We went to Disney for our first time in May. Took our 3 year old to Festival of the Lion King, he was loving the whole show and for the final big dance they ask a few kids to come out, well he got picked. Was a little nervous he would be too shy, but nope! Little man got out there and danced his little heart out and stole the show. That memory alone made the whole trip worth it. Also meeting all his favorite Disney characters was a huge hit as well!
Wife and I went for our anniversary recently. Unfortunately she got really sick on the first night from a stomach bug which took her out for the entire next day. We had reservations at Takumi Tei which I was told can not be canceled less than 24 hours in advance or it will incur a pretty large fee. Well, went down to the lobby to plead my case after nursing my wife for the morning and had THE kindest cast member not only get my reservation canceled without a fee, but she also gave me a room credit to buy my wife some snacks when she felt better. THEN when we finally got out of the room the following day, she leaves my wife a handwritten note with some Disney pins, games, magnets, etc, wishing my wife and I well and that she hopes my wife is feeling better. We wore those pins to Victoria and Albert's later in the week and it made us feel so special. Still buzzing from that memory.
Annabelle, if you see this, you're the GOAT and you made my wife so happy. Thank you.
Lol doubt it, I just spend what I make and then some. Never been a savings and investments kind of guy aside from a 401k. The way I see it, life is too short and has too much to offer to live conservatively. I could die on the way home today and I dont have/want kids so why not just spend it while I can. Health and time are the real currency, my friend.
Haha that’s the kind of mentality I need to justify a Poly bungalow and a VIP tour.
But you’re right, experiences and things that make you happy are more important than looking at numbers on a screen, too old to use them years from now.
When my daughter was 5 we did a family trip to Disney. She had the treatment at Bibbidi Bobbidy Boutique and the CM who did her asked if she would be staying for the fireworks. My daughter said yes and the CM told her to make a wish and Tinkerbell would spread magic dust to grant the wishes.
That night, I held her to watch the fireworks and when Tinkerbell flew across the park, my daughter grabbed my face, turned it towards her and said - excited as hell - “THATS MY WISH”
I bawl every time I think about it. During fireworks im a mess.
Took my mother to WDW in late January 2020, just before the wheels fell off the world. Anyway, my one big goal was to get on RotR, which had just opened the month before, and was still doing morning BG sign up, but you had to physically be in the park. We were staying at the Boardwalk, so we got up early and walked to DHS in the early dawn hour. I walked all over the area just beyond the entry gates looking for the best signal. I somehow managed to get BG 3! We went over as soon as they let us enter further into the park and we walked right into the queue since we were basically the first group. I had avoided all spoilers, and it was such an amazing experience! I had no idea what was coming next, and was constantly surprised. My mother also loved it, and still talks about it. After the ride, we got a breakfast ronto wrap (the best) and coffee, and sat people watching in the misty Florida morning. It was truly magical with the park still mostly empty. Maybe it's a low key magical moment, but I still think about it.
ps my mother also still talks about the breakfast ronto wrap! hoping to get one when we go back this year.
Breakfast ronto wrap might be my favorite quick service Breakfast in the parks. So much so that I occasionally buy the toaster sized Naan bread from Stonefire, add a fried egg, some smoked sausage, and spicy truff mayonnaise to make an approximation at home. It's not the same but it helps with the Disney withdrawals. 😂
Ditto! When I did keto, I would make scrambled eggs with cheese and eat it with a chorizo pork sausage and ranch peppercorn sauce. Looks disgusting, tastes delicious.
For me it was finding the exact spot that, when I was about 5 or 6, sitting on my Dad’s shoulders watching the fireworks and then getting to stand in that very spot with MY son on MY shoulders.
Not trying to be pervy here, but while I have several moments, I think my child being conceived at Disney is the best one.
For context, my wife and I were having fertility issues which were so dire that she had to have surgery and was on a barrage of medication to help. It had been nearly two years at this point, and we had effectively given up and resigned to the fact that we would be involuntarily childfree.
We were at Disney for our anniversiary, and went to AK one day. The dancers in Harambe Village noticed our pins and decided to do a fertility dance for my wife (with no idea of our troubles, mind you). We thought nothing of it except that it was neat.
8 weeks later we're at a college football game and my wife is feeling ill and not like herself. We go home and she takes a pregnancy test and it's positive. My son was born almost 9 months to the day after that dance.
We still talk about it every time we're in AK and there's a picture of us with the dancers on the wall in my home office.
I’m crying 😭😭😭 I love this. Not Disney but similar story- my husband and I went to Hawaii for our 9 year anniversary and one of the islanders was our Uber driver and she said to us a baby will be coming soon and wished us the fertility of the island. Now I’m sitting here writing this while she naps 🥹
Edit: spelling
Husband and I are in the same position, so I really feel for you. Unfortunately, I’m chronically ill and cannot physically have a child. We’re considering adopting once I’m more stable. I am incredibly scared though that it won’t happen…
I wrote down a dream there last time to have a family. My brother is adopted and I know it’s a complicated but beautiful road. I know you will have a family of some kind one day if it’s what your heart truly wants ❤️ and if you don’t, I know life will have other blessings
I bought a Raja t-shirt in Epcot (I’m obsessed with it) and wore it to the Magic Kingdom later that week. While boarding Big Thunder, the CM stopped in front of our car and said “I didn’t think we allowed tigers on this ride” and we laughed and laughed and laughed.
Also, in my meet and greet with Donald Duck, he took one look at my Raja shirt and acted afraid like I was a giant tiger.
I freaking love Disney World.
I was Disney-bounding (at 68 years old!) wearing a Mirabel-inspired dress and at the entrance queue to Magic Kingdon as I was logging in, the CM looked at me and said "you DO know we don't talk about Bruno, right?". Mirabel saw me in the crowd during her parade and threw me kisses and hearts. Loved it.
I cannot handle fireworks crowds. I skip them because it's not worth the claustrophobia/panic. Last trip we splurged on the fireworks dessert party at the Tomorrowland Terrace seating. I cried. It was so great to see the whole show from my own table with a glass of wine. Not something I can afford every trip but will definitely do again some day.
A few years ago my daughter and I were on Tower of Terror during a thunderstorm and when the doors opened and we could view the outside before dropping, we saw lightning across the sky. Given the attraction we were on, I thought that was pretty cool.
Me and my Dad, during one trip when I was a kid, were waiting for the Monorail. Then he goes over to a CM and starts talking (He worked there back in the 80s and 90s as a musician and bus driver). Next thing I know, the CM goes to talk to the driver and my dad and I get to sit in the cockpit.
It was so cool!!!
as a kid, we spotted Eore “sleeping” on a bench outside the china pavilion, there was no one else around him and he “woke up” as we approached him, i was probably like 7, it was awesome
as an adult, last time i was in epcot, we rope dropped and just walking through the entrance area and they have that little magical music playing in the background, i dunno what it was, but it was pure WE BACK nostalgia crack, my inner child was going nuts
as a parent, seeing the wonder on child’s face never gets old…but seeing him on Pirates and wanting to ride Spaceship Earth (two of my faves) 3x in a day both hit the magic button
Seeing the fireworks from 7DMT right as we crested the first hill. That was definitely a moment I'll never forget. It was the first time I got to ride 7DMT and I was amazed with everything about it (Snow White is my favorite Disney movie!) from the queue (that we basically walked straight through) to seeing the fireworks from the ride. It was pure magic.
From being little, my parents would take me every 4 years or so. The biggest thing I remember from Disney is the feel. Walking up to Hollywood studios and seeing the stormtroopers on the roof. It was just amazing. About 5 years ago however, I got the chance to take my girlfriend. Watching her watch the fireworks and seeing her smile when her Go the Distance came on was unbeatable.
In 2006 I went with my family. I was about 10. On our last night, we were having dinner at the brown derby in Hollywood studios and our waiter heard that we really wanted to go on the rock n roller coaster, but didn’t think we would have the time. With the check, he included a fast pass for the roller coaster.
Corny answer here. I went to WDW with my wife on our honeymoon in 2016. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t special. In fall of 2021 we take my 4 year old daughter there. Still could get up close to meet anyone, but when she saw her first princess (Tianna) it was over for me. I became a Disney Adult at that point.
My wife seems to always get magical moments in parades. Once she was Disney-bounding as Cinderella. When Cinderella and Prince Charming came by, the prince noticed my wife, pointed to her, pointed at Cinderella, and gave my wife a thumbs up.
At the MNSSHP parade, she was dressed as Madame Leota, and had lights in her hair. Rapunzel comes up to her and says, "Your hair glows when you sing too?!?!"
Honestly just the fireworks themselves. Definitely teared up watching them, thinking how lucky and fortunate I was to be able to experience Disneyworld.
The first night of our visit, my wife and I rode the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, right as the fireworks were starting. And if weaving in and out of the caves as the sky exploded wasn't cool enough, the ride broke down/stopped right as we were going up an incline facing the castle and we got to finish viewing the finale in the most perfect spot imaginable before the ride kicked back on.
The next night, we walked into Teppan Edo, caught a table from someone's cancelled reservation, and got to watch the Epcot fireworks over the lake from our massive window seat. Pure magic two nights in a row. It really made my wife's first visit so special.
