Home. Nostalgia. Tradition. These are words that I think of when I think about Walt Disney World in Florida even though I was born and raised in western New York.
I was almost 7 years old on my very first visit to Walt Disney World, made possible because my grandparents had recently moved to Florida. I have treasured memories of riding the ferry across the Seven Seas Lagoon, walking into Adventureland holding my father’s hand, being awed by Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, playing on Tom Sawyer’s Island, and watching the Main Street Electrical Parade at night! As a teenager, I was able to visit EPCOT the spring after it opened, too, thanks to a visit to my grandparents. I was awed by the technological gadgets and gizmos on display in the Communicores, and the World Showcase absolutely enchanted me with its pavilions and cultural experiences. I visited on my honeymoon in 1988 (I had to make sure my husband became a Disney World aficionado, you know) and again in 2005 with my own children (for the same reason).
After launching our youngest child almost 10 years ago, my husband, Matthew, and I decided to move to Central Florida so that we could enjoy Walt Disney World all year round. We now live about 20 minutes away from Walt Disney World and visit its parks once or twice every single weekend! I like to joke that Walt Disney World is my backyard, and it really is! I still get teary-eyed walking into the parks and feel sad when I have to leave a park at the end of the day. The feelings of being home, nostalgia, and tradition increase with each and every experience I have in the parks.
As a grandmother of seven, I have entered the stage of life that Disney refers to as “Magic Makers.” Over the past nine years, I have had friends and family visit, giving me the opportunity to be their personal Walt Disney World vacation planner and “tour guide.” I have enjoyed seeing my adult children and their spouses be awed by the same attractions I have loved for years. I have cried tears of joy at being able to watch the fireworks with a mix of family and friends. I have smiled from ear to ear as I walked hand-in-hand with my grandchildren, seeing the parks afresh through their young eyes. That is all part of the thrill of being a “Magic Maker.”
After several years of planning trips for family and friends, I was given the opportunity to start planning travel professionally. Over the past six years, that has led to being able to book all Disney destinations (Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Lines) as well as Universal theme parks, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, all-inclusive’s, and multiple hotels. I would love to be your “Magic Maker” and help you have the same wonderful travel experiences that I have provided to friends, family, and clients over the past six years.
