Seven years. Wow. Already?

My kids were tiny, and one of them wasn’t even in school yet when I started this site way back in 2006. Now one is in college and the youngest is in Middle School. I have told the story so many times, but I started this place as a haven for Disney fans who want something MORE– something extra special without fear of being ridiculed or made fun of, edited, or treated unfairly.

Walt’s Basement Disney Forum (www.walts-basement.com) is a site that truly cares about it’s staff and it’s members, on and offline. It matters not if you are active now or were active in 2007, you are part of our online family and we welcome you when you are able to spend time with us. We miss you when you go and celebrate when you stay. We send you pixie dust when things are not going so good for you, and we shout for joy when you share good news with us. EVERYONE, regardless of where they come from or what they do for a living, matters here- as we are all united by our love of all things Disney.

Recently, I was told that someone asked another party about our site and another person told them not to bother- that we took a lot of time to participate on our site- that they could just join the Facebook Groups or follow us or other Disney things through social media, and that we weren’t worth the effort that it takes. Now I think that people would expect me to be hurt by this, or even get angry, but you know what I did? I laughed. It is obvious to me that anyone who has ever been involved- really involved- with our site knows that it is WELL worth the effort. We have done so much good together. Our members, Mods and Board Members have joined forces to brighten so many faces with smiles by mailing packages and goodies. We have provided coats for children who could not afford them in the cold weather, and school supplies for an entire special education classroom. We have furnished families with toys for their children to unwrap on Christmas morning, and even meals for Thanksgiving dinners. Donations to food pantries in different communities have been given by Walt’s Basement, and I happen to recall many of our members bonding together to raise funds for a very special little girl to get a specially made therapy bike, too. There are so many things we have done…..and so many things we have yet to do. We care for our online family!

No, we are not just social media, thank goodness. We do take more than a couple of sentences to get involved and get to know one another, which is a pretty rare thing these days. And when we do take that precious time to get to know someone, we invest in them and accept them as part of our group here. Before too long, I bet they even get slipped a Mickey in their mailbox (and yes, that is a very good thing). Heck, they could even get Blitzed (again, a good thing!).

Many of us have been around since the pilot year of WB, and some have only been around for a few months, but we are all united in the mission that we are trying to accomplish and have set out to since day one- to spread as much Disney magic as possible. So thank you to all of you for sharing in the dream- my dream- for WB and our dream for Disney magic. I could not have done this without you and I am forever grateful to each of you that have stood by me (and my family) through the past seven years and the growth and development of this amazing site. I can not wait to see what the future holds.

– MZTRESSOFALLEVIL

When and how did Walt’s Basement first reach you or make an impact on you? Share your story with us, and if you haven’t joined us yet- sign up today so you can share your story with us on our next Anniversary, because I know you will have one before long.