That’s me at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Countdown to Magic is a website dedicated to helping visitors become knowledgeable about Disney World and fully prepare for their upcoming Disney vacation. Through this website, my goal is to help you not only save time and money at Disney World, but have an amazing experience that you’ll never forget.

About the Author

My name is Michael, I’m the founder of Countdown to Magic, and I love me some Disney World. And so I figured, why not start a site that helps people headed to Disney World better plan for their trip?

I’m Michael and welcome to Countdown to Magic!

No, I’m not trying to create an army of indoctrinated Disney fans (although that would make one preeeeeetty amazing scene to see in person), but I do care about helping you better understand the ins and outs of touring Disney World to get the most out of your trip.

And who knows, maybe you’ll become a lifelong fan of the Mouse like me.

As for me, I’ve been going to Disney World for as long as I can remember. It started with me, my mom, and my dad making nearly annual trips together, but when my parents got divorced in the 1990s, my mother and I kept the tradition going.

And as an only child, it sort of became “our thing.”

In fact, here’s a picture of my mom and I at the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride. I wish the image was dated, but based on my youthful exuberance (and a slew of clearly well earned pirate booty), I’m guessing this is around 1991 or 1992.

Yes. This is long, long, looooooong before they inserted Johnny Depp into the ride.

I can’t really count all the times I’ve been to Disney World, but it’s been numerous. I’ve even been lucky enough to visit Disneyland and have also been on the Disney Dream cruise ship (I still drink tea out of the Disney Dream inaugural mug I purchased in the ship’s gift shop!)

Point is—I’m real deep in this Disney thang.

No, I may not have visited to Disney World 500 times. No, I don’t live in Florida, own an annual pass, and go bi-monthly. But I’ve gone enough times over the years to appreciate the parks, witnessed the good (and the bad) of Disney World’s massive growth, and have developed an appreciation for the magic that happens once your ticket is punched and you enter The Happiest Place on Earth.

Okay fine, that’s technically Disneyland, but I think you catch my drift.

Ultimately, I want this site to be a place where complex systems and strategies and planning are easy to digest and comprehend. Where understanding how best to plan your Disney trip doesn’t become a chore, but something you look forward to doing.

Because at least for me, planning the trip is half the fun, as the anticipation of the enjoying the in-park magic is almost just as good as your actual vacation experience.

Photos on the Site

Whenever I go to Disney World, I usually take a DSLR camera (and if we go even further back in years, I brought a (gasp) camcorder).

Yeah….I’m that guy.

So with that said, some of the photos that you see on the site are taken by me. But other images are not, and you’ll see those are credited appropriately thanks to the Creative Commons license(s).

Thank You

Finally, if you’ve made it all the way down here, well, thank you very much. Because that was a lot to read.

More importantly, I appreciate you visiting this website and taking the time to learn more about me. Feel free to send me a message if you have a question, or just want to say hello, and I’ll do my best to get back to you as soon as I can.

And lastly, feel free to hop on over and “like” my Countdown to Magic Facebook page, as well.

Thanks again for visiting Countdown to Magic, and I hope to see you again reeeeaaaaallll soon!

-Michael

If you enjoyed reading my About page, please consider bookmarking this site.  And if you’re ready to get started, be sure to check out my Start Here page.

COUNTDOWN TO MAGIC IS AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED WEBSITE. COUNTDOWN TO MAGIC, ITS OWNER, AND THIS WEBSITE ARE NOT IN ANY WAY AFFILIATED WITH THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY, THE WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT, OR ANY OF IT’S AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, OR DESIGNEES.

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