What experiences are you excited for?

[Dianekulka]

There's so much grumbling around here, let's bring some cheer. DISers with upcoming trips, what experiences are you excited for? I'm not just talking rides, I'm talking shows, street performers, snacks, what have you...

I'm going in March 2016 on my "Reboot Trip" as it were, it's the first time in a very long time (effectively a first time all over again) with my DGF and we're setting up for a great trip. It's been interesting for me, as a WDW veteran started to get frustrated by all the taking the World has been doing, to see it through her eyes. There are so many things she is excited for that I think we take for granted, making ride and show closures seem a great deal worse to us. Here is our list, in no particular order:

Magic Kingdom:

• Space Mountain! (this is my favorite coaster of all time, and we will be riding it a few times)
• Space Ranger Spin (DGF wants to take me down a peg, apparently I mention being a Galactic Hero a lot...)
• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain
• Seven Dwarves Mine Train (We will hopefully get an FP for this, if not, we'll make it work somehow, neither of us have ever ridden it so it's worth a shot)
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Philharmagic
• Wishes!
• Haunted Mansion
• Mad Tea Party (Again DGF has challenged my rein as lead spinner of the cup, we got a real pressure cooker here...)
• Casey's
• Be our Guest (My DGF is a foodie and a huge fan of BatB)
• Pirates
• IASMW (Ok, excited is a strong word, but it's a staple!)
• DOLE WHIP!

Epcot:

• Flower and Garden! (This is a big deal for DGF, she and her mom garden together all the time, it's my second time experiencing it, first time was a day stop at Epcot coming back from a cruise)
• Spaceship Earth (this is my traditional first ride of every trip, no exceptions. It's the first thing I ever rode in WDW with my sister when we were kids and I have to go on it first every time)
• Mission: Space
• Test Track
• Soarin' (assuming it's open, if not, well, that's alright, just a good excuse to make another trip)
• Rose & Crown (We will have a late dinner there to see...)
• IllumiNations (which I like better than Wishes, DGF will be the arbiter)
• San Angel Inn
• Three Cabelleros
• Club Cool
• Living with the Land
• Sunshine Seasons (my favorite QS)
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• Captain EO (For DGF, she loves MJ! I've never actually seen it though)
• Figment! (I love it, stop judging me, one little spark...)
• World Showcase
• Ellen's Energ--- no I'm kidding, let's be real, we nap in the Hall of Presidents

Animal Kingdom: (Traditionally my least favorite park, DGF is super excited for it and now I'm excited all over again)

• The Safari (of course! I miss when it had the poacher storyline, but it's still fun)
• Countdown to Extinction (the true and proper name)
• Expedition Everest! (DGF is a little nervous about coasters but enjoys them all the same, this one is a win for me because I love the ride and I'll get to hold on to her to make her feel safe)
• Kali River Rapids (scorching temperature pending)
• Flights of Wonder (never seen it! DGF loves birds!)
• Festival of the Lion King (never seen it!)
• It's Tough to Be a Bug (DGF will freak out, funny for me )
• Finding Nemo (never seen it!)
• Yak & Yeti (keep missing it on trips, I'm determined to try it this time)
• That jalapeno-cheese pretzel thing I seem to constantly just miss
• Primeval Whirl

Disney's Hollywood Studios:

• Rock'n'roller coaster! (again, DGF is nervous, but loves coasters and Aerosmith, as do I)
• Tower of Terror (This isn't a tier 1 ride? I disagree but will enjoy the good fortune)
• Toy Story Mania (she seeks to dethrone me again... foolish mortal)
• The Great Movie Ride
• Star Tours
• Did I mention Star Tours?
• Indiana Jones Stunt Show (DGF has never seen the IJ movies, I'm hoping this will convince her they're worth watching)
• Fantasmic (if it's showing, we've never seen it)
• Mama Melrose (hoping to do the F! Dining thing)

Admittedly DHS is a little light at the moment, I miss Backlot tour and I never tried the Animation Academy, but I'm still excited, worst case we end up day with a nice swim or a romantic nap in the room!

Speaking of the room....

