![]() Even though I've visited Walt Disney World more times than I can count, I still find new things to discover every time I come back. And this year's trip for the Disney Princess Half Marathon was no exception! Between new attractions, snacks, and experiences, this WDW veteran got to do many new things, and do it all alongside a first-timer to boot - There's nothing quite as magical as that! Check out my favorite "firsts" from my most recent trip: ![]() 1. My first RunDisney race I ventured to Walt Disney World and structured our vacation around the 2015 Disney Princess Half Marathon, so that was easily the biggest highlight of the trip! 13.1 magical miles through the parks, 50,000 runners with amazing costumes throughout the weekend, and characters galore! Nobody hosts races like Disney, and this event is definitely something I'd recommend to any runner! I may already be planning another go at it for next year's event... Glass Slipper Challenge or Castaway Cay Challenge, anyone?! Check out my previous post for more info on the race and my experience! 2. Getting evacuated from an attraction While WDW is an amazing world of enchantment, fantasy, and innovative technology, their attractions do sometimes need quick tune-ups in the middle of the day. I experienced my first ever ride evacuation on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Fantasyland during this trip, in which everything shut down so something could be fixed. It may not have been as exciting of an evacuation like some guests have experienced with Disney's thrill rides (AKA not as cool as seeing Space Mountain with the lights on), but it gave us another fun memory to bring home with us. Plus we got a free paper FastPass to use at one of a few select attractions, and we eventually got to come back later when the ride opened up again. Ah, paper FastPasses - Nostalgia at it's finest! 3. Finally enjoying a Dole Whip I'm sure some of you are reading this and saying, "You've been to Disney that many times and never had a Dole Whip?!" Yes, this was my first time ever enjoying the iconic pineapple treat. I truthfully never had an interest in trying one, as pineapple isn't my favorite fruit, but boy was I missing out! I went with the pineapple and vanilla twist soft serve option and it was wonderful! Definitely lives up to the hype other guests give it. You can find the different varieties to try at the quick-service Aloha Isle in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom, which is on the right-hand side as soon as you enter the land from the Castle Hub. 4. Experiencing Disney's Festival of Fantasy parade If you've been following my blog for a while now, you know it's no secret that I'm a big parade, show, and street entertainment fan at WDW. Well the last time I visited prior to this trip was in August of 2013, in which the daily Celebrate a Dream Come True parade was still entertaining guests at the Magic Kingdom. Disney's Festival of Fantasy parade debuted in early spring of 2014, so I finally got to see it in person after watching it many times on YouTube in anticipation! I did thoroughly enjoy Celebrate a Dream Come True and was sad to see it go at the time, but Festival of Fantasy was even more amazing and fun than I expected it to be. The floats were spectacular, there were a ton of both classic and new characters, including Anna and Elsa from Frozen, and the costuming was so detailed. This parade was easily one of my favorite things from this trip (if not my top). A must-see the next time you visit the Magic Kingdom! 5. Purchasing my first Duffy plush I've had a longtime crush on Mickey's teddy bear Duffy the Disney Bear, and finally purchased my own plush version of him during this trip! If you're not familiar with Duffy or his story, here's the short version: When Mickey was preparing to go on a long journey, Minnie made him a teddy bear to take along and keep him company. Mickey named him Duffy, and they've gone on many adventures together since first meeting. You an actually meet Duffy yourself at the front of World Showcase in EPCOT and ask him about those adventures, get his autograph and photo, and give big hugs. He's so cute and cuddly and will definitely become my own travel companion now that I have my own! 6. Staying until the Kiss Goodnight at the Magic Kingdom When I visit the theme parks at Walt Disney World, I enjoy staying from open until close as much as possible to ensure I get in everything I want to do. Well at the Magic Kingdom, there's a short little show called the "Kiss Goodnight" that announces the park closing, and it's really a special way to end your day. Up until this trip I had never actually stopped to sit and watch the 3-minute announcement on my way out, as we usually visit during the Holidays and have to shuffle out with the crowds, so I made sure we got to see it at least once during our two visits to MK this trip. It really capped off the evening with extra pixie dust and made me tear up a little bit. A Cast Member told us they usually play the Kiss Goodnight at park closing, and then both 30 minutes and an hour afterwards (depending on the day of the week and time of year), so be sure to save those last few minutes of your day for it. I promise you it will be worth staying until the very end. 7. Dining with Pooh and friends at The Crystal Palace During my 2011 Disney College Program, I worked many shifts at the famous Crystal Palace buffet restaurant with my dear character friend Winnie the Pooh, but never got to actually sit down and eat there. As I planned this vacation I knew we had to make a reservation! It was definitely a magical breakfast as we met Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet and celebrated Friendship Day in the "Pooh-rade" with other guests. The food was delicious, and it was really nice to fill our tummies before starting our day at the Magic Kingdom. It certainly lived up to it's wonderful expectations, and I would eat there again! 8. Dining with Donald and friends at Tusker House Another buffet restaurant that I heard so many good things about, but never visited! The Tusker House can be found in the Africa area of Disney's Animal Kingdom park, and is another great place to fill up and meet characters (only at breakfast, FYI). We enjoyed a spread of both traditional American buffet favorites and unique African offerings, and got to meet Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and Daisy in their safari gear. It was a little loud inside, but I really enjoyed everything - Especially their house jungle juice. YUM! And since we had a 9 AM reservation, we got to enter the park early and take a ton of pictures in front of the Tree of Life icon without any crowds in the background! An extra perk! 9. Adding more FastPasses at a FastPass+ kiosk I've said before in a previous post that I'm a big fan of Disney's new MyMagic+ technology and all that comes with it, including FastPass+. Well this trip was the first time I tried out adding on more FastPasses at the kiosks located inside the parks once our initial three had been used. And I found it to be really easy and convenient! When I pre-scheduled our first FastPasses for our park days (in which you get to choose three ahead of time), I made sure to choose the earliest possible times available so we could then continue to add on more throughout the day. At the FastPass+ kiosks, you can add one more FastPass on to your party's (or individual's) itinerary at a time for the park you're in. The lines to use the technology got a little long at times, but I knew exactly what I wanted before I got up there, so I was able to get in and get out quick. Definitely utilize this service when you're in the parks, because we were able to add on many more FastPasses each park day. Tip: If meeting the current popular characters (think Anna & Elsa, Princesses, and Mickey) is on the top of your must-do list, get your FastPasses ahead of time as part of your first three. We found that character greeting FastPasses were pretty much all gone by early afternoon. 10. Experiencing the extra special magic of a friend's first visit In all my past visits to WDW, I traveled with the same people (my family) who had been to the parks before. I was very fortunate to be traveling with a first-timer this trip, a friend from work, and being there with her and experiencing everything through her Disney-novice eyes was absolutely amazing. Between her "firsts" of seeing Cinderella Castle, giving Mickey a hug, riding Tower of Terror (my favorite!), and seeing Wishes light up the sky, I was on an emotional roller coaster throughout the week. I am so blessed to have been able to grow up going to the Disney Theme Parks & Resorts and sailing with Disney Cruise Line many times, that being with someone who has never gone before really had me flashing back to all of the magical moments from previous trips with my family. If you ever have the chance to take a first-timer, help them plan their trip, or even just connect with them when they come back, do it. It makes you see just how powerful and wonderful the magic of Disney really is. I can only imagine how it will be when I'm able to take my own children one day... Even if you're headed to Walt Disney World for the 100th time, there may be some things you've missed or skipped along the way. Take extra time to experience all of the little moments, because you never know what kind of magic they might add to your trip! As always, be sure to check out https://disneyworld.disney.go.com for comprehensive information as your plan your visit, and do your research. What are your favorite "firsts" from previous trips to WDW? Do you have anything on your list you want to do during your next visit that would be a first? Tell me about them in the comments below! Until the next post, see ya real soon!
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About MeA twenty-something alumni of the Disney College Program looking to help others plan the Disney vacations of their dreams! Living that Disneyland AP dream in SoCal. Archives
February 2018
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