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Melanie A, Tennessee

  • 3/4/2026

About Me

Hiya, pals!  I’m Melanie, a Walt Disney World Resort specialist from the Volunteer State of Tennessee, which means philanthropy is in my DNA.  It surprised no one when I traded my bank VP title for a new career in nonprofit marketing over a decade ago.  Specifically, I work as a direct response strategist, which allows me to balance the creative and analytical sides of my brain with my passion for helping others.  In my free time, I enjoy knitting and crafting, cooking, baking and cocktail-making.  Like Belle, I crave adventure. Having visited 16 countries, I believe the best way to experience a place is through its food.  Speaking of which, can I interest anyone in a cheeseburger spring roll?

About My Family

The daughter of a US Air Force veteran, my Disney story began before I was even born. My dad's last assignment prior to being discharged was at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, putting him in close proximity to Disneyland.  Naturally, that was his first stop as a civilian before coming home to marry my mom.  It made a lasting impression on him, and he dreamed of sharing the experience with his own kids.  Once my sister and I were teens, Mom and Dad made that dream come true by taking us to Walt Disney World since Florida was more accessible from Tennessee than California.  What was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip became our family's annual vacation tradition, one that is still going strong.  While I don't have kids of my own, I've thoroughly enjoyed sharing my love of Disney vacations with my sister's four kids, both at Walt Disney World and aboard Disney Cruise Line.

About My Disney Experience

My first trip to Walt Disney World was in 1987 during its 15th birthday celebration.  One of my earliest memories of that trip was aboard the ferry boat, sailing toward Magic Kingdom while watching Donald Duck and Goofy water ski on Seven Seas Lagoon.  I had never seen anything like it and was completely mesmerized.  Since then, I've been lucky enough to visit Walt Disney World dozens of times, and each time I make it a priority to try something new.  Between family trips, multigenerational trips, solo trips, friend trips and even a few runDisney "runcations," each vacation is unique. 

In 2011, we added Disney Cruise Line to the mix, and we've been hooked ever since.  I've sailed on 15 Disney Cruises, including almost every Disney ship.  My favorite vacation is a land/sea combination beginning with my DVC home resort, Copper Creek at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, followed by a high seas adventure aboard the Disney Fantasy.

Now that my parents are older, I've learned to navigate Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line with the needs of aging adults in mind.  The familiarity of Disney vacations has made it possible for them to travel with my help.  We've been able to keep making memories because of the ones we made in the past, and that's an incredible gift. 

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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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