Why We Keep Going Back...

We just came home from another Disney vacation...this one was our best so far, and we've gone there a lot! In fact, someone recently asked me if we ever vacation anywhere BUT Disney World. Well, the answer is yes. In fact, in 2014 we didn't go to the land of the mouse even once! And, by the end of the year, we knew we were missing it. And so, here are my reasons for why Disney World is just so awesome, and keeps us coming back so often.

I'm sure I could list 1,000 reasons for why we love Disney World and why we keep coming back. But for know, I'll settle for my Top 10, in no particular order. 

1. The Cast Members LOVE their job! Years ago, Walt Disney named the employees "cast members", as they all have a job in a making memories and moments special for the guests. Well, Disney World employees have NAILED it! Ticket takers, security guards, bus drivers, custodians...you name it, they all love their jobs and have a way of making you feel like a valued guest in their home. If happiness truly is contagious, they are spreading it everywhere! On other vacations, we assume that people will love their jobs just as much, but they just don't. Disney sets the bar high for customer service and experience, and that is addictive! 
2. It's so clean! I'm not a neat freak by any means, but with young children dirty bathrooms freak me out. I mean, at any given moment a child will likely be crawling on the ground, laying down and then picking their nose with those same filthy little hands. Given the large volume of people that enter the parks daily, it is truly miraculous that you never see trash on the ground, gum on the curb, or even full trash cans. Like magic, it is all clean, all the time. We stepped off property for lunch once this past week, and instantly I knew we weren't in Disney any longer as there was "gunk" in the corner of bathroom sink. That just doesn't happen at Disney...and it's so refreshing! 
3. Exposes myself and my family to people and cultures different than our own. Raising children in the suburban mid-west of the United States, we don't hear foreign languages very often. Disney World attracts people of all cultures, from around the world. Employees work hard to teach children about their own country and my daughter even got her name translated in three different languages! How often does that happen on vacation?! 
   
   
   

   

   loved shopping in "Morocco" 

4. We grow stronger as a family team. Waiting in line, answering new questions, enjoying new experiences all outside of our normal routine requires all of us to step up and become team mates even more so than normal. We web and flow together, in unison...and the results, are pretty awesome! 
   
   
5. The little touches. And there are a lot! "Mousekeepers" create beautiful towel creations, arrange stuffed toys on the bed, and overall truly care about the home away from home. Our headboard in our room lit up in LED lights mimicking fireworks above our head. The little touches go far beyond the resorts, and are a part of everywhere you look. 

Maya with her Mickey Mouse towel

6. Ignites the creativity and magic within us all. Nothing quite like watching your little ones squeal in uncontrollable delight when they see a favorite character or witness the magic of larger than life performances. Broadway style performers, interacting with your kiddos and including them in the show...my goodness, what an experience!

Maya and Elliana were selected to be in the Lion King Show!!!  

7.  AMAZING FOOD! And, we tend to participate in the Dining Plan which gives a plethora of options, snacks, dining experiences and DESSERTS! We all gained quite a few pounds this last trip and it was worth every calorie! 







Banana Creme Brulee- Kona Cafe






Elliana with her favorite snack, a MICKEY BAR!






Unlimited bottomless fresh berry cobbler with fresh vanilla cream on top

8. This particular year we were able to share pieces of our trip with some close friends. You know God has intentions for our friendship when we booked the same trip, same flight and same resort without talking to each other ahead of time! What a joy it was to watch these sweet friends celebrate and laugh together in the magic of the mouse, and share in the meltdowns of young ones with their grown up counterparts. :) 

9.  I love to sew, but rarely make the time to do so. A Disney trip inspires me and gets my creative juices flowing. I love when we are all "matchy-matchy" and not only does it make our photos look great, but I have noticed a marked difference between the interaction of cast members and our family when we are wearing Disney threads and when are not. This year, the staff went cuckoo over the Duffy dresses my talented cousin made for her kids, and I modified to fit my girls, even awarding Elliana a special celebration button adorned with Duffy! 

My favorite! Monsters Inc shirts/dresses for us all! 



10. This year was the first year we participated in the Wilderness Explorer program at Animal Kingdom. I can't believe we never did this before! The girls LOVED searching for the little emblems, answering questions, performing tasks and earning badges for nature/geography/science based questions. On safari they identified animals and marked them off in their books. Elliana played African & Indonesian instruments, met people from other countries and learned about currency conversion rates. We were so busy acquiring badges we missed out on a lot of the theme park, but discovered a whole new side of it we had never before experienced. 

Preparing their adventure books for the next badge

P.S. Last year, the Frozen sisters overtook the world by storm making their songs and personalities a part of nearly every household in America. My girls were no exception to the craze, and their little wishes came true when we met the beloved princesses along side their friends. This was Elliana's highlight of the trip and insisted it be represented in the blog!