Why We Keep Going to Disney

An Open Letter to Anyone Who Has Ever Asked Me "Why Do You Keep Going Back to Disney?":

Let me preface this by saying I am not ranting.  This is not some kind of initiated response because someone was snide, rude, or ridiculous.  I just got to thinking- what if I could explain it perfectly every time? What if I had some perfect answer that could possibly make the non-Disney people in my life “get it”?  Then it dawned on me, there are people who go to Disney World and don’t get it so no matter what I say it may fall on some deaf ears.

I know countless people who purchase timeshares in the Caribbean, they return the same island each year and stay at the same hotel.  They eat at the same restaurants and do the same excursions.  Obviously I can understand these people, when you find a magical spot for your family where you have your best times and bond every year- you should go back whenever you can! But for some reason, this doesn’t warrant the same response as my multiple trips to Disney World.  Nobody says to these people “Why do you keep going back to the Bahamas?” they say instead “How was the Caribbean this summer?”  It is that compartmentalizing of vacation destinations that makes people ask in the first place.

So, why the heck do I keep going back to Disney World?

If nothing else, to answer that question, I need everyone out there to spend some time imagining with me.  Imagine you are in a different world.  No road noises, horns beeping, sirens wailing, or faces making angry eyebrows.  You are in a place where even rainy days are happy days, everyone smiles at strangers, and you feel at home the moment you set foot in your hotel room. You are in Disney World.

Imagine waking up, having breakfast with royalty inside a castle, then riding a space shuttle into outer space, and taking a boat ride through pirate territory.  Imagine heading on a hike through a real life African jungle, hanging over a ledge to view hippos and crocodiles, and then having lunch on the savannah and watching antelopes roam around.  Imagine sitting lagoon-side and sipping a margarita with the one you love, then heading off for a hang-gliding adventure through California.  Next imagine strolling around the world for an authentic dinner under the Eiffel Tower in Paris.  How could this day be real? or better? Lets imagine the most fantastic fireworks you have ever seen- the kind of fireworks that make your city’s 4th of July celebration look like child’s play.  The day doesn’t end there, imagine all the excitement made you decide to stay up a little later so you decide to grab a few drinks.  You head over to a time warp- a 1920s Atlantic Boardwalk where you can see street performers, walk hand in hand, and bask in the classic beauty of the lit up Boardwalk lights reflecting off the water.

And thats just day one, its just the beginning.  Imagine you enter a hotel so well themed and staffed that literally everything is perfect.  Even refurbishments being blocked off look pleasing to the eye.  Your room is classy and captures the essence of your hotel so much that you take pictures all around because you are in awe.  After all, your room feels like a tropical oasis or an old time fancy hotel or whatever beautiful place you have chosen.  Your hotel is a vacation spot unto itself.  The pool makes you feel like you have left central Florida and entered the South Pacific, or a Montana hot spring, or a beautiful sandy beach, or a Victorian era resort.

While classified as “Theme Parks” this is almost a stigma that needs to be let go of when traveling to Disney World.  Here you will find boating, touring, golfing, sailing, and world class restaurants.  You can take walks along the beach, watch the sunset behind a castle, and ride in a hot air balloon high above the world.  Now, anyone who has been to Disney World can vouch for everything I’ve said.  Its all true and its all there.  I am not exaggerating and not even scratching the surface.  This is the most stress-free and relaxing vacation spot Ive ever visited and one of the easiest places to create your own customized all-inclusive packages.  It’s all there. That’s the the long answer.

Its that magic.  And once you feel it, it never goes away.  Every time I smell a scent that wafts through the air on Main Street I am home.  Every time I hear the sounds of the park music I am home.  And when I set foot in that magical world my heart tightens in my chest for just a quick second because its so happy, I’m so happy, I just might burst!

“Why do I keep going back to Disney?” you ask.

I guess the best answer I can give is, “Why not?”

Love, Luck, & Dreams Come True,

Melissa :)