Traveling to Disney World with my family was always an occasion I once looked forward to. Prior to the recent pandemic, our annual Disney trips were one of the highlights of our year. Of course, we hope to travel to Disney again in the future, but, for now, we reminisce on some of our favorite memories from all of the times we’ve been to Disney.
Of course, we have multiple fond memories of meeting cast members. One of my favorite characters to meet is always Peter Pan, with his boyish charm and theatrical ways. It is always the little things the characters do that I can remember. For example, while talking to Peter, a bird hopped over to us and started loudly chirping. Peter turned to the bird and told him to stop interrupting. Later, I would meet Gaston and ask him to sign my converse. Gaston held up my converse for a guest to see and shouted, “Can you read this?” The guest shouted back, “No!” Then, Gaston angrily replied, “It’s called ‘cursive’!”
Not only is meeting cast members fun, but the staff has given me great memories as well with their big smiles and positive attitudes. Late at night, my family began riding Star Tours again, as there was a short line. A worker kept telling us Star Wars puns each time we ran into him, and eventually, we had a long conversation about Star Wars. He eventually led us to a secret employee entrance to the ride, allowing us to ride without any other guests and to choose to sit wherever we wanted. At Launch Bay, I would have a long conversation about Star Wars with another employee who allowed me to meet Darth Vader two times in a row.
Everyone is always happier on vacation, and it’s so much fun to befriend strangers at Disney. While waiting in line to ride the Haunted Mansion, my family was talking about the infamous Pineapple Dole Whip that could be purchased in Adventure Land. The father of the family in front of us turned, saying, “You just said my three favorite words.” We then had a long conversation about Disney. Many of the guests at Disney are usually there for similar reasons and have a passion for the films, so it is easy to get along with people.
Some of the most magical memories I will remember are those of watching the firework shows, especially the nightly performance in Magic Kingdom. Whether I am watching from the lines to ride Big Thunder Mountain or in front of the castle, it is always amazing to see the fireworks in sync with displays and music from my favorite films. Upon leaving, I always feel a little bit more hopeful about the future, inspired by what I’d experienced during my day. Each time my family goes to Disney, I feel as though each trip is better than the last, and I can’t wait to make more memories in the future.