The Magic Is Real!

[JJZMgailey]

Love you on the Dis Podcast Jackie!!

Thanks, clapton! I'm having a lot of fun on the shows for sure! Glad you're enjoying them too!

 

[BigAlsGal]

One of my favorite memories was sitting next to a little girl on a bus. She was probably 7; little thing with blue eyes, blonde hair, and dressed in a Minnie Mouse dress. She was admiring my pins on my lanyard and was asking me questions. She told me she had a lanyard but no pins. I said "Well how about I give you your first pin!"

She looked at her mom and her mom was smiling and nodded her approval. The little girl took the pin. I told her about how she could trade that pin for ANY pin she wanted from a Disney worker wearing them! She was so happy.

The sweetest part was as we all got off the bus her family was walking ahead of us. I saw her turn around and look for me. When she found me she had gotten her lanyard out of her bag and had put it around her neck with her new pin on it. She held it up to show me, waved, and gave me the sweetest smile I'll never forget. What a lovely way to start a magic kingdom morning.

 

[sweetpeama]

My youngest has developmental global delay, global apraxia. and sensory intergration dysfuntion (seeking especially auditory and any feeling of motion). Due to the distance and the cost of all her therapies we have not been able to make a trip since 2010. She was 27.5 months on that trip (developmentally between 15-18 months) and was not making any attempt at spontaneous communication with anyone outside of mama, abba (daddy), papa (her grandpa), oma (her grandma), and her sister. We were waiting in line to get autographs and pictures with Micky and Minnie the evening of our first full day in the world (coming from Montana we didn't even land at the airport until 4 pm). When she had met Donald earlier that evening I had to hand him her book and the pen. I figured that would be the case with Micky and Minnie. She went and took her autograph book out of the spot we kept it in her stroller (due to her needs we were using her stroller as a wheelchair at the advice of her medical team and therapists) and proceeded to go right up to Minnie Mouse and hand her the book and signed please. She is working hard on learning to say Hi Minnie without it sounding like H short i sound M sound short i sound N sound N sound short i sound short e sound and has gotten it to H i (long sound and this is the only word she does this in) Mi N ee.

 

[DisneyMomma1216]

Oh the feels with these stories. So sweet!

Thank you Jackie, for starting this thread!

 

[mdsouth]

I've told our story before so my apologies to those of you who have read it...
My story is at the other end of life's spectrum and about my now deceased mother.
As a child I was a TV Mouse Club fanatic, even known to sleep in my ears, but we lived in the Midwest and, as much as I begged to visit Disneyland when it opened, traveling to CA was not something our family could afford in those days.
When WDW opened in 1971, my folks had retired to FL and I determined that I would take them on my dream to see the new park. I saved for nearly two years. When the the time came and I traveled to FL to pick them up my mother began to invent excuses to stay home...a familiar pattern and one that contributed to our strained relationship. This time, though, dad stepped in and announced that we ALL were going to Disney World! Begrudgingly, mom got in the car. The ride to Orlando was less than pleasant and by the time we were walking down Main Street I was beginning to regret coming.
Then we walked through the Castle. As we reached the other side, Mom saw the carousel. She grabbed my arm and literally shouted, "Can I ride it"? Dad and I glanced at each other, grabbed her little 4'10" body and nearly air walked her to the ride. As we boarded both dad and I thought she would be content to sit on a bench but evidently the woman dropped about twenty years since she spotted the carousel and insisted we "boost her onto this horse"! We did. Dad and climbed onto horses next to her and for the next two minutes I'm certain he and I sat with our mouths agape, watching mom have the time of her life! Who knew she loved carousels???
Dad and I both had tears running down our faces as we helped mom off the horse. She loved the rest of the trip...we all had a magical time and, as silly as it sounds, mom and I became closer following this.
Mom and dad have been gone for a while now and I have trouble hoisting myself onto that horse now, too. But every time I walk down Main Street and through the Castle I can feel them with me again. It's the same magic that touches us all...with no regard for age!

What a sweet memory. This is what makes Disney magical = regular people just letting go and enjoying themselves with their family and friends. It is exactly what Walt and Roy envisioned!

