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Thirteen years ago today, I was getting ready to walk down the aisle to greet my Prince Charming and begin our fairy tale life together. Of course, it hasn’t always been a fairy tale, I’d be a little scared if it was! Our story began a lot more than 13 years ago too…almost 19 years ago, this long-haired boy that played guitar before school in the auditorium, asked if I’d go out with him. I said yes, and have been saying yes ever since. He told me he loved me the first week we met. Never having had a boyfriend before, I was a little dumbfounded by what to reply and simply said, “okay…” Soon, however, I fell in love with his every breath. He asked me to marry him less than a year later, when I was still 17, giving me a tiny diamond he got at the mall. I said, “yes, but…not for a while!”. Years passed and we were inseparable, despite many predictions we wouldn’t last 6 months. In 1995, I convinced him to pack up and move 1500 miles away to Orlando and work at Disney World with me. He had only ever moved once in his life, so this was a huge deal. Soon we decided that the time was right and he took that tiny diamond and added it to the diamond from my mom’s engagement ring and added a new diamond on the other side, creating a past, present and future ring that held so many memories, with the promise of many more.

Continue Reading the Fairy Tale >>

Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away there was a planet where it was acceptable, nay encouraged to get bad perms, wear white overall short shorts (oh yes, I said white overall short shorts!), and of course, coordinate your ensemble with matching plastic beaded necklaces, twisted together, forming the perfect accessory. Ladies and gentleman, that planet was called The 80’s.

As most of you no doubt know, today is the anniversary of the official opening of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in 1971, Epcot (or EPCOT Center as it was known at the time) in 1982 and later Epcot’s Morocco pavilion in the World Showcase, in 1984. I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate those special days in history with my own little stroll down memory lane – Embarrassing Photo Edition. I know there was a picture of me as a baby on my first visit to Magic Kingdom, but I could not find that particular one. Instead, I found one of my sister and brother, proudly representing the 70’s with their attire. The picture was taken in the Main Street Flower Market area, now of course long gone with the Emporium expansion. From the look of the banners, it must have been around the 4th of July, which would make sense because I would’ve been 6 months old, making my brother 9 and my sister 10. I wish we had more pictures from this trip since clearly they are full of Disney history.

Next up, to commemorate Epcot’s anniversary, I wanted to share a picture from one of our earlier visits there. However, I’ve already shared quite a few, including my first 3-Season Salute Annual Pass photo and one of Dreamfinder, Figment and me. So I thought I’d share one with much more to comment on – mid-80’s EPCOT!

In this photo you not only get the treat of the “Rainbow Bright” version of “Space Mickey” but see yet another bad perm on me, countless black rubber bracelets a la Madonna, really, really short shorts (in pink and white stripes no less), white sunglasses with twisted glasses lanyard and of course – a Swatch watch. I was about 13 here so you also get to enjoy my head tilt, which says, “I’m WAY too cool to be seen with Mickey – I mean, just LOOK at me”.

Then, in honor of Morocco’s opening day, I dug up some pictures from a 6th grade class trip to EPCOT. My best friend, Nalani Proctor and I some how managed to be the only two students my mom and dad had to chaperone that day, so we had our own itinerary for fun rather than staying with the class, since we knew EPCOT like the back of our hands already. There are quite a few posed photos like the ones below, including sombreros in Mexico and posing with a castle guard in the United Kingdom. Maybe I’ll scan some of those in later…

I’m not sure why we are posing like we are in this photo, but I know my dad is the one that told us to do it. Maybe some sort of twist on a yoga pose? No clue. Oh, as I was previewing this post it hit me: maybe he wanted us to pretend we were granting wishes like Jeanie in “I Dream of Jeanie”?? In any event, you can see the shame that is tight, white overall shorts. I’m not in any way sure of how I thought that was a good idea. My t-shirt underneath was a classic EPCOT baseball shirt with the EPCOT symbol in rainbow colors, but you can’t see it under the overalls.

