Disney---How Do I Love Thee??

So, most people won't need this explanation...but if you're new to our trip blogs, you might be wondering....do Erik and Jason REALLY mostly only vacation with Disney?  And why?  The answer to the first question is ABSOLUTELY!!!  And the answer to the second question is....well...too long an answer for this blog, honestly----but suffice it to say that we have a deep love of all things Disney and we love Disney vacations!

OK...so maybe that's putting it lightly.  I'll come clean.  Jason and I are not just Disney vacationers---we are AVID Disney vacationers----like borderline crazy...like maybe in need of therapy or meds or something.  Although, in truth, I have often told people better to be addicted to Disney vacations than drugs or gambling, right?! LOL

So when we know we're going to be going on a Disney vacation, especially a cruise, we jump right in with both feet.  We love to plan and do special little things...and to find other people who do the same.  So we found a great community of people with the same "problem" that we have back in 2007 which was the first  time we took a HUGE trip.  We'd done "normal" Disney vacations before that, but in 2007 we went all out and booked a week at the parks and then a 2 week TransAtlantic cruise.  That was the beginning of the end for us---and changed the way we vacation forever!!   So back in 2007, we were very fortunate to have found an online community called the DisBoards (www.disboards.com)---an online discussion site for Disney fans!

The DISBoards offer the opportunity to "get to know" other Disney fan(atic)s....and if you're going on a cruise, then you can "meet" some of your fellow cruisers before you ever even get on the ship...and to do lots of planning---like meet and greets, excursions together, group dining, pajama parties, game nights, etc.  The DISBoards have been great for us because we've met some of our very best friends in the world on the boards...with whom we try to vacation frequently!  Even though some of our oldest and closest DISBoards friends can't be with us on THIS trip (yes, that's you Hadley & Family, Sandi & Family, and Chris & Rob-----we miss you all and love you), we are super excited about our other DISBoards family we'll be able to connect with on this trip.

First up in DisneyLand, we're meeting Johanna and Kimmy.  If you read our last blog (erikandjason2010.blogspot.com) you will remember that we met them this past September on our big month-long adventure to the Med. and across the Atlantic when we all decided to sit together at dinner (with two other new DISBoards friends, Jim and Michelle---who we will miss on this trip *frown*).  We ADORE these two girls and we're so excited that they're joining us in DisneyLand for a few days this weekend...and we'll see Johanna again on the San Francisco stop on our cruise.   Beyond that, we're also SUPER excited because many, many of the great people we first met from the DISBoards back in 2007 are going to be on the ship with us in L.A. and/or Alaska (Deb & her mom, Linda, Ken, Shari, Scott, Lynn....so many great DIS friends!!)....and even more friends we've met on all our cruises and adventures since then!

If any of our old or new DISBoards friends are reading this blog.....this is a shout out to say how much we've enjoyed being able to connect with all of you via the boards.  If we're seeing you on this trip....we can't wait!!  If not, then we'll miss you and we hope, as Mickey always says, to "See ya real soon!"