When did you Realise You Were a Walt Disney World Addict

[Wendy]

I was just wondering when did you know that WDW had won your heart? Did something happen or was it some special moment that made you realise that you were hooked?

Mine was on our first trip, walking in and seeing the Castle for the first time and then watching the 3pm parade, it was all I ever imagined or dreamed it would be and more. I knew then that I wanted to come back and now I don't know how many years on, it still feels like I am going home :)

[DisneyFreak]

For me I think it was during the summer of 1989 when I had just graduated from High School. While most of my friends were looking forward to partying and such I was looking forward to another two week trip to Disney with my parents and sister. After that summer I still went on two more family vacations with them, the last being 1993 when I was 22 years old. I didn't want them to end. I have been to WDW almost every year since with my wife and/or other family members. To this day I still remember a nightmare I had right before one of our trips to Disney when I was younger. I had dreamt that I had slept through the entire two week trip and when I woke up we only had one more day left. lol

[Deafjeff]

For me, it was at our local travel agent. We were looking at various countries such as Mexico, Greece, Cyprus, Africa, even cruise!

It took us a long while to decide where to go. We saw a poster of Mickey in the shop. With one word....

Florida!

That was it! :mental:

We go there every two years. It wasn't even planned just 'happened'!


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[josh.p.]

The minute I got this....
http://img.tapatalk.com/561cde74-154a-a790.jpg

[Wendy]

Oh Josh that is wonderful, you are so very lucky :hug2:

[Kate]

I dont think its just disney for me - i think its Florida! :yes:
When we first went in 2003 disney wasnt the main reason for our trip, i desperately wanted to go to Universal Studios, SeaWorld and Islands of Adventure, disney came after those! And its still kind of the same, all the things i think about that make me want to go back are to do with those places!

[Suebeattie]

I'm the same as Kate but it's not just WDW, it's not just Florida it's all over the place in the USA. Our favourite places so far are Boston, San Francisco, and of course Orlando :)
:wiggle:

[Esmeralda]

I'd always wanted to do Disney World since a little girl but was never able to... then when I did eventually get there with my own family I was kind of underwhelmed... I think looking back there was just so much to drink in and I knew that I was only going the once so had a mad head on with everything just buzzing and blurring around in there.

It wasn't until I got back that I realised the Pixie Dust hadn't deserted me after all! I thought it had and felt flat at first. I don't know how it happened but I had definitely been hit with it, and although I don't feel the need to do *it* every year I definitely get withdrawal symptoms and so do my family. So we will be coming back again!:wiggle:

[Britchick]

Its Disney for me, if WDW wasn't in Orlando I wouldn't go there. There are some nice beaches in Florida etc but I prefer being up the coast a bit in South Carolina.

[robertcraig]

My first visit in 1981 and this year will be my 22nd visit I just love FLORIDA

[Wendy]

We are seeing more and more of Florida each year and we love it. I will always need a "Disney fix" but we don't go every day when we are there. There are other things to do and see. I don't like the International Drive area, it reminds me of a tacky seaside resort :lol: it's just not our cup of tea, so we have never been to anything down there.

I hope I never have to choose between Disney/Florida and Hawaii, because as much as I love going to Florida - Hawaii will always win :yes:

[robertcraig]

DISNEY is not about just the 2 weeks holiday it is about the planning from the time you book also the secrets forum is great fun too

[Kate]

I don't like the International Drive area, it reminds me of a tacky seaside resort :lol: it's just not our cup of tea, so we have never been to anything down there.



Wont ever find you in Blackpool then?! :lol: I love tacky seaside resorts!! We always stay on International Drive - we really like it there, maybe thats why?!

[Deafjeff]

We have always said that we are going to WDW as opposed to going to Florida if that makes sense?

Jeff


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[Deafjeff]

DISNEY is not about just the 2 weeks holiday it is about the planning from the time you book also the secrets forum is great fun too

I totally agree! :yes:


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[Wendy]

Wont ever find you in Blackpool then?! :lol: I love tacky seaside resorts!! We always stay on International Drive - we really like it there, maybe thats why?!

:sorry: :lol: I've been to Blackpool once, we took ages to find a parking space and then we were back in the car 15 mins later leaving :lol:

There are still some lovely seaside towns, I think that sadly others have been changed by the ages and type of people that go there :( Newquay for instance was a typical family seaside resort and now :sigh: it has been completely ruined :(

[Johnie]

I think I've always been an addict. I never got to go until I took Alysia for her 5th birthday. We went that one time in 1996 and I never made it back till 2002. I haven't stopped since.

[catrancher]

When did I become an addict?

When I saw this on television:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffnSTfBN1lU

I had always been a Disney fan. Ever since as a very little boy in Cleveland Ohio, my mother used to read me the story of Pedro in my Disney story book and my dad took me to the theater to see the original Pete Pan. I even remember lying on the couch watching the original Mickey Mouse club as I suffered through another bout of childhood sickness. As a result of my tendency toward bronchitis, our doctor recommended that my parents move and take me to Florida. It was there in St. Petersburg that I spent the rest of my childhood. Sunday nights would always find us gathered around the television set watching whatever flavor of Disney was on at the time.

So, on one of those Sunday nights, when Walt Disney announced the Florida Project, I instantly became a fan.

Tom (:macwave:... been one ever since!)

