CJK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2001
I posted this on the Community board, but I thought my fellow adult Disney lovers may be interested too. We are forever hearing about how nuts we are to be going to WDW again, especially since we don't have children. Any of you go through the same thing?
Some people cringe at the sound of nails on a chalkboard. I, however, cringe when I hear the phrase, youre going to Walt Disney World AGAIN??????
My love affair with everything Disney began on my first trip to WDW at the young age of 2. I may not remember much (if anything) from that trip, but my family sure does. To this day, 30yrs later, my parents still talk about the palpable excitement we all felt in the car when we entered the Disney gates and followed the signs to Fort Wilderness Campground for the very first time. We were literally bouncing up and down in the car, just itching to get out and start exploring this new place called Walt Disney World. The trip not only met, but actually exceeded all of our expectations. We enjoyed 5 glorious, carefree days of park touring, character kissing, canoeing, marshmallow roasting, swimming and dinner shows. We had found paradise.
In fact, we all had such a wonderful time; we ended up going 14 more times by the time I turned 18! As both my parents had summers off, we enjoyed a lot of summer vacation time (something I have since longed for in my adult life!). For the month of July all through my childhood, we would travel up and down the east coast of the U.S., taking in all the sites from the Virginias, to the Carolinas and even a few jaunts to Tennessee. We had wonderful, quality family time that I will always carry with me and treasure. However, if you were to ask us each individually, Im sure wed all agree that reaching WDW was our ultimate destination. The other stops, though enjoyable, were gravy.
Over the years, we shared the magic with family and friends along the way. Cousins and friends joined us for our annual family vacation. I remember dragging my cousin from ride to ride in the Magic Kingdom. I considered myself a Disney authority, so I considered it a family duty to show my cousin all that Disney had to offer. I do wonder if she still resents me for dragging her around, literally, by the arm. I should have cautioned her that when traveling with me to Disney, wimps need not apply. J
Did I learn my lesson?
Years later, I went to Disney with my roommate and I once again found myself in the position of tour guide. Im pleased to report that while I didnt pull her by the arm, I may have possibly prevented her from eating lunch from time to time . . Theres just too much to do and see to sit down and, well, eat.
Rest assured these were in my younger days.
If we went back today, Id give her an apple.
Yes shes still my friend.
Ah the memories! Never was my family so relaxed, then when we were on vacation. I can hear my dad whistling while he set up the trailer in Fort Wilderness. I can still imagine my moms pigtails, which we affectionately renamed, vacation hair. In fact, I learned how to drive while in Disney! Ill never forget the day my dad said that I could drive the golf cart. The thrill of the wind in my hair, whizzing by lost tourists, I truly tasted the freedom of adulthood.
Well, as adult as you can feel in Fantasyland.
Yes, I literally grew up in Disney. My sister and I used to ride our bikes, go swimming and do so much together that we never really did at home since we were 5yrs apart in age. At home, hanging out with your little sister left something to be desired (though I was a darn cute little sister if I may say so myself), but while on vacation, age barriers disappear. In fact, in Disney, age is irrelevant. Were all young when were visiting the Mouse. Trip after trip, year after year, you just cant beat the pure excitement you felt when you catch that first glimpse of the castle as you walk down Main Street. Pipe in some Disney music, and were at the mercy of our joyful tears.
I remember one trip in particular. I was 8, and my sister was 13. We were swimming in the pool, completely immersed in Disney magic, when my dad suddenly noticed a fellow teacher from home. They immediately started chatting and our families were promptly introduced. This other family had an 8yr old boy. Youd think Id have a new playmate wouldnt you? Sadly, it wasnt meant to be. My little 8yr old self, though undeniably adorable, was no match for my 13yr old POST-pubescent sister. This 8yr old boy was in love.
And I waited for puberty.
Did this twosome fall in love and get married and live happily ever after like Disney fairytales suggest? Not exactly. You see, the younger, wicked stepsister grew into a beautiful swan and after awakening from a spell-induced sleep with a single kiss, she reunited with her prince.
Okay, well maybe Im confusing fairytales with reality, but it sounds better than saying my 13yr old sister preferred older men and I did eventually go through puberty.
Did I just call myself wicked?