When DS was 6 he was chosen as the Junior Mayor of Mainstreet. The Fire Chief gave him a badge and told him his responsibilities. He needed to take naps like the real mayor but that his main job was to greet visitors. He was supposed to wish children with birthday buttons a "Happy Birthday" as well as anybody else he thought needed to be greeted and celebrated. DS decided to take these duties very seriously after his initial hesitation. He waved at all the CMs along the way and told him they were doing a great job! He wished children and adults a happy birthday when they were wearing buttons. All the CMs made a big fuss that the "Mayor" was around. Anna even asked him if he thought he could come to Arendelle and give them tips on village management. When we were ready to leave we decided to take the train to the Mainstreet station to leave the park. A little girl in front of us was wearing a birthday button. DS wished her a happy birthday and asked her if she was having a good time. She smiled and said yes but that she really wanted to meet Elsa and Anna. DS reached into his pocket and pulled out his "golden Fastpass" that he had been saving. He handed her the Fastpass told her that he had spoken to Anna, and that Anna and Elsa were waiting for her and she should have a magical birthday.

The look on her face was magical. The look on DS's face was full of pride. And I don't know who cried more me or the little girl's mom.

So sweet! Wonderful to hear how your son shared the magic with others and how happy that made him feel!

Our first family trip to Disney was in 2006, 2 weeks after my Dad died suddenly. I was born in 1969 so I literally grew up with WDW being THE place for families to go on vacation. My dad always wanted to take me there but my mom was desperately afraid to fly and not much braver when it came to long distance car rides (we live in Canada so it it indeed a long drive!). Anyway it never happened for me as a child. In January 2006 on a particularly cold miserable Canadian winter day, I stopped into a travel agent "just to see" what a Disney vacation would cost for our family of 3. That night I mentioned to Mom that I had been checking it out. About an hour later she called me back and said she had mentioned it to Dad and without hesitation he told her to call me back and tell me they wanted to help pay for the trip. This was on January 9th and with them paying for flights for us we booked a trip to Disney for February 1st. On January 16th Dad took a turn and didn't seem to be coming out of it, he was rushed to hospital and died on January 20th. We thought about canceling our trip but something in my head kept saying "Dad would want us to go". So on February 1st we were off! We arrived at Pop Century by 3pm, headed straight to Magic Kingdom and I swear as I walked down Main Street for the first time I could feel Dad there with me sharing my excitement. We did Splash Mountain and Big Thunder before our dinner reservation at Crystal Palace where our 12 year old got to meet Pooh, her preschool Disney favorite! As we left dinner it was almost time for the fireworks so we grabbed a seat on the curb. As Jiminy Cricket began to speak I again could feel Dad with me and I sat and cried like a baby through the whole show. (As I am typing this 10 years later, the tears are flowing!). It was an emotional time but I will be forever grateful to Dad for giving us the great gift of our first family vacation to Disney!

A love that has no limits. Thanks for sharing!

One of my favorite moments happened on Main Street. Leading up to our trip, we had been watching and singing along to all the Disney park sing-along DVDs. My DD who was six at the time loved the MK one and her favorite song and mine was "Walking Down the Middle of Main Street USA". So, it was just a magic moment for us when we walked into MK for our first park of the trip and one of the first things we saw was the Main Street trolley and the dancers singing that same exact song! My DD and I just started dancing and singing along with them!


We spent some time hanging out with the other wonderful CMs on Main Street that day. Here is a photo of my DD playing with the hula hoop

 

[Jadeey]

When DS was 6 he was chosen as the Junior Mayor of Mainstreet. The Fire Chief gave him a badge and told him his responsibilities. He needed to take naps like the real mayor but that his main job was to greet visitors. He was supposed to wish children with birthday buttons a "Happy Birthday" as well as anybody else he thought needed to be greeted and celebrated. DS decided to take these duties very seriously after his initial hesitation. He waved at all the CMs along the way and told him they were doing a great job! He wished children and adults a happy birthday when they were wearing buttons. All the CMs made a big fuss that the "Mayor" was around. Anna even asked him if he thought he could come to Arendelle and give them tips on village management. When we were ready to leave we decided to take the train to the Mainstreet station to leave the park. A little girl in front of us was wearing a birthday button. DS wished her a happy birthday and asked her if she was having a good time. She smiled and said yes but that she really wanted to meet Elsa and Anna. DS reached into his pocket and pulled out his "golden Fastpass" that he had been saving. He handed her the Fastpass told her that he had spoken to Anna, and that Anna and Elsa were waiting for her and she should have a magical birthday.

The look on her face was magical. The look on DS's face was full of pride. And I don't know who cried more me or the little girl's mom.

What a wonderful young man your son is! That is such a lovely story and I can only imagine how proud of him you must be.

 

[TeresaWen]

When my friend's oldest was 4 we were all planning a trip together. A few weeks before I was showing her pictures from a few past trips. Each time the castle was in the picture she asked "who's castle is that?" I said Cinderella's Castle. After four of five time I was concerned he was going to be disappointed so I needed to make sure she knew there was only one castle.

Her reply "where do the other princesses sleep?"

I said something about places in Epcot and sleepovers.

