photo ©Disney

Therein lies the magic of Disney in one of its many forms – holding your baby in your lap as your 11 and 9 year-olds sit next to you, to watch a parade you saw at their age…and haven’t seen since they were both your baby’s age. After you’ve wrapped your head around that math, pause for a moment to think about the layers of memories there. I can write about sitting on the warm concrete with the smell of smoked turkey legs wafting around me in the thick, humid air. I can try to pinpoint the moment when the music first hits the area you’re sitting in and you crane your neck to spy the first twinkling light. I can share with you the look of wonder and joy on all of my childrens’ faces as they witnessed the Main Street Electrical Parade for the very first time. But I cannot do it justice. It is simply something you must experience. Like most things at Disney, it is a multi-sensory adventure that is truly felt as much as it is seen.

Truly, to be a fan of Disney Parks, is to be a time-traveler. You can rewind the magic and experience it again and again. There is not a single time I visit Epcot or Magic Kingdom that prior visits and memories don’t come flooding back. In a world that’s ever-changing, it’s nice to have a place that has figured out how to keep time in a bottle. Sure, there are some things we loved about Walt Disney World that we’ll never again see…but it was just as important a memory for me to explain what was once there to my 11 year-old son as we stood in front of the old Fantasyland Skyway station. I’d give anything to ride on the Skyway just one more time with my children in tow, but at least now they know the history and what used to be. With the Main Street Electrical Parade, we are able to get ‘what once was’ back again.

So I urge you to get to the Magic Kingdom this summer. Whether it’s your first time seeing the parade or your 40th, how often do we get to rewind the magic and relive our childhood – or experience a whole new one? Even every 10 years is a long time to wait. Come on down and give your old memories some new friends.

I could probably fill a million blog entries with the memories and emotions I feel about being a mother. It is, quite simply, the one thing I knew I was destined for before I was even married. Believe it or not (ok, so it’s probably pretty easy to believe if you are a frequent reader) a lot of how I knew I wanted to be a mom is tied to Disney. I would cry at Disney movies knowing I wanted to share the love I saw on screen with my own children some day. I’d watch other people’s children dance around at the end of the Festival of the Lion King show in Animal Kingdom and be a crying fool thinking of how sweet they were…hoping to someday share memories like that.

I never babysat as a child, in fact, I never even changed a diaper until my first son’s 11 years ago. It wasn’t that I had this need to ‘mother’ or that I felt I would somehow be great at it, it was more about the memories I knew would be there. I had such a wonderful childhood and I wanted to be able to give that experience to my own children. I wanted to treasure my children as much as my mom treasured me. I don’t think I’ve measured up to the bar she set, but I keep trying.

Children represent innocence and pure joy and it is reflecting upon that which brings a tear to my eye. I don’t think any mom will argue that some of the best moments of motherhood are sneaking a peak at a sweetly sleeping baby, or hearing them squeal in laughter. And all they ask in return is love – they could care less if they are dirty or don’t live in a mansion, or have the latest designer baby clothes. Love. That’s all. I think that’s a pretty good deal, don’t you? The benefits are certainly in our favor. We get to watch a miracle be born and grow and thrive and succeed in life. That’s better than any pay check or Mother’s Day bouquet if you ask me.

I’ll stop with the mush here, but leave you with my Mother’s Day gift to you – two of my favorite Disney songs about motherhood, in all its various forms. Dumbo’s mother did what any of us would do if our child were in danger, and the complete despair she felt, put aside by Dumbo needing her, is so expertly captured here. I have sung this song to all my babies, from the moment they were born, through the depths of post-partum blues, to when they were too big to carry any longer. They will all always be my ‘baby mine’.

Tarzan is one of my favorite films. It came out the year my first son was born, so I was pretty much a jiggly puddle of emotions that whole year anyway. The different kinds of love portrayed here, the fact that all a family needs is love, not rules of how things should be, combined with the music just make me tear up every time. Always. Always and all ways. I’ll be there. So true.

Followed by a link to a trailer of the new movie Babies, opening on Mother’s Day. When I saw this preview a couple of months back, I was completely blown away by the images. Again, it doesn’t matter if you are raising your child in an advanced city, or in the savanna, LOVE is what matters – and it’s what you get back ten thousand-fold as a mother.

I wish all reading this a blessed Mother’s Day. To my own mother, words cannot properly convey the thanks I have for your years of unconditional love, wisdom and guidance. To the 42 new (to me) moms (& dads) I’ve had the privilege of meeting this past year, thank you for your gifts of friendship and desire to be a better mom myself. To my children, thank you for bestowing on my the greatest gift I could ever hope for. ♥

Please have tissues ready before clicking play on any of these videos.

click to get to the trailer page and other info on the movie.

Happy Mother’s Day ♥

Disney's Animal Kingdom's Tree of Life

In April of 1998, I had long since moved on from my time as a cast member on Main Street, USA and so had my mother and husband, who had been cast members too. I was working as a travel agent and had actually taken on the role of leisure and cruise manager while the company I worked for was expanding that department. My mother had left All-Star Sports and Mickey’s Star Traders to become a cruise agent at that same company. My husband had moved on from working hourly jobs too and had just started in the IT field. We’d been married for less than two years and were enjoying our newly built home in Ocoee, Florida. Of course we were still passholders as our love of Disney parks had not gone anywhere, even if we had hung up our name tags.

It had been exciting following along the development of Disney’s Animal Kingdom while we were cast members. I still have the little cast member booklet with facts about the park, which labeled it “Disney’s WILD Animal Kingdom” before the name change cause by copyright issues removed the ‘wild’ from the equation. My mom in particular had been fascinated with the process and had taken an interest in Imagineer Joe Rohde and his dedication to every detail within the park. So of course we planned to be there for Opening Day, auspiciously taking place on Earth Day in 1998.

It was exciting to see and hear the then-CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner speaking as he dedicated the park –

Welcome to a kingdom of animals… real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony and survival; a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn.

—Michael Eisner April 22, 1998

If I recall correctly (forgive what 12 years and 3 kids have done to my memory cells), Circle of Life played after he spoke. What I do remember vividly was instead of the usual Disney celebratory confetti canons to mark the park being opened – we were showered with beautiful fresh rose petals. The combination of the beauty, excitement and magic brought a tear to our eyes for sure.

just a few of the over 300 creatures carved into the Tree of Life's trunk

When we entered the park, we had no expectations for certain rides or attractions to fill our time. Having grown up being a child of the EPCOT Center 80′s, I had crafted a great respect for the details beyond the rides. I didn’t need or want to be entertained and thrilled at every turn, I wanted to explore and enjoy. Animal Kingdom is a park of discovery, where each visit is slightly different and each turn might bring a new treasure to light. I think it’s a perfect metaphor for the need to stop and smell the roses in life. You can look at the Tree of Life from afar and walk right by it thinking it’s just another tree – but upon closer inspection it is teeming with details and amazement covering every inch. You could visit the park dozens of times and never discover the rooms within Pizzafari (I once used an entire roll of film there-before digital cameras of course), which are by themselves a work of art.

As reactions to the park got around, I found myself defending the park to all I met. “There’s nothing to DO there!” I’d hear. I’d share my opinions of the details and discoveries that awaited them, but it is sometimes hard to convince people who only keep their head down and race to the safari. Disney has attempted to assuage naysayers who demand more thrills and excitement with the addition of Expedition Everest but the fact remains that more than any other park, Animal Kingdom seems to have the reputation as the boring little brother of the family.  I urge everyone to look beyond what Animal Kingdom has to offer in terms of a traditional theme park, and see it for what it is, an ever-changing adventure for the senses.

Happy Birthday, Animal Kingdom! My heart will always hold that same excitement it found on Opening Day. Thank you for 12 years of wonderful memories, with many more in store I’m sure.

I loved this room, so, so much. Hand-painted by my amazing husband.

We were prepared at home. My husband had painstakingly painted a beautiful 100 Acre Wood mural complete with two scenes of Pooh, Christopher Robin and my favorite, Piglet, in the baby’s nursery. The baby shower had been held, all the essentials accounted for. I was definitely not ready to go in to labor that day, however. My bag was not packed. I thought I had at least 3 weeks to go, maybe more since first time moms traditionally went over their due dates. My doctor had different plans. I had almost all of the symptoms of preeclampsia and my blood pressure during that visit was enough to convince him to admit me and get me induced, so the baby would be safely delivered.

