Author: marisa

Disney Adult : A Disney Adult is a grown-up who is a deeply devoted fan of the Walt Disney Company and makes that fandom a major part of their life and/or identity. (according to AI)

If that definition fits you at all, then guess what … you are a Disney Adult! Wear that title proudly!

Being a Disney Adult myself, I get it. I get the want to go to Disney every chance I get, I get how having a screensaver on your television screen brings happiness, I get how watching a Park, or resort POV walk-through fills us with excitement (and longing to be there). I get how watching a PeopleMover POV video is comforting, I can just close my eyes and imagine being there at that very moment. While watching a POV of Spaceship Earth, I really think sometimes I can smell Rome burning! Yes, I have candles that have scents of certain resorts, and even The Main Street Bakery! And it seems that every conversation I have with either my husband or our grown children ends up being about Disney.

So what DON’T I do as a Disney Adult:

1. I don’t stress at Disney – Being a mature Disney adult, you don’t stress about getting everything in. Going on every ride, hitting every park and getting every snack. There is no FOMO
2. I don’t rush – I don’t rush around the parks or resorts. As a matter of fact, I slow down. I stop to take in the sights, to notice the hidden Mickey’s. I listen to the sounds and take in the scents. The designs of the buildings, the artwork on the walls … all the details I had missed all the years of rushing around to fit everything in. I even sit and people watch. I love to watch the excitement on the faces as young families are rushing around. And I sometimes chuckle inwardly as I see the anguish on parents faces as their toddler is throwing a temper tantrum in the happiest place on earth, because I know when they look back at that moment, they will probably laugh about it. Maybe even come back as Disney Adults themselves and reminisce about it.
3. I Don’t Rope Drop – My rope dropping days are long gone. Which kind of goes along with point #1 and #2. I don’t stress about doing everything and I don’t rush around the parks.
4. I Don’t wait on long Standby Lines – If the wait is longer than 30 minutes, I don’t wait. I can try again later.
5. I Don’t purchase Lightening Lane Passes – again, I am not in any rush, so I can always try to go back on the ride at a later time.
6. I Don’t get in the crowds to watch the Fireworks, unless I want to – I love the fireworks, and they are very beautiful, but you can get a great view of them on some rides, like Tiana’s Bayou or The PeopleMover. Or maybe I will sit on a bench behind the castle and take them in.
7. I Don’t leave with the crowds after the fireworks, or when the park closes – If I do stay to watch the fireworks, I will wait for the crowds to dissipate. I don’t want to stand on line to get out of the park, to stand on line to either get on a bus, boat or monorail. to get in line to get on a tram to my car to only get on a line to get out of the parking lot … so I would rather sit back, let everyone fight their way out of the park and leave at my leisure. OR, I will leave as the fireworks are just getting started. Practically no one is leaving at that time, and you can watch the fireworks from most of Disney’s transportation to your destination, whether it is a resort or your home. I also love to walk to the Ticket and Transportation Center, and after the fireworks, this is Magic Kingdom of course, you may get a glimpse, but definitely hear the Electrical Water Pageant

8. I Don’t think it’s an insult to be called a Disney Adult – I love the fact that I am. I have spent many vacations with my young family building up memories, and now I can go, at my own pace and build on those memories. Especially when the grandkids are with us.

9. I Don’t judge if you don’t like Disney – I understand it isn’t for everyone … (kind of😂). We all have our own tastes, likes and dislikes. Many people think a vacation is laying on a beach. I don’t like the beach or ocean … for me, the only beach I’ll be hanging out on has to be at The Beach Club!!

Being Disney Adult brings freedom from stress, anxiety and exhaustion. It brings friendships and comrade, and new experiences. It’s a whole new beginning, without saying goodbye to the past.

What are your thoughts?
What are some things you don’t do as a Disney Adult? Do you have a trip planned? Let me know in the comments! Have a wonderfully magical day!!

I

don’t judge if you don’t think you like Disney.

