WDW Vacation...What's The Big Deal.?

A magical escape from the daily grind of life ... it's a daydream when life is getting in the way ... it's the bubble when you turn off I-4 onto property and there's no tomorrow, only today.

Um...for me it is the feeling I get as soon as I get on the Magical Express. Knowing that am home again and all new adventures lie before me. I don't have to do anything other than get up and go...everything else has been addressed..where to stay, what park, what major rides, parades and fireworks I must do in each park and where I'll be eating my wonderful dinner.

For me, it's really evolved over the years. It started out as just something we did as kids; my parents took us there a bunch of summers. It started evolving when I began reading books about Disney World and grew fascinated by the parks. The amount of work that was involved in creating them (and keeping them running) is astounding. It's a lot more than just rolling out Mickey and some princesses.

Now that we have two young girls, it's changed again into a mix of wanting them to experience the parks and my appreciation of the back story. We haven't gone with our youngest, who's just 10 months, but my four-year-old had a great time in 2012. We're planning to go in January 2015, and I can't wait. It's also a cool way for the four of us to just do something different from the day-to-day activities. You're pretty much in another universe when you're on a WDW trip.

For a week I get to be 10 years old again, but without Mom or Dad telling me I can't have another snack or I can't have nothing but Mickey waffles for breakfast or I can't stay up till midnight or later to close the park. The characters treat me as if I'm their long-lost BFF and the cast members all seem to think my vacation enjoyment is the most important thing in the world. There are fireworks and parades EVERY DAY! And there are buses or monorails or boats to take me wherever I want to go! It's the most fun place in the whole wide world!

And since I'm not actually 10 years old and not driving, I can drink whatever I want, too!

Love these stories folks...Keep them coming..

@ccp, right on! @king, utopia is the perfect word!

I love the feeling of pure joy that I experience just setting foot in one of these magical parks. I love the familiarity of this place that allows anything new to jump off the canvas of the parks and dance around like a new little gem. I love the trust that I feel for this company. They do business right and they understand that caring about their guests and plussing our vacations is ultimately the path to a strong bottom line and by setting this standard and showing that it is successful, they have made other aspects of our lives better, too by providing an example for other companies to do the same.

I love that no matter how many details and factoids I unearth and memorize, there always seems to be one more. Thanks to a suggestion from another board member (I think it was the Colonel), I recently picked up the Imagineering field guides and I'm just loving them so far. The entire WDW concept is so simple, but so complex at the same time. It's at once completely catalog-able and completely indescribable. Just when you think you know all there is to know about a particular park or ride or show, someone can give you an entirely new perspective on it with a crumb of new information.

I love the battery of film and the roster of characters that this company has given us. I love that Disney permeates so much of society that I can't walk through my local grocery store without seeing these images and being instantly transported to the happiest place on Earth--even if it's just for a few seconds.

I love that it never gets old. I keep waiting for my enjoyment of all things Disney to wane as all of my other interests do from time to time, but there are so many facets that I love--trip planning, traveling, movies, pin trading, drawing & painting, scrapbooking & photo cataloging, crafting--I just can't seem to make myself bored with it!

Eating, drinking, rides, shows, parades, fireworks, shopping, pools and even relaxing. It's all immersive and there is always something to do.

The only thing WDW doesn't have is a real beach, so we have to make do with the pools and waterparks. And casinos. Otherwise I'd never leave.

So I'll continue my rotation of Carribean, Las Vegas and Disney until they straighten that out.

Well, it's a lot of things.

So many of you got to visit the parks when you were young and now that you're older, you're passing it on to your children and the cycle continues. For me, I don't have recollections of Disney World when I was a kid. My parents took me when I was 2 and I had no memories of that. They brought me back when I was 10 or 11 so that my younger brother could see it but I was not the Disney World fan that I am today so not much memories from that. I always said that my trip in 2009 was a critical trip for me and it really was. I got to do so many things that so many experience when they were small. Meet characters and getting their autographs, go on the classic rides, etc. All of the common experiences that every kid that goes to Disney World gets to experience were experiences I had to wait and appreciate until I was 18. So I feel that my last three trips and every trip I do now is making up for a trip I wish I had experienced earlier.

Aside from the usual escape from the real world and all that, it's really all about freedom and since I do solo trips, I plan to keep it that way because of that one simple aspect I am not willing to sacrifice. Freedom to ride whatever I want, freedom to eat whatever I want, freedom to do what my heart desires without being frowned upon or insulted by my family, friends or other people. It is about making my own experiences and memories that I want to make. There are not many places where I get that opportunity. You can make a case that I am being selfish in a way but I mean no disrespect towards the people I love. They have their own plans and interests for visiting places on vacation and so do I. I simply prefer doing and experiencing things by myself for the most part and I find myself a lot happier that way. There are limitations so there is a mandatory element of civility, decorum and kindness towards other people while doing my solo trips and I know that very well.

