
Keiron P. in DE (NDK #100)
Devon P. in DE (NDK #101)
Annaliese C. in WA (NDK #102)
Craig K. in TX (NDI#201)
Jay H. in CT (NDI#202)
Jeff S. in VA (NDI#203)
Carolyn G. in FL (NDI#204)
Jeff C. in NY (NDI#205)
Katherine O. in PA (NDI#206)
Joseph S. in OH (NDI#207)
Sara M. in MD (NDI#208)
Heather W. in NJ (NDI#209)
Meghan Z. in PA (NDI#210)
Lisa F. in CT (NDI#211)
Jeff M. in CT (NDI#212)
Brittany V. in SC (NDI#213)
Danna O. in CA (NDI#214)
Danielle T. in NJ (NDI#215)

Katina W. in GA (NDM#401)
Michelle C. in NY (NDM#402)
Korie A. in NY (NDM#403)
Stefanie L. in IL (NDM#404)
Tricia B. in IL (NDM#405)
Melissa G. in RI (NDM#406)
Christine S. in FL (NDM#407)
Allyn K. in AL (NDM#408)
Heather M. in GA (NDM#409)
Brittiany S. in KY (NDM#410)
Suzanne F. in MD (NDM#411)
Crystal H. in London, Ontario, Canada (NDM#412)
Faith D. in SC (NDM#413)
Mary C. in TX (NDM#414)
Marsha S. in KY (NDM#415)
Jean A. in MA (NDM#416)
Maura M. in NJ (NDM#417)
Heather L. in FL (NDM#418)
Stacey C. in FL (NDM#419)
Lori H. in AL (NDM#420)
Stephanie C. in MO (NDM#421)
Julie C. in CA (NDM#422)
Gilda A. in MA (NDM#423)
Mollie V. in MS (NDM#424)
Leigh R. in MD (NDM#425)
Christie T. in MN (NDM#426)
Heather C. in IL (NDM#427)
Kate A. in NC (NDM#428)
Missy T. in FL (NDM#429)
Tami M. in CO (NDM#430)
Janie G.D. in Cornwall, UK (NDM#431)
Jacki P. in CT (NDM#432)
Marianne C. in CT (NDM#433)
Angie R. in KY (NDM#434)
Heidi L. in NY (NDM#435)
Mary S. in GA (NDM#436)
Marge G. in IN (NDM#437)
Mia W. in WA (NDM#438)
Lynn C. in CO (NDM#439)
Lovella S. in CA (NDM#440)
Rebekah B. in NJ (NDM#441)
Marie S. in USA (NDM#442)
Holly A. in CO (NDM#443)
Beth P. in NH (NDM#444)
Susan P. in NY (NDM#445)
Tom D. in PA (NDD#201)
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Dave P. in NY (NDD#205)
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Chris G. in MA (NDD#207)
Adam I. in OH (NDD#208)
Dustin V. in OH (NDD#209)
Mark J. in GA (NDD#210)
Bill F. in MA (NDD#211)
Mark J. in FL (NDD#212)
Scott B. in CA (NDD#213)
Nick W. in NE (NDD#214)
Jason H. in MN (NDD#215)
Jason L. in FL (NDD#216)
Don C. in Ontario, Canada (NDD#217)
Bryan M. in NJ (NDD#218)
Mark J. in MO (NDD#219)
Robin R. in FL (NDD#220)
Brent K. in GA (NDD#221)
Kevin L. in WA (NDD#222)
Bill A. in NY (NDD#223)
Jim B. in FL (NDD#224)
Jay B. in England (NDD#225)
Scott M. in GA (NDD#226)
Jed D. in IL (NDD#227)
Dean R. in MN (NDD#228)
Ryan M. in TN (NDD#229)
Erin C. in AL (NDD#230)
Corey P. in TX (NDD#231)
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Joe T. in MN (NDD#233)
Ben W. in TX (NDD#234)
Jason T. in CA (NDD#235)
Chris Y. in MO (NDD#236)
Bob B. in TX (NDD#237)
Brian C. in VA (NDD#238)
Robert P. in TN (NDD#239)
Jamie H. in VA (NDD#240)
Jay A. in PA (NDD#241)
Robert S. in GA (NDD#242)
Derek H. in VA (NDD#243)
Cory S. in CA (NDD#244)
Rey L. in TX (NDD#245)
Bailey N. in VA (NDD#246)
Kevin O. in GA (NDD#247)
Sean S. in GA (NDD#248)
Jeff L. in NC (NDD#249)

Jasper P. in FL (NDC#1)
Lacey G. in GA (NDC#2)
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Logan C. in RI (NDC#4)
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Mocha J. in VA (NDC#6)
Koda J. in VA (NDC#7)
Disney C. in TX (NDC#8)
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Bailey M. in MA (NDC#11)
Tigger M. in MA (NDC#12)
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Casey G. in FL (NDC#14)
Chloe G. in FL (NDC#15)
Epcot T. in MN (NDC#16)
Sulley T. in MN (NDC#17)
Mushu C. in NC (NDC#18)
Mufasa C. in NC (NDC#19)
Sprinkles C. in TX (NDC#20)