I don’t think it’s an insult to be called a Disney adult

Maybe you’ve gone to Disney over the years with your young family. Kids in tow, strollers, diaper bags, snack, sunscreen … you know the drill. Prepared for any occasion… rain, wind, hunger. You carried hats and sunscreen for Sun protection, rain ponchos for the unpredictable, yet very predictable mid day Florida storms. Vacation?? Packing, preparing and lugging everything around was a job in itself, but the forever memories were worth it, so you did it. And don’t get me wrong, you made the most memorable experiences for you and your family. And that is why you want to go back as an adult.

Now you’re an Empty- Nester, you have more time for you … and what do you want to do with your vacation time?? You want to go to Disney!! But this trip will look ALOT different. Your packing will be different, the things you want to do may be different. Even how you travel to the parks may be different. And after all, Disney changes every time you go, and that’s how Walt wanted it, right? Progress? That is something you’ve heard if you have ever been to Disney. (I know suddenly “It’s A GREAT Big Beautiful Tomorrow” just started playing in your head. You’ll have that ear-worm in your brain all day ….. You’re welcome.

To give a quick little backstory for my experience with Disney, and how we became Disney adults … The first time we ever went to Disney was with our young family. It was 2004, and even though I wish prices were the same now as they were then, it was still expensive for a family of 5. My husband worked two jobs and when we were finally able to book a trip, we were so excited! (and a little overwhelmed). There is no way you can do EVERYTHING in a week. We didn’t know that. And this was back in the day of Fast Passes. If you don’t know what they are, or were, I should say … it was the old version of Lightening Lane passes, but there were Kiosks that you had to go to to print the Fast Passes out at, and you had to wait until a certain amount of time had passed so you could print another one. Basically to reserve ride times so you didn’t have to wait on the standby line. But back to our experience as a young family. I did the packing, the lugging, the reapplication of sunscreen, the hat and water bottle holder when everyone went on a ride. Getting to the parks early and staying until closing, trying to fit EVERYTHING in. We were exhausted, and honestly, as much as I loved every minute, I was so tired that I couldn’t wait to go home because busy mom life was less tiring at home than on a Disney Vacation!! So when the kids grew and moved out, we realized that we missed Disney, and wondered … can you go to Disney without kids? If you’re considering that yourself, then I am sure you have heard people say “Disney is for kids” But honestly, I absolutely don’t agree. Walt knew how important it was for not only families to have fun together, but he knew that adults sometimes need to feel as carefree as they once did as children themselves, and Disney does not disappoint.

So now, the kids have grown, and maybe now you have grandchildren, and Disney is calling your name. What does that Disney vacation look like to an adult without tugging a trail of kids behind you and lugging all of their necessities?? Let me tell you …. it looks GLORIOUS!! Now don’t get me wrong, I really miss my kids being little. I miss all the moments we spent at Disney, and honestly, that is what keeps binging me and my husband back often. Disney gives you all the “feels” and when you walk down Main Street and hear the Dapper Dans singing, or when you ride through SpaceShip Earth and smell Rome burning … it will ALWAYS bring you fondly back to the days you were there with your kids. When you go on The PeopleMover, you’ll remember the great naps you took, so contently, because your kids were sitting excitedly next to you. The Carousel Of Progress was so soothing, I’d fall asleep almost immediately. Now that I go without kids, I haven’t napped on that or any ride since becoming a Disney Adult 😂

So what does a Disney vacation look like to a child-free adult? It looks freeing, FUN, carefree … and most importantly … relaxing. Because now you can do what you want when you want and you don’t have to do what you don’t ,want if you don’t want!!

Now you can pack for you and only you! What are the 10 Must Haves that you should make sure you pack and bring with you on a Disney vacation? Some things may seem obvious, but as a busy mom, we sometimes forgot how to take care of us: And now we get to!