I did marry him, 16yrs later. As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race. I figured it was better to spend a couple decades getting to know one another before rushing into marriage. J
I dont even need to tell you where we went on our honeymoon.
In the 8yrs that weve been married, weve been to Disney about 7 times. We both love Disney and all that it has to offer. Maybe its because it brings back such fond memories. Or, maybe its because once youre there, you neednt do a lot of traveling because everything you need is right there. With 4 theme parks, 2 waterparks, dozens of hotels to explore, hundreds of restaurants, Nightlife, lots of shopping, parasailing, tours, golf, etc youll never, ever get bored. The parks are always changing and new attractions are always being created too. We still have not experienced all that Disney has to offer. We hope to rectify that soon (in 3 months and 2 weeks to be exact).
Last year, we took another family vacation to Disney. Only, this trip included husbands and nephews a real grand gathering. How magical it was to see the magic of Disney captured in the next generation of our family in our nephews. I even learned how to be a better tour guide and actually allowed my family to walk at their own speed and even sit down to eat.
Just dont ask me for restroom breaks.
It was a glorious trip that will go down in the history books. If youre interested, heres a link to my trip report. http://www.disboards.com/showthread...52&goto=newpost
Before you go thinking I need to broaden my horizons, be assured that we do travel elsewhere. Weve gone skiing in Quebec, camping up north, enjoyed the Grand Ole Opry, traveled to different countries and soaked in the different cultures style. We have goals of traveling across Europe (were accepting donations) and Australia (were accepting even more donations). Weve been blessed to be able to go on two trips a year. One trip is to go home to Disney. The other is to go somewhere new.
Yet, we continue to hear the same comments from people every year. It baffles me in a way. A friend said to me a couple weeks ago that she tells people how she has this friend who always goes back to Disney every year. I mentioned that we also went to Varadero a few months ago and Freeport the year before. Does she also tell people that we go to other places too? She was honest and said, No. Its more fun to tell people youre obsessed and only go to Disney. I admit to being surprised and slightly hurt. But hey I came up with a good comeback.
Never mind that it was a week later.
You see, this friend has a trailer up north that her family goes to every weekend in the spring and summer. Should I ridicule her for not broadening her horizons?? Is she obsessed with her trailer?
Do we enjoy exploring new places? You bet. I think its important to see the world if its within your means. Where we live is a very small representative of the world as a whole. We look forward to seeing many different countries.
And not just in World Showcase in Epcot.
Another favourite comment of mine is, but you dont have children!!! This thought process makes me giggle. As other Disney enthusiasts will tell you, Disney was not built for children. Walts vision was to build a theme park where children AND adults could play and have fun together. Walt remarked many years ago how it wasnt as much fun to watch his children play, as it was to play with them. Thus, Disneyland and later, Disney World were born. I have yet to see an adult go to the Magic Kingdom and not enjoy an encounter with the Pirates of the Caribbean or find themselves humming or tapping a foot along with Brer Rabbit and the gang in Splash Mountain.
Some people have cottages. Some people have trailers. We, happen to have a little place in Florida called Walt Disney World. Whether our love of Disney is based in fond family memories or in a mutual bond between my husband and myself, its a fantastic vacation spot for us. It may not be right for many of our loved ones, but its perfect for us. My husband tells me that other people dont pay for our vacations, so it shouldnt matter what they think anyway!
I read on a favourite message board something that I will think about the next time someone makes a comment to us about going back to Disney AGAIN.
For those who get it, no explanation is necessary, and for those who dont, no explanation will do.
Its time to forget about any negative comments from people and ignore the nails on the chalkboard. My love affair with the Mouse began 30yrs ago and is showing no signs of slowing down. Ill talk to you after I get back from Disney AGAIN.
Some people cringe at the sound of nails on a chalkboard. I, however, cringe when I hear the phrase, youre going to Walt Disney World AGAIN??????
My love affair with everything Disney began on my first trip to WDW at the young age of 2. I may not remember much (if anything) from that trip, but my family sure does. To this day, 30yrs later, my parents still talk about the palpable excitement we all felt in the car when we entered the Disney gates and followed the signs to Fort Wilderness Campground for the very first time. We were literally bouncing up and down in the car, just itching to get out and start exploring this new place called Walt Disney World. The trip not only met, but actually exceeded all of our expectations. We enjoyed 5 glorious, carefree days of park touring, character kissing, canoeing, marshmallow roasting, swimming and dinner shows. We had found paradise.