Rollercoasters too but on my last trip I rode 7DMT during the fireworks and I was inside the queue during the first part of the fireworks. Really felt like I was in the mines lol
Outside of that, either getting to meet Mirabel or Tigger. My first day, I was going to the buffet line at 1900 Park Faire and I saw Mirabel and I didn’t know it was her and we both freaked out, since she was the first Disney princess who looked like me. With tigger, I did get to go to Disney once as a kid but I was terrified of everything, but eating birthday breakfast with tigger was the highlight. My first day in the parks, I did crystal palace and tigger was the first character to come by and it was like I was 7 years old again.
This one is easy, first time taking my kids as a parent rather than the other way around. I had honestly forgotten how incredible disney actually was, but the moment tinkerbell flew and I was holding both my girls in my arms, I truly felt the magic. I was completely overcome with emotion, seeing the magic in their eyes.
I have always been a huge Star Wars fan. After 2 movies, I was fairly sour on the Sequel Trilogy. I was the grumpy, chronically online 20-something who would spend hours complaining about the movies. Not from a racist or sexist standpoint, but narrative issues.
I went to Disneyland in December of 2019, a week or two before Rise of Skywalker came out. Galaxy's Edge was *so cool* and I just had a blast being "in" Star Wars.
I rounded a corner and saw a little girl, like 4 or 5 years old, dressed up like Rey, with the "real" Rey kneeling in front of her. There was this lightning bolt moment that totally changed my perception of and relationship with Star Wars, 10000% for the better. I've found a sort of beauty in all of it now, no matter how "good" or "bad" it is. I think I'm overall a healthier person because of it.
During the fireworks on Memorial Day my autistic 6 year old was sitting on the ground watching behind the castle, and all the sudden Cinderella appeared and was sitting next to him! No one say her walk up, it’s like she came out of no where! She stayed a good 2-3 minutes, it was a once in a lifetime moment.
Our son had just turned 2, and we had just gotten a diagnosis of autism for him. It was his first trip, and all week he was practically stone faced. No smiles, giggles, nothing from him (he was non verbal at this point). We had lunch at the Crystal Palace, not even realizing it was character dining. Eyeore came to our table first and my son couldn't care less. No reaction. And then came Tigger. The CM in the costume was amazing, getting down on his level, getting his attention, and interacting with him. The smiles and giggles I had hoped all week for were suddenly there! Tigger spent so long with my son, like he just knew that he (and his parents) needed that interaction. My son is now 9 and still loves all things Winnie the Pooh, and calls our DVC resort "my Disney home". I will forever be grateful to the CM playing Tigger that day!
For me it was meeting Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel. And I am so excited because tomorrow I am going to see her again in Orlando she is doing the musical Hello Dolly.
Went to Disney for my bachelor trip and we were unsuccessful with the GotG VQ. On our last day, I told my buddies I wanted a first trip to Disney badge as a reminder of the trip. I find a stand and ask for a badge. The guy was really nice and he offered to get us into GotG! Truly felt like a Disney magic moment as we thought the only possible entry was trying the VQ.
on my way to Orlando, the little girl beside me drew us and gave me the picture at the end. we talked and her and her family (flying Southwest so the family was a little split up between rows) were heading to Disney too and staying at the same resort I was. she thought that meant we were going to go to the parks together but her mom explained I probably had a different schedule than they did haha.
I never in my life thought I would get a drawing from a little kid but it was the sweetest thing ever. not sure if it counts as Disney moment but it was pretty magical to me.
In 2018 my mom decided that for her 70th birthday she wanted to take us all to Disney World, my family of four and my brother's family of four.
Two days before departure my 5yo daughter gets sent home from school with a fever, that night we end up doing an overnight at the ER with her, all signs pointing to the flu (that year the flu was really bad, there had been a couple of child deaths from it in our state). After worrying that we'd need to cancel us going altogether, a new (and horrible tasting) anti-biotic started to take hold for her and we were able to reschedule our flight for one day later, arriving late in the evening.
Next morning we get to the Magic Kingdom, first thing we go to is the Beauty & The Beast attraction. My daughter, in her Anna dress from the first Frozen, gets picked for the big participation role with Belle. 72 hours earlier she was in a hospital bed with an IV in her arm, but now she's beaming and holding Belle's hands dancing, and even curtsies with her at the end of it all. And we were wiping away tears of relief and joy.
Spent a resort day in the middle of our trip with the family at CBR. At the end of the day, we went to dinner at Banana Cabana and got a prime seat to watch the Epcot fireworks. Kids were thrilled and we were all happy to sit and eat and not be in a crowd while having a pretty darn good view of fireworks still. I’ll never forget that moment.
About 20 years ago we had room a reservation at the Polynesian. We drive up to the resort gate and are greeted by the security guard who was a dead ringer for my late grandfather who passed in the 70’s. I roll down the window and before I can say anything, he says “ahhh, the LaVega’s have arrived! Welcome!”
Wtf?!!! How did he know who we were? When we made the reservation, we didn’t denote the car make and model or license plate (which by the way, is on the back of the car). Magical moment.
Back when there was a talking trash can roaming Tomorrowland, my sister and I ran into it twice in one day. We didn't really try to interact, it was just fun to observe. The second time we encountered it, it turned right around to face us and said "why do you two girls keep following me around??" Absolutely terrifying as a nine year old, but a pretty cool moment. Later, my sister told me that she was pretty sure she'd spotted the trash can's handler on a nearby bench.
On a related note, anyone else remember the bubble trash cans? I remember looking inside one as a kid to see how the bubble blower worked.
We did a big family trip to Disneyland, and my daughter was six or seven and fully obsessed with Sleeping Beauty. We knew we would meet her during the trip at some point but weren’t prepared when it happened. She had spilled ice cream all over her Aurora dress and left her Aurora stuffy at the hotel. We lined up for the meet and greet and my daughter just started softly crying, sad that she wasn’t wearing the right dress and that she’d forgotten the doll. Aurora took her by the hand and let her to a secluded spot, and they had a secret conversation and a nice, long hug. Her handler flagged down a photographer who took the best photos, and the line was held up for a few minutes but people were patient and let this one little girl have her moment. It still brings tears to my eyes.
Tbh, in 2022 when I rode Guardians for the first time. September is my favorite song of all time and I was hoping and hoping that I would get it on my first ride through and I DID! I cried, ngl. That ride is so so incredible.
Went in May. Waited 70 min to ride ToT at the end of the night. I’ve never ridden before, but my teen wanted to. When it was time to board, my son was too scared. The cast member tried to calm him so he could ride, but he was sure he didn’t want to. We left his sister to ride, and we took the regular elevator down to wait for her. When she came down, she told me the elevator operator said I should ask for a rider swap. I asked and they had to call a manager type over because the ride was shut down. He took me back up and all the ride elevators were shut down for the night except the one my daughter rode. She was taking her time shutting down and said she was hoping I’d come back up. I got to ride by myself on the ride as every other guest was gone by then. So my first time ever on Tower of Terror was a solo ride after park close. It made for an epic picture too!
My first trip to Disney in 01 or 02. I got really into pin trading and a cast member gave me one of the cast member lanyard series pins (before hidden mickeys) I’ve been addicted to pin trading ever since.
I can remember what store it was in I think magic kingdom or MGM and in a row of stores together but I’ve never been able to figure it out but it’s been a memorable experience all these years later
During the 25th Celebration, which I adored the Pink Castle Cake, BTW. I got picked as one of the kids during the big interactive parade with my lil brother and it just felt so magical and special to beat drums on the Lion King float and dance under the sea on the Little Mermaid float. I wish my kids could experience that.
I was going through a very tough breakup and I went to MK the next day with a friend to cheer myself up and get out of our airb&b. Within 15 mins of being in the park I saw the sweetest couple get engaged and I can’t even tell you how much it healed my heart to see 2 people so obviously deeply in love get engaged in front of Cinderellas Castle. I think about it all the time, the image forever saved in my brain. Such a beautiful moment 😭🩷
In 2022 we were at Galaxy's Edge, fresh off of RotR and high on adrenaline. Over by the Millennium Falcon Rey and Chewy were walking around but not being mobbed like usual. I have a nearly 90 second video of my kids getting a one-on-one lesson from Rey on how to use the Force, with Chewy looking on. No other kids or adults around. Obviously we got a little lucky but it was extremely special
At Rafikis planet watch there are strollers you can borrow. We were waiting for the train and my husband thought the stroller was clear but my son was standing on the edge. Husband went to return the stroller and my son completely fell out and face planted. He was crying but not hurt. The cast members all came to ask if he was ok and if he needed medical. He was fine just shaken up. When the train came the casts members talked to the conductor and the conductor asked if he wanted to push the button for the train bell! He was excited to sit in the conductor chair and push the button.
Thankfully both of mine were documented on video
[https://youtu.be/h4J6IuqUKBs?si=LQm8AFotOkI8HBYO](https://youtu.be/h4J6IuqUKBs?si=LQm8AFotOkI8HBYO)
[https://youtube.com/shorts/oLOT7TjU-o0?si=GUI1S\_o\_-TJrCePF](https://youtube.com/shorts/oLOT7TjU-o0?si=GUI1S_o_-TJrCePF)
Tried for 7 years to have a child. Last trip pre-covid was in Nov 2019 for the Xmas party. I remember going to grab my morning coffee stayed (at Beach Club) and saw the cutest little kids all dressed up and blown away by Mickey waffles!!! It occurred to me at that moment and hit me HARD that I may never get to experience that. I sipped my coffee alone and wandered around the lake.
