Do You Even Disney?

[ww52]

Zoe Wood's article on the DIS is a must read! I'm only half through and this line summed it all up for me - just back from a trip with two of my 3 adult children and 2 of my four grandchildren:

"Disney is a place you go with friends, even if those friends also happen to be your children."

(and grandchildren!)

We've been going for nearly 30 years as a family. Not as often as we'd like - but a lot compared to people who don't "Disney".

I'm saving the link to this article!

(And mods - I have no idea where this thread belongs so I fully expect you'll move it)

 

[ww52]

OK - I finished. The last paragraph asks -
"What are some of the crazier things you have been asked? How do you respond?"

(again, I'm sure this thread is in the wrong place under "Theme Park Attractions and Strategies. apologies)

(EDIT - thanks for moving it! I thought the "community" was the right place but I thought I'd let an expert decide)

My answer - though it's not a "crazy" question:
Don't you want to see other things in the country / world?

And my answer is yes, of course. And we have. And will continue.

But we do WDW so often for a big (and pretty easy to understand) reason:
ALL travel is expensive. But we are good at doing WDW. We KNOW without a doubt we will have a great time. I can't say that with any other trip we've taken or plan to take. While we've enjoyed them all - when I compare any of them to any one of our WDW trips, I'd have to say the WDW trip comes out ahead in the "meeting/exceeding expectations" ranking.

I wouldn't give up the trips to California / Hawaii / Boston / Bermuda / Paris / London. But I can name something that went wrong or worse than expected in each of them. It's just the nature of travel. There is no other trip I can think of where I'm near-certain it will be without major issue at all.

So it's nice every couple of years to go somewhere that feels like a home away from home and truly relax knowing it will all be as expected.

 

[klmall]

Where's the link to this article? I somehow missed it. Thanks!

 

[ww52]

I wasn't sure I could post links here (even to articles on the DIS itself) - bu there goes:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/walt-disney-world/do-you-even-disney/

 

[Clare Voince]

My answer - though it's not a "crazy" question:
Don't you want to see other things in the country / world?

And my answer is yes, of course. And we have. And will continue.

But we do WDW so often for a big (and pretty easy to understand) reason:
ALL travel is expensive. But we are good at doing WDW. We KNOW without a doubt we will have a great time. I can't say that with any other trip we've taken or plan to take. While we've enjoyed them all - when I compare any of them to any one of our WDW trips, I'd have to say the WDW trip comes out ahead in the "meeting/exceeding expectations" ranking.

I wouldn't give up the trips to California / Hawaii / Boston / Bermuda / Paris / London. But I can name something that went wrong or worse than expected in each of them. It's just the nature of travel. There is no other trip I can think of where I'm near-certain it will be without major issue at all.

So it's nice every couple of years to go somewhere that feels like a home away from home and truly relax knowing it will all be as expected.

What I tell people who ask me this is that there is a difference between a vacation and travel. Travel is to see new things, cultures, and experience the world in a new way. Vacation is to relax, de-stress, and enjoy yourself. Disney is vacation, that other stuff is travel. I do both as well.

 

[KenHutch]

Liked the article quite a bit. I have been asked variations of most of those questions. I get asked a lot but so what I did not start parenthood until I was 40 so while most of my friends are into grandchildren I am still experiencing Disney toys all around my house. And for whatever reason (I can't figure it out) this OCD IT workaholic can relax at Disney.

 

[ww52]

Travel is to see new things, cultures, and experience the world in a new way. Vacation is to relax, de-stress, and enjoy yourself.

Very well said.

Ironically though, those who do Disney once or twice find it stressful (crowds, lines, expense). Or at least not as relaxing as they expected. It does take a lot of planning or preparation. Once you "get" it, it IS very relaxing - since it's so reliable.

Travel - as you say - is in the discovery. There is an element of the unknown. Disney - to those of us who prepare - eliminates that unknown and thus provides that opportunity to relax - knowing it will all be fine.

There certainly are other destinations that provide that same opportunity. People often take beach vacations or island vacations for the same reason.

 

[goofyernmost]

I've been many places in the world. My favorite destination has always been WDW, but, I have taken advantage of going to see other things. My years of travel have diminished my desire to go places as I age more and more. I only have one thing left on my bucket list and that is to drive from one end of I-90 from Boston to Seattle. No particular reason other then to just do it. I have done I-95 from Maine to Miami. (continued on down to Key West) I've already covered from Boston to Cleveland so all I have to do is join up with I-90 in Cleveland and continue on to Seattle. There now, didn't that sound easy?

 

[ww52]

drive from one end of I-90 from Boston to Seattle.

Wave to me as you go by - I live just a couple miles off I-90 in a suburb NW of Chicago!

Boy, do I ever relate to this comment:

My years of travel have diminished my desire to go places as I age more and more.

Not that I've travelled all that much - but we've been several places in the US and a few outside. It gets to be "work" after a while - though I have a few things on my bucket list (Grand Canyon and also the Northern Lights).

But WDW - now that's easy. But again, it's the familiarity - I'm sure there are people who go to other places often who feel the same familiarity / ease of mind.

(I loved Boston the two times I was there - and a Fall NE cruise from Boston is another thing on our potential travel plans.)