You Are Going To Disney World – Again?

If you are a Disney fan, you may have gone to Walt Disney World more than once. Maybe you have gone a few times, or dozens of times. Maybe you are always planning your next trip to Disney. Or maybe you are even planning to move to Orlando.

After your friends and family find out that you are a Disney fan, they might ask a very logical question: Why are you going to Disney World again?

Of course, the people who ask this question are often the ones who have never been to Disney at all. In a sense, they “don’t get it” because they haven’t experienced what Disney has to offer.

The reasons we go back to Disney time and time again vary for each person, but here are the top six reasons why I think people go back to Disney World again and again.

1 – Cleanliness

In the age of the modern theme park and amusement park, some people take the cleanliness of the parks for granted. They assume theme parks were always clean and tidy. But history tells us otherwise. When Walt Disney first told his wife Lillian that he wanted to build a theme park, she reportedly said “But why do you want to build an amusement park? They’re so dirty.” In those days, people’s closest experiences for the parks of today were traveling carnivals – often with run down equipment and unsavory attendants. Walt set out to make a theme park that was clean, and it changed our notion and expectation of what a park could be.

2 – Family-Friendliness

There is a whole world of places and experiences out there, and even as a huge Disney fan, I want to see some of it. But I also know that there are plenty of places that do not square up with my morals and ethics. There are plenty of things I don’t want my child to see, even accidentally. When I visit Disney World, I know that I will have a 100% family-friendly experience. I won’t have to explain why something was inappropriate. And that is very valuable to me.

Disney offers family-friendly and fun experiences.
Disney offers family-friendly and fun experiences.

3 – Quality

Even folks who don’t understand why you want to go to Disney World probably have some sense that the Disney Company, as a whole, creates quality products. You know that when you visit, you will have a great experience. Things will be organized, orderly, and will just work. Far more than in the “real world” outside the Disney gates – things work and they work well.

4 – Value

I won’t even attempt to argue that Disney isn’t expensive. It is expensive. Sometimes it is wildly expensive – think $350 hotel room and $9 cupcakes. But then again, quality is normally expensive. And many other entertainment experiences are also expensive. Recent reports state that it costs about $78 to get into a National Football League game. That’s almost as much as the cost to get into a Disney park for a day (and could be more than Disney if you calculate the cost of an individual day’s admission on a multi-day admission ticket). Yes, you need to pay for parking (unless you stay at a Disney Resort Hotel), and pay for expensive food (unless you are on the Disney Dining Plan). But you have to do that for nearly any sporting event, any entertainment venue, or any vacation spot. Disney World is expensive, but if you compare it to the full day of entertainment and fun you get, you will find that it is a good value for your money.

5 – Memories

Many vacations will create memories, and that is good. But there seems to be something transcendent about a Disney World vacation. Perhaps it is the connection with the Disney characters that you loved as a child. Or the music you enjoy. Or the smell of the popcorn. All these events and senses create memories that last a lifetime.

Disney has a special way of creating family memories.
Disney has a special way of creating family memories.

6 – Magic

The final element that may explain why so many of us return to Disney World time and time again is ever present, but hard to describe. We call it “magic.” You can’t define it, you can’t predict it, and you can’t plan it. But it is there. And it is a key reason why people love Disney World and want to return. Ahhh, the Disney magic. It happens when you first see Cinderella Castle at the end of Main Street USA, and it takes your breath away. It happens when a corny joke hits you just right, and you can’t get the smile off your face or the happiness out of your heart. It happens when a Cast Member waves good night with a Mickey Mouse-glove on his hand, and you finish your day with a smile. It’s the magic that keeps us coming back time and time again.

Do your friends think it is strange that you return to Disney time and time again?