A little pixie dust to warm your heart.

I'd be the first to admit that Disney is a monolithic company, rightfully concerned with the bottom line. They are amazingly creative when it comes to helping folks part with their precious money. I'm OK with that. Capitalism ROCKS.

But, you know what? They also offer something priceless. Call it magic, call it pixie dust, call it something else. It exists. Trust me.

A couple of cases in point: Some years ago, I was watching a character meet and greet at the castle forecourt in the Magic Kingdom. Mickey himself was out, which was sort of unusual. Nowadays, most of the more notable character greetings are choreographed and managed. This one was a bit more random.

I watched Mickey hold court with scores of little Mouseketeers. On the edge of the crowd was a grandmotherly type, wheelchair bound. She was parked with who I assumed to be her daughter. I watched them sign to each other. She was hearing impaired.

As Mickey finished up his official time, I watched him and his escort go over to this elderly woman. He crouched down and embraced her. As he rose to leave, I saw the woman was unabashedly weeping. It was one of those privileged moments. I remembered that Mickey couldn't speak, either. That was a special time for this lady, and it was for me, too.

Another incident was shared with me by a Disney cast member. The Osborne Family Lights are a spectacular part of the holiday season at Disney Hollywood Studios. Often, the lights are left up for a time after the first of the year, I've been told.

This CM told me that one weeknight a couple of days after January 1st, he was passing down the street through the holiday display. A slow, sweet, nostalgic piece of Christmas music was playing on the soundtrack. As he listened, he saw an elderly couple, possibly in their 80's, in the middle of the street. They were in an embrace, slow dancing all alone, as the snow fell about them. According to this cast member, "I cried like a baby."

Yeah, Disney is a big media monster. But I bet you don't get stuff like this with Exxon Mobile.

The birth of a blog!

Hi, all! Tony Martin here. I started this particular little exercise with the intent of giving any and all interested parties my take on all things related to Disney travel. It's sort of a place for "reviews" of the Disney parks, Disney Cruise Line, and other theme park ponderings.

I want this to be a fluid, interactive place. You're encouraged to chime in, comment, all that.

I'll say up front that I'm an unrepentant Disney addict. I've been to Walt Disney World well over 100 times, have stayed in all the resorts but two, have eaten at all the table service restaurants in the parks and many in the resorts. We've been on two Disney cruises. We've been members (okay, owners) of the Disney Vacation Club since 2001. I have it bad.

I hope my experiences will help you love Disney like I love Disney. If you're wanting to visit the Mouse, either in Florida or California, or take a cruise, participate in Adventures By Disney, or check out Aulani in Hawaii, I'll just bet I can help you out. I'll give you the good, the bad, the ugly. You'll receive the Disney Gospel According to Tony, for what it's worth.

Magical journeys, y'all!