Hi, I’m Danny! As the new Chief Magic Officer at Dad’s Guide to WDW, I couldn’t think of a better way to kick things off than by introducing myself in a way that allows you all to not only learn what makes me such a passionate Disney fan, but also find out more about me personally.
I truly hope this list of the top 20 things to know about me helps us start to get to know each other a bit better, and gives you insight as to what the future might hold for Dad’s Guide to WDW!
- I’d watch the Voices of Liberty (at The American Adventure in EPCOT’s World Showcase) perform all day every day. If you get to see Tiffany Coburn (a member of the group) in the set(s) you attend during your visit, TRUST ME, you are in for the most spectacular treat possible. (Please tell her Danny says hi!)
- The Haunted Mansion is my undisputed favorite attraction of all time. Avatar Flight of Passage continues to make a very strong run for the top spot on my list, but no attraction can top where hinges creak in doorless chambers.
- I call Long Island, New York “home,” but…
- Of all resort hotels at Walt Disney World, I consider Disney’s Beach Club Resort (more specifically, Disney’s Beach Club Villas) to be “home.” Though Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort would definitely be a close second!
- If I could eat at any table service restaurant at WDW, ‘Ohana (for dinner) at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort always takes the cake (or in this case—bread pudding)!
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom is my favorite park for quick service food. From Yak and Yeti Local Foods Café to Satu’li Canteen (and even Harambe Fruit Market’s incredible curry-seasoned corn on the cob), there’s no doubt that this park’s on-the-go dining is absatu’li delicious.
- I’ve been visiting Walt Disney World multiple times per year for even longer than I can remember (since I was 3 months old!) with my parents, grandparents (Disney Vacation Club Members whose home resort is Disney’s Old Key West Resort, then known as the Disney Vacation Club Resort), and oftentimes many members of my extended family!
- During some of my earliest visits to Walt Disney World, I found myself so deeply drawn to the splendor of SpectroMagic—I largely credit this nighttime parade for inspiring me to pursue a Disney-centric career.
- Aside from Walt Disney himself, my ultimate Disney-related hero is (now former) Imagineer Joe Rohde.
- I’ve had the honor of meeting Joe Rohde on multiple occasions—the first of which was at the 2015 D23 Expo. As a media attendee representing Dad’s Guide to WDW, I was fortunate enough to be able to enter the Expo early and entered the showcase of Pandora – The World of Avatar just before the event opened to all guests. To my surprise, as I walked into the Pandora exhibit, there was Joe Rohde! He proceeded to give me a one-on-one overview of a model of Pandora, explaining all the ins and outs of what the land would include. The amount of emotion I had then (and have again each time I recall this moment) is truly indescribable.
- I received a BFA in Communication Arts from the New York Institute of Technology in Manhattan, New York.
- I met my wife Cara in high school—and we’ve been married since October 2017.
- My WDW media-focused career began in 2013 when I began writing for WDW News Today: The Magazine (a previous segment of the WDWNT we all know today).
- Since then, I’ve worked for several WDW-themed media entities as a social media manager, content creator, writer, and project manager. Outlets you might have seen me working for include: Get Down to Disness, WDW Magazine, Dad’s Guide to WDW (it feels so good to be back!), and many more.
- I first joined the Dad’s Guide to WDW team in May 2014 as “Dad’s Chief of Social Media” for over 3 years.
- You can also find me as a co-host of Debating Disney with Kat Wolfe, Chief Disnesswoman of Get Down to Disness! Tune-in to our Facebook page or YouTube channel live at 8pm ET on select Thursdays as debate WDW experiences and give you the chance to vote to decide the winners.
- If you’re a subscriber to WDW Magazine, you’ll see me as a writer there for the Debating Disney column!
- Or, if you follow Destinations to Travel on Facebook or Instagram, you catch me there as the Social Media Manager.
- Outside of my Disney-related endeavors, I’m a full-time digital marketer.
- My ultimate goal as a WDW-focused media professional is to help as many people as possible get excited for their Disney vacations, re-live their magical memories, and have the most incredible visits. Being able to have an impact on fellow Disney fans’ WDW vacations is the most surreal, heartwarming reward I could imagine.
If you’ve made it through all 20 items on this list, I sincerely THANK YOU for taking the time to learn more about me as we journey along the new Dad’s Guide to WDW together. I’m ready to do everything I can to make this digital community the most fun, informational, engaging, accepting, and interactive place it can be for Disney fans and Disney go-ers.
Now, please let me know if there’s anything we might have in common, or anything else you’d like to know about me (or the future plans for Dad’s Guide to WDW)! I’d love to hear from you!