These stories are putting a big smile on my face. Thanks for all your replies

Fair Warning - This is Sad and Sensitive Material!

I had a rough latter childhood. However, when I was seven in 1974, my grandmother took us to WDW. We went a few times after that. It was like a dream come true for me. Everything was perfect - no parents fighting, no sadness. I was hooked. As a kid, I used to be able to draw a detailed, labeled map of the MK by heart. I once made a 3D replica of the whole park out of poster board.

My parents divorced when I was 11. My father died when I was 12. I gained an abusive step father at 14. I ran away permanently at 16. My church chased me out for being gay at 17. In 2012, my step father and mom eventually completely disowned me for marrying a man, and cut me out of a rather large inheritance. Even my mom and I haven't spoken in over two years. I've tried.

I go to WDW every year. Twice, sometimes. My husband, my dog, and my best friends are my family now. And WDW is my one piece of happy childhood. It's my place "where everything turns out alright."

Wow!...I've got a lump in my throat...I'am glad you've found your happy place and I hope you have many more years enjoying it...Thank you for your story...

For me it's all about having quality time relaxing with my DW and both of us not having a worry in the world for the two weeks we are in Florida.

Ach ya big Jessie....LOL...Only joking...I always knew you were a hopeless romantic..

Thanks for sharing, Phill. WDW is really an escape into a fantasy world where everything is good and right despite everything else going on in your "real" world.

My first visit to WDW was in 1998 at age 29. I fell absolutely head over heels and that was saying something because I loved Disneyland with all my Southern Californian heart. I first felt disloyal to DeeLand because I'd been going there since I was a year old or younger. I had been to Disneyland with friends and family and on a few solo trips. It was my rite of passage and the stick in which I measured my friendships (if they didn't love Disney how could I be friends with them) It was and truly is my happy place and when I first stepped off the plane in Orlando and took a Mears black and yellow bus (no frills no videos just transport) I thought well it's an adventure.
As we drove past the gates I felt a tingle in my soul and it was warm. I truly felt the magic! The bus dropped us off at the ASMusic resort. I walked up to the desks and was greeted with a warm welcome, I thought well this is nice. The room was clean, the pool seemed nice but I was eager to see what all the fuss was about.
We hopped on board a disney bus to the MK and I saw several little girls dressed as princesses. Well who doesn't smile at that?! The bus played Disney songs, and the driver was courteous and professional. As we approached the MK I saw Space Mtn and the Castle and we raced a monorail towards the entrance. I saw the Mickey flower head and train station and felt that familiar comfort that I 'd felt in CA.
As CCP said I was instantly 10 again with my own money and no rules. I had and kept the biggest grin on my face and proceeded to fall in love. We spent some time riding rides and I marveled at sitting alone on Space Mtn and sidebyside on Splash. There was only one drop on pirates but it seemed longer. Instead of being unhappy at the differences I embraced them and couldn't wait to see Epcot and MGM. I went in January so AK wasn't open.
I loved everything about Epcot and the Land and Sea buildings. They hadn't opened Test track because tires kept blowing but I knew by day two that I was coming back and since I now lived-in Ohio it would be easy for me to pop down for visits to my new favorite place. I was blown away by the World Showcase. MGM reminded me of CA and movie magic. I loved the GMR and thoroughly enjoyed the backlot tour. I was appreciative of all those people working behind the scenes creating magic for me. I think we spent 4 days that first trip and it was the best 4 days of my life. When I got back to Ohio it's all I could think of, it's all I talked about and it was good. I knew then that I had to share the magic with a true Disney fanatic....
I hadn't gone home (to CA) for xmas in 1997 and my baby sister was upset (no matter where I lived I always went home for the holidays).
I tried explaining to baby sis about DisneyWorld but she grew up loving DLand. I told her that I loved Disney World so much but couldn't quite convince her of what I'd experienced and how different it was from Dland. So I did the only thing a true DisneyFan could do... I had my parents fly my sister out (to OH) for her 13th Bday in 1998 and we flew to Orlando just she and I for 7 days of fun. AK was open, we rode the boat ride around the water ways. We took binoculars to see the animals. We marveled for a good hour at the Tree of Life pointing out the carvings. She loved Epcot and MGM and also noted the differences on rides at MK.
The person I was dating during my first trip was not a Disney fan (should've seen the end of that relationship coming) and she didn't want to go with my sister and I.(Her loss) She couldn't understand why I would waste money and go again(in July) when we had gone in January. Well needless to say that didn't work out. I went home to CA in '99 (with a Dland trip of course) but didn't go to WDW again until Jan of 2000, I went with my then GF Christy, she had never been to a Disney park and was curious as to why I seemed to talk about it all the time. Well we stayed at the AS Sports and had a lovely time. She fell in love with Epcot and the Tapestry of nations parade and music, she loved the world showcase and the rides,buildings and magic. I watched her transform into a 10 year old and we wandered around aimlessly. Since 2000 she has visited Disneyworld at least 20+ times, and has been to every Disney park worldwide. I knew she was a keeper when in MCO after our first trip she said "I know we have to leave but I really don't want to go back home, can't we stay here?"
I try to explain to people this story and of how I bought into the magic a long time ago and what makes it so special but it truly is one of those things that people have to do to get it. It seems to be working because I've convinced a number of people to go including our wedding party, parents, In laws, siblings, friends and co-workers. A number of them scoffed at going but once they got back they told me how much they enjoyed themselves and how special it was for them. I don't know how many boards, web groups I've joined since that first trip in 1998 but I know that wherever I've gone be it in the parks or online I have found my Disney people. I've learned from many of them and shared what little I know and that also helps during the times I am unable to get "home."
Disney isn't for kids I don't think it ever was It's for magic and belief and love and allowing ourselves to forget the stress and strife of everyday life. Its what Walt wanted for his daughters and himself and we are lucky to get to share that magic and love and no matter how many eye rolls, tsks, or admonishments I get I'll always go and embrace my inner 10 year old. Its the only place left that I can just be a kid no matter how old I get...