Here is a close-up of Nalani and I wearing a Fez. Highlighted here are my first of many bad perms, my super cool twisty plastic necklace (anyone remember those?) and my dire need for braces, which I would obtain a couple of years later. My friend is sporting the also-popular polo shirt-under-a-sweatshirt look, with short shorts. Ahh…Planet 80’s.

I hope you enjoyed this look back at what seems to be a different universe entirely. Of course the funny part now is that many of the styles popular back then (plaid, neon colors etc.) are now “in” again today. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, so they say…

Most importantly, Happiest of Anniversaries to the Happiest Places on Earth…thanks for the memories, embarrassing or otherwise! Here’s to 100 more wonderful years of Magic!

I recently asked my followers on Twitter and fans of my Facebook page what their “Most Memorable Disney Ride” was on their very first visit to a Disney park. Well let me tell you, this is something my readers were passionate about! I was really excited to read through everyone’s memories and it is truly a testament to why I write here – Disney memories are so special, everyone that’s been there has them. You never hear a first time visitor casually say, “and then we went on Small World”. Quite the contrary there are stories to go along with these memories, experiences to be shared and re-lived again and again. To borrow a quote from a Disney parks ad campaign a few years back, we share these stories to…Remember the Magic.

Some of the funniest responses were remembering Dumbo because the person threw up all over their Dad when the ride ended, and The Haunted Mansion “because it scared the poop out of me”. I was definitely one of those scared by Haunted Mansion…the scene with the doors and coffin being pried opened by creepy hands…and of course the graveyard scene with the pop-up ghouls. I still to this day feel bad for that poor, starving dog as you enter the cemetery – I just want to bring him some Puppy Chow or something!! What more proof of the power of Disney magic than an audioanimatronic figure which can elicit an emotional response of worry! Of course Disney knows how to end on a high note; the hitchhiking ghosts always got even the most scared child (me!) giggling as they realized they made it out alive! One reader loved that part because it turned her 5 year-old brother into a ghost (it’s always fun when they sit on someone’s lap!).

Quite a few other memories were about being terrified on a Disney ride – Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Tower of Terror (many votes for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride too!). The common thread? Everyone survived and then had a great story to tell – “I did it! I rode it!!” It’s such a wonderful feeling to conquer a fear like that and realize that which you might have been scared of is actually loads of fun.

I clearly remember the first time I rode Big Thunder Mountain. I’d never been on anything but a kiddie roller coaster at a carnival before, but my dad insisted I’d be fine and finally convinced me to try it. It was SO fast, but fun too. He was laughing the whole time, pointing out the scenes we were passing – “Look at the piggies, honey!” he said and I replied “NICE PIGGIES!!” through clenched teeth. As he predicted, I was fine and I loved it. Last year I got to share that same experience with my fearless daughter, who did not need reassurance that she’d be fine – she just wanted on! Needless to say, she loved it.

The now extinct Skyway ride was another favorite memory to some, myself included. My mom was scared of heights, so this was another ride my dad and I went on together. We always used to take it from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland because the line was shorter. For me it was such a thrill to just get on the ride. I’d get nervous that I’d miss the Skyway cab and fall out of the building, which was silly because the cast members stopped the cab for you to get on, but at 8 or 9, your imagination gets the best of you. Once we were on the ride itself the views were incomparable. You could see down into 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and get some amazing pictures of Cinderella Castle (in fact I took pictures every ride up until it closed). It was so peaceful and quiet too, a wonderful break from the crowds of the day.

Of course I’ve discussed before my first Epcot ride memory. Pirates of the Caribbean was my first Magic Kingdom ride. My family, having brushed up on the only-choice-at-the-time Birnbaum guide books, always started to the left in Adventureland. I was scared of that ride too – too many skeletons – but I loved the dark air conditioned boat ride and the surprise drop. Plus who doesn’t love Pirates? I know we did It’s a Small World as well, which was another common answer among my readers – rightly so, the song makes it impossible to forget!