• Sun Protection – Definitely sunscreen small enough to carry in your bag, and maybe a hat. The Florida sun is no joke
• Phone charger – now if you forget your own or you may find it easier, Disney does have FuelRod charges with kiosks all aroung the parks, that you could swap out. You have to buy the first one for $30, and once it’s dead, you could swap it our for a new one for free. You can find them on Amazon as a two pack for cheaper if you want to bring your own and swap it out as needed.
• A second pair of shoes, in case one gives you blisters or gets wet from a midday storm (or even if one of your shoes breaks)
• A small disposable rain poncho: some are so small, they are the size of a small wallet.
• A cross body bag with a slot for a water bottle. It keeps your hands free, and you able to get onto most rides without having to take it off.
• A stainless steel water bottle, which will keep your water colder much longer than a plastic one.
• A Carabiner to hang off of your bag, you can clip a hat, a bag if you purchased anything or anything else you pick up along the way
• A sheer sweater, because when it’s hot out, and you’re eating in one of the restaurants, that AC is gonna hit hard. Or, depending on the time of year, a little bit heavier sweater because the mornings and evenings can be cool.
• Antibacterial wipes, or antibacterial gel. Think about all the things you touch, from getting on the rides, the handles on the rides, the door handles, the soda dispensers. Even the finger print ID button as you enter the parks at the gate. Now think about ALL the people who have touched the same things before you …
• And finally, a couple of bandaids. And I say this from experience. Once I backed a stroller onto my big toe, and it got cut. I went into a couple of gift shops asking for a bandaid, they didn’t have any, but the last one I went into had a small first aid kit that I had to buy. So it was a very expensive bandaid, because that is all I needed. They are small, slim and don’t take up any space. You won’t realize you. have it, but you’ll be so thankful if you need one.

So there is my list of my Must Have’s for an Adult Disney Trip. I hope it helped, and I hope you will see why going to Disney as a childfree adult is sooooo much fun. Please let me know if you book a trip and how it went. Have a Magical Day!!

• Sample Page

Sourdough is all the rage these days. And to be honest, I’ve never tried sourdough until I’ve seen people talk about it on the Internet. So one day I decided to buy my first loaf from the supermarket and I was hooked. From having with butter, dipping a toasted slice in stews and soups and my all-time favorite way, is to enjoy a slice of sourdough with smashed avocado, fried egg, and Everything But The Bagel seasoning sprinkled on top.

After a couple of months of buying sourdough weekly, I realized I was spending way more money than I ever had expected to spend on bread. And then that’s when I decided I’d try to bake my own. Now let me say right here that I’m not a baker, and every time I see a recipe with the word “yeast” in it, I ran for the hills. For some reason, yeast overwhelmed me, confused me, and I wanted nothing to do with it. So when I learned that in order to make a loaf of sourdough bread, you had to have something called a sourdough starter, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Apparently It is this live little creature that you keep on your counter, that you have to feed daily, clean and tend to. It gets cranky if you don’t give it the attention it demands. It gets “hungry” or should I say “hangry”, and you’ll know this because it will get liquid on top and a distinct hue and acidy scent. It is very moody because if the environment in your home isn’t just right, it won’t behave. And you can only use it when “It’s” good and ready. And if you go on vacation, you have to make sure that there is someone who will take care of it for you. So basically you have a toddler, who is going through the terrible twos, sitting on your counter.

So if a packet of yeast intimidated me, why in the world would I think creating a sourdough starter would be right for me? 

Here is the scientific definition of sourdough starter:

A sourdough starter is basically a live culture of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria that you grow by mixing flour and water and just letting it sit out, feeding it regularly. The wild yeast in the environment and on the flour itself starts fermenting, producing carbon dioxide, which is what makes bread rise, and the bacteria produce lactic and acetic acid, which gives sourdough that distinctive tangy flavor.

Unlike commercial yeast, which is one single strain you buy in a packet, a starter is this whole little ecosystem, and it takes about a week or two of daily feeding to get it active and bubbly enough to actually bake with.

Did you understand that? Me neither. But the gist of all that mumble jumble, is you stir four and water in a jar and watch it grow.

I was very excited to start the “Sourdough” process, that I even bought special jars with measurements on them, but honestly, a good old fashioned mason jar works just as well. I did have a food scale, which I used in the beginning for the starter, but ended up eyeballing how I fed it as time went on. Everyone has their own opinion on that, but I really think that you have to do what works for you.