Of course fear and anxiety swept over me. Labor was my biggest worry and I feared it would lead to a C-section if things didn’t go well. Part of me was relieved, however. I didn’t have to worry about “Oh, is this really labor or a false start?” “Are they going to send me home because I’m not dilated enough?” I knew I was getting admitted and I wasn’t getting sent home until I delivered. I knew a little bit about what to expect since I’d been admitted before when the morning sickness had dehydrated me. (And I’d been addicted to A Baby Story for the last 9 months!) After about 5 failed attempts to find a proper vein for my IV, a new nurse came in and took over…however the IV was actually in my forearm which was to say the least, a bit uncomfy. Of course, I was in for much more in the ‘uncomfy’ department

Because I was being induced, the contractions kicked in fast and furiously with the Pitocin. No one can really prepare you for the sensation of labor. Saying “it’s like really bad cramps” just doesn’t do it justice. The thing about cramps is, you can usually move around or do something to ease the pain just a bit. For me, this was unlike anything I’d ever experienced because I couldn’t make it stop. I wanted so much to go all natural with no epidural…but after 4 hours, I knew that wasn’t possible. First they gave me a ‘walking epidural’ which for me did absolutely nothing. So I got an epidural and once it kicked in…oh my. Happy Juice is an understatement. I could’ve stayed there all week with that in place.

Labor went on for about 6 hours, and finally it was time to push. As is often the case with epidurals, you are so nice and numb, you don’t really notice when it’s time to push through a contraction. It took a while…2 hours of pushing before little C made his appearance at 2:45am, the day before the Super Bowl was taking place 3 hours away in Miami. I wish I could gush about the details after that, but really it’s all a blur of elation. I remember my mom coming in at 3am to see him and both of us crying at how perfect he was. I remember getting moved to the tiny recovery room and just wanting to SLEEP – and never let him go either.

I’m not going to recount the full details of his first couple of weeks at home, because they were a bit scary with some jaundice issues, lots of doctor and hospital visits and a full 24 hours under bili lights at home. What I did learn that first week was what a wonderful husband I had – fully committed to being a Daddy and doing whatever it took to take care of his little boy.

C and his sister S, age 2 and almost 1. Those faces. *sigh*

What I originally wanted to talk about was what an amazing son we were blessed with, and what a joy it’s been watching him grow up. He kept us smiling and laughing all the time with every new milestone and discovery. And when his sister was born when he was 19 months old, we knew it would change things forever. I distinctly remember a nurse telling me, “pretty soon, he won’t remember life before his sister was here.”. I wasn’t really sure what to think of that bit of knowledge. It was almost bittersweet. Had we somehow compromised his childhood by giving him no choice but to share it with another little person? Would he get lost in the shuffle and become withdrawn? Would we be able to give him all the attention he deserved?

Of course all those fears were unwarranted. He and his sister became the very best of friends…after a while. He was a bit put out at first and I smile thinking back to him pointing to the new baby and pointing to the floor, saying “Baby. Down!” Once she was crawling and then walking he realized having a built in playmate was pretty fun. They shared everything from toys to mischief to meltdowns. It was (and is) never a dull moment when they are together. So many wonderful memories of their childhood together. He doesn’t remember life before her, and though I’m sure there are times when he wishes in anger that she’d disappear, the love he has for her is evident every day.

He loves making his sister (and all of us) laugh...

Still today, 11 years later, his biggest joy is making his sister (or me, or his dad) laugh. He loves to make people happy and has definitely inherited my husband’s and my sarcastic and dry sense of humor. Along with his love of Xbox and Wii and the games he plays, he has a gift for music and art and definitely leans toward all things creative. One of the traits I love best about him is his determination and sense of self. He isn’t concerned with what other people think and doesn’t let that rule his life. He will give something his all just to have fun, not to win. I wish some of that would rub off on me, I really do!

Bottom line, from birth to today, I…we, are blessed to know this boy that has been gifted into our lives. It is not very often you find a combination of a creative, funny, loving personality all wrapped up into one. I know that as we venture closer to the teen years, any or all of this could change at any time. I can only hope and pray that we’ve given him the foundation of love and family that he can rely and fall back on no matter how independent he chooses to be. Seeing how he’s warmed up to his new little brother has been a delight as well. Just as we watched him grow up idolizing his dad, it’s been fun seeing him realize that now he has a little person that idolizes him too. Thank you, C, for being who you are. I can’t wait to see who you become. Happy Birthday.

