The Five Fs

During my more formative years, when I was in college, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out just who I was and how it was that I wanted to take on the world.  This is a lot less about what I wanted to be, but more of how I wanted to be.  To this end, in addition to my Computer and Cinema courses, I took a few Philosophy courses.  For the most part, I can’t say that I greatly enjoyed these classes – to me much of it was common sense stuff, and the rest seemed senseless.  However, there was one assignment that I remember to this day, because it became a foundation for me.

The professor asked us, for our semester paper, to explain just what it was we felt comprised our personal approach to life.  I’m fairly confident that there were several in class who didn’t take it seriously and turned in papers about how they liked turtles and what not.  But for me, this was the perfect opportunity to flesh out my own relationship with the world.  I took it quite seriously and it consumed me a bit, as I amassed notes and ideas written during other classes, on bar napkins, etc.

Eventually, when I was done, I had my answers.  From wide range of things that comprised all my hopes and dreams, I was able to sum them up into five words (in no particular order): Friends, Food, Family, Fun, and Frolic. Together they are what I call The Five Fs.

By now you’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with Disney, or Walt Disney World, etc.  Truth is that this has everything to do these things.

Friends

You and I have something in common, we both love Disney and WDW.  Commonality is the foundation of friendship.  Thus we have been drawn together, here, on this website, and no matter how tenuous that connection may seem, it is the beginning of friendship.  And some day perhaps, we’ll meet in person and share some Disney magic together, and become friends – if we’re not already.

Friendship is a very important part of a healthy existence.  These are the people who we meet and, hopefully, carry with us through our lives and the things we do.  With us they share common goals, beliefs, likes, and/or, needs.  Humans have an inherent need to be liked and to feel needed, and friends help bring that about.  With them we climb every mountain, cross any sea, conquer any world… see where I’m going with this?  Yup that’s right Disney World.

Quality time with friends helps make great Disney Experiences.  In fact, spending some quality Disney time with friends, brand new or long time, is one of my favorite activities at Walt Disney World.  It’s also one of the perks of living close to the World, any time a friend is coming down, I’m just a short drive away from seeing them.  Then together we could be riding Spaceship Earth, watching fireworks at Magic Kingdom, or chit chatting over dinner.

Food

When you’re planning a trip down to WDW, think of just of how much of that planning is dominated by food.  For starters, you have to plan your meals.  And that may involve some research using The Unofficial Guide to check ratings, or perhaps a trek over to AllEars.net to look at menus.  Then once you’ve settled on those meals, you need to make your reservations.  And those meals will then dictate what park you’re going to be in that day.

Lets face it, eating is a huge part of going to Disney Parks.  Just online alone, a vast number of Disney related blog posts or pictures are about food our food experiences.  There’s an entire website devoted to all things Disney food related at The Disney Food Blog.  And if you’re like me and all these blogs are sitting in Google Reader, you’re reading about Disney food all day long.  Wipe that drool off your chin.

Through a twist of fate, how I ended up here, blogging for TouringPlans.com can be traced back to food.  I always take pictures of what I eat when I’m at Disney World, in fact, I won’t even let Cheryl, my wife, start eating until I have.   And then I’ll tweet them out where they end up on my lifestream blog.  Lines developer Henry and I started tweeting back and forth about food, then we met at reunion last year, and now here I am, part of the TouringPlans.com family.

Family

Family is such a huge part of the Disney experience.  Whether the trip is with your parents, as a parent, or a multi-generational trip, at some point you’ll likely be planning a Disney family vacation.  These trips are often the best Disney experiences you’ll have, and since Disney has so much to offer everyone – you can’t go wrong.

There are some great family activities to be found at Walt Disney World, both inside the parks and outside.  One of my personal favorites that I think every large family should plan is the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue.  This is bar none one of the best family experiences you can have at Disney World from beginning to end.  And you’re taking this from someone who’s been “The End”.

I’m a third generation Disney fan, so my parents and grandparents supported my love of Disney growing up.  My first trip was actually to Disneyland when I was 3 years old.  There’s not a lot that I remember from that trip, but I do remember that my mother and my aunt were very sick one morning.  One thing led to another, and I learned that not only was I going to be getting a new sibling, but also a new cousin.

Fun

When all is said in done, there’s one key thing you want to do at any Disney park, and that is to have fun and smile.  And the great thing is that Disney provides so many ways to have fun.  And I don’t just mean rides and thrills, I mean the things that make us smile, and fill us with happiness and warmth.  There are so many times I’ll walk up to a crying child at WDW and say these simple words, “Why are you crying? You’re at Disney World!”

One of the most fun experiences you can have at WDW is to head over to Hollywood Studios and spend some time watching the Citizens of Hollywood work their magic.  They are one of those truly special things about Disney that is just pure fun, both for the performers and the audience.  You can’t help but crack a smile at a bad joke.  Pure fun always.

For me, two things that I love to do at Disney parks is watch people and help people.  There’s just so much going on at Disney that is about the people around you.  You need to remember that you’re not the only person or family at the park.  Everyone around you is there together, and you should look to help out each other when you can.  Give some directions, suggest a place to eat, etc.  Giving can be fun too.

Frolic

Romance, hopes, and dreams are all things that encompass the Disney spirit.  Whether it’s the fairytale stories of the Disney Princesses, the high adventure of super powered family trying to find their place in the world again, your own trip to Disney World, or your child’s dreams of one day becoming an Imagineer.  There’s one thing you have to remember and that is that Disney is about us.

A fantastic way to celebrate is to head on over to one of my favorite restaurants on property, Citricos.  This restaurant is one of the more expensive at Disney, but it’s a great way to celebrate with someone you love.  The perfect spot for an Anniversary dinner.  The food is amazing, the service top notch, and if you schedule your meal at the correct time and have requested a window seat, you’ll be able to dine in luxury to the Magic Kingdom fireworks.  Fine dining and fine romance.

Cheryl and I celebrated our engagement at WDW.  It was one of my most memorable Disney vacations ever.  We stayed at Caribbean Beach which is why that resort will always be a favorite, and we had a room where we could sit and watch the fireworks from both the Studios and Epcot.  Together celebrating our love, in a place that we both love to be.

So what about you? How do your Disney experiences relate to The Five Fs?  Do you have a favorite?  Is there anything you recommend for others to experience The Five Fs?  Have a great week.