have done on my own.

So I thank all you WISHers who inspired me to do things that I never thought were possible and encouraged me to dream BIG for myself!

I did try and thank Pete when I had the pleasure of meeting him at the DL podcast meet after the Tinker Bell but really words cannot express how much the Disboards mean to me and I say a heartfelt thank you from the bottom of my heart!

 

[johnsonginad]

For me, I found the podcast first. I bought an iPhone, discovered what podcasts were, and of course my first search was "Disney".

After listening to the podcast in 2009 I of course learned about the DIS.

On a side note, shortly after that, I found an app called "Couch to 5K". So I ended up 50 lbs. lighter with a serious Disney obsession.

My husband recently discovered the "Couch to 5K" app, and he loves it! He just started week 5, and is already down 30 something pounds. Maybe I need to give it a shot??? He says it's really not that bad, but I'm a little scared of it.

 

[DisneylandDeeDee]

I found the DisBoards after listening to the Podcast last year. What a wealth of information! My daughter and I went to the Disapalooza at Harry Potter last December and had a wonderful time meeting some of the folks who post on the board.

 

[SeptemberGirl]

GREAT TOPIC! Love the stories!!!

I found the boards in May 2007 while searching for yet more planning information. My daughter was 3 and we were taking her to WDW for the second time - yes we took her at 2...which is insane in the real world but perfectly normal here. One of the MANY things I love about the DIS boards.

In January of 2008, actually Jan 2, 2008, I found the WISH threads and a particular thread. On that thread I met some of my very best friends. Tonight, 7 of us returned to our homes across the country after completing our 3rd half marathon together. I honestly truly thank God every day for these women and their love and support. Four years ago I would never have thought I'd do one half, let alone 3, and I certainly wouldn't have thought I'd be doing them with such a close, amazing group of ladies.

I started listening to the podcast because several of my friends talked about it and I needed to keep up! During this past winter, I listened to the DIS podcast exclusively as I walked the many miles to prepare for the 13.1 we did on Sunday.

I could not have done all that training without the podcast to keep me going, and I wouldn't be training at all if the DIS didn't exist. So my story is really life changing and I am filled with gratitude for the DIS and all the people who work so hard to keep it going. God Bless you and THANK YOU.

And if any of you are looking for support while you start a weight loss or training program, I invite you to come over to WISH in general and the thread in my signature in particular. We have all been at that starting point more than once, and we love to help each other along the way. We have room at our table! Come play!

 

[disneysteve]

I've been here nearly 10 years. Do you think I remember how I got here? Not a clue. But here's my story.

I've been a lifelong Disney fan. I have collected Disney memorabilia since 1975 and started selling it in 1986. I began with a 2-page photocopied list that I advertised in an extinct publication called the Disneyana Collector published by Grolier. That grew into a 42-page catalog advertised in Toy Shop and other publications. I also started selling at collectible shows in PA, NJ, DE and VA.

In 1994, my world changed when I got online. I discovered the various Disney newsgroups (remember those?). I later set up a website. Then my world really changed in 1997 when I started selling on ebay. By 2000, a hobby that had been bringing in maybe a few hundred dollars per year was grossing as much as $3,000 per month.

Along the way, I joined the NFFC Disney fan club. Also along the way, and I don't recall specifically where I learned of it, I discovered the DIS and have been here ever since. I no longer actively sell collectibles though I still dabble from time to time but love learning about all things Disney, helping others plan trips and answer Disney-related questions and more.

 

[KingK12]

I still remember my father taking me there when I was a kid and getting me my Mickey ears with my name stitched in it and going on space mountain scared to death. The good old days!

 

[SrisonS]

Soon after to moving to Kissimmee from VA, I got my first annual pass to Disney. A short time after that, I came across my first digital camera (it was actually my wife's), and my love of photography (Disney photography mainly) started to flourish.

So when I wanted to share my pictures with the Disney community, a Google search led me to the Photography Boards here. I'm been a fan of The Dis ever since. Sure, it took me some before I ventured away from those specific forums. But I have since realized the overwhelming amount of info/help/sharing/arguing that can be found here. I'm glad to have stumbled into this world.

I'll also say that the peeps on the Photography boards really helped to shape my view of photography as well. I thought my early pictures were hot stuff.... until I got a good look on how great my pictures could eventually be. And for anyone intimidated on visiting the Photo Boards (yes, some peole are), DON'T BE!!!! Everyone there is really friendly and helpful. There really is some Disney spirit going on over there.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Well, I think it is certainly time that I chime in.

I found the DIS Boards back in 2004 when looking for a social outlet friendly and more current than some of the other Disney fan sites out there. I lurked for a bit and soon began posting. Last year, I became a moderator for the Unplugged board. I've met my very best friends and some adopted family members here and would not trade it for anything in the world.

 

[HollyMac71]

My story begans here - I have a job where there is little "people" interaction basically sitting at a desk working at a computer for 8 hours. I grew tired/exhausted of listening to the same CDs over and over so I got a MP3 player. I figured I could download lots of CDs and not have to hear the same song over and over. Well the batteries drained too fast. So I got an Ipod. After I downloaded a gazillion CD's I found Itunes. Itunes have these things called "podcasts." This way I can listen to people talk about subjects I like and not have to listen to music. I fell in love with them. First it was travel then health then reality TV then discovered a whole bunch of ones for Disney. I remember listening to the DISunplugged podcasts wondering who these people were and laughing (yes my co-workers looked at me oddly).

Then I went to the website and found the boards. The boards have turned into another family for me. Now I work from home doing the same job. DH does not understand the DIS and my involvement with them. I wish DH would come to more events with me. He certainly has benefited from a lot of things I have learned on the boards and the friends that I have met. He is usually a tag along whenever I go to DIS events (I put him in a corner and he is happy).

I'm patiently waiting to go on my first ABD trip this summer and maybe after that I can convince DH to do the ABD to Ireland. One can only hope.

 

[JERME81]

I signed up for the boards in August of 2008 but I have been reading the boards long before that. I have never been much of a online chat person or poster to message boards but I still enjoy reading everyones posts.

I found the DIS by simply searching Disney World in yahoo.com. I found that site and a lot others but found that the DIS had the most reliable information. My trips to Disney are always a success due to the information that are on the site and the boards.

Keep up the good work to everyone who keeps the site running!