It all started with a......

Fellow Disney fans would be able to complete that slogan with the drop of a hat. It all did start with a mouse, but folks for this Disney obsessed girl it all started with a visit.

The year was 1982, the magic kingdom had recently celebrated its 10 year anniversary and Epcot had just opened. It was my first visit there and I was only 10 months old. Of course I don’t remember that first visit and only have picture memories that my parents took. I couldn’t have known that was the first of over 20+ trips to Disney World I would make and had no way of comprehending what this place would come to mean to me.

I do look back on those images now and have the greatest appreciation for them. I have my awesome parents to thank for giving me those memories and experiences throughout my childhood. We always took vacations and I have traveled to so many wonderful places. Of course my favorite was always Disney World. We vacationed there religiously, every year or every other year, sometimes for 2 weeks at a time. Some of my greatest memories growing up occurred in Disney.

At that young age, I don’t think I could really appreciate everything this magical place had to offer. I did know it held an immense sense of wonder for me. I was mesmerized by the lights, the performances, the shows, the buildings, rides and oh…the lovable characters. I couldn’t get enough of it and was always looking forward to next year’s trip. I vacationed there with friends and family and wouldn’t trade those vacations for anything. I remember seeing those characters and truly believing in them.  I watched every Disney movie and felt that sense of magic Walt himself wanted people to experience.

With every passing trip the love I had inside for this place grew and everyone I encountered knew we were the “Disney people”. If anyone wanted information on a trip they came to us. We completely enjoyed it, but not only for the rides. We loved the food, the ambiance, the cast members and resorts. It was the all surrounding experience of it. Disney was a destination where we could be a family and leave the stress and craziness of life behind us.

For many youngsters the connection to Disney and its characters slowly wears off like a shiny new toy quickly losing its newness. For me, however, that love only grew. I saw something in Disney that many others do - I saw deeper. and found true meaning underneath the outside exterior. When I saw pictures of Disney or commercials for the attractions, I cried. Yes I admit it…they get me every time. I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach and a lump in my throat and when I am in Disney I feel this sense of euphoria...sheer happiness and tranquility. It’s that feeling you get with a great cup of coffee on a cold day. It’s the feeling you get when you see that person you love most in this world. The same feeling you get after a stressful day of work when you take a sip of that good glass of wine. Like any addiction…the only thing that can save me is a dose of what I crave.

Disney World.

So to my parents – thank you……you created a monster. :)

No really thank you for taking the time to create these memories with me and for deciding to make them in Disney. 

But you did start this obsession.

So that first trip to Disney might not have seemed like much back then but it started a love inside me that continues to grow with each passing year and visit. There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. The bright side of all this is that my world revolves around it and I have an enormous amount of stories and experiences to share. So for those reading who think I'm nuts and those fellow Disney fanatics I leave you with this fun tidbit

“Hold on to those hats and glasses cause this here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness”