One Year Down!

It's already been one full year (plus one day) since I sent out the first e-mail to everyone about the vacation. Wow, did that ever go fast! We still have 3½+ years to go, but I have no doubt they'll creep up on us as well.

There's no major news about the trip, but I recently realized that 2011 will be Walt Disney World's 40th anniversary, so there will no doubt be special events and celebrations taking place throughout the year.

Some facts about Walt Disney World:

• Walt Disney World sits on over 100 square kilometers of land (about twice the size as Manhattan, or the land mass of San Francisco); only ¼ of the land is developed, with another ¼ being protected as a wildlife preserve.
  
• Walt Disney World's employees, called "cast members," number more than 60,000 during the busiest time of the year (between Christmas and New Years).
• About 50 million people visit Walt Disney World annually.
• The Walt Disney World Resort has more than 750 watercraft, 12 monorails, and approximately 200 buses.
• Walt Disney World encompasses:
• 4 theme parks
• 2 water parks
• 22 resort hotels (plus 10 non-Disney-owned hotels)
  
• 139 restaurants
• 9 professional and mini-golf courses
• 2 full-service spas
• a massive sports complex
• a five-story state-of-the-art arcade
• a 120-acre shopping, dining, and entertainment district with 8 night clubs