Disney Addicts are just like you. They just have more pairs of Mickey Ears.

For those of you who are not Disney Addicts this addiction may seem confusing and overwhelming. The idea that someone would choose to take every vacation at the same location might challenge you. “What is the big deal?”, you might ask yourself, “Isn’t Disney just a sweltering hot, packed-out theme-park full of kiddy rides and over-priced fast food?”

What you must understand is that to a true Disney Addict, every trip to Walt Disney World or Disneyland is a homecoming. To the Disney Addict WDW and Dland is where they belong; where they can be themselves and be surrounded by magic.

Disney Addicts are somewhat of a mystery to the rest of the population and so I wanted to give you my top 5 tips for interacting with the Disney Addict in order to make your relationship healthier.

TIP 1 – Clothing: You should make every effort to not call a Disney Addict “weird” simply because they wear ties with mickey heads to board meetings, or mickey-shaped earrings while having a night on the town. Do not call attention to the fact that every t-shirt they own has a Disney Character on it. Instead of lambasting them when they return from their vacation with a new pair of plush Mickey costume gloves, you should look for more discrete Disney based gifts to give them for holiday gifts. There are many purses, socks, scarfs, dresses and other items with mickeys “hidden” into the pattern that will allow the individual to show their Disney pride in more subtle ways.

TIP 2 – Food: Part of the addiction to Disney World/Disneyland centers around an obsession with specific Disney-park foods. I have a friend who is a stage-four Disney Addict (65+ trips and he’s 24 yrs old) who swears there must be “crack or something in Casey’s Corner Hotdogs”. He has told me many times he will be driving down the street and suddenly have an overwhelming urge to book a trip just thinking about the hotdogs. My friend Suzanne Broughton swears that the Disneyland Corndog is THE addiction of choice for Dlanders and even got the scoop in her video The Disneyland Corn Dog Story. For my husband (pictured above) its the Dole Whip that triggers his irrational need to book a trip to WDW. You can help to quell this addiction by learning to make replicas of these foods at home. Our very own Chip wrote an article on How to Make your own Dole Whips , and as you saw in the Disneyland Corn Dog Story its an off-the-shelf batter that is used to make the Disneyland corn dogs. Spring for a mickey-head-shaped waffle maker and try giving your Addict small reminders of “home” with Disney Park-like foods.

TIP 3 – Technology: You should never point and laugh when you discover that a Disney Addicts computer screensaver contains nothing but photos from past Disney trips. Nor should you mock them when their Facebook status contains at least one mention of how many days until their next trip. Don’t be surprised when every bookmark on their computer is a Disney blog such as Tips from the Disney Diva or Chip & Co . Technology allows Disney Addicts to feel a part of the magic in the time in-between trips. It both feeds and satisfies their addiction simultaneously. Take me for example, I’m working through my Disney “DT’s” by blogging tips that allow me to live vicariously through those planning their vacations. Whenever you run across a great article send it to your Disney Addict friend and help them through technology.

TIP 4 – Polite Conversation: Disney Addicts lose all concept of time when talking to other people about their Disney Vacations. You should be careful when making small-talk with the Disney Addict to never mention anything Disney related unless you genuinely want to talk to the Addict about it. Make sure you have a plan of how you will exit the conversation gracefully once you are tired of talking about how many times their kid threw-up after riding Expedition Everest. The worst thing you can do to an Addict is act like Disney World/ Disneyland is stupid and not worth talking about, or that they are crazy for going so many times.

TIP 5 – Planning Trips: To A Disney Addict planning a trip to WDW or Dland is an ART FORM. No, they can’t just show up and figure out that day what to do. Yes, they really do need to book the dining reservations 180 days in advance. No, they don’t need a park map. It doesn’t make them weird, well maybe a little weird, but it makes YOUR trip to Disney a whole lot more enjoyable because they know what the plan is before you arrive. So if they’re sleeping, eating, and speaking Disney 24/7 and its getting a little old try saying something more like “I know you are excited about our trip, I am to, I trust you to plan it, you don’t have to discuss every element with me. I enjoy the surprise of the trip!” instead of “Shush! I’m sick and tired of hearing about this stupid trip!” OK? Remember all this planning is actually a method the addict uses to elongate the trip itself. When Addicts start packing a month ahead of the trip it makes me them  feel like the trip has already begun. So let them plan, really, what can it hurt?

So now you have some tips to interacting with a Disney Addict. They are people and should be treated as such, even though they are obsessed with mice, ducks, dogs, dwarfs, and weird dog-like animals with buck-teeth. Good luck!

Kristin, Tips from the Disney Diva