At the grand old age of 46 I discovered the real Disney, during a trip to Florida and Walt Disney World. I went along with the family, not really knowing what to expect, so I had no preconceived ideas as to what I could find when I was there. I am not a ride person, so I wasn't really interested in them anyway, but there was so much more to see and do at WDW that did interest me. There were various shows that, without exaggerating, were simply breathtaking in their execution.

In front of Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom, a cast of characters perform a beautiful song and dance show, with special effects and ending with a flourish of fireworks that draw lots of “oohs” and “ahhs” from the crowd, along with well deserved applause and ovations.

Some used visual effects and 3-D animation that were astonishing. Philharmagic at Magic Kingdom was absolutely stunning where animated characters and other items suddenly came right at you once your eyes were behind a pair of 3-D specs. I remember watching people in the audience actually reaching out their hands as if to catch, touch and even to save themselves from being hit by flying animated objects. I know that because I was one of those people!

Some shows used quite complex puppetry, with additional effects that include spraying the audience with water, moving floors, not to mention the feeling of having “things” running around your feet and across your shoulders as thoughtfully placed jet air jets make the audience jump, scream and laugh. These interactive shows really are excellent. The workmanship involved in putting one these shows together must be mind-blowing.

Other shows involve the use of human characters who handle their parts extremely professionally, with acting that is every bit as good as what we come to expect at the movies and on TV. Beauty and the Beast at Disney MGM Studios (as it was then) was brilliant and the Fantasmic show just took my breath away with the effects of showing animated images on water fountains along with all the acting by the cast of characters and use of the lake upon which Fantasmic is set, with the boats becoming parade floats.

At Animal Kingdom there is a magnificent Lion King show that involves human actors and performers such as acrobats, dancers, fire jugglers and wonderful lighting effects.

At Epcot, the fireworks display across the large lagoon is awesome, using a large sphere which represents the Earth, and is used as a screen for myriad images and effects. Fireworks displays are a nightly occurrence at Magic Kingdom too, around Cinderella's Castle.

Disney have it all covered. The attention to detail is awe inspiring and everything seems to work like clockwork. Yes, it can be said that it should do as everybody involved does it every day, but the complexities of what they do, and the ease in which things can go wrong demonstrate the professionalism of all those concerned, for their ability to focus and to make every show as good as or better than the last.

Then there is the history of Disney, which is the main thing that grabbed my attention at the time. It was nice to be able to look at some original artwork and storyboards from various movies as well as to see the many Oscars awarded to Walt Disney, including the one he received in 1932 for the creation of a certain Mickey Mouse. The place for the history stuff really is Disney MGM Studios, or should I say, Disney Hollywood studios following its name change for 2008. I just love the atmosphere there with all the art deco style buildings and streets that give a thick air of nostalgia of the golden days of movie making of the 30s and 40s. Disney Hollywood Studios is not just a Disney theme park though. As its name suggests, it is also a fully functional studio facility for recording and making movies both for the big screen and television. There is a fantastic stunt show involving lots of cars, people, guns and fire that gives insights into how some of the effects we all take for granted in the movies are actually done. The Indiana Jones stunt show is another one worthy of mention. It is both very entertaining and informative, and although I am not particularly into the Indiana Jones movies, I came away with a lot more appreciation of the work done by all the people involved on both sides of the camera.

It wasn't until near the end of this holiday to Florida that the Disney magic finally grabbed me by the throat and gave me a good shaking to wake me up. It was during our second visit to Magic Kingdom, watching one of the many parades that punctuate the day at the parks. The parades incidentally are something else. The quality of the floats and again, the workmanship that goes into designing and building them is amazing. I digress.

The first float of this particular parade featured Mickey Mouse in his many guises through the years, from Steamboat Willie in 1928, through the Sorcerer's Apprentice from Fantasia in 1940, to modern Mickey. In large letters adorning the front of this first float were the words, “It all started with a mouse”. That's when it really hit home to me what this Disney thing really is all about.