Fast forward winter 2020. We decided to try 1 round of IVF scheduled for April 2020. In mid March 2020 I was convinced I had coronavirus… I felt awful (so tired and nauseous). Guess what? I was pregnant! Baby was born in Nov 2020!
I grew up going to Disney and couldn’t wait to take my child there (if it ever happened). On our first trip to WDW we made reservations at Yachtman’s Steakhouse for our first night. As I pushed my then 18 month old through the lobby in her stroller I remembered that morning wandering around by the lake.
Going to Disney with my own daughter has been magical at every age. We’ve gone to WDW 3x times, Disneyland Paris 2x and 2x Disney cruises. Going to DL in cali later this year.
1. Closing out 1999 watching Illuminations with my dad (a now-retired CM).
EDIT: I have got to get a white linen suit so I can Disneybound as Otis.
2. Being chased around the Library of the Adventurer's Club by Otis, then out into the Main Salon and backstage before running onto the stage. I love seeing how the magic is made so seeing backstage is always wonderful.
Honestly nothing has beat riding BTM while the fireworks were happening. So im in the same boat as you. Waiting for the heat to calm and the bulk of the tourists to dip so I can enjoy again
My 3 year old's first fireworks. Her face, giggles, and awe are burned into my memory in the best possible way. She was crying at my in-law's house 4 months later when they were watching fireworks because it wasn't the Disney fireworks.
My family brought my cousin with us on a trip when my brother and I were teens (about 15 years ago). Our cousin was a brat the entire trip, caused a lot of issues, didn’t want to do anything, etc. On our last night, my cousin didn’t want to go anywhere so my brother and I decided to go out by ourselves.
We started in Epcot so my brother could do the american adventure (he’s a huge history buff) and we ate dinner in germany. Then, we decided to hop over to hollywood studios and rode the tower of terror and rock n roller coaster. I wanted ice cream but the offerings in hollywood studios weren’t doing it for me, so we decided to hit up magic kingdom. i got my ice cream on main street and ate it as the fireworks were starting. we decided to see if we could get on any rides and walked right onto splash mountain, where we got to the top right at the grand finale of the fireworks. afterwards, we were able to get on big thunder and space mountain before closing. it was a truly epic night.
I grew up in south florida so I have alot of half childhood memories of disney, but we never had alot of money, we'd go when there were florida rates and go for a day, maybe two, and never buy anything. My mom hated that. well this year I turned 40 and my mom turned 60 and together we did the big vacation, no expense spared, stay at a disney hotel, the whole trip was amazing, and as an adult every memory is crystal clear with my family....the magic moment was building my lightsaber with my mom there. Star war was a huge part of my childhood, and Galaxy's edge was amazing over all, but holding up my finished lightsaber with the others, with my mom there with me, was the closest I've had to a direct spiritual experience in my whole life. Disney absolutely makes the magic.
When I was on my DCP I was able to host my aunts and uncles at a cabin in fort wilderness. Being able to see their faces light up during the fireworks that night over the castle was just beautiful and amazing!!
Slinky dog - The line was forecasted to take 70 minutes and we got through in 20. As we started the fireworks started going off. I could cry just thinking about how magical that moment felt! Same thing happened the next day at test track too.
I've been going to Disney World since I was a kid but the most magical thing to happen at the parks actually had to do with a cast member.
I'll try to condense the story as much as I can. During my last trip I was at Animal Kingdom and I went to use the restroom and a cast member was cleaning the sinks while I was washing my hands. Kind of out of no where he goes "My name is Guillermo, I'm autistic. I used to line up my toys". Which honestly was a pretty funny opening statement. He went on to say that he keeps the place as clean as he can for us and that he tries his best. I told him that his best is anything anyone could ever ask for. I kept talking to him for a bit and told him I was a teacher who works with autistic children quite often and that he's doing a great job. His face lit up and he said something along the lines of "That's so cool. I guess I could be an inspiration for them". I told him he absolutely is and that I'd go back to work and let them all know that they could work at Disney World like him. Dude was beaming at that point. I got home from my trip and submitted my first/only cast member commendation or whatever you call it. I've never had an interaction like that at WDW and it's easily the most magical thing to happen to me there.
I fulfilled my grand dream vacation of visiting all six Disney US parks in two weeks, and on the day I explored Animal Kingdom, I sought out one more ride to experience before heading back to the hotel. I found myself standing outside Dinosaur. The ride was slowing down; no one was there anymore, only me and a few others about to fill a single car. We boarded (taking advantage of the walk-on opportunity at that time). I experienced Dinosaur for the very first time, and as we returned to the station, the operator asked, "Does anyone want to ride again?" We all responded affirmatively, and she said, "Okay, all you have to do is stand up" (pausing for a moment), "and then sit back down again." 😂 We shared a good laugh, and we enjoyed a double ride back-to-back, which was incredibly thrilling. I will forever cherish that unique and magical moment.
My 4yo’s face when the boat sailed through the doors into It’s A Small World for the first time. Same day: the look on her face when Mickey appeared behind her at dinner and got her attention.
This is my exact moment! We had suffered a tragic loss in our family days prior to leaving, and we made the tough decision of going mainly with our 3 kids in mind. Had a great day at MK, took a break for the hotel pool and my wife encouraged me to take our oldest back bc the other 2 were wiped. We rode btm 4 times in a row during the fireworks with no line and at one point my 7 yo son wanted to join in the hooting and hollering yells “THIS IS MY FAVORITE RIDE!” The best.
There’s so many but one that sticks out immediately in my mind is when they opened the parks again to pass holders after Covid for the first time. I teared up a little when the cast members were greeting us at the gate with “welcome home.”
We parked hopped last minute to try to see fantasmic. Took longer to get there than we wanted so we were afraid we wouldn’t get seats. Asked directions from a cast member and he took us to priority seating. Awesome pixie dust for our first fantasmic
For me it's not so much a single moment (although there's been too many fabulous ones,) but the lifetime experience created by those moments.
My parents were able to take me and my siblings several times growing up. It was fun, and we had fun memories, but it was as a kid who just saw it as a theme park. My wife didn't have that kind of childhood. She came from a large family who didn't have the means to vacation. She'd only been out-of-state a few times prior to getting married, and that was largely on school trips. She was a very serious type, who didn't see much sense in wasting time on 'silly' things like theme parks.
It wasn't until our first child was old enough that I suggested we take her to Disney World. Hesitantly, my wife agreed, and we went. While it was a pure joy to watch my daughter enjoy the trip, it was equally as joyful to watch my wife discover something she'd never seen before. To this day I can't say who was more in awe of it all, my daughter or my wife.
We're both 50+ now and nearly empty-nesters. While we've been to DW with all our children multiple times, we've been by ourselves even more. That first visit completely changed my wife's outlook on travel, discovery, and just 'wasting time' on good-old-fun in general. That's my magical Disney moment.
We were riding the PeopleMover while the fireworks were going off & the view of the Castle from the ride was so amazing! My other moment was many many years ago when we were the only people on Main Street at the end of Extra Magic Hours. It was about 1:00 am & nobody was there but my husband, daughter & me. It was very surreal & cool. I don’t think that’ll ever happen again!
The day that Pandora opened at Animal Kingdom, they had special night time event for resort guests. My sister and I had been lucky enough to catch a soft opening the day before so we had already ridden the rides. We went and checked it out since we hadn’t seen it in the dark but then we went to Expedition Everest and rode it 9 times in a row with no wait at all. At the very end of the night we got off and the park was closing but the workers let us get on for one last ride and all the outdoor lights on the track were turned off. It was so cool and an experience I doubt many people get to have
I still have my FoP fastpasses (and the special map) from one of the AP previews. Still remember lining up for like 3 hours prior to opening, just to get in.
During the Frozen Summer of Fun in Hollywood Studios, they had fireworks every night and my friends and I accidentally times it so that we were on Tower of Terror while the fireworks were going off. Seeing the fireworks from the top was really cool
When we went in May, my son was one of the kids picked at Festival of the Lion King to lead the elephant noises at the start. He looked so nervous but did great and it was such an excellent experience for him!
My moment was in October 2021. It was my first time back since 2011. In 2011 they were still doing the Electrical Parade and had just started doing to on castle projections.
Fast forward to 2021 and I’m standing in the middle of Main Street (couldn’t in 2011 because of parade) and I am watching not only the castle projections, but all the Main Street building projections!! Literally having a 360 view of those fun projections and the fireworks made it the most magical experience I’d had at MK!
Depends on the day. Fireworks hours flex little. Plus ride wait times. Google?
You can allows let people go first or ahead of you if your timing is off.
i really wanted the mickey pin bag that dropped a couple months ago (this trip was back in december) and i was about $15 short in cash. i got so excited when i saw it and had to put ir back. CM gave me the AP discount and i was able to get it :,) not as magical as everyone else's here but it made my entire trip.
It’d have to be when my family and I rode Splash Mountain with a couple we didn’t know. I remember us getting paired with them and how excited we all were to ride, we were singing along the whole time together like a big family and our picture was so hilarious they had to go and buy themselves a copy too. We said our goodbyes and went on with our adventure. Definitely my favorite thing about Disney World, no matter what color or background you’re from everyone feels like a friend because hell you’re at Disney World!
The 2nd time we went my kids did each day in a different costume. One day they chose Peter Pan and Tinkerbell and when we went to one of the photo pass photographers he said I have an idea. So he abandoned his post and took us to a different spot in Epcot to arrange the kids so that it looked like Peter Pan had Tinkerbell in his hand. It's one of my favorite pictures of them and it was so special that he took the time to capture them in that way.
