What makes it all worth it for me

Cinderella Castle

It really didn't surprise me when Amy started this blog almost FIVE years ago.  She has always had a love for Disney, I guess, thanks in part to me.  When she started researching taking her first child, Tink, to Walt Disney World she couldn't find what she wanted to know in one place.  So out of her research began Growing Up Disney and out of Tink's first trip on her first birthday came the Growing Up Disney Logo.

Soon, her brother, known as Ridge here on Growing Up Disney, started posting and I would occasionally add a few articles (Check out Ridge's articles here).  Amy now has 2 beautiful girls.  And as a mom finds less and less time to write.  She has moved half way across the US, not once, but TWICE.

Ridge still goes on trips with us to WDW, but since changing jobs, has not been able to find much time to write.  So for a while most of our posts became sharing lots and lots of photos.  The first photos I have posted of WDW begin in 1971.

Over the years we have help from lots of friends from California to England and points in between who have contributed posts.  Disney has their Mickey Mom's but Growing Up Disney has had our Minnie Mom's (click to see their posts).  We have met lots of new friends through GUD.

Last year we lost the www.growingupdisney.com web site.  We missed renewing the site and someone jumped in and bought the domain out from under us.  For several weeks it no longer was our family photos.  It had some random "junk" on it.  It cost me way to much money to get it back.

Sometimes I wonder if it was worth the cost.  But then you get an email...

We recently received a email from someone who had just found our "home-away-from-home" here on the web.  They told us how much they enjoyed the old pictures and the family posts.  That is what makes it all worth it to me.  The late nights trying to get a last minute post done, searching through old albums to scan a photo, or trying to come up with a subject to post are all tiring and time consuming.  You wonder if you are really sharing with anyone, or just typing words into the computer.  Then someone will post a comment or send you an email.

I hope you enjoy our family posts on GrowingUpDisney.  Last week Amy posted several pictures of a trip and one of Mickey and me (click to see it).  One of these days I'll have to tell you all about the Old Man and the Mouse.

Everybody neat and pretty?  Then on with the show!   -- Mickey Mouse Club 1955

--DisneyDad