But the “magic” of family vacation memories always remain!
This “season” of Covid-19 has allowed me time to reflect on and be thankful for many things.
One of those things that has always brought much reflection and thankfulness is our many travels. I have a deep desire to travel…always! Thankfully, my husband and children love it as well. We are always up for a new adventure, but deep down…Disney Destinations are always our favorite.
It was such a shock when the Disney parks had to close their gates & Disney Cruise Line had to stop sailing. Especially when our family had JUST sailed on the Disney Dream on March 2, 2020. And, we were visiting EPCOT & Hollywood Studios on March 6 & 7!
Knowing that we couldn’t go to the parks or on another cruise anytime soon made me think about all of our past trips. I’m so thankful that I grew up visiting Walt Disney World often! I’m so thankful that I have been to Disneyland! I’m so thankful that I’ve sailed on the Disney Wonder & the Disney Dream! I’m so thankful that we took our kids on those first trips, even though they might not remember every little detail! I’m so thankful that we have many family memories of being at a Disney Destination!
Many things in the parks have changed over the years! And, I love having the pictures to show all of those changes. Looking at them brings back a flood of memories.
I will always remember when we were on the Disney Dream in March 2020 (right before Covid shut everything down) & I was standing on the top pool deck, watching for the kids coming down the water slide. I felt a tap on my shoulder, and it was Daisy Duck. She watched for the kids with me for a little while! I just love her!
Remember when the castle was turned into a giant pink birthday cake?
Remember when Spaceship Earth had a giant Mickey hand on it?
Remember when you could just walk about & meet characters at random?
Those have come & gone, but I remember every thing that was different or new on each trip. With all of the changes that the parks have had to make due to Covid, things are definitely going to look different on your next visit. You might not be able to hug your favorite character, but seeing them on a surprise character cavalcade will still delight you! You might not be able to grab a Fast Pass for your favorite popular attraction, but with the lower crowd capacity…you can still experience it with a shorter wait than there was last year at this time! And, you may have to wear a face covering…but at least you can do in Disney style, right? I’ve been stocking up for my upcoming SISTERS weekend!
We will be able to look back at all of our pictures, and say, “Remember when?”
I will always call Hollywood Studios…MGM Studios!
I will always remember my first character breakfast in 1985, and meeting Minnie Mouse!
I will always remember Ory’s first character meal with Minnie Mouse in 2012 & them playing peek-a-boo!
And, I will always remember Vangie’s first character meal with Minnie Mouse in 2017!
I will always remember the giant birthday cake castle for the 25th anniversary of Magic Kingdom!
I love that for the kids first few visits, we stayed at Art of Animation for a portion of each trip! It was tradition, and we love all four sections!
I will always remember the YELLOW Mickey ponchos!
I will always remember how excited Ory & Vangie were when we surprised them with a WDW trip to kick off Christmas break 2020! And, we’ll never forget what time this was…as we have these mask photos to help us remember!
I will never forget the time I ordered this for the picture & learned that I actually DO enjoy sushi!
I will never forget the kids first time on Splash Mountain & how soaked we all got, even with ponchos. We couldn’t stop laughing & I loved it!
I will never forget the time we did Hollywood Studios with Jared & Katelyn (after our Disney cruise)! We had so much fun with them all day! And, we experienced Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway on its 4th day being open. SO FUN!!
I will always remember the special family trips to Walt Disney World with my parents & sister!!! They love watching the kids experience the “magic” just as much as we do!
I will always remember when Vangie wore her darling Donald Duck costume all around Hollywood Studios…with her squeaky yellow shoes! It was super adorable!
I loved being able to say hi to Karen (my boss & friend) at Magic Kingdom when I was on a sisters trip with Wendi AND she was on an agent trip! I can’t wait to do Disney with her this October too!
I will always remember sailing on the Disney Dream with Jason’s whole family & sharing something I love with his side of the family! All 16 of us dressed up for pirate night, and it was a blast!!!
Lisa loves ALL things Disney 