Update: Why We Changed Our Name to The Orlando DINKs

Yup, you read that correctly, after 6 years of being known as The Disney DINKs, we are officially changing our name to The Orlando DINKs.

While changing one word doesn’t seem like a huge change, it feels pretty huge to us since this has been our identity for so long. There are a few reasons why we decided to make the change, some of which are directly related to Disney and some that aren’t. Before we really get into it, we want to be very clear that this article isn’t an intent to bash Disney by any means. We have had amazing experiences related to Disney, from our wedding, multiple Anniversary trips on both coasts, and Disneyland Paris. Being Disney Vacation Club members has allowed us to experience some amazing destinations including Hawaii, Hilton Head Island, and Vero Beach. None of these would have been possible without DVC. We have also had the pleasure of sharing these experiences with friends and family throughout the years. So while it may seem like we are quitting Disney, we certainly are not (and please note we are even keeping our fun mouse ear branding!)

Our Love for Disney

Over the years many people have asked us why do two adults have a blog dedicated to Disney content. While you can read the whole story here we can sum it up as Disney has been a big part of our relationship. It was the place where we were engaged, married, and honeymooned. We would plan awesome trips over the years to escape to our “happy place” away from the grind of everyday life. Every time we saw the castle at the opening of a movie we would think of our own happily ever after. And the blog became a way to share that with others too. Our happiness for Disney was such a big part of our lives that we even had a dream to move closer to the mouse. But now that we have been in Florida for two years a lot has changed and we have been evolving as well.

Why We Decided to Drop “Disney”

First off, we aren’t dropping Disney completely from our lives, we are merely pulling back a bit. Part of it is because we have been doing a ton of Disney related things and are now eager to have other experiences outside of the parks. We have also been feeling that Disney has been losing a little bit of magic for us as well. This really started to become a reality for us last year during our Disney Cruise aboard the Fantasy. You can read about our experience here so we won’t rehash it but let’s just say Disney did not live up to its reputation and hefty price tag. 

We have also noticed some things have started to decline in the last couple of years. Little things that Disney took so much pride in previously have not been priority anymore. We are noticing burnt out bulbs on Main Street, when years ago on a tour we learned there is a team to ensure not a single bulb was out. Now while light bulbs aren’t a deal breaker, it does start to be indicative of changes in quality.

Follow that up with dirty bathrooms in the parks, trashcans overflowing, inconsistent Guest services, and the frustration that is Disney IT (My Disney Experience App, DVC website, WDW website). Now to one of the most important factors, the Cast Members. We agree with Walt when he said that people make the difference. This is why guests pay the money they do, because of the Cast Members. We still have amazing interactions with Cast Members, but our number of negative ones have been steadily increasing. 

When mixed with the challenges of COVID over the last year, we are finding that things aren’t quite as magical as they once were. And it seems that prices continue to go up while receiving less. Now don’t get us wrong, we still have great times at Disney, we are just beginning to realize that maybe they don’t deserve all of our attention and money, when there are other options out there to explore. We have also found over the years we have had some other fun adventures, but felt that with our name we were limited to what we could talk about here. It hasn’t felt right to talk about a non Disney cruise or a non Disney theme park. We have dabbled with some off property experiences but know there are plenty more to explore that are worth sharing with our audience.

We also were really excited to be a part of the local Disney community once we made it to Florida, we were looking forward to park meet ups and fun times ahead. We were really surprised to find that there have been many people that we have run into that really haven’t been that friendly and genuine. We are trying to focus on the great people we have met, but sometimes people you think will be really nice based on what you see online, are kinda fake in real life.

But loyal readers who love Disney, don’t worry, we will still be providing plenty of Disney content moving forward. We’ve also seen the abundance of outlets that concentrate solely on Walt Disney World with the same click bait articles, but don’t expand on what to do off property. This is a void that we hope to fill and are looking to balance our blog with a variety of great content and ideas of fun things to do in the area.

Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas at St. Croix

View fullsize

A hotel in Clearwater Beach.

A view of a launch in Cape Canaveral.

Manta Ray Roller Coaster at SeaWorld Orlando

Why Choose Orlando?

We have to admit we did move here somewhat blindly. We knew Disney well, but not much about anything else. We can now say we feel super lucky and are loving our new life here. We just hit two years living in the Orlando area and the one thing we have come to realize is that there is far more to do in the Central Florida than just Walt Disney World. And we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.

When it comes to local attractions, our goal is to get out and experience more of them. At the beginning of this year, we became SeaWorld Passholders and will most likely follow that up with Universal passes later this year, especially with the return of Halloween Horror Nights. Even outside of the major theme parks, there are plenty of things to do, some of which we have already experienced like the Wheel at ICON Park (Andrew is still working up the courage to do the Orlando StarFlyer) and great golf courses. Let’s not get started on nature based activities, local craft beer trails, and water sports.

There are also plenty of things to do outside of Orlando that we want to write about. Want to know what it is like to see a launch at Cape Canaveral? How about spending a day at Cocoa (Atlantic) or Clearwater (Gulf) Beaches? Our plan is also to be able to support more local businesses. While Disney gets a lot of love from a ton of fan accounts there are plenty of small businesses that deserve some attention too. Our goal is to get out more as locals for more dining reviews at area restaurants, tee it up at more golf courses, and experience some of the amazing off property resorts scattered throughout the area.

We have also been getting plugged into the Orlando blogger community. We have met foodies, fashion, and general lifestyle folks and so far everyone has been so friendly and welcoming no matter how many followers you have. We can’t wait to learn more from them about all the great things this wonderful city has to offer.

Looking Ahead

We have been thinking about this change for some time, and the few close friends we have told all exclaimed, “What??? How can you not be The Disney DINKs anymore?” but once we talked through it they thought it made sense too. We are so grateful for the fans we have had along the way that have found value in our content. And we hope to have you stick around on some new adventures with us. We have been a little quiet for awhile as it is a ton of work to change a name on a website with years of history (all while tackling SEO as well). We are so excited to finally be able to announce this change and get back to what we love: putting out high-quality content for other to enjoy. Thanks for sticking around and please let us know if there are any particular adventures you want us to report on!

We are ready to head off on some new adventures!