My whole life has been centered around Disney, and I’m honestly forever grateful. Disney always brings me joy and helps my family to reconnect when our lives get busy. Since I was a little girl we would take a yearly trip down to Florida, sometimes only with my brother and our parents and sometimes with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. Every trip was always a little different, however, the annual trip was something I always and still is something I look forward to.

1. Disney Sort of Gives You a Home Away from Home

Every time you go to Disney and you pull up next to the security booth in your rental car the security guard always asks for your name and if you’re checking in. After, you’re short exchange they ALWAYS say “welcome home," and they say the same once you are checked into the hotel. Every time you’re in Disney you just feel welcome and a sense of belonging, the whole place is sort of like a little bubble of friendly faces and endless fun.

2. You Still Count Down Until the Next Time You’re Going Back

Oh yes, this is so very true! Every year as our trip to Disney got closer we would count the ‘wake ups’ until we were getting on the plane to Disney. As soon as you book your trip, you start talking about all of the things you’re going to do and what order you want to go to the parks in. You also start booking reservations for the packed restaurants, and you slowly start planning your days months in advanced. As soon as that trip is booked you’re incredibly impatient and can’t wait.

3. Disney Makes You Feel Like a Little Kid Again

When heading off to Disney, personally, I always feel giddy. I always get incredibly excited when going to the parks and buying a new pair of Mickey ears. Disney is all about having fun, and what’s more fun than feeling like a kid again? Nothing.

4. Even Just Laying by the Pool is a Blast

Being in Disney doesn’t always have to be going and doing adventurous things, some of my favorite memories are just sitting at the pool. There is typically a small pool party going with fun games and trivia, and no matter how old you are, you want to get up and dance or play trivia. I mean my family is always sitting at the pool dancing and singing while the DJ is around.

5. When You See Your Favorite Character Walking Around You Insist on Getting Their Autograph for the Thousandth Time

Throughout the years I’ve bought many autograph books from the little stands near character breakfasts/lunches/dinners. For some reason I always feel that I need to get autographs from the same characters over and over again. If you’re like me you also have thousands of pictures with those same characters, and you always get super excited when you see your favorite, no matter if it’s the first or the hundredth.

6. You’re Home is Full of Pictures of You and Your Siblings or Cousins in the Parks

On your mantels, your side tables, all over the walls, there are pictures everywhere of you and your family in Disney. These pictures are usually taken with a character of sorts or a cliché picture in front of Cinderella’s castle. However, no matter how lame or cliché those pictures are they are some of your best memories and seeing them around the house remind you of how much joy Disney brings you.

7. Even Though You’ve Been on Every Ride and to Every Park Hundreds of Times You Still Have to Go to Them All

The reality of going to Disney every year is not much changes, so as I got older we stopped going to the parks as much as we used to and we would go down to another Disney resort and spend our time there. However, my favorite parts are still the parks, that’s where you can scream your head off on the best rollercoasters and bump into your favorite characters walking around the park. As long and as annoying the lines can be the wait is always worth it, and riding your favorite rides is always super fun.

8. Most of Your Favorite Childhood Memories are Related to Disney/Going to Disney

Of course when you’re young going to Disney is the best thing in the world, but you don’t realize then how much of an impact it’s going to have on you. Sometimes I think about all my trips to Disney and all the fun and happiness they brought me just to perk myself up. I’m forever grateful for my parents bringing me to Disney. We always had and still have an amazing time every time we are there.

9. Getting Up at Four in the Morning is No Big Deal as Long as You’re Going to Your Favorite Resort

No one wants to get up at four in the morning for anything, it’s the worst. However, you’ll gladly get up at that terrible hour as long as you are on your way to the airport on route to your favorite place on earth. Getting up at the crack of dawn just means you get an extra day in Disney, and well who would pass that up, crazy people.

10. Disney Always Brings Your Family Closer

My favorite part of Disney is the way it always brings my family together again, especially now-a-days. We all live busy lives, working, school, and so many other things, this short vacation always forces us together once more and we get to enjoy each other’s company. I love spending time with my family, but as we get older it gets more difficult to find time, Disney is always a place where we can go and spend a week or so together doing fun things and soaking up the sun.

So thank you to my family for still going to Disney with me, even though we are all getting old, and thank you Disney for giving us a magical place to go.