By Ingrid Meilan
Erin Andrews is a lifelong Disney fan. “I grew up in Florida,” the Dancing with the Stars co-host tells D23, “So I was basically raised at Walt Disney World.” Living only 90 minutes from Orlando, the sportscaster says that she was lucky enough to visit the parks on a regular basis. “My parents would take my sister and me if we wanted to have dinner one night or if we wanted to pop in for a couple of rides or watch some fireworks!”
Andrews says what she loves most about Disney is that the memories she created at the parks revolve around the people she loves. “For me, Disney is all about family,” she says. “My dad loves Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney. From the movies, to the music, to the rides, to the food, to just walking down Main Street, U.S.A, Disney is something my whole family loves.”
While prepping for tonight’s episode of Dancing with the Stars, Andrews—who calls the show’s annual Disney-themed night her “favorite night of the year”—took a moment to share her “Fab Five” Disney memories with D23.
1. Family bonding time at the Magic Kingdom
“Once my family and I went to the late, late dinner at Cinderella Castle during a tropical storm, and it was just raining and windy and the fireworks still went off! I remember watching them and my dad saying, ‘Only Disney could pull off fireworks in a tropical storm!’ We left the castle and the park had emptied out and I just remember my sister and I doing leaps and jumps and dancing down Main Street, U.S.A. It was so awesome.”
2. The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
“A big family tradition we have is going to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. It’s an old-fashioned country-western dinner show at the Fort Wilderness Resort campgrounds in Orlando. I always loved eating the fried chicken and the strawberry shortcake there. My sister and I would always get picked out of the audience to be a part of the show, which was so much fun.”
3. Knowing the best spot to watch fireworks from
“I have so many memories of hanging out with my family at the various hotels at Disney World. I love the Contemporary Resort—they have a place [the observation deck at California Grill] where you can go outside and listen to music while the fireworks are going off—it’s really fabulous.”
4. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
“Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas at the Magic Kingdom is always so magical because it’s Florida and it’s 90 degrees and somehow they make it snow! My sister and I loved to get in the Christmas spirit and eat chocolate chip cookies.”
5. A very magical proposal
“This past December, my family and I wanted to go to Disneyland to see Christmas decorations. We got to the park and did a couple of rides, and it was funny—my fiancé [hockey player Jarret Stoll] said he had the ring box in his pocket, and when we went on Indiana Jones, I grabbed him and he said he thought, ‘It’s over, she’s going to feel it!’ We went to dinner that night and afterwards he proposed! Then we watched the fireworks while I cried like a baby.”