The funny thing is, with all our family trips and during my time as a cast member, there were still some rides I’d never been on! I didn’t ride the Mad Tea Party until a friend came to visit and wanted to go on. I thought for sure I’d get sick, but I didn’t. I had no idea you could control how fast or slow you spun on the cups. I’ve since been on with people that spun it a little too fast, but it was still great. I had a bad experience on a Tilt-a-Whirl as a kid and this does not compare. I did not ride Space Mountain until my birthday 2 years ago. Is that not shocking?? I had even been on Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster and been fine, but Space Mountain always ignited fear in my heart. I think it might have been the stories my mom told about riding with my brother and gripping his arm so hard that he had visible fingernail marks at the end of the ride! My friend visiting from Texas wanted to ride it though, and who am I to deny a first-time visitor that experience? We went on, and I loved it! I finally felt like I had done it all now that I’d conquered Space Mountain. Of course, I still need to get over to Expedition Everest…but we’ll see about that.

Whichever ride becomes your favorite that you must experience 20 times each visit, whichever one you’ve done once and don’t plan on riding again, there is only one First Ride…and the memories from it will last a lifetime. What’s your story?

I’m going to confess something right now.

Many people in my life actually don’t like Disney.

I know, I know, it’s hard to believe – but it’s true! My siblings are not Disney people and many, many people I know just don’t “get” the whole “Disney thing”. Especially those who’ve known me for years now see me on facebook posting all these links every day to blog entries about DisneyDisneyDisney and wonder just how obsessed one person can be. So I thought I’d attempt to answer.

If you have read my previous entries, or know me personally, you know how much Disney World has always been a part of my life. However, it has not always been happy pixie dust all the time – there were visits where some pretty bad memories were made. Visits in later years without my dad there, where the memories of the past were so overpowering it was almost unbearable…in both good and bad ways. The first visit after my dad passed away in 2004, I pretty much cried the entire visit. Even in the Happiest Place on Earth, sadness can exist. That is not to say I’ve ever suffered at Disney World, I realize relatively speaking this is not the hardest of crosses to bear – I’m still at Disney World, right? My point is exactly that, I was at Disney World, through thick and thin.

I wish I could figure out exactly what it was about Disney World that embedded itself so completely in my psyche. I wish I could pinpoint that moment in time. I know it was the big family trip in 1983. EPCOT had just opened and at 9, it was just the most magical place ever. Sure, there was the Castle over in Magic Kingdom and all those fun rides over there, but this was NEW…and held so much new excitement. The attractions at EPCOT were truly interactive. You could see real live plants right in front of you on Listen to The Land. You could smell orange groves and choose your own ending in Horizons. You could envision the future of transportation – and then sit in a fancy Cadillac at the end of World of Motion. And then…and then there was Journey into Imagination.

I could perhaps write a dissertation on that attraction. I fell in love on my very first ride. I still remember walking in the doors and seeing the cool crystal elevator in the center of the room. Once seated on the moving cars, it was just…perfection. Sure, it was funny little animatronic figures singing at you, but the message was pure. It was not long before I had (and still do) have One Little Spark memorized from start to finish. The rest of the ride was just like a dream. It had crazy parts, parts where you smelled lovely roses before you passed into the beautiful white room, scary parts with thunder and lightening, parts about drama…but what about Science? The end was a cool time-lapse film room where you saw grass grow, flowers bloom and felt your imagination grow. It ended with what I think was the first “take-your-picture-on-a-ride” moment. Once we discovered where the flash was, my family always made silly faces and scenes in our photo and loved seeing other people’s candid shots.

Needless to say, I found my pixie dust at Journey into Imagination. On the last day of that vacation, I cried during the entire ride, because I didn’t want to leave it. My mom broke the rules and took flash photography the whole time because she wanted me to have the memories of the ride when we got back home to Boston. (Sorry Disney!) I just didn’t want to leave the magic I’d found there. Almost 30 years later, I still feel the same way. The ride has changed a few times and lost a bit of its original charm for me, but I still tear up at the end because the memories are still there. That is the power of Disney magic.

I recently read an article on AllEarsNet by Mike Scopa about the phenomenon of “Mouse Tears” or crying during different events or attractions at Disney. Obviously this is not a new thing, and we are not alone in our experience of it. I used to cry at the Festival of the Lion King at the end where all the kids dance around to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” before I even HAD kids. Music and beautiful images are so powerful, there really IS a magic there, magnified within the borders of Disney property. When I did have kids, those memories and tears just became that much stronger…and now we’re giving them memories to last their lifetime as well. Sometimes all my mom and I have to do is look at each other as we walk toward the Castle and we both start the water works while my husband starts the eye-rolling.

Disney World is more than just a ‘vacation spot’ and I don’t view it as a multi-billion dollar corporate entity out to rule the world. I see it as a place where dreams came true, and can still come true, with each visit. That belief has instilled a passion in me compared only to the love of my wonderful family. If your eyes and heart are open, you can see the magic too.

Sure, Disney can be a crazy, hectic, stressful experience for some. The crowds can be overbearing and oblivious. The heat can be unbearable at times. The prices can be a hardship. But one thing happens for me each time I walk onto Disney grounds…I take a deep breath, and I am home. The memories flood back; the sights, the smells, the tastes…and new memories are welcomed in. I always wanted other people to experience those same memories, to know that it didn’t have to be stressful, it could be full of wonder – but wasn’t sure how to go about doing that.

Then, I discovered Twitter. I started out just posting random updates, but soon found others just like me, that loved Disney too -and more importantly, they weren’t afraid to show it. I had already decided to turn my existing website into a blog, but felt such pressure to *find something funny/interesting to blog about!* that I’d been avoiding really updating. Then it hit me to “do what you love” and make it all about Disney. Once I made that decision, it was simple. My connections and friendships made on twitter gave me such great support. Soon my blogs were being promoted by other people, I was writing guest blogs for other sites – the magic had begun!

It really has been kismet that brought me to twitter and connected me with the people I’ve met there – Disney cast members, pod casters, fellow bloggers, *famous* Disney website creators, and members of the Disney Moms Panel. I applied last year and will again this year with renewed excitement because now I know I’m not alone. There are so many other people out there with the same passion and enthusiasm for this magical place that we love. My passion led me to ZannaLand and all those Disney tips and stories and memories have a place to live and flourish now. But really, should I have expected any less? This is Disney after all, pixie dust comes with the territory!

I hope this has explained things a little more, given you a bit of understanding of why I am so passionate about this and how its not going to stop any time soon. I hope it has also served as a thank you for those that have supported me from day one, even with no understanding of what I was undertaking-just cheering me on no matter what.

Thank you all for reading – comments are ♥

In August of 1993, my mom and I had planned a little vacation to Disney World. We were living in Massachusetts at the time and I had probably just come to the conclusion that I wanted to work at Disney World. This wasn’t our ‘recon’ mission when we went looking for houses, rather more of a getaway from the grind of school and work which we were both a part of. What we didn’t plan for was a Royal companion during our visit to Disney World – Princess Diana had also decided to take her boys on vacation there during the same time.

We heard the news reports once we got there, and the rumors from cast members about her reserving an entire floor of the Grand Floridian and the special security needed to escort her throughout the parks. We also managed to serendipitously follow her around almost her entire visit.

We first saw her in the Magic Kingdom, in Mickey’s Starland as Mickey’s Toon Town Fair was called back then. At that time the “Judges Tent” then held a live-show with Mickey and friends. We were all ushered into the hall and completely shocked when we realized the Princess of Wales was sitting two rows in front of us! Princes William and Henry were with her as well and each had a friend or two as well. She was so elegant and gracious, smiling and laughing at all the appropriate times. I can’t remember one single thing about the show that was on the stage, but I remember her smile in front of me as if it were yesterday.

