As we count our blessings at this time of year, as trite as it may sound, we asked the Parenting Panel about gratitude: What about Disney theme parks and visiting with your families, are you thankful for?
MousePlanet columnist Chris Barry his wife Diane, 11-year-old Samantha, and twin 8-year-olds, Casey and Alex, live on Long Island and are all major Disney and Walt Disney World fans.
Simply put, I’m thankful that Walt sat on that bench eating peanuts watching his young daughters ride the carousel and felt that, “…there should be something built, some kind of amusement enterprise where the parents and children can have fun together.” It’s that very thought that led to the Disney parks that we know and love today. I’m thankful that he acted on that idea and wasn’t afraid to take chances and build and expand his dream to it’s fullest. Perhaps more importantly, is that we can all share in that dream.
That’s what I think is so special about taking our family to Walt Disney World; that we get to share the dream he dreamed together as a family. That’s a pretty rare thing. By Walt living out his dreams, we get to make our own together. It’s a very unique experience.
Getting lost in Walt Disney World’s atmosphere and turning off the outside world completely does wonders for us when we’re there. There are very few places where you can really shut off the outside world, especially as easily as you can at Walt Disney World.
Think about how easy it really is for a moment. We’re a simple plane ride and bus ride away to a place that offers a truly immersive, magical escape. Once I pass through those arches, I don’t come back through them until it’s time to go home. I don’t drive. I don’t go to a chain store or strip mall. I don’t go to the gas station. I don’t read the newspaper, even the free USA Today on my doorstep. I won’t watch the news on the TV at night. I don’t have to do any of these things. It’s not that easy to shut yourself off like that and still be in a place that completely takes care of you, still offers so much for the family to do together, and pulls it all off with magic and class like they do at Walt Disney World.
All that matters is us, and the only question we need to ask is, “What fun and magical thing are we going to do next?”
That said what I’m really very thankful for is that Walt’s vision came to life and that we’re able to have a place to escape to like Walt Disney World. If Walt was around today and I could meet him, I really think the only thing I would say to him would be, “Thank you.”
Parenting in the Parks columnist Adrienne Krock’s three boys are now 12, 9, and 6. They’ve been visiting Disneyland since they were each just weeks old and Annual Passholders since their 3rd birthdays.
Disneyland and the Disney fan community have deeply impacted my family’s life and so my response could easily devolve into sentimentality. I shall attempt to keep my answer brief and simple:
Clean Parks: I’m thankful for parks that don’t have graffiti and for clean bathrooms. It seems that every time I’m in a restroom, there’s a cast member cleaning. I know this is not entirely true but more times than not, it is.
Family Rides: I’m thankful for ride vehicles that can accommodate my family. I’m thankful for rides that my oldest and youngest sons can ride together without one being too short or the other too tall. I’m thankful for ride vehicles with a large enough capacity that we can usually ride together. When I still had infants, I could take a baby and a toddler on the ride with me together and many times, I could even take all three. Because of this we could go together during the week when my extra adults were working.
In addition, I’m thankful for an activity that everyone in my family can enjoy. My 12-year-old and my 6-year-old have a good time together at Disneyland. I cannot understate the joy that my 41-year-old experiences sharing the Disney parks with his sons.
Theming: Going to Disneyland is more than just riding rides for my children. They know the stories behind the rides and attractions. The park has history and they know the history. Just the other day they played 20 Questions in the car going to and from a day trip to Disneyland. On the way to Disneyland, we played 20 Questions: Disney/Pixar movies and on the way home, it was 20 Questions: Disney characters. They enjoy telling the stories they know and asking questions to learn more. What a marvelous way to engage their inquisitive minds!
Taking it home: Even at home the theming and lessons continue. My boys love watching DVDs and television shows about the history of the parks. Even the black and white shows with Walt showing off his plans for Disneyland hold their attention.
Mary Kraemer is an avid Disney fan and travel consultant with CruisingCo/MouseEarVacations who loves to travel with her husband and children to Disney destinations as often as possible!
I am thankful for the special place that Walt Disney created for families, where parents and children can play together and make memories that will last a lifetime. The special feeling of leaving the Everyday World behind when I walk into a Disney park is nothing short of transforming. As soon I a set foot on Main Street, and hear the music, I take a deep breath and feel myself relax, knowing that a day of fun awaits us.