The cynical approach is to say that Disney is all about money making, and of course it is. It has to be, for it is a multi-million dollar corporation. However, it's not just any old multi-million dollar corporation. No, this is a corporation that exists to make people happy. It costs millions of dollars to make movies and television, to run the many parks and outlets it operates worldwide, to manufacture the merchandise that is abundant and to pay the wages of the many thousands of people employed throughout the Disney empire. It has to therefore, generate a massive income to enable the wheels of this huge industry to keep rolling. It does that too of course, but then it's down to whether the income generated is received as a result of value for money or whether it is just something done on the cheap. Well, I am more than satisfied that it definitely is not something that is done on the cheap. If you have never been to Disney you will just have to take my word for it, but I can say with complete assurance that it really is value for money. The quality of the entertainment given by Disney is second to none. Where else can you pay one price and be treated to awesome shows, spectacular rides and a whole park where you really do escape the rigors of the real world for a day and enter a world of magic where dreams come true?

I genuinely believe that the money I spend paying for my Disney tickets is money well spent. A large percentage of that money is probably pumped back into the Disney parks to keep them running so smoothly and safely as they do.

Smoothly I said, yes, definitely smoothly. If you have ever been to one of the Walt Disney World Florida parks then you will see what I mean. The logistics of getting thousands of daily visitors in and out of the parks has been well and truly cracked by Disney. You can be in within minutes, and the same applies at the end of the day when it's time to leave. You don't feel like you are part of a crowd of people thousands strong, every one anxious to either get in or get home as quickly as possible. It is simply superb the way that Disney has conquered this problem.

So, now I am not only happy with the times I have spent so far at Disney, but I am now hooked by the Disney magic, the Disney history and everything that goes with that. I am not a big fan of every Disney film by any means, and I am not of the opinion that everything Disney does is brilliant, but I am a convert nonetheless. When the concept of a mouse can bring about so much joy and happiness to people around the world then it cannot be wrong can it?

We must not forget that Walt Disney did not have everything his own way when he first created Mickey. He had to fight to have him accepted by the people who decided what the public wanted to see, and it was not until the third Mickey short was made in 1928 (“Steamboat Willie”) that he finally met his public. Walt could easily have dropped the whole Mickey concept after failing to get his work shown in public after making “Plane Crazy” and “The Gallopin' Gaucho”, but his perseverance finally paid off. Mickey went on to have a glittering career, going through a few physical changes along the way, as well as personality changes. In the very early Mickey shorts, he is depicted as being a bit mischievous, a bit of a bully, a smoker, a drinker, and a womaniser among other things. Eventually he calmed down and took on a more serious role as “leader” of a gang of characters including Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. Minnie Mouse had been with Mickey right from the beginning, so it is only right to acknowledge her role in the Disney empire too.

Today, Mickey is but a bit-part player in the Disney scheme of things, and has taken a back seat to watch things from afar. Why shouldn't he? 2008 sees his 80th birthday (and Minnie's too) and he is only doing what any old man would do at that grand old age. What I do find rather special though, is the fact that Disney has never forgotten how it came to be, and Mickey Mouse is, as he has always been, still the face of Disney. I doubt that will ever change. It had better not, because without that face, Disney just would not be Disney.

The statue in front of Cinderella's Castle in Magic Kingdom at Orlando is a beautiful reminder to everyone that without those two guys, none of what they are seeing would have been possible.

In 1959, his company, the Walt Disney Company, began looking for sites for a second Disneyland. On a flight over Florida Orlando in 1963, Walt Disney fell in love with the site. His reason for choosing the site, when asked was: "the freeway roads, they bisect here."

However, Disney needed to keep the land acquisition secret, and so set up a series of dummy co-operations to purchase 27,000 acres in the area. This continued until about 1965, after most of the land had been brought, when the story was leaked to Orlando Sentinel.

On 15 November 1965, Disney held a press conference on the project. Here, their plans for Epcot were revealed, to tie in with the Disney theme.

