What's your favourite part of a Disney trip?

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I saw this thread idea somewhere and I just knew us Aussies had to discuss it here too.

What is your favourite part of a trip to WDW/DL? Is it the planning, the arriving, something during the trip?

I can't wait to see what you all love.

I'll start....having only had one trip to DL (poor me, I need to go again ) I have only that one time to reflect on but these were my favourite things:-

* I love love loved the planning. I couldn't get enough of the Disboards and loved reading all the little tips and tricks etc. Working out where to eat, what to see, everything was so much fun. My daughter and I spent hours pouring over websites, watching Youtube videos etc. It was such fun.

* We had a car pick us up at LAX to take us to DL and during the whole 30-40 minute ride, I could barely speak and was completely reflective. I sat in that car thinking about how long I had dreamed of going to Disneyland. I remembered how on Sunday nights when the Wonderful World of Disney would come on I would wish to myself that one day I could go there. I also could not believe that I was blessed enough to be taking my beautiful children there. It really was a car ride that I will never forget

* Seeing the Disneyland Hotel sign and also the road signs that said Disneyland. Sent shivers down my spine of excitement

* Walking through the doors of the Disneyland Hotel

* Watching my children skip towards Downtown Disney on our way to Disneyland for the first time, now that was a priceless moment

* Seeing the Castle, I mean come on, how adorable is it

* Meeting all of the characters, that was hands down my favourite thing, watching my kids faces when they were hugging the characters. I'm not ashamed to say I had a couple of hugs myself LOL

* Walking out of the park on that first night and looking up at the lamp in the window of the Firehouse and saying a quiet "thank you Walt".


I know I know, I'm a bit of a sap aren't I but it really was so special. All of it. Call me crazy, but I think the planning might almost be my favourite bit

Oh and I have a secret guilty pleasure - how many times is too many times to watch the Disney Planning DVD?

 

[aussiegirls]

Awwww Ms Shuttergirl, if you think you are a sap you're not alone, I cried reading your post (and I am at work too ) Seeing Disney through your eyes is beautiful.

Ok so here are some of my faves

* The planning. I loooooved organising PS's, reading the DIS, writing things on my calendar planner. And I loved ringing up and booking things, that made it all seem so much more real.

* Driving down Harbour Blvd when we first arrived and seeing the DLR sign at the crosswalk. I think that made my heart skip a beat. I don't think it all seemed really real until I saw that sign.

* Exchanging the voucher for our tickets. The lady at the ticket booth was so nice and as soon as she found out it was our first time she started telling me about special things to do, nice things to eat. She also found us some very cool badges that she gave to us.

* Our very first ride. The first day we went into DL was a Sat night and I knew it would be busy so I had just planned to have dinner and a bit of a look around and not try and get on too many rides. Well after dinner we were walking around Fantasyland and the line for Mr Toad's Wild Ride was short so we just jumped on it. It was sooooooo amazing. Not the actual ride so much but the fact that we were on a ride in Disneyland.

* Watching my girls at Ariels Grotto. It was beautiful. They got to see all the princesses they loved so much and the awe on their little faces was priceless.


I am sure I can come up with many more but these are just a few to start with.

Ms Shuttergirl, we can just be sappy together

xxxx

 

[rossip]

I've got a couple :

Getting up at 5.00 am on the morning of departure ! Oh the excitement !

Sitting on the Disney Express Bus as we put off the freeway at the Anaheim exit and trying to pick out all the landmarks

The first entry into DL

 

[Oz-kateer]

I was the same - I LOVED getting up while it was still dark to shower and putting on my in-flight clothes, knowing the next time I hit the showers I'd be AT DISNEY! I loved going to Sydney airport at the crack of dawn, checking into my flight to Orlando and having the check-in agent ask if we were going to Disney and being able to say YES! WE ARE!

I loved watching my son actually shaking with excitement as we settled into our seats on the plane.

I loved watching his face as we pulled up in the Magical Express bus out the front of the Pop Century hotel, just like we saw on someone's video on YouTube.

Best of all, I couldn't get over my son bursting into tears of excitement at the Magic Kingdom when we stood at the top of Main St looking down towards the castle saying "We're here Mum, we're really here!".