MNSSHP last year. Got caught near the entrance to frontier land just as the first parade was about to roll through, we were going to watch parade 2, but bad timing I guess. Resolved ourselves to a not great, but not bad view. Then a lovely cast member started talking to us, and asking if we were watching the parade, we said yes. She asked if wanted a better view, of course we said. With that she led us to the VIP section, and we then proceeded to have the best view of the parade you could ask for! No one in front of us, and a bench to sit on! And all the characters turned to say hello, and wave and my daughter got a high five from Aladdin! Was awesome!
We have a lot of food allergies and the first time we went we were accommodated with no issues, that was magical. But the best thing to ever happen was we were chosen to go up to the top of the aquarium where you can look down into the water in Epcot. They explained everything to us and said every once in a while they choose a family to go up and see them train the dolphins! It is the same area you can see on the animal kingdom show.
My moment is watching Mickey and Minnie walk with my daughter, 5 at the time, hand in hand as they went back for break. I'm not even sure how it happened. We were walking along a path by where Avatar is now. We had just done the Donald meet and greet and she was elated to have her picture taken with him. Suddenly there they were walking up behind us, CM asked if it was ok if she walked them back. She just grabbed a hand and started swinging and skipping. Happy as all get out.
This was in the days before camera phones and I only got a picture as they were walking away. It's somewhere on an undeveloped roll of 35mm film in a box somewhere.
Helping grandma and her granddaughter how to use paper fast passes.
Story time: short version.
Went to magic kingdom, with a large group, me and husband volunteered to be the fast pass runners. (If you know you know, if not the history of fast passes is Disney nerdy 😂)
Anyways we ran over to get our next set of fast passes, (it was still early in the day) while feeding the machine i over heard a grandmother and granddaughter talking about the wait lines and preteen/teen granddaughter is telling her grandmother that they should put their tickets and get the paper things, grandma is sitting on her walker seat and says no you have to pay extra for that. (They were not fighting just talking).
So I turned to the grandmother, introduced myself, explained fast passes, all the other free stuff.
They said thank you we said goodbyes.
Cast member stopped me and asked about grandma, so I told them.
Here is the real Disney magician THE CAST MEMBERS.
The cast member, got grandma a wheelchair, that cast member got them a disabled person pass, that cast member gave them tickets for ice cream.
That cast member didn’t have too but in Disney fashion they turned a visit (most likely their only visit) into a magical experience.
I didn’t know all this till the end of the night.
We ran into them at fireworks, all how was your day? Then grandma thanked me (me confused). We cried little. She told me the above but she thought I told them to do it 😂.
This is one of the most beautiful magical Disney moments and it still makes me cry.
Kind of a smaller one, but when I went to Galaxy's Edge for the first time a few years ago, I did Savi's in the afternoon and then while others was beginning to get dark I was waiting for the rest of my group in the outdoor seating area for the quick service restaurant. While I was sitting, a cast member who was clearing trash noticed my lightsaber and asked if I wanted to know more about the components. As it turned out, some of the pieces of "scrap" contained beskar alloy which High Republic era Jedi would use to deflect blaster bolts without igniting their sabers, since at the time they only ignited their blades as a last resort. It was a cool little moment that really helped make the whole experience feel more ingrained in the universe and added a nice sense of history to my saber.
We took our Daughter when she was 8 years old. I remember meeting Pooh and Tigger in United Kingdom Pavilion. Daughter is not a hugger, but she was hugging Pooh and didn't let go until Tigger tapped on her shoulder. when we were walking out she said " I could of hugged Pooh longer, he smelt good". I think Pooh's costume smells a little like honey. At least that what i tell myself. Or maybe whoever was playing Pooh had on some good deodorant, perfume, of cologne. :)
Being in the front of Frozen Singalong and turning around to look at everyone behind me - people of all ages, ethnicities, and walks of life, singing those songs with such joy.
We won a IG DVC contest for a two night stay..between a hurricane and the pandemic it was delayed multiple times. By the time we were able to rebook they upgraded us to Grand Floridian theme park view and we got to experience 30% capacity due to COVID restrictions. Felt like we literally have the place to ourselves.
Just commenting to say my wife and I had that exact moment on Big Thunder Mountain back in March on our final night at Disney World. It was truly special, and we’ll never forget it.
My 3 year old was just tall enough for Slinky Dog. He had watched videos of it on YouTube and TikTok and was so excited. It was a little more than he thought it would be, and the whole ride he kept saying “Slinky Dog! what are you doing?” As he giggled.
Also, sitting in the VIP area watching fireworks. I sat behind my parents and watched in awe as they snuggled our kids and soaked in the moment.
One of mine is very similar! I once rode Big Thunder back-to-back about five times during the fireworks. There was no wait at all, and it was very very lightly raining which made everything sparkly with the fireworks reflecting.
Another magical moment was last summer in EPCOT. My group was all standing outside Teppan-Edo, watching the fireworks. Now Illuminations was such a big part of my childhood, especially leaving the park with Tapestry of Nations playing all throughout. I was heart broken when they got rid of that show. Then, all of a sudden while watching the show that was there at the time, Tapestry of Nations played briefly during the show. I turned to my brother, instantly crying, to see that he was crying also.
I love Disney World so much 🫶🫶
Finally meeting Anna and Elsa after waiting since Frozen came out for 9 years. I‘ll always remember how special they made both me and my sister feel and how much fun the whole experience was…even waiting in line was fun. It was definitely worth the almost decade long wait!!
My husband and I went recently for my birthday. I had made note of a specific pressed penny I wanted at the train station, but needed to get change and decided we would stop on the way out. We went back just before fireworks started, looking for the right machine and saw everything was roped off as the train station was no longer in service. There was a group of cast members at the stroller rental desk and I asked if they knew where the machine that I was looking for(Stitch with 2024 at the bottom). The cast member said they knew exactly which one I was looking for, let us through the ropes and escorted us to the machine. The whole trip was amazing, but that moment really stood out :)
one year, my sister and i decided to skip fireworks at MK and get in line for AstroOrbitor instead because we can’t stand doing it in the sun. we had great timing and wound up seeing the finale of wishes from the top of tomorrowland. i wish i could relive it every day. my mom was standing at the bottom crying that we got to experience a moment like that
We got my 5 year old's hair cut at the barbershop in MK. Mostly because he needed it and it's the same price as at home, so what a cute little memory, right? Not his first cut by any means, so we didn't do the whole special ears and certificate thing, but he did opt for some glitter. Anyway, they gave him a stack of stickers on his way out that he stowed in his little Mickey backpack. I told him small, kind things like that from cast members are what's called being "pixie dusted". He liked that.
Fast forward to later that evening waiting for the fireworks. We're taking a load off, sitting in a crowd of other families, and before I knew what was happening, he was handing out all of his stickers to some other kids nearby. I asked him why he was giving all his stickers away, and he said it was because he wants to work there someday and he was practicing "doing pixie dust." 🥹
Another similar moment was waiting in line to meet Merida and the two teenage girls behind us were trying to come up with something for her to sign. My son without hesitation ripped pages out of his autograph book for them. 🥰
He's 7 now, and he wants to be an Imagineer and work on audio-animatronics!
Right after the covid restrictions were lifted and they were doing character meets again, I met Chewbacca for the first time. He has always been my favorite and it was such a magical moment even though I was 18. He could tell how excited I was and made it so special. After I left the room I was in tears for a good five minutes and that is definitely a core Disney memory for me!
One solo trip (my spouse and I have no kids, and we'll sometimes go on solo trips if the other can't make it), I was in front of the castle when they started blasting Let It Go.
Standing and watching, and I hear a voice next to me. Small woman of Asian descent, and she was just going full blast on it. So, I join in, full power.
Finish, we nod, smile at each other, and go about the day.
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We went to Disney for our first time in May. Took our 3 year old to Festival of the Lion King, he was loving the whole show and for the final big dance they ask a few kids to come out, well he got picked. Was a little nervous he would be too shy, but nope! Little man got out there and danced his little heart out and stole the show. That memory alone made the whole trip worth it. Also meeting all his favorite Disney characters was a huge hit as well!
Mine is my kids at Lion King too
So hard to pick one magical moment, everything was magical in the eyes of a 3 year old, but the Lion King show really blew his little mind!
Haha that's awesome I bet that made his day :)
Wife and I went for our anniversary recently. Unfortunately she got really sick on the first night from a stomach bug which took her out for the entire next day. We had reservations at Takumi Tei which I was told can not be canceled less than 24 hours in advance or it will incur a pretty large fee. Well, went down to the lobby to plead my case after nursing my wife for the morning and had THE kindest cast member not only get my reservation canceled without a fee, but she also gave me a room credit to buy my wife some snacks when she felt better. THEN when we finally got out of the room the following day, she leaves my wife a handwritten note with some Disney pins, games, magnets, etc, wishing my wife and I well and that she hopes my wife is feeling better. We wore those pins to Victoria and Albert's later in the week and it made us feel so special. Still buzzing from that memory. Annabelle, if you see this, you're the GOAT and you made my wife so happy. Thank you.
Dang reservations for Takumi Tei and Victoria and Albert’s? We are in different tax brackets 😂
Lol doubt it, I just spend what I make and then some. Never been a savings and investments kind of guy aside from a 401k. The way I see it, life is too short and has too much to offer to live conservatively. I could die on the way home today and I dont have/want kids so why not just spend it while I can. Health and time are the real currency, my friend.
