The moment you knew all of the money and time spent was worth it to you

[jvz82]

I was walking down Main Street with my 7 year old (who is on the autism spectrum and generally very negative and doesn't like to do anything). We had just seen Wishes, done an impromptu space mountain ride and gone on the tea cups. As we were walking towards the exit he says "this was the best day of my life".

 

[chevy5seven]

I actually have 3. 1) Our first trip in 2010 when my wife, son and I first saw the Castle. 2) Later that night when we were all watching the fireworks with our arms around one another. 3) Our third trip in 2015 with the addition of my dad. Riding Expedition Everest sitting beside my dad, who was 73 at the time, with my wife and son right behind us, and hearing them all laugh and scream.

 

[IndianaRRT]

We weren't able to take our first trip until 2007, when our kids were 10 and 8, due to the cost and DH's work schedule. My "moment" was when DD saw Cinderella. The magic in her eyes was unmistakable. We have many pictures of the conversation as Cinderella sat down and had a sweet interaction with our princess. DD was on Cloud 999 for the entire trip. I knew then that all of the scrimping, saving, and stressing about the money was worth every bit.

In a broader sense, we continue to go back because it is DH's happy place. (Mine too, but...) DH has a high-stress job and coaches high school football in addition. He is a guarded, strong man who doesn't show a lot of emotion publicly. At home, he is relaxed and funny, but at WDW, he lets himself be a kid. He chest-bumps Eeyore, dances with Donald (the man LOVES character meals), and hopes he gets picked on at the Laugh Floor. It's worth every penny!

 

[Christinaxo]

Wow, I actually might have cried a little reading these! I remember our first trip, we used FP+ for wishes (when it was in the rose garden). We had such a great time up until that point but my kids were so mesmerized and in awe watching the fireworks. Growing up, my husband visited many times but that was the first for me, my mother just simply couldn't afford it. My kids knew I had never been so when my 7 year old (at the time) noticed me he said "Mommy, I'm so happy we got to see this together... you deserve it." I literally cried even more. It gets stressful planning but has been such a blessing to be able to give my children these types of experiences. We have been back every year because it has been our escape from the craziness of life we live on a daily basis. At Disney we get to be a family having fun without a care in the world. When you are looking for the magic, you see it everywhere and it is the best feeling ever!

 

[BlueStarryHat]

My sister and I go every two years for a 'Sisters Trip,' just the two of us. We usually go in half each for the trip. I learned sometime in early 2012 that the trip wouldn't be possible in 2013 because of huge money worries on her part. So I started saving. I'm on disability for various issues and get a monthly check, half of which went for my room and board, another piece for my life insurance payments, and various little pieces for things I needed. Not much was left over, but I went without a lot of stuff to sock away $200 a month. I crunched the numbers constantly to see if I really could do it on my own, and it was close but I managed it, and told my sister that yes, we would be going after all. She was so happy, and that made me happy because I knew how stressed and upset she was over her worries. Not only did we make the trip in 2013, but we went during the week of her birthday, so she got to spend it at her Happy Place. So many people wished her a Happy Birthday, and at the Studios (her favorite park) she tried to buy a pin (with the tiny bit of spending money she had) and the CM behind the counter said "Happy Birthday" and gave it to her for free. I had managed a good bit of spending money and I had the time of my life treating her to various things. I have to stress that in years past she's been my rock through many a hardship of my own, including taking me into her house after I'd had a complete nervous breakdown and caring for me, so it was nice to give back. Every time I spoiled her...I can't even describe how it felt to me.

 

[kniquy]

My very first trip -- my husband had been many times as a kid, my twins had gone once with their father (but too young to remember). We went for NYE. The trip started out with running into an older couple who owned DVC. I only knew a little bit about it because i stumbled upon renting a deluxe studio for less than a direct from disney room would have been. The trip was amazing, all the intense planning was so worth it. Christmas is an extra magical time. I had seen pictures of the castle all draped with icicles but seeing it in person made me choke up (and i'm not one to tear up). After that trip i researched DVC and realized that with a little investment we would be able to go more often and in nice accommodation. Thus the purchase of our own DVC resale. Expensive but worth every cent for the memories we will create and cherish for many years to come.

 

[adamreisinger]

I took my first extended solo trip to WDW in January 2016. It was just a couple months after I'd gone with my sister, her husband and their 3 kids, and while a family trip had been fun, I really wanted to experience the parks my way for myself. One day I bought the replica Cinderella Glass Slipper from Arribas Bros. and brought it to a Cinderella character meet. When I posted the pictures to Facebook, one of my friends said I should've gotten down on a knee and presented it to her, so I decided to go back the next night and do just that. Cinderella completely played along, asking where I'd found it and thanking me for returning it. Then when I got up, she asked if I wanted to dance. I wasn't entirely sure she was serious, but she took my left hand and placed my right hand on her dress and we did a little waltz right there in the castle (there was even music playing, though I have no idea where it came from). After the dance she gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek and declared me the "Official Protector of the Royal Slipper." I left with a smile on my face, a tear in my eye, and some of the most incredible PhotoPass photos I've ever gotten. That moment was so magical that I don't remember anything else that happened that day, and it cemented that I needed to come back to WDW multiple times every year for as long as I live.

 

[brewhome]

Oh my gosh, there are so many moments in each trip that make the whole expense worthwhile. These are a few that come right to mind..

The first time we took my sons, they were 9 and 7. We walked into MK right as the afternoon parade was rounding the circle near the entrance, and they just stopped walking and stared at the floats - and both had huge smiles. Then once the parade was through and we started walking up Main Street, they both saw the castle at the same time, and at the same time, said "WOAH!!!" That was a really sweet moment.

