The Top 25 Reasons My Family Goes To Walt Disney World Resort

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

1. Two words....DOLE WHIPS! 
2. The weather.
3. Mickey shaped food just tastes better!
4. To add more Disney ornaments and coffee mugs to our collection.
5. We can visit 11 countries without needing a passport.
6. Where else can we get our own Key to the World?  
7. Where else can we spend our Disney Dollars? Nowhere else can money that is NOT legal tender be spent so freely. 
8. To improve our Spanish- "Por favor manténgase alejado de las pueratas!"
9. Because people keep telling us to "Have a Magical Day." 
10. Because we look great in 3-D glasses.
11. The resorts.
12. To eat stuff we shouldn't knowing that we can walk it off (Mickey ice cream bars, Dole Whips, Turkey legs, Dole Whip floats, No Way Jose sundaes, Dole Whips, anything at Boardwalk Bakery, Dole Whip floats, funnel cakes, Dole Whips, cinnamon rolls at the Main Street Bakery....).
13. Because we have a hard time finding Hidden Mickey's in our own hometown.
14. Because everyday should start with a wake-up call from Mickey and end with fireworks.
15. To pay no attention to what's on TV for a whole week except for Stacy and the Nine Must Dos at Disney.  My husband has it memorized.  
16. Not minding if our hair is messy or clothes are plastered to our bodies because you just experienced Splash Mountain or Kali River Rapids. Or the alternative..not minding what we look like wearing big ponchos to stay dry.
17. We can ask a stranger to take a photo of our family and not wonder if they will run off with our camera.
18. We actually like planning our meals, naps, outfits . . . 6-months in advance. 
19. To kiss big mice, converse with walking trash cans, and pick up hitch-hiking ghosts. 
20. Because we are homesick and want to hear "Welcome Home!"
21. The RIDES!!!!!
22. Ohana . . . it means family. 
23. Because it is Walt Disney's world with all its glory, beauty, excitement, innovation, and nostalgia created with his vision.
24. It truly is "The Happiest Place on Earth."
25. Because it is there my family meets with a shared joy, building shared, precious memories that can't ever be duplicated or replaced. From the expressions of wonder and the giggles of happiness from my children to sincere words of happiness expressed by my father on his first trip last year, I have been very blessed.  I pray with all my heart that when I am old and my memory begins to fail me that these are the memories that I can hold onto. 

I would like to thank those who contributed ideas to the above list and and hope that others contribute their own by commenting on this post!

Till next time....Happy planning!



"Well let me tell you something, this is no longer a vacation! It's a quest! It's a quest for fun. I'm gonna have fun and you're gonna have fun...!"-Clark Griswold

"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable" -Dwight D. Eisenhower
I have always been a planner. As a child I was constantly planning talent show acts, clubs, and ways to raise money.  I have also always tried to put myself out there to make things happen.  Now mind you the success rate on my planning and attempting has only been about 50/50. Like the times I ran for class/organization president (3) and won (1).  Or the times I decided to get up and sing karaoke (thousands) and actually sang on key (3.5) or the time I won a dance solo (1) and fell on my behind during the performance (1).  Okay, my success rate is looking muck less than 50/50 at this point...

However, with the exception of planning and attaining my degree, I would have to say my greatest coup was the planning and execution of that first trip together with Brian.  My first line of attack was to acquire the necessary troops to brief me on the battle plans.  I did not know anyone personally that contended to be an expert of DisneyWorld . So I called in the Reserves...the travel authors.  I can tell you, no word of a lie that I read 5 books on the subject.  More specifically I read books for couples, books for idiots, official books, unofficial books (Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World), and books with nifty pockets.  Not only did I read these books but, I cross-referenced them and evaluated the information based on the authors' research methods and extent of their personal experience.  I then made outlines, spread sheets, flash cards. There were budget planners, extensive packing lists, daily itineraries, and step by step battle plans for each of the parks.There was almost a power point presentation. Now, poor Brian,was not quite a planner but more of a go with the flow kind of guy must have been tempted to desert. However, he hung in there.  He hung in there with the planning.  He hung in there with the daily itineraries, touring plans, and restaurant choices. The first couple of days I think he was hanging on for dear life. But that was all that was necessary. After those first couple of days we were triumphant.  The plans were put away into one of those nifty pockets (Passporter Walt Disney World) and we improvised.  We saw everything we intended and more. It was fun, romantic, and in the end even a little relaxing! We returned victors and not at all battle weary. I have to admit I took pride in hearing Brian discuss the trip with everyone. He is now enlisted with me for life.
As time has passed and our children have entered our lives Disney has been a constant magical and joyful retreat for all of us. As the parks have continuously evolved so has our family making each trip a new exciting adventure.  I continue to love all of my researching and planning. However, now the whole family is involved and we have so much more personal experience with 11 Disney World vacations and a Disney cruise since 2001. For each trip the fun begins when we begin to plan.

