Checking in from a brand new 27-inch-screen iMac. Lots of RAM. Incredible graphics. Tons of storage.

It’s been five years since my last new computer purchase, and it’s pretty incredible to think how the technology landscape has changed in that time.  I must confess – while having said computer for five years, I have had two iPods, two iPhones, and I just procured my second iPad. It’s easy to feel like these are frivolous indulgences, but the more time goes by, the more I think we all rely upon technology for professional activities and hobbies alike. I know I do.

How does this relate to Disney?  Well, for one thing it’s easier to manage this site (and its myriad photos and their post-processing) on a new computer. Having an iPhone on WDW trips (two upcoming! More on that in a moment.) allows me to catch details and moments I might otherwise miss.  I keep notes on my phone, read park updates and tips on Twitter. I catch WDW news through social media that informs both my experience at Disney as a guest, as well as my historical/cultural understanding(s) of the role Disney occupies in American life.  Technological integration is, for me, a necessary tool of my day job, and the crux of my favorite hobbies. A necessary and yet wonderful part of everyday life.

In more exciting news, I’m pleased to report not one but TWO upcoming trips to WDW!  The first is in just over a month, and was planned just over a month ago.  We certainly haven’t had a very bad winter here in New England, but nevertheless I got the mid-winter urge to get out of town.  New England miserliness also means that CP and I are eager to squeeze every last cent of value out of our annual passes, so we’re taking a quick three-day trip to WDW next month. We’re staying club level, seeing the Flower & Garden Festival, eating some good food, and even sharing a meal with my aunt and cousin, who serendipitously will be in WDW at the same time we’ll be there.  A short trip, yes, but that brings me to…

Our SEPTEMBER EXTRAVAGANZA!#%!#@%@!#%!!#%#!@  Ok, so that’s a bit dramatic.  We seem to be falling into a habit of two WDW trips a year; first a short trip in the spring, and then a longer visit later in the fall/winter.  We did 10 days in October in 2010, 11 days in December, 2011, and now we’re going to do 11 days in September. Which happens to coincide perfectly with…my birthday! Nerd that I am I’ve always wanted to spend a birthday in WDW, and this is the year to do it.

Further plans to come. But with a new computer, a new iPad, and a real penchant for snapping Instagram photos of every single thing I come across, expect both to be well-documented.

Documenting Disney, one Instagram photo at a time.