In fact, we all had such a wonderful time; we ended up going 14 more times by the time I turned 18! As both my parents had summers off, we enjoyed a lot of summer vacation time (something I have since longed for in my adult life!). For the month of July all through my childhood, we would travel up and down the east coast of the U.S., taking in all the sites from the Virginias, to the Carolinas and even a few jaunts to Tennessee. We had wonderful, quality family time that I will always carry with me and treasure. However, if you were to ask us each individually, Im sure wed all agree that reaching WDW was our ultimate destination. The other stops, though enjoyable, were gravy.
Over the years, we shared the magic with family and friends along the way. Cousins and friends joined us for our annual family vacation. I remember dragging my cousin from ride to ride in the Magic Kingdom. I considered myself a Disney authority, so I considered it a family duty to show my cousin all that Disney had to offer. I do wonder if she still resents me for dragging her around, literally, by the arm. I should have cautioned her that when traveling with me to Disney, wimps need not apply. J
Did I learn my lesson?
Years later, I went to Disney with my roommate and I once again found myself in the position of tour guide. Im pleased to report that while I didnt pull her by the arm, I may have possibly prevented her from eating lunch from time to time . . Theres just too much to do and see to sit down and, well, eat.
Rest assured these were in my younger days.
If we went back today, Id give her an apple.
Yes shes still my friend.
Ah the memories! Never was my family so relaxed, then when we were on vacation. I can hear my dad whistling while he set up the trailer in Fort Wilderness. I can still imagine my moms pigtails, which we affectionately renamed, vacation hair. In fact, I learned how to drive while in Disney! Ill never forget the day my dad said that I could drive the golf cart. The thrill of the wind in my hair, whizzing by lost tourists, I truly tasted the freedom of adulthood.
Well, as adult as you can feel in Fantasyland.
Yes, I literally grew up in Disney. My sister and I used to ride our bikes, go swimming and do so much together that we never really did at home since we were 5yrs apart in age. At home, hanging out with your little sister left something to be desired (though I was a darn cute little sister if I may say so myself), but while on vacation, age barriers disappear. In fact, in Disney, age is irrelevant. Were all young when were visiting the Mouse. Trip after trip, year after year, you just cant beat the pure excitement you felt when you catch that first glimpse of the castle as you walk down Main Street. Pipe in some Disney music, and were at the mercy of our joyful tears.
I remember one trip in particular. I was 8, and my sister was 13. We were swimming in the pool, completely immersed in Disney magic, when my dad suddenly noticed a fellow teacher from home. They immediately started chatting and our families were promptly introduced. This other family had an 8yr old boy. Youd think Id have a new playmate wouldnt you? Sadly, it wasnt meant to be. My little 8yr old self, though undeniably adorable, was no match for my 13yr old POST-pubescent sister. This 8yr old boy was in love.
And I waited for puberty.
Did this twosome fall in love and get married and live happily ever after like Disney fairytales suggest? Not exactly. You see, the younger, wicked stepsister grew into a beautiful swan and after awakening from a spell-induced sleep with a single kiss, she reunited with her prince.
Okay, well maybe Im confusing fairytales with reality, but it sounds better than saying my 13yr old sister preferred older men and I did eventually go through puberty.
Did I just call myself wicked?
I did marry him, 16yrs later. As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race. I figured it was better to spend a couple decades getting to know one another before rushing into marriage. J
I dont even need to tell you where we went on our honeymoon.
In the 8yrs that weve been married, weve been to Disney about 7 times. We both love Disney and all that it has to offer. Maybe its because it brings back such fond memories. Or, maybe its because once youre there, you neednt do a lot of traveling because everything you need is right there. With 4 theme parks, 2 waterparks, dozens of hotels to explore, hundreds of restaurants, Nightlife, lots of shopping, parasailing, tours, golf, etc youll never, ever get bored. The parks are always changing and new attractions are always being created too. We still have not experienced all that Disney has to offer. We hope to rectify that soon (in 3 months and 2 weeks to be exact).
Last year, we took another family vacation to Disney. Only, this trip included husbands and nephews a real grand gathering. How magical it was to see the magic of Disney captured in the next generation of our family in our nephews. I even learned how to be a better tour guide and actually allowed my family to walk at their own speed and even sit down to eat.