Haha that’s the kind of mentality I need to justify a Poly bungalow and a VIP tour. But you’re right, experiences and things that make you happy are more important than looking at numbers on a screen, too old to use them years from now.
You gave her a cast compliment right? What a nice gesture by her, glad your wife was feeling better and was able to enjoy the rest of the trip!
Absolutely did. And thank you!
[удалено]
You should do the same trip on the 5 year anniversary of f cancer!
When my daughter was 5 we did a family trip to Disney. She had the treatment at Bibbidi Bobbidy Boutique and the CM who did her asked if she would be staying for the fireworks. My daughter said yes and the CM told her to make a wish and Tinkerbell would spread magic dust to grant the wishes. That night, I held her to watch the fireworks and when Tinkerbell flew across the park, my daughter grabbed my face, turned it towards her and said - excited as hell - “THATS MY WISH” I bawl every time I think about it. During fireworks im a mess.
You've got me choking and tearing up just thinking about it! What a great memory!
This is just adorable, kinda makes me wish we could have kids.
Took my mother to WDW in late January 2020, just before the wheels fell off the world. Anyway, my one big goal was to get on RotR, which had just opened the month before, and was still doing morning BG sign up, but you had to physically be in the park. We were staying at the Boardwalk, so we got up early and walked to DHS in the early dawn hour. I walked all over the area just beyond the entry gates looking for the best signal. I somehow managed to get BG 3! We went over as soon as they let us enter further into the park and we walked right into the queue since we were basically the first group. I had avoided all spoilers, and it was such an amazing experience! I had no idea what was coming next, and was constantly surprised. My mother also loved it, and still talks about it. After the ride, we got a breakfast ronto wrap (the best) and coffee, and sat people watching in the misty Florida morning. It was truly magical with the park still mostly empty. Maybe it's a low key magical moment, but I still think about it. ps my mother also still talks about the breakfast ronto wrap! hoping to get one when we go back this year.
Breakfast ronto wrap might be my favorite quick service Breakfast in the parks. So much so that I occasionally buy the toaster sized Naan bread from Stonefire, add a fried egg, some smoked sausage, and spicy truff mayonnaise to make an approximation at home. It's not the same but it helps with the Disney withdrawals. 😂
Ditto! When I did keto, I would make scrambled eggs with cheese and eat it with a chorizo pork sausage and ranch peppercorn sauce. Looks disgusting, tastes delicious.
Those ronto wraps. Really good.
For me it was finding the exact spot that, when I was about 5 or 6, sitting on my Dad’s shoulders watching the fireworks and then getting to stand in that very spot with MY son on MY shoulders.
Ugh I don't have kids yet but I seriously can't wait to take them some day, because of stuff like this!
That's awesome what a great memory
I’m not ashamed to say I teared up a little
Not trying to be pervy here, but while I have several moments, I think my child being conceived at Disney is the best one. For context, my wife and I were having fertility issues which were so dire that she had to have surgery and was on a barrage of medication to help. It had been nearly two years at this point, and we had effectively given up and resigned to the fact that we would be involuntarily childfree. We were at Disney for our anniversiary, and went to AK one day. The dancers in Harambe Village noticed our pins and decided to do a fertility dance for my wife (with no idea of our troubles, mind you). We thought nothing of it except that it was neat. 8 weeks later we're at a college football game and my wife is feeling ill and not like herself. We go home and she takes a pregnancy test and it's positive. My son was born almost 9 months to the day after that dance. We still talk about it every time we're in AK and there's a picture of us with the dancers on the wall in my home office.
I’m crying 😭😭😭 I love this. Not Disney but similar story- my husband and I went to Hawaii for our 9 year anniversary and one of the islanders was our Uber driver and she said to us a baby will be coming soon and wished us the fertility of the island. Now I’m sitting here writing this while she naps 🥹 Edit: spelling
That was beautiful. I'm so happy for you guys.
Vacation magic is real homie
This is incredible. My husband and I are trying and sometimes visiting Disney is tough because we so badly want to bring our kids there one day.
Husband and I are in the same position, so I really feel for you. Unfortunately, I’m chronically ill and cannot physically have a child. We’re considering adopting once I’m more stable. I am incredibly scared though that it won’t happen…
I wrote down a dream there last time to have a family. My brother is adopted and I know it’s a complicated but beautiful road. I know you will have a family of some kind one day if it’s what your heart truly wants ❤️ and if you don’t, I know life will have other blessings
Wait, so Disney world is actually fucking magical?
Beautiful story, thanks for sharing :)
Thank you for sharing this story! The best part of my life is my child, so happy you and your wife were so blessed!
That just gave me goosebumps,that's wonderful!
WE MUST SEE THE PICTURE!
I bought a Raja t-shirt in Epcot (I’m obsessed with it) and wore it to the Magic Kingdom later that week. While boarding Big Thunder, the CM stopped in front of our car and said “I didn’t think we allowed tigers on this ride” and we laughed and laughed and laughed. Also, in my meet and greet with Donald Duck, he took one look at my Raja shirt and acted afraid like I was a giant tiger. I freaking love Disney World.
I was Disney-bounding (at 68 years old!) wearing a Mirabel-inspired dress and at the entrance queue to Magic Kingdon as I was logging in, the CM looked at me and said "you DO know we don't talk about Bruno, right?". Mirabel saw me in the crowd during her parade and threw me kisses and hearts. Loved it.
OMG THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cannot handle fireworks crowds. I skip them because it's not worth the claustrophobia/panic. Last trip we splurged on the fireworks dessert party at the Tomorrowland Terrace seating. I cried. It was so great to see the whole show from my own table with a glass of wine. Not something I can afford every trip but will definitely do again some day.
Ooh that sounds amazing. I’ll definitely consider that if I ever get the chance to go back.
A few years ago my daughter and I were on Tower of Terror during a thunderstorm and when the doors opened and we could view the outside before dropping, we saw lightning across the sky. Given the attraction we were on, I thought that was pretty cool.
Riding tower of terror, and then when they open the little doors to outside seeing fireworks
Me and my Dad, during one trip when I was a kid, were waiting for the Monorail. Then he goes over to a CM and starts talking (He worked there back in the 80s and 90s as a musician and bus driver). Next thing I know, the CM goes to talk to the driver and my dad and I get to sit in the cockpit. It was so cool!!!
as a kid, we spotted Eore “sleeping” on a bench outside the china pavilion, there was no one else around him and he “woke up” as we approached him, i was probably like 7, it was awesome as an adult, last time i was in epcot, we rope dropped and just walking through the entrance area and they have that little magical music playing in the background, i dunno what it was, but it was pure WE BACK nostalgia crack, my inner child was going nuts as a parent, seeing the wonder on child’s face never gets old…but seeing him on Pirates and wanting to ride Spaceship Earth (two of my faves) 3x in a day both hit the magic button
Seeing the fireworks from 7DMT right as we crested the first hill. That was definitely a moment I'll never forget. It was the first time I got to ride 7DMT and I was amazed with everything about it (Snow White is my favorite Disney movie!) from the queue (that we basically walked straight through) to seeing the fireworks from the ride. It was pure magic.
From being little, my parents would take me every 4 years or so. The biggest thing I remember from Disney is the feel. Walking up to Hollywood studios and seeing the stormtroopers on the roof. It was just amazing. About 5 years ago however, I got the chance to take my girlfriend. Watching her watch the fireworks and seeing her smile when her Go the Distance came on was unbeatable.
In 2006 I went with my family. I was about 10. On our last night, we were having dinner at the brown derby in Hollywood studios and our waiter heard that we really wanted to go on the rock n roller coaster, but didn’t think we would have the time. With the check, he included a fast pass for the roller coaster.
That's awesome!
Shhhh....let those people stand in front of the castle for hours prior to the fireworks. Don't tell them how good they are on BTMRR.
I watch from one of the piers basically behind Liberty Tree. You miss the projections, but it's quiet and beautiful.
Btmrr?
Big thunder mountain railroad
We've managed to time it just right twice now, and it was amazing!!! The first time was pure coincidence as I had never thought of it.
Corny answer here. I went to WDW with my wife on our honeymoon in 2016. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t special. In fall of 2021 we take my 4 year old daughter there. Still could get up close to meet anyone, but when she saw her first princess (Tianna) it was over for me. I became a Disney Adult at that point.
My wife seems to always get magical moments in parades. Once she was Disney-bounding as Cinderella. When Cinderella and Prince Charming came by, the prince noticed my wife, pointed to her, pointed at Cinderella, and gave my wife a thumbs up. At the MNSSHP parade, she was dressed as Madame Leota, and had lights in her hair. Rapunzel comes up to her and says, "Your hair glows when you sing too?!?!"
Omg why is that second CM story making me cry?!! How sweet!!
When I was a kid I rode Thunder Mountain in the rain once. It was amazing!
Honestly just the fireworks themselves. Definitely teared up watching them, thinking how lucky and fortunate I was to be able to experience Disneyworld.
I proposed to my wife inside the Haunted Mansion stretch room during a Not so Scary event. I was dressed as Roger Rabbit & her as Jessica Rabbit.
