So this got me thinking, what other moments have made previous vacations special. Each time we visit we like to try new things, but equally follow our traditions such as having to go on Its A Small World. One stand out memory was on my 13th birthday at California Grill. The whole restaurant sang “Happy Birthday” as the most beautiful chocolate cake I have ever tasted was brought out. As I began to indulge in the warm sponge and the melting inner chocolate, the lights went dim and music started playing. Then over my shoulder the fireworks at MK lit up the sky. It was amazing and definitely one of my favourite experiences of all time.
So what stand out memories have you all got of Disney parks. It may be Segwaying round the world, or having dinner with Cinderella. It could be stepping into Main Street for the first time or seeing giraffe graze outside your bedroom as you awake in the morning. No matter how big or small it may be these are our memories and are special to us. Disney is just one of those places that allow new memories to be written everyday and I hope that the “DisneyExperience” will be around for generations to come. Most of my favourite memories come from Disney and I hope that continues this vacation.....
I could talk about the worst sunburn I ever had years later, after dozing off while floating the lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon in nothing but swim trunks. At least the popcorn story had a happy ending.
The experience that always stands out in my mind happened on my first trip to WDW back in 1989 when I was six-years-old. I can only remember fragements of most of the holdiay, but I can recall this in its entirity. We were walking up the path to the castle during the afternoon and it was pretty quiet all around. My dad was taking pictures of the castle and me and my mum were waiting to one side.
Then, a cast-member approached us across the grass and said 'How would you like to meet Mickey?' We said yes, of course, and the man led us to Mickey's Dressing Room (can't remember whereabout it was) where Mickey was waiting inside. I remember looking up at him and thinking how big he was. There was a Mickey-shaped mirror - one large circle topped by two smaller ones - with white-lit lightbulbs all around the edge.
He gave me a hug and signed my autograph book. My pen was from Kenedy Space Centre and was one of those where if you held it one way the rocket ship took off, and the other it landed. I was trying to show Mickey this, but he was trying to take the pen off me and couldn't twist the end to make the tip come out...
...When we left his dressing room there a queue of kids and parents as far as you could see...we had been the first ones to meet him.
This memory is so special because it was just me and Mickey, we had private time with no-one else pushing in or even watching, it felt so calm in that room, we weren't rushed...I felt like he really was my friend! And remembering all those seemingly mundane details about the pen makes me even more happy to this day, because those fifteen minutes 22 years ago are so clear - I know it really happened!
Only Disney... And I wonder if they create such personal experiences anymore...