Why do you love it?--A Thread for Positivity

[goofieslonglostsis]

Have you got a few hours? When really wanting to put it into 5 words, it would definately be huge increase of life quality. More words to explain why?

- Being not from the US and having a disability, it is very freeing to be at a place that comes very close to heaven when talking accessibility of public life. Florida in general, but WDW even much more so. Our country might be a heaven comparatively when it comes to coverage of healthcare costs, private life care, social system etc. but public life is basically something where by now I need a "babysitter" almost 24/7 and still most is not accessible or doable. No such thing in WDW. I can be alone, can just do whatever I feel like and even more so; whenever I feel like it. You take your health with you, but those moments in WDW and FL feel like having no disability or health issue

- all those uncountable things that constitute accessibility. Just hopping on a bus, it never stops becoming a joy-ish moment to just do it because I feel like it. Hopping on a ride. Go to a restaurant simply based on what I feel like munching on. Just being able to swim. Time alone!! You name it

- feeling like a kid again

- interaction. The very positive far outweigh those below par. Whether it being with CM's or other guests. Made some lovely friendships this way along the years

- had some amazing trips with loved ones and friends

- as others already said; there is no stress at Disney. No problems. Escapism from real life. And when you do find something hitting the fan, I know Disney's got my back. Unfortunately had to experience it more often than hoped, planned or should've been, but it has given both myself and family and friends a solid believe in mentioned before

- and since added to the list; it is the place where the chain of those that literally saved my life began

- and not unimportant; totally destroyed my very negative view of what "disney parks" would be liked after a visit to DLRP, which IMHO embodies all that does not deserve the name disney park.


All in all, for me, it is a very special place that gives me something that is much much bigger and longer lasting than just the real days spent there. The planning for and looking forward to a trip, the trip itself as the memories, experiences and what not, it all adds up to something being of such important for me in how I see my life it increases my life quality to such an extend, it by far outweighs the permanent medical price I pay for a trip. Let alone the (steep enough ) financial price. The above is "just" a small excerpt from what positives a trip to WDW gives me while on that trip. It goes way beyond that. Next year I'm planning on doing a proper last trip to say a proper farewell to WDW. Hate for it to be at that crossroad and it will be emotional for sure, but boy have these trips given me so much more positive things than one could ever dream off.

 

[lustergirl]

great thread!! I got to admit, I have never had any difficulty while vacationing at disney. I love to leave the real world behind and enjoy myself and watch my family enjoy themselves as well.

Where else can my grown husband act like a kid when he sees his hero Grumpy? Where else do I feel so happy when I look down MainStreet USA and see the castle. I love the general feeling of happiness that only Disney can bring to me.

 

[BMWTeamLeader]

Disney has been my happy place for many many years. My parents took me every February vacation growing up back in the days tickets were used for each ride...My favorite attraction was The Mickey Mouse Revue...

Memories of my dad and I driving to Florida in the summer after my freshman year in college...back when MGM Studios just opened....I couldn't figure out who was the kid and who was the grown up. My dad was determined to do every single ride/attraction, one park a day. It was my first time on Star Tours. I bought a windbreaker jacket with Star Tours on theback...my 13 year old stepdaughter owns it now....

In that same trip I remember my dad trying to coax me on Space Mountain and me dragging my feet until five minutes before closing. We saw the line. I knew there was no way we were going to make it on. As we started to turn away there was an annoucement over the loudspeaker that the park was going to be open two more hours, so at that point I was stuck. I actually enjoyed it (I even had the front seat!)

A bit earlier my dad wanted to watch a show in MK and I didn't, so he and I agreed I'd meet him back at the show entrance after an hour or two. Somewhere in the park there was this photo shop where you could pose inside a cartoon. I chose a scene in the ally with Jessica Rabbit. When I showed my dad his jaw dropped, his eyes puddled and said "you didn't want to get your picture taken with Mickey Mouse?....

to be continued...

 

[yankeepenny]

Dear OP from Buffalo

Thank you for this thread! I just love the fact that for the most part, you can stop and smell the dole whip/cinnamon bun/mickey krispy bar anywhere on Disney property. My first MNSSHP two weeks ago was the best Halloween in a long time. The last parade, and tooling around AK and enjoying the "jungle" and even the 5 year old who declared in the mass exodus of Tough to be a bug "WELL- I AM CERTAINLY NOT EVER DOING THAT AGAIN!" made me smile and be glad to be alive and able to afford to go visit Disney. Seeing how communication has transformed us at Spaceship Earth, and eating around the world during food and wine was a nice thing to try. Watching again Beauty and the Beast at HS, I see the happiness in the eyes of those around me, and see how many folks who otherwise would not admit it, sing along. (I saw YOU)

On the way back to the resort one night, a man younger than me, (around 30 years old) slept on his wife's shoulder. When he started to come to, I said "did you have fun today?" and he laughed and said yes- and now wanted to go to bed.

