Thanks to those for sharing, so I'll go next.
Joe is my non Dis name.
Starting going to WDW at an early age. Like others, I don't really remember a lot, but there is evidence that I was there. My dad's side of the family moved to Florida in the early 70's, and we would go down to visit every year. Usually over Easter break, but sometimes during Christmas.
One of the things I remember was the car ride. I always enjoyed the ride down and the lack of rules back then. No car seat, no seatbelt, basically a free for all in the back seat, hatchback or back of the van. My grandparents lived 3 hours southwest of Orlando in Fort Myers, so all of our Disney trips were day trips. We never stayed on Disney property, and for a long time, never even considered it.
I also remember loving 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Not happy that I can't take my kids on it.
I remember loving EPCOT, we definitely went the first year it opened. I was entranced by all the cool new technology, shame it hasn't kept up with the times (I feel).
Anyway, as we grew older we went less and less. I went to WDW for my senior trip in 1991, but it wasn't the same without my family.
The next time I went back was in 1998 to Animal Kingdom, the summer that it opened. This time I took my girlfriend, who eventually became DW (Evann). We went to Disney a couple times after that, usually in the summer when we would visit my family, but still never stayed on site or considered it.
DS (Harry)burst on the scene in 2005, so when he was 3, we planned our first on site Disney family vacation.
We stayed at WL for 9 nights and it was magical. It will be hard to top the first trip, but we'll try. Magical express, the meal plan, character meals, LeCellier (1 credit at the time), the whole 9 yards. Awesome.
By the next summer, DD (Lucy) entered our world. Our 2008 trip was in our blood however, and we could not wait for DD to turn 3. So at the ripe old age of 1, DD experienced Disney for the first time. We stayed at AKL, my favorite, for 5 nights.
Now at this point, I hadn't discovered the Dis yet. I had used mousesavers.com as my main resource. It was in 2011 that I became a Dis member and truly a Disney planning freak. I read about renting points and it sounded like a great option, as we were already addicted to deluxe resorts. We rented 5 nights at BWV, and really enjoyed it, although busing to MK was crazy sharing with all of those resorts.
Now, my daughter was 2 and princess crazy. She would wait in line all day to see a princess, and she saw them all. Such a different experience than with our DS. Actually, a whole new Disney World had opened to me.
DD's birthday is in July, so we decided to celebrate her 3rd birthday in Disney. Stayed for 2 nights at POR Royal Room, then OKW for a week in a 2br, my parents stayed with us. This was my first exchange using my HGVC timeshare, a real money saver for us. What a great week. DS didn't seem to mind as long as we got to do Star Tours over and over.
DW and I are both teachers, so the summer is the perfect time for us to go to WDW. The heat and crowds don't bother us.
however, we do want to make it to Disney for halloween and Christmas some day.
Disneyland is also on our bucket list.
Sure there are less expensive vacations to go on, and lord know Disney is expensive. But I love being in WDW, completely shut off from the outside. It is certainly an escape for me.
for sure.
Glad to have you on board! I will get you listed on the front page with the rest of us. Thanks for the kind words about the story and me. You know how sometimes you don't really even have to think, as a mom, you just react? That was me. Thank goodness that I knew the parks so well and knew what foods they served. Some people would say that is kind of creepy/weird/stalkerish, but I know that you all understand it on here!!! 
LET'S GET TO KICKIN'
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I look forward to starting this planning process w/everyone!
