What are your best Walt Disney World Resort Florida memories? - Disney prizes to be won!

[CeriMumsnet]

Whether it’s your first experience, or a repeat family holiday destination, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is a place where lifelong memories are made. We’d love to hear your favourite memories and stories of Disney parks magic.

Perhaps the nostalgia of that first glimpse of Magic Kingdom Park as a child has stuck with you all these years later, or maybe seeing the magic come to life through your own kids’ eyes is what made the experience unforgettable.

Everyone who shares their favourite memory of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida by 24 June will be entered into a prize draw. One lucky winner will receive a £100 VEX gift voucher, and three runners-up will each win a Disney merchandise bundle worth at least £50. T&Cs

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Best holiday of my life hands down - great entertainment, childhood heroes (Cinderella!), amazing scenery, even queuing was made entertaining. Excellent customer service, amazing food and burned off loads of calories walking so it was keeping me fit too! Seeing my kids faces when they met Mickey and other characters is burned into my memory as just fantastic. Fabulous weather. You just arrive, and breathe a sigh of happiness and joy and peace. To say it’s highly recommended would be an understatement.

The magic has still very much not worn off from when I was taken here when I was a child. My husband and I couldn't wait to take our little boy to relive the magic together when he turned four. He became a handsome knight (who was also pretty shy!) when he met the princesses in Cinderella's castle. He rode upon his noble steed on the beautiful carousel brandishing his sword. He also loved adventuring around the world in Epcot experiencing the excitement of Japanese show cooking and became an expert at catching food in his mouth (this did continue for some time at home!). He favourite ride was the Ratatouille ride, which he affectionately nicknamed 'the rat ride', he loved being shrank down to become a mischievous Parisian rat intent on becoming a real little chef. Disney allows you to see the world again through the eyes of your children and we enjoyed every minute.

Cinderella's Castle - Inside the Castle Cinderella's Royal Table where we reserved seats for breakfast during where we met and ate with Disney princesses including Cinderella. - But 100% when I first saw Cinderella's Castle 😍

On our first trip around 2004 we flew in just after a hurricane and the place was completely empty. We were able to walk on to every ride and get what ever dining reservation we wanted . We had an absolute blast but the best thing was the character interactions. There were so few people that every character was able to spend lots of time with each guest and we had quite a few memorable moments but my favourite was in Epcot in the UK pavilion and we were just looking round the shop when Eeyore appeared, my sister didn't notice so I waved at him and helped him sneak up on my sister and surprise her with a massive hug. He is her favourite so it was one of the best things that happened.
We have been back many times since then and have never had a bad time even when hurricanes hit and they have to close the parks. The resort staff just make it fun even when you cant go out

My first and favourite memory is walking right down the middle of Main Street USA towards THE CASTLE always brings tears flowing down my face. She is a beauty and brings back so many memories of past experiences i

Fabulous day at DAK. MIL said it was shit so left her and FIL at home. Had a booking for flight of passage and family meal booked at rainforest cafe at 6pm.

We had a great time on mission everest or whatever its called despite the ride appeared to break down midway. We booked last minute character dining at whatever restaurant they have that does it and despite no young dc had a blast seeing mickey Minnie and Donald in safari gear.

kids enjoyed the train ride to nowhere and a drawing lesson before petting zoo.

Flight of passage and Pandora were fabulous. Its a toss up between this and busuu as best theming evEr. And I've been to some good theme parks. Then we went on the rapids ride turning up at rainforest cafe soaking wet.

Turns out low expectations will get you everywhere. I am all up for going back. Its such an underrated park.

I went to WDW for the third time when I was 15, a month before my 16th birthday.
We booked the trips months in advance, had excel spreadsheets with what park we were going to what day, where we were eating at what time etc, it was amazing to have everything so meticulously planned weeks and weeks before the trip and made the whole build up feel so exciting.
We found a behind the scenes tour at Magic Kingdom which sounded amazing so we arranged to book it but kids under 16 were not allowed on the tour! I insisted my family (mum, dad and sister) went on the tour, I’d stay in the park and go on rides on my own, planning that I’d get on more than usual because of single rider access.
The day comes of the trip where it’s time for the tour, we arrange to meet at a certain point after the tour and go our separate ways.
It was amazing!!!!
I was almost 16 and had a fair bit of freedom back home so I had so much fun wondering around my favourite park all on my own with the freedom of being able to go where I pleased. It was many years ago now so I sadly don’t remember much of it but I do have a really happy memory of making some friends in the queue for Splash Mountain and riding it for what would have ended up being my last time.

Mine was - and always will be - the Bippity Boppity Boutique.

We went when DD was 7 and very much into Minnie Mouse. We met her at the character meeting spot at Epcot and DD was wearing her Minnie T Shirt, backpack and trainers. Minnie made such a fuss of her, spent ages with her dancing and giving her hugs and one of the photos I have from that session is my favourite ever, I've never seen a little girl's face so lit up with genuine joy.

I remember going with my mum and dad and my American uncle and cousin when I was 12 in the early 90’s It was the best holiday ever - we stayed in an Econo lodge motel and had breakfast at Denny’s every morning - amazing fresh orange juice and bacon with pancakes and maple syrup!! We hired a Cadillac!! My best memory really was of how excited my mum and dad were to meet Micky Mouse and hearing my dad scream on the roller coaster. It was much a magical place arriving on Main Street and staying all day until after the fireworks. My dad was weirdly excited about the monorail. My mum and dad and uncle and sadly my cousin too (she was young and very tragic) have all passed now and I am so grateful to have those memories of them in such a magical place. I wish I could afford to take my children.

