One of the best things about Disney souvenirs is that I can have things around the house to remind me of my visits to Disney World. One of my favorites was absolutely free and hand created: a drawing of Minnie from the Animation Academy in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!! Read more
Your car needs a new motor. Your husband lost his job. The IRS has slapped you with a giant fine. Life costs money. Sometimes more than you have. And at that point, a flight to Orlando (not to mention on-site lodging and daily Park tickets) simply isn’t an option.
When money is tight and a visit to the Mouse House just isn’t in the cards, I like to make a little Disney magic in my kitchen. It’s easier than walking to Orlando, cheaper than eating out, and more fun than eating the same old brussels sprouts and dry chicken breast. Read more
My favorite Disney things, eh? That should be pretty easy… except it’s not. I’m not sure I could tell you what my favorite ride is or my favorite restaurant, because there are something I LOVE about each one of them so far. For instance, if you’d ask what my favorite roller coaster was, I might say I love Space Mountain for the thrills and fun of not seeing the next turn or drop coming. But in my heart my favorite would have to be Big Thunder Mountain Railroad because not only was it my first roller coaster, but this past May I also got to share the “first roller coaster” experience with my daughter, who also just loved it! Oh, and Rockin’ Roller Coaster- soo fun! How can you pick your favorites? There’s so much to love! But, there’s no article in that, so I had to keep thinking, “What are my favorite things at Disney?” I thought and thought and the things that kept coming to mind weren’t necessarily things but feelings, so I kept dismissing them and continued to think…
Welcome to our special “Disney Memories Week and Giveaway”! This week, while I’m on vacation, we are celebrating Disney’s year long “Let the Memories Begin” theme: each day, one of our great writers will share a favorite Disney memory….and will provide you with a chance to win a $50 Disney gift card. All week long until today, July 10, you have up to 2 chances to enter each day by commenting on the blog post and/or our Facebook page. The more days/times you comment, the more chances you have to win. (But please, to be fair to everyone: only ONE blog entry and ONE Facebook entry per person per day…)
Please note: ONE winner will be selected from all who enter by midnight ET, TONIGHT. Good luck….and Let the Memories Begin!
Having visited Walt Disney World 21 times I have a TON of Disney memories!! I do have to say that among all of those magical memories one stands out in particular, that was a trip that I took with my family in October 2010.
This trip was not only special because we got to see a very good friend of the family as Ariel at Magic Kingdom, but because it was the trip that my son created the “Dollar Dance.” Now we all know that kids are kids and that they say and do the darnedest things. Here is the story of the day the “Dollar Dance” was created. Read more
Welcome to our special “Disney Memories Week and Giveaway”! This week, while I’m on vacation, we are celebrating Disney’s year long “Let the Memories Begin” theme: each day, one of our great writers will share a favorite Disney memory….and will provide you with a chance to win a $50 Disney gift card. From now until Sunday July 10, you will have up to 2 chances to enter each day by commenting on the blog post and/or our Facebook page. The more days/times you comment, the more chances you have to win. (But please, to be fair to everyone: only ONE blog entry and ONE Facebook entry per person per day…)
Please note: ONE winner will be selected from all who enter by midnight ET, on Sunday, July 10. Good luck….and Let the Memories Begin!
My favorite Disney memory, I have so many, especially the vow renewal with my husband on Disney Cruise Line. But, looking into my heart, the one Disney memory that will forever hold a special place, is the trip my husband and I took his father on.
This is a man who lived a life of divorce, ending up with nothing, and raising a son with hardly any income. Shawn, being the child, did all he could to take care of his father, by putting everything he earned from his job to help take care of him and his Dad. As Shawn grew up and we got married, we continued to help care for his Dad by getting him places to live and ensure that he was taken care of with food and clothing. We knew there was one thing that was missing from this dear man’s life, magic. He needed a place that he could go and forget about all of his troubles and be happy. It was then, that we decided to take a trip to the most magical place on earth. Joining us, would be his Mother and his Father.
I will never forget the look on his face when he saw the Cinderella Castle for the first time. I will never forget the way he laughed until he cried on Animal Kingdom’s Prim Evil Whirl. The moments and the magic that my husband and I were able to create with his Dad were priceless and unforgettable. Today, he resides in a full care facility, where he is independent but in need of care. Every day that we see him, he proudly wears his Steelers hat sporting his Tinkerbell, Pluto and Mickey pin. It was a few months ago, that he came to Shawn and said, Son, I keep seeing that Disney commercial about families, I would really like for us to go back… My heart sank and tears started to take over. How could one journey to the most magical place on earth stay with a man whose life ended up in a way he never thought possible. The magic of Disney takes us to a place where dreams really come true, where magic makes us feel well, happy and free of all evil. Our hope is to grant my Father–in-laws wish and take him sometime next year. If that is the last and only wish he will ever have, that is truly one that I know would make all of his dreams come true. He is living proof, that the magic of Disney can change your life. Disney is all about love and there is no better place to share it.
Question 1 (answer below in the comment section): What ride made Belinda’s Father in Law laugh until he cried?
Question 2 (answer on our Facebook page): Is there a very special person that you have taken…or would like to take….on a Disney vacation?
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Belinda is a Disney Vow Renewal Bride, and a massive Disney addict. In her words: “I am happily married to my high school sweetheart and we have two four legged kids, our cat Simba and our dog Harley. My husband and I have been to Disney 16+ times, been aboard Disney Cruise Line 5+ times and have had a vow renewal wedding aboard the Disney Magic! We have a room in our home we call our happy place. It is wall to wall Disney and nothing more. Not a day goes by that I’m not in my room basking in the happiness that only Disney can create. My hope is to share with all of you, the love and passion that I have for Disney while embracing the magic of Walt’s dream. I am honored to be a contributor for The Affordable Mouse, and look forward to helping spread a little Disney magic.”