 So until next time may all your planning be Happy Planning!

"If you can dream it, you can do it" -Walt Disney

In the Beginning There was a Movie...

I guess it is about time I started to establish my credentials. What makes me so sure that I can provide others with sound Disney planning advice?  Was I ever a Disney Parks Cast Member?  No.  Am I a travel agent?  No.  Am I a Disney geek?  Yes! Yes! Yes!
OK that brings me to a little movie I made when I was just out of college and struggling to pay the bills. This is getting exciting isn't it?   Okay, I was not struggling to pay bills but it sounded so dramatic and I do tend to to like a little drama.  Anyhow, I decided to surprise my then fiance, Brian with a trip to Disney World for Christmas.  To present the gift with a little drama, my now sister-in-law Sara and I made a very high quality film with cutting edge special effects.  Well anyhow, I recruited some family members and family pets. There was also a wind up dolphin involved. The film was a spoof on the Disney Vacation Planning DVDs that Brian and I would order and re watch over and over again...  There went all the excitement didn't it?  .
Well, in my opinion it was a beautifully crafted piece cinematography .  I should know as a graduate of Emerson College where some other students learned all about such things.  If I can also add that my father's touching portrayal of a Disney park guest riding the Tower of Terror was of Academy Award winning caliber.  My cat's performance of a lion in her natural habitat (litter box) was quite convincing as well.  Ah memories.... I could tell you more but why spoil it when you can just buy the DVD?  Just joking.
It is a double Blue Ray set with deleted scenes and outtakes.
When all was said and done Brian received his gift.  It took until nearly the end of the movie (when I explained it) for him to figure out what the heck was going on.  But, needless to say he went on the vacation and married me anyway. 
So are you convinced yet?  Most of you are convinced that I am just not normal.  Besides that I can prove that I am thoroughly competent and maybe even skilled at providing advice and even helping others plan their Disney vacations. It all began when we started to PLAN for that very first trip together.

A Little Introduction is in Order...

Hello.  My name is Lisa. I am not a writer,  Instead, I am by profession and hobby a speaker.  I am a  speech therapist to be more accurate.  I am thirty somethingish, married, and a mother of two.  I am also madly in love. I happen to be a lover of many things: strong coffee with cream, pumpkin muffins, soft blankets, happy faces, dancing anywhere and everywhere, compulsive planning, etcetera, etcetera.  However, I have also been truly blessed in this life with the great love for an amazing family.  With this crew I have also been able to develop and share a great love for Disney which has lead to perpetual vacation planning and becoming a Disney Vacation Club owner several years ago.

Why am I writing this? Well, I am not 100% certain.  I am surely not trying to impress.  I certainly realize that I am following in the footsteps of many truly more gifted writers.  What I have to say may not be all that unique either.   I guess I am doing this for three reasons.  One, my father-in-law urged me too.  It is not very often a father-in-law urges his daughter-in-law to do something.  His son...yes.  His daughter-in-law...no.  Well, maybe with the exception of urging me to please don't go to any trouble to cook dinner; takeout will be fine : ).  My second reason is that I feel the need to take this on as a challenge.  This is a commitment of sorts to improve myself on several levels.  I feel that by taking on this blog I may not only develop  faster typing skills (please for heaven sakes) but, more self confidence with expressing myself in this format. I find this particularly important at this time as my son Noah (9) continues his power struggle with non cooperating fine motor skills which have made writing  a persistently tedious and difficult challenge. So if he can do his best I will also try. So what's good for the gosling is good for the goose.  Okay, so my final reason for putting you all through this ("all" is currently defined as my husband and sister who are obligated) is that I just have too much enthusiasm about Disney to keep quiet about it.  Now it is time to get it down in hard copy for prosperity sake.
So wish me luck.  Until next time....may all your planning (whatever it may be) be Happy Planning!