It’s been a week and a half since our trip to Marceline but the sights I saw and the people I met are still very fresh in my mind and will certainly remain so for a long time to come.

It was quite an experience to visit the town where Walt spent some of his childhood years and I think even now, more than a 100 years later, the town has that special quality that was such an influence and inspiration to Walt in his later years. A big part of that specialness is the current residents. Every single person we met was so welcoming and really made us feel like a part of the Marceline family. Kaye Malins, the director of the Walt Disney Hometown Museum and her team of volunteers did a fabulous job making sure that we were all well taken care of and that we had a great time. If you ever find yourself in Missouri, I highly recommend making a stop in Marceline – you won’t be disappointed!

Of course the day wouldn’t have been possible without the work of the awesome D23 team. That team, along with several folks from the Walt Disney Archives made sure the day went smoothly from start to finish. The great thing about the team is that you can tell they are all big Disney fans themselves. They enjoy experiencing all these things just as much as we do, which I think is one of the reasons why the D23 events I’ve attended are always very special.

Another great thing about this event, and really ANY D23 event is just the opportunity to connect with other Disney fans. Other than Colorado Dad, I don’t have any other close friends that share my Disney obsession, so having events like these where I can meet other Disney fans in person is great. In Marceline, we were able to reconnect with some friends we’ve met before and we met several new people that I’m sure we’ll keep in touch with going forward.

I’m often asked if I feel like being a D23 member is worth the price. I’m a gold member, so also receive the magazine, which I love and look forward to every quarter, but the real value I get is from the events. It’s true that many of the events are in California, so we don’t get to attend many of them, but I’ve been able to attend at least 2 events per year and every one of them has been an awesome experience. For us, being D23 members is definitely worth it and we are looking forward to attending more events in the future.

Make sure to check out D23′s recap of the Journey to Marceline for lots of additional pictures showcasing more of the amazing town of Marceline! And don’t forget to read Part 1 and Part 2 of my trip report if you’ve missed them