
As part of our “A Month of Thanks” celebration, we asked our readers and contributors to share their stories about why they are thankful for Disney. Here is just one of those submitted. If you would like to share why you are thankful for Disney, please see this article or contact Maria (NDM 130)
November is a month when many people reflect on what they are truly thankful for in their lives. We are a military family, so Veterans Day is another day, in addition to Thanksgiving, when we reflect on being thankful. We are thankful for the service of generations past and present to our country. Military families lead lives that often seem tumultuous with all of the moving around and separations from our loved ones. Disney is a popular destination for military families to take vacations, and for my children, it was a wonderful, familiar place where we could go and have fun together as a family. Disney provides whatever type of vacation you need – whether you want to relax during R&R on a Disney Cruise or celebrate a return from deployment with a week of theme parks and character meals. My family is truly thankful for the Disney in our lives. It provides much needed distractions from the hectic outside world and allows us to make memories that last a lifetime.
Disney is a very military friendly company. They offer generous discounts on their resorts and theme park tickets. Each day in the Magic Kingdom, a veteran of the day is selected at random from the crowd to participate in the Flag Retreat ceremony. Somehow we often find ourselves on Main Street when the Flag Retreat ceremony starts. As the flag is lowered and the National Anthem begins to play, my family instinctively stops, my kids automatically put their hands over their heart and my husband stands at attention and salutes the flag. I choke up every time this happens and I remember how incredibly thankful I am for our veterans, my patriotic family and Disney and how it all connects together in this small way. Thank you Disney for providing so many magical experiences to our military families.
Kelley is a Disney-loving Army wife originally from Charleston, SC and now living in the shadow of Cinderella Castle in Windermere, FL. She is a former Disney cast member who enjoyed working at Epcot, the Disney-MGM Studios and on the Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Club. Her family spends quite a bit of time on Disney property playing in the parks and eating at their favorite restaurants, The Plaza and Olivia’s. Kelley works with Fairy Godmother Travel and will be happy to help you plan your dream vacation to any Disney destination. She can be contacted at: kelley@fairygodmothertravel.com