Port Orlean Riverside:

• The resort! (I've never stayed above Value, she's never even stayed on site!)
• Piano Bob
• Boat to DTD/DS
• Sausage Gravy and Biscuits (I'm told I need to pop over to POFQ one morning to get this, but it's worth it!)
• Pools
• Hot Tubs

In general:

• DDP! First time for both of us, we are planning lots of Table Service restaurants, which is a total change for me
• California Grill
• Raglan Road (I wanted to try this last trip, but I got overruled by family, one of the little ones would only eat at places that served chicken nuggets....)
• Having a rental car! (DME and Disney Transport is a nice perk, but the end of night crush and the time wasted on connections is frustrating)
• The Monorail! (Just the same, I can't miss the Monorail)
• MagicBands (first trip with)
• FP+ (first trip with, slightly nervous but mostly excited, DGF and I are early risers, so I think early mornings at the park and later afternoon FPs are going to be our jam)
• Downtown Disney/Springs (DGF loves gift shops and shopping and the stores will be great for her, I want to try out the new IJ bar)
• This one is only on my list, DGF doesn't know yet but we are going to Victoria & Albert's for the Chef's Table (my TA snagged it for me, she's awesome)
• We are considering renting a little boat from one of the MK resorts to putter around the lagoon for a bit, haven't decided

So that's a pretty comprehensive list, we're going for 7 days, 6 nights, so it will be a little tight in fact I think. If not, that's okay, I might actually unwind on a Disney vacation for once, which is another new and good thing!

So in the spirit of remembering all of the great magic WDW still offers us, what are you excited for?

Adam

This is our first trip, I loved your list!

 

[Dianekulka]

Oops forgot to mention since it's our first trip im most excited to see my daughters reaction. She asks everyday to see the castle

 

[hogwartsdropout]

I'm excited for....

• Staying at Wilderness Lodge for 10 nights for our Disneymoon! My DFiance has never even stepped foot in there and I'm so excited to see his face when he sees the lobby!
• Relaxing on our balcony with a glass of wine
• New experiences like Archery at Fort Wilderness and a carriage ride
• New restaurants that we have booked, Sanaa and BOG.
• We are doing the Food and Wine Festival Sampler day which includes 8 samples, a pin and reserved seating for Smashmouth at Eat to the Beat!
• Going to see Bob at Port Orleans for a fun night!
• Simple things like choosing our refillable mugs and hanging out at the resort!

 

[myrtleturtle]

I'm so happy to have a positive Disney thread! Lately my planning has been all ADR and FP+ grumbling...

1. Taking my kids now that they can walk and talk (they went at 10 months).
2. Riding the monorail with my son. He loves to watch it on YouTube and always points it out when he sees a picture of it.
3. Dinner with Cinderella at 1900 Park Fare. In 8 trips I've never met a Princess!
4. Lunch at BOG.
5. Staying in a suite at Shades of Green and seeing their new pool and splash pad.
6. Memory Maker.

 

[photogineer]

This is our first trip, I loved your list!

Thank you! I hope you have a magical trip! It's Disney World, even the worst trips there are amazing.

I'm excited for....

• Staying at Wilderness Lodge for 10 nights for our Disneymoon! My DFiance has never even stepped foot in there and I'm so excited to see his face when he sees the lobby!
• Relaxing on our balcony with a glass of wine
• New experiences like Archery at Fort Wilderness and a carriage ride
• New restaurants that we have booked, Sanaa and BOG.
• We are doing the Food and Wine Festival Sampler day which includes 8 samples, a pin and reserved seating for Smashmouth at Eat to the Beat!
• Going to see Bob at Port Orleans for a fun night!
• Simple things like choosing our refillable mugs and hanging out at the resort!

I'm so excited for Bob! I love piano bars and things like that, and definitely new restaurants, this is going to be my most dining-centric trip ever in fact!

I'm so happy to have a positive Disney thread! Lately my planning has been all ADR and FP+ grumbling...

1. Taking my kids now that they can walk and talk (they went at 10 months).
2. Riding the monorail with my son. He loves to watch it on YouTube and always points it out when he sees a picture of it.
3. Dinner with Cinderella at 1900 Park Fare. In 8 trips I've never met a Princess!
4. Lunch at BOG.
5. Staying in a suite at Shades of Green and seeing their new pool and splash pad.
6. Memory Maker.

Thanks! I created this to counter all the grumbling and worrying that I was encountering, I just wanted to remind myself and everyone else that your worst case scenario is still pretty phenomenal. We are excited for BOG and the Monorail too! DGF and I are still waffling on MM, but we don't have to decide yet, so we aren't.

Adam

 

[gbaby]

Oops forgot to mention since it's our first trip im most excited to see my daughters reaction. She asks everyday to see the castle

It's our first trip too (16 days to go) and I am so excited to see my boys' reactions. We were watching a Disney movie the other day, and the picture of the castle came up with Tinkerbell flying over, and my 4 year-old asked "is that Disneyworld"? I can't wait!

 

[Dianekulka]

It's our first trip too (16 days to go) and I am so excited to see my boys' reactions. We were watching a Disney movie the other day, and the picture of the castle came up with Tinkerbell flying over, and my 4 year-old asked "is that Disneyworld"? I can't wait!

