Celebrating One Year of DisneyTouristBlog.com!
It’s hard to believe, but DisneyTouristBlog.com launched one year ago today. In that time, we’ve seen a strong surge in readership, growing from 1 reader (my mom–even I didn’t read this garbage!) back on February 24, 2011 to over 11 readers today (our dog and cat count, right?). As we reach our anniversary date today, we’re quite proud that this has been our most successful week ever, traffic-wise, and we still have two days to go before the week is over!
It’s been a lot of fun sharing our photos, reviews, and other content with you, and we really appreciate all of your support. It’s almost cliche for a website to thank its readers for helping it grow, but really, without all you readers, this blog would not have grown like it has. As you may know, there are a lot of Disney fan-based websites out there, and given the sheer number of other sites, especially those that have been well-established since the late 1990s, it’s very difficult for a new site to find a readership. While we’re nowhere as popular as some of the big Disney fan sites, we have been shocked and amazed at how many of you have read and shared our content. From the bottom of our hearts, we sincerely thank you for that, and we hope you continue to read and share our content with your Disney-loving friends. There’s a reason we basically beg you to share the content at the end of most posts we write—because that really does help us reach a greater audience. So continue to share! If you do and we see you in the parks, we’ll buy you a cookie or something.
When we welcomed you to the site on February 24, 2011 (check out the post to see our original logo!), our mission statement, of sorts, was to offer a website that would be “different from the myriad of other Disney sites out there offering travel advice, as we will interject our wit, unique writing style, and quality photography to supplement our objective-as-possible takes on our experiences.” Now, I’d like to think we’ve stayed true to that as much as possible, but please let us know if we have deviated from this aim, or if we ever do. We don’t want to go on “auto-pilot” churning out the same press release style fluff that is found on some other sites, so make sure to keep us in line if that has (or ever does) happen.
We’ve had a lot of fun this first year—for those of you who have just joined us, here are a handful of our favorite posts from the past year:
Is the Disney Dining Plan Worth It?
Ultimate Disney Vacation Packing List
Photo & Video from Walt Disney World’s 40th Anniversary
Is Disney Vacation Club Right For You?
Top 11 Photos from 2011
Tips for Buying Photography Equipment
Drinking Around the World at Epcot
5 Tips for Awesome Vacation Photos
Disneyland to Walt Disney World Coast-to-Coast Trip Report
Cinderella Castle Suite Tour
Club 33 at Disneyland Photos & Review
As for the future? Well, there’s a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day. We have a lot of exciting Disney-related things on our plates this year, some of which are planned for the website, and some are not. None of these things are ready to be announced quite yet (so why the heck did we just tease them—sorry about that!), but many of them should be pretty exciting. As always, we plan on continuing to travel way-too-much (look for us out at Disneyland for “One More Disney Day”) and reporting on our experiences with all of you.
With that said, to all who have come to this happy place, DisneyTouristBlog.com, THANKS!
-Sarah & Tom Bricker
Tom & Sarah, congratulation on your first anniversary! You guys are doing a brilliant job. Have you quit your day jobs yet?
CONGRATS on the 1 year anniversary!!!
I LOVE your blog, all the articles, reviews, and of course…pictures!!
You and Sarah both take incredible pictures! They transport me immediatly to my favorite place in the world! I myself love to take pictures while in WDW, I am no where as great as you are, but one day I hope to be. Especially since I now am a listener of your podcast too!
I can’t wait to see what the furture holds! Keep up the AMAZING job!
Hope to one day meet you and Sarah!
Hope you’re enjoying both the website and the podcast–best of luck on your photographic-voyage!!!
Belated congratulations on your first anniversary! I always look forward to your trip reports – they’ve helped pass many a dull day at work!
Glad we could help!
Congratulations! February 24th is a wonderful day for an anniversary (my husband and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary this year on 2/24). I love reading your blog for entertainment and information. It is a magical place, for sure. I wish you both continued success!
Congratulations on 11 years of marriage!
Found your site about 6 months ago.I have come to really enjoy your trip reports and look forward to upcomlng reports.Tom,your photos are amazing.One question though,how long does it take for you and Sarah to recover from your trips?You guys seem to go nonstop all day long.Keep up the great photos and articles.Have a great Disney day!!!
