Top 10 Ways To Know That You Are A Disney Addict

Lauren W

“Hello, my name is Lauren and I am a Disney Addict.”  I have often heard that the first step to recovery is to admit that you have a problem.  Here is the thing, though…the first step is the only one I am going work through.  I am perfectly happy being addicted to Disney!  Perhaps one of the best ways to know that you have a “problem” is to count the number of times you think about Disney per day.  Harmless little thoughts of the magic, your love of everything Disney…and then realize that most people don’t think daily about this wonderful place.  I know, I can’t figure out what is wrong with them, either!  After reading this list, I hope to help you acknowledge your own addiction and please comment with your name followed by the same statement!  Keep a tally!

10. Your other car is a monorail.

I love looking at the different car accessories that are sold at Walt Disney World.  But, if you really want to get creative, head to the internet.  You will find everything you need to totally Disney Bling out your car.  Do you have a Mickey antennae topper?  A bumper sticker?  How about your entire family as stick figures with Mickey Ears on?  Let’s face it, you’d put a sticker of a turkey leg or dole whip on your car.  Me?  I’m tame, I only have 6 pieces of Disney Bling on my car if you don’t count the lei around my rear view mirror from the Polynesian Resort!

9. The only Spanish you speak is to tell others to “Please stand clear of the Door”

“Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas”  Yep, now you’ve got that stuck in your head for the rest of the day!  Do you ever wake up and it is repeating in your head?  Oh, that’s just me?

8. You have downloaded Zillow on your phone just to see if you can afford to live within 5 miles.

Come on, admit it.  Between the gorgeous weather, the beautiful houses and the Mouse being so close, how DO you get back on a plane and go home when home has nothing on this place!  If you could find the perfect job on disneycareers.com and convince your spouse, you’d jump.  I remember when I first moved to Florida and people used to chide me with “Do you even work or do you just go to the Beach all day?”  And in the last 25 plus years as a Floridian, I have been to a Florida beach about a dozen times.  Disney World?  Over 300.

7. You wear your Mickey Ears to the Disney Store.

Today, there are less than 300 Disney Stores worldwide, which is a sad number considering there were over 800 in the early 2000’s.  I hope you are one of the lucky ones that are close to one!  Do you have to travel for work?  Do you google to see if the local mall has a Disney store inside?  I had a mall that I used to go to often, but it was a little out of the way.  Why?  It had a Disney store.  When it closed in 2011, I just stopped going.  When walking into a Disney store, you can almost convince yourself that you are actually at Disney World.  Plus, it allows to you to get some more car accessories!

6. Your style of decorating is “Disney Deco”

Another reason you need a Disney store near you.  Do you have one special room dedicated to your Disney obsession, I mean collectables?  Have you tried to keep it in one room, a dedicated “happy place”?  Or, have you just gone wild and Disney’d your entire house?  When picking paint, do you gravitate towards the Disney Paint collection?  Have you ever hoped for this scenario to occur, “Oh, I love your paint!” You smile and reply, “Yes, that is called Sulley’s Fur and the kitchen is Pluto’s Paws.”  And, I dare you to look it up…because those colors are real and exist in my house.  Oh, and P.S.  I dream about Kinkade’s entire Disney Collection being the only art work in my home.  Who needs wedding pictures hanging?

5. You ARE Chef Mickey

Isn’t it just fun to look up Disney recipes and try to replicate them at your house?  I have made everything from the Cobb salad from The Hollywood Brown Derby to the ooey gooey toffee cake from the Liberty Tree Tavern.  And even though I want it to taste exactly like it does at Disney World, I am also secretly praying that my husband says, “Not exactly like the original, so do you want to go have it tomorrow night?” A girl can dream, right?

4. You frustrate others

You know you are addicted when you have had any of these conversations:

“Where do you want to eat when we get to Disney, dear?” You get the look.  “But, honey, we have had this discussion several times…If I don’t book 120 days out, we’ll never eat at Le Cellier!”

“So, any big plans for your vacation?”  You smile proudly, “We are going to Disney World” a sigh, followed by, “AGAIN?”

You begin most stories with, “So, this one time at Disney World…”

3. You write top ten articles and dining reviews about Disney

Ok, well…

But, if you are a member of a “mouseboard” (online community dedicated to all things Disney), apply for writing sites dedicated to Disney, pray to be a Disney Mom panelist or if you are THE GO TO person when someone else is planning a Disney Vacation, well…then, you really are no better than I am!

2. Members of your family are named after Disney Characters

Admit it, you love the name Walter.  You would consider naming your sons Mickey and Donald.  Flynn Rider doesn’t sound Disney, it just sounds cool.  Your daughter is Aurora, or Isabelle or Cindy.  Wait, Tiana is such a pretty name!  And, let’s talk about pets.  You know you’ve done it.  Me?  I have a Nemo and a Boo.  Why did my Mom have to name me Lauren?  I would have been a perfect Snow.

1. About 2 days before it’s time to go home, you start planning your next Disney Vacation.

You bet and I’m proud!  I often ruin the last day of my vacation in a glum realization that I have to go home and leave the magic behind.  I think to myself about what circumstances might lead to my next trip.  I lament about the restaurants that I didn’t sample, the nights I went to bed earlier than I should have.  And mostly, I think about all of the fun I will have the next time I go.