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Dear Readers,
April 23, 2010 was a day like any other in most lives, it was in mine also. Until the sun went down. It was then that I started the Unknown Magic within Walt Disney World. I hadn’t really planned on it, but it just kind of happened. I read a lot that day about blogging. I was thinking about it, because I had been reading the Relocated Tourist; a great website by two very courageous people, who are living their dream, by moving to Florida to be closer to the Mouse. I thought how great that would be and then I thought I have some knowledge about Disney World I could share. So, I read and looked into a few different formats and then I started. By the time I had figured out the name of the site, (which for those of you that do not have a website, is much tougher than it seems) and bought the domain name, it was actually the next day. I posted my first article that day; on April 24th. It was a Saturday and all it really said was hi, I’m new. Actually this is the original post:
Over the next few months I found others that I connected with. And although I haven’t actually met most of these people in person, I feel like we are friends and linked in a common purpose. I was approached to contribute an article to another site; wdwfacts. (If you don’t have this site on your daily read, you are missing out on some great stuff). That was how I met Tom Cahill, who runs the site. Tom is a very generous man who doesn’t think you should have to pay to share in the love of Disney, Disney history or Disney fun. Through this site I also met Bill Iadonisi. If you haven’t had the opportunity to talk with or interact with Bill, you should know that, although he was never a Disney cast member, he is the epitome of the Disney Spirit. He not only spends as much time as he can taking pictures in the parks and contributing to four different websites, but he is willing to share information, pictures and even a meal with the rest of us Disney people. On more than one occasion, he has given me a picture or even gone to the parks or Downtown Disney to take a picture for me (and I still haven’t met him in person; Bill I owe you a meal).
It wasn’t long after meeting these two men, that I joined Twitter and met a few other friends, who would change my writing. I was lucky enough to become friends with the writers of Growing up Disney (who also will celebrate their one year anniversary in a few days). They were kind enough to allow me to share an article about the Greatest Thing I ever saw in Walt Disney World (my son on our first trip there together). Since then, we have become close friends and they have allowed me to contribute a few more articles to their great site. Another person I met around the same time is Janine Pipe, who doesn’t have a website of her own, but contributes too many others. Just like Amy and Ridge at Growing up Disney, she is one of the people who have continued to be a supporter and a friend.
Soon after, I was approached by two different websites for contributions. I am honored to have met Stuart Sternberg (actually in person) and Lisa Battista of the wdwfanzone. I also met Bob McLain of the Disney Dispatch, who is not only a very creative person, but very driven. He has given me an outlet for some of my more creative Disney writings, which I appreciate.
I also have had the opportunity to meet some very great Disney people that read my writings and share my passion; my friend Chad and his partners write the Days in the Park website. When I first found it, I thought I could write with them, they sound like me (Which I hope they don’t take as an insult). They are a fun group that enjoys the park and the Magic that Disney has to offer, much the way my family and I do, although not in the same way, because they don’t go to Disney World, they go to Disneyland.
Which brings me to my biggest fans, my family; my wife Heather and my son John not only put up with my writing, but encourage it. They understand that I spend hours of my free time sitting at the computer writing, because I not only need to, I want to. They offer suggestions and criticisms and they also participate. John is now my co-author on Tuesdays, for those of you that don’t regularly read, and Heather proof-reads just about every article I write whether it is for my website or any of the others I am lucky enough to be contributing to. They are the unsung heroes of the website and I am very lucky to have them.
Thank you,
Bruce.
https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf
P.S.
And we now have a You Tube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/umwdw?feature=mhum
The websites Bills Iadonisi contributes to: wdwfacts, The Disney Driven Life, The Disney Food Blog and Mickeynews.com.
Lisa Batista is also author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers and her own website Beyond The Attractions
Background Picture courtesy of Growing Up Disney.
Disney Animated Gifs by Disney’s World of Wonders.
>I'm truly humbled, Bruce. It might not seem like a big thing, but it means a lot to mean something to other people and to have made a difference in what you do and to be mentioned alongside so many other great people in the Disney Community, peon that I am ;)Here's to MANY more great years to come, my friend. You DEFINITELY have a place in my one year anniversary post, so get the pictures ready. :)Cheers, my friend!
>Thank you so much Bruce. My days are filled with Disney because of you, Amy, Chad, Natalie, JL and many others.We may not have met, yet, but I consider you a true friend.Roll on 2014 and our EPIC meeting!Steve can't wait to talk sports with you too lol.So glad you're website doing so well.Thanks for being a great friend 🙂
>Thank You Bruce for such a nice write up! Your site is so enjoyable and fun to read. We all share something in common and that's our love of Walt Disney World. I wish you a Happy one Year Birthday to your site. I wish you many more enjoyable and Magical Birthday's.
>Happy anniversary Bruce and UMWDW! I've truly enjoyed getting to know you and have fun checking out your site. I've always liked your creative content! Keep up the good work and I am also looking forward to 2014.
>One of my great pleasures every Monday morning is to publish another installment of your serial, Wandering the World with Wally, on Disney Dispatch.Wally has become as 'real' to me – and I'm sure to many others – as any of the Park characters.Whenever I'm in Disney World, I half-expect to catch sight of him or to hear him regaling his lucky companions with new tales of adventure.I hope, one day, to meet YOU in Disney World, Bruce, so I can shake your hand, buy you lunch, and let you know in person how much I value your contributions to Disney Dispatch.Thanks, pal!
>Congratulations on your milestone!! I love your site and read it daily. It is one of the first I stumbled upon when I first realized there were blogs out there about Disney – who knew?? I admire your Disney style of NOT going comando and we aspire to take it slow and look for the details on our trips, which are, unfortunately, too few and far between. I do, however, keep a note card next to my computer and as I discover things on your site and others, I write them down so I'll be sure to look for them on the next trip. Keep it up – you're doing great!!