DAPs Magic Disney News – by Mr. DAPs and Caitlyn
Here at DAPs Magic, we are always looking for people who fit into the DAPs Magic family who want to contribute to our mission: To be a family friendly website offering positive Disney information, news, and activities promoting a mutual love of Disney to as many positive Disney fans as possible. Recently, I cam across a girl named Caitlyn via Instagram. I have been following her for quite some time and it quickly became apparent that she is a positive person, who loves to have an adventure, and loves Disneyland. We connected via email and after chatting with her, it quickly became obvious that she would be a perfect fit for the DAPs Magic family. I could tell you more about her, but instead I’ve asked her to write a little bit about herself. Here’s Caitlyn:
Hi everybody!My name is Caitlyn and I’m from the Bay Area (born and raised!) and about to start my sixth and final year of college. I’m studying hospitality, which is really fun, because we talk about Disney in a majority of my classes. I know I’m definitely in the right major 🙂
I’ve always loved Disney, as I grew up only watching Disney movies and the Disney Channel, and Disneyland has always been our vacation spot. My parents first took me to Disneyland when I was 15 months old, because they wanted to wait until I had learned how to walk. We would visit Disneyland at least once, if not more times a year, and even when my brother came along, we would go even more.
When I got into college though, my love for Disney expanded outside of the parks and the movies, as I became more interested in the history, the art, and Walt. And, 4 years ago, I became a passholder, taking my love for Disney to a whole new level, as Disneyland is now my home away from home.
In all of this, I realized that not only did I have a passion for all things Disney, but I love immersing myself in it and learning more about it. I eventually want to work for the company, as I think it would be incredible to take my passion, and turn it into my living.
I wanted to share a couple of great Disney memories I have, because they are so special to me, and fun experiences that don’t happen very often. Last year, one of my friends and I went to Disneyland with our moms to celebrate our birthdays, which just so happened to fall on the weekend the Little Mermaid attraction opened. And it just so happened that The Little Mermaid was both of our favorite Disney movie. Now, I’m kind of a sap when it comes to Disney, and I have a tendency to cry if it makes me happy. I, of
course, cried at the end of the attraction because I had just watched my entire childhood come to life before my eyes, at it was so wonderful. What was even better, is that, when we got off, my mom saw some of the “suits” watching the guests as they came to the attraction. My mom told them to thank whoever worked on it, because it was a wonderful experience. They then told us to “turn around and thank the guys with the hard hats“. They were both Imagineers, one was named Mark, who worked on designing the exterior, and the other was Larry Nikolai, the Principal Concept and Show Designer for Walt Disney Imagineering. He was the creative director for the attraction in California Adventure as well as the one opening at the Magic Kingdom later this year. It was one of the coolest moments I’ve ever gotten to experience, and I will never forget it!
Another incredible day was when my family went to Disney World at Christmas, and on one of the days, we went to the Richard Petty Driving Experience. We’re all racing fans, so this was something we couldn’t pass up. My dad got behind the wheel and did 8 laps, while my mom, brother and I all got to take turns with a driver going 140+ MPH! What a rush!!! As it was something I had wanted to do for years, I couldn’t believe I actually got to do it, and of course, only by Disney magic!
I’m so excited to become part of the DAPs Magic team and contribute little bits of Disney Magic to your day! I look forward to sharing my Disney adventures with you!