So sorry. Well, I have an oldest son that will not speak to me since he got married. Simply because we are not "good enough" for his bride. It's been two years. So I'll adopt you!

I will tell you my laugh about when I had one person question why I was so excited to go to WDW for the first time. He's a car guy and is always posting pictures of cars he loves on FB. Then he wrote on one of my posts about my excitement of going to WDW, "Ok, I hope you're not building yourself up for disappointment with all this Disney talk. It's just a vacation and it's just an amusement park."

I wrote back, "Oh, I understand what you're saying. I think the same thing every day when you post those car pictures. It's just a hunk of metal."

He unfriended me and blocked me! Ha ha!

Love it..Awesome response...

It is the one place we can go and relax and forget annoying people and not worry about anything else. We can just concentrate on each other and having a great vacation!!
We are always questioned why we return year after year. Why not try somewhere else??
You tend to go back where you have the most fun, good memories, relaxation, and nicest people. We do try other places but tend to come back "home". Every trip we plan (sometimes, spur of the moment) we start getting excited and it seems like the first time we are going. We never get bored and unhappy with our decision to return. If we ever do, then we don't need to go back. Why spend money on somewhere you aren't happy with?? But, I don't see that happening any time soon!!LOL

Well, I love Disney because it gives me hope that people can be nice to each other, that the positive side of living can prevail, that playfulness is not only for the young in body, and magic and dreams are "routine."

I take Disney home with me and try to be that way inside and outside to other people.

I do not care what the nay sayers say.

Now when is my next trip again...?

Family isn't about blood, it's about love. So I think you've finally got the family you deserve.

Reading these stories I appreciate that it's coming from the heart, and I think that's where the bond is..I love this magical thing I feel when other people are affected by this and once again, thanks to all these wonderful and heartfelt feelings..

For me, it's the chance to unlock the inner child inside, where for a short period, you can pretend nothing in the world matters and that the Disney family is your family for that time. The sun always (mostly) shines, the clouds are blue, the grass is green and nobody has a harsh word to say about anyone/thing else.

Hopefully soon, I'll be able to take my nephews over there and watch them enjoy the park as me and my brother did over 20 years ago, where my brother chased the jumping water in that patch in Epcot and, more recently, I was able to trick him and his wife (not on purpose of course!) that Splash Mountain was just a name and not literally a splash! Ah, the big kid inside me....

For a short time I get to be a kid again. No daily stress just fun and lots of good food. It is always a great time for the DH and I to reconnect and relax. I love the fact that I meet lots of great people well riding on the buses or standing in line. Disney is happiness and magic.

I'm not sure how to articulate it...I love to go because every single thing that has happened to me there, every memory, every image is good. All of it. The memories I have made there with family and friends are never tarnished with a "but..." or a compromise. I keep going back because I know it will always be filled with that joy.