After that we thought that was the end of our amazing luck with Princess-viewing. Nope, the next day we both happened to be at the then Disney-MGM Studios at the same time. We had just finished up the Backstage Tour and were walking over to the Special Effects Tour and saw her group being escorted back behind the main buildings at the end of foot of New York Street (where Lights, Motors, Action! now stands). I tried to take a picture then, but it didn’t show the Princess.

Later we stopped for lunch at the Backlot Express over by Star Tours – a favorite counter service spot for us. Wouldn’t you know, Princess Diana stopped in to use the restroom here! You would’ve thought she was royalty the way everything stopped…oh, wait. Yes, it was quite amazing seeing both the special treatment given to such an elegant Princess, as well as how down to earth and relaxed Princess Diana seemed. She was just in Bermuda shorts and a t-shirt, nothing ridiculously over-the-top. She was clearly enjoying her time with her sons and making sure they didn’t miss out on anything.

I had always held a fondness for the Princess of Wales, having watched her wedding on T.V. and her appearances in the media throughout the years. After this trip though, I had a new respect for her as a mom too. I wasn’t anywhere near being a mom yet in 1993, but I knew from living with my own mother just how important those special times can be, especially in one of the most magical places on earth. It was truly an honor to witness a real Princess amid the fairy tale ones all around us.

We were living in Orlando, Florida when we first heard news that late night of her car crash. My husband and I were still living with my mother while our first house was being built. All of us stayed up the entire night watching the news reports and my mom and I definitely shed some tears. Such a beautiful life, cut so short, so senselessly. Watching her funeral services was heartbreaking.

On this 12th anniversary of her death, I thought I’d share some of the magic she unwittingly shared with a mother and daughter, as we all enjoyed a little big of pixie dust. May you rest in peace, Princess…and thank you for all the good you did here on earth.

Anyone remember the World Showcase Dancers? They were a favorite for my family, since my mom was a professional ballerina. I was very shy, but my mom pushed me up to dance with that guy when they came around looking for volunteers. All I remember is how sweaty he was. And those blue socks I’m wearing. And that I wish I could still get away with wearing matching short/tank top sets.

I have a couple of other pictures I’m saving for an upcoming blog entry on the World Showcase Dancers. Great memories.

I mentioned in my Disney Resorts entry how our first foray into “on property” resorts was Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Vacation Villas. I found a few pictures that I scanned in and thought I’d share here.

Disney's Vacation Villas in 1984

As I described before, there were 4 different types of Lake Buena Vista Villas: Club Lake Villas were, if I recall correctly, more luxurious than the Vacation Villas. The Fairway Villas were smaller and on the golf course. The Vacation Villas were the attached townhouse style and the Tree House Villas were the really cool two-story tree house style homes nestled in the forest. The only remnants of this era of Disney resorts are the Tree House Villas, now refurbished after being used for years as homes for College Program International Cast Members. You can view the Tree House Villas from the boat that sails from Port Orleans and Old Key West Resorts to Downtown Disney. I always loved riding the Disney resort buses from the parks to the Vacation Villas, because we had to go through the Tree House Villas first and you never knew what you’d see on those dark roads; raccoons, bunnies, deer…it was great fun.

My mom and I posing as my dad took the picture from the loft above.

The layout for the Vacation Villas we stayed in was a typical condo layout downstairs: small kitchen with pass-thru and bar stools at the counter, dining area, bathroom, and family room with a sleeper sofa, tv, etc. The fun was upstairs, where the master bedroom was actually an open loft design. You have no idea how cool this was to an 8 year-old. The master bedroom had a king bed and a tv, then a bathroom too as I remember, but the wall that the tv was on was completely open to the family room downstairs. It was so exciting to me. There was another bedroom upstairs with two twin beds and a bathroom. The family room downstairs had sliding glass doors leading to a patio with chairs. There were several options for views, but we always requested and received an Empress Lily view.

This was me, before heading to dinner at the Empress Lily Room. Pre Pleasure Island too!

