When reading about DIStherapy, I was happily surprised to notice that the Disney Driven Life was considered an inspiration to Didi Marie when she started her blog! She was inducted around the same time I was, making her one of the “originals” (counted in the inaugural year). I knew her story was one worth sharing. What makes you an NDP? Have a story to share? Have your own Disney Fan Site or Podcast you want to share with the community? Send it to ndm130 AT thedisneydrivenlife DOT com. We just might feature your story here on Sharing Saturdays.
1964 Worlds Fair with my brother & Goofy
Baloo & I – Magic Kingdom 1975
Begin at the beginning…. I was so very excited to join the Disney Blog Hop 4/7/2011, because the theme called to the very reason I began blogging- my Disney connections, my Walt ‘roots”. I had posted a Wordless Wednesday item from the day prior, 4*6*11, “Proof That Disney Memories DO Last a Lifetime…” you can guess how long and deep those roots truly are. My father worked at the 1964 World’s Fair, and my family received a sneak peak at the pavilions before the Fair opened; “it’s a small world”, Progressland, Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, and the Great Skyway sowed the seeds for a lifetime love affair. We read, studied and watched Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color weekly TV series to learn more about the fabled “Florida Project”. What a surprise! Our first trip to Walt Disney World was in the park’s ninth month, and we have averaged two trips every year since. Each family rite of passage has had Walt Disney World as its backdrop.
Didi Marie * NDM 126 & owner at DIStherapy
I am Didi Marie. I am a wife of a restaurateur, mother of 2 Spectrum kids, and physical therapist who sees the WORLD with a special point of view. NDM# 126
– Sports Medicine PT (weekend warriors, professional hockey players and everyone in between)
– Special Olympics PT volunteer World Games NY ’84 and Athens ’11 and USA Games ’14 (LA ’15 here I come!)
– Autism School Board Trustee & Executive Secretary 2002- present
– Motivational speaker for autistic families
– Running is my newest passion (thank you, runDisney).
A Goofy fan since our encounter at the 1964 World’s Fair, my family made its first excursion to Walt Disney World in 1972, and has had a Disney Park- Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris- as a backdrop to every major life event since.
Fast forward to the fall of 2009, when first I learned of Disney blogs during that year’s Walt Disney World Moms Panel Search.
My first inspirations were Zannaland & the Disney Driven Life (After all, I am NDM #126.). I was so intrigued by their content that I’ve been a fan ever since. Not only have the number and quality of Disney blogs exploded, but they now are networked in a completely professional way! My favorites of these are: WDW Fan Zone & The Magical Blogorail. Recently, I was nominated for the Give Kids the World Ice Bucket Challenge. You can see my video below –
All of these blogs have inspired me to document my own personal and lengthy Disney history, and create :DIStherapy. Leave it to the Disney community to build such lasting connections. As I got older (see my post, “Blogging to Go the Distance”), I found myself becoming more and more retrospective. Hey, I have a lot more years to look back on! My blog is a way to pull the elements of my life that I love most- my career, my family, the family restaurant business, my now-favorite hobby, and DISNEY- together in one place for all to see. And did I mention my mom’s new-found photo stash? What else would I do with the priceless pix of the 1964 World’s Fair, our first family trip to Disney World in August of 1972, and the 40 or so subsequent vacations spent there?? Be sure to check out my Wordless Wednesday posts!
A few highlights from my site are :DIStherapy; site of Disney community retrospectives 40 Days to 40 Years (Walt Disney World), 20 Days to 20 Years (Disneyland Paris), 30 Days to 30 Years (Epcot) and 15 Days to 15 Years (Animal Kingdom); Virtual runDisney Blog Hops and “Top PT Tips“.
I was a proud finalist for the 2012 Walt Disney World Moms Panel– runDisney Specialist. (SO close!!)
DISney has always been MY therapy…
A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin’ wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney 🙂 Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life – A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects – create~inspire~share.
My secret is out! Yes, The Disney Driven Life was certainly an early blogging inspiration; and look how far YOU’VE come! It is absolutely a thrill to share my Disney life with so many like-minded aficionados. This site still inspires!!