Originally Posted By familyguy What's your story? How did you become a Disney freak? I have lived in New Mexico all my life and my dad worked his butt off all year to take our family of 5 to Disneyland every year. I fell in love at a very young age. I was the only one of my siblings to experience this love. My brother stopped going as soon as he was old enough to stay home by himself and my sister could care less about Disneyland now. I, however continue to love it and have continued the tradition with my family, trying to take them every year. The dfference though is that my dad used to take us to Disneyland 1 or 2 days along with Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, sometimes Sea World, but I just get a 5 day hopper and pretty much take my family to Disneyland for the whole week! It's awesome but I often times wonder which of my kids will have the same love I have and which ones will be like my siblings and not care for it as they get older. My wife had never been and I took her for her first time a few years ago and luckily, she is now a fully converted Disney freak as well! God is good for providing me with a fellow Disney companion to go with me when the kids are out of the house. As far as we are concerned, thats when the real Disney fun begins!
Originally Posted By Mr Snappy I agree. I share a similar experience with you. Our family went at least once a year when I was growing up in Southern California. We were a military family and bounced all over the place, but mainly in California. Funny, the place that always remained the same (for the most part) was Disneyland. We live in Kansas now, but I never lost my desire to go to Disneyland. There were the years from high school to full grown adult that I missed some years, but tried to make it as often as I could. Now, that I have a family, I have made it a priority to take my boys as often as possible, hopefully once a year. It is starting to happen with them, I can see it with my own eyes and feel it in my heart. Who knows if it will be life-long, but I cherrish their joy right now. The funny thing is that my mom and dad are once again mega DisneyLand freaks even though they also live here in Kansas. They are coming with us for the second trip in 2 years.
Originally Posted By familyguy haha that's cool. I've taken my dad with me and my family a few years now. He's debating hwether or not he wants to come with us in May.
Originally Posted By Grumpy Pete I was raised in Southern Nevada and was able to go to DL quite often. I didn't appreciate the relative closness. In '05 my wife & I went to DL on the spur of the moment for our 31st Anniversary. What a great time! No kids. Just us two big kids. It was so much fun. We're heading back tomorrow with part of the family that can make it. I guess I'm still young at heart!
Originally Posted By cmpaley I was raised in Southern California and we'd do DL at least once a year. Then we didn't go for a long time and when we finally went for a week, I totally fell in love with the place. Then we won a day at DCA for free and took advantage of that. A couple months later, I decided to go by myself and broke down and bought the annual pass. Five years and counting!
Originally Posted By avromark An AP for WDW of course right Chris? I don't really go to DLR too much lately for logistical reasons. (I leach my vacations off my parents and they have a little one that likes WDW) Although DL was the park I first went to (In the womb and as a baby), didn't go to WDW until I was school aged.
Originally Posted By darkangel4evr2u I didn't really go to DLR much when I lived in southern california almost my whole life. when i moved to new mexico Nice to see someone "familyguy" from NM, that's when i seemed to miss it the most. i honestly didn't think i would ever make it back on my own to california again but 11 years kater and after having my son we went in 2005 and i fell in live with it seeing it all over again thru the eyes of my son and seeing his reaction. it felt like i was at home trully once again lol. and behold i didn't think i would be going for a few more years again but here we are the whle family going in 60 days!
