Why Disney

One of the questions I am asked most frequently is “Why do you love Disney so much?” by which people usually mean “Why do you go to Walt Disney World so often?” Believe it or not, this is a difficult question. In the past, I’ve explained it in a number of ways. First, I’ve said that because I wasn’t allowed to celebrate Christmas or birthdays as a child, Disney was my primary source of magic and joy. While true, it doesn’t explain why my brother and sister aren’t equally obsessed. I’ve also explained that I spend all day making my customers at work happy, and all evening taking care of my family, but at Walt Disney World, thousands of cast members focus on taking care of me. Again, accurate, but why then isn’t every working mother on the planet routinely lounging on a hammock on the beach of Disney’s Polynesian Resort watching the fireworks? My current theory therefore is this: The Disney Gene. Either you’ve got it or you don’t.

For the longest time, this was my dirty little secret. People knew I had a lot of Disney trivia stored in my head, but then again I have a ton of useless information filed away up there, so they probably were unaware of the depth of my Disney obsession. And not just about WDW, either. Disney movies, history of the company and Walt himself – I’m fanatical about all of it. How much so? Well, I’ve never believed in love at first sight, but the night I met my DH Ray (at the Office Bar, of course) he was able to quote lines from several Disney movies and could speak knowledgeably about WDW. I knew immediately that he was the man for me!

Of course, he’s not obsessed to the level that I am. I’ve actually noticed that those with the Disney Gene fall into several categories: the movie lovers (this is more Ray’s type), the history buffs, theme park junkies, and the broad spectrum people (me!). I used to think I was alone, at least in the over-10 demographic. Then Ray introduced to the world of podcasts. At first I was skeptical. I wanted to go to WDW, not listen to a bunch of other people brag about their trips. But then I discovered the likes of Lou Mongello, Van from Netcot, the guys at WDW Today, and the wonderful group of the DIS Unplugged. Hallelujah! These people, these adults, are as crazy about WDW as I am!

My aim for this blog is multi-pronged. First, I need an outlet for my passion so that I don’t explode. I’d also like to help feed the beast in other Disney lovers, as the above-mentioned podcasts do for me. For the non-Disneyphiles, I’m hoping that you’ll find some useful information when planning your Disney trips (a.k.a., let me help keep you from screwing up this several thousand dollar vacation, you idiot), as well as a peek into the Wonderful World of Disney. Stay tuned!