Does your WDW fandom not fit your known tastes?

[CSOM]

I think I tend to be different in all sorts of area's, although most would be very surprised to learn I'm the WDW freak.

I'm on one hand this corporate HR Officer, straight laced, professional person. On the other hand, I'm a 20-something male, that listens to hard rock/heavy metal, plays in a city rec basketball league, more likely to be in a weight room than a bar kind of person. I also am not cheap, but I spend my money wisely and don't splurge often.

But 3 times in the past 15 months I've been to WDW and am looking at it again in November.....

 

[GoofyFan1]

Originally posted by Scooter
I am a 40-something year old Beer guzzling, Tattoo wearing, Hard Rock Guitar playing, Iron pumping ,Harley riding 230 pound Hairy chested 5 O'clock shadow sporting, contact sports playing get-out-of-my way-or-I'll-Run-your-butt-over kinda guy.

But when I go to Disney World, I'm as giddy as a school boy . :lol: :sohappy: :wave:

AMEN!

That's what it's all about.:wave: :sohappy:

 

[speck76]

I think most people would be very surprised to find out my love of Disney stuff.

I tend to keep my personal life to myself at work, and I enjoy the Disney parks usually by myself. Disney World to me represents escapism at its finest. As bad or stressfull my week is at work, I can head to the parks on the weekend and suddenly everything is ok again.

Most of my co-workers probably think I am quiet, professional, and somewhat uptight....if only they really knew.

 

[HennieBogan1966]

Well Since, I must say that I am always amused when someone talks about Disney with the sense that they are part of the evil corporate america. First of all, the goal of any business is to make money. That doesn't make said company evil. In this respect Disney is no different than any other company in existence. And while I may disagree with a lot in regard to Mr. Disney and what I believe to be his real passion for the business of animation, and providing a great time for families, I must also say that i consider what Disney does, art. I think art is in the eye of the beholder. And I don't think it takes experience, or any certain pedigree to understand and appreciate art. It simply requires the appreciation of whatever it is that makes each of us tick individually.

Disney is in a special niche, considering what they do. The fact that it's a multi-billion dollar business doesn't diminish the value of that art. And I know that when some famous artists' paintings are sold at places like Sotheby's, I'm sure I remember a lot of those paintings being sold for millions of dollars each. And those are just individual paintings. Think about what goes into creating a great animated full length feature film. The man hours, dedication, talent. Not to mention what goes into creating Magic in the parks.

As you can tell, I am a huge fan of Disney. I don't always agree with what they do, but by in large I love the company, the movies, the art, parks, etc. etc.

And people do sometimes give me some odd looks at work when they here my cd playing, or my golf pic of Mickey, but they know how much I love Disney.

 

[Since1976]

On occasion, I've bumped into people who were simply underwhelmed by the WDW experience, and dismissed the parks as a place for kids and the easily amused.

At my wedding, a relative found out we were going to WDW for our honeymoon. He said to my wife (who had never been before): "Go on SPACE MOUNTAIN, and then go home."

I know he was just joking, but I was quite peeved, since I had picked the destination, and also, this was going to be our *honeymoon*! What a way to play down the experience!

We had a great time regardless (it was my 4th trip), but I did feel like I had a battle to fight to convince my wife that WDW was more than just an amusement park.

Back to the topic: Others at the wedding also looked at us quite quizzically when we said we were going to WDW, as if that did not suit us. "What about the Bahamas, or Jamaica, or Hawai'i?" We had to repeatedly tell them that "Yes, we thought long and hard about our honeymoon, and yes, we voluntarily chose WDW as our destination!"

 

[Yellowbird97]

People who know me know I love WDW and anything Disney ( I am 50 in Disney Years). I am always online with the Disney Store buying clothes and other stuff I cannot get in WDW or the Disney Store in the Mall. I give people Disney jewlery or Disney Dollars for birthdays or other special occasions, if I know they also have the Disney Passion as I do. I have Disney stuff in my office, I work in a High School and my co-workers are always talking about where they are going on vacation each year, but they don't have to ask me, they know I am always in WDW whenever I can get away for a few days. :sohappy: I am so glad found this website and have so many other "Disney People" I can talk to who share my enthusiasm for anything Disney:wave:

 

[phlydude]

I get the same type looks and comments that everyone else gets from all friends and family EXCEPT my grandmother. She took my sister and I when we were 5 and 4 respectively. Before that, she and my grandfather along with my great aunt and uncle went shortly after it opened leaving their 20-something (age not number)kids at home :lol:

Maybe that's why my aunts and uncles don't get it. They really have never been (instead they were driven across country when they were kids of the 60s to see the open road and the quirky road-side tourist traps). :veryconfu

My grandmother is the only relative from my side of the family that can relate to the experience that is Disney. Each time I talk to her about going, she keeps saying "I wish someone would take me to Disney World!" My wife's family are fans of Disney (not fanatical like me but still fans nonetheless).

