What is "it" that brings you back to WDW?

tl77

Well-Known Member
Magic Kingdom, especially at night, leaving the park late, after all the rides are shut down, and strolling along Main Street with all the little twinkle lights on buildings is something I'll never get enough of or tired of
 

Qscout

Active Member
For years I used to see the ads on tv and dreamed of going. It wasn't until my late 20's when I went on honeymoon with my Disney crazed wife. Day 1 heading to magic kingdom on the ferry and that first glimpse of the castle as the boat rounded the island was amazing! Coming from UK we only get every few years, but we just have to get the ferryboat that first morning to magic kingdom, and always get a bit teary at the first sight of the castle. The memories of honeymoon, of previous trips and also the excitement of what new things to see do and buy await when we get off the boat!
 

act2306

New Member
1. Atmosphere - the entirety of Disney can evoke a return to childhood feeling if you let it.
2. People watching - seeing other people enjoy Disney and the experiences and magic it brings them. And also the people who don't take it in - just fascinating for people watching on the whole. I used to work at MK, so this is especially true for me there, but it's also fun to compare actions in different parks.
3. Imagineering - the details in the parks are so fun to explore and take in! Every time I go I find new things, even in the old things.
4. Cast - they make the show real. No other park or place in the world provides what they do. They bring the magic to life and make the whole experience worth it.
 
It’s really hard for me to define “It”.

I don’t get to go often. I’ve only been three times in my life, and I’m heading back for my fourth visit in January. It’s been 8 years since my last visit, though, so make of that what you will before reading the rest of my response.

I am a lifelong Disney fan. Always have been, always will be.

I will always remember how I felt my first time visiting. I never got to go as a small child but I dreamed of it my whole life. Seeing the commercials on TV and at the beginning of my old VHS tapes.. I had this vision in my head.

When I finally got to go, It was everything I’d ever dreamed of and much, much more.

Whenever I’m on Disney property, I just feel this amount of joy and excitement I don’t feel anywhere else in the world. I truly feel home. It feels like I’m inside of my dreams.

I believe in the Magic. That’s what keeps me longing to go back.

I don’t know. Maybe I’m naive. Maybe I’m nostalgic, and the overwhelming emotions and excitement I’m feeling for my trip have me sounding like one of those commercials I talked about.

But truly, no place on earth comes close to giving me the amount of joy WDW brings me.
 

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
(I haven't read the whole thread)

But as much as people complain about booking Fast pass and getting dinner reservations, some of the stress of sorting these out in advance means there is a lot less stress while on vacation.

I went to Portland with some friends, twice it took us an hour to decide where to get lunch/dinner! Whereas at WDW I generally already have a reservation or am in a theme park with limited easy to select from options.
The fact that everything is so self-contained makes a big difference.
 

Ted Daggett

Active Member
(I haven't read the whole thread)

But as much as people complain about booking Fast pass and getting dinner reservations, some of the stress of sorting these out in advance means there is a lot less stress while on vacation.

I went to Portland with some friends, twice it took us an hour to decide where to get lunch/dinner! Whereas at WDW I generally already have a reservation or am in a theme park with limited easy to select from options.
The fact that everything is so self-contained makes a big difference.

That is a really good point. My kids are 9,12, & 15, on a typical day, if I asked them what they wanted to do, or what they wanted to eat, I would either get no response, or an "I don't care". We fight over which pizza place to order from and usually take hours to determine where to go out for dinner. Although it is annoying booking meals 180 days out, and FP+ 60 days out, at least when it is meal time, the decision has already been made, and there is no time wasted trying to figure out what to do while actually on vacation.
 

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
That is a really good point. My kids are 9,12, & 15, on a typical day, if I asked them what they wanted to do, or what they wanted to eat, I would either get no response, or an "I don't care". We fight over which pizza place to order from and usually take hours to determine where to go out for dinner. Although it is annoying booking meals 180 days out, and FP+ 60 days out, at least when it is meal time, the decision has already been made, and there is no time wasted trying to figure out what to do while actually on vacation.

Admittedly I only generally booked for a party of 2 or 4 but I also found that I didn't need to book that much at 180 days. I did the key places I really wanted and knew would be hard to get(Cali Grill, Cinderella's Table, Be Our Guest). But we also managed to get same-week Cali Grill bookings and others as well as booking a few places a month to go once we had Fast Passes booked. Again, even just planning it out a few days to go made for a lot less stress on the day when you are hungry!
 

joejoe

Member
One of the many, many reasons I can't get enough of Disney are the smells. not really food, but the smell of the attractions. There's something about the smell of the haunted mansion, pirates, space mountain, spaceship earth... I don't know what they pipe in there but I wish I had it in my own home!
 

MickeyLuv'r

Well-Known Member
This is a little tough, because some of my reasons for returning no longer exist.

You know... I started with a long explanation and I'm editing it.

The simple reason I returned to WDW is that to me, WDW = the embodiment of the American dream.