J and me, senior year of high school-1990

Thirteen Fifteen 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 15 years ago too…almost 19 21 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!”.

us on prom night, May 1991 (for those curious, these 2 pictures show my natural hair color!)

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.

J and me dreaming at the Wedding Pavilion-1995 I was *very* blonde back then!

While working at Disney World, we had seen the building and opening of Disney’s Wedding Pavilion. On our days off we’d head over to check it out, and dream of the ultimate Disney wedding. We were unable to afford a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, and also could not get a priest to perform the ceremony outside of a church, so we decided to have our reception at the WDW Dolphin instead. It was much more affordable for us, and still gave us the special magic of a wedding at Disney. Planning the wedding was so much fun, and the staff at the Dolphin really took care of everything, we just had to decide what we wanted to eat and what kind of cake we preferred.

There were a few mix-ups along the way from the other vendors, but the Disney part was perfect. One issue was the florist who assured us he could find delicate tiny pale pink tulips to match perfectly with the Stargazer Lilies in my bouquet. When we arrived at the church, the tulips were HUGE and a deep dark pink. Nothing we could do at that point! The other issue was the balloons. Keep in mind this was the mid-90′s (as the pictures of my poofy veil will reveal!) and I guess balloon arches were pretty popular, at least in my mind. I had this vision of a cool twisted archway of pink and white balloons framing our head table. When we walked into the reception hall, there were *single* balloons arranged in a sort of arch shape against the wall behind the DJ. I can laugh about it now. The issues definitely did not ruin the day, though, we had amazing food at the Dolphin, the cake was heavenly and I think everyone had a great time at the party.

We loved being able to take our families around the parks before the wedding too. That year was only the 1st annual International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot so we were excited to share that new experience with our friends and family.

Goofy wishing us well at the Chef Mickey's rehearsal dinner

Our rehearsal dinner was held at Chef Mickey’s, and as you can imagine that was anything but quiet and reserved. We were so well taken care of and everyone had a blast. I can’t recommend Chef Mickey’s enough for a large group – you’re just bound to have fun-and get completely stuffed before the big day!

Just a few of my treasured moments from October 26, 1996…

My dad and me arriving at the church

My mom and me-wouldn't have been possible without all her help & hardwork!

Heading over to the WDW Dolphin-we're married now!

After the ceremony, I remember making the driver pull over (the photographer was following behind us) as I wanted to get a picture in front of the waterfall on the road approaching the Swan and Dolphin hotels. The sun was in our eyes, we were hot and squinting, but it was perfect and that backdrop is one of my favorite photos from the wedding.

Our first dance was to “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra, inspired at the time by the recent remake of Father of the Bride. If I couldn’t have Franck plan my wedding, I could at least dance to the same song! I’m glad we went with it though, because it was a timeless choice and hearing it today instantly brings back memories of 13 15 years ago.

Thirteen Fifteen years ago seems both like an eternity ago and just yesterday. An eternity because SO much has happened in our lives. We’ve bought and sold 3 4 houses, moved 10 11 times to 3 different states (26 times and 5 states for me alone), have 3 amazing children and a wonderful family as well. I couldn’t ask for anything more and feel like the luckiest girl in the world, today and every day. There are many more parts to this wedding story, but I will share those another year…and my dream is to renew our vows at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion, completing the circle of Disney magic started so many years ago! Happy Anniversary J, I love you!

picture courtesy of Art's fan page on Facebook

After we’d moved on from our roles as Cast Members, my husband got into the IT field, and happened to take on a contracting job working on the resort computer networks. He was in charge of several resorts at a time, but his office for a while was right on the second floor of the Beach Club. He got to see Art and talk with him daily and I know he loved those moments too. As our lives moved on we still visited Beach Club regularly, whether to stay or stop in for breakfast or dinner at Cape May’s delicious buffets, or dessert at Beaches and Cream. We were always happy to see Art on each of those visits.

Our wedding reception was held at the WDW Dolphin Resort, so we were able to bring our whole wedding party around Epcot and the places we loved the most, Beach Club included. Our first son was born in 1999 and we strolled him past Art many a time before his sister joined us in 2000. We came and went throughout the years that followed, whether we were living in Florida or New England, but Art was still there, making thousands of guests memories just a little fuller. Our last child was born almost a year ago, and has also seen Art’s wonderful smile as we pass through the doors. Without realizing it, Art has witnessed the birth and expansion of our one little family…just imagine the countless other families he has affected!