Marissa G. in VA (NDM#301)
Jennifer T. in GA (NDM#302)
Shelley C. in FL (NDM#303)
Amanda C. in CO (NDM#304)
Hilary P. in OH (NDM#305)
Sandy M. in IN (NDM#306)
Ryland B. in PA (NDM#307)
Catherine W. in IN (NDM#308)
Casey K. in TX (NDM#309)
Mynde P. in CO (NDM#310)
Jenny C. in MN (NDM#311)
Pattie J. in TX (NDM#312)
Liz R. in PA (NDM#313)
Melissa B. in SC (NDM#314)
Sharlyne B. in AL (NDM#315)
Jordan O. in TN (NDM#316)
Pam F. in PA (NDM#317)
Michelle K. in FL (NDM#318)
Ginamarie P. in NY (NDM#319)
Tara S. in VT (NDM#320)
Glori in FL (NDM#321)
Kathleen J. in MI (NDM#322)
Brenda W. in TX (NDM#323)
Kelly R. in MA (NDM#324)
Heather T. in AL (NDM#325)
Michelle C. in TX (NDM#326)
Heather Q. in WA (NDM#327)
Amanda M. in NC (NDM#328)
Elizabeth C. in NC (NDM#329)
Anna S. in NJ (NDM#330)
Jemma GS in NY (NDM#331)
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Nancy B. in MD (NDM#333)
Frances O. in GA (NDM#334)
Beth D. in NH (NDM#335)
Kim J. in OH (NDM#336)
Beth E. in MO (NDM#337)
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Amy G. in VA (NDM#339)
Andrea P. in MD (NDM#340)
Jennifer D. in VA (NDM#341)
Melanie D. in Ontario (NDM#342)
Tammy B. in VA (NDM#343)
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Catherine B. in VA (NDM#347)
Tracy S. in PA (NDM#348)
Kathy K. in NJ (NDM#349)
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Connie P. in TX (NDM#354)
Ashley F. in VA (NDM#355)
Tiffany G. in OK (NDM#356)
Carrie D. in CT (NDM#357)
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Zelma R. in Puerto Rico (NDM#359)
Brit S. in AZ (NDM#360)
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Vanessa A. in TX (NDM#363)
Judith L. in MA (NDM#364)
Amy P. in WI (NDM#365)
Rosemary G. in CA (NDM#366)
Allison V. in GA (NDM#367)
Deborah B. in FL (NDM#368)
Cassie P. in GA (NDM#369)
Kathy A. in CT (NDM#370)
Lynn W. in SC (NDM#371)
Maribel Z. in Puerto Rico (NDM#372)
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Jessica F. in CA (NDM#374)
Mendy D. in IL (NDM#375)
Mel C. in NC (NDM#376)
J. Michelle in PA (NDM#377)
Sue T. in CA (NDM#378)
Shanna B. in FL (NDM#379)
Dawn T. in AR (NDM#380)
Ami B. in VA (NDM#381)
Heather L. in IN (NDM#382)
Tara B. in FL (NDM#383)
Sue D. in IL (NDM #384)
Jodi W. in TX (NDM#385)
Beth G. in AL (NDM#386)
Jana R. in TX (NDM#387)
Simone H. in Brazil (NDM#388)
Corby C. in GA (NDM#389)
Joanne B. in PA (NDM#390)
Shannan P. in DE (NDM#391)
Deb S. in NJ (NDM#392)
Sherry B. in SC (NDM#393)
Tish M. in NJ (NDM#394)
Krista C. in IL (NDM#395)
Julia N. in TN (NDM#396)
Theresa S. in IN (NDM#397)
Molly B. in CT (NDM#398)
Courtney L. in NC (NDM#399)
Teronya H. in TN (NDM#400)
It’s always a thrill for me to visit Walt Disney World and my last trip was no exception. My entire family had a great time sharing new experiences and making new magical memories that will not only last until our next visit but will last a lifetime. Unfortunately, I also experienced guests behaving badly.
As perfect a place as Disney World is sometimes guests can make it not so perfect. I contemplated long and hard whether or not to write about this because I know I am preaching to the choir. However, this bothered me enough that I had to get it off my chest.
To provide some concrete examples of how you might save for and save on your next Disney vacation, I thought I’d use our own upcoming trip as an example. Hopefully, you can look at our vacation plan and come up with some ideas that will help you save on your own.
