Why I travel to Disney

I make a 10 hour drive every time I visit Disneyland. That is just one way. I try and do this once a month. Many people that I talk to just don't understand. They see Disneyland as a child's playground.

When I met my wife she shared that opinion. She had only been to Walt Disney World once in 1986. She did did not enjoy the trip. She had just gotten out of school for the summer and did not know that going to Epcot meant that she would have to learn some more. The crowds at the Magic Kingdom were more than her and her family could take. Now skip ahead 15 years and there was one trip that changed her attitude.

I was living in Atlanta, GA and if my family was going to come all the way across the country to see me then they were going to just pick me up and head to Walt Disney World. My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, and I booked a room at the Wilderness Lodge. We had priority seating at all of my favorite restaurants and a park hopper pass. She was resistant at first and she didn't understand why we would get up early on vacation to be the first people to the park or why we would retreat to the hotel in the hottest part of the day for a little relaxation. She wanted to sleep in and then get to the parks and stay. After this trip she started to realize there was a science to Disney. When we were married two years later we honeymooned at Walt Disney World.

Now back to the people that think I am crazy. I have been to Disneyland more than anybody I know personally. Through online forums I have met some people that, in essence, live at Disneyland. To many this would seem insane. Why spend so much time and money at one place? Why go on the same vacation all the time? I have to ask these people why they spend so much time fishing, hunting, laying on the beach, snowmobiling, or whatever their interest may be. Sometimes it seems people can't see that everyone has a hobby or some kind of recreational activity that they use as a means for relaxation. To some a day at Disneyland can be as stressful or more than a day at work. They wouldn't want to deal with the crowds and the lines and the $2.75 bottle of water. None of this bothers me. Send as many people as you want to Disney. Close the gates and I will still be happy.

My wife was one of those people. She would have thought it nuts to drive 20 hours total to go to Disneyland for four or five days. Now we look forward to our breaks from reality. We can spend the day looking at our son as he gets to ride into the movies that he loves. Disney theme parks give me an escape from everyday stress and provide a sanctuary where the outside world just doesn't matter. I may be a Disney nut but I will proudly put on my pin lanyard and walk into the park and just float away.