The earlier days of this blog were for my fund raising for Team in Training. I just read through them and thought they weren't all that bad, and I liked the reminder of how hard I worked for that goal, so I'm leaving them up. They're only related to Disney in that I ran races at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
I'm a big ol' Disney-phile. This causes me guilt. The world is a pile of poop, and I like to spend time and money visiting a people trap created by a mouse. Logically, I know I shouldn't feel guilty unless I spend my kids' college funds on Disneyland Hong Kong (Disney Sea, maybe, but not Hong Kong), but I do feel guilty. I have friends who give me crap about it, (Perhaps they're not really friends, I don't give them crap about their ridiculous picky eating). I realize I am beyond blessed to be able to go as often as I have. I realize I'm beyond blessed to be knowledgeable enough to have opinions. Anyway. I'm pretty knowledgeable. I don't know everything, not even close. In fact, I often go long stretches of time when I actively avoid Disney news. Currently, I am in one of those self-imposed blackouts. I impose these blackouts so that I don't pine away for a vacation I don't need. But I do know a lot.
Here are some of the reasons I'm pretty Disney smart:
-I read Disney blogs for fun. I have favorites for different reasons. I'll tell you all about them eventually.
-I first visited Walt Disney World in 1985. My family lived in the Orlando-area. Mom was a teacher, so we used to spend big chunks of the summer in Orlando. We would go for a day or two and do the We Paid For This So We Are Going to Milk Every Second Of This Day method. (edit: I've recently heard this called the Forced March of Happiness on https://disneydeciphered.com, and I love, love that terminology.) That is not my favorite way to "enjoy" the parks. It seems like we went every summer, but I don't know how often we actually went. Could be as many as 7 times, but that doesn't seem right. Maybe it was even just once or twice. Who knows, memory is weird.
-I went to Disneyland in 1990 as a Totally Over It Teenager. I regret not appreciating it, and really not letting my friend enjoy it because "Disney World is, like, so totally much better". Sorry, Allison.
-In 1993 learned about the existence of the Disney College Program. I have a dream. We'll come back to that.
-I'm sure I must have gone sometime either in '93 or '95 with the family.
-Quick trip during Spring Break '97, after I had been selected for the College Program, but before my program.
-Lived and worked at WDW for a semester in the Walt Disney World College Program (Fall '97 Liberty Square Bonnet Girls Represent!). I rode everything, did everything I could afford, and had a great time. Of course, most of the stores where I worked are gone now, but Liberty Square is still special. (Here's an insider tip, the CPs have their college on their nametags, instead of their home town, so if you see a name tag with a college name, that person is hung over.)
-Spent a day in MK in 1999. This is before I learned that exhaustion and screwing with my sleep schedule gives me migraines and makes me throw up. I had 2 tickets left over from my CP, my cousin had just gotten married the night before, I hadn't slept, I was probably hung over, but dang it, I was taking the boyfriend to Magic Kingdom for our anniversary. It was miserably cold, I got the aforementioned migraine with bonus vomiting (thanks CP friend Bob who let me run out of line, make it to the bathroom, and jump back to the head of the line), but I was going to see Spectromagic before I left the park. Maybe not one of my better decisions. I still won, because 3 years later that boyfriend married me. Boys are stupid. But I did get to see Spectro one last time.
-Kept planning to go back, but kept running into snags like our wedding, and babies, and moving, and babies and more baby and moving again.
-When YoungMC (that's the Middle Child) was 5 and her brother was 8 I was ready to go back. We used a Disney vacation planner. (What's the Disney-approved title?). "I don't need help planning this trip. I can plan this. I know what I'm doing." That may be true, but she was amazing and so glad we had her help. Thanks Bethany! (https://www.facebook.com/CIT.BethanyHouser/).
-Then The Baby turned 5 and we went to Disneyland.
-Then we accidentally went back to DLR 15 months later because I "ran" a half-marathon.
-Well, that was "fun" let's do another half at WDW 16 months later. That time I went by myself and met a friend I hadn't seen in 20 years. Super fun. That was my first Dapper Day.
-Me- "Hmm, I just went to WDW, and we could use a weekend away from the kids. Haha, let's go back in November for Fall Dapper Day"
SillyHubster- "ok"
At this point I have become the kind of girl who goes in October 2013, January 2015, April 2016, November 2016. How freakin' pretentious.
-Annnnndd, so we were on this tour in Europe. And two of the other women were Disneyphiles and had both been to the Louvre. And we didn't have much scheduled free time in Paris or the museum. . And I'm only 5'4" (this is relevant). And Mona Lisa is tiny. So I skipped the Louvre and three of us went to Disneyland Paris (Parc Disneyland).
Me- "hey Scion, did you have to elbow your way to the front of the crowd to see the Mona Lisa?"
Scion- "What? Of course not, I just looked over everybody's head"
And that is why I skipped the museum and headed to Phantom Manor. To this day, I do not regret that choice. Someday I will have lots of time in the Louvre and I will love it.
