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Donyell R, North Carolina

  • 12/31/2021

About Me

I am the daughter of a retired teacher and factory worker, wife to a smart and kind man, and mom to twin courageous and intelligent girls. In the real world, I teach at a four-year university preparing the next generation of teachers and teacher-leaders. My real-world job has taught me the joy in finding one's passion and living a life that inspires others. I am drawn to Disney because of the creativity, imagination and wonder it inspires!

About My Family

With an extended family from the northern, southern, and western United States, I have been raised to believe that life is worth dreaming, as it is both precious and short. My girls' love of life, generous spirits and inquisitive nature fit well in our boisterous, supportive family. We have rural and city roots, with family who have suckered tobacco and others who have to be within reach of a mocha-flavored latte! My husband and I have come to understand that in the midst of our diverse extended family, we are always connected by the belief that the world should be explored. Traveling to Disney together has taught us how to compromise. While the girls and I are thrill-seekers who would ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or the Tower of Terror a million times, my husband would prefer to relax at the resort. He rides those "death-defying rides" (as he likes to call them) with us and we spend quality time at the pool with him. I have the kind of girls who would prefer to Jedi their way through the Parks all day and Princess back to the resort at night!

About My Disney Experience

When my working class parents piled two of my cousins and me in the back of a small Plymouth Horizon decades ago and drove us twelve hours to the Walt Disney World Resort, I learned that travel can be an unforgettable experience - even on a budget - that provides life-changing memories. When my husband brought me back to the Walt Disney World Resort on our honeymoon, I realized that it would always be the place where we laughed and took a break from the world together. And when we took our girls on their first Walt Disney World Resort vacation, I remember their complete wonder upon seeing Mickey Mouse for the first time, disbelief when they were picked to be in The Festival of the Lion King show, and astonishment when a cast member found a "Princess Bus" for us to ride all by ourselves back to our resort. We left with them asking the never-ending question: "When can we go back?" Those memories and the ones we have made as a family since then inspire me to help others find their own Disney magic!

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Panelists have received/will receive a Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort or Disney Cruise Line® vacation for panelist and up to three family members and/or park tickets for their planDisney participation. The views expressed on plandisneypanel.com are those of the panelists, who are independent contractors. These views are not intended to reflect the opinions of Disney Destinations, its affiliates, its management, its agents or its employees and have not been reviewed or approved by Disney Destinations prior to posting.

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