Flag Retreat at MK

[hucifer]

Anyone do this? I read about it in the Unofficial Guide and am interested in doing this for hubby, who is a veteran.

 

[disnut8]

It's a very nice ceremony that hardly anyone knows about. It takes place at the flag just outside the train station at 5:00 every day. Get there about 4:45 and sit on the bench on the circle facing the train station. Do not sit inside the circle near the flag itself. That area will be roped off for the ceremony. At 5:00, the music will begin and the ceremony will start. There will be a veteran to which the flag will be presented to. It's really nice and moving. I'm not sure how to get your husband to be that veteran but you can inquire at Guest Relations when you get there.

In my opinion, this is a not to be missed thing if you are at the Magic Kingdom anywhere near 5:00.

 

[hucifer]

Thank you!

 

[nrsldy]

I had this arranged last year for my DH. It was a very moving ceremony. I would call Disney to arrange this. I know that the CM at AKL concierge called MK city hall and talked with someone to make the arrangements.
Good Luck!

 

[Ambifins]

I have to add my encouragement. I'm pretty jaded (even when it comes to Disney), but I found the flag ceremony remarkably moving. I stumbled upon it by accident and couldn't pull myself away. It was very stirring.
I've since gone back to see it a couple of times, and it wasn't the same ceremony (no veterans, no band, just four of Disney's security guards), but that may just have been because I was there at a very low season.
Good luck.

 

[hucifer]

I appreciate all of your replies! Thanks for the encouragement everyone!

I did a search on this and did not find many threads about the flag retreat, but the ones I did find were pretty informative. It brought a tear to my eye just reading other's experiences with it.

I am so happy to have found the information in the Unofficial Guide because I never knew about it. I do think my wonderful DH will be moved by this gesture to arrange it for him. I want to keep it a secret, though. I think this will be a memorable (and moving) surprise for him.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[ghcoughlin]

We planned on seeing this on our first trip.Well our first trip was 2 weeks after 9/11.It was the most emotional thing my family had seen.The crowd was huge.I would say almost everyone had tears in their eyes if not crying.Everyone was singing God Bless America along with the band.I have chills as I write about it.We make this a MUST SEE every trip.As time went by the crowds are much smaller but everyone enjoys it.Put it under one of the best kept secrets at WDW.

 

[hucifer]

Put it under one of the best kept secrets at WDW.

No kidding...I've been there several times and I never knew about it!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) It is positively unique!
2) We stumbled upon it in 1989.
3) We were just sitting on a bench when it started.
. . . band
. . . veteran
. . . honor guard (WDW security)
4) They
. . . paraded in behind the band
. . . lowered the flag
. . . let pigeons (doves) loose
5) We try to catch it EVERY visit


NOTE; They stopped the pigeons in 2003. Hawks knew of it and flew around waiting for "lunch". There was a high mortality rate for a while.