My Disney Life - How It Started

Our family's Disney story began with what we called our "once-in-a-lifetime" trip to Walt Disney World in 2010. Little did I know that one vacation would spark a passion that would eventually become such a big part of my life—and even my career.

My own Disney memories actually started long before that. I first visited Walt Disney World as a child in the late 1970s and returned as a teenager in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Back then, visiting Disney looked very different than it does today. Instead of purchasing one ticket that included every attraction, guests bought books of individual ride tickets, and each attraction required a specific ticket. I still remember carefully choosing how to spend those precious tickets as we rode classics like the Main Street Trolley, "it's a small world," and The Haunted Mansion.

Throughout the 1990s, I watched Walt Disney World continue to grow. I experienced EPCOT while it was still a relatively new park, visited Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios), explored the newly opened Disney's Animal Kingdom, and cooled off at Typhoon Lagoon water park. In 2000, my sister, who was a Disney Cast Member, helped me celebrate my 30th birthday with an evening at Pleasure Island—Disney's former nightlife district—and a ride on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, which had only recently opened.

During all of those trips, I stayed off Disney property and simply followed the plans made by my parents, family friends, or my sister. I loved Disney, but I wasn't the planner.

That changed in 2010.

This time, the vacation was mine to create. My husband, our six-year-old daughter, and I were heading to Walt Disney World, and because we truly believed this might be our only family trip, I wanted every moment to count.

A friend recommended The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2010, and that enormous book quickly became my planning bible. I read it cover to cover, studying everything from resorts and restaurants to touring strategies and crowd patterns. Somewhere along the way, I realized something surprising:

I loved planning the vacation almost as much as taking it.

As a public school teacher and professor at a small liberal arts college in Ohio, our budget mattered. But I've always believed in value over cheap. Saving money is important, but spending wisely on experiences that create lifelong memories is even more important.

The magic began the moment we landed in Orlando.

When we walked toward Disney's Magical Express, a complimentary airport transportation service Disney offered to resort guests for many years, a Cast Member greeted us with an oversized Mickey glove and a huge smile. I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of relief as we handed over the logistics of our vacation.

One of the best parts of Magical Express was that Disney transported your checked luggage separately. We climbed aboard a Disney motorcoach while our suitcases magically appeared in our resort room later that afternoon. We didn't have to worry about rental cars, navigation, or hauling luggage. Vacation truly began the moment we boarded that bus.

We checked into Disney's All-Star Movies Resort and immediately fell in love with its larger-than-life Disney characters and colorful movie-themed buildings. To make the day even more magical, we discovered we had been selected as the resort's "Family of the Day," complete with a little extra pixie dust during our stay.

That evening, we headed to Downtown Disney—known today as Disney Springs—the shopping, dining, and entertainment district outside the theme parks. We wandered the shops and enjoyed dinner at Earl of Sandwich, which remains one of our family's favorite quick-service restaurants.

Our itinerary was carefully designed around our daughter. We planned one day at Disney's Animal Kingdom, two days at Magic Kingdom, and one day at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We intentionally skipped EPCOT because we felt our six-year-old would enjoy an extra day at Magic Kingdom much more.

If you've only visited Walt Disney World recently, it's hard to imagine how different the parks looked in 2010.

Animal Kingdom had not yet added Pandora – The World of Avatar, the breathtaking land inspired by the Avatar films. Magic Kingdom's New Fantasyland expansion also didn't exist yet, meaning there was no Beast's Castle, no Be Our Guest Restaurant, no Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction, and no Storybook Circus.

Instead, we experienced attractions that have since become Disney history.

Disney's Animal Kingdom was still home to the entire Dinoland U.S.A., a quirky dinosaur-themed area complete with carnival games, colorful roadside attractions, and The Boneyard, an enormous playground where kids could climb, dig for fossils, and burn off energy. Our family's favorite attraction there was Primeval Whirl, a spinning family roller coaster that has since permanently closed.

At Magic Kingdom, Mickey and Minnie greeted guests inside Mickey's Toontown Fair, a whimsical neighborhood where visitors could walk through the characters' homes before meeting them. Today, that entire land has been replaced, making those memories even more special.

We also purchased the Disney Dining Plan, which allowed guests to prepay for meals before their vacation. At the time, each person received multiple snack credits for every night of the trip, so we often picked up breakfast pastries each morning to stretch our vacation budget while still enjoying memorable table-service meals.

Some of our favorite restaurants included Yak & Yeti, 50's Prime Time Café, Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and friends, and Cinderella's Royal Table inside Cinderella Castle—a signature dining experience that required two dining credits because of its popularity.

Then came our biggest splurge.

We booked an appointment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where our daughter was transformed into a Disney princess before having lunch inside Cinderella Castle with Cinderella and several Disney Princesses.

Worth. Every. Single. Penny.

More than fifteen years later, it is still one of our favorite family memories.

All of my research paid off.

Every morning we "rope dropped" the parks—a Disney term that comes from the ropes Cast Members once used to hold guests back until the official opening time. Arriving early allowed us to experience several attractions before the crowds arrived.

We also mastered Disney's original FastPass system. Long before Lightning Lanes and mobile apps, guests walked to a ride, inserted their park ticket into a kiosk, and received a paper ticket with a return time. My husband would hurry off to collect our next FastPass while my daughter and I enjoyed another nearby attraction.

Our family motto became, "We are killing it!"

We were riding everything on our wish list while still taking time to enjoy the little moments. We never felt rushed.

One planning decision I still recommend today was scheduling afternoon breaks. Every day we returned to the resort to swim, cool off, and rest before heading back to the parks for dinner and evening entertainment. There is nothing quite like washing away the Florida heat, floating in the pool for a while, and returning refreshed for another magical evening.

I loved every minute of planning that trip.

But I also realized how much work went into creating a vacation that felt effortless. Hours of research, comparing resorts, planning dining reservations, learning transportation, studying park layouts, and creating touring plans all made the difference.

That's exactly why I became a travel planner.

Today, I help families create vacations that fit their budget, priorities, and travel style without requiring them to spend dozens of hours researching every detail. My goal is the same one I had in 2010: helping families create magical memories while splurging where it matters most.

The best part? My planning services are completely complimentary because Disney pays me a commission after you travel.

I'll handle the research.

You get to focus on the magic.