It's so sweet!! She runs off a list of people who are going and says "I eat with Mickey and see the princesses" she will lose her mind when she sees everything first hand!!

 

[GeneralTso]

The after party at Epcot post F&W marathon. That thing is the best event ever!! Park open til 4am, food kiosks and rides---no kids!!!
Tons of characters roaming around and not getting mobbed. Great photo ops. It's the best Disney event we've ever attended.

 

[PoohsFan1]

We will be there in 18 days and the things that we are most excited for are:
- Having Afternoon Tea with my 2 girls at the Grand Floridian...this has been a tradition for my girls and I (my girls are 12 and 14 now), this is something that we do every trip while DH goes off and does something else because he isn't invited (we still love him though ). However, this upcoming trip I wasn't planning on having the tea but then the 3 of us thought about it and said it just wouldn't be a Disney trip without it, so after a month or so of trying to get the perfect time, I finally found one yesterday for our arrival day .
- Staying at CSR....this is our first time staying at this resort and we can't be anymore excited about it. DH has been wanting to stay here for a while now, but we never really did it, however when I was booking our trip, I decided to surprise him with it (he found out later that night). We can't wait to swim in the pool because it looks awesome, plus my family's goal is to stay at each one of the onsite hotels at least once, so now we can cross it off of our list.
- Going to MNSSHP...my girls and I will be attending the 10/16 MNSSHP, this will be our third time going (DH decided he didn't want to go this time around, instead he will be heading over to Epcot for dinner, walking around WS, and Illuminations). We decided that we will dress in theme this time, and we will be going as characters from Inside Out....DD12 is going to be Joy, DD14 will be going as Disgust, while I am dressing as Riley. We also can't wait to see the new Hocus Pocus Castle show.
- Watching Air Supply at the Eat to the Beat Concert...actually this is more for DH, he is a HUGE fan of the band and when he found out that they were playing during our trip he wanted to go, actually I had to change our dates a bit because we were originally leaving on the day they are playing, now we are leaving the day after. He was also excited to find out that there is FP+ for the Eat to the Beat concerts so he asked if we could do that as well. So while DH and I are watching the concert, the 2 DDs will be going off and riding rides (I made them a FP+ for TT which is their favorite ride at Epcot).
- Having B, L, and D at BOG (not all in the same day though)...It will be our first time having breakfast (I know too many mixed reviews about it), the DDs and I had lunch there on our last trip which was a girls only trip and now DH wants to try it, and BOG dinner is a must for all of us. I know, I know, you all are probably saying to yourselves...isn't that too much BOG in one trip??? Well my answer...we can't have enough BOG ever, we just love the atmosphere and ambiance of the castle, plus we really do enjoy the food (especially during dinner).

 

[mkla2015]

We will be there for 12 nights in March 2016- I can't wait!!!

Things I'm excited about-
1- our first split stay, 3 nights at Beach Club, 9 nights at BLT
2- celebrating DD's 6th birthday with a BBB package followed by breakfast at CRT
3- lunch AND dinner at BOG
4- jalapeno mickey pretzels!!
5- watching my kids while meeting characters
6- Dumbo- I've loved this ride since my first ride at 4yrs old, now I have 2 kids that love it too!

 

[caroline1851]

I dont' have a trip planned, but just DS13 and I went in June (DD9 didn't want to go-go figure), Anyway, I'll post the things we were looking forward to doing:

splash mountain-had never done it
Space Mountain-well, I was dreading, he wanted to and we both loved it.
Electrical Parade-had never seen it
Whispering Canyon-had heard it was fun and it was!
Test Track-had never done it and it was so fun!
Illuminations-he was bored so we left and beat the crowds to buses
Snacking around the countries for dinner one night
Dinosaur
Kali River-he had never done it
Expedition Everest-he had never done it. he rode single rider though.
Tower of Terror-I didn't want to but he did and didn't want him having to ride stuff alone after EE so decided I would do everything
Rockin Coaster-same as above
Just being the 2 of us

 

[Sarahbelle341]

We are really excited for our upcoming trip. Especially for some big firsts for us. Plus we are taking my bab brother who hasn't been since he was 3 and doesn't remember it so it will be like a first trip for him!

Most anticipated for us

Animal Kingdom Lodge- its a dream of ours to stay here. I can't believe we finally got a good enough discount and enough $$ saved to make it a reality
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party- first time for all of us and we are so excited
Meeting the 7 dwarves- huge deal for my DS
Osborne Lights- 1st time
Fantasmic!- one of our favorite things we did on our last trip. We can't wait to go back
Boma- we are excited to try Boma this time since Sanaa is one of our favorites.