Our total budget for this trip is just over $4,000. We’re going to be gone a total of ten days, six in Orlando, and four getting there and back. We’re driving down over two days, with an overnight rest stop, and doing the same on the way back. We conceivably could make the trip in a single day, which would save us two nights of hotel bills, but we’ve decided we’d rather spread it out. Our thinking is that we’d arrive late at night after driving 14 hours and be so exhausted that we’d really not enjoy the parks that much the next day. Also, my wife, having spent several years as an ER nurse, is more safety-conscious than perhaps most people are. She’s concerned about fatigue resulting in a car accident. That would certainly put a damper on our vacation!
I go through phases with my scrapbooking. I can scrapbook for months, my dining room table never being cleaned off, and then I will put it away and will simply peruse my crafting magazines and websites for ideas. That may go on for another few months and then I will bring out the paper, pictures, stickers, and adhesives. My scrap booking also goes through phases. I will do a layout with pictures laid out in grids with lots of square angles and like it. The next thing I know I have done my next three layouts to look similar. I sometimes need to re-adjust my thinking to try something new. (I do the same when planning my advance dining reservations at WDW. I seem to fall back on comfortable dining habits instead of trying a new restaurant!)
It was the beginning of August in the summer of 2008. I was sitting up in bed on a dreary dark cloudy day just a little over a week before my next visit to Disney. I wanted to be there in the worst way so much so I became demoralized, depressed, and discombobulated. I was falling into the depths of despair! Worse yet it was Monday morning and I had to go to work. Oh no! What was I going to do? If I couldn’t be at Disney right then and there I would need something to lift my spirits, something to cling to until the Magical Express bus would drive me through the gates of Heaven, Walt Disney World.
Driving to Walt Disney World probably offers the most flexibility of any method of travel. It allows you to pack heavier than by plane, including the possibility of packing a cooler and some food to save money. Our youngest is a picky eater, so we sometimes will pack Pop-Tarts and cereal for breakfast, and peanut butter, jelly, and bread for lunch. You also have the ability to stop at a grocery store and stock up. By driving, you aren’t dependent on Disney transportation once you get down there. And you also have the ability to incorporate other stops into your vacation, such as visiting friends, relatives, or other sites of interest along the way.
One of the absolute best ways to interact with the Disney Driven Life community is through the Be Counted page. This is also how you get an official Neurotic Disney Person number and how you get put on the roster. For us NDPs, this is the official joining of the community!
To start, click on “BE COUNTED!” on the left of the Disney Driven Life website. This will take you to the roster page, where you can get more information about becoming an official NDP. In order to do so, all you have to do is send an email to Jackie (NDM #30) at becounted@thedisneydrivenlife.com with your first name, last initial, home state, your Twitter name (if you have one), and which title you would like.
We’re all Neurotic Disney People, and we all do neurotic Disney things. That said, sometimes we do things so neurotically Disney that we surprise ourselves. Thus comes the Confessional.
The Confessional is a page on the Disney Driven Life website where you can confess “your deepest, darkest, most neurotic things you have done in times of Disney desperation.” Your fellow NDPs have done or thought tons of crazy things and posted them on this page for your reading pleasure. In addition to being fun to read, however, the Confessional is also a great place to let out the pent up neurotic Disney secrets to the world.
splashed in sweet sunshine / when freed from her briar patch / mountain shadows fade
Contributed by: J.B. C. (NDD# 27) of Mouse of Zen. J.B. is our resident Disney haiku writer and author of the soon-to-be published book “Mouse of Zen”, which is a collection of his work.
Hi and Welcome to the Walt Disney World Top Must Sees, a new weekly photo blog I will be doing for the Disney Driven Life. This countdown will focus on the top things that I enjoy about Walt Disney World, and will be written in the spirit of the great “Top 7 Must Sees,” which means that my blog posts will be filled with excitement, and quite possibly, corny catch-phrases.
