robonics95 Dec 27, 2015

Ok, I am trying not to sound like a cheerleader for all of this stuff, and I apologize if I am, but having been one of the families in this latest special, I can expand a little here. First, the process is simply a casting agency sending out a mass web release asking for anyone and everyone to share their unforgettable Disney memories. For those of us who happen to see this release and were motivated to do so, we responded to this request with specific Disney stories and memories. You are absolutely correct, there are probably many more incredible stories out there, and I assume yours are very incredible, as well. But out of the (I assume) many, ours was one of the stories selected for this year. I guess I compare it to choosing a contestant for American Idol or The Voice. There are probably a lot of great voices out there, some could argue that they are "better" than those that made the final cut, but for some reason, we seem to see amazing new talent auditioning every year. After submitting our story, I was interviewed and asked to share more about how my passion for Disney started and some things that our family had gone through. Contrary to an earlier post, we are not an immigrant family, just a Hispanic family who used to visit a lot in my youth and a tradition that I have been carrying on through my life, through marriage, and now to our children. What wasn't shared, for reasons that I have already shared, was a head injury from my near death car accident in 2009 and my wife's Stage 3 breast cancer (chemo, radiation, double mastectomy) and how we fought through it all, together, with our family's love for each other and for all things Disney. In regards to the family with a lot of adopted kids, this is a couple who had a lot of love to share with their adopted children and wanted share that love with a special trip to Disney years ago. There were complications with their vacation travel and what supposed to be a magnificent and magical vacation, turned into less than a day vacation. I don't know about you but I think that would suck. And as stated in earlier posts, a trip like that for such a large family is not cheap. They probably assumed that that vacation was a complete loss. I assume that they submitted their story and, as a result, were selected and given a second chance to enjoy these magical memories.