I love Disney because, like you have all said, it allows you to be a kid again. Or a princess. Or a pirate. Or whatever makes you happy, even if its just someone on a fabulous vacation where you don't have to worry about anything! Many of my friends don't understand why I spend the money to go run at Disney. They REALLY don't understand why I'm willing to add a significant amount of time to my race to stand in line to take pictures. I will never achieve a PR in a Disney race, but I will get to meet a princess and I'm cool with that.

So many things...I guess it's because it is magic...pure magic ....Disney has always been a part of my life in some way. When I was little, it was the anticipation of those a Sunday night movies on TV and how we would all gather as a family to watch. Then we took a trip to Disneyland when I was about 10.....finally Disneyworld when I was 13. It wasn't until last year....after my kids were grown was I able to get back....but eventhough...we weren't able to get to the parks Disney was still a big part of my kids childhood. In some was it was even more special to be there with them as adults because I was able to watch them be kids again. I was enchanted watching as they experienced it all for the first time. I love Disney!! It makes me smile every time I think about being there. When I am there, there are no worries. If something does go wrong, I know that those wonderful CM's will make it right. The whole place is just magical.....that's the best reason I can think of as to why WDW.

Walt Disney World for me is the place where magic happens. I saw my son laugh and smile for the first time in over year after his father was killed in action in Afghanistan. I got closer to my daughter and still laugh about my mishap with a golf cart at Fort Wilderness. It is the place where 10 minutes after arrival my teenagers would say they can't stand it anymore they have to be happy. It's where all my worries and fears disappear and anything that I can dream will happen. It's a place to celebrate love and life!

WDW was the first place that as a middle child I got to have my mom all to myself. My high school band had been invited to orlando in 1984. My family could barely pay the bills when I was a kid but when my school accepted the offer I worked all year raising enough money so we could both go. I did bake sales, landscaping, cook offs. If you can earn a dollar doing it legally I did it. When the time came to leave I had earned both of our trips and we made a ton of memories. Years of watching disney on Sunday nights and dreaming all came true. That trip I was the only kid and we were able to learn a little more about each other, all my hard work paid off. We did everything we wanted together. Mom and Dad have joined us the last two years and it's been nice sharing the magic. But I still cling to the memories of our first trip making that dream come true.

Every time we go, it's like we are honeymooners whether we are with our kids or without. We can be mischievous, sneaky, romantic, goofy, kids, parents, friends, laid back, fast paced, fun, magical, flirty, royalty, animal lovers, party animals, fish, dancers, pirates, adventurers, world explorers, tipsy, entertained, entertaining, tropical, scientists, thrill seekers, space travelers, connoisseurs, enamored, musical rock stars, rekindled, addicted, Hollywood glamorized, and so much more, always in love with each other and everything around us. What more could you want?
Driving on, my heart leaps! Feeling the wind on my face as I take the ferry across, seeing the castle approach. The sights and smells of Main Street as I walk into the park. The electricity in the air when the music starts as I strain to see the approaching parade so I can try to capture the attention of my favorite beloved characters. The cast members carrying big bunches of balloons. Hearing the the bells and whistles as the train chugs into the station. The smiles and wonder, the glee and excitement of young and old alike all around me. These are just the beginning of an incredible journey into the World every time. And this is just the first park! And there's not only the parks, there is the resorts and Disney Village and so much more! I could spend days not even having to set foot inside a park and I would still be surrounded by and immersed in the DWorld experience I love and crave.
Grew up by DLand, honeymooned on a Disney Cruise and time at DWorld, conceived our last child at EuroDisney, (he's our little souvenir ) and have been to all 3 of those on a number of occasions. Getting ready to do a week at DWorld for our 25th this summer! We have been all over the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe and everywhere we go and love, we always want to go back, but we think, if we do go back, that will take away from someplace we've never been that we can fall in love with too! But Disney is different. Like it has been stated, it is like going home and we make the trip at least every couple years. Life without Disney to us would be like a chocoholic without chocolate, like a dog without a bone, like a beach without a wave, like a rider without their horse.
Heck, this family is so Disney that when my Dad, known affectionately as The Duck Man, passed away and my siblings and Mom were crying as they stared at the internet, trying to selecting an urn, I know my Dad jumped into my head and threw the words in my mouth, "Until you can make up your minds, just throw him in the Duck!" The room got quiet and then we all laughed and laughed and knew it was what he would want and what we needed. Yes, my beloved Dad's ashes are now held lovingly in a Donald Duck cookie jar. Disney World Now And Forever!

Wow...What a read...It's 8.00am on Thursday morning,and I've tears in my eyes...Thanks for your story...