Another great part of staying at the Lake Buena Vista Villas was you were able to rent a golf cart for the length of your stay. You could then get anywhere you needed to go in that area with the golf cart. We drove to breakfast at the Buena Vista Club restaurant. (This was the Club attached to the golf course). We explored the other villas…if my dad had been a golfer obviously he could’ve used it for that too! The best part was driving to the Lake Buena Vista Village Marketplace. You may know it now as Downtown Disney.

We could drive our golf cart over the bridge in the area that now houses the bus stops for Downtown Disney. From there we could park over where Downtown Disney Guest Relations now is, plug in the golf cart and explore the shops and restaurants. I think there were only a few at the time Cap’n Jack’s was one, and Chef Mickeys, which stood where Rain Forest Cafe now exists. It was a quaint, little place then. Dark wood decor, windows overlooking the lake and the Empress Lily. It had a separate lounge where you could wait and have a drink while you waited for your table. Back then, if you ordered one of a few specific drinks, you could get a souvenir plastic mug to keep. I remember getting a drink similar to a Shirley Temple, with rock candy swizzle sticks. A lot. I have quite a few of those red mugs with Chef Mickey’s image on them. I had to stop using them because the dishwasher was wearing off the design.

Souvenir mugs from the *original* Chef Mickey's Village Restaurant

I think the only other restaurant was the deli where Earl of Sandwich is now. Mickey’s Pantry was there, a jewelry store called 24-K and a few other shops. Can you imagine a Marketplace without World of Disney, Once Upon a Toy, the Lego Store or even Pleasure Island?? That’s how it once was. The Marketplace truly was a rainy day excursion and not an attraction unto itself like it is now. Obviously Disney recognized that and turned it into a destination brimming with activities, shops and dining options!

Sadly, Disney decided to discontinue operations of the Villas. They used some of the buildings during the Disney Institute years, but then demolished all of the original villas (apart from the Tree House Villas) and built the Saratoga Springs Resort as part of the Disney Vacation Club program. Saratoga Springs now offers some of those same gorgeous views of the Empress Lily that we once enjoyed, even though it’s now called Fulton’s Crab House.

Another thing I found in my search for old pictures was this coupon for the arcade at the Lake Buena Vista Villa Center. Think they’ll still honor it?

Arcade Coupon good for 1 game at the Lake Buena Vista Center

As always, thanks for the memories, Disney. I welcome any information, links or pictures from this time period at Walt Disney World!!

As I discussed in my history of Disney obsession, I came to love Walt Disney World the way most kids do, on a family vacation.

Part of what makes it so magical is that you are leaving your comfortable surroundings; you are venturing into another world, and when it’s over, you go home and pine away for a time when you can do it all over again. But what happens when you are raised in an environment where you can go to Disney World every weekend, or if you really felt like it (and gas prices didn’t cost an appendage or two), every day? Does it become less magical? Do you become spoiled by what is no longer in a kingdom far far away, but happens as often as “we’re going to the mall, kids“?

After we all retired our Cast Member name tags, we purchased annual passes and still went pretty much every weekend. Sometimes we’d just go for lunch or dinner and not even go on a single ride. When my first son was born in 1999, we had been living in the Orlando area and been park regulars for the past 4 years. It seemed only natural to head to the opening of the Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom when he was 3 weeks old. We got several stink-eye looks from wizened old grannies that always have advice to offer new parents “He needs a hat!” “He needs booties!” “He needs more blankets!” (yes, even in Florida, you get told to add layers!). Many asked “How OLD is he?!” and when I answered “3 weeks” I did so with the disclaimer, “Oh, we just live down the street, it’s not like we’re here for a 10 day vacation.” That seemed to satisfy them a bit, although I’m not sure why I cared to explain myself – we were at Tower of Terror one time when a mother was getting quite irate with Cast Members for not being allowed to bring her six week old infant on the ride. Yes, really.

