Why I Keep Going Back to Disney World

I have a little bee in my Disney bonnet and I know that I’m not alone. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

First, let me say that I do realize that I am beyond fortunate to visit Disney World often. It is an expense that some families can only justify shelling out for once in a lifetime. Some can’t imagine ever being able to afford it at all. I get it. I may not always be so fortunate and I do not take that for granted.

While a trip to Disney World may not be everyone’s cup of tea, even if they can afford it, I am puzzled by the fact that some people have no problem criticizing how others choose to spend their vacation time. The people who ask their “Disney” friends why they return to the parks again and again. The folks who say…

But, didn’t you just go there?

It’s a running joke at this point, immortalized in memes and on handmade t-shirts in Etsy shops. Those of us who go to the parks regularly hear some version of it all of the time. The question is often followed by eye rolling but kinder more concerned friends often deliver it with a quizzical look that gently suggests you may be in need of an intervention. It  is the exhaustive question that diehard fans will answer, without hesitation, in various equivalents of “Duh!” We know we’ve got a good thing going on but it can be hard to explain that to the naysayers.

Haven’t you already done everything there is to do there?

While yearly family trips to the beach or spring break getaways at all-inclusive resorts don’t seem to get the same side eye, repeat trips to Disney World are fair game. Folks who associate the “most magical (or happiest) place on earth” with heat, crowds, bad fast food and sticky tantrum-throwing children wonder what is wrong with us. Why on earth would we want to subject ourselves to that? How can we justify paying gobs of money to endure it?

There are many reasons that I keep going back to Disney World.

Some of them are easy to articulate while others are not as simple. Most of what I love about Disney parks is a certain feeling I get when I’m there and it’s hard sometimes to explain a feeling. Nevertheless, in the interest of theme park science, I will endeavor to try to answer the question like many other exasperated Disney parks fans before me. Why do I keep going back to Disney World?

Escape

They call it the Disney “bubble” for reasons beyond trapping you in a feel good money-draining cocoon. Sure, people get cranky, kids get wild, occasionally you run into an intoxicated person or two (looking at you Epcot) but by and large people at Disney World are, well, happy. For every frown, there are loads of people hamming it up for PhotoPass pictures. You will see more toddlers wobbling over to meet Mickey with their arms wide open than throwing a tantrum on the Disney bus. For every dropped Mickey bar, there is someone tearing into their Dole Whip with gleeful abandon. 

Disney parks are so far removed from reality that you can get lost in it.

Unless you are traveling from park to park or resort to resort (and in some cases not even then) you don’t see the outside world. You don’t see the traffic or a city skyline. No visible strip malls or gas stations. It’s a blissful retreat from the day-to-day which is pretty much the textbook definition of vacation. I just think Disney does it better than most places. When you call your employees Cast Members, that kind of gives you a hint at what’s in store. It’s a gigantic theater performance and you’re part of the show.

Freedom

This is as close a word as I can get to REALLY describing why I think I love Disney so much. I’m generally a control freak. I think this is why park planning is such a thrill for me. I also think it’s why, once we get there, I can relax. All that research and preparation and excitement leads to the bliss of kicking back and enjoying the vacation once I get there. Of course, there are occasional ripples in the “plan” but I try hard to give us wiggle room to be a bit spontaneous. Honestly, sometimes when things go a bit wonky on our trips it leads to something we might never have experienced before.

It’s more than just the hard-earned relaxation of a well-planned trip. I feel free at Disney World in a way that I don’t normally feel in my day to day life. In a weird way, I can express myself more when I’m there. I get kookier in public. Loosen up a little. Push myself to try ride attractions that I’m wary of. Hug strangers in costume. Make faces for the ride photos.

I’m comfortable in my own skin when I’m at Disney World and truly just don’t care what other people think of me. It’s liberating.

It’s always part of the Disney discussion; reclaiming your inner child. It’s easy to do when everything is larger than life, designed to captivate your imagination and trigger your sense of wonder. Maybe that is just what is happening to me. I’m a kid again and not ashamed of acting silly or outwardly demonstrating my excitement. At this point in my life I’m more Queen than Princess, but I’ll rock my Mickey ears regardless. I’ll plan my outfits to match a park, a favorite ride or character. I’ll jazz up my Magic Band and polka dot my finger nails and stroll on into to the parks with my head held high. 

When we were in the midst of planning our first trip to Disney World, we met a family at a July 4th party that had just gotten back from their first trip. Our trip wasn’t until April,  but I was already in the gleeful deep dive of figuring out how Disney world worked. So, 8 months out and I’m picking their brains.

They go to the parks yearly now so we talk a bit about our trips at the same 4th of July party every summer. I look forward to it. Instead of asking why they are going back, I’m excited to find out how it went, what they did, and where they stayed. Being able to talk FastPass strategy with someone face to face is such a gift. It’s like finding someone that truly speaks your language. They NEVER ask me why I keep going back to Disney World and I never have to ask them.