In the early morning darkness of a cool October day when I was six years old, my mother, father, older sister and I piled our brown Subaru station wagon with suitcases, in-car amusements and little-kid homework to help us keep pace for the two weeks we would be away. We strapped in and headed south. Destination? Disney World. It was an automatic — no debate or contemplation required. For my parents, the timeline was simple: marriage, birth of two children and, when they deemed my sister and me old enough to enjoy it, Disney World. Period.

The Land of the Mouse occupies a unique place in our culture as the essential family vacation destination. Essential as in if family or childhood were a religion, Walt Disney World (WDW) would be its pilgrimage site. Although Disney does not release attendance numbers, more than two million Canadians travel to central Florida each year, and it’s a safe bet that the vast majority do so to pay Mickey a visit. And most aren’t rookies — of every three Canadians who visit WDW, two are visiting for their second (or third, or fourth) time.

The reason why isn’t so clear. After all, journeying to the Sunshine State from the Great White North, by wheel or by wing, is not particularly easy or cheap, and families today have a lot of different travel options. Part of the allure surely has to do with WDW’s sheer size and variety — four massive theme parks, two water parks, 32 hotels, more than 300 restaurants (serving 6,000 different food items) and a myriad of other entertainment options sprawling over 120 square kilometres (roughly the size of Ottawa).

Plus, all of the attractions are designed for families to enjoy together, and each one is an immersive experience. At WDW, a roller coaster is never just a ride — it’s a complete story, with plot, setting and characters (fittingly, all Disney employees are known as “cast members”).

“Everything you go on is a whole experience. Even when you’re waiting in line, it’s already part of it. There’s no downtime — it’s all fun, fun, fun,” says Kelly Raftis, who visited WDW last year with her husband, Paul, and kids, Grace, 8, Jack, 6, and Mary, 4, plus more than a dozen extended family members and her parents, who made the trip their Christmas gift to their children and grandchildren.

But, perhaps most importantly, WDW gives visitors the feeling of being transported away to a land of marvel and wonder. This experience is hard to describe, and involves a mysterious combination of factors that Disney simply calls “the magic.” Parents and kids alike fall under its spell. “My kids were in awe; they were almost shaking,” says Raftis, who lives in Guelph, Ont. “Everybody experiences it, no matter what age. We were all struck by Disney magic.” Zalan Hadadean and his family — wife Alana, and son Alexandru, 1, were also enchanted. “They create an entire world of fantasy,” says the Windsor, Ont., father. “It’s completely encompassing, from the minute you get there until the minute you leave.”

Over the decades, the magic has made its mark. “It’s somehow embedded into everybody’s mind. We all remember it from when we were kids,” says Hadadean. And Disney keeps things fresh, constantly updating old favourites, adding new attractions, and creating unique celebrations. All of this means that people keep coming — and keep coming back. Both the Raftis and Hadadean families are planning their next trip, and Hadadean, whose visit was his first, is spreading the word. “People leave with such a positive impression that when they come home they feel compelled to tell others about it. I came home and I think I sent five families there who were on the fence about going,” he says. “My son is in love with the place and my wife had a great time, and I’m so happy that when my buddy told me that he was taking his wife and kids skiing, I said “Skiing — are you crazy? You’ve got to go to Disney!”

Since that initial visit at the age of six, contributing editor Tim Johnson has returned to Walt Disney World five times. He is well acquainted with “the magic.”

Fun Facts

• There are enough Mouse Ear hats sold each year to cover the head of every man, woman and child in St. John’s, Nfld. — three times over — and enough Disney character T-shirts to clothe every resident of Toronto and Halifax combined.

• 62,000: The approximate number of “cast members,” making Walt Disney World the largest single-site employer in the US.

• 0: The number of stones in the Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle — the entire structure is made of fibreglass.

• Every year, more than 75 million Cokes, 10 million hamburgers, 6 million hot dogs, 9 million pounds of fries and 1.6 million turkey drumsticks are consumed at WDW.

• 1.5 million: The estimated number of sunglasses turned into the WDW lost-and- found since its opening in 1971. Other items found — and claimed — include a glass eye and a potty seat.

• 72 years: How long it would take to stay in every room at every hotel at WDW (at a rate of one room per night).