So our firstborn grew up getting wheeled around Disney World until we sold our house and moved back to Massachusetts (a long story, but basically, we had a child and both exclaimed – “We can’t possibly raise a child in FLORIDA! We must return to Boston, to history and culture!” – We were back in FL within 6 months). At that time, I was pregnant with our daughter. She was born in Massachusetts, and we did indeed return to Florida 6 months later. She too, was wheeled around Disney World like her brother had been. Of course at 2 years old and 6 months old, they were too young to remember what they experienced anyway, but we had fun. Cue a few more moves, and we didn’t really return to Florida to live until 2003.

Before that, back in 2002 we had one wonderful, crazed visit where my husband’s parents, brother and his girlfriend, and the 4 of us in our mini-van all drove down to Orlando from Boston. The kids were then 3 and almost-2 at the time. Just the right age to enjoy most everything and be get that wonderful look of awe on their faces that Disney inspires. Of course they were also amazed by South of the Border on the trip back home, but…we’ll let that slide. It was the perfect little vacation so we could all experience what it was like to be a tourist at Disney again, rather than a local. The crazed part came with the super-cold front that rolled in, forcing us to seek out sweatpants and sweatshirts for the kids. My father-in-law got sick so their group went home a day early, and our son got sick as well – he decided to create a whole new appetizer at Canada’s Le Cellier while we waited to order. Ew. Just because that needed to be topped, I got the brilliant idea to adopt a pair of kittens from someone I had met online, so we met them in a Super Wal-Mart parking lot, picked up 2 tiny mewing kittens, supplies for them, and proceeded to drive back home in the now renamed Bodily Function Central mini-van. Despite those setbacks, it was nice to make a whole journey out of the trip and enjoy lots of things we’d missed for years by taking quick day trips.

Fast forward to 2003 when we took up residence again, we went back to weekend visits and trying out new lunch or dinner spots. The kids did not, in fact, lose their wonderment of the Happiest Place on Earth. They both got into pin collecting, and we got excited about what had become our family traditions – Mother’s Day at the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, October at the Not-So-Scary Halloween Party followed by http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/special-events/epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival/, ending with of course the amazing decorations for the holidays,

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party with its snow on Main Street, USA, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights (which make me cry each time), and the gorgeous trees in the resorts. We just shared our traditions with several hundred thousand other visitors to The World.

When we moved outside of Tampa in 2005, we visited a little less frequently. It certainly wasn’t every weekend, but we kept the family traditions alive. There was always something new to see, some refurbished ride or restaurant or resort to explore – it never got old. Then last year, I had our 2nd son, our 3rd child.

We waited a whole 10 weeks before bringing him to Disney for the first time, for the holiday celebrations mentioned above. He did pretty well at the Very Merry Christmas Party, it was me that was pretty much over breastfeeding with throngs of people getting their free hot chocolate and cookies around the park (but I still had fun!). He made it through the special nighttime Christmas parade, and we walked out as the Wishes fireworks were going on.

Since then, we’ve visited a lot more frequently, but I realized something when we had our good friends visiting from California. We had become dependent on the phrase “don’t worry, we can come back anytime”. Any time there was more than a 20 minute wait, or we didn’t want to deal with the baby getting in and out of the stroller, we said “catch ya next time” to a LOT of attractions. We, as parents, were still having fun people watching and having a Disney-quality lunch or dinner somewhere, but as parents know there’s only so much “walking around” kids can do (especially as they approach that fun tween age) before they start to formulate plans for mutiny involving the release of the Sword in the Stone from its imprisonment, on the back of a Disney World napkin as we stop for lunch.

My oldest son is also getting to the point (10 ½) where he doesn’t want to go on ANY rides. Don’t get me wrong, he still loves Disney and loves even more when we take mini-vacations and stay in a condo for a couple of nights. He seems to love the experience of the park, but just doesn’t want to bother going on the rides right now. I’m not worried, I know this too shall pass. I went through a phase when I was that age where I was completely PETRIFIED of the Haunted Mansion. I’d been on it a billion times, I knew it wasn’t “scary” but I still did NOT want to go on that ride and no amount of begging could convince me. Pirates wasn’t much better with all the skeletons. I’m not sure if he’s inherited a bit of that or not, but he’s a kid that begs to see every new horror film that comes out, so I’m thinking no. That is another part of living slow close to the parks – you can, but don’t have to go all the time. I’m sure with a break, he’ll be extra excited to ride all his old favorites.