[DisneyFreak]

The minute I got this....
http://img.tapatalk.com/561cde74-154a-a790.jpg

This wasn't taken with a stolen iphone, was it? :happybounce:

[uscwest]

I've been thinking hard about this and I guess in reality it goes back to the 1950's and seeing the Mickey Mouse Club on TV, and then Disney's Wonderful World of Color. I always wanted to go to Disneyland and that dream finally came true in 1984, even though it was only for 1 day. I was in Germany in 1971 when the Magic Kingdom opened up and I never really got a chance to go there until I got back from Germany for the third time in 1987. I've loved it ever since.

[Shellyamc]

My Parents went on their honeymoon, so I remember seeing pictures and seeing the parades and shows on tv growing up. I always wanted to go, but we were never able to. When Dh and I got married I had actually won a trip to Hawaii, but Dh knew that I had always wished for a trip to Disney, so he told me to book it. Once I saw that Castle I knew that little girl's dream had come true! I was finally there!! We have been 3 times since and I love it more each time. This last trip was even more special to us as I took my Parents (for the first time since their honeymoon), and we had Marc and Katelyn for the first time!! Now we plan on booking in November for November 2013 for Anthony's first trip and I am so excited!

I always loved Disney, but I guess you could say I've been an addict since 2000 :wiggle:

[Isafari]

When we went on our first trip to Florida I wasn't a member of any online forum etc and hadn't done much research. I expected WDW to be like Alton Towers with Disney characters wandering aound waving to folk.

Boy was I wrong!!! We were so overwhelmed on our first day there, both DH and myself were in tears most of the day. And, when we had to leave to come home I cried. Totally hooked :yes:

[Esmeralda]

I don't like the International Drive area, it reminds me of a tacky seaside resort :lol: it's just not our cup of tea, so we have never been to anything down there


Ooh there is Ripleys believe it or not down there, that's a goodun for a rainy day to do and that upside down building for a one off and photo opportunity. Plus Tony Roma's.... mmmmmnnn nom nom... Ooh and Ron Johns Surf shop is waaaaaaay down there which we like, they have great HUGE beach towels.

[Esmeralda]

DISNEY is not about just the 2 weeks holiday it is about the planning from the time you book also the secrets forum is great fun too


Yep got to agree with you there.... it's even the plane ride too for us and the airport experience... well not the airport experience so much but you know what I mean lolololo!

[Wendy]

Ooh there is Ripleys believe it or not down there, that's a goodun for a rainy day to do and that upside down building for a one off and photo opportunity. Plus Tony Roma's.... mmmmmnnn nom nom... Ooh and Ron Johns Surf shop is waaaaaaay down there which we like, they have great HUGE beach towels.

:lol: Yeah I know but I've never even thought about going to Ripleys or the other places :lol: I did like it in the old days when the Mercado was there :yes: it just seems to have changed so much now :sigh:

See you mention Ron Johns Surf Shop and I automatically think of the beach :lol: :wink:

Seriously though I know it is very popular, but for me, of all the places we have been in Florida, I just don't feel "safe" in International Drive :shrug: it's just not for me.

[catrancher]

Plus Tony Roma's.... mmmmmnnn nom nom...

Ohh... onion loaf! :thumbsup: :mental:

Tom (:macwave:... food motivated...)

[Wendy]

Ohh... onion loaf! :thumbsup: :mental:

Tom (:macwave:... food motivated...)

:lol:

[Watchinherskip]

For me, it started before Disney. My mom took me to the 1964 World's Fair in NY. I was about 7 at the time. The place was so extremely different than my normal life in a small northeastern Pennyslvania town that I was in mourning...no kidding...after we left. I would sit and just drift into memories of the Carousel of Progress, walking through the Coke Cola exhibit (fishing village, Alpine village, hot jungle with waterfalls, etc), Ford ride (1964 mustang convertibles going back into the age of dinosaurs), the futurastic General Motors ride to colonies on other planets, and of course IASW!!

So of course when I got a chance to get back (1987) to something of similar scope...that was it.:surrender:

[catrancher]

For me, it started before Disney. My mom took me to the 1964 World's Fair in NY. I was about 7 at the time. The place was so extremely different than my normal life in a small northeastern Pennyslvania town that I was in mourning...no kidding...after we left. I would sit and just drift into memories of the Carousel of Progress, walking through the Coke Cola exhibit (fishing village, Alpine village, hot jungle with waterfalls, etc), Ford ride (1964 mustang convertibles going back into the age of dinosaurs), the futurastic General Motors ride to colonies on other planets, and of course IASW!!

Arrrrrgghhhhh.... :mental:

I was there too! Only I was about 7 years older than you. Too cool!

Tom (:macwave:... Flushing Meadows...)

[Watchinherskip]

I know Tom, mi old amigo! That was the start of it I guess.

[Sam]

Yep got to agree with you there.... it's even the plane ride too for us and the airport experience... well not the airport experience so much but you know what I mean lolololo!

For me too. I love the planning and the whole build up. I too also think that it's not just WDW it's all the parks and the whole experience, especially seeing the kids faces (and my dad's who is the biggest kid of us all). Saying that when we walk through the entrance to MK and see the Castle my heart flutters.

My DH knows me so well, he did say before we went to Florida the first time that it is dangerous taking me to WDW as I would want to go back again. How right he was.