There are some places that only take a mention of the name to bring a memory to mind that changes your mood and removes the stress and tension from your normal routine. For me, the Walt Disney World Resort is such a place.




I had my first opportunity to visit Walt Disney World back in 1976 as a child. At that time only the Magic Kingdom existed. My visit lasted 1 day as part of a week long family vacation to Florida. Even then I recognized that this place was much different than the theme parks that I had visited in my home state of Ohio. This place wasn’t just a collection of thrill rides. It was truly a magic kingdom.


Changes
Over the years Disney has expanded it's World to include three additional theme parks (Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom), three water parks (Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, & the now defunct River Country), themed shopping areas (Downtown Disney), night clubs (Pleasure Island), and sporting venues(Wide World of Sports, and many others). This doesn't even include the wonderful array of themed resorts that are vacation destinations all by themselves.


As I have grown older myself and eventually gotten married and had two children, I have had the opportunity to see Walt Disney World from many different points of view: child, teenager, single person traveling on a budget with friends, married without children, married with young children, and now married with two "tween" aged children. After more than 20 visits, I find myself still looking forward to each visit and appreciating the magical place that it is.



Magic
The magic comes from the attention to detail that goes into each and every element of the attractions, Parks, and resorts. It comes from the Cast members (employees) that go out of their way to make each day special. It comes from the fact that no matter how many times you visit, there are always plenty of options to chose from that you have never done before, thereby making each vacation unique and memorable.

I learned long ago that Walt Disney World is not your ordinary theme park. I've also learned that the people who treated it like an ordinary theme park usually did not have the same positive experience that I have had. By approaching the parks in a commando style, thrill ride chasing manner you miss out on a lot of what WDW has to offer. Many of the special touches within WDW are not advertised, but they contribute strongly to the magic of the experience. I plan on sharing with you the tricks and tips that I have learned in order to help you plan your trip and enjoy the benefits of these unadvertised secrets.


Future
In future posts, I will be writing on a variety of topics ranging from the trip planning process to often unnoticed features to check out during your visits. I'll try to help introduce you to the WDW lingo and refer you to some helpful websites to gather additional information and gain money saving tips. The goal is to share my experience and my love of Walt Disney World with you, so that you may make the most out of your vacations.