Why do you love Disney?

[KCmike]

People want to feel young. They want to love, laugh, and live like a child. For my family it's safe, fun, and something like Walt said "A place for the whole family".

 

[2SillyBirds]

The world stops when you are there - I am going for my 44th birthday 2 weeks from tonite with my DH. I don't think we will do many rides, but we did get tickets for Balcony seating for Fantasmic. I just want to wander around the parks and let Disney take me away. I can't think of a better place to go.

 

[drag n' fly]

Honestly it is the only place I feel that I get what I paid for. Well worth every penny might I add. To me there is no sweeter joy than a child's smile and laughter and at Disney you are surrounded by it!

 

[CanadianPaco]

One of my earliest memories is watching the Wonderful World of Disney. We got it SUnday nights at 6pm. The castle, TinkerBell - the anticipation of the show starting - I can so clearly remember it. So at the grand old age of 39, Disney brings me there ... so easily. And I have a DD who shares the love and excitementment! I am so lucky!

 

[DangerMouse]

If you look at the picture below my signature, that pretty much explains it all. . .

 

[Hound 109]

As an AP.. most of the time I visit.. it's not for the rides.

Sometimes I ride a few.. to feed my forever burning Screamin' and Buzz addictions... but sometimes not. I'll catch a parade or fireworks or Fantasmic! or maybe even just a few live acts in either park (unfortunately most of the time there aren't really even a few playing park-wide anymore).. or one of the many fun acts in Downtown Disney...


The parks are so much more than just the rides/attractions... and those with an AP and time to discover more Disneyland Resort details enjoy the incredible depth of the Resort ... without hurry or stress ... and also at times enjoy the rides/attractions.
But really.. the parks at the Resort are far far more than just rides.


I've gone several visits without riding anything except the tram or the monorail in... and truthfully those visits were no less fun or more fun than ones where I rode rides my whole visit.
Disneyland is multi-dimensional, visually, audibly and magically...


If you don't want it to be, it doesn't have to be the same visit twice... or maybe you might want it to be. Which many people do.

AP visitors have the freedom to do as much or as little as they want... each visit. Every visit. Many visits. They are all already paid for...


Of course it's still fun to visit/do Disneyland 'commando style' when friends and family from out of town visit... but those are just a a dozen or so days every year...


If I only went for the rides/attractions like I used to when I first became an AP, Disneyland might have gotten less interesting... but I've learned so much about Disneyland and Walt Disney since then.. inside the park and out... and the depth of entertainment, escape, discovery, details and things to take pics of and see and the magic I became an AP to enjoy more of... is nearly immeasureble.
Especially for the price.
Endless fun. Especially if you love live bands, character meets, shows/parades and awesome theming and a world class controlled atmosphere ... and the rides/attractions


A friend asked about the price and why I go and what I do at the parks that I don't get tired of... and I said.. 'Pretty much I pay 300 a year to ride Screamin', Soarin' and Tower almost anytime I want. The year of Disneyland that comes along with it is just extra, an incredible, still unbelievable addition... really just more icing on the cake'.


Unlike many other hardcore Disneyland park fans.. I love other parks too.
Amusement, fair and theme.
Many many other places have magic (not Disney magic... but many other exciting and fullfilling kinds).. and many other places can be and are fun, beautiful, memorable, awesome, exciting ... and anticipated destinations for me. Amusement parks and just natural places to visit and vacation. I visit Disneyland frequently, so I always vacation elsewhere.

I just get more personally from my local/home parks than other amusement and themed places.

Those home parks just happen to be DL and DCA.

All people are different... some people just want to visit Disneyland, some people feel more and are touched differently... by the place, by it's meaning, by it's founder, by it's uniqueness (that it's copies can't and won't ever duplicate )... by what it was, by what it is, by what it's becoming yearly.. and by what it will eventually become.
Because it will never be finished.

Many people can relate to that eternal hope and forever thinking.
That hope within Disney and especially within Disneyland.

Man....I wanna get me an AP.

If airfare gets too high, i suppose i can just move to Anaheim.

 

[brocklesnar69]

I live in CA, but have only been to Disneyland twice in my life. Both times, I had a great time, but it's not a place I would consider for frequent vacations. I kind of felt like, once you've done the rides, you know what is there and no need to go back for many years.

I have some friends who are Disney fanatics though - take every vacation at Disney, etc.

I see a lot of people like that here, I find it interesting. I am curious to know what it is about the Disney experience that keeps you coming back for more.

