What is your favorite resort memory?

[Tink888]

Just wondering if anybody had any favorite memories of one of the Disney resorts over the years that stick out in your mind?

Mine are being surprised by the Electrical Water Pageant at WL. My boys were 6 and 4 at the time. We heard the music from our room and ran down to the beach to see what was going on. The look on their faces was just priceless.

The most recent is riding bikes one morning with my son (now 12) at POR/POFQ. He's at that tween age and growing up so fast. It was really nice getting a chance to hang out a little, just one on one and the scenery at POR/POFQ was nice. I loved riding down the streets of the FQ.

Would love to hear your stories too.

 

[4theloveofdisney]

We arrived late at night for a stay at ASMo so the kids didn't see the pool or anything much of the resort.

Our first morning, we rushed out the resort and headed off to MK, knowing that we were bestowing the magical of all things upon our tiny tots that day. (Our son was only 3-years old and our DD was 2 at the time.) DH and I were surprised at how well the kids behaved all day but also surprised that they weren't just blown away with MK. While they had a great time, they were pretty reserved.

We came back to the hotel around 5:00ish (because DH and I were exhausted) and walked through the middle of the resor when all of a sudden, our quiet son screams "OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH!" and stops dead in his tracks, pointing. DH and I are wondering what on earth he's screaming about and realize...that after a full day at MK...it was the pool at ASMo that caused all of the excitement!

We could have saved a ton of money that trip because the pool was the star of the show--lol!!! Go figure.

:::sigh:::

 

[KatMark]

My favorite memory is the surprise I received at the CSR last year. My DH had noted on our ressie that it was my 50th birthday celebration, and they gave me a birthday button and balloons and a special "gold" key card. As we were unpacking in our room, there was a knock at the door and a beautiful gift basket arrived with two Mickey-etched wine glasses, a box of chocolate candy and a lovely bottle of wine. We also received robes for our use while there and turn down service every night. It had been a very rough year having been diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of the year and having surgery and then treatments, so this was a nice way to celebrate a birthday I was having a hard time swallowing...I was/am happy to have survived the cancer, but the umber for my birthday was truly bothersome.

 

[suzimar57]

the first time we stayed at CR and were upgraded (from standard wing room) to Castle View Tower room - entered the room, opened the drapes and stood there stunned at the view!!!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I have lots of special memories tied to certain resorts...

My first stay on property was in 1994 at the GF. I think that is when I fell in love with Disney and knew I wanted to keep coming back over and over again.

DH proposed to me when we were staying at the BWI in 1998. We had a beautiful view of Epcot and Illuminations from our room. Very magical!

Our first trip taking both our boys was in 2001 at the GF. Being so close to MK with a 2 year old and a newborn was really nice. That was when we discovered the ease of taking the boat back instead of riding the monorail all the way around.

My first stay at the Poly was very memorable because we had an amazing mousekeeper who covered our room in towel animals every night, and this was years ago before they became more common. Each night we were so surprised, the things she created were amazing.

DH and I's first stay at AKL was really romantic. We were automatically upgraded to savannah view deluxe and we fell in love with that resort.

Another special stay was when we were upgraded at WL to concierge. I finally understood why people were so obsessed with it, we were spoiled rotten and pampered.

We've had a lot of special stays at OKW as well. We love those big 2 bedroom villas... once you've stayed in one of those everything else seems tiny.

I could go on and on..... Love my WDW resorts!

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

The first trip with our son to AKL. He was 18 months and we couldnt afford a savannah view room so we booked a standard view room. When we arrived a wonderful CM named Michael checked us in and noticed it was DS first trip to the world. He came around the counter and gave him a button and stickers and a coloring book with crayons. We went off with bell services to the room and had been upgraded to a deluxe pool room with the animal viewing area just to the left of our door. It was the best of both worlds I felt like crying after getting such pixie dust. To top it off we left and went swimming and when we came back there was a little stuffed tiger and ballons that said welcome. It was truely the sweetest thing I have ever had happen to me. I will never forget my sons first trip due to Michael at AKL. He made it extra special. I thought to myself no where but Disney would this ever happen.

 

[themcgoos]

Our first "real" vacation at WDW (our very first was a trial 3-day experiment at POFQ with a hyper 2 year old! haha) at CR in 2002 with our then 4 year old and 8 year old daughters. We were upgraded to an MK Tower View room and we too were stunned when we walked to the balcony for the first time, which was at about 8:00pm in April, at dusk - incredible. The best memory of that trip though was when we went to Chef Mickey's the next morning for the girls' very first Character Breakfast ever - it was so much fun and they had such a good time. What really made it special was that our younger daughter has severe food allergies, so we spoke with the chef beforehand (he also had food allergies we discovered) and he made her the most incredible, safe, breakfast we had ever seen and then he, the staff and the Characters made a huge production of the presentation of the breakfast to our daughter. My wife and I cried like babies we were so flabbergasted....I get choked up thinking about it even now.....

13 days until our first ever visit to POR, we can't wait......

 

[tinawv]

My favorite resort memory was at the CBR with my granddaughter who was three at the time. We were watching the Epcot fireworks from our room while laying on the bed getting reading to go to sleep. We had a corner room with a perfect view of the fireworks. The smile on her face before she fell asleep will stay in my memory forever.