Nope, never could afford holidays as a kid, so I have such envy of those saying you were taken as children.

So I went with extended family in my early 20’s. That was around 30 years ago (our first time).
I had no kids.

I remember feeling utter awe and overwhelming delight from the second we got there until when we left.
It was much much MUCH cheaper back then so affordable over a year.
I came back with 3 new pairs of amazing trainers, new clothes, memories that are still with me 30 years on.
We got “hopper passes” which meant we had passes for each park.
Epcot in the pouring rain, hot still but lashing rain was so fun, genuinely a lovely day.

The Magic Kingdom night time parade I can still hear the popping music in my ears and see it all happening.

Ponderosa all you can eat breakfasts were at the time, bloody lovely.

The American accents which were SO glamorous, only ever heard them on telly so to hear them in real life took my breath away!

Everything was bigger, better, well thought out, thrilling.
Even the queuing systems were done well! Didn’t feel like we were queuing because of the entertainment! (The Alien ride!)

Been back with my kids who absolutely love the place so next generation who will undoubtedly take their own kids when they are grown up with families of their own. I will of course tag along!!

We went for the first time last year for a ‘once in a lifetime’ holiday. It was without a doubt the best holiday we have ever been on and we are planning to go back! I have so many fantastic memories. Seeing the castle for the first time, and the fireworks. The parade. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: we could ride that all day long given the chance - what a ride! My daughter meeting the princesses she loves. Dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the castle! One of the most special moments was my son and daughter getting made up in Bibbity Bobbity Boutique - they loved the experience! But it was made even more special thanks to a fantastic cast member, as when walking down Main Street afterwards she asked the ‘knight’ and ‘princess’ for their autographs, and pulled out an autograph book for them to sign, which put massive smiles on their faces ❤️

We were in the queue for a ride at Epcot. I can’t remember what ride it was, but it was huge, right at the front entrance to the park, and relatively newly opened. A team member pulled us put of the queue and gave us a random invitation to see inside the ride, its workings, the staff, and an adjacent hospitality lounge. We then got priority boarding. It made us feel so special but cost nothing.

we’ve so many amazing memories from our 2 Disney trips. Hopefully we’ll go back again one day (if I can get over my fear of flying).

Age 7 I loved the haunted mansion, the monorail, the number of cuddly toys in the shops and being allowed to just eat cake for lunch 🍰

Looking over at my son’s face his first time riding Guardians of the Galaxy and Rise of the Resistance. Priceless.

We went as a family in 2017 and stayed onsite. My youngest daughter was 5 at the time and now has an autism diagnosis but didn’t at the time so we just viewed her as being unpredictable at times. It was at the time when you had to pre-book fast passes so we were in a rush to get to where we were going and she was refusing to put any suncream on (she would have huge physical meltdowns around that time). It got so late that we decided to continue the ‘discussion’ about it on the bus but we still couldn’t get it on her by the time the bus arrived so we told her she would need to go back to the hotel as it wasn’t safe for her to be out in the sunshine. The bus driver emptied the bus, drove away to prevent anyone else getting on and came over the chat to her for a full 10 minutes about how she was in the most magical place in the world but she had to have sun cream on to enjoy it. I don’t know what is was about how he spoke to her but she then complied without fuss and we were able to enjoy our day as a family of four together. I will never forget him taking the time out to do it and we were so grateful xx

My favorite memory is going on Guardians of the Galaxy and singing my heart out in the dark! It was amazing 🤩 ♥️

Not our favourite memory, but we took DS for the 3rd time, and twin DDs, aged 18 months for their first time. They just loved “It’s a Small World”. We had to go on it about 5 times! ET was another highlight for them!

People say very young children won’t appreciate it properly! I disagree - nobody could have enjoyed it more than twin DDs!

Fireworks at disney are on another level! Totally magical! Its the music, light projection on the castle and special effects, that made magic kingdom totally magical for us! It was meant to be once in a lifetime holiday, we will definitely be going again in the near future.

Too many memories to list, but arriving at MK on the monorail, knowing what my children were about to experience for the first time was brilliant.

Ohh I’ve got so many magical moments of Disneyworld. Most of them involve the amazing cast members who have always made things special for my daughters. They were once given musical instruments and helped to take part in the Festival of the Lion King. Another time, they were chosen to decorate a Mickey snack at the Main Street Bakery. We do love the Disney service.

I was in Disney Florida in 1983 and absolutely loved Space Mountain.

As a child: The bellhop cast members at Tower of Terror were particularly menacing on one of our trips to MGM Studios (as it was then). On our second ride, my Dad jumped out at one of them and really startled him. The cast member said “come with me, Sir” and beckoned us through to a back room, where he loaded us up with T-shirts and door hangers. My DD wore one of the T-shirts 25+ years later on her first trip.

As an adult: DD2 not being able to contain her excitement on meeting Stitch in person for the first time, or getting ushered straight back on Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster for a second ride, through the ‘secret door’. Funny, because we’d experienced the same pixie dust when I was 8.

Taking my daughter to Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique in Magic Kingdom. Prior to going she had had numerous hospital stays and treatment. Her eating and energy levels were still low but she smiled the whole day in MK. Then at BBB, she lit up. She was a real life princess and it was magical to watch. Her fairy godmother was wonderful and gave her a little fairy dust extra. Watching her get dressed and made over was truly emotional and the amazing cast members caught it all on camera. Our most treasured pics. I have a pic of my daughter beaming into the mirror with me watching in the background. Almost identical to my mum looking at me on my wedding morning.

Couldn’t think of anything worse… pure tack!
Adults queuing up to take a picture with a Disney character is just cringe and weird!