45 Ways We Know We Are Disney Fans

Good afternoon, Disney Fans!!!

As you know, on October 1st, Walt Disney World marked a very special occasion: The 45th Anniversary of The Magic Kingdom, and Walt Disney World as a whole. Disney anniversaries are always times that I reflect upon why Disney is so special to me and what I love about it. So today, I present to you, a list of the many ways I know that I am a TRUE Disney addict. Are YOU one too? How many of these apply to you?

45 Ways We Know We Are Disney Fans...

1. We buy Disney guidebooks.... in print.... even though we know all of the information inside front to back, just for the pictures, or to see how much we agree/disagree with the author.
2. Our cars are filled with Disney CDs, and our mobile devices are filled with Disney music... even if we don't have kids. We make Disney playlists, and listen to them so much that we know the order of the songs. Don't HAVE a Playlist yet? Feel free to check out my own personal ones on Spotify, by clicking these links:
• Disney Cruise Line Memories 
• Tink's Tots' Disney Favorites
• Tinkin' About Halloween
3. Our spouse/partner/boyfriend or girlfriend HAS to be as obsessed with Disney as we are... or they aren't "the one".
4. We have a drawer in our bathroom filled to the brim with Disney toiletries, which we manage to collect from Mousekeeping, on every single trip. 
5. We travel to European countries and think... this is just like Epcot!
6. We respond to friend's questions with Disney movie quotes... even if it drives them crazy.
7. We catch a whiff of green peppers and are instantly transported to Adventureland. The smell of fresh oranges or pine makes us wish we were on Soarin'. And we know that nothing is quiet as heart-warming as the smells of the Bakery and the Confectionery on Main Street. Smells = Disney memories. 
8. We had a Disney themed wedding, got married at Disney, or have a Disney fantasy wedding planned in our heads.
9. We offer advice and directions to other guests in the parks who clearly don't know what they are doing... even if they didn't ask.
10. We check wait times on our My Disney Experience app... even when we are in Massachusetts, Ohio or Canada.
11. Our Christmas trees and stockings, or Hanukkah menorahs, are Disney themed.
12. We know that everyone in Africa calls Thompson's Gazelles "Tommies." We know that they are paging Mr. Morrow because his party from Saturn has arrived. We know that we are not the first to pass this way, (nor shall we be the last), and we know that the ghost host's chilling challenge is for you to find a way out. Disney ride spiels are kind of our thing. 
13. Before spending money on anything, we do Disney math... Let's see... I can buy a new TV, but that's about a 5 Day Park Hopper and half a Dining Plan...
14. We follow tens... or hundreds... of Disney bloggers, Disney websites and Disney fan pages... just to hear other people's opinions or travel to the parks vicariously through their trip reports.
15. We smell the musty, mildewy smell that only a water ride can produce and think... ahhhhhhh!
16. We get our first sip of that chlorinated water that comes from every Central Florida water fountain and think.... I'm home.  
17. We name our pets... and/or kids... after Disney characters.
18. We wait in lines... long lines... to meet characters, buy pins, be the first on a new ride, or to try a new snack.
19. When naming heroes, Walt Disney is always named immediately after... and sometimes before... our parents.
20. We look at Disney restaurant menus and plan in advance what we are going to get using our Dining Plan credits or try to recreate the meals at home!
21. We know that our child reaching 40" in height is a cause for celebration, (and a Disney trip), because it means they can ride a whole new group of rides, like Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Test Track, Soarin', Star Tours, Tower of Terror and Dinosaur. 
22. We are completely unimpressed by our hometown's 4th of July fireworks. They just can't compare to Disney fireworks.
23. Our friends and family know that any gift that involves Disney will be a winner in our book.
24. We know that no vacation outranks a Disney Cruise. 
25. We have at least one room in our house entirely decorated in Disney decor... or our whole house is.
26. We either once were a Cast Member ourselves, did College Program, or we are so friendly with Cast Members when we are on property, that we now have Cast Member friends. 
27. We have one, or more, Disney tattoos. If not, we know that if we ever got a tattoo, it would be either a favorite character, Cinderella Castle, or mouse ears. 
28. We have a Disney Visa... and exercise it regularly. Hey, we need the points!
29. We notice every tiny change to a ride or attraction when it comes back from a refurb, and we love to lament about how much better it was before, or sing the praises of how much better it is now.
30. We've all had a Dole Whip, a turkey leg, a Mickey Ice Cream Bar, a Disney cupcake, a churro and Disney popcorn... sometimes all in the same day.
31. We feel weird when a car pulls away from the curb without playing a safety spiel first.
32. We measure time based on when Disney attractions existed... "No, she's got to be more than 16 years old now. Her last visit was pre-Test Track."
33. We watch ANYTHING on TV that has to do with Disney, from commercials to old reruns of the Full House episode where Uncle Jesse and Joey do their radio show from inside The Living Seas aquarium.
34. We all know that the best live performances we have ever seen have come from The Dapper Dans and The Voices of Liberty.
35. We plan our lives around events like Holidays Around the World, Food and Wine and Flower and Garden Festival.
36. We feel that all fellow Disney fans are kindred spirits.
37. We sometimes attempt to use our wristwatches and bracelets to open doors.
38. Our cars are identified by Disney bumper stickers and antenna toppers.
39. We speak in a strange language of acronyms and Disney slang... "I'm going over to DAK after I leave TTC, because they have EMH."
40. Halloween is a competition to see who can come up with the most unique Disney themed costume.
41. Our hearts break a little every time we think about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Mickey's Toontown Fair, The Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show, Tarzan Rocks!, The Backlot Tour, (especially the Golden Girl's house), Tapestry of Nations/Dreams, Alien Encounter, Jammin' In the Jungle Parade, The Great Movie Ride, and Horizons.
42. We get super excited and perk up when someone opens a conversation topic that could possibly involve Disney... even if it's in a very vague way like, "I'm going down to Florida for a conference next week."
43. Even though we are pretty much Disney "experts" we know that working with the real experts, (the agents at Kingdom Konsultants), gets us better deals, the inside scoop on everything, and makes our lives so much easier. 
44. We call a theme park home... because we know it is SO much more than that.
45. We speak Spanish... "Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas."

... We are Disney fans.

- Jenn aka "Tink"