I have to say, since we are going down there next week, finding this forum has been amazingly helpful. You all are so nice. I see people answering questions from newbies that HAD to have been asked a hundred times befoe, without ever saying "do a search" or being sarcastic. And it's also been great to get the tips on how to maximize my time. And, I'm compiling a little book of all the Easter Eggs at Disney so we can have some fun not on rides - something I never would have been able to do without this forum.

I'm thinking that to stay on this forum, with all you nice folks, I'm going to have to catch Disney fever. So, explain it to me. Why do you love Disney?

Being at Disneyland/World gives me certain feelings and emotions that I cant get from anywhere else! I would have to say that Disneyland/World are my two favorite places in the whole world! When I arrive, I just want to go-go-go and completely engulf myself in nothing but Disney (I dont get tired of it). And I never want to leave. And as soon as I do. I take about a month to reflect on the trip I just had, then I begin planning my next. Disney is the best! (Followed by Universal )

 

[teacups]

The first time I went I was 40 and that was the first time my 23 year old son went too. That was last year! It was magical! I saw my 10 year olds son face again for the first time in 13 years... so to speak. How do you top that??? My 6 and 4 year olds went too... what a trip! At Disneyland I was able to walk right out of my own skin... all my worries and problems and fears were left behind and we entered a place of magic, and happiness, and fun, and innocence. Anyone can believe in "dreams coming true" there.

Its not about just the rides....
it's about the magic!

 

[cyberdeb]

Well i have gone through periods in my life that i really could take it or leave it. My parents took us several times to WDW as kids and one particular time to Fort Wilderness campground. It was great and i have very happy memories of those trips. When I married, i moved to FLorida and live about an hours drive away. I went a few times but it just never did the same thing for me. WHen I divorced and moved back home to PA, i never really cared. It wasnt until after I remarried and had some really horrible years with two disabled kids that I got obsessed. It became my escape from reality. I think it is that it takes me back to a very happy time in my life as a child and i could escape the nightmare of my life. I also wanted to share those happy memories with my husband and daughter because they too deserved the happy memories. However my husband thinks i need a 12 step program to get over my disney obsession. I dont get to go nearly as much as i want to and he really does not care for it, but LOVES the campground.

 

[Jenlan]

We always go right after Thanksgiving for the holiday magic

Holding my then five old son during the fireworks and having him whisper in my ear "Momma, it's magic."

Reading the plaque on the tunnels and feeling the weight lift off my shoulders.

Everyone having Mickey Mouse pancakes at the River Belle while feeding the crumbs to the birds, people watching, and hearing the whistle on the Mark Twain. A perfect start to the day.

Having Santa tell my shy son what HIS favorite Pokemon is, thus getting my son to fully believe.

Buying our annual Christmas ornament for our Disny tree.

Having a huge snickerdoodle and peppermint mocha while having snow fall on us in SoCal.

Hugging Mickey

Saying goodnight and thank you to the light in the Fire Station window as we leave each night.


Disneyland makes us happy. Very. That's it.

 

[Carter'sMommy]

Letting me be the child I was not allowed to be.

 

[Kailua's Belle]

My love of Disney comes from the overwhelming feelings of nostalgia I get as soon as I walk through those gates. It seems that every sight and sound brings back a memory from the days when my parents and grandparents used to take me to Disneyland. And now it's all about creating those memories with my own children. I will now never forget walking up Main St. at night for the first time with DD4 and she whispered in my ear, Mommy, look at how beautiful the castle is, or watching her meet Cinderella for the first time, or watching DS get to battle Darth Vadar.

After a long six year break, we were able to go this past Feb. and we had the best time of our lives. The first few days I think DD14 and her best friend thought I was a bit goofy everytime I made them pause as we came around the corner on Main Street to catch our first glimpse of the castle and to feel the "magic," but on the last day they both said to me, wait, let's look at it just another minute and feel the magic. My job here is done. Two more Disney fans have been born!!


I do believe my son was simply born a Disney fanatic. The other day I pulled up the Electrical Parade on YouTube. I haven't seen that since its final trip down Main Street, so of course I was feeling all warm and fuzzy, and then he turned to me and said, Mommy, I don't know why, but this music makes me feel like I want to cry. He'd never even seen or heard the ELP before and he couldn't figure out why he felt that way. I knew. It's the Disney magic.

 

[kelmac284]

I pretty much agree with everyone else and I can say that as a kid I thought it was great but I certainly didn't appreciate it and wasn't as crazy about is as I am now as a 40 year old adult with kids of my own. I probably went 8 or 10 times total as a kid but I have gone more as an adult now with my own kids and have told myself that no matter what I will go at least once a year to Disneyland and at least once every 3 or 4 years to Disneyworld from now on because I love it that much!

