So, many people think that I, a grown adult, am straight up bananas for loving Disney so much. But loving Disney isn’t a choice I made, it’s in my genes… I was born for Disney!

Since I was recently chosen by Disney to host a #disneyside @home celebration, I thought I’d share a little about my Disney history.

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In the early 70’s, before I was even a thought, these fine looking people (aka, my parents) visited Disney on their honeymoon. At that time it was only the Magic Kingdom, and they stayed at the Contemporary Resort.

Then I came along. One thing I remember clearly about my childhood was watching the Mickey Mouse Club and dreaming of the day I would meet my favorite mouse. That day finally came around 1980 when my parents tricked me into getting on a plane and making me think we were chosen to test out some new luggage system for the airline. SURPRISE! We ended up in Orlando where my dreams came true.

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We left my sister home for this trip, but took another a few years later, apparently during a zombie apocalypse… (that’s us in front of the Crystal Palace) and the decade of photo bombers (who’s that guy sneaking into my character pic?)

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Remember when tickets to Disney came in paper form? Yup, that’s how old I am, and how long I’ve been visiting DisneyWorld. Who would have thought we’d ever wear bracelets (aka Magic Bands) to get access to wherever we wanted to go one day?

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Every August the family would hop in our little Toyota Corolla and make our way from NJ down to Florida, always spending a few days at Disney. I always loved that drive and have great memories of singing 70’s hits, stopping at South of the Border and truck stops with lots of bugs.

We’ve been there through all of it’s theme park openings (Epcot, MGM- now Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom) and even visited back in the day when the now abandoned River Country was there.

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Check out how cool my dad was… such a hipster.

If you ever visit Epcot (side note, just got to go to the Food and Wine Festival and LOVED it) take a peek at the Legacy Tiles in the front of the park. You just might see mine and my sister’s faces on a tile!

We’ve stayed at onsite hotels (so far from the economy All-Star resorts up to the Moderate Resorts… though I’d love to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge some day.. hint hint Disney peeps who make things happen) and have enjoyed the best meals of our lives through the Disney Dining Plan. Staying on site at Disney is so convenient!

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We’ve made so many amazing memories at Disney, that I just had to add another one to the list. I met my husband while living in Arizona and could think of no better way to introduce him to my east coast family than a much overdue trip back to my favorite place in the world (so sad this photo is missing).

And of course, my life wouldn’t be complete without introducing my little one to the magical world of Disney. This year we brought her on her first cross-country trip as a family to visit DisneyWorld. I’m so thrilled with all that Disney has to offer kids these days with the brand new Fantasyland. She had the best time and it was by far my most favorite trip ever. To watch her happiness, dancing to every band we passed, taking part in parades and LOVING all the rides, it was a dream come true! AND I got to go to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party for the first time. So awesome!

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Can you even handle that cuteness? Character meals are a must! We had four delicious meals with all of our favorites on this past trip. Definitely check out Chef Mickey’s, Tusker House, Crystal Palace and 1900 Park Fare if you go.

I can’t wait for our next trip (hopefully this year) and to always continue making magical Disney memories with my loved ones.

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