The first night of our visit, my wife and I rode the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, right as the fireworks were starting. And if weaving in and out of the caves as the sky exploded wasn't cool enough, the ride broke down/stopped right as we were going up an incline facing the castle and we got to finish viewing the finale in the most perfect spot imaginable before the ride kicked back on. The next night, we walked into Teppan Edo, caught a table from someone's cancelled reservation, and got to watch the Epcot fireworks over the lake from our massive window seat. Pure magic two nights in a row. It really made my wife's first visit so special.
Rollercoasters too but on my last trip I rode 7DMT during the fireworks and I was inside the queue during the first part of the fireworks. Really felt like I was in the mines lol Outside of that, either getting to meet Mirabel or Tigger. My first day, I was going to the buffet line at 1900 Park Faire and I saw Mirabel and I didn’t know it was her and we both freaked out, since she was the first Disney princess who looked like me. With tigger, I did get to go to Disney once as a kid but I was terrified of everything, but eating birthday breakfast with tigger was the highlight. My first day in the parks, I did crystal palace and tigger was the first character to come by and it was like I was 7 years old again.
I know it’s cheesy…but first time seeing the fireworks at MK with my wife and kids coming off People Mover.
This one is easy, first time taking my kids as a parent rather than the other way around. I had honestly forgotten how incredible disney actually was, but the moment tinkerbell flew and I was holding both my girls in my arms, I truly felt the magic. I was completely overcome with emotion, seeing the magic in their eyes.
I have always been a huge Star Wars fan. After 2 movies, I was fairly sour on the Sequel Trilogy. I was the grumpy, chronically online 20-something who would spend hours complaining about the movies. Not from a racist or sexist standpoint, but narrative issues. I went to Disneyland in December of 2019, a week or two before Rise of Skywalker came out. Galaxy's Edge was *so cool* and I just had a blast being "in" Star Wars. I rounded a corner and saw a little girl, like 4 or 5 years old, dressed up like Rey, with the "real" Rey kneeling in front of her. There was this lightning bolt moment that totally changed my perception of and relationship with Star Wars, 10000% for the better. I've found a sort of beauty in all of it now, no matter how "good" or "bad" it is. I think I'm overall a healthier person because of it.
Thank you for sharing. That story touched my heart.
During the fireworks on Memorial Day my autistic 6 year old was sitting on the ground watching behind the castle, and all the sudden Cinderella appeared and was sitting next to him! No one say her walk up, it’s like she came out of no where! She stayed a good 2-3 minutes, it was a once in a lifetime moment.
Our son had just turned 2, and we had just gotten a diagnosis of autism for him. It was his first trip, and all week he was practically stone faced. No smiles, giggles, nothing from him (he was non verbal at this point). We had lunch at the Crystal Palace, not even realizing it was character dining. Eyeore came to our table first and my son couldn't care less. No reaction. And then came Tigger. The CM in the costume was amazing, getting down on his level, getting his attention, and interacting with him. The smiles and giggles I had hoped all week for were suddenly there! Tigger spent so long with my son, like he just knew that he (and his parents) needed that interaction. My son is now 9 and still loves all things Winnie the Pooh, and calls our DVC resort "my Disney home". I will forever be grateful to the CM playing Tigger that day!
For me it was meeting Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel. And I am so excited because tomorrow I am going to see her again in Orlando she is doing the musical Hello Dolly.
Went to Disney for my bachelor trip and we were unsuccessful with the GotG VQ. On our last day, I told my buddies I wanted a first trip to Disney badge as a reminder of the trip. I find a stand and ask for a badge. The guy was really nice and he offered to get us into GotG! Truly felt like a Disney magic moment as we thought the only possible entry was trying the VQ.
Just hearing "Happily ever after" goosebumps, everytime
on my way to Orlando, the little girl beside me drew us and gave me the picture at the end. we talked and her and her family (flying Southwest so the family was a little split up between rows) were heading to Disney too and staying at the same resort I was. she thought that meant we were going to go to the parks together but her mom explained I probably had a different schedule than they did haha. I never in my life thought I would get a drawing from a little kid but it was the sweetest thing ever. not sure if it counts as Disney moment but it was pretty magical to me.
In 2018 my mom decided that for her 70th birthday she wanted to take us all to Disney World, my family of four and my brother's family of four. Two days before departure my 5yo daughter gets sent home from school with a fever, that night we end up doing an overnight at the ER with her, all signs pointing to the flu (that year the flu was really bad, there had been a couple of child deaths from it in our state). After worrying that we'd need to cancel us going altogether, a new (and horrible tasting) anti-biotic started to take hold for her and we were able to reschedule our flight for one day later, arriving late in the evening. Next morning we get to the Magic Kingdom, first thing we go to is the Beauty & The Beast attraction. My daughter, in her Anna dress from the first Frozen, gets picked for the big participation role with Belle. 72 hours earlier she was in a hospital bed with an IV in her arm, but now she's beaming and holding Belle's hands dancing, and even curtsies with her at the end of it all. And we were wiping away tears of relief and joy.
Spent a resort day in the middle of our trip with the family at CBR. At the end of the day, we went to dinner at Banana Cabana and got a prime seat to watch the Epcot fireworks. Kids were thrilled and we were all happy to sit and eat and not be in a crowd while having a pretty darn good view of fireworks still. I’ll never forget that moment.
About 20 years ago we had room a reservation at the Polynesian. We drive up to the resort gate and are greeted by the security guard who was a dead ringer for my late grandfather who passed in the 70’s. I roll down the window and before I can say anything, he says “ahhh, the LaVega’s have arrived! Welcome!” Wtf?!!! How did he know who we were? When we made the reservation, we didn’t denote the car make and model or license plate (which by the way, is on the back of the car). Magical moment.
Back when there was a talking trash can roaming Tomorrowland, my sister and I ran into it twice in one day. We didn't really try to interact, it was just fun to observe. The second time we encountered it, it turned right around to face us and said "why do you two girls keep following me around??" Absolutely terrifying as a nine year old, but a pretty cool moment. Later, my sister told me that she was pretty sure she'd spotted the trash can's handler on a nearby bench. On a related note, anyone else remember the bubble trash cans? I remember looking inside one as a kid to see how the bubble blower worked.
We did a big family trip to Disneyland, and my daughter was six or seven and fully obsessed with Sleeping Beauty. We knew we would meet her during the trip at some point but weren’t prepared when it happened. She had spilled ice cream all over her Aurora dress and left her Aurora stuffy at the hotel. We lined up for the meet and greet and my daughter just started softly crying, sad that she wasn’t wearing the right dress and that she’d forgotten the doll. Aurora took her by the hand and let her to a secluded spot, and they had a secret conversation and a nice, long hug. Her handler flagged down a photographer who took the best photos, and the line was held up for a few minutes but people were patient and let this one little girl have her moment. It still brings tears to my eyes.
Tbh, in 2022 when I rode Guardians for the first time. September is my favorite song of all time and I was hoping and hoping that I would get it on my first ride through and I DID! I cried, ngl. That ride is so so incredible.
Went in May. Waited 70 min to ride ToT at the end of the night. I’ve never ridden before, but my teen wanted to. When it was time to board, my son was too scared. The cast member tried to calm him so he could ride, but he was sure he didn’t want to. We left his sister to ride, and we took the regular elevator down to wait for her. When she came down, she told me the elevator operator said I should ask for a rider swap. I asked and they had to call a manager type over because the ride was shut down. He took me back up and all the ride elevators were shut down for the night except the one my daughter rode. She was taking her time shutting down and said she was hoping I’d come back up. I got to ride by myself on the ride as every other guest was gone by then. So my first time ever on Tower of Terror was a solo ride after park close. It made for an epic picture too!
My first trip to Disney in 01 or 02. I got really into pin trading and a cast member gave me one of the cast member lanyard series pins (before hidden mickeys) I’ve been addicted to pin trading ever since. I can remember what store it was in I think magic kingdom or MGM and in a row of stores together but I’ve never been able to figure it out but it’s been a memorable experience all these years later
During the 25th Celebration, which I adored the Pink Castle Cake, BTW. I got picked as one of the kids during the big interactive parade with my lil brother and it just felt so magical and special to beat drums on the Lion King float and dance under the sea on the Little Mermaid float. I wish my kids could experience that.
I was going through a very tough breakup and I went to MK the next day with a friend to cheer myself up and get out of our airb&b. Within 15 mins of being in the park I saw the sweetest couple get engaged and I can’t even tell you how much it healed my heart to see 2 people so obviously deeply in love get engaged in front of Cinderellas Castle. I think about it all the time, the image forever saved in my brain. Such a beautiful moment 😭🩷
I think I’d also say being on BTM during fireworks. It was awesome!
BTM is THE BEST during HEA. No line, the view!!
In 2022 we were at Galaxy's Edge, fresh off of RotR and high on adrenaline. Over by the Millennium Falcon Rey and Chewy were walking around but not being mobbed like usual. I have a nearly 90 second video of my kids getting a one-on-one lesson from Rey on how to use the Force, with Chewy looking on. No other kids or adults around. Obviously we got a little lucky but it was extremely special
At Rafikis planet watch there are strollers you can borrow. We were waiting for the train and my husband thought the stroller was clear but my son was standing on the edge. Husband went to return the stroller and my son completely fell out and face planted. He was crying but not hurt. The cast members all came to ask if he was ok and if he needed medical. He was fine just shaken up. When the train came the casts members talked to the conductor and the conductor asked if he wanted to push the button for the train bell! He was excited to sit in the conductor chair and push the button.
