What Keeps Us Coming Back -- PassPorter.com

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Planning

Disney Dreaming
What Keeps Us Coming Back
Disney for Veteran Visitors
Rumor Round-Up
Finding Answers
Best Disney Trip Advice
Getting Your Disney Fix
How Young Is Too Young?
Top Ten Disney Questions
Tipping (Gratuities)
Timeshare Vacation Offers
Disney World on a Budget
Credit Cards 101
Money-Saving Strategies
Preparing Kids For Disney
Taking Toddlers to Disney
Planning Trips for Others
Convincing Others To Go
Importance of Being Lazy
Preparing For Your Disney Cruise
Ten "Must Pack" Items
Touring With A Group
Chaperoning A Group Trip

Traveling

Ten Travel Tips
Luggage Tips
iPhone, I Travel
Driving to Disney
Driving With Kids
Child Safety Seats
CARES Harness Review
Rental Cars
Amtrak Auto Train
Airline Security
Flying With Kids
Surviving Long Flights
Surviving Bumpy Flights
Surviving Bad Vacations
Surviving Long Airport Waits
Staying Healthy
First Aid on Vacation
Solo Travel
Pregnant at Disney
Dress For Travel
Traveling With Pets
International Travel
Taking A 'Greener' Trip to WDW
Orlando Sanford Airport

Lodging

Choosing a Resort
On-Site Lodging vs. Off-Site Lodging
Disney Resort Primer
Reserving a Room
Key to the World Card
Fun at Resort Hotels
Disney Vacation Club
All-Star Movies
All-Star Music
All-Star Sports
All-Star Vacation Homes
Animal Kingdom Lodge: Perfect for Teens
Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Beach Club
BoardWalk Inn & Villas
Contemporary Resort
Ft. Wilderness Camping
Old Key West
Wilderness Lodge
Home Sweet Home
Grand Californian #1
Grand Californian #2
Grosvenor Resort
Hilton Resort
Orlando Airport Marriott
Priceline.com
Radisson Resort Parkway
Shades of Green
Westin Century Plaza
Making The Most of Bell Services at Disney's Deluxe Resorts
DVC's Old Key West Resort

Cruising

Preparing For Your Disney Cruise
New Ships!
Cruise Security
International Port Security
Convincing a Husband to Cruise
Palo Dinner Review
Vow Renewals Onboard
Cruising With Special Diets
Cruising St. Martin
One in a Million Cruise
Zip-A-Dee-Zip-Line: A Canopy Adventure
A 'Magic' Time In The Mediterranean
A Wrap-Up From DCL's Inaugural Mediterranean Cruise
DCL: Not Just for Kids!
Spa Villas Review

Touring

Laugh Floor Comedy Club
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Fantasyland For Adults
Mission: SPACE
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Star Wars Weekends
Animal Kingdom
Expedition EVEREST
Surviving the Parks as First Time Parents
Surviving the Holidays
Overcoming Kids Fears
Planning Park Days
Four Parks in One Day
Touring with Toddlers
A Kid's Perspective
A Teen's Take
Educational Epcot
Flower & Garden Festival
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Scary Places (Halloween)
Playing "Millionaire"
Winning "Millionaire"
A Day With Allie
Past Attractions at Magic Kingdom
Meeting Mickey
Disneyland at 50
Future of Disneyland
Beyond the Disney Parks
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Monorail System
California Adventure
Expanding Disney's California Adventure
10 Reasons to Love Disneyland
A WDW Veteran's First Trip to Disneyland
A Disneyland Veteran's First Trip to Walt Disney World
Disneyland Homecoming
Walt Disney World With Pre-Teen Boys
Keys To The Kingdom Backstage Tour
Pirates & Princess Party
WDW with Teens? Absolutely!

Dining

Disney Dining Plan
More Dining Plan Tips
Dining Plan Revisited
Dining Plan Answers
Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) Strategies
Artist Point Review
California Grill Review
Nine Dragons Review
Spoodles Review
The Turf Club Review
Crystal Palace Review
Yak & Yeti Review
Tutto Italia Review
Character Dinners
Dine With A Disney Imagineer
Eating Healthy at Disney
Food Allergies
White Water Snacks
MurderWatch Mystery Theatre
Disneyland Dining: Yamabuki
Disneyland Area Dining: Pirate's Dinner Adventure
Party For The Senses
Artist Point
1900 Park Fare Dinner Review

Making Magic

Romance At Disney World
Beating The Post Trip Blues
Discovering the Magic
Magic of Slowing Down
Unexpected Treasures
Wishes Fireworks Cruise
Backstage Tours
Epcot's Segway Tour
Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival
Taking Great Photos
Taking Great Fireworks Photos
Digital Photo Q & A
Souvenirs on a Budget
Pal Mickey
Birthdays at Disney
Reunions and Gatherings
Holidays (Christmas)
More Holidays
Disney Intimate Weddings
Disney Vow Renewals
Custom Events
Scrapbooking
Preserving Memories
Scrapbooking Supplies
Finding Scrapbook Supplies at WDW
Memories and Milestones
Scavenger Hunts
Geocaching
Hidden Mickeys
Hidden Mickeys Book Review
Richard Petty Experience
More Richard Petty Rides
Ft. Wilderness Trail Ride
Disney Podcasts
MouseFest 2006
Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba

Sharing

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Rest of the World

United States:
Big Apple Greeter
City Pass Cards
Hawaii
Hilton Head Island #1
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Anza-Borrego Desert
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New York City
New York Splash Tours
New York City Dining
New York: Antiques
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Adventures by Disney: Wyoming
Fort Sumter, South Carolina
Zoos of the World
Universal Studios Orlando
New Attractions at Universal Orlando
Seuss Trolley Train Ride at Universal Orlando
Sanibel & Captiva Islands
Universal: For Non-Thrill Seekers?
Madison County, Iowa
The Great Smoky Mountains
Yosemite
Discovery Cove (Orlando)
Busch Gardens Africa: SheiKra Coaster Review
NASCAR AllState 400
Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Niagara Falls, New York
Blue Horizons at SeaWorld Orlando
International Travel:
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London Museums
London's Globe Theatre
Kent, England
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Great Britain via Harry Potter
Stonehenge
Ireland
Paris
Marseilles
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Stockholm, Sweden
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Quebec City, Canada
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Leeds Castle
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Florence
Monaco
Niagara Falls, Ontario

Why do we return to Disney over and over for our vacations? That's a question that has often crossed my mind on our travels to Disney parks around the world.

So far, my tally stands at 12 trips to Orlando to visit Walt Disney World, two visits to the parks in Los Angeles and Paris, and two Disney cruises; and I can't get enough. There's another trip to the Paris park in the works, along with our first ever visit to Hong Kong Disneyland and plans for a two week vacation that would take in both Florida and California. So why do I keep returning to Disney time and time again?

There are many reasons. The first is that it's one of the few places in the world where you can just get completely away from it all and forget about daily life. OK, so you can head for a far flung beach, but somehow Disney has that feeling of safety whenever you're in the parks. Don't get me wrong - I'm not advocating for one minute that you lose all common sense and just leave valuables lying around waiting for someone to take them, but there have been many examples of items being lost and then magically recovered later in the stay. There really is nowhere else that I can think of that such good nature prevails amongst people. It's almost like stepping back into a bygone age when people happily left their doors unlocked at home, knowing that nothing bad would happen. (Again, I'm not suggesting it!)

Another reason is that there's just so much to see. I don't think it will ever matter how many times I go to any Disney park around the world, I think I will always find new things that I never knew existed before. On our most recent visit, we took the Segway tour of Epcot and, as part of that, you get to visit a lot of the pavilions around the World Showcase. As we weaved in and out of them, I kept spotting areas that we'd never walked through before on our travels. That amazed me, as Epcot is our favorite park and consequently, the one we always spend most of our time in, yet there were still unexplored nooks and crannies here that we had just never noticed before.

Then there are all the little touches that perhaps you have noticed, but have never really paused to look at. One of my favorite things to do as we walk along Main Street, USA is to cast my gaze upwards at the windows of the shops and read the signs on them. They're all Disney-related and it's fascinating to think about what they all mean. If that's something you've never done before, do try it the next time you're there. One of the best touches at Disneyland in California was the light in one of the windows in the Main St. firehouse that's always burning. As I understand it, that's done in memory of Walt himself, and seeing that brought a tear to my eye.

Even waiting in line can bring enjoyment. Knowing that the big E-ticket rides attract huge crowds, the Imagineers have come up with so many wonderful things to admire as you stand and wait your turn. Some of my favorites include the lines for Expedition Everest, Tower of Terror and Test Track. Sometimes, just sometimes, it's worth waiting in line for a little while, just to have a chance to admire their handiwork and the thought that went into it.

Something else I love is that there's always some new restaurant or attraction to experience. I doubt there are many people who can claim to have been on every single attraction and enjoyed every single restaurant on any Disney property. I know I can't, although I've had a good go at doing both things. There's nothing more enjoyable than sampling a new restaurant and discovering that it's a hidden gem, although it does leave you wondering why it took you so long to make it there.

As for the attractions, I think we've now done the vast majority of the ones we can handle (the big coasters are well and truly out of our league!), but on every visit, there seems to be something new to enjoy at one of the Disney parks. Almost as soon as we leave, something else seems to open for business. Change and constant improvement is something else that definitely keeps us coming back. On our most recent trip, we were able to enjoy the Finding Nemo musical at Animal Kingdom and the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor at the Magic Kingdom for the first time, and we were lucky enough to sample the improved Spaceship Earth at Epcot during its soft opening. By the time we go back, there'll be a new parade and the new attraction Toy Story Mania at the newly renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios. So many new things to enjoy!

But perhaps the main thing that keeps us going back to Disney is the people there. The Cast Members are often what makes a vacation really special, from the server who does everything faultlessly at a restaurant, to someone on the Concierge desk at your hotel who spends a little extra time with the children in your party. Disney magic can be found everywhere in the people who work there, and it's always worth taking that little extra time to chat with Cast Members and find out more about them.

We were charmed by the girl from Chicago in Epcot, who took the time to explain to us where we should go and what we should see when we visit her hometown. Then there were the Cast Members on one of the Friendship boats who created a truly Magical Moment for us. Or what about the street entertainers you find in each park? We enjoyed a dance in Main Street, USA, after stopping to watch the town mayor and some of the park's other famous figures.

These things usually don't happen by accident. They happen because you take the time to talk to those who help to create the magic. More often than not, they have wonderful stories to tell and great memories to share.

Those are things that keep us coming back to Disney time and time again. How about you?

Updated 10/23/08

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WHAT KEEPS US COMING BACK TO DISNEY?

Why do we return to Disney over and over for our vacations? That's a question that has often crossed my mind on our travels to Disney parks around the world.