The other day we were enjoying another visit to Germany’s Biergarten, a favorite among our family. As we watched the show going on before us, the performers invited guests to come dance to the music. I saw grandmother’s dancing with grandchildren, sisters and brothers spinning each other about, laughing…and I thought to myself – THIS is where magic lives. This is why Disney is so powerful for so many. It’s in the memories Disney makes you a part of, not just witness to. You can ride a ride countless times, you can check into a hotel and the experience is pretty much the same everywhere else. At Disney, you are drawn in, welcomed to take part – the magic is waiting for you to walk through those doors – and Art was most definitely that magic.

Thank you Art, you will be greatly missed!

Thank you, Art. Thank you for being the person you are and for sharing that person with so, so many over the last 16 years. You made the magic a little bit brighter and will be terribly missed. We wish you the best in the coming years!

If you’d like to read and see more about Art, you can visit the official Disney Blog, watch Disney author and fan Lou Mongello’s video interview through iTunes, and become a fan on his fan-run Facebook page. Good bye and good luck, Art, from your many grateful fans.

A friend on the Mad Tea Party

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.

Skyway image courtesy of mgmcinnis

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?

Of course, the first thing to remember is that you will not melt. Unless there are some hurricane-force winds going on or crazy lightning, Disney will remain open for your use. Certain rides with all or portions of the ride outside may temporarily shut down (especially if lightning is present) but the rest of the World will be there for those daring enough to get soaked and keep on walking.

Pre-yellow Disney ponchos? June 1983

In 2003, Disney made the switch to clear ponchos, so you weren’t *quite* as funny-looking (and you could spot your family members easier!). I have noticed that the most recent ponchos we purchased [it is the law that if you buy ponchos, you must forget them on every subsequent visit so you need to buy more when it rains again] are much thinner than they used to be, and the hood is sort of useless in keeping the rain off your face. If you have a baseball cap, wear that under the hood. You can also of course buy other ponchos at discount stores ahead of time but again, the key is remembering to carry them with you.

If, however, you arrive to the Walt Disney World Resort and see on the local weather that there is a 99% chance of rain all day every day of your visit, there are some activities to make you forget all about the rain rain rain coming down down down. Here are my top 3:

3. Innoventions This area of Epcot’s Future World is chock-full of activities to keep the whole family entertained. These buildings are located to the east and west of Future World, as you walk in the main entrance beyond Spaceship Earth. They have undergone many facelifts since their Communicore days with SMRT-1 (a robot that answered your questions with the latest in 1980s voice recognition technology) and the EPCOT Poll (a census-like poll where guests answered questions and learned group results at the end).

Club Cool by Coca-Cola's beverage choices

2. Resort Hopping on the Monorail This is a favorite activity of our family any time, but it’s especially convenient during a storm, because you never have to get wet once you hop on the Resort Monorail from the Magic Kingdom or the Transportation and Ticket Center. There are some truly unique shops and restaurants you can explore and enjoy whether you’re a hotel guest or not. In addition to being a fun rainy day activity, our family makes sure to tour the resorts each holiday season. I will discuss more on that in upcoming entries, but it is truly a magical experience the way Disney decorates for the holidays.

• The loop from Magic Kingdom takes you first to the Contemporary Resort which always has some fun shopping to experience as well as the popular must-reserve dining spot Chef Mickeys, as well as the delightful culinary addition of The Wave on the first floor. Another treat on the ground floor (no pun intended) is the coffee and espresso bar Contemporary Grounds, which serves delicious lattes. Our family also loves the arcade at the Contemporary and has spent many hours there accumulating tickets to turn in for prizes.
• Next stop on the monorail is the Polynesian Resort. The decor alone is reason enough to spend some time here – the lush gardens and waterfalls will relax even the most frazzled park visitor. Here you’ll find shopping with a tropical flair and items not found in other locations. Delicious meals, desserts and coffee await at the Kona Cafe (one of my favorite restaurants on property). Here’s a secret – you can also get Dole Whip at Captain Cook’s Snack Co. inside the Polynesian! You don’t even have to be inside Magic Kingdom to enjoy this popular treat. Breakfast lunch and dinner are also served at Captain Cook’s, if you’d like more than dessert.
• The final stop on the monorail resort loop is the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney’s flagship resort. While here you can enjoy the elegant atmosphere, shops and restaurants, listen to music or just explore the lobby. There is a Basin White location within the Grand Floridian which offers unique items not found in the Downtown Disney location, so it’s worth a visit if you love their soaps and bath bombs as much as I do.