Just this past summer (10 years later) she thanked me for that!!

 

[asbyrneva]

What a wonderful young man your son is! That is such a lovely story and I can only imagine how proud of him you must be.

For this, and a million other things, we are terribly proud!

 

[EricInPA]

One of my favorite parts of every trip is seeing people's reactions to seeing an attraction for the first time (especially little ones working up the courage to finally try Big Thunder or Space Mountain). There are so many first timers at WDW every year that every repeat ride and trip for us is always filled with genuine magic and enthusiasm.

 

[TB'sWidow]

I have to add mine, we started going to Disney in 1996 our oldest Dd was 12 at the time and back than Sleeping Beauty was not as popular and my daughter would always question why the faieries were in the parades etc but not Aurora fast forward to 2004 this Dd is now 21 with a baby boy on her hip an a diaper bag on her shoulder we are waiting in line for princesses for her sister who was 4 and I had found out Aurora was one of them but did not let her know that and when she rounded the corner an saw Aurora she lost it and began to cry she dropped the diaper bag an handed me my grandson as she ran over to greet Aurora it was priceless an I believe everyone even in line were tearing up as we watched my now adult Dd finally meet her princess for the first time. This is the exact reason I go for all the memories of my trips for which are many nothing comes close in my opinion

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

We spent some time hanging out with the other wonderful CMs on Main Street that day. Here is a photo of my DD playing with the hula hoop

This reminds me of my last trip to Disneyland and California Adventure. My sister and I, both 40 something years old, took our teens on a 2 day visit. We were walking around the Paradise Pier area. Two CMs had a whole little activity area set up with hula hoops, ring toss, tiles with letters on them. Everyone was walking by ignoring them. They called out to us, so we stopped. 10 minutes of absolute hilarity ensued. They timed us trying to make a certain word out of the tiles...you try spelling supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!! Then we moved on to a hula hoop contest. They made us all give it a try, including my teen age son. I have never laughed so hard in my life! The CMs liked playing with us so much they gave us an anytime fastpass for the whole group!

 

[JJZMgailey]

I have to add mine, we started going to Disney in 1996 our oldest Dd was 12 at the time and back than Sleeping Beauty was not as popular and my daughter would always question why the faieries were in the parades etc but not Aurora fast forward to 2004 this Dd is now 21 with a baby boy on her hip an a diaper bag on her shoulder we are waiting in line for princesses for her sister who was 4 and I had found out Aurora was one of them but did not let her know that and when she rounded the corner an saw Aurora she lost it and began to cry she dropped the diaper bag an handed me my grandson as she ran over to greet Aurora it was priceless an I believe everyone even in line were tearing up as we watched my now adult Dd finally meet her princess for the first time. This is the exact reason I go for all the memories of my trips for which are many nothing comes close in my opinion

Awww! Magic knows NO age!!

 

[Disney Forever]

Well, I figured I'd post a story of what happened to my daughter on a Father/Daughter trip that was Magical and We will never Forget, the story even made it in the Passporter 2016 Walt Disney World Guide Book
--------------------------
I took a Father/Daughter trip with just my 9-year-old daughter, and had to write in about a Magical Moment we had. My daughter had just finished meeting with Alice outside the cottage on the main road at the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot. We were waiting for Mary Poppins to come and take her place. We asked a Cast Member when Mary Poppins would be coming to the cottage since my daughter wanted to meet her. The Cast Member tells us that Mary Poppins doesn't meet at the cottage, but down the path next to the cottage, near Twinings Tea Shop. Just as we were about to go, the Cast Member says "Oh, here comes Mary Poppins now," and to my daughter's delight, she sees Mary Poppins walking towards her. Mary Poppins saw my daughter waiting by the path, and starts walking with her, just my daughter and Mary Poppins walking down the path, alone, to the place where she needs to be for her meet and greet. When she gets to her destination and says "Oh, I see there are people waiting to meet me, thank you for walking with me." The smile on my daughter's face was priceless, this was a dream come true, not just for my daughter but me as well.
---------------------------

Just writing it now, brings a tear to my eye.

Love to share it.

Nathan

 

[mdsouth]

This reminds me of my last trip to Disneyland and California Adventure. My sister and I, both 40 something years old, took our teens on a 2 day visit. We were walking around the Paradise Pier area. Two CMs had a whole little activity area set up with hula hoops, ring toss, tiles with letters on them. Everyone was walking by ignoring them. They called out to us, so we stopped. 10 minutes of absolute hilarity ensued. They timed us trying to make a certain word out of the tiles...you try spelling supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!! Then we moved on to a hula hoop contest. They made us all give it a try, including my teen age son. I have never laughed so hard in my life! The CMs liked playing with us so much they gave us an anytime fastpass for the whole group!

