For Infrastructure Analyst II Marcel Perez, there was no better place to celebrate his 5-year anniversary with Arthrex than the Most Magical Place on Earth. Marcel, his wife and their four kids traveled to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida for a Trip of a Lifetime full of family fun and magical memories.
The last time they went, his two youngest children were too little to truly remember it, but Marcel wanted his kids to experience just about everything that Disney had to offer.
“I still remember when I rode on Space Mountain with my grandmother as a child,” he said. “It’s a core memory of mine. And now my kids can make their own.”
For this vacation, they all brought matching Disney shirts. Marcel even purchased the Photo Pass so he could capture all the magical moments on and off the rides.
Over five days, they explored Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, dedicating at least one full day to each park. His parents even got to join them for the first two days.
“I got to see my parents being kids again,” he said. “They were so happy and excited to get in line for photos with all of the characters.”
His youngest son really got into the photo groove too.
“He walked up to every character he could while holding onto his Mickey doll,” said Marcel. “Just to see his little face with each meeting meant a lot.”
When they weren’t meeting characters and munching down on classic Disney snacks like Mickey Ice Cream, they were on the rides. While most of the kids loved the coasters, Marcel’s 8-year-old daughter discovered her own fear of roller coasters on the trip.
In each photo with Marcel and his kids enjoying a coaster, his daughter’s look of terror was easy to spot.
“After we rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, she was done with the coasters,” he recalled.
But that didn’t dissuade the rest of them from getting in their ride thrills.
From waking up early to enter the virtual queues for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Tron Lightcycle Power Run, to getting Genie Passes and Lighting Lanes to skip the lines for rides like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Marcel and his family made sure they went on all of the most popular attractions.
He was amazed by the detail and care that Disney put into making their worlds and rides as immersive as possible.
“I got to ride Tron in the front row where you couldn’t see anyone or anything else but the track, and I felt like I was really on a Lightcycle,” said Marcel. “And when we rode Avatar Flight of Passage, it felt like we were there. You can actually feel the Banshee breathing under you as you fly.”
As huge Star Wars fans, Marcel and his older son were especially ecstatic to visit Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios for the first time.
“It was like all of my childhood memories came to life,” Marcel said. “Everything from the credit card machines right down to the Coke bottles were detailed to fit perfectly into the world.”
On the very last night, the family returned to Hollywood Studios to catch the light show Fantasmic and the infamous Disney fireworks.
Even though the vacation ended, the family got Pixie Dust Annual Passes. Now, there are plenty of opportunities for Marcel and his family to come back to make more memories, and also maybe a lightsaber or two at Galaxy’s Edge.
“Going to Disney World as a kid is one of my core memories, and seeing my own children get to experience it and build their own memories was amazing,” he said. “I’m so grateful to work for this amazing company which values us and gives us opportunities to go on trips like this. It is truly unlike any other company.”
Marcel is already planning his next Trip of a Lifetime: A two-week road trip to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
“I want it to be all about the journey and all the little stops we’ll make along the way,” he said. “I already have the route mapped out.”
For every five years of employment with Arthrex, employees are eligible for a company-paid Trip of a Lifetime to recognize their dedication. Look for more Trip of a Lifetime highlights on the Arthrex Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.