 

[loopner67]

On our first trip to the WL, we had just got into our room & were trying to unpack when we realized that there were fireworks going off outside. We could see the MK fireworks from our balcony (we had a woods view). What a magical moment - we'd just gotten there, weren't going to a park until the next day, but the magic was reaching out and "touching" us in a way that was unexpected.

 

[dixipixi]

My favorite resort memory has to be the Contemporary back in the '70s. We were lucky enough to go every other year and we always stayed at the Contemporary.

Even now, with a teenager of my own, when I step off the monorail there I'm 8 years old. We have made many trips to WDW and when I think of the hotels there, I always remember laying in bed with my sister and mama and daddy telling us for the millionth time to settle down and go to sleep.

But..."We were too excited to sleep!"

 

[Belle_20]

My favorite memory is when we stayed in the FW cabins! My sister, mom, and I slept in the room, and my brother and dad slept in the living room murphy bed. So anyway, I set up wake up calls since the phone was in the living room....

So every morning the phone would ring and my brother picks it up (he is 16 at the time) and it would be different characters saying "good morning, its time to get up." My brother is trying to act cool about it because he doesnt want to sound lame. So he comes in the room and says "hey goofy called and said its time to get up." LOL We were all laughing because everyone knew I set it up except him!

 

[Tink888]

Dixipixi - your post brought back another good memory for me. We also stayed at CR back in the 70's. My grandma had come with us and I remember having room service (and what I thought were the best blueberry muffins ever) with her. Also learned to swim in the pool there. I will go to sleep now thinking of my grandma (she passed when I was 16). Such a long time ago....great memory! Thank you

 

[RedStarlette]

Almost every resort memory I have as a child is of Fort Wilderness. My grandparents used to take us twice a year, once at Christmas and once during the summer. I have just such awesome memories of everything...decorating the RV with lights, the electrical light parade on the beach, River Country, Discovery Island, launching off from the marina heading toward MK, just walking around and exploring. My cousin and I also loved going to the Neverland Club at the Poly...it was usually a trip highlight. And, I always remember hoping we'd get that prized after campsite (or at least the one we thought was prized), right next to the walkway by the Trading Post, so close to Pioneer Hall, Crockets, Trail's End and the Beach.

As an adult going to Disney there is probably nothing that elicits more memories than just walking around FW. Every spot brings so much back.

 

[wlwilliams9]

Here is one of my favorite memories...DD playing in the kiddie pool at POP!

 

[jaycns]

-Watching the electric water parade from our room at the CR. We had ordered a birthday cake and we had the balcony door wide open and the glow coming in lite up their faces. The boys were all sticky faced and had huge smiles. It was a very sweet moment.

-Walking into our AKL room and out on to our balcony...our boys so excited over seeing the animals that they could barely speak.

-Renting a cabana at the GF. It was so much fun and so very relaxing. We swam, read, ordered a private dining lunch (eating burgers poolside rules) and had fun together.

-Reading a book in the GF lobby while listening to the piano player.

-Watching our then 2 year old son (and huge Toy Story fan) see the larger than life Buzz Lightyear at the ASMo resort.

-Seeing our boys complete the bead activities at AKL...they were so proud.

-Playing on the beach at the CR, GF, Poly...all of those times are very special to be sure !

-Watching the sun come up at the CR.

-Watching the fireworks from the CR's fire escape.

-Coming back to our room at the GF and seeing our son's birthday cake set up.

-Relaxing in the AKL concierge lounge.

-A wonderful mousekeeper who made our stay extra special with her towel animals and sweet conversations.

**TOP RESORT MEMORY** Taking part in the Wanyama Safari on the AKL savannas. Having a glass of juice while a curious giraffe checked us out!!

 

[RedStarlette]

oooo....Just thought of another one. We took a big family trip one year at Christmastime and I kinda got talked into staying with the younger kids while all the "adults" went over to Epcot for New Year's. My Aunt and Uncle had a balcony room at Boardwalk and after I made sure the kids were tucked in I stood out on the balcony for the fireworks and countdown. It was a very cool experience.

 

[livie1205]

my dh asked me to marry him at the poly on the beach while watching the fireworks!

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

Sitting outside of PO Riverside every morning with my 6 year old son and my mothers having breakfast by the pool watching the ducks swim around. My son thought that having ducks swim in a pool made for people was the greatest thing.

We also suprised him on his 10th b-day with a week long trip to the world. it wasent until we got to security at the airport that I handed him a disney b-day card with a little poem and a few disney dollars that he had any clue. What made it better was through out the week more and more of my family would fly down and "bump" into him as a suprize. We had his dinner at Chef Mickeys followed by a fireworks cruise from the contemporary where they had the boat decorated for him. It took a year to plan but was well worth all of the sneaking around and planning just to see the look on his face when he opened the card.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Me and my husband both deciding we wanted to have a baby after 12 years of marriage and swearing we didnt want kids. Guess what??? I came home pregnant with my litle souvenir. LOL. We are the commercial.

 

[MainStreetFireman]

My DW grew up with great childhood memories of going to WDW frequently. One of her touchstones was watching the EWP. In 2004, during a stay at the Poly, our whole family went to the end of the boat dock to catch the nightly show. As my DW sat with our DD and DS in her lap, I could see her eyes tear up with rediscovering a beautiful memory and their eyes open with the excitement of their first discovery. That moment was worth the price of the trip.