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle I'm Australian and when I was 6, my parents decided to take us (me and my sisters, then 13 and 15) to Europe. It turned out it was going to be cheaper to do a round-the-world trip, so we added a short trip to California with 3 days at Disneyland. I was more excited about Disneyland than just about anything else we did on the trip! Anyway, when I was 11 something inside my brain just snapped and I started watching all the Disney movies again (around 8-10 I was too mature for Disney, of course). I started collecting all things Disney and begged my parents to take me back to Disneyland. We finally got back when I was 14; I've been back 4 times since (I'm now 23), bringing my total to 6 DLR trips. I've also fit in 2 looooong WDW trips and an all-too-short voyage on the Disney Cruise Line!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Hmmm, this is always an interesting topic. I was born in the San Francisco Bay area, but grew up in Central California. I went on my first trip to DL when I was two, and I have been hooked ever since. Every big family gathering seemed to be at DL. When we had friends from over seas, we'd take them to DL. I managed to take disabled people, hearing impaired and autistic people to DL, and see them come alive. As a kid, everything I read and talked about was DL related - even started to get marked down at school for over use of DL as an example. My love of the movies grew to enhance my DL experience. As Epcot was being designed and built, I obessessed over every detail. And then DL was taken from me. I moved to England in 1986, 3000 miles from the nearest Disney park, and too expensive to see. So the films and books had to fill my void. I was over the moon in 1989. The Disney Store opened in London and construction started on DLP. I made sure I worked for a Kodak affiliate as a spare time job at school so I could get inside info on DLP. I saved every penny of my pay for 3 years and spent my college fund on going to the opening of DLP. It was so worth it. During the college years, I missed out on a lot of Disney, but I managed to hitch hike (very stupid) to DLP to ride Space Mountain when it opened - awesome!!!! Then after graduation, it became too expensive as I had to buy a car, get an appartment and get started in my career. However by 1999, it was all good - 3 trips to DLP, 2000 - 1 trip to DLP, got married and went for 2 weeks on Honeymoon to WDW, 2001 - 6 trips to DLP, 2002 - attended the preopening of the Walt Disney Studios in Paris, spent 10 days at the Grand Californian in DL, saw Beauty and the Beast in Bristol and the Lion King in London. 2003 - 1 DLP trip after my son was born (age 3 months - Mickey held our Mikey), 2004 - too broke as we bought our 1st house. 2005 - 2 trips DLP, 2006 - 2 trips to DLP and 2 weeks at AKL in WDW. 2007 - looking forward to the 15th anniversary celebrations of DLP. Since my college years, I have spent a lot of time in cyberspace reading and talking about Disney. LP has enabled me to make lots of friends that we try to see regularly (but not enough). And we do a lot for the Make a Wish Foundation - which really brings the magic of Disney to life for families touched by real tragedy. To me Disney is a way of life, and obsession, and borderline a religion. I read about it all the time, our house is full of it, and we collect so many different Disney things. I think I'd be financially more comfortable if we were not Disney fans, but it fills my heart and replenishes my soul.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle >>I think I'd be financially more comfortable if we were not Disney fans, but it fills my heart and replenishes my soul<< I was thinking something very similar the other day. A question in "Interview with the person below you" got me thinking about what I'd be interested in if I didn't have Disney, and I honestly couldn't think of anything that would even remotely measure up! Some will think it's sad to say, but I really can't, at this point, imagine my life without Disney. I think I'd feel sort of empty without it.
Originally Posted By pecos bill I was drawn into Disney by the classic movies as a child. They were just so enjoyable,(and still are) that I was mesmerized. I was in love with Disneyland before I ever went there, from listening to stories from pals who had been, and watching the occasional Disneyland programs on Wonderful World Of Color. When I finally made it, the place more than exceeded my expectations, it literally blew me away. Sadly, I seem to be the only one in my circle of family and friends who has this passion, and being currently single doesnt make it much easier. But on a high note, I go to visit the park anyway, and always have a good time. I have a wonderful vintage Disneyana collection that seems to baffle most of those I show it to, they just dont seem to understand that what they are looking at is treasure. I have other interests and pursuits, but Disney is right up there at the top. I think the reason people like us are so attached to Disney is that we share a delicate balance of the same imagination and fantasy that he had. Something just clicks and locks us in, and so far it's been a great ride!
Originally Posted By dzy76 Great way to put it Pecos bill. I, too, grew up watching World of Disney and thinking Walt would be the best Uncle or Grandpa ever. Loved him. As I grew I began to see what a true genius he was and admired him for going after such a dream. Went to DL the first time in 76 and have been hooked since. I can't imagine a better place to be. I absolutely love it there. It truly is my happy place. Most people think I'm a little nuts, but I don't care. It makes me happy, what can be wrong with that?
Originally Posted By familyguy 76...good year (I was born) For me I think it's just that it caters to the little kid in me, which is a big part of me. When I go to Disneyland it's like I'm a little kid again in a completely different world. We usually go for the 5 day hopper pass and when we leave my wife and I get really sad knowing that it will be another year before we can come back again. Maybe some day God will move me to California and I can be an AP! That would rock!
Originally Posted By ncnike7 When I was eleven my parents took us on a spur of the moment trip to Disneyland. I hadn't been since I was very young and what I experienced was pure magic. About a month later my 1 year old baby brother was diagnosed with cancer. That same year my dad got a job transfer and we had to move to Kansas, we didn't know anybody. We had a tough year but finally my brother was in remission and we got to move back home. To celebrate we took another trip to Dinseyland and have been going every year since. Now I am taking my soon to be 3 year old for her 4th trip and my 5 month old for his first trip, I hope to pass the magic on to them. Disneyland is a place where everything is okay. Its also a reminder of what one person can accomplish, every time I get discouraged or think that my dreams are too far fetched I remember what Walt created and I keep on going.
Originally Posted By darkangel4evr2u Well family guy I am from Rio Rancho and look forward to going soon and getting so many goodies to take back!