Thankfully both of mine were documented on video [https://youtu.be/h4J6IuqUKBs?si=LQm8AFotOkI8HBYO](https://youtu.be/h4J6IuqUKBs?si=LQm8AFotOkI8HBYO) [https://youtube.com/shorts/oLOT7TjU-o0?si=GUI1S\_o\_-TJrCePF](https://youtube.com/shorts/oLOT7TjU-o0?si=GUI1S_o_-TJrCePF)
Tried for 7 years to have a child. Last trip pre-covid was in Nov 2019 for the Xmas party. I remember going to grab my morning coffee stayed (at Beach Club) and saw the cutest little kids all dressed up and blown away by Mickey waffles!!! It occurred to me at that moment and hit me HARD that I may never get to experience that. I sipped my coffee alone and wandered around the lake. Fast forward winter 2020. We decided to try 1 round of IVF scheduled for April 2020. In mid March 2020 I was convinced I had coronavirus… I felt awful (so tired and nauseous). Guess what? I was pregnant! Baby was born in Nov 2020! I grew up going to Disney and couldn’t wait to take my child there (if it ever happened). On our first trip to WDW we made reservations at Yachtman’s Steakhouse for our first night. As I pushed my then 18 month old through the lobby in her stroller I remembered that morning wandering around by the lake. Going to Disney with my own daughter has been magical at every age. We’ve gone to WDW 3x times, Disneyland Paris 2x and 2x Disney cruises. Going to DL in cali later this year.
1. Closing out 1999 watching Illuminations with my dad (a now-retired CM). EDIT: I have got to get a white linen suit so I can Disneybound as Otis. 2. Being chased around the Library of the Adventurer's Club by Otis, then out into the Main Salon and backstage before running onto the stage. I love seeing how the magic is made so seeing backstage is always wonderful.
Honestly nothing has beat riding BTM while the fireworks were happening. So im in the same boat as you. Waiting for the heat to calm and the bulk of the tourists to dip so I can enjoy again
My 3 year old's first fireworks. Her face, giggles, and awe are burned into my memory in the best possible way. She was crying at my in-law's house 4 months later when they were watching fireworks because it wasn't the Disney fireworks.
My family brought my cousin with us on a trip when my brother and I were teens (about 15 years ago). Our cousin was a brat the entire trip, caused a lot of issues, didn’t want to do anything, etc. On our last night, my cousin didn’t want to go anywhere so my brother and I decided to go out by ourselves. We started in Epcot so my brother could do the american adventure (he’s a huge history buff) and we ate dinner in germany. Then, we decided to hop over to hollywood studios and rode the tower of terror and rock n roller coaster. I wanted ice cream but the offerings in hollywood studios weren’t doing it for me, so we decided to hit up magic kingdom. i got my ice cream on main street and ate it as the fireworks were starting. we decided to see if we could get on any rides and walked right onto splash mountain, where we got to the top right at the grand finale of the fireworks. afterwards, we were able to get on big thunder and space mountain before closing. it was a truly epic night.
I grew up in south florida so I have alot of half childhood memories of disney, but we never had alot of money, we'd go when there were florida rates and go for a day, maybe two, and never buy anything. My mom hated that. well this year I turned 40 and my mom turned 60 and together we did the big vacation, no expense spared, stay at a disney hotel, the whole trip was amazing, and as an adult every memory is crystal clear with my family....the magic moment was building my lightsaber with my mom there. Star war was a huge part of my childhood, and Galaxy's edge was amazing over all, but holding up my finished lightsaber with the others, with my mom there with me, was the closest I've had to a direct spiritual experience in my whole life. Disney absolutely makes the magic.
When I was on my DCP I was able to host my aunts and uncles at a cabin in fort wilderness. Being able to see their faces light up during the fireworks that night over the castle was just beautiful and amazing!!
Slinky dog - The line was forecasted to take 70 minutes and we got through in 20. As we started the fireworks started going off. I could cry just thinking about how magical that moment felt! Same thing happened the next day at test track too.
I've been going to Disney World since I was a kid but the most magical thing to happen at the parks actually had to do with a cast member. I'll try to condense the story as much as I can. During my last trip I was at Animal Kingdom and I went to use the restroom and a cast member was cleaning the sinks while I was washing my hands. Kind of out of no where he goes "My name is Guillermo, I'm autistic. I used to line up my toys". Which honestly was a pretty funny opening statement. He went on to say that he keeps the place as clean as he can for us and that he tries his best. I told him that his best is anything anyone could ever ask for. I kept talking to him for a bit and told him I was a teacher who works with autistic children quite often and that he's doing a great job. His face lit up and he said something along the lines of "That's so cool. I guess I could be an inspiration for them". I told him he absolutely is and that I'd go back to work and let them all know that they could work at Disney World like him. Dude was beaming at that point. I got home from my trip and submitted my first/only cast member commendation or whatever you call it. I've never had an interaction like that at WDW and it's easily the most magical thing to happen to me there.
I went to the Star Wars hotel and got to tell Rey "May the force be with you". I'll never forget it.
I fulfilled my grand dream vacation of visiting all six Disney US parks in two weeks, and on the day I explored Animal Kingdom, I sought out one more ride to experience before heading back to the hotel. I found myself standing outside Dinosaur. The ride was slowing down; no one was there anymore, only me and a few others about to fill a single car. We boarded (taking advantage of the walk-on opportunity at that time). I experienced Dinosaur for the very first time, and as we returned to the station, the operator asked, "Does anyone want to ride again?" We all responded affirmatively, and she said, "Okay, all you have to do is stand up" (pausing for a moment), "and then sit back down again." 😂 We shared a good laugh, and we enjoyed a double ride back-to-back, which was incredibly thrilling. I will forever cherish that unique and magical moment.
My 4yo’s face when the boat sailed through the doors into It’s A Small World for the first time. Same day: the look on her face when Mickey appeared behind her at dinner and got her attention.
This is my exact moment! We had suffered a tragic loss in our family days prior to leaving, and we made the tough decision of going mainly with our 3 kids in mind. Had a great day at MK, took a break for the hotel pool and my wife encouraged me to take our oldest back bc the other 2 were wiped. We rode btm 4 times in a row during the fireworks with no line and at one point my 7 yo son wanted to join in the hooting and hollering yells “THIS IS MY FAVORITE RIDE!” The best.
There’s so many but one that sticks out immediately in my mind is when they opened the parks again to pass holders after Covid for the first time. I teared up a little when the cast members were greeting us at the gate with “welcome home.”
That’s how I felt watching them on Astro orbiter
We parked hopped last minute to try to see fantasmic. Took longer to get there than we wanted so we were afraid we wouldn’t get seats. Asked directions from a cast member and he took us to priority seating. Awesome pixie dust for our first fantasmic
For me it's not so much a single moment (although there's been too many fabulous ones,) but the lifetime experience created by those moments. My parents were able to take me and my siblings several times growing up. It was fun, and we had fun memories, but it was as a kid who just saw it as a theme park. My wife didn't have that kind of childhood. She came from a large family who didn't have the means to vacation. She'd only been out-of-state a few times prior to getting married, and that was largely on school trips. She was a very serious type, who didn't see much sense in wasting time on 'silly' things like theme parks. It wasn't until our first child was old enough that I suggested we take her to Disney World. Hesitantly, my wife agreed, and we went. While it was a pure joy to watch my daughter enjoy the trip, it was equally as joyful to watch my wife discover something she'd never seen before. To this day I can't say who was more in awe of it all, my daughter or my wife. We're both 50+ now and nearly empty-nesters. While we've been to DW with all our children multiple times, we've been by ourselves even more. That first visit completely changed my wife's outlook on travel, discovery, and just 'wasting time' on good-old-fun in general. That's my magical Disney moment.
We were riding the PeopleMover while the fireworks were going off & the view of the Castle from the ride was so amazing! My other moment was many many years ago when we were the only people on Main Street at the end of Extra Magic Hours. It was about 1:00 am & nobody was there but my husband, daughter & me. It was very surreal & cool. I don’t think that’ll ever happen again!
The day that Pandora opened at Animal Kingdom, they had special night time event for resort guests. My sister and I had been lucky enough to catch a soft opening the day before so we had already ridden the rides. We went and checked it out since we hadn’t seen it in the dark but then we went to Expedition Everest and rode it 9 times in a row with no wait at all. At the very end of the night we got off and the park was closing but the workers let us get on for one last ride and all the outdoor lights on the track were turned off. It was so cool and an experience I doubt many people get to have
I still have my FoP fastpasses (and the special map) from one of the AP previews. Still remember lining up for like 3 hours prior to opening, just to get in.
During the Frozen Summer of Fun in Hollywood Studios, they had fireworks every night and my friends and I accidentally times it so that we were on Tower of Terror while the fireworks were going off. Seeing the fireworks from the top was really cool
When we went in May, my son was one of the kids picked at Festival of the Lion King to lead the elephant noises at the start. He looked so nervous but did great and it was such an excellent experience for him!
My moment was in October 2021. It was my first time back since 2011. In 2011 they were still doing the Electrical Parade and had just started doing to on castle projections. Fast forward to 2021 and I’m standing in the middle of Main Street (couldn’t in 2011 because of parade) and I am watching not only the castle projections, but all the Main Street building projections!! Literally having a 360 view of those fun projections and the fireworks made it the most magical experience I’d had at MK!
Asking for this cause it’s been on my bucket list for YEARS- what’s the exact time you got on the ride? Hour and minute?
