Hi there! I’m Erica! As the newest edition to the Dad’s Guide family, I wanted to introduce myself to everyone! I wanted to tell y’all a little bit about my Disney passion and some of what I do when not in Disney mode! I hope these 20 things will give you an insight as to who is the newest member to the Dad’s Guide family!
1. I own only 1 pair of ears, and they are my number one favorite souvenir I’ve ever gotten. They are my Dumbo ears. Since I can’t wear headbands, I have to wear the ear hats. In 2013, I bought this one in Magic Kingdom and it has been with me since then.
2. My absolute favorite nighttime show is Happily Ever After.
3. Since my first visit to Walt Disney World in 2006, Soarin’ and DINOSAUR have been my all-time favorite rides. However, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Avatar – Flight of Passage are trying to take their place each time I ride them.
4. I’m a pin collector! I buy no more than eight new pins when I visit WDW (they get heavy on my lanyard). Pins themed to animated films are my favorite ones.
5. I make a point to try at least one new experience each time I visit Walt Disney World, be it an attraction, show, restaurant, resort, or other property experiences, like mini golfing!
6. I visit Walt Disney World whenever I can, lately its been every one to two years. However, I could always use an excuse to go more often.
7. When staying at Walt Disney World, I haven’t stayed at the same place twice… yet (I’d love to go back to some resorts).
8. I call the Lafayette, Louisiana region home, but there’s a vacation home in Florida I love visiting (this one has a castle).
9. My favorite princess has always been Cinderella.
10. “Go the Distance” is my all-time favorite Disney song, so you can bet I got a fantastic surprise my first time watching Happily Ever After.
11. I’m also a big Star Wars fan. My favorite trilogy is the original, by far, and The Mandalorian is perfection to me.
12. So far, my favorite resort is Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside (I might be biased on that choice), Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a close second, and Disney’s Art of Animation is my third favorite.
13. I received my Bachelor’s of Arts in Mass Communication specializing in journalism from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
14. I am fascinated with animated films, and that’s where my passion for Disney started. I love watching the films, and I watch the behind the scenes clips on my DVDs, YouTube, and now Disney+.
15. I began to turn my Disney passion into a career when I started out as an intern for WDW Magazine my last semester of college.
16. I officially began working freelance with WDW Magazine in May 2019.
17. I’ve written articles and blogs, created and continue to update the digital index, worked on the 2020 and 2022 calendars, and did research projects for WDW Magazine.
18. In 2022, I was asked by Steph Shuster and Danny McBride to join the Dad’s Guide team. (Which I did not hesitate to agree to)
19. When not doing Disney work, I’m working full-time as a PR Assistant at my parish (not county for the non-Louisianaians) library.
20. I want to help people get excited for their next trip, be it their first or five-hundredth!
I hope you now feel like you’ve gotten to know me, and how I’ll be contributing to Dad’s Guide to WDW. I’m really looking forward to being able to help out here any way I can to, hopefully, make your next trip a magical one.