Sadly, Walt Disney never saw the resort open, as he passed away in 1966. From here on, Roy Disney headed the project and saw to it that it was renamed from Disney World to Walt Disney World.

Further conferences were held in 1967, which again focused on the role of Epcot. Equally, it was emphasized that for the Walt Disney project to be carried out, a special district would need to be formed. This was known as The Reedy Creek Improvement District. This included two cities inside it, the City of Bay Lake and the City of Reedy Creek. This district would receive immunity from state and country land-use laws.

Drainage canals were soon built, along with the first roads and the Magic Kingdom itself. Disney's Contemporary, Polynesian and Wilderness resorts were completed in time for the grand opening.

That grand opening came on the 1 October 1971, when the Magic Kingdom opened to the public. On the opening, Walt's wife remarked, "I think Walt would have approved." Not long after the opening, Roy Disney also passed away.

Of course, the grand opening of the Magic Kingdom was only the beginning for the resort. Epcot would follow in 1982, thus realizing those 1960 conferences. In 1989, other popular attractions like Disney's MGM studios and a water park, Typhoon Lagoon, opened. The biggest new addition, Disney's Animal Park, opened in 1998. Along the way, numerous other additions to Disney World have been made.

Today, business figures put attendance of the Magic Kingdom at 15 million, Epcot at 9.4, AGM at 8.2 and Animal Park 7.82. The expansion of the Walt Disney resort, made possible by the expansive land purchases of the 1960s and the Reedy Creek Improvement District, has made it perhaps the most successful in the world. No doubt, Walt would have approved indeed.

Time Line:

1959: Disney starts looking for sites.

1963: Florida sites chosen.

1965: First press conference held, Epcot revealed.

1966: Walt Disney passes away and resort renamed.

1967: Further conferences, Reedy Creek district formed.

1971: Resort opened, with Magic Kingdom.

1982: Epcot opened.

Bibbidi BobbidiBoutique

This is the most unique among the many princess experiences offered. Depending on the package you choose, your little princess will have her hair, makeup, and nails done by their very own fairy godmother. Some packages include a princess gown and photo. There are two locations. The Downtown Disney location is popular because you do not have to pay park admission. The newest location is in Disney's Magic Kingdom.

Pirates and Princesses Party

What could be more fun than being in Disney's Magic Kingdom after normal park hours? This event requires a separate ticket and allows you admission to the party. Many of the kids come dressed as pirates and princesses. There is a special parade and plenty of princess characters throughout the park. The best part of this party is the smaller crowds, shorter ride lines, and the late park hours.

Princess Character Meals

A princess character meal can be great fun. The food is good and the photo opportunities are perfect. Princesses come to your table where your princess can get an autograph and have her picture made. The most popular location is in Cinderella's Castle at the Royal Table in Magic Kingdom. Epcot also has a great princess character meal. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is located in Epcot's Norway. Another option is to try Disney's Grand Floridian's 1900 Park Fare. It is a great princess character meal that does not require park admission.

All of these events require advanced planning. Be sure to plan on making reservations for any of these options. The most difficult reservation to get is at Cinderalla's Royal Table. Reservations are available 180 days in advance. If you want to eat at the Royal Table make sure to call 407-WDW-DINE at 7 am on the 180 day mark. It sounds crazy, but I have actually called just before 8 am on the 180 day mark and found that the entire day had already been booked. If you have little princesses in your party, this is truly the reservation to make sure you get.

Further Reading

• Disney with Toddlers: Should You Do It?
• Escape to Disney s Wilderness Lodge

Free Trip

My mind was changed when I received a phone call that I had won an essay writing contest. The prize was a multi-night trip to Orlando including airline tickets, rental car, and a suite at an all suites hotel. At the time I had two toddlers. Our family vacations up to that point had all consisted of trips to the beach. These trips were nice, but not like the trips we had before the kids came along. We could spend limited amounts of time on the beach since the kids were so small and we could no longer take a nap on the beach, read, lie out in the sun, or really play in the ocean like before. Instead we would play at the edge of the water while constantly watching the kids, dig in the sand, and taking naps in the room.