For the time I am anywhere in Walt's world, I can pretty much forget about the rest of life. For those few precious days I can truly relax.

 

[biondagirl]

What's not to love?

Disney stirs up lots of emotions in me. The second I walk in through the tunnel and I see Cinderella's castle, my eyes start tearing up. Some of my best times have been spent at WDW.

My parents used to take us every couple years when we were kids. Then, when they retired, they'd come down in the winter/spring and we'd have to pay them a visit. We made so many memories there. I was lucky enough to even get to visit the Magic Kingdom with my parents and my children three times. And those memories will stay with me forever now that I lost my mom. I still have to go into the Country Bear Jamboree each time because that was her favorite. My kids and husband can't stand it, but they do it for me. Now I get to make those memories with my kids. It's priceless.

We are so busy in our every day lives that any vacation is special. But a trip to Disney is magical. Just being there makes all your day to day problems disappear. It's not always easy with two tired kids and two tired parents, but we love and treasure it.

I cannot wait until our trip next year!

 

[featherise]

I love Disney because of the magic. Some people just don't get it. I'm lucky that my mother and children do. My boyfriend and I are headed down in 38 days. He has never been. I so want him to feel the magic too. It is hard to explain Disney to someone who has never been. The total immersive experience. The sounds, the music, the smells. It has been a horrible year for both of us but Disney is a place to escape from the outside world.

I've been going to either Disneyland or Disney World for almost 40 years. So many great memories with my mother, brother, children, friends. People don't understand why we don't vacation somewhere else. They don't get it. Where else can you experience the food, the hotels, the parks, the customer service. Is everything perfect every time? No, but that is fine. We push on through the rain, stand in long lines, get up at the crack of dawn on vacation because there is no where else we'd rather be.

 

[disneydee6]

Liked reading through this thread. So many have different reasons why, but it all comes down to...it's DISNEY! And OP THANK YOU!! I'm not sure if people are stressing from the upcoming holiday season, or are just in a lousy mood, or are terrified and OPINIONATED about the future changes at the parks, but OH MAN have there been some nasty exchanges on the boards lately.

There have been a lot of 'complainy' threads, and lets face it, even at Disney we complain, but so many are quick to be devils advocate instead of doing what the complainer wants, be a listening ear. And if you feel that you don't want to listen to complaints, don't respond to the thread! We NEED more positivity on the boards. We need more support instead of putdowns. How we act behind a computer should be how we act in person! When someone complains to me about a problem, I attempt to be polite, and SYMPATHETIC.
Sorry for the rant, but I thrive on positivity and the boards could certainly use more of it! So thank you everyone for 4 pages of it!

We also need to stop complaining and start appreciating. Not everyone gets to experience disney. In my six trips there, I have not ONCE forgotten how lucky I was to go at all, and how special it is that I got to experience the magic. There are few things that make me cry with joy, but disney has managed to do that for me, every trip. From the wonderful CM's to the overwhelming detail in every nook and cranny of each park and resorts, the yummy food and spectacular shows, Disney has so much to offer and is loved enough by all, so much so that we have a website where we can all talk about how much we love it.

 

[KapBoy77]

I love Disney because I believe in the Magic. And it's not the outside world. I just can't wait to step inside the world with my box of Nerds candy and not worry about acting all grownup and stuff all the time.

This thread proves that the magic exists.

Three months ago when I started planning my trip and I discovered the DIS i was so full of excitement. In the past month or so I've found this place to be a real bummer for some reason. But then comes this thread to snap me out of it and realize that the magic is indeed there and it is all in how you look at the situations put before you.

I'm beyond excited for my trip in December and I WILL make the best of every moment I encounter!

Thanks to EVERYONE who has something positive to contribute. It is because of you all that I believe in the Magic.

 

[Dawson'sMom]

Like a PP stated i just can't put into words what a Disney world trip means to me. It sounds really bad to say that I live for those 10 days a year and without them I am not quite sure what I would do. Disney is therapy for me. It is Home, it is magical and I am so glad that we will be there in 9 more days.

 

[BBG-BLT]

We love escaping to WDW. It's "our" place. We spend a lot of time around the dinner table (like tonight) saying things like "what are your 5 favorite WDW things?" or "What's your favorite memory"

Great stuff. Getting ready for our 15th trip in 11 years

 

[goofy Jr. 88]

Thanks OP. I have enjoyed reading the posts.

Disney is great family time for sure for us. We have some fabulous memories from vacationing at WDW that bring a big smile to my face as I think of them now.

 

[AuroraRosesMom]

I'm in it for the rides, the childhood memories (Port Orleans <3), the dining experiences, and the characters. I love to witness my daughter's own childhood memories being created. I love to get to ride the rides with her. I love to see my toddler's excitement for the characters. Plus, it's very entertaining to watch my husband, with his steely heart (we joke), breakdown and give in to the magic, joy, and excitement of Disney. It's just that powerful.