Just dont ask me for restroom breaks.
It was a glorious trip that will go down in the history books. If youre interested, heres a link to my trip report. http://www.disboards.com/showthread...52&goto=newpost
Before you go thinking I need to broaden my horizons, be assured that we do travel elsewhere. Weve gone skiing in Quebec, camping up north, enjoyed the Grand Ole Opry, traveled to different countries and soaked in the different cultures style. We have goals of traveling across Europe (were accepting donations) and Australia (were accepting even more donations). Weve been blessed to be able to go on two trips a year. One trip is to go home to Disney. The other is to go somewhere new.
Yet, we continue to hear the same comments from people every year. It baffles me in a way. A friend said to me a couple weeks ago that she tells people how she has this friend who always goes back to Disney every year. I mentioned that we also went to Varadero a few months ago and Freeport the year before. Does she also tell people that we go to other places too? She was honest and said, No. Its more fun to tell people youre obsessed and only go to Disney. I admit to being surprised and slightly hurt. But hey I came up with a good comeback.
Never mind that it was a week later.
You see, this friend has a trailer up north that her family goes to every weekend in the spring and summer. Should I ridicule her for not broadening her horizons?? Is she obsessed with her trailer?
Do we enjoy exploring new places? You bet. I think its important to see the world if its within your means. Where we live is a very small representative of the world as a whole. We look forward to seeing many different countries.
And not just in World Showcase in Epcot.
Another favourite comment of mine is, but you dont have children!!! This thought process makes me giggle. As other Disney enthusiasts will tell you, Disney was not built for children. Walts vision was to build a theme park where children AND adults could play and have fun together. Walt remarked many years ago how it wasnt as much fun to watch his children play, as it was to play with them. Thus, Disneyland and later, Disney World were born. I have yet to see an adult go to the Magic Kingdom and not enjoy an encounter with the Pirates of the Caribbean or find themselves humming or tapping a foot along with Brer Rabbit and the gang in Splash Mountain.
Some people have cottages. Some people have trailers. We, happen to have a little place in Florida called Walt Disney World. Whether our love of Disney is based in fond family memories or in a mutual bond between my husband and myself, its a fantastic vacation spot for us. It may not be right for many of our loved ones, but its perfect for us. My husband tells me that other people dont pay for our vacations, so it shouldnt matter what they think anyway!
I read on a favourite message board something that I will think about the next time someone makes a comment to us about going back to Disney AGAIN.
For those who get it, no explanation is necessary, and for those who dont, no explanation will do.
Its time to forget about any negative comments from people and ignore the nails on the chalkboard. My love affair with the Mouse began 30yrs ago and is showing no signs of slowing down. Ill talk to you after I get back from Disney AGAIN.
My 1st trip was a "once in a lifetime" trip in 2000 with my dh and dd (ds didn't want to go 
). We loved it so much we were planning a 2nd trip for 2002 on the way home. Life, as we all know, does not always play out as we expect, and sadly, we lost my dh unexpectedly to cancer before our next trip came to be. My dd and I made the trip to wdw in 2002 alone, while it was sad because we missed dh, we soaked in the many happy memories of all we had shared in 2000 and made more happy memories we will always have to share in the future. Since then, my dd has joined me on another trip in Dec 2003 and I have been on 6 solo trips! That's 9 trips in 6 years 
My friends and co-workers make fun of me LOL but that's okay. Disney is my safe, "happy place" . I have so many happy memories of our 1st trip, and continue to make special memories for the future. This Oct I'm going back for a few days solo and then my dd and her dbf will be joining me for about 10 days....then I think I'll need to go back in April 2007 before my AP expires... 
to take and I can tell people-"I'm taking my daughter" 
The truth is she went on her first trip when she was 2 yrs. 9 mo. She dosen't remember that trip or the next one when she was 4.25 yrs. My mom and I went on three trips prior to taking her and I'm not counting my first trip in 1983 as a young adult. My DD6 has now been 6 timers with her 7th coming in Sept. 
Bill swore he wouldn't like WDW much, but once he experienced it our way (good planning, discounts, great dining, Food & Wine Festival), he was hooked! We are doing 