Both my husband and I were apprehensive about flying with two toddlers, but we made the reservations anyway. I am so glad that we did. We thought that while we were in Orlando that maybe we should do something low key like Sea World. We also decided to spend a day at Disney's Magic Kingdom. We planned on spending the rest of the trip at the hotel pool. Our plan was to stick to a low key schedule to keep us and our toddlers happy.

Flying with Toddlers

The plane trip was pretty easy. Both kids were excited and thankfully quiet on the plane. Our two year old son fell asleep while the plane was on the runway. Our three year old daughter just played contentedly with her sticker book. We felt relieved and realized that this was much easier than the many hour car trips to the beach.

Sea World

Sea World was not so enjoyable for us. Our three year old was not so impressed by the shows. We had to take her out of the whale show after just a few minutes. While the audience was amazed by an enormous whale performing tricks, she was trying to figure out how to get out of there. We tried attraction after attraction at Sea World and nothing made her happy. We were close to leaving the park when we discovered a ball pit and sand play area. So, we spent five hours playing there. The kids had a good time, but we were pretty bored.

Magic Kingdom

Disney's Magic Kingdom was such a different experience for us. I was amazed by the number of rides that we were able to go on as a family. My husband and I actually had as much fun as the kids did. This was the first time that I realized that there was a place that we could go and really enjoy together as a family. Prior to this, we would go places and do things that we would know that the kids would enjoy and we would simply focus on the enjoyment we received from watching our kids have fun. This was totally different. We were really feeling like kids ourselves. I found out that my three year old daughter was a bit of a daredevil. I found out that my son was not so fond of the dark. Once we learned their ride style, we were able to ride the majority of the rides in each section of the park. We got some amazing pictures and have some wonderful memories. It has led to many more visits to Disney World. I can honestly say that I do not think my kids remember that first trip to Disney. I am not sure if they even remember their sixth or seventh trip, but my husband and I do. It has been twelve years since that first trip, my husband and I still talk about memories we have of our kids there. I hope you take the Disney plunge with your kids sooner than later. It really was worth it.

The moderate resorts, offer quick serve restaurants and in house dining, while the luxury resorts offer much more and with a step to elegance. No matter what resort you choose, you can expect the same treatment and service which can only be expected from Disney.

For the camper, Disney even has its own campground, where you can sit down and roast marshmallows and have a campfire sing along with your favorite Disney character.

Each resort has transportation to and from any of the attractions, so there is no need to worry about driving. Let Disney take care of it.

Downtown Disney offers the best in entertainment, shopping and dining out. It's a metropolis all in its self. There are night clubs, kid's entertainment, fine dining and you can even take in movie if the mood strikes you.

The attractions offer so much to see, it is wise to buy a Disney Hopper pass, which gives you in and out privileges to each of the attractions. The Hopper pass gives you the freedom to hop from attraction to attraction without any restrictions. See the Magic Kingdom in the morning and pop over to Epcot in the afternoon and maybe take in Animal Kingdom or MGM in the evening. Some folks like to take in a resort in the morning, and then relax at the pool in the afternoon then back to one of the attractions for the night time shows. Either way it's up to you. The Hopper pass gives you the freedom to choose.

Each attraction offers something for all. For the Thrill rides, to shows and just everyday Disney magic.

Despite the fact that Disney World was always a favorite destination for my family growing up, it became obvious to me that “the happiest place on earth” was, in fact, no place for children. I vowed never to bring my own kids until they were at least ten years old and well above the age of toddler-hood tantrums. But when my wife and I found ourselves visiting family in Orlando this summer we decided to brave the prospective melodrama and take our three-year-old, Allison to the Mouse House for a day of… fun? The decision was made easier by the fact that we had Disney-employed relatives who got us in for free. So even if Allison cried the entire time and we left after only an hour, at least we could still justify buying that 40-inch plasma screen with 1080i capabilities when we got home.

