When does the feeling of being "Home" hit you?

[thatchicktrish]

wow this thread got me emotional

During the planning stages anything that gets reserved makes me excited, when I buy the airline tix I will be so giddy I will be useless for the rest of the day. The real thing that sets me off is going under the arch AND seeing the castle. My favorite park is MK and when I smell the confectionary, oh my god I could lay down in the middle of Main Street USA and never get up. Also the smell of cinnamon glazed nuts gets me.

Our next trip is a year away and it will be the first time we stay on-site, I'm sure staying on-site will give me more sights/smells, etc that will make me emotional. ughhh it's gonna be a long year.

 

[sunnymommy]

When my oldest son was 2 and 1/2 yrs old, we drove from KY to Orlando. He was great the entire trip, luckily for us as it was a looonnnnggg drive. Anyway, when we saw the arches for WDW, he literally squealed at the top of his lungs the rest of the drive from the arches to our parking spot at Boardwalk. Of course, he is 10 now and way too cool to show emotion like that. But every time we drive through those arches, I can hear that squeal. Pure elation of a child....no other sound like it....no other place like it.
Sunnymommy

 

[jenjen212]

for me it is:

1. when we get off of I-4 Lake Buena Vista (we usually drive there being that we live in Miami), and i see the gates near the entrance to downtown disney...

2. then when we walk in to the lobby of the resort (even standing in line at the resort doesn't seem too bad with my 'good feeling') it takes a lot for me to get upset at this point. (but it has happened with the incompetence of a few cm's i have encountered)

3. then stepping into my room and throwing myself on the bed exhausted from sitting in the car for 4 hours from the drive. i always put on the disney info channel, even though i have seen it a hundred times. it just gets me revved up by watching the top 10 places to see thing.

jen

 

[chimera]

Great thread!

DH says it's when we come around the circle and are looking down Main Street at the castle.

For me...just being on the property. We go to WDW about every other month and have always talked about how it's like going 'home'. I commuted for a conference earlier this month and got gas at the Hess station across from DTD...just because it was nice to be on the property.

 

[Poohlovr]

Keeping in mind that we always stay at the Swan or the Dolphin (usually the Dolphin)--it's when one of the young men from bell services opens my car door and says "Welcome to the Dolphin".

Don't get me wrong--I feel all giddy when the plane lands and again when we drive under the arch, but when he opens that door---I know I'm home.

 

[annamonte]

When we get to WL and the doorman says:

WELCOME HOME!

 

[ksoehrlein]

The minute I step out of the car (after 11 hours or so) onto Disney property. It doesn't matter where. It's usually at our Resort, but our last trip, it was to run a quick errand at DTD before checking in. The kids were asleep in the car, DH stayed with them, I strolled to Guest Relations by myself, and yet I was "Home." It especially helped that we were staying at SSR, so being able to see our room, even though I didn't yet know which one was ours, was also very cool.

DD and I are flying this time, the first time she's flown to WDW although she's flown elsewhere in the past. ITA with other posters about the MCO monorail. It gives you such a thrill, knowing that soon, very soon, you'll be riding on another monorail to somewhere much more magical than an airport terminal. I can't wait to share that taste of "coming home" with her.

Now how does one make the countdown thingie go faster???