Lisa S. in NY (NDI#101)
Susan C. in TX (NDI#102)
Robert R. in NY (NDI#103)
Jen K. in MN (NDI#104)
Alison D. in NJ (NDI#105)
Paul E. in FL (NDI#106)
Stacy H. in MN (NDI#107)
Isabelle B. in Quebec (NDI#108)
Tracie S. in RI (NDI#109)
Chris R. in AL (NDI#110)
Ashley G. in TN (NDI#111)
Venita S. in TX (NDI#112)
Amy H. in Nova Scotia (NDI#113)
Steve H. in FL (NDI#114)
Joao A. in MA (NDI#115)
Pam S. in FL (NDI#116)
Nate B. in GA (NDI#117)
Melissa H. in Ontario (NDI#118)
Aaron W. in Neverland (NDI#119)
Molly R. in GA (NDI#120)
Shane G. in FL (NDI#121)
Nicole S. in FL (NDI#122)
DVCEeyore in Anywhere, USA (NDI#123)
Jackie W. in WI (NDI#124)
Jose C. in FL (NDI#125)
Arnie D. in CO (NDI#126)
Tom C. in NY (NDI#127)
Katie M. in TX (NDI#128)
Brandon T. in PA (NDI#129)
John C. in FL (NDI#130)
Becky B. in VA (NDI#131)
Elantrice H. in GA (NDI#132)
Dennis D. in IN (NDI#133)
Michael W. in MA (NDI#134)
Jessica C. in MA (NDI#135)
James A. in NY (NDI#136)
Kathleen P. in NY (NDI#137)
Rebecca Z. in PA (NDI#138)
Brandon B. in WA (NDI#139)
Jessica C. in GA (NDI#140)
Derek P. in PA (NDI#141)
Ed R. in FL (NDI#142)
Courtenay R. in SC (NDI#143)
Jackie M. in TX (NDI#144)
Nichole M. in NC (NDI#145)
Kelly D. in PA (NDI#146)
Alison M. in PA (NDI#147)
Chad E. in CA (NDI#148)
Jay G. in KY (NDI#149)
Brandi B. in TX (NDI#150)
Courtney F. in IL (NDI#151)
Betsy B. in FL (NDI#152)
Jenn L. in NJ (NDI#153)
Matthew M. in MN (NDI#154)
Jared D. in NY (NDI#155)
Dana H. in NJ (NDI#156)
Randy W. in UT (NDI#157)
Katey M. in IL (NDI#158)
Shelley S. in CT (NDI#159)
Michele M. in NJ (NDI#160)
Samantha C. in FL (NDI#161)
Doug U. in RI (NDI#162)
Debra P. in PA (NDI#163)
Barbara G. in FL (NDI#164)
Paul T. in CA (NDI#165)
Thomas M. in Ontario, Canada (NDI#166)
Shalon G. in FL (NDI#167)
Glenn S. in HI (NDI#168)
John W. in FL (NDI#169)
Dave S. in KS (NDI#170)
Mary T. in TN (NDI#171)
Cassidy H. in GA (NDI#172)
Joanna C. in TX (NDI#173)
Ashley A. in GA (NDI#174)
Jenn B. in FL (NDI#175)
Connie R. in FL (NDI#176)
Banks L. in FL (NDI#177)
Jodi B. in FL (NDI#178)
Summer T. in TX (NDI#179)
Marcus P. in TX (NDI#180)
Melissa Z. in MA (NDI#181)
Daniel B. in CT (NDI#182)
Cindy K.W. in VT (NDI#183)
Brent D. in WI (NDI#184)
Kate B. in AR (NDI#185)
Tim D. in NY (NDI#186)
Anthony S. in NJ (NDI#187)
Alissa D. in NY (NDI#188)
Andrew P. in England (NDI#189)
Leslie M. in PA (NDI#190)
Alexis B. in MS (NDI#191)
Laurie A. in FL (NDI#192)
Kelcie Grace C. in OR (NDI#193)
John G. in GA (NDI#194)
James D. in MI (NDI#195)
Bonnie C. in OH (NDI#196)
Tim W. in FL (NDI#197)
Brian D. in NH (NDI#198)
Kristen M. in MN (NDI#199)
Niky O. in PA (NDI#200)
Disney recently announced the return of its popular free Dining Plan offer for the fall. During this same time period, August 15 to October 2, there are currently three discounts available for the general public—the free dining, a room-only discount, and the “Kids Stay and Play Free” offer. So which one is best for you? Obviously, there’s no simple answer. It all depends on you and your circumstances.
For years, little girls have dreamed about coming to Walt Disney World, running to the Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom to ride Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel. They feel like princesses riding their steeds, especially if they were lucky enough to get what was supposedly “Cinderella’s Horse”. This past week, Disney made a move to change this vision from just little princesses to young princes flocking to the carrousel. This new vision was made a possibility by a simple name change, from Cinderella’s Golden Carousel to Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel.
Hello, everyone. I’m Mark, NDD#102, and I’m new to the Disney Driven Life website, but not to the Disney Driven Life itself. My wife (NDM#237) and I didn’t set out to become “Disney People.” It just sort of crept up on us.
I guess it all began back in 2003, while I was in the Middle East with the military and Disney offered a great package for military members—40% off rooms, a free 5-day pass for the military member, and $99 5-day passes for the family members. My wife started planning a Disney World vacation for when I got back. With such a great discount, we were going to stay on-property for the first time. I had always thought that was just for rich people.