 

[Sarahbelle341]

Oops hit post too soon

Food & Wine Festival- new experience for all of us

We excited to redo some of our favorites too

It's a small world
Ohana breakfast
Toy Story Midway Mania
Tusker House brunch
Peter Pan Flight

 

[SaintsManiac]

Leaving in 71 days! Haven't been since 2009 on our honeymoon. This time we have DD5 with us

I am most excited about:

Touring resorts for Christmas decorations
Be Our Guest
Seeing my daughter interact with all of her favorite characters
breakfast at Crystal Palace
Soarin
Staying at POR for the first time
Cronuts in Epcot
Osborne Lights

 

[melana]

We leave in 28 days..with 29 days being our official first day at WDW, here is what we are looking forward to the most.

1. MNSSHP and meeting Jack and Sally (hopefully will get the Dwarfs in there too) (a first for us)
2. BOG (first)
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Haunted Mansion
5. F&W Festival (another first)
6. CBR (first time staying there)
7. Memory Maker (first time with this also)
8. Our pre-WDW stay at the hotel my niece likes. It's not much but she likes it because it has a Pizza Hut express in it.
9. The Safari in AK
10. Kali River Rapids
11. Fantasmic (first time with this also)
12. O'Hana Breakfast (our favorite)
13. A Mickey Ice Cream Bar
14. A Mickey Pretzel (please tell me they have these).
15. Swimming in October- we live in Kentucky and our Swimming season has already ended.
16. Just being there

Wow..I am sure there are more, but those are the biggies!!

 

[goofy4prez]

Arriving on 11/7 and staying for 7 nights. Here is my list:

• Sun in November (we live in Cleveland)

I hear you on this one. I grew up on the west side of Cleveland (Airport area) and lived in Brunswick until moving to Massillon 5 years ago.

• Watching my kids' faces after a big gulp of Beverly at Epcot Club Cool

You should have your children removed from your custody for being an unfit parent. Just Kidding; I did the same thing last year to my niece when she went with us for the first time.

 

[nerdydisneygirl90]

If everything lines up right I am most excited to go with my mom on a trip to WDW (MK and EPCOT) for the first time since 1992. I've been back before but she hasn't so it will be fun to she her experience how the parks have changed. In '92 we only went to MK and I don't remember it because I was 2 lol, she hasn't been to EPCOT since the 80s when it opened. Fingers crossed that things will work out

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

First and foremost, seeing all my friends and getting to experience Jingle Cruise! I also can't wait for Food and Wine. And the Christmas parade/fireworks!! <3

 

[tomatecerise]

Just Be there in The Magic and dream world

 

[kathy884]

Festival of the Lion King (never seen it!) // This one is only on my list, DGF doesn't know yet but we are going to Victoria & Albert's for the Chef's Table (my TA snagged it for me, she's awesome)

Your list is great OP! I just love Festival of the Lion King -- best show in all of WDW IMHO. Gets me singing and dancing every time. And if DGF is a foodie that Chef's Table looks absolutely incredible. DH is a foodie and a great meal like this would be the highlight of the trip for him.

Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars (yum)

I agree. There is just something about the ears. I look forward to and have to have one on every trip. They are the best!

Walking down main street for the first time of the trip

My son and I both just love that first moment of being back too and we just always look at each other with the biggest smiles on our face. He was 19 on our last trip and that moment was still as magical as ever.

1) Fulfilling a life-long dream, (from age 7 on), of spending a night at the Contemporary Resort! We have a two-night stay before our cruise and that was the perfect opportunity to do a theme-park view at CR.

Those balconies in the tower are to die for. We only had one once -- super lucky upgrade when DH had a seminar at the Contemporary. Watching the Electric Water Parade from out on the balcony from there is probably my fondest memory ever of WDW. I remembered it from the 70s when I was a kid camping at Fort Wilderness with my parents, had no idea it was still around, and then to see it again with DH and DS on our own lovely balcony (just hanging our together after a fun filled day) -- nostalgia and new fun/family memories all at the same time

For me what I'm most looking forward to on my next trip is doing the "Keys to the Kingdom Tour". I've been thinking about doing it for the past six years, but it just didn't seem like the right time or fit in well with plans till now. My next trip is just a mini one (three nights/two days) just me and my 20 year old son over his spring break (DH who is not a big theme park fan is staying home). Anyway, we're just doing one Disney day and it will be this tour, followed by a handful of our favorite MK attractions and then the next day we'll be at DS's other favorite park, SeaWorld.