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WHAT KEEPS US COMING BACK TO DISNEY?
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
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?
Related Links: Convincing Others To Go
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Updated 10/23/08
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