It is THAT important to me.

I think like everyone else said, it is the one place that just makes me feel good and forget all the stress about life. It is costly but we have found ways to make it cheap by driving, buying an AP, staying in the cheaper hotels and using Getaway today or our entertainment book and even that part of it, searching for the "best deal", is fun. We used to fly but with 5 of us it is kind of expensive but the 7 hour drive is fun cuz we bought a dvd player and we stop every so often for junk food so it is kind of fun.

I love going down at different times of year for different things and there is always something new going on and as many times as I have been there is something new to see and do. I love taking the tours and will be taking some new ones on my next trips. We have done Mickeys Halloween party at DW and will be doing it here at DL this Oct. So there is always something but most importantly I love the way I feel when I am there.

There is an innocennce and a safeness there that no longer exists in the "real" world. The whole main street thing makes you feel like you have kind of gone back in time and you are kind of in another world so to speak.

Everyone is there to have a good time and mostly everyon is in a good mood.

Sure sometimes there are crowds and grumpy people but for the most part it is a place where you can go and enjoy a fantasy world and forget about reality for awhile and have fun doing it. I personally LOVE rides and enjoy other amusement parks as well but NONE are like Disney. Disney just does it better than any of the others. They have a way of making it magical and amazing and the themeing and intriciacy that goes into their rides and parks WAY exceeds any other parks.

Also especially now that I have kids I get the biggest thrill experiencing the whole thing through my kids eyes. I just love going with them and seeing them have fun and seeing the characters and I have to admit I will ALWAYS keep going even if they get bored of it I will keep going back with just DH but I will be sad in a few more years when the magic of the characters wears off. But for now I just love it and I love ALL things Disney.

I come on here to get my "fix" as well as a few other disney related sites. And I buy stuff from the disney website and disney store and we go to the disney on ice every year and subscribe to disney magazines and on and on.

We have ALL the movies and go to the movies when they come out in the theaters. I just love the way Disney makes me feel!

 

[sasha]

For me it began as a very small child (under 3). My dad is an electrical engineer and worked many years at Disney. He made the bears in Bear Country Jamboree, most of the animals on America Sings and the monster in the Matterhorn move. I have pictures of him from way back in the 70's posing with that monster. My brother and I were fortunate enough to go to DL quite often since my dad worked there. I also remember we would frequently get invited to view Disney movies at one of the Disney buildings and they would give me & my brother a huge bag filled with Disney toys each time we went. I also remember that my dad was able to bring home Disney cartoons (on reels to be used with a projector back then) and we would sit in the living room and watch Disney cartoons all the time. That's when my love for Disney really began. As time when on and my parents got divorced we didn't go to DL as often as we used to. Sometimes years would pass without us going even though we have always lived in SoCal. I remember when I turned 18 and could pay for myself to get in, I would occasionally go with my friends.

Things changed in 1998 when I met my husband and we both discovered that we shared a love for Disney. We got engaged at DL on POTC. Shortly after we got married we stayed at the DLH together (it was the first time for both of us) and we have been going back regularly since. We went on the Disney Cruise together the month before I became pg with our 1st DD. Since then we got AP's and things have really changed. We go all the time, sometimes even up to 2-3 times per month. As people have said before, nothing, and I mean nothing compares to seeing DL through the eyes of your children. I didn't think I could love DL anymore than I already did until we had children. It is AMAZING to see them experience everything. It truly is a whole new level of love for DL. We're proud to say that our girls are already huge Disney fans at ages 2 & 4. Each time a Disney movie comes out we go to watch it at the El Capitan Theatre for the whole Disney experience and afterwards we go for ice cream at the Disney Soda Fountain Shop. Plus each time we go to DL we have certain traditions; like we start out by watching the girls' Disneyland Sing-Along DVD, we listen to the Disneyland CD in the car on our way there, and they wear their mouse ears the entire day. During the past few months we even got a DL antenna ball, DL license plate frame and the Disney family decals on our minivan. Plus we booked a Disney Cruise for next year. Some people in our family think we're crazy and don't understand our love for Disney, but we know we're making wonderful memories with our children that they will eventually look back on.

As people have so eloquently written, when you step into the DL gates you leave the real world behind and the "magic" begins. Every single time. The sights, sounds & smells, the characters, the Main Street band, the smiling people - it's always exciting and it never gets old for us. We are a Disney Family!