WDW was safe, a place to have fun, a place that often brought out of the best in people. CM's went out of their way to make the place fun. WDW was a place where - more or less - every American could feel welcome and happy. It didn't matter if you came from the north, south, east, west or even from outside the USA. It dind't matter if you were young or old, WDW. Sure, we had to cover the price of admission, but once inside- WDW did their best to make 1,000's of folks smile every day of every year.

All of MK's lands represented the best of the American dream: our sense of adventure (PotC, HM), discovery (Tom Sawyer Island), heritage (Frontierland), freedom (H of P), progress/hope (Tomorrolwland), plus just a little bit mischievous fun to keep us all laughing.
 
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Amos1784

Well-Known Member
There are so many reasons that bring us back. Number one nostalgia and a sense of comfort. I've been going every year at least once since I was 5 (I'm 33). When I get to WDW I feel calm, safe, secure and "home". What has now brought my husband and I back multiple times a year is some of the same reasons, however at WDW we can have the adventure of a park day, or a resort monorail bar crawl, or mini golf and water parks all without leaving property or ever having to drive anywhere. You can have all the fun of multiple bars on property to fine dining again all under one essential roof. If something goes wrong 99% of the time there are people there ready to fix it immediately. There is also something to be said for the overall positivity of the entire resort. In a world with such trying times to have someone tell me to have a magical day puts a smile on my face.
 

BrerWayne

Well-Known Member
My wife and I had this discussion recently when trying to decide to return to WDW or go elsewhere. We've been 5 times and stayed both on/off site, had dining plans and not, etc. You can get great entertainment many places, see Disney "stuff" at malls and watch all the movies you want to get a fix. My feeling was that you get all this great stiff in one area. So is the rides? + the food? + the environment?, + entertainment? I'm newer here so if this should be in another thread, let me know.
For me it has been a mixture of things. Nostalgia, great cast members, and being in a “magical bubble” where I can leave everything behind. But honestly, and this is My opinion, the place is losing some of its luster for me.
The increase in prices, the constant nickel and diming of guests, the unreliability of the bus service has slowly eroded my love of Walt Disney world.
I probably will return in 2021 to see all of the new changes, but unless I have a change of heart, I think that may be my last visit until I have grandkids.
 

C&D

Well-Known Member
Here's a couple of snip-its: "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand" And don't forget Yogi Berra's famous line: "Nobody goes there anymore, it too crowded".

After many, many visits with no urge to have to see everything again (though I do make efforts to see my favorite older stuff and the newest additions), I find a certain serenity inside the Parks (especially Epcot) where I can just soak in the atmosphere and enjoy the cacophony (of others flitting around the World). Once you've earned your ears, for the most part, an appreciation of everything becomes apparent.
 

clarabellej

Well-Known Member
This is a great topic/question and something that quite frankly is very daunting to my poor husband!

I think I have visited 10 years in a row now and I am sure I am not alone and there are people who have gone above and beyond that number.

I think it is just so wonderful to do something family oriented. This is a perfect vacation for a mother/daughter trip and something I can comfortably manage on my own.

In my case I have a bit of a back issue. I know, so boring. I am able to check my bags at my home airport and using DME, we don’t have to deal with them again until we turn them in at resort airline check in at our hotel.

It also feels like a relatively safe trip for me and my daughter to take. We feel relatively safe throughout the trip. Although I know you should never let your guard down.

I’ve been more that 10 times, probably more like 15 or 16, if I count the year it opened (I was 11) and the times I went with my two older kids when they were little.

Then we began taking this youngest daughter when she turned 5 and I have gone with her every year since. She is now 16! We skipped WDW one year and went to DL instead.

It sort of became our annual thing. Her first visit included Dad and sister & her boyfriend. We’ve taken friends along over the years, both with and without a parent.

But hands down just me and my daughter are favorite memories.

Disney provides excellent customer service and I don’t mean to seem entitled in any way, but it is nice to know that if you are not happy with something, you can usually speak up and have the situation corrected. After all you are paying s lot for your trip to Disney.

The great thing is, in all my years of visiting, I have almost never had any issues.

I grew up outside of Houston and I remember the rumors when WDW was being built. We actually thought Disney might choose our area for his park!

Also grew up watching Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

We had an amusement park in Houston called Astroworld that was very popular during my childhood and teen years.

I think WDW reminds me of that. Although on a much better and larger scale of course.

There’s just something great about taking your mind off the real world for a while and spending time in the parks with the people who mean most to you.

It has been an activity that my child and I could enjoy together.

And yes, we’ve been fortunate to travel the real world as well.

That doesn’t change my love of WDW.

I’ve learned over the years, people either get it or they don’t and it’s no use trying to change anyone’s mind.

My favorite time in the parks is when the lights come on in the evenings.

Love walking to exhaustion and boarding the bus so tired you think you might not make it. Then the comfort of my resort bed!!
 

"El Gran Magnifico"

Mr Flibble is Very Cross.
If anyone has watched Disney TV at a resort.............it's all subliminal........and it works.........it basically says......"Spend more money - and Come back real soon"
 

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