After multiple trips to Walt Disney World, we have a few memories that are our absolute favorites. These are the 6 moments when I fell in love with Disney:
Dancing with Prince Charming – Our first trip took place during the week of our oldest’s 5th birthday. I booked 1900 Park Fare for dinner on her birthday night. During the dinner, Cinderella and Prince Charming waltz. Lady Tremaine came up to Emily and asked her to dance and then the prince cut in. I stood on the sidelines beaming. I believe it was that moment that I fell in love with Disney World.
Riding with Alice and the White Rabbit – On our second trip, my daughter and I fell as we were going up the castle rampways. It is humiliating to fall as a grown up and I teared up during Peter Pan. After I composed myself, we headed to Tomorrowland to visit the Speedway. On our way by the Mad Tea Party, Alice came skipping up to us and asked if my children could ride with her and the White Rabbit. Again I stood beaming on the sidelines and I fell in love with Disney even more.
After we lost our son Andrew in a second trimester miscarriage, I told my husband on the way home from the ultrasound that I had to go to Disney World. We went a few months later and on the first morning of our vacation we saw a rainbow over the Polynesian Village Resort. A reader pointed out to me that it looked like there was a baby in the clouds. It was in that moment that I knew that everything was going to be alright. And if it was possible, I fell in love with Disney even more.
Jacob loves characters. He is a very affectionate child and he will wait in line multiple times to hug the same character (not so much now that he is tall enough to ride everything, but it was what he and I did together while his dad and sister rode things he couldn’t). We had a wonderful meet and greet with Minnie Mouse complete with hugs and cuddles and then we left to get a snack. He wanted to meet her again, so we waited. When we got up to her, the Character Handler told me that backstage Minnie Mouse had raved about how sweet Jacob was and how it is moments like that that make her realize how important her role is. Again I beamed.
After we lost Andrew, I posted about the trip on the blog. One of my readers messaged me and offered to let me use her DVC points that were about to expire. She booked us a week in the cabin at Fort Wilderness. I kept that a secret from my husband until we arrived at the parks. I filmed a video as I told him the news.
During our anniversary trip, we went to the private Meet and Greet for Visa Cardholders at Epcot. They told Mickey and Minnie that we were there celebrating our anniversary and they had us pose for this super sweet shot.
I would love to know the moments that you fell in love with Disney.
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I think my favorites are:
1) Riding the boat into Magic Kingdom and hearing my daughter scream, “Princess House, mommy, Princess House.” To date, it’s still the Princess House to us.
2) The first time we took the kids, we came in the front door of MK, I purposely walked the long way around the square to go by the bakery. I then walked her directly in the middle of Main Street and said, “Hannah, turn around!” The look on her face was priceless, I’m tearing up right now.
3) Seeing how big my 10 year old is (he’s 5’5″, 125 lbs and wears a size 10.5 mens shoe), but he still loves his picture taken with Buzz and Baymax and Mickey! He says that part will never get old!
4) The first time we went to Disney, Hannah screamed at ALL the princesses. I had to be in the pictures with her because she was NOT happy. We went to Epcot on our last day, she saw Minnie through the window at Character Spot and Minnie waved. She got inside, and as soon as it was our turn, she ran up to Minnie and threw her arms around her like they were long lost friends. Yep, I need a tissue.
5) Watching my son want to ride Space Mountain at least 5 times a vacation and making sure that all of us ride it with him at different times so he can experience it with mom and dad individually.
No matter how many times we go, it’s a different vacation from the previous one. When we first went the kids were small and it was all about the meet and greets. The next time, it was all about the rides with a little bit of characters mixed in, this last time was ALLLLLL about the rides and how many we could squeeze into a day (and how many times we could continue riding when it rained one time!), Disney will NEVER get old for our family. I turn into a complete 5 year old every time we get on property! :)
AWW !! Those were cool!
I made my husband fall in love with Disney at age 33 (2004). It was his first time along with our son at age 7. It was so awesome to see both of their reactions. Especially when my son was getting his backpack checked (his name was on his bag) & the cast member called my son out by name. My son was floored that the cast member knew his name and my son asked, “How’d you know my name?” The cast member replied, “It’s magic.Like Pixie Dust. We were waiting for you to arrive.”
From that moment on. My husband was sold & both cannot & will not stop telling that story to anyone they meet ‘n say they are going to a Disney park.
I grew up 10 minutes from Disneyland. I went as many times as my mom could afford to take us. 8th grade trip was to Disneyland. All kinds of fun times. But the few times that stand out are in my adult years. I was an intern in the youth group at my church and we took the Jr. Highers to California adventure right when it opened, in college my roommates all had passes and being only 10 minutes away they went all the time as study breaks. I saved up enough money for a day ticket and my boss (the youth pastor) gifted me with the rest so I could buy an annual pass. Then after we got married my husband worked hard so we could actually be at Disneyland on Christmas day. Probably my first time since moving out of California. Then taking my boys to see cars land after it opened. All those times warmed my heart and made me want to go more and more. We have only gone for one day because we got in for free since we have friends that work there, but this year I am saving up for a week long trip.