JARED SOARES The Roanoke Times

Chuck Lionberger (right) has collected pins and other Walt Disney World memorabilia during six visits to the Florida resort.

JARED SOARES The Roanoke Times

Chuck Lionberger (right) has collected pins and other Walt Disney World memorabilia during six visits to the Florida resort.

Chuck Lionberger is the go-to guy when it comes to Roanoke County Public Schools but what many people may not know is that the often-quoted school spokesman wears another hat -- one sprouting mouse ears.

Lionberger is Disney's biggest fan, according to United Vacations, the travel agency division of United Airlines, which recently awarded him an all-expenses paid trip to Walt Disney World.

Lionberger, 39, remembers exactly when he fell in love with the magical world of Disney. It was the summer of 2007, as he and his family entered Epcot theme park from what was then Disney-MGM Studios. He said he could feel the suspense building as he neared Spaceship Earth, the golf ball-like structure that is the landmark of Epcot.

"I can remember at that moment looking at it," he said. "I felt like I was coming home for the first time. I found where I was. I found where I wanted to be."

That sensation returned when he caught the first glimpse of Cinderella Castle -- and the feelings resurface during each visit when he sees the two attractions for the first time.

Soon Lionberger, his wife Michelle, aka Mickey (yes, he is married to Mickey); and their three children, Harrison, 12; Ian, 9 and Gillian, 8, will enjoy a four-night fairy tale vacation. This will mark the family's seventh trip to the Florida resort.

"It is kind of a rite of passage for childhood -- taking a trip to Disney World," Lionberger said.

While you likely won't see him donning the mouse ears at a school board meeting, his boss, Superintendent Lorraine Lange, said it is no secret around the office that Lionberger is a Disney fanatic.

"I don't have to go to Florida to find Disney," Lange said. "His office is covered with Disney items and we often see him in a Disney shirt."

And it doesn't stop there. On a recent morning, Disney tunes played softly from a stereo in his office, including "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," the theme song of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, an attraction in Tomorrowland. The wallpaper of his desktop computer is Spaceship Earth. A shadow box of Disney pins hangs on one wall, and on another is a canvas print of Mickey from "Fantasia" and Lionberger's bib number from the Walt Disney World half marathon.

"I am not a runner," he said emphatically.

The half marathon was about the experience. Lionberger earned a Donald Duck medal and said one day he will return for the full marathon -- just for the Mickey Mouse medal. In January he ran the race with several buddies he met at MagicMeets, a fan convention in Pennsylvania. The group he raced with raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

There is one medal higher, the Goofy medal for running both marathons. Running a half marathon one day and full the next would be goofy, Lionberger said. But he didn't rule it out.

Also on his list of things to do is visiting Disneyland Resort in California. He said he is interested in turning the fandom into something more. He currently maintains a blog called "DisneyDaddy," takes hundreds of photos every trip to Walt Disney World, writes articles for Celebrations magazine and records podcasts from WDW Radio.

Lionberger enters so many Disney contests, he forgot about entering the United Vacations one until a fat envelope arrived in his mailbox in September. At first he was skeptical, so he had a travel agency friend check it out.

Then Lionberger phoned the Disney representative listed in the prize letter and quizzed her on the company's specifics to see if the letter was legit.

Airfare, lodging and lots of extras are included in the package, including Cirque du Soleil tickets, Swedish massages for the adults, a two-hour pirate sailing adventure for the children -- and a view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks show aboard the Grand 1 Yacht in the Seven Seas Lagoon.

"It is such an exclusive experience and not probably something I would do on our own hook," Lionberger said.

The Lionbergers are annual pass holders, so they are holding onto the prize tickets for yet another visit. The airfare is a major perk because the family most often makes the drive -- nearly 12 hours -- from Roanoke. But there was one problem with the $7,000 prize package: The trip was for only four people. Lionberger called up United Airlines and purchased an additional plane ticket; when he contacted Disney, the resort added another slot to the itinerary -- free of charge. That is the magic of the place, he said.

Lionberger's favorite park is Epcot and his favorite character is Mickey, of course. The vanity license plate on his minivan is "MICKY FN."

So now the tough question, which ride is his favorite?

Soarin' at Epcot -- it is a multisensory attraction that simulates a hang-gliding trip over California.

"I know it's a ride. I know it's a film. I know all the technical background ... but I can suspend all that and ride and feel like I am flying," he said.