The following year when they were 10 and 8, my older son was really into the animals at AK. We were on the exploration trail with the monkeys and gorillas, and two cast members really took a lot of time to talk with my son about the animals' behavior and answered many, many questions that he had. He actually had a little notebook and was writing things down as they talked - it was too precious! That same trip, my younger one had a blast in the bone yard in Dinoland. He made tons of friends and stayed in there for at least an hour playing. It was so cute to see kids from all over the place get along so well.

My last trip was a ladies only trip with my sister, sister-in-law, and niece, who had recently turned 21 and could finally partake of the cocktails at F&W. My sister-in-law hadn't been to Disney since the '80's, and she was just grinning from ear to ear the ENTIRE trip, so that was really special to me since I had been the one to convince her to go. Two special moments on that trip - the first time we rode Tower of Terror, it was the first time ever for both my sister-in-law and my niece. As the elevator moved through the "hallway" part of the ride (before the drop), my niece said in this really scared voice, "Are we going in there???" It was just the funniest moment for my sister and I who had been on the ride many times. In the picture we got, my sister-in-law and niece were looking at each other just screaming their heads off - it is awesome! They loved it so much, we jumped right back in line and went again. The second special moment was in EPCOT - it was later in the evening and we each got a prosecco and sat down in the Italy pavilion. It was such a beautiful night to listen to the concert in the background, people watch, feel the cool breeze, enjoy the beautiful setting, and just appreciate the time together. We can't wait to do that again this November!!

 

[Bethislucy]

When I park my car step in the lobby of whatever resort I am staying at and I'm greeted with a smile and a welcome home gets me 1/2 way there the other is when I drive around to my room and the car is unloaded and I'm officially on vacation in Disney World and the outside world no longer matters. For a week it's just a different world than home with all the things that demand my attention even when small aggregations come up it's nothing like the real world.

 

[Travelstovegas]

This is a lovely thread! I have enjoyed reading all the responses. I'm taking my children, who will be 6 and 4, later this year during the Christmas decorations and hope to have many happy memories of their first trips.

 

[rer1972]

Our last trip (May 2016) was the first for DD2 and 2nd for DD3, so watching them experience the "Magic" for pretty much the first time was worth it all.

At VBR
- Letting the 3 year old fly the kite on the beach all by herself, and her getting so excited about doing it.
- Watching the 2 year old participate and dance in at the campfire with very fun cast members.

At AKL
- Walking into the lobby first time and having both DD seeing and meeting Goofy, Pooh, Tiger, and other characters as they hung around.
- Peeking out the windows with both DD to see if the baby Giraffe was asleep.
- Heading down to get a drink refill in the evening with both DD in their frozen pj's, and then stopping on the way back to watch Disney cartoons on the lobby tv.

MK (only park we did on a short trip)
- The looks on both DD faces when the met Anna, Elsa, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and others.
- The fun both DD had when they met Tink (our youngest was fixated on Tink's shoes, don't know why???)

Am so looking forward to our next trip (Dec 2018 ), and letting them experience more of WDW than they could last time.

 

[JanineK]

Our Family has our first trip set up for April of 2018. Reading about all of these moments makes the anticipation so much greater. I've never been to Disney and look forward to feeling the "Magic" with my family. It really must be a truly amazing place!!!!

 

[merrick]

i didn't even want to go to disney. MIL gifted us $5000 and i was looking into berlin or an island off the coast of honduras. i mentioned it to her and she said "that money wasn't to go on any holiday you want, it was to take my grandkids to disney". so, we basically doubled the budget. i wanted meal plan, monorail resort - if i have to do this, at least i can make it a holiday for me.

at the time my boys were 7 and 9. older one was getting weird about mom and younger kinda takes his cues from big bro. i remember walking thru magic kingdom and my older son grabbed my hand (what are the odds he would see someone he knows???) and as we walked along younger son came to the other side and grabbed my other hand. suddenly, it was MY happiest place on earth.

from my signature, you can see i have been trying to get back ever since!!!

 

[rer1972]

i didn't even want to go to disney. MIL gifted us $5000 and i was looking into berlin or an island off the coast of honduras. i mentioned it to her and she said "that money wasn't to go on any holiday you want, it was to take my grandkids to disney". so, we basically doubled the budget. i wanted meal plan, monorail resort - if i have to do this, at least i can make it a holiday for me.

at the time my boys were 7 and 9. older one was getting weird about mom and younger kinda takes his cues from big bro. i remember walking thru magic kingdom and my older son grabbed my hand (what are the odds he would see someone he knows???) and as we walked along younger son came to the other side and grabbed my other hand. suddenly, it was MY happiest place on earth.

from my signature, you can see i have been trying to get back ever since!!!

That is an awesome story. Here's hoping you get back there with them soon!!

 

[WhoDatDisney]

My first trip was in 2010, I complained to my wife the whole time about costs of flights, room and tickets while we were booking it. Leading up to trip I was dreading the crowds and money we were spending. Seemed to costly.

My thoughts quickly changed when I saw the look on my 2 sons (5/3) faces when we walked into MK on the first day. I was nearly in tears and we have been back every year since. Gets even better now that our family has grown to 4 boys. So has the cost but it really is worth it

 

[merrick]

That is an awesome story. Here's hoping you get back there with them soon!!

thank you, that is very kind (hope your pixie dust works... have started buying lotto tickets again, just to increase my chances!)

 

[KenHutch]

On our 1st trip in 2006 when my daughter was 5 I scheduled the princess breakfast at MK. My daughter dressed as Cinderella and as we walked in an almost empty park to get to the castle she stopped dead in her tracks, squeezed her mothers hand and said "It's real, its really real". My mother yelled at me for spending several thousand dollars on 1 vacation but that look on her face, it made everything worth it.