During that visit with our Californian friends, I made a promise to my daughter that we would go on Splash Mountain next time we came to Disney no matter what. That next time was when we saw the Hall of Presidents preview. We were lucky enough to be gifted some Fast Passes when we were waiting in line, so we walked right on. It was her first time, and she LOVED it. So I decided then and there that we were going to have a Girls Day Out at Disney World. When we got home, I got out our customized Disney maps I’d ordered a year ago when we stayed at Dixie Landings (oops, I mean Port Orleans Riverside), and told her to make a list of all the rides she wanted to go on when we went. She was quite excited about that. Our itinerary is going to involve 3 parks. We’re starting out in Animal Kingdom, heading to Epcot and ending up in Magic Kingdom to go on all the rides there at night. It’ll just be us so there won’t be anyone complaining that they don’t want to go on this ride or that, and the baby will be at home so it’ll be that much easier to get around.

I think that proves that after all these years and after countless visits, my kids still get excited for the magic that exists only within Walt’s World. Sure, my oldest may be more interested in X-box 360 right now, but I have no doubt he’ll want to get back to Disney soon enough. Living here as given us the opportunities to truly experience all The World has to offer, that we might not otherwise be able to squeeze into a traditional vacation. We’ve been able to see Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba, the boys have rented the watercraft at Downtown Disney while our princess was turned into a princess at Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique. We’ve been able to stroll around Downtown Disney and see the ins and outs of each shop, try new restaurants when they open, go to both miniature golf courses, resort hop and look in the shops or try the restaurants, and do tours at Magic Kingdom. Disney has become like a second home for my children, as it is for the adults in the family as well. Sure, I’d love to be able to take a 10 day vacation on property with the dining plan, but I love being able to pop over for special events or just because I’m in the mood for Dole Whip. That, is magic.

And despite the loud parties many nights, I have to say Disney is a pretty good neighbor. Can’t really complain too much. They’re clean, always keep their lawn mowed, and they do have the best fireworks on the block.

Hey everyone! I have a few blogs in the works, I need to scan in some old photos to add to them first, but in the meantime, I’ve written a guest blog over at http://afterthemouse.com! It’s a really great site put together by @afterthemouse, full of cast member stories and other cool features. I had a great time writing it and reminiscing about my time with the Mouse. Check it out and leave me a comment leave me a comment there or here telling me what you think!

Thanks everyone, have a great weekend!

Z.

It’s hard to imagine a time when someone would mention “Michael Jackson” and hear that reply. However that’s what I said to my mom, when I opened a special boxed album for my 9th birthday in 1982. That box set was a storybook version of the movie E.T. along with a song he recorded and a poster of him hugging E.T. I had no idea who Michael Jackson was at that point. My mom tried to explain who he was, talking about the Jackson 5 and the Wiz. I’m sure I must’ve seen the Jackson 5, but the boy in the poster I didn’t recognize. Well…then came Thriller.

By the next year, I got the “Thriller” album from a friend at my birthday party in 1983. I had already been into him by then, MTV had been around for a bit, and we’d all been blown away by his dancing in videos and on the award shows. Who *wasn’t* glued to the tv that night he performed the Moon Walk for the very first time? It was surreal. From that point on, he was my new obsession. As obsessed as a 10 year old in the suburbs of Boston could be anyway (it’s not like I went to any of his concerts or anything). I had the poster of him in the yellow vest up above my desk. I had a painter’s cap (they were SO in back then, trust me) and it was COVERED in Michael Jackson buttons. I wonder where that is…it might’ve been in the bag of stuff we lost on a move when I was 14. Anyway…it was my childhood – and many of my friends too. Quite a few people had “Michael Jackson zipper jackets” and wore one glove for a while. He affected so many.
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