I’m leaving for Walt Disney World in 15 days and I cannot contain my excitement! If you’ve ever had the privilege of going away on vacation, remaining focused at work can be difficult once your trip is “officially” booked and all that is left to do is pack & get to the airport on time. Waiting to leave for Disney is no different, and I’ve been officially booked for this trip since almost 200 days ago.
We’ve all met those people who are crazy about Disney. Those people who have seen (almost) every film, have a Rolodex of endless quotes and lines from the movies, can beat you at any Disney-themed trivia game, and just love talking about any and all things Disney. I don’t claim to be the biggest Disney fan ever, because I know that Disney has a very universally shared love and appreciation, and most people at one point or another grew up with something Disney-related in their household. Now, this doesn’t mean that I won’t talk Disney with you for hours on end, or share my thoughts and opinions of films, merch, the parks etc. but I am by no means an expert, and having the privilege to visit the parks more than once in my lifetime has affirmed that Disney really does resonate with almost everyone, that’s pretty special. And no one cares what you know and how much you do know, no one needs to be if an expert!
Since I was young, I adored all-things Disney. I remember having a collection of all the Seven Dwarfs plushies (Snow White was my favourite), as well as various princess pencil cases and school supplies, Lion King toys, and of course Disney clothes! One of my favourite items was a Pocahontas piggy bank that I received for one of my birthdays, and I kept it for so many years (even as a teenager) until it broke in my early 20s; sad day! I even remember getting the Disney video games; does anyone else remember how difficult that one level in the Aladdin game was for Sega Genesis? I remember seeing The Lion King on Broadway in New York during my Grade 12 Arts trip in High School; it was such an incredible show. Oh, the memories!
It wasn’t until 2014 that I had the chance to visit Walt Disney World for the very first time. I was in my mid-20s and I was probably as excited as a six-year-old to be finally visiting the famous castle and theme park. I honestly did not know what to expect. Going back to that whole being an expert thing, it’s amazing how much advice you can get from people as soon as you tell them you’re going to Disney World for the first time; I must have received 20 pages worth of advice on where to eat, what to do, what characters to meet, how to get the most of your time and money, and whatever other expertise people wanted to give me. Honestly, while it was a nice gesture, none of it was very helpful. In fact, it made my trip quite overwhelming, and I had not even started packing yet! Everyone who had been before wanted to help give me tips, but the trouble is that they all had a different idea of the best things to do, see, eat etc. Alas, I decided to take it upon myself to do as little planning as possible.
Yep. Being someone who naturally loves to plan and organize, not planning out all the details was a little challenging, but I made sure to make only a small checklist of things I really wanted to do, and then the rest would just fall in place, if possible! I did my own research and very quickly skimmed the recommendations given to me from friends, coworkers, etc. and came up with a list of 2 or 3 things at most that I wanted to do at each park. I wanted to go into the parks and really just enjoy the experience, take my time walking around and coming across anything that intrigued me, not going off of a schedule and having to check things off my list. I didn’t want my vacation to seem like a chore or task list, so I stuck to my 2-3 things, and the rest just fell into place!
During my first trip, I visited the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios only. I was blown away by how amazing both parks were. It was neat to see things from my childhood come to life and to feel like I really had stepped inside those beloved books and films. Oh, and not to mention how incredibly cool it was to interact with some of my favourite Disney characters. One of the cheesy-but-true things about Disney World is that it really is the happiest place on earth. It’s difficult to be in Disney World and not be smiling, laughing, or in good spirits. Yes, there are miserable people walking around, whether that be screaming kids, hot and bothered patrons sick of waiting in line, or whomever, but the overall atmosphere is really a pleasant one. There are always parades, little performances/acts, characters or things to see, rides to go on (for all intensity levels), and honestly, just the aesthetics of the parks are very pleasing. I honestly believe that you don’t truly appreciate the park until you are older, but of course, that can be said for most things! Also, I recognize my bias because I never went as a child.
My next trip was in 2016 and this time I visited Epcot, Animal Kingdom and returned to the Magic Kingdom. Once again, I travelled with an open agenda (apart from 2-3 things I wanted to do). Luckily we were attending some pretty special events happening at the parks: Food and Wine Festival and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. For anyone who doesn’t know, Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival showcases special dishes and drinks from all over the world, and you can get a specially priced passport to try items from every kiosk. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is an after-hours event at Magic Kingdon where you can dress up in costume, ride some of the rides, and go around collecting Halloween treats at various stops in the park. The coolest thing about the Halloween party is that many of the Villains come out and you can meet them, and there is also a wicked parade showcasing Disney’s best villains. I recommend both of these events to anyone interested in an awesome experience at the parks, especially because dressing up for Halloween never gets old!
I could dedicate many separate blogs for all things Disney and Walt Disney World, this entry was just a chance for me to openly discuss how I’ve been reflecting about my upcoming trip. This will be my third time at Disney World, and I am happy to say that I have had the opportunity to visit the parks with my BFF each time. For all the fun vacations can be, they can also be tiring and uncomfortable at times. Yet, when I travel with my BFF, we never have a dull moment and quite literally are the perfect travel companions. We have travelled so much together that we understand each other’s behaviours and patterns and travelling with her really takes any worry out of the travelling process. Partaking in an adventure like Walt Disney World can be quite the ordeal because there are so many things to consider (like dining, how long you want to stay at the parks, what kind of rides or attractions you like) and what you want out of your experience. Since we are BFF’s it is easy for us to stay on the same page, while still knowing that the other one will get the most out of our trip. As I’ve said in prior posts, the company you keep is SO IMPORTANT!
I will definitely be writing about my trip, probably in more detail, when I get back, but preparing for my vacation has given me the opportunity to really relish in what makes a vacation to Walt Disney World so magical. I truly enjoy the little moments and details of Disney World, and capturing everything I can in photos and video! I love getting swept up in all the magic and getting lost in the moment. When I visit Disney World, I am reminded of why I love Disney so much; it allows me to adventure to a far off place and forgets my worries! Hakuna Matata – it means no worriesÂ
(until the end of your stay- when you get your credit card statement!) Bahaha!Â
Five Feet High Thoughts 