It takes us a couple days to recover. We don’t sleep much in general (even at home), so it’s not a huge change of pace.
Thank you for entertaining us this past year and we look forward to the future years to come. I only found your site a few months ago but have loved reading all of the trip reports previously posted and eagerly anticipate the new additions as they come up. In fact, I save them for when I have a bike workout to do (I am training for an indoor triathlon) and read them there. It is perfect distraction from the pain in my legs and bum! Keep up the good work!
Congrats on the blog and more importantly being able to get so much enjoyment from the trips to Disney you take together. That makes me fan number 12, right?
I too have gotten an ND filter thanks to the amazing photos, I’ll send you a picture of the bill. 😀
Congratulations Tom and Sarah on the One Year Anniversary of the Disney Tourist Blog.
It was bokeh shots of a handsome Henry Work at Club 33 that got me started on this blog and its the hope for more bokeh shots of Henry Work at a future review of Napa Rose that has me continuing to read. It’s not easy, but I’m toughing my way through it.
Also, a shout-out to fellow reader and cat extraordinaire Yosarrian. Woot!
I dont go a day without checking your blog for updates and reading you clever words!
Clever words?! You must be thinking of some other blog!
Congratulations! I still read your Blog, great job Tom and Sarah.
And now 10 others read it along with you! 😉
Wow it has been a year already. Of coarse this site has cost me a lens (Sigma 30-f1.4) and a ND filter. That brings the Bricker responsible total to 2 lenses and a Filter. :-). It has been a great go to place for gear and info though. Great job guys.
Send me the bill!
…I won’t pay it, but if it makes you better to send it to me, go for it!
Congrats to 1 year! It was an honor to meet both of you on Oct 1st last year in the Magic Kingdom! My mom was the one who introduced me to this site and I can’t thank her enough! Thanks for all the great posts, reviews, trip reports, photos, etc and here’s to many more magical years! 🙂
Happy Anniversary Disney Tourist Blog!! Tom and Sara, thanks so much for sharing your trips with us. I’ve been reading for about 8 months and it’s been very entertaining. I tell all of my Disney friends about your site. You capture the magic of Disney and bring it to all of us and make the waits between visits more bearable. You are truly talented. I first heard about the site from a post on Touring Plans. Now, when I see your articles on their site, I automatically recognize your quirky writing style. I love it! All of it…the photos the trip reports, and the reviews. From one Disney geek to another, keep it coming!
8 months and you’re STILL reading this nonsense?!? I can send you a list of good websites if you need something worthwhile to read! 😉
It is my also my birthday today! Glad I share the anniversary with such a great site – good work Tom and Sarah – a stand-out site in a big field. Looking forward to 2012 where I am sure there will be plenty more amazing posts to come.
Thanks, and Happy Birthday!
Cool you share a Birthday with the late Steve Jobs.
I never knew that… thanks Doug!
I just found you today via a link in the Disney Food Blog. I am from Indianapolis area also (Plainfield). I recognized the airport picture and then went to the About tab and it verified that. Love your photos and trip reports. I am love Disney.
Glad you came over to check out our site. We love Disney Food Blog–it has been a great inspiration for us. AJ clearly has a passion for Disney Dining, and her great work with the DFB reflects that!
Congratulations! I can’t believe its only been a year!? I guess because I remember scouring the DIS boards for your trip reports. Glad you’ve expanded and thanks for all the great articles! Can’t wait to see the new projects!
OH my gosh! Has it really been a year? Time flies! Awesome as always, it was great seeing you grow from the best Trip Reports on WDW Magic to here. 😀 Hope to see you around the parks!
Yeah, it seems much shorter to us, too. We’ve put a lot of work into the site, so it feels great that it’s finally turning a corner and gaining some traction.
You know i feel like I have been reading on here for way more than a year, either way keep the good stuff coming
Mazel tov to the both of you. I’ve really enjoyed seeing the progress and reading all the articles and trip reports. Keep up the fantastic work… time to read part 2, though, of your February trip!
Congrats on the big one-year anniversary! I found your site a few months ago and I’ve really enjoyed reading the trip reports. The great photos and entertaining stories make the time between visits to the World much more bearable. Keep up the great work!
Glad you’re enjoying the site so far!