I have been taking my kids to Disney parks—mostly Disneyland—since they were little, and it’s been a joy to watch them enjoy the parks in different ways during different stages of their life. And, through the years, we have had special moments that will always remain in my heart: Seeing my little girl holding Cinderella’s hand as they walked toward the castle together, my kids utter belief that the characters they see in the park have come to life from stories and movies, skippering a Jungle Cruise boat, the amazement of being able to watch the engineers from the tender car on the ride around the park on the Disneyland railroad, the expressions of happiness (and a little fear) after the first ride on Space Mountain, the magic of seeing legendary Dick Van Dyke presenting the Christmas story at the Candlelight Procession…these are just some of the experiences that we share and treasure as a family.
Disneyland has also been special for us because it’s been the place where we’ve met friends when we’re in town and planned visits with extended friends and family. One particularly bittersweet memory is of a dear friend who came to the parks with me when my kids were fairly young, and she rode Casey Jr.’s Circus Train countless times with my son on that trip because it was his favorite ride. After that trip, every time I was on the Casey Jr. train, I called her from the ride, so she could hear the soundtrack and let her know we were thinking of her. She’s since died, and I never forget the special bond we had from that trip and because of that cute little train ride.
Food is also part of our family experience at Disneyland. There are certain foods that we only enjoy at Disneyland, such as caramel popcorn or chocolate-caramel-dipped marshmallows, and certain foods at restaurants that we always enjoy and are as much a part of our visits as going on rides. We always stop at the Candy Shop on Main Street to see what confections are being made, and make sure we bring home some of the park treats to enjoy long after the bags are unpacked and we’re back to our regular routine
We love the way Disney parks decorate for different seasons and holidays. The fall and holiday decorations are so detailed, and so creative, that we always love a trip to see the parks. Nobody matches Disney in this regard. To extend the seasonal treats, Disney’s special events, such as the Halloween parties at Walt Disney World and Disneyland or the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Walt Disney World, provide a wonderful opportunity to experience the parks in a completely different way, with spectacular fireworks, parades, and fun in-park events as well as rides.
My family has a personalized brick in the esplanade between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, and whenever we visit the parks, we bring along a small bottle of glitter and sprinkle some on our brick—symbolizing that our family is there, enjoying pixie dust. There are times when our brick serves as a meeting place, known only to us, making it even more special. The fireworks view from the brick is great, and we like knowing we have a little space of our own at the parks.
Yes, I am thankful for all the wonderful experiences and memories we’ve shared because of Disney parks—our lives have been enriched and more magical because of it.
Chris, also known as GusMan, is always planning his next family trip to WDW and loves to help others plan their trips as well through sharing his experiences.
I think people would be rather surprised if I told them that I was a real skeptic about Disney vacations at first. After all, I was only a casual fan of the Mouse. Sure, I liked the movies and Mickey was a cool character and all, but for some reason, I just did not want to really want to take the plunge into full Disney experience.
Boy I am thankful for my wife, who convinced me to go that first trip.
From the moment I saw the Walt Disney World banner over the road, a flood of emotion came over me. It was something like what Clark Griswold experienced the first time he saw “Wally World” in National Lampoon’s Vacation. Except my emotion was the result of memories of my one and only previous Walt Disney World trip back in the early 1980s. It was at that point when I realized that I had fallen into my fathers footsteps in providing for his kids the most excellent vacation memories. I started to soak in those memories.
I soon realized that this was a place where I can not only be with my kids, but I can relive some of those childhood memories of my own. It was like I can be a kid all over again waving alongside my daughter at Mickey as he came down Main Street during the afternoon parade. It was sharing all the different memories of the three “Mountains,” Indy Speedway, and the Jungle Cruise. The best part was that she never got tired of hearing the stories about “when I was her age” as I described the different attractions. The cool part is that, after almost a decade of vacations at Disney, she still loves to hear my Disney stories.
Afterward, I saw how sharing the past turned into new experiences to fill our memories. Every trip afterward was a little different, especially since the other three parks were not around during my childhood trip. From being sucked into the streetmosphere at Disney Hollywood Studios (then Disney MGM Studios), to riding Spaceship Earth the first time, to experiencing Kilimanjaro Safaris—I knew this was a place where I could never get bored. It really was a place that would never be finished and my family enjoy seeing how it morphs into better forms every year.
Not only was I having a great time with my family, but I felt like I was a million miles from home. That’s the point of a good vacation, right? To not have to deal with reality. Yes, I finally found the place where I can leave my cares at home as I now had an excuse to leave my laptop at home. After all, I was not going to have any time to enjoy all that Disney has to offer and then come back to reality during the trip. It became my hiding place. This made the decision to vacation at Disney even easier.