Disney is definitely for ALL AGES and your memory proves it! You just have to go with the attitude to relax and enjoy the moments that present themselves to you!

Your memory of you and your teenage son playing games and trying to hula hoop reminds me of one of my favorite Disney parks commercials where the adults change into kid version of themselves.

 

[mdsouth]

My youngest has developmental global delay, global apraxia. and sensory intergration dysfuntion (seeking especially auditory and any feeling of motion). Due to the distance and the cost of all her therapies we have not been able to make a trip since 2010. She was 27.5 months on that trip (developmentally between 15-18 months) and was not making any attempt at spontaneous communication with anyone outside of mama, abba (daddy), papa (her grandpa), oma (her grandma), and her sister. We were waiting in line to get autographs and pictures with Micky and Minnie the evening of our first full day in the world (coming from Montana we didn't even land at the airport until 4 pm). When she had met Donald earlier that evening I had to hand him her book and the pen. I figured that would be the case with Micky and Minnie. She went and took her autograph book out of the spot we kept it in her stroller (due to her needs we were using her stroller as a wheelchair at the advice of her medical team and therapists) and proceeded to go right up to Minnie Mouse and hand her the book and signed please. She is working hard on learning to say Hi Minnie without it sounding like H short i sound M sound short i sound N sound N sound short i sound short e sound and has gotten it to H i (long sound and this is the only word she does this in) Mi N ee.

This story makes my heart go warm! I love how your daughter bonded with Minnie! So sweet!

 

[PlutosUnDr8d]

My 9 yo son and I were at WDW in December 2015, watching Wishes. Jimmy Cricket does his speech and talks about the fact that "home is where the heart is", and my son turns and looks up at me, and says very seriously, "That Jiminy Cricket is a very wise man". I wanted to laugh and cry.
Best trip ever--old enough to be brave and try new things, young enough to still hold his mom's hand. Priceless.
Soak it up. They will never be that age again, and neither will I, so I plan to enjoy every minute.
Thanks for sharing the stories! Now, where did I leave off with those onions . . .

 

[Disney Forever]

Not me. I cry when I see the WDW gate on the highway, cry at the start of the morning shows, cry when I see Mickey and friends show up, cry during the fireworks, and basically cry any time something big starts to happen.

I had to interject my story-

First we go to check in to our room at BLT and I run, like a little kid, toward the curtains on the window and pull them open to see Cinderella's Castle in the distance (of course a view I paid for), I was smiling from ear to ear, and my kids tell me "dad, you are like a little kid", I certainly couldn't even argue with them.

Then Me, my DW my 3 DS and 1 DD, walk into the Magic Kingdom on the first day of our vacation, and as we are walking in, the afternoon parade is going on, I just stop to watch, and tears start rolling down my face.

 

[sophy1996]

I just got back from a quick trip to WDW for my younger nephew's first visit. My two nephews were dressed as Woody (older) and Buzz (younger) for pictures in the Toy Story section of All-Star Movies. A little girl going by in her stroller got huge-eyed when she saw my older nephew and told her mom, "Mom, it's Woody! It really is!" We could hear her insisting that it had to be Woody until they were out of earshot. It was so cute! My nephew (age 8) was so happy about it.

 

[Ametista]

Not me. I cry when I see the WDW gate on the highway, cry at the start of the morning shows, cry when I see Mickey and friends show up, cry during the fireworks, and basically cry any time something big starts to happen.

Ugh. You sound like me. I cry when the stupid plane is landing. And the thing is, I am known as a non-sentimental person! But as a kid we visited Disneyland once a year, and it was the best day of the year. So now we go to Disney World several times a year and, for some stupid reason, I weep like an idiot when I meet Mickey Mouse. I get so excited my daughter laughs at me. I gave up trying to figure out the emotions thing when it comes to Disney.

I also cry every time somebody does a good job singing the National Anthem. So maybe I am just weird.

 

[mdsouth]

Ugh. You sound like me. I cry when the stupid plane is landing. And the thing is, I am known as a non-sentimental person! But as a kid we visited Disneyland once a year, and it was the best day of the year. So now we go to Disney World several times a year and, for some stupid reason, I weep like an idiot when I meet Mickey Mouse. I get so excited my daughter laughs at me. I gave up trying to figure out the emotions thing when it comes to Disney.

I also cry every time somebody does a good job singing the National Anthem. So maybe I am just weird.

Nope you are not weird, just patriotic and I do too. I cry as the National Anthem is being played or sung and I cry when I am at Disney several times during the trip.