One mistake I made early on, and will not do it again, was that I named my starter. I named her Gertie, or Gertrude, depending on how she was behaving. And let me explain why I regretted naming it. You have to “feed” your starters daily, and all that is, is adding more flour and water. But in order to feed it and keep it in the same jar, or new similar sized one, because usually you aren’t baking daily, you have to do what is called “discard” Yes, you have to discard a portion of your starter every day. Here comes the delema … you’ve worked so hard, monitored it, tended to it, you showed it all the love. You keep it comfy cozy in a warm, but not too warm area of your kitchen, only to have to rip some out, and yes … discard it. If you just can’t bear to throw it into the trash, then you can bake with it, but that would mean that you’d be baking every day. Or you could put it into another jar and stick it in the refrigerator. Now if you do this every day, like you’re supposed to … you’ll end up having a refrigerator full of “sourdough discard” and no place to keep your milk and eggs. Or, you go onto Pinterest and find all the “sourdough starter” recipes that you can, and start baking, even though you don’t feel like baking, but you have to, because you have such an abundant amount of discard, which I did and still do. So it comes down to “How can I just gonna throw part of Gertie in the trash??” And that is why I decided no more naming my starters … I had to keep reminding myself that it is just flour and water. It’s just flour and water …

So “feeding” is mostly done in ratios, and if you do any research, you’ll find that everyone has their preferred ratio, and will tell you why theirs is best. For example, lets use a 1:1:1 ration, which is: same part starter, same part water and same part flour, And that will vary depending on how many loaves you’ll be baking and how often. Also, how thick you prefer your starter, I preferred a thicker starter and honestly, after a while, I would just discard some and add flour and water and mixed the starter until I was happy with the consistency.

It takes about a week for you to be able to start using your starter. And the way to tell, is if it has grown, or “peaked”, (that is why you put a rubber band around your jar). You put it to the level of your starter after you feed it, and when it grows, time depending on the temperature in your kitchen, and gets bubbly and airy, and smells sourydoughyyeasty … she’s ready! But maybe you aren’t, so you discard … See the emotional rollercoaster?

I have to admit, I did’t fully wait until Gertie was ready, and I baked a loaf. Even though it wasn’t ready, I was soooo excited to be baking my very own homemade sourdough. It was dense, and the crumb wasn’t consistent, but I did it! It was such an accomplished feeling!

It took a little trial and error, and I watched thousands of YouTube videos and Facebook reels trying to perfect the perfect starter. I even ended up buying more equipment, like a banneton proofing basket, a danish wisk, a scoring lame and a silicon spurtle. Now I felt like I knew what I was doing. And once I got my starter under control, I started baking really good sourdough loaves! I was even thinking about starting a Cottage Bakery …

So my loaves got better and better, and I started baking more and more, One thing that is surprising, especially if you are used to store bought processed bread, is that it does’t last long. And I don’t only mean because it’s so good, that it is devoured before the loaf is able to fully cool … but it does’t stay fresh for long. That is why finding a good storage box that can sit on the counter is important. Another trick is to bake 2 loaves (or more) and slice and throw a loaf or two in the freezer. You can pop the sliced bread into a toaster and it is as yummy as if it just came out of the oven.

So if you’re considering starting your own Sourdough Journey, and are feeling intimidated and overwhelmed, I say, Go For It!! It will be such a rewarding experience, and you will save tons of money since you won’t be buying loaf after loaf from the supermarket every week. And don’t get frustrated, it’s a learning curve. And remember … it’s just flour and water.

Let me start off by saying that purchasing a vacation place in Florida wasn’t ever in our thoughts. To us, it wasn’t even “Florida”, it was Disney. We always wanted to go to Disney. We honestly didn’t even know what the surrounding area looked like, except for the highway ride from MCO to Disney property. We didn’t know about the lakes, the beautiful state parks and the breathtaking Spanish Moss trees.

As the years passed, the kids grew and moved out to start their own families, we found ourselves still wanting to go to “Disney”. And we found that going to Disney as adults without children, was even more fun than we had imagined, and we still wanted to go to Disney for our vacations. We had purchased an rv one fall, and did some little trips, but where did we want to end up in? Disney, of course. So we booked an rv site at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, Disney’s campground. We stayed for a week, and we had a blast! If you’ve never visited Fort Wilderness, it is beautiful! There is so much to see and do. And you can tent camp, rv camp (full hookups) or rent one of the newly renovated cabins, which we had stayed at years earlier. And the campground is just a boat ride away from Magic Kingdom, with firework and Electrical Water Parade views.