We hit a number of the Magic Kingdom's usual haunts-rides, parades, character greetings-but because we hadn't invested any money into the day, we felt no compulsion to hit all of them. If a line was longer than thirty minutes, we skipped it. If a ride looked at all scary, we avoided it. When the afternoon got hot, we spent a cool and refreshing hour circling the Magic Kingdom on the lineless Disney World Railroad. When Allison fell asleep during Pirates of the Caribbean, we didn't wake her. When it became obvious she was having more fun running through the S.S. Miss Daisy water playground, we didn't pressure her to finish up. And when she clung to our leg at the sight of Winnie the Pooh in the flesh, we didn't force her to pose for nightmare-inducing photos. Freed from that burden of “getting our money's worth” the three of us had a truly magical day indeed. The only tears that were shed happened when some kid on the Miss Daisy accidentally squirted water in Allison's eye.

I had an epiphany that day: the only way for toddlers and their parents to truly enjoy a visit to Disney World is to get in for free. Of course when I suggested this to a bedraggled-looking father of triplets on the monorail that night, he spilled his ten-dollar soda in my lap. It's no secret that a day at Disney World is not an inexpensive undertaking for the average non-Disney-employed family. With ticket prices running as high as seventy dollars per person, it's not until you start committing to a seven-day pass that the daily rates start getting somewhat reasonable. And as we stated earlier, when you have that much cash invested in something, the need to “get your money's worth” becomes all-consuming and can often lead to pushing your toddler far past his prudent threshold of whimsical fun.

As hard a pill as this is to swallow, the fact is nobody should bring their toddler through the gates of Disney World if they can't immediately ignore how much money they spent to get in. Whatever the number, you must forget the dollar sign in front of it and force yourself to focus only on the wide-eyed wonder in your child's eyes. Even more important though is to forget those dollar signs when wonder is replaced by some other less favorable emotion, namely:

Fear

Even if you waited in line for ninety minutes to ride the Flying Dumbos, force yourself not to tally up the dollars wasted when, at the last second, your toddler announces he's too scared to go on. Same thing with character greetings. It's always better, and probably cuter, to snap a picture of your scared-but-smiling youngster waving to Mickey from a safe distance than screaming bloody murder in the arms of a six-foot rat.

Stress

Between loud parades, spinning teacups, and yo-ho'ing pirates, over-stimulation is pretty much a given for a toddler at Disney World. When you sense that yours is nearing the point of fracture, take a little time for some less in-your-face entertainment. Don't get into the “we could be doing this at home for free” mentality if Junior wants to read books for a while in the gift shop. Several of the parks have movie theaters with no lines showing classic Disney cartoons. Sit in the air conditioning for an hour and relax as a family. A little time to decompress will give everyone the extra energy and good humor keep going.

Exhaustion

No two ways about it, your toddler will need a nap at some point during the day. If you're staying at one of the Disney resorts head back to the room during the hottest part of the day. If leaving the park and returning simply isn't feasible, go on “It's a Small World After All” right around naptime. Your little one will be asleep before the boat leaves Sweden. Use the downtime for some shopping, or simply take a rest in the shade yourself. If you're vacationing with other couples, trade off babysitting duties so you can all go on Space Mountain and a few other “grownup” rides.

I know this is easy advice to shell out from a guy who never paid a cent for his own day at Disney. But that doesn't negate its truth. The fact is, while Disney World (in my opinion) is best experienced by older children, it still can be, and often is, an enjoyable place for toddlers. Then again, so is the motel pool, which is free. The trick is kissing that hi-def plasma goodbye and approaching your day at Disney as though you actually had gotten in for free. Only then can you allow yourself to have easygoing fun without dragging your toddler past the point of tears. I know it's easier said than done, but believe me, if I can do it, you can do it… please don't throw your soda at me.