Welcome to The DPN

As DPN WestFest 2013 officially draws to a close, I feel the need to point out a couple highlights from this year's event. The theme this year turned from "Bring a Friend" to "SURPRISE!" as a few folks who led us all to believe that they would be absent, showed up. I also enjoy seeing kids starting to attend regularly (and no, I am not referring to the adults in the group who refuse to grow up) and bring their version of Disney fun to the group.

I want to thank all of you DPNers that made this year's WestFest such a great success. A Thank You to all who took on the burden of hosting a meet. Which meant creating new ways to have Disney fun, making schwag, giving away prizes, and schlepping it all around The Parks. A Thank You to the Bleepin' Wife for all her organizing and planning work along with making and laminating schedules for all of us. Lastly, and definitely most importantly, a Big Thank You to ALL of you who showed up. Without your willingness to travel, to let your Disney time to be somewhat scheduled, and your desire to spend time with your online friends and family, there would be no DPN WestFest. Whatsoever. A sobering thought because I know MY life has been enriched by getting to know you all.

The next THREE DPN WestFests have been scheduled and the dates can be found here (http://tinyurl.com/dpnwfdates). I know 2014 might be rough because of the late Easter. 2015 and 2016 have been purposely scheduled 51 weeks apart to allow for the opportunity to get two WestFests out of one Annual Pass. This was done because in 2016 we'll be celebrating our 10th WestFest and the 10th Anniversary of the founding of The DPN. Accordingly, in 2016 WestFest will be a bigger deal than normal and we will most likely see the return of the DPN Banquet with some sort of headline entertainment. Another reason for the three year notification of our 10th Anniversary is that it may very well be the last DPN WestFest. We want to go out with a bang if that turns out to be true.

I want to close with a reminder that We are a unique, tight-knit community of which I truly enjoy being a member. I look forward to every opportunity we have to spend time together playing in a Disney Park and I am saddened when those times come to a close. Until we meet up again in a Park, I will be "seeing" you somewhere on the internet.

Thank you again,

Mike