T-Rex Cafe dining experience is unforgettable

However you choose to spend your rainy day at Disney, remember Mickey can’t control the weather (as much as I’ve been wishing for a clear dome with air conditioning placed over Disney World on the hottest of summer days there!). As frustrating as it might be to have your vacation interrupted by ride-stopping, shoe-soaking rain…you are still in the Happiest Place on Earth and it’s truly how you react and make the most of all Disney has to offer that sets the tone for the success or failure of your trip. Some of my happiest memories are of wearing cloth napkins on my soaking shoulders inside Germany’s Biergarten, laughing at how we’d just run through the rain and puddles to get there. A change of plans doesn’t have to mean a short-change in the memories.

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.

Dreamfinder, Figment & me in 1984

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.

a later trip back to Epcot, 1986

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.

the next Disney generation

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. 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 ♥

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.

Display of plush at Magic Kingdom

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,

the kids exiting the Wedway People Mover (TTA) in December of 2005

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.

the newest Disney baby, December 2008

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.

S. at Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique for her birthday, August 2006

Peter and Wendy playing with our kids on the Magic Kingdom Family Magic Tour, 2006

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.

My dad’s family lived outside of Ocala, FL, and I guess I visited when I was less than a year old, but obviously don’t remember that. My first memory of Walt Disney World was when I was about 6 or 7. We went to visit my dad’s family, and Disney World at the same time. I really don’t recall too much from that visit though. I remember chocolate-covered frozen bananas, orange drinks in a plastic orange from The Orange Bird stand outside the Tiki Room, the Wedway People Mover and Small World. However, it was after that visit that my family’s love for Disney really started to grow.

I was always talking about how much I loved Mickey, while  my dad’s favorite was Donald Duck. Over our many visits and later when I worked at Disney World, I would always get him Donald-themed gifts. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-20′s that he admitted to me that he was never overly fond of Donald in particular, but he just wanted to back me up because my siblings gave me such a hard time over my love of Disney. Yeah, I was a Daddy’s girl.

Our next visit to Disney World was in 1983. This stands out in my mind, because I still have souvenirs from that trip, and I proudly wrote “1983″ all over them in metallic paint pen. Ahh, the 80′s. I wrote the date on everything because I had planned to discuss our trip (which was a car trip from Boston to Orlando and back, stopping at many historical places along the way – Baltimore, Delaware, Philadelphia, DC, Williamsburg, Charleston and Savannah if I recall correctly) at length when I got back to school that Fall. So my original EPCOT guide books with the little wheel on them would probably be worth something if it weren’t for my well-intentioned attempt at date-keeping.

When we returned from that trip, my parents made the decision to leave the cold winters of Boston and move to Ocala, FL. There they opened a home made ice cream shop (named after me) and of course, we got annual passes to Walt Disney World. I’m pretty sure that was the first year (1984) that they came out with the Florida 3 Season Salute as it was called then, now a Seasonal Annual Pass. Back then, you got an actual ID card, with your picture on it. I remember it was January, and we were unprepared for the freezing weather. We had to buy sweatshirts, but for some reason, I refused to get a regular one, and instead got a thin cotton sleeveless hoodie, because it had Figment (my favorite character from my favorite ride at that time) on it. Silly me.

While we lived in Ocala for the next two years, we visited Disney World quite often. The ice cream shop was closed on Mondays, so I was known to be ‘sick’ every few Mondays so that we could enjoy a less-crowded visit to the 2 parks. We loved EPCOT and it quickly became our favorite park. We rarely even visited Magic Kingdom in that time, because EPCOT had so many wonderful things for us to explore and enjoy. I have so many wonderful memories from that time period – getting completely soaked when the skies would open for the daily Central Florida rain showers and running into a country to stay dry while it passed…getting completely soaked *on purpose* at the jumping fountains outside of Imagination to stay cool…playing in the Image Works…smelling the orange blossoms on Horizons…getting stuck in front of the scary bull when the ride would stop on World of Motion…exploring all the ‘futuristic’ things in the Communicores…getting cast members to write my name in their home language…I could go on and on. It was a wonderful two years.