We find that the Disney difference is what keeps us coming back. I feel like the small magical experiences really set the new standard. The interaction at the parks keeps you wanting more. The service at the restaurants is something that we just don’t find at home. The attention to detail at the resorts really makes you feel like you are someone special. The way that Disney accommodates the youngest and oldest guests so they can have the most magical vacation ever. These are things that we see that keep us coming back.
But most of all, it is the memories of which I am most thankful. I have the full understanding that the time with my kids is limited. Before I know it, my oldest will be in college. I’ll blink my eyes again, and so will be my youngest. It is for this reason I take over a thousand pictures per trip. And I am sure that when the time is right, Ill be telling the same stories to my grandkids. I better remember to bring some extra memory for my camera.
Sivje Parish and her husband live in Northern California with their daughters India, 18 and Ahnalin, 5. They visit Disneyland frequently:
Disney vacations are very special. I get all teary when I think of our family trips to Disneyland. My first trip was when I was 3 years old, in 1970. We visited the park with my cousins who lived in San Bernardino. I fell in love with this magical place. While my family and I visited the park many times over the years, and my hubby and I did as well during our courtship and early marriage, no time was a special as the first time we took our first daughter.
She had just turned 3 and was so tiny. She believed the magic. The world was a big, happy, exciting and safe place to her. Disneyland was magical and perfect. She was so tiny that she could not go on most of the rides, but she had no idea what she missed because she was so mesmerized. The gentle and beautiful princesses smiled at her and called her “Princess.” “Beast” was not so scary, even though he was big. Mickey and Minnie signed her autograph book and she was in awe! The food, yummy and kid-friendly, tasted better than anywhere else. The bathrooms were everywhere, and they were clean, which was so helpful for the newly-potty-trained little one. The rides were fun and she fit perfectly in them while snuggled against Mommy and Daddy. It was perfect. After that first trip, India told us that she wanted to live in Disneyland. She gave us so many kisses and hugs throughout the day that we all agreed.
Years later, we finally got back to Disneyland when she was 10. India was at an age where she knew the “truth about Santa” and other loving characters but still joyfully accepted the magic of Disneyland. A chat with one of the princesses on that trip planted a seed of a dream in our girl.
A few months later, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Life lost some of it’s magic for our girl. She did not give up her dream, but was shaken. That summer, we talked India into attending a diabetes family camp and promised her that we would go to Disneyland directly from the camp. That trip to Disneyland went a long way toward helping her feel “normal” again. The magic was back where she needed it to be. Her dream started to grow again. We made our Disney trip every year, right after diabetes camp.
A few years later, my hubby and I went to China to adopt our younger daughter. We promised India that when we arrived home with her new sister, we would go back to Disneyland as a family. So, 5 weeks after we got home with Ahnalin, we walked onto Main Street, USA. India was carrying 14-month-old Ahnalin, sharing our special place with her new sister. She carried her much of the trip, whispering in her ear and sharing secrets, singing songs and meeting animals and princesses.
We visited the park with the girls nearly every year. Just this last year, India graduated from high school and was given a family trip to Disneyland from my parents. We stayed in the Disneyland Hotel for the first time. It was wonderful! We bought her a Mickey graduation cap and she proudly wore her graduation button that was waiting for her in our room at check in. Nearly every cast member she saw congratulated her. A fun bonus was that the colors on the graduation ears and the button were the same as her school colors. And we got to spend one of our days with my cousin Jana, who was with me on my very first trip to Disneyland 40 years earlier. Perfect!
While on the trip, India met many friendly cast members who encouraged her in her dream. She interviewed for the Disney College Program in September. And, after two very anxious months of waiting to hear, she was called and offered a spot in the program. She is just over the moon. In January, we will be leaving our daughter, our first baby, at Disneyland for the program. This is really the beginning of the fulfillment of a dream she has had since that first visit at 3 years old. Her little sister is so sad that India will be so far away. But knowing that she will be in Disneyland, and we will get to visit often makes it better.
Disneyland holds many of our happy family memories. It will always be a special place for us.
It’s your turn—keep the discussion flowing!
Visit the Parenting on the Parks section of our MousePad discussion board, and share your opinions about this topic (link), or send your suggestions via e-mail (link). Reader-submitted tips might be used in a future article, and you might be selected to participate in an upcoming panel discussion!
