Real name: Michelle
Family: Married to Andy, who won't admit it but is a DISNerd too, and DD9 (Madison)
Occupation: Analyst - numbers are my friends.
Home town: Milton Keynes. Lived here all of my life, and I love it, however it's not to everyone's tastes. Apparently too many roundabouts.
Favourite park: Mine is without a shadow Epcot; I think it all stems from the first time we went to WDW, it was the first park we went too, and I bombed it through the gates, pass spaceship earth, towing OH and DD with me, in a state of panic and shock as we just HAD to get to Test Track IMMEDIATELY. But then I stopped.. right by the fountain and just stared. I was at WDW, the sky was picture perfect, and I was literally bubbling with excitement. I get the same feeling every time I enter Epcot - and who can beat a lovely walk around world showcase (my daughter probably).
Favourite resort: Well this year is the first year we are staying on site. Stayed at CoCo Beach previously, and Pointe Orlando. Staying at CSR this year, so watch this space.
Favourite attraction: ToT. I actually hate it and every time I get on I wonder what the hell I am doing here, and have a mild freak out which DD loves. Then for it to end, and want to go again immediately afterwards (one of my fav memories is riding this. At the end when the elevator doors opening, the bellboy stuck his head through the gap, scaring my daughter half to death, so much so she actually screamed - causing him to burst out laughing and break character)
Favourite restaurant: I don't have a favourite restaurant, mines all food carts. The almonds that they serve on the food cart by Space Mountain. Oh and popcorn. What do Disney do to their popcorn, cause I can't get enough? And School Bread, oh and the almond pretzel.. oh and the ice cream in France...
How I got into Disney: I have also been an avid Disney film fan - who hasn't?! And myself and my friend since the age of about 6 said we would go. No matter what. We even had our own savings tins... every time one of us went to a
travel agent or passed one, we'd grab a brochure and spend ages going through it. Anyway, it wasn't too be. I met my now husband and life moved on around us. But before that I went to Eurodisney and fell in love (I was 18 so this was 98 and it was still relatively new - I did queue for an hour for IASW!!!). I loved every second of it, and we were then from rope drop to close. One of my fav pictures of me is standing there with a glow necklace around my head, a winnie balloon in one hand, and a minnie in the other, grinning madly at the camera, looking absolutely exhausted). For my 30th birthday I begged and pleaded to go back to Eurodisney with my husband and daughter (she was nearly 5) and wow. Seeing it through a childs eyes was amazing. We didn't meet any characters, just wandered and rode rides, and saw shows and parades. And it was perfect. For the next year I moaned at my husband that I just had to go to WDW, but he was adamant we couldn't afford it. Not with a child who has fifty million clubs to attend. So, 2012 we trundled into Thomson to book a trip to Turkey for two weeks in the summer and it came in at £5k ish. I laughed and jokingly went, we could go to Disney for that... and well, we did. And that was it. Hooked. It was only going to be the one trip. A once in a lifetime, where we crammed everything including discovery cove and universal. We returned home EXHAUSTED. But I was itching. I also became very ill (later diagnosed with coeliac disease (yes I eat school bread which is laced with gluten but I can explain in full detail why I make the choices I make), and CFS and various other medical conditions I didn't even know existed!). Part of my illness was branded as depression (it wasn't at all, but the doctors wanted to put a label on it and did so), and I won't lie I may have used this to my advantage and low and behold we booked for 2014. This time it was a much slower pace, but we still did everything, including Busch Gardens (no DC this time though, my bonus wouldn't quite stretch to cover it). When we were departing WDW for the last time, heading to Sanford, I cried. All holiday OH was informing me we wouldn't be coming back and whereas I had the most amazing time I couldn't imagine not going again. We returned home, and OH said maybe we could do a
Disney Cruise. So, I started looking... literally a day after we had landed.
A week later, after a huge argument with the OH where he declared I was selfish (I am, I admit) and that I should just appreciate what I have. For him to see an advert for Disney on TV and make me call Virgin (see I told you he is a closet DISNerd), for them not to have any for the dates we wanted, to then be walking past our dear friend Thomson, for him to go in and ask for a price (but not for Disney, oh no, he wanted to do KSC and beaches and stuff), so whilst I am sat there going through our rough plans, he randomly asks about Disney prices, and suddenly has signed up for two weeks a CSR in August. Which is fine by me, and the DD.
He has said though that we are not returning in 2016, we brought a new house last year and have some work we want to do... and I agree that Disney needs to take a back seat, but 2017, he has said we'll be there with bells on and things would have changed in that time also.