Why do you love Disney, any hidden meanings??

[jemmouse]

Today someone asked me why I love going to Walt Disney World. It's a nobrainer for me. It's a full circle moment in my life. Here goes. I was born in 1971, Walt Disney World opens. My first visit was with my parents and my sister when I was 3 years old. And believe it or not I have a memory of that trip. The characters all met in front of the castle for pictures then, I was so excited my mom says, to see Winnie the Pooh, when it was my turn I ran up and he didn't see me at first and stepped on my foot very hard for a 3 year old that I was scared and cried. So what does my dear mom do but march me into a store and buys me my first Minnie Mouse stuffed animal. That Minnie Mouse still sits on my dressar to this day. So many visits over the years to Disney. My dad loved Mickey Mouse so much, my sisters name is Michelle and my dad nicknamed her Mickey, of course I was jealous but being the younger sibling that occasionally happened. Growing up I always had Mickey birthday parties,and so did my dad. Years have gone by and now my sister has a son and we all went to Disney. He was 3 years old and we arrived at night and he saw the lights and kept calling it Micks house. Then we visited when I was pregnant, my parents, my nephew, and hubby. We were in Downtown Disney and there it was Pooh bear bedding. I bought it and was so excited that no one else would have it unless they travelled to Disney. My son was born, his nickname is Pooh Bear, his 1st birthday was Winnie the Pooh. His first visit to Disney was when he was 5 years old. I remember entering Main Street at Magic Kingdom and looking at him and feeling the excitement in my heart by watching his face light up. It was the exact feeling that my parents had many moons ago when I was there for the first time. My full circle moment. We took pictures in some of the same places I had with my parents and I couldn't wait to show my family. Better yet I couldn't wait for an upcoming visit when my entire family could go together. Well that didn't happen. I lost my sister at 37 , almost 7 years ago. ANd then 2 years after that I lost my dad, my very best friend. He never got that chance to take his grandson on Its a Small World, it was his favorite ride! Right now as I look up from my keyboard on top of my desk is a picture of my dad and right next to it is a snowglobe of Mickey Mouse with all the worlds on it and it plays "Its a Small WOrld" and then there are snapshots of my entire family along with many Disney souveneirs. For me when I go to Disney I can feel my dad, and my sister right there with me. The very first Christmas when we lost my dad, my mom, nephew, hubby and son went to Disney. People just couldn't understand why we needed to leave. ANd honestly I couldn't imagine sitting around the dining room table and there chairs being empty, we needed a change of scenery so we left to Disney. It was bittersweet. They would've loved the decorations. But going to MGM and seeing the Osborne Lights and the ANGELS FLYING ABOVE just proved to me yet again the magic of my memories that will embrace my heart for a lifetime. ANd one day when I am older and blessed with grandchildren I hope I can go with them there and if not my son can take his children there and remeber the times we had together and now embrace that time with his family. WALT DISNEY WORLD will forever be a place that held many smiles for me and mine and I will forever be gratedful to Walt Disney for building a dream that your heart makes, because I will never stop believing in the MAGIC!!!!!

 

[FireDancer]

Growing up we didn't have very much money and the home life wasn't really all that good for my mom and brothers. Disney kind of represented something we couldn't have. We were never envious or angry about it, it just was what it was.

After saving for a long time we were finally going to be able to go in 1991. My best friend at the time lived up the street and went in 1990. We knew at the time he went that we would be going the following year. His family was pretty well off so when he went he came back with hours of video, tons of pictures, and a lot of the souvenir photo books. Once winter came and we couldn't be outside playing all the time we would sit there after school and watch the movies and go through the pictures. I fell in love with the place then, before even going.

When we went the following year we drove down and stayed in a Days Inn off of property. We didn't eat much in the parks but did have one TS meal on the trip. I loved every minute of it. I was 13 at the time and my parents let me do the planning for what we did each day. Everything about the trip was great. It was one of the few times growing up that our family was actually happy for an extended period of time.

Ever since that trip I have loved the parks. We went back one more time as a family in 1995 and the next time I got to go was when I finished college and moved to the Tampa area for work. There is a feeling I get when I am there. It is a combination of calm, joy, peace, happiness, and those things all rolled into one. I have brought my mom down twice now for mother's day (this last one with my youngest brother) and we have been able to enjoy it together now with the family drama in the past.

Hopefully we will all go again as a family when my other brother finally brings my nephew down for the first time.