Disney Gratitude Journal

Some days, a girl just needs a little pick-me-up. "Gratitude journals" have been rather popular on the internet lately (perhaps fueled in part by the continuing economic distress in the United States). So, for today's column I'll take a few minutes to share some things I'm grateful for, with a special focus on Disney:

Some days, a girl just needs a little pick-me-up. "Gratitude journals" have been rather popular on the internet lately (perhaps fueled in part by the continuing economic distress in the United States). So, for today's column I'll take a few minutes to share some things I'm grateful for, with a special focus on Disney:

  • I'm grateful I have my next trip planned to Walt Disney World. I'll be traveling in December for WDW Today Reunion and other fan meets planned during the weekend of December 8-10, 2011. I'm really looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new friends. 
  • I'm grateful I'll be traveling solo on this next trip! My last two Disney trips have been with my family, and as much as I enjoy touring the parks with them, I'm also well aware that they don't share my level of obsession and enthusiasm. Why yes, I do want to see Captain EO again today, even though we just watched it yesterday. And yes, it is worth it to me to wait in line for 45 minutes to ride Toy Story Mania the second time in a row. See, when I tour the Parks solo or with other Disney freaks, it's all good.
  • I'm grateful I had a moment to stop into Goodwill on Wednesday, because I found the monorail t-shirt I'd been admiring in the Walt Disney World stores for some time at of course a radically lower price than buying it new. I've found a lot of great Disney stuff in the thrift shops here in Boston. I think a lot of people get caught up in the moment when they're in the parks, and buy stuff they just don't find as appealing once they're outside the "magic." And I'm glad they do; their trash is my treasure.
  • I'm grateful for people who put DIY project instructions online. Recently I've been making bottle-cap badges and scrabble tile pendants, both easy projects to make with any sort of images you like. (For the scrabble tile pendants, I've been using a spray finish rather than the Diamond Glaze, for a matte finish.) I really enjoy making things, especially with repurposed materials. 
  • I'm grateful for the souvenir Disney Parks coffee mug which sits on my desk, reminding me of a wonderful day spent at Disneyland this January. And the popcorn bucket full of Mr. Potato Heads parts from some earlier trip, and the signed picture of Warwick Davis from Star Wars weekends, and the Toy Story little green men sticker I bought online for my laptop . . . I could go on and on. I surround myself with happy reminders.
  • I'm grateful that we have such a large and diverse Disney fan community online, and that I can learn from other people's experiences and perspective. There's so much to do at WDW that even after many trips, I haven't done everything. So, reading other people's stories and advice helps me decide what's a must-do, and what's not worth the time, money and energy.

So, can we keep this journal going a bit? What are you grateful for today?