Now that I’ve been diagnosed as INTJ, I have an excuse for being as thoughtlessly rude as I like. Yay!
I’ve noticed some people refer to WDW as “home” and talk about going “home” when they go there.
Am I the only person who finds this, er, slightly weird. Yes, WDW is a fantastic place, but it’s not my home. (Would I want it to be?) My home is where my family is — i.e. my dog. If he’s not with me, I’m not at home.
Where did this trope first come from? Do you subscribe to it? Does your actual home not feel a bit offended when it hears you talking about WDW as home?
It feels like home to me, in the sense that it’s one of the very very few places I’ve encountered so far where I feel safe, and thoroughly happy, and fully relaxed and present. There are no worries, and the outside world doesn’t even exist to me most of the time. It’s a haven - as home is for many people.
They say home is where the heart is, and in that sense WDW is home to me too.
I am usually at “home” with my family so there’s that.
My cats get upset, but my house hasn’t mentioned anything that I’ve understood to be related to WDW.
There was a terrific episode of the Dis Dudes podcast (Ep. 08) where they discussed the importance of being present when you’re at WDW. It’s very easy not to be. There was much debate about leaving your cell phone behind. It’s worth a listen — it certainly got me thinking.
My trip last year was a huge triumph, yet I did feel like I was not always present. Not because I was staring at my phone, but because I was overwhelmed by the whole experience and, to an extent, rushing from one experience to the next. There are things I know I did but I don’t remember doing at all, e.g. Everest.
Part of it probably comes from the tradition at the Disney hotels where cast members often greet you with “Welcome Home”. I read somewhere once that one of Disney’s goals was to have a resort where people felt as comfortable in as they would their own homes, hence the greeting. That’s led many in the Dis community to think of it as home.
To me it’s not my home, but it is one of the few places where I feel completely relaxed (even though Disney trips are very busy!). So in that sense it’s one of my “home spots”, places where I feel comfortable and happy enjoying often - as opposed to places I may only visit once or twice.
It’s a challenge at times, for sure. Especially as you’re trying to swap FPP and such. Taking photos even takes away from it. There are times, now that I know we’ll be back, that I specifically don’t take photos so that I can just take it in. I know my photo trip report seems counter to that, but most times I would snap a quick photo on the way into or out of an attraction/location and then put it away.
In theory I could take my dog with me. But I couldn’t leave him on his own in the room. Now, if they’d let me take him to the parks, and hold him while I was on the rides, then I’d be doing month long trips to Disney once a month.
I’m not saying you should stop. But don’t just always post pictures of me in my bathing suit. I’m not a piece of meat, you know!
For example, here’s a photo of me and my friend Rachel. See how we’re both fully clothed. I’m wearing the tuxedo I was going to wear at V&A, had it not mysteriously shrunk around the waist.
Yes. I do. But I’m a newbie trying to pick up on tips to help us navigate this thing called Disney World. My last trip to MK was in the 80’s. Epcot was new (we didn’t go). We spent one day in the park and I have fond memories, but even then I cringed at the expense for my parents. We were able to simply show up, purchase tickets and have a good time.
Now - as a parent - I am stunned at the expense. I am frustrated at the process of just trying to plan a good trip. Nonetheless, we are taking our three kids. At this point, I am saying its going to be a “one and done” trip. But who knows. Since we are spending two days in MK and not going to the other Disney parks (one day Universal, one day “off” and one day Legoland) we might some day go back to see the others. Don’t get me wrong - I’m excited for the kids to go to Disney, but I’d much rather spend a week in Washington DC, or Yellowstone, or the Grand Canyon. Or Rome.
so there’s that.
