8 Unforgettable Memories To Make At Walt Disney World

Going to Disney is always a special experience, but there are some moments that just need to be remembered:

8. Celebrating Holidays in the Parks

Holidays are beautiful and magical to begin with, but they become even more so when you get to experience them in Disney. Some families’ main time to go to Disney is over Christmas, but many of us only go off-season. Stepping onto Disney property for the first time during a holiday can take your breath away. I will never forget the first time I did. To me, Disney gets even more magical, if that’s even possible. From the decorations to the lights, the music, the costumes, and food, every aspect of Disney seems to get in the holiday spirit. Holiday’s are a time to be with family. Disney is a place to be with family. Combining the two is a simple equation for an amazing, unforgettable time.

7. Having a Family Reunion

The whole point of Disney was and is to have a place to spend time with family. When you’re in the Parks, you’re likely to see several groups with matching t-shirts and “I’m Celebrating,” buttons. It’s so fun! Families gather at Disney for reunions all the time and what better place to do it? Disney caters to the needs of a reunion by providing a place for the whole family to let loose. It’s fun, entertaining, and magical. Reunions don’t happen every day, so each little moment on reunion vacations are extra special and need to be remembered, and Disney makes sure to honor that.

6. Experiencing a First Time Visit

Experiencing magic is one thing, but being able to share it with someone else is completely different. Seeing a child’s face light up upon gazing at the Castle or one of the fun attractions such as Dumbo, is such a gift. I love bringing friends to Disney to experience their first looks with them, but kids have an extra sense of wonder. This is one reason that Disney does so well generationally: you go as a child, then you bring your kids and they bring theirs. I don’t remember my first trip to Disney (I think I was only 18 months!) but my parents do and I know I will make sure to remember my kid’s first visit.

5. Surprise Trip

Have you seen those YouTube videos about parents surprising their kids with a trip to Disney? Those are awesome. And completely unforgettable! These trips need intense planning and perfect execution-of course, this never actually happens, but it’s worth the effort! Chances are you will completely blindside whoever you are surprising, so they won’t forget that experience! And you will never forget the look on the face of the one you love when you tell them they are about to go to the most magical place ever.

4. Getting Picked as a Special Guest

These can be silly, but super fun and can make for an unforgettable moment! Sometimes being chosen as a special guest means “being the rebel spy” on Star Tours or being one of the characters in Belle’s story in Fantasyland. Sometimes being a special guest is a little bit of a bigger deal! Every day, one group is chosen as the “Family of the Day” in Magic Kingdom. They get to have their own float in the parade and get massive bragging rights! There’s always an opportunity to feel special in Disney and sometimes they’re simply unforgettable.

3. Chance Encounters with Characters

Chance encounters are my favorite way to see characters in the parks. They’re so unexpected and generally more interactive. These are getting more rare in Disney World, but are still pretty common in Disneyland and on the Cruise Line. But even in Disney World I have had some great encounters. I once ran into Belle in the France Pavilion in Epcot. She was just hanging out and chatting with people-we talked about our favorite books and adventure stories. This is a memory that I will never forget. It was so simple, yet so personal and made Belle completely real to me, which I think is the real magic.

2. Getting Engaged/Married

I have yet to make these memories, but I’ve seen it happen and it’s incredible. These acts of love are such magical things, so it’s only fitting to do them in such a magical place! Getting engaged can either be super simple and low-key or extremely extravagant. Disney will often help make your proposal happen with a special dinner or character help or pretty much whatever you want. Getting married in Disney World is certainly an extravagant deal. The majority of weddings are performed in the wedding pavilion near the Grand Floridian Resort. Attending a wedding here is like stepping into a fairytale. The chapel has a giant glass window that gives the perfect view of Cinderella Castle. There are footman, music, and even real doves released at the end. These are life events that would never be forgotten anyway, but having them in Disney makes them even more memorable and magical.

1. Random Cast Member Interactions

There are a lot of ways that Disney is unforgettable, but the cast members are the ones who make it happen. They run the show. But it’s even better when they go out of their way, which they do every day, to make sure your trip is fantastic. Years and years ago my family and I were walking the back path from the old Toontown to Tomorrowland and found ourselves walking with a cast member. I’m sure he was tired and probably on his way home but he looked right at the kids and said “Ready?” We then started an intense game of red light/green light all the way to Tomorrowland. We still talk about that day. Or once at dinner in Jiko, we were about to start our next course when our wonderful server came running through the restaurant shouting (quietly shouting, of course) “Wait, wait, wait they haven’t had the sorbet yet!!” Well, we were all laughing too hard to actually eat the sorbet, but she wanted to make sure that our dinner was exactly as it should be. These little interactions are truly unforgettable and the reason we continue to go back.

What are your unforgettable Disney Moments?