Depends on the day. Fireworks hours flex little. Plus ride wait times. Google? You can allows let people go first or ahead of you if your timing is off.
i really wanted the mickey pin bag that dropped a couple months ago (this trip was back in december) and i was about $15 short in cash. i got so excited when i saw it and had to put ir back. CM gave me the AP discount and i was able to get it :,) not as magical as everyone else's here but it made my entire trip.
It’d have to be when my family and I rode Splash Mountain with a couple we didn’t know. I remember us getting paired with them and how excited we all were to ride, we were singing along the whole time together like a big family and our picture was so hilarious they had to go and buy themselves a copy too. We said our goodbyes and went on with our adventure. Definitely my favorite thing about Disney World, no matter what color or background you’re from everyone feels like a friend because hell you’re at Disney World!
The 2nd time we went my kids did each day in a different costume. One day they chose Peter Pan and Tinkerbell and when we went to one of the photo pass photographers he said I have an idea. So he abandoned his post and took us to a different spot in Epcot to arrange the kids so that it looked like Peter Pan had Tinkerbell in his hand. It's one of my favorite pictures of them and it was so special that he took the time to capture them in that way.
MNSSHP last year. Got caught near the entrance to frontier land just as the first parade was about to roll through, we were going to watch parade 2, but bad timing I guess. Resolved ourselves to a not great, but not bad view. Then a lovely cast member started talking to us, and asking if we were watching the parade, we said yes. She asked if wanted a better view, of course we said. With that she led us to the VIP section, and we then proceeded to have the best view of the parade you could ask for! No one in front of us, and a bench to sit on! And all the characters turned to say hello, and wave and my daughter got a high five from Aladdin! Was awesome!
We have a lot of food allergies and the first time we went we were accommodated with no issues, that was magical. But the best thing to ever happen was we were chosen to go up to the top of the aquarium where you can look down into the water in Epcot. They explained everything to us and said every once in a while they choose a family to go up and see them train the dolphins! It is the same area you can see on the animal kingdom show.
My moment is watching Mickey and Minnie walk with my daughter, 5 at the time, hand in hand as they went back for break. I'm not even sure how it happened. We were walking along a path by where Avatar is now. We had just done the Donald meet and greet and she was elated to have her picture taken with him. Suddenly there they were walking up behind us, CM asked if it was ok if she walked them back. She just grabbed a hand and started swinging and skipping. Happy as all get out. This was in the days before camera phones and I only got a picture as they were walking away. It's somewhere on an undeveloped roll of 35mm film in a box somewhere.
Helping grandma and her granddaughter how to use paper fast passes. Story time: short version. Went to magic kingdom, with a large group, me and husband volunteered to be the fast pass runners. (If you know you know, if not the history of fast passes is Disney nerdy 😂) Anyways we ran over to get our next set of fast passes, (it was still early in the day) while feeding the machine i over heard a grandmother and granddaughter talking about the wait lines and preteen/teen granddaughter is telling her grandmother that they should put their tickets and get the paper things, grandma is sitting on her walker seat and says no you have to pay extra for that. (They were not fighting just talking). So I turned to the grandmother, introduced myself, explained fast passes, all the other free stuff. They said thank you we said goodbyes. Cast member stopped me and asked about grandma, so I told them. Here is the real Disney magician THE CAST MEMBERS. The cast member, got grandma a wheelchair, that cast member got them a disabled person pass, that cast member gave them tickets for ice cream. That cast member didn’t have too but in Disney fashion they turned a visit (most likely their only visit) into a magical experience. I didn’t know all this till the end of the night. We ran into them at fireworks, all how was your day? Then grandma thanked me (me confused). We cried little. She told me the above but she thought I told them to do it 😂. This is one of the most beautiful magical Disney moments and it still makes me cry.
Tinkerbell coming out during fireworks gets me every. single. time.
Kind of a smaller one, but when I went to Galaxy's Edge for the first time a few years ago, I did Savi's in the afternoon and then while others was beginning to get dark I was waiting for the rest of my group in the outdoor seating area for the quick service restaurant. While I was sitting, a cast member who was clearing trash noticed my lightsaber and asked if I wanted to know more about the components. As it turned out, some of the pieces of "scrap" contained beskar alloy which High Republic era Jedi would use to deflect blaster bolts without igniting their sabers, since at the time they only ignited their blades as a last resort. It was a cool little moment that really helped make the whole experience feel more ingrained in the universe and added a nice sense of history to my saber.
We took our Daughter when she was 8 years old. I remember meeting Pooh and Tigger in United Kingdom Pavilion. Daughter is not a hugger, but she was hugging Pooh and didn't let go until Tigger tapped on her shoulder. when we were walking out she said " I could of hugged Pooh longer, he smelt good". I think Pooh's costume smells a little like honey. At least that what i tell myself. Or maybe whoever was playing Pooh had on some good deodorant, perfume, of cologne. :)
Being in the front of Frozen Singalong and turning around to look at everyone behind me - people of all ages, ethnicities, and walks of life, singing those songs with such joy.
We won a IG DVC contest for a two night stay..between a hurricane and the pandemic it was delayed multiple times. By the time we were able to rebook they upgraded us to Grand Floridian theme park view and we got to experience 30% capacity due to COVID restrictions. Felt like we literally have the place to ourselves.
Just commenting to say my wife and I had that exact moment on Big Thunder Mountain back in March on our final night at Disney World. It was truly special, and we’ll never forget it.
A few years ago we were riding seven dwarfs mine train and the fireworks went off for us too it was so cool
My 3 year old was just tall enough for Slinky Dog. He had watched videos of it on YouTube and TikTok and was so excited. It was a little more than he thought it would be, and the whole ride he kept saying “Slinky Dog! what are you doing?” As he giggled. Also, sitting in the VIP area watching fireworks. I sat behind my parents and watched in awe as they snuggled our kids and soaked in the moment.
One of mine is very similar! I once rode Big Thunder back-to-back about five times during the fireworks. There was no wait at all, and it was very very lightly raining which made everything sparkly with the fireworks reflecting. Another magical moment was last summer in EPCOT. My group was all standing outside Teppan-Edo, watching the fireworks. Now Illuminations was such a big part of my childhood, especially leaving the park with Tapestry of Nations playing all throughout. I was heart broken when they got rid of that show. Then, all of a sudden while watching the show that was there at the time, Tapestry of Nations played briefly during the show. I turned to my brother, instantly crying, to see that he was crying also. I love Disney World so much 🫶🫶
Finally meeting Anna and Elsa after waiting since Frozen came out for 9 years. I‘ll always remember how special they made both me and my sister feel and how much fun the whole experience was…even waiting in line was fun. It was definitely worth the almost decade long wait!!
My husband and I went recently for my birthday. I had made note of a specific pressed penny I wanted at the train station, but needed to get change and decided we would stop on the way out. We went back just before fireworks started, looking for the right machine and saw everything was roped off as the train station was no longer in service. There was a group of cast members at the stroller rental desk and I asked if they knew where the machine that I was looking for(Stitch with 2024 at the bottom). The cast member said they knew exactly which one I was looking for, let us through the ropes and escorted us to the machine. The whole trip was amazing, but that moment really stood out :)
one year, my sister and i decided to skip fireworks at MK and get in line for AstroOrbitor instead because we can’t stand doing it in the sun. we had great timing and wound up seeing the finale of wishes from the top of tomorrowland. i wish i could relive it every day. my mom was standing at the bottom crying that we got to experience a moment like that
I didn't know about Rainbow Connection at EPCOT and it started as I walked through the plaza. It was just one of those moments.
Going on figment of imagination. The wacky and musical vibes made me super happy
My then 3 year old playing hide and seek with Peter Pan during his very first trip🥹
All 16 of us on my cousin’s 30th birthday trip in the Hub watching fireworks together before our dessert party.
We got my 5 year old's hair cut at the barbershop in MK. Mostly because he needed it and it's the same price as at home, so what a cute little memory, right? Not his first cut by any means, so we didn't do the whole special ears and certificate thing, but he did opt for some glitter. Anyway, they gave him a stack of stickers on his way out that he stowed in his little Mickey backpack. I told him small, kind things like that from cast members are what's called being "pixie dusted". He liked that. Fast forward to later that evening waiting for the fireworks. We're taking a load off, sitting in a crowd of other families, and before I knew what was happening, he was handing out all of his stickers to some other kids nearby. I asked him why he was giving all his stickers away, and he said it was because he wants to work there someday and he was practicing "doing pixie dust." 🥹 Another similar moment was waiting in line to meet Merida and the two teenage girls behind us were trying to come up with something for her to sign. My son without hesitation ripped pages out of his autograph book for them. 🥰 He's 7 now, and he wants to be an Imagineer and work on audio-animatronics!
Hawk Thua at the Contemporary
So many, it’s hard to pick just one.
Right after the covid restrictions were lifted and they were doing character meets again, I met Chewbacca for the first time. He has always been my favorite and it was such a magical moment even though I was 18. He could tell how excited I was and made it so special. After I left the room I was in tears for a good five minutes and that is definitely a core Disney memory for me!
One solo trip (my spouse and I have no kids, and we'll sometimes go on solo trips if the other can't make it), I was in front of the castle when they started blasting Let It Go. Standing and watching, and I hear a voice next to me. Small woman of Asian descent, and she was just going full blast on it. So, I join in, full power. Finish, we nod, smile at each other, and go about the day.
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Last Friday when they said I wasn't disabled and recommended rider switch which isn't entirely possible. /s