Magical.

 

[OzCath]

I'm a big planner too, so love reading all these posts and making notes of things to do. Yes Ms Shuttergirl I have also watched the DVD over and over. I also watch you tube videos of others trips.

For me the best bit was seeing my 4 year old daughters face when she got to meet the princesses. That made the whole holiday for me!

On the morning when we left for our trip getting those little butterflies in the stomach on the way to the airport. So desperate to go back to Disneyland Resort to experience all those great feelings again!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Glad to hear I'm not the only sappy one

I love everyone's "faves".

 

[ehsmum]

It's been a long time since I've been to Disney. My first trip was to Disneyland in 1990 and next was Disneyworld in 1993! So this trip is a long time coming!

I remember getting a little teary arriving at DL the first time. It was a childhood dream come true .

I didn't do a lot (well any really) of planning for those trips. Just bought a ticket and showed up on the day. So planning this trip has been a whole new (and fun!) experience.

What I'm looking forward to the most is seeing Disney through my kids' eyes . They are so excited and I know it's going to be so magical for them!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Great idea for a thread.

My top 10 countdown for favourite parts of a Disney trip is:
10. Planning. To quote someone from the Photography section "Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance".
9. Imagining all the possible things I could be doing - even when I know I've got sooo many things to do and not enough time to do it all.
8. Watching the $ Exchange rate and changing colourful Australian money for the Greenback. I know - I'm a nerd; but small things...for small minds.
7. Sitting in my airplane seat before take-off, when they serve the orange juice. This is the time when I start to get excited about the holiday...because it is just about to start.
6. Picking up the hire car and arguing with hubby about which direction to take and which side of the street to drive on and how to get out of the hire car parking lot to the 405 freeway (only in LAX/DL).
5. Catching a ferry from the Transport and Ticketing Centre to go to Magic Kingdom (WDW only). There is something special about parking a car and then hopping on a ferry for a 10 minute ride before even getting to MK.
4. Dole Whip float (I can't get through a top 10 list without listing some food of some kind!! ).
3. Getting an autograph from Mickey Mouse. It's just as well that age is no barrier at Disney - otherwise, how embarrassing!!
2. Hearing the Disney music play when arriving for a Rope Drop. I start to shake with excitement and cry EVERY single time.

AND







NUMBER








1?








(Drum roll please...)









1. Getting on the first ride with my son and husband - my son always shakes with excitement and his face completely lights up. And this is when my husband and I share a look and KNOW we've done something right.

 

[Oz-kateer]

Good grief, I thought I was the only adult who cried with excitement at hearing the rope drop music!

 

[shushh]

Mine's pretty simple, its the pure and intense happiness that I feel all the time! I haven't been with children and I can't to experience it together with them and to see things through their eyes.

 

[becpee]

Definately planning was one of my favourite things,

My DH telling me that he welled up when we first walked through the gates and then headed up Main St USA, a dream come true for him

My DS4 meeting Tigger and Boo, he threw himself at them and I *think* they loved it

Seeing all the crazy food for real instead of just pics on The Dis

I remembered how on Sunday nights when the Wonderful World of Disney would come on I would wish to myself that one day I could go there. I also could not believe that I was blessed enough to be taking my beautiful children there.

This was something that I really related to, I was trying to remember WHY I wanted to go to Disneyland so bad, and it was seeing that castle every Sunday night

 

[Kalice]

1. Without doubt my number one has to be walking around Disneyland
2. Riding Space Mountain, LOVE this ride.
3. Watching the kids faces when they meet the characters, even the supercool 11 year old was pure joy.
4. An evening walk around California Adventure, love the lights and reflections here, has a great night vibe.
5. Buying affordable family meals (not easy here in Perth).
6. Best part of WDW was the dining plan, thought this was fantastic.
7. Riding RnR and Expedition Everest.
8. The planning was addictive, even logged on to the dis at work a few times. Got addicted to DIS.
9. Thinking about the next trip, already pricing flights. (not gonna happen this year, already booked Bali before our last trip).
10. That Disney music, found myself skipping like a child.

 

[misha-ginger]

Walking down mainstreet on the first day and of course watching Wishes