Fantasy Fanatics meet disney's 'biggest fans' and find out why they can't seem to get enough

Nothing less than original for one Disney darling

Senior Liliana Fonte, a student in Orlando, loves anything, and everything, Disney. The first time she went a park she had just turned one-year-old. Since then Disney has been a big part of her life. She makes monthly excursions to the theme parks that give her so much joy.

"The fact that when you walk into the park there is just happiness everywhere. You just can't help but smile. The environment is really nice and I love it. I feel that the company and everyone who works with Disney are the specific kind of person who is really happy," Fonte said. "They don't complain, they don't frown, everyone is just smiling. They have made it happy, so now anyone who walks into the parks automatically feels happy since there are so many smiles all around."

She has materialized her love of Disney in her huge collection of Mickey Mouse ears. She prides herself in collecting originals, so that she is the only one sporting her stylish and festive headgear.

"I am a crazy Disney freak and I have about 30 customized ears that you won't find in the stores or parks," Fonte said. "I'll have them created for me and they are all one of a kind. It is a hobby of mine for me to collect them. My favorite are some that are Vera Bradley designed and they are huge. They are so much bigger than normal ears so when I wear them I attract so much attention in the parks."

When she heard that the National JEA fall convention would be held in her beloved city, she almost had a heartattack.

"I was freaking out I was so happy. My whole journalism class got to go to Magic Kingdom on Wednesday before the convention started. It is just a great feeling, no matter how many times I got I always get excited when Disney is mentioned."

Her favorite park is hands-down Magic Kingdom because it is the most traditional and magical, she said.

"Magic Kingdom has the most variety. It has the most magic. It has all the characters. You have all the princesses, it has all the castles. Fantasy Land has been updated and it is so great."

Senior Nicole Schroeder is in a long line of Disney-aholics. Her love of Disney began before she could talk, as she played with princesses dolls that her mother bought her. "I went to Disney when I was four-years-old. I just remember having a lot of fun. I know there were many times when we go and have dinner with the Disney princesses. Of course at the time I was in love with the idea of meeting the princesses, they were my idols back then," Schroeder said. "I remember the magic of the whole experience and meeting the characters in real life." She also loved watching Disney movies, but getting to meet the real characters in such a genuine and magical environment really transformed her reality and made her fall in love with Disney World. "I grew up watching the Disney TV shows. But going to Disney and seeing the effort that they put into making those characters become a reality and creating this kind of immersive experience for everyone. You don't feel like you are just in a theme park, you feel like you're in whatever movie it is. My brother actually loves it so much he wants to work in the parks and help create this immersive experience."
Abby Kempf

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