One day, while sitting in a rocking chair overlooking the bay outside of Crockett’s Tavern, in The Settlement area, I looked at my husband and said “what is the longest amount of time that you can stay on a campsite?’ I believe it was 30 days. Now I know some do that, and if you wanted to stay on property longer, you would have to move to another room or site. As fun as that sounded, that started us on the journey of seeing what the surrounding Florida area is like, and was it possible to find a place of our own, that we could go to anytime we wanted. No booking a room or an rv spot. No planning … just go whenever we wanted. And with a lot of research, my husband found the cutest town, just an average of 30 minutes from the parks, depending which one we were headed to.

And we were shocked. This was something we could do …. so we did! We found what is called an “RV Resort”. It’s a community of RV pads, full hookups, where you can live all year long, Many have put what they call Park Models, on their properties. So we took a trip down, found the property we absolutely loved and purchased it. Now we have an, albeit small, a little home away from home, where we can go to Disney whenever we want!!!

So here are the things I wish we knew before we bought a place near Disney:

1. You can hear the fireworks! Now when I realized that we could hear the fireworks from our RV, right on our property, I was incredibly, extremely, overly EXCITED!! I can’t explain, but my heart … when I hear them … 💕
2. You can see the fireworks.- Well thats depending where you are, but, when I look out my front window, I can see the tops of the fireworks. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but for me, just knowing that I can see what I not only love, but know there are at that moment, thousands of people tearing up at the emotional beauty of that spectacular show … well … yeah
3. Disney will be Stress Free – since it is so close, you don’t feel the need to wait on a long line to go on a ride, because you can go on another time. You can wait the crowds out, sit with a cup of Joffrey’s coffee and people watch. And when the time is right, the line goes down, you can practically walk on.
4. Small towns – did you know that there are the cutest little small towns surrounding Disney? With coffee shops and farmers markets? I sure didn’t. And let me tell you, I visit them often,
5. Alligators – well yes, of course, it’s Florida. But I mean, you walk past a pond or a sandy lake, and they’ll just be laying in the sun, or peeking up at you from beneath the water. I mean, they are just there …
6. The Convenience – Florida has everything. Every store, every restaurant … everything, but you have to drive there, which leads me to …
7. Traffic – if you have to be somewhere at a certain time, and the GPS says 15 minutes, add an hour. 😂 Actually, we only seem to hit traffic in the morning and evening rush hour, so you learn to not drive anywhere during those times,
8. Summer Heat – The summer heat in Florida is no joke. And the humidity can feel like you’re carrying around an extra 50lbs. BUT the fall through spring are amazing. Honestly, February is the best.
9. Nature and State Parks – I don’t know why, but I never really thought about Florida being full of nature, but Florida has some beautiful state parks, lovely lakes and really great walking and bike riding trails.
10. And finally – I didn’t know that I would want to live there full time! Well, actually maybe Snowbird someday, because as I said in point 8 … those crazy sweltering summers.

Are you considering a move to Disn … I mean Florida? Are you wondering what life would be like there full time or just a vacation home? We did too, and we were so pleasantly surprised. It is one of the best things we did. I hope your journey leads you to the place that makes you most happy! Please let me know in the comments what stage you’re in, and if you’re planning on going for it. I’d be so excited for you!! Have an amazing day!

Hi, I’m Marisa — fitness instructor, hiker, Disney lover, and someone who’s reinventing myself. This is a space for women navigating life after 50 with faith, fitness, and grace.

When I’m not teaching a class or hitting the New England trails, you’ll probably find me on the road — whether it’s a cozy Class B van trip or heading down to our RV just outside of Disney World in Florida, a place we escape to often. There’s something about that mix of adventure and stillness — rainy mornings in the van, sunny days near the parks — that keeps me grounded and grateful.

Cozy mornings, honest stories, a little Disney magic, and a lot of joy along the way. Glad you’re here. ✨