On your next Disney vacation, you may not notice the Frontierland cowboys moving through secret corridors in and out of the park. You will probably never see the imagineer studios where designers are fusing together robot animatronics or the Disney artist studios where painters and wood carvers are making the next attraction's hand-crafted signs.

You may not know what rides are being planned for 2009, or who the CEO of the Walt Disney Company is, but you can rest assured there's a huge team of Disney executives working behind-the-scenes at making your family's trip the experience of a lifetime.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that the Disney Company is pulling behind-the-scenes strings. When visitors enter Disney World Orlando, Tokyo Disneyland or one of the many Disney "empires," the illusion becomes real.

Every care and worry simply ceases to exist for people on their family Disney vacation, which is just the way Walt and Roy Disney imagined it. Like any business, there is competition, and with Universal planning a new Simpsons ride and a Harry Potter theme park, the Walt Disney Company knows it must keep developing or be left in the dust.

There are several projects being undertaken by Disney for 2008-2009. In California, the Mark VII Monorail is being developed to help transport people between parks, and new attractions for the ailing, Disneyland California park, including the Walt Disney Plaza, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color and the Little Mermaid Under the Sea Adventure.

Walt Disney World Orlando is changing the name of Disney MGM Studios to Hollywood Studios and is adding an American Idol attraction and Spaceship Earth is undergoing renovation at Epcot. The last major addition at Disney World Orlando was 2006's $100 million Mount Everest rollercoaster set in the Animal Kingdom. Tokyo Disneyland is adding the Monsters Inc. Ride and Go Seek attraction as well.

Perhaps the most anticipated new attraction is Toy Story Mania being developed for both American parks. In this ride, guests will board vehicles and navigate through a carnival midway, where they'll stop at several 3-D virtual reality game screens. Disneyworld executives hope to meet people's expectations and desire for instant gratification by greeting guests waiting in line with costumed cast members and a one-million-dollar singing animatronic Mr. Potato Head.

Once inside, Toy Story characters like Bo Peep, Woody and the Piggy Bank will be the carnival operators. "We look at it as gaming meets immersive storytelling," explained one of the designers.

Over the years, the package deals are getting a little sweeter to attract the budget-conscious. Consider that some Disney World vacation packages including a Disney resort room, dining plan and park ticket start at $79 per person, which is less than the cost of a single park admission ticket!

The "no expiration date" ticket option appeals to many families, too, enabling them to come back time and time again. Over the years, the Walt Disney Company imagineers have remained true to its original dream: to provide memorable, fun and educational vacations to families, spanning as many as three generational lines!