 

[teacups]

For me it began as a very small child (under 3). My dad is an electrical engineer and worked many years at Disney. He made the bears in Bear Country Jamboree, most of the animals on America Sings and the monster in the Matterhorn move. I have pictures of him from way back in the 70's posing with that monster. My brother and I were fortunate enough to go to DL quite often since my dad worked there. I also remember we would frequently get invited to view Disney movies at one of the Disney buildings and they would give me & my brother a huge bag filled with Disney toys each time we went. I also remember that my dad was able to bring home Disney cartoons (on reels to be used with a projector back then) and we would sit in the living room and watch Disney cartoons all the time. That's when my love for Disney really began. As time when on and my parents got divorced we didn't go to DL as often as we used to. Sometimes years would pass without us going even though we have always lived in SoCal. I remember when I turned 18 and could pay for myself to get in, I would occasionally go with my friends.

Things changed in 1998 when I met my husband and we both discovered that we shared a love for Disney. We got engaged at DL on POTC. Shortly after we got married we stayed at the DLH together (it was the first time for both of us) and we have been going back regularly since. We went on the Disney Cruise together the month before I became pg with our 1st DD. Since then we got AP's and things have really changed. We go all the time, sometimes even up to 2-3 times per month. As people have said before, nothing, and I mean nothing compares to seeing DL through the eyes of your children. I didn't think I could love DL anymore than I already did until we had children. It is AMAZING to see them experience everything. It truly is a whole new level of love for DL. We're proud to say that our girls are already huge Disney fans at ages 2 & 4. Each time a Disney movie comes out we go to watch it at the El Capitan Theatre for the whole Disney experience and afterwards we go for ice cream at the Disney Soda Fountain Shop. Plus each time we go to DL we have certain traditions; like we start out by watching the girls' Disneyland Sing-Along DVD, we listen to the Disneyland CD in the car on our way there, and they wear their mouse ears the entire day. During the past few months we even got a DL antenna ball, DL license plate frame and the Disney family decals on our minivan. Plus we booked a Disney Cruise for next year. Some people in our family think we're crazy and don't understand our love for Disney, but we know we're making wonderful memories with our children that they will eventually look back on.

As people have so eloquently written, when you step into the DL gates you leave the real world behind and the "magic" begins. Every single time. The sights, sounds & smells, the characters, the Main Street band, the smiling people - it's always exciting and it never gets old for us. We are a Disney Family!

Those are beautiful children!

 

[sasha]

Awww...... thanks!!!

 

[PrincessSitka]

I love this post I wanted to bump it. Can anybody add to this?

 

[Dukland]

I don't think I have anything more to add that anyone else hasn't already said. I've always loved Disney, and it just increased when my children were born. Through unfortunate circumstance, we were married a very long time, 11 years, before our first child was born. During those long years, all I ever wanted to do is take my kids to Disneyland. My magical children in the magical land of Disney, making very magical memories. And when we finally went to Disneyland as a family, in June 2005, I cried just hearing the music by the trams, before we even reached the front gates.

With the adoption of our third child, we couldn't afford to go this year. But I am already planning for next year. I'm just itching to take my youngest on his first trip to Disneyland.

 

[XTinabell]

For me it began as a very small child (under 3). My dad is an electrical engineer and worked many years at Disney. He made the bears in Bear Country Jamboree, most of the animals on America Sings and the monster in the Matterhorn move. I have pictures of him from way back in the 70's posing with that monster.
Things changed in 1998 when I met my husband and we both discovered that we shared a love for Disney. We got engaged at DL on POTC. Shortly after we got married we stayed at the DLH together (it was the first time for both of us) and we have been going back regularly since. We went on the Disney Cruise together the month before I became pg with our 1st DD. As people have so eloquently written, when you step into the DL gates you leave the real world behind and the "magic" begins. Every single time. The sights, sounds & smells, the characters, the Main Street band, the smiling people - it's always exciting and it never gets old for us. We are a Disney Family!

That's awesome.And what good memories you must have from DL as a child. I wish I could have went as a child.
I love that you got engaged on the POTC that's so great, what an awesome atmosphere. I'd heard of people proposing on splash mountain right before the drop to catch their expression on camera but I love the POTC proposal, that's so romantic.

 

[bouncy54]

I think I love Disneyland because I grew up with Disney in our home.

I have so many fond memories of sitting around the television on Sunday evenings watching The Wonderful World Of Disney. (It was the one "non-western" television show that our father and the rest of the family agreed upon. )

Whenever there was a Disney movie playing at the drive-in, my mother would pack up a picnic dinner and we'd all spend the evening together watching a Disney classic such as The Parent Trap, 20 Leagues Under The Sea, or the Absent Minded Professor.

I guess you could say my parents were conditioning me to be the Disney fanatic I have become.