I guess it goes like this:
1 - There are people who have never been to Disney World and don't feel like they ever need to go because it is "just another amusement park"

2 - There are those who have been to Disney World and have had such a horrible time because kids were bad, it was hot, they spent too much money and basically tried to do Disney commando style. Those are the ones who make comments like "Go do Space Moutain and then leave!" - I truly feel bad that they were so close to eternally happy thoughts and closed their mind to the experience. :fork:

3 - There are also those who want to go so bad that they can taste a Mickey premium bar dripping in front of them but can't afford it.

4 - There are those scared out of thier wits about rides in general and won't even go to a local amusement park, let alone get on a plane and fly to FL to Disney :dazzle:

5 - And finally there are us. The absolute Disney fanatics. We spend our free time sitting here offering suggestions, advice, personal experiences and the sort to ABSOLUTE STRANGERS. We are a rare breed but I am proud to be among that group. I appreciate that there is this place where I can come to read something new every day about the place I want to be most! :wave:

BTW - All my friends think I'm nuts for going to Disney so much (and we do go on Caribbean vacations and cruises too). I think mainly because they don't know how to have fun without drinking!:dazzle: :hammer:

 

[MichRX7]

My wife gets a kick out of my perma-grin...I think the corners of my mouth slowly start rising upwards in direct proportion to the distance from our house to WDW. And then the corners go slowly back down as we drive back home, lol...

 

[Pippa]

People keep asking Glen and I when we are going to have babies and I reply when I grow up myself I'll think about it.

I don't want a child ruining my WDW holidays!!! :lol:

 

[Kwit35]

Originally posted by Pippa
People keep asking Glen and I when we are going to have babies and I reply when I grow up myself I'll think about it.

I don't want a child ruining my WDW holidays!!! :lol:

They only make the experience better. My daughter has made me appriciate Disney so much more. Although, I do fantasize about the day when my husband and I can go there alone, right now I wouldn't have it anyother way. The look on my daughter's face when the monerail comes into view of the castle...I feel like a kid again.

 

[1disneydood]

I would scare y'all outside of my "disney personality". With that in mind, not all thing are as they seem.

 

[WDW1971]

Originally posted by Since1976
Is there anyone else here whose WDW fandom does not seem to fit your personality?

I think I qualify. My tastes run to fast cars. I hand-built my first truck from a $100 junker. I'm cynical and sometimes life depresses me. But when I visit WDW, I just step into a fantasy that life is always perfect. I haven't taken my children to WDW yet (3 year old and 6 week old sons). But the plan is to take them December 2005. I cannot wait to see their faces as they start their fascinations with WDW.

My theory is that the fantasy at WDW balances out our cynicisms. I feel sorry for those people that have never been and never plan to go...and desperately need it.

 

[TheDisneyQueen]

If Disney didn't fit me well then I wouldn't go ever year but it does fit me perfectly so i drag my siblings along with me for the journey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





DISNEY ROCKS!
leaving in 65 DAYS
1st day of summer break!!!!!!!!!!LIFE IS GOOD AGAIN

 

[GoofyFan1]

Most of the students in the middle school I teach at hear that I'm mean, sometimes that works to my advantage. When they enter my classroom on the first day of school and see me with my Disney ID holder, shirt, pins and get their first free homework pass with a Disney character on it, written in Disney font, they start to ask me if I'm the mean guy they've heard about.

 

[barnum42]

Re: Re: Does your WDW fandom not fit your known tastes?

Originally posted by WDW1971
I'm cynical and sometimes life depresses me.

I thought we Britons had cornered the market on cynicism! Something in your roots must stretch back to the UK :lol:

 

[Testtrack321]

I'm a cool (or I think so) kid who is an Apple fan and robotics geek. I don't like most 'Disney-like' things, such as Nickelodeon or other things like that, but I surprise people when the find out my favorite movie is The Emperor's New Groove.

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by Testtrack321
but I surprise people when the find out my favorite movie is The Emperor's New Groove.

Riiiiiiiiiiiight! Good choice

 

[figmentmom]

I teach elementary school music, so my Disney passion is not too far outside the expectations of my profession, I guess. However, the intensity of my fervor is considered a bit "beyond the pale"... :lol:

 

[speck76]

Originally posted by figmentmom
I teach elementary school music, so my Disney passion is not too far outside the expectations of my profession, I guess. However, the intensity of my fervor is considered a bit "beyond the pale"... :lol:

Boom boom, ain't it great to be crazy!

 

[Jenngusto]

Well, I am a social worker, so being a Disney fan is not so far away from my "touchy feely" (not molesting) job. :hammer: But, those who know me outside my job and my "professional" demeanor have been a bit surprised at my love of all things Disney as they tend to think of me as a bit of a wannabe social "activist" personality. As such, I try not to be too "pollyanna- ish" and tend to be vocal about social issues while also tying to maintain a reality-based life. As such, they usually have a difficult time understanding how I can pay such homage to the "capitalist" side of a social phenomena (Disney) ( this is their perspective not mine) but be so outspoken about evils in society. But you know what? I dont care! I love Disney and love to let go of all that stuff and have a great time being a kid again everytime I enter the WDW gates! If I lived closer (currently in Michigan working and attending grad school), I would go to Disney as much as possible. :sohappy: :king: :wave: