There is no place on earth I am more fond of than Disney World. I have a lot of happy memories there. My first trip, with my dad, my sister Bean, and my grandmother was one of the best vacations ever. We stayed at the Contemporary Hotel in a garden wing and did things like the Luau, stayed up to watch the fireworks, ate dinner late in the evening like “grown ups”.
My first real vacation with Jim was to Disney World, about a year before we got married. We were young, thin, and excited enough to make the trip from South Jersey to Orlando in about 16 hours. We honeymooned in Orlando, and had a few romantic days at Walt Disney World.
We have gone at Christmas time, enjoying Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party and the “snowflakes” falling on our nose and eyelashes as we wandered down Main Street. We try to go at Halloween every year for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party, something we have enjoyed since our oldest daughter was just a little girl. For the first time, we even went at Easter last year.
It is my goal to stay at every Disney World resort hotel, and in recent years, after staying many times with my in-laws, and usually at a Marriott owned hotel, we have begun making my dream come true. We have enjoyed visits to the Pop Century resort, Caribbean Beach resort, All Star Movies, and especially memorable stays at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, where we enjoyed a savanna view room and the Contemporary, where we had a tower room over looking Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom, and I had an incredibly magical experience. I am currently trying to finagle a stay at another of the hotels for one or two nights in the early stages of our next trip. Maybe Port Orleans?
Another goal – much harder to accomplish – is eating my way around the world. We have enjoyed so many wonderful meals – and some not so wonderful – and there are so many more meals to be had! We have hardly scratched the surface in terms of the culinary delights that abound at Walt Disney World.
In just a few weeks, we will be headed down to Disney World again. This is the first time we are going without Annual Passes, which we will not purchase because we have a daughter starting high school, where she will be unable to take as many vacations as we have in the past. I’m so sad by this, I can’t tell you. Convincing my husband to take a trip to Disney World has always been a matter of just saying “But we already have the passes, it will only cost a few dollars for a hotel…” I don’t know what it will take now.
Over the next few blog postings, I am hoping to share my tips and my experiences at the most magical place on earth. I will talk about my favorite restaurants, my most magical moments, and some hidden treasures that you might normally overlook. I am looking forward to reminiscing 🙂