Then my parents decided to move to Virginia for a couple of years, and after that my mom and I ended up back in Massachusetts. We visited Disney a few times in that period, but not nearly as often of course. By that time I was in high school and as fate would have it, happened to get lucky enough to have a boyfriend that also liked Disney. I don’t think he was quite as obsessed as we were, but he soon was joined us in our love for visiting The World.

After floundering at college for a couple of years, it finally dawned on me what I wanted to do with my life. I explained to my mom and boyfriend that I wanted to move to Orlando and work at Disney World, as a cast member in the Travel Company. What would be more fun than planning vacations for people wanting to visit Disney World?? I found a college with a Bachelors program in Travel & Tourism Management and transferred there. Very soon after making that announcement, my mom decided that was a great idea and wanted to move down too. My boyfriend was slower to convince, having no desire to work at Disney and only ever living in Massachusetts all his life. But…somehow I convinced him and we all moved in May of 1995.

We all decided to get jobs at Disney World. Unfortunately, there were no openings at the Travel Co. at that time. I decided to just ‘get a job’ and then transfer in six months if something opened up. I took a position as a Merchandise Hostess on Main Street, USA. I was pretty excited, even though I’d never worked in retail before. My mom took a position at the All-Star Sports resort in the food court there, since she had a background in restaurants. My boyfriend got a coveted position in attractions, hosting the “Inside the Magic” tour at the then Disney-MGM Studios. He got to host the water effects tour outside, and the special effects tour inside (remember the bee and the blue screen?).  I used to love watching him to his speil, it was so cool knowing someone that was helping to run Disney!

I soon discovered that as fun as it was at times to work at Magic Kingdom (the walk through the tunnel and picking up my costume never ceased to amaze me), I made a much better guest than cast member. I guess I had a lower tolerance for crowds and crowds of tour groups than I expected. Plus working till 2am some summer nights got old kind of quick. I still made some great friends there and had wonderful times. The perks were wonderful as well. I loved the Cast Member holiday parties and the special stores we had to buy things too. It was a fun time and I recommend it for anyone in their 20′s that wants something fun to call ‘work’.

After that I became an actual travel agent. The boyfriend and I got married in 1996, having our reception at the Walt Disney World Dolphin resort. The Wedding Pavillion had just opened the year before, and we would’ve LOVED to have gotten married there, but with so many room nights and other expenses required, it was just not feasible on a Cast Member’s budget! It is my dream to get our vows renewed there for our 15th or 20th wedding anniversary.

We then had our first of two children in two years, and began moving around a bit. We thought we wanted to be back ‘home’ in New England, yet the mouse kept calling us back to Orlando. We moved back in 2003 to a town north of Orlando, and two years later my husband’s job transferred him to Tampa. We’ve been here ever since and I think we’ve finally decided to stay in Florida. We had our third child last October, and now get to show him the magic all over again, like we did with our first two.

We’ve had annual passes many times over our years here and they let us just drive over for the day and have lunch in a country, or park and not worry about ‘wasting’ a day’s ticket. We’ve gotten to show The World to many friends over the years that have come to visit for the first time, always leaving wanting more. My friends and family all know I’m the Disney-obsessed ‘expert’ of the family and will ask me any questions they have about an upcoming trip, or a specific ride or bit of trivia. I just love Disney World so much, and love learning new things about it and remembering all the old things that used to be here as well.

I miss the days of the Communicores and the real Journey into Imagination, and Horizons of course…and there are times I am disheartened with the changes Disney has chosen to make…but I have to remember that the way things are now are the memories *my* children will have and be able to share…it’s all still magical and full of wonder. There are times (okay, pretty much every time), when I walk down Main Street, look at that Castle standing before me, and tears well up in my eyes. It happens with fireworks and parades too. I remember the wonderful carefree times spent there with my mom and dad, with my husband, and with my big kids when they were little kids…and I cry silent tears of joy for the gift of memories that Disney has given me. And *that* is why I don’t understand people that don’t love it at Disney World…the magic is there…everywhere…you simply have to open your eyes to it.

Thank you for letting me share some of my Disney history with you…I’m sure there will be many stories and new memories to come. I’d love to hear some of your favorite memories too!