 

[pampam]

Some of you may have read this already since I posted it on another thread, but since it shows how well we are taken care of in WDW I thought I'd post it here too. This happened about 7 years ago.

I was enjoying our vacation at Epcot, when I phoned home and learned that my brother-in -law had died. I was in shock. We hurried back to our resort, the All Star Music, and I enquired what would happen if we went home early, since we had purchased a package. The CM got the manager. He said that we would get a refund on the nights we hadn't used, and we would get tickets to compensate for the days we didn't go to the parks. He took us into the end office, and he phoned Air Canada for us, and then he phoned Air Canada medical desk, to see about getting my daughter her oxygen for the flight home. The medical desk was closed, so he told me to come back after 8:00 a.m., when Air Canada medical desk would be open. He wouldn't be there, but another manager named Deanna would be at the front desk, starting at 7:00 a.m.

The next morning we went back to guest services, and spoke to Deanna. I phoned Air Canada, and got different options- for flights and the costs to change our tickets and the oxygen. By this point I was a mess. I couldn't collect my thoughts, and make a decision. She took me into the end office, and I phoned my husband. He talked me through it. It was going to cost an extra $400 to change the tickets, but we would manage somehow. So, she phoned Air Canada, set it up, phoned the medical desk, set up the oxygen for the flight home, and had me phone my husband to let him know what flight to pick us up. He reminded me about the Hoop de Doo tickets we had bought, which were non refundable. Deanne assured me that was no problem. She would refund them for us. She arranged transportation for us to go back to the airport. (This was years before magic express).Then she asked what we were going to do about supper. I had no plans. She tried to get us reservations for different meals, but most of them were booked up. She eventually made reservations for us for Boma's, and came back with a new room key for me, with charging priviliges on it. She insisted I put dinner on it, and they would look after it for us. She gave me her card in case I had any other problems. We left the next morning, and were home that night. I cannot stress how courteous, kind and generous Disney management was to us under very trying cicumstances. I'm very sure if we had been staying off site we would not have been treated as well. I just feel everyone should know how Disney goes the distance when one of there guests has a problem. I've stayed on Disney property many many times, and I always felt if I had a problem they would help me. Now I know for sure, yes, they will help to the best of their ability.

 

[WedgieSock]

My DH was very sick for a very long time (long complicated story), at deaths door kind of sick. After a long battle he got on top of his physical health but depression had set in - he couldn't see a future with the way "things" now were. It was a very, very dark time.

He'd never been to Disney, neither had my DD. I just knew it was something he needed, my gut told me it would be a good thing, my head said 'does he really need to be travelling/walking miles in the parks etc'.

Long story short, it was the best medicine ever. He totally bounced back - he said the magic got inside him and made him realise that he wanted to carry on creating memories. It was a life changing vacation for us and finally the darkness became light.

We now refer to it as Disney Medicine.

There is something to be said about the Disney Magic - the pure escapism from the real world.

 

[keener]

Great thread. We love it for so many reasons. Frankly it is THE sweet spot in vacations for our family. The fact that Disney and the parks are themed to all the movies we've all grown up with and my 4 kids know so well adds to the magic. Getting on rides that are themed in their favorite movies is just perfect for the little ones. It's magic for them and even more magic to watch. For the older kids (I have 4 ranging from 11 to 4) the parks do a great job of giving enough adrenaline to keep them happy.

All in all, we have history there as we've been going every 18 months for about 10 yrs. , the service is fantastic 99% of the time, parks are clean and it generally just a fantastic trip for us.

I believe in the magic too. We allow ourselves to be kids and focus only on family, fun and quality time together. That's as good as it gets for me.

 

[cheshirecatattack]

I never had the chance too go until I was 19. I had saved up all through high school and when I graduated, that was my gift to myself. Its been two years since and I've been back two more times. It just seems to get more magical each time. Every aspect of Disney amazes me. The food, the cleanliness, the attention to detail and most of all the service. A memory that sticks out most for me is on my last visit in Oct, I was sitting on a bench by the generation gap bridge in Pop at 11pm just relaxing from a long day of touring. A CM was driving by on a segway and stopped to ask if I was having a good evening. He ended up chatting with me for almost 20-30 minutes, answering my questions about tours and telling me why how he ended up working at Disney. It was amazing how I felt he would've given me all the time in the world answering my questions and knowing that as a CM he still feels the magic. No where else in the world do the employees go so out of their way to make sure your day is special, and they do it because they want to, not because they have too.

 

[Leona Fishback]

Pam Pam's story is exactly what I'm talking about. That's so Disney, and why they impress me. And although a sad story like that happens out of sight, I see so many other forms of it when walking around Disney. It adds to my happy to see them treating people so well.