-Now I'm planning a trip for my daughters and me. Generally, I am adamant about when to not go to WDW, and summer is one of those times. But I don't mind the heat or crowds (hubster does) so we'll try it.
Anyway, that's my experience. My husband is not a Disneyphile and is all responsible and crap, so that gives me an interesting perspective. I've stayed in different resorts. I've even thrown in a Universal trip in there. Be patient with me, and I'll answer all the questions people ask me.
Here are some of the reasons I'm pretty Disney smart:
-I read Disney blogs for fun. I have favorites for different reasons. I'll tell you all about them eventually.
-I first visited Walt Disney World in 1985. My family lived in the Orlando-area. Mom was a teacher, so we used to spend big chunks of the summer in Orlando. We would go for a day or two and do the We Paid For This So We Are Going to Milk Every Second Of This Day method. (edit: I've recently heard this called the Forced March of Happiness on https://disneydeciphered.com, and I love, love that terminology.) That is not my favorite way to "enjoy" the parks. It seems like we went every summer, but I don't know how often we actually went. Could be as many as 7 times, but that doesn't seem right. Maybe it was even just once or twice. Who knows, memory is weird.
-I went to Disneyland in 1990 as a Totally Over It Teenager. I regret not appreciating it, and really not letting my friend enjoy it because "Disney World is, like, so totally much better". Sorry, Allison.
-In 1993 learned about the existence of the Disney College Program. I have a dream. We'll come back to that.
-I'm sure I must have gone sometime either in '93 or '95 with the family.
-Quick trip during Spring Break '97, after I had been selected for the College Program, but before my program.
-Lived and worked at WDW for a semester in the Walt Disney World College Program (Fall '97 Liberty Square Bonnet Girls Represent!). I rode everything, did everything I could afford, and had a great time. Of course, most of the stores where I worked are gone now, but Liberty Square is still special. (Here's an insider tip, the CPs have their college on their nametags, instead of their home town, so if you see a name tag with a college name, that person is hung over.)
-Spent a day in MK in 1999. This is before I learned that exhaustion and screwing with my sleep schedule gives me migraines and makes me throw up. I had 2 tickets left over from my CP, my cousin had just gotten married the night before, I hadn't slept, I was probably hung over, but dang it, I was taking the boyfriend to Magic Kingdom for our anniversary. It was miserably cold, I got the aforementioned migraine with bonus vomiting (thanks CP friend Bob who let me run out of line, make it to the bathroom, and jump back to the head of the line), but I was going to see Spectromagic before I left the park. Maybe not one of my better decisions. I still won, because 3 years later that boyfriend married me. Boys are stupid. But I did get to see Spectro one last time.
-Kept planning to go back, but kept running into snags like our wedding, and babies, and moving, and babies and more baby and moving again.
-When YoungMC (that's the Middle Child) was 5 and her brother was 8 I was ready to go back. We used a Disney vacation planner. (What's the Disney-approved title?). "I don't need help planning this trip. I can plan this. I know what I'm doing." That may be true, but she was amazing and so glad we had her help. Thanks Bethany! (https://www.facebook.com/CIT.BethanyHouser/).
-Then The Baby turned 5 and we went to Disneyland.
-Then we accidentally went back to DLR 15 months later because I "ran" a half-marathon.
-Well, that was "fun" let's do another half at WDW 16 months later. That time I went by myself and met a friend I hadn't seen in 20 years. Super fun. That was my first Dapper Day.
-Me- "Hmm, I just went to WDW, and we could use a weekend away from the kids. Haha, let's go back in November for Fall Dapper Day"
SillyHubster- "ok"
At this point I have become the kind of girl who goes in October 2013, January 2015, April 2016, November 2016. How freakin' pretentious.
-Annnnndd, so we were on this tour in Europe. And two of the other women were Disneyphiles and had both been to the Louvre. And we didn't have much scheduled free time in Paris or the museum. . And I'm only 5'4" (this is relevant). And Mona Lisa is tiny. So I skipped the Louvre and three of us went to Disneyland Paris (Parc Disneyland).
Me- "hey Scion, did you have to elbow your way to the front of the crowd to see the Mona Lisa?"
Scion- "What? Of course not, I just looked over everybody's head"
And that is why I skipped the museum and headed to Phantom Manor. To this day, I do not regret that choice. Someday I will have lots of time in the Louvre and I will love it.
-Now I'm planning a trip for my daughters and me. Generally, I am adamant about when to not go to WDW, and summer is one of those times. But I don't mind the heat or crowds (hubster does) so we'll try it.
Anyway, that's my experience. My husband is not a Disneyphile and is all responsible and crap, so that gives me an interesting perspective. I've stayed in different resorts. I've even thrown in a Universal trip in there. Be patient with me, and I'll answer all the questions people ask me.
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