If You Had Two Hours To Create Lifelong Memories At Walt Disney World, What Would You Do? My Family’s Top Memories!

If you only had two hours to take your children to

Walt Disney World and create lifelong memories,

what would you do?

The Disney Parks Blog is running a series of posts asking that very question.  Here are my family’s top memories spun into a dream two hour tour of Walt Disney World:

...and then, the delighted squee, "I SEE THE CASTLE!"

We love all the parks at Walt Disney World for their variety of experiences, but our forever-favorite is the Magic Kingdom.  A lifelong memory is the first time you see Cinderella’s Castle.  It is, well, magic!  So, that’s where we go for our two-hour tour.  We ride in on the Disney bus, so much easier than driving.  My daughter is popping up and down in her seat, straining to see the castle.  And then the delighted squee, “I SEE THE CASTLE!”

Main Street

The entrance to the Magic Kingdom is always a “WOW”!  Seasonally themed and always a crowd pleaser, we walk through the gates and train station.  The first thing we see is Main Street, USA.  I get goose bumps – there are people, children, characters, balloons, colorful buildings and all of them are an idealized version of the American Dream.  It’s as if you were transported to Mayberry – except prettier.  Then the trolley comes!  Linking to memories of the classic movie, “Meet Me in St. Louis”, the Trolley Singers break into song – “Clang, clang, clang goes the trolley.  Ding, ding, ding goes the bell.  Zing, zing, zing go my heartstrings.” And yes, our heartstrings have zinged and we’re officially in love with Walt Disney World.

Lollipop, Balloon, and Happy Kid

Every time we have been to Walt Disney World, my daughter’s biggest must-have item is the Mickey balloons that are only sold in the Magic Kingdom.  Do you know the one I mean?  It’s a big, clear balloon with a Mickey-shaped second balloon inside in vibrant colors.  (Her favorite is purple.)  And one of my favorite memories of Disney will be her kind face as she gives that balloon to another child, when we leave and watches the child and balloon head off for their own Disney adventures.  One year, a Disney Cast Member (employee) actually left her store to help Rosie find a special child to take the balloon. (Which also helped us not look like stalkers or potential kidnappers.)

Next we turn a corner and see…. a princess.  Yes, a fairy-tale come to life.  A magical, beautiful, happy, glowing, princess.  Her gown is incredible, her hair is perfect, but most of all, best of all….. her eyes are kind.  She welcomes children to come and meet her.  She asks questions, she kneels down to their level and looks into their eyes, treating each word as if it were spoken by the President of the United States.  It is what they will remember – and you will remember – forever.  As we leave, Rosie gives me the biggest hug ever, and says, “I love you SO much, mommy!”

Then, what do we see?  Every child’s dream-come-true, a gigantic, colorful candy store!  There is every type of candy imaginable, displayed in colorful rainbows of sugary treats.  Mickey-shaped lollipops on extra-long sticks, in bouquets of bright lollipop colors.  Giant, round Swirl Pops…. Tall, long, Twisty Pops..  We could spend two hours in the candy store, but suddenly we hear singing – it’s the parade!

The parades at Walt Disney World are a must see – your feet cannot be still, your heart jumps, you find yourself with the biggest smile you have ever smiled.  There is fun music, favorite characters, and dancing!  Now it’s time to get…..wet!  It wouldn’t be Walt Disney World without a roller coaster and getting wet!  Splash Mountain, here we come! On the way to Cinderella’s Castle we have some fun in the pop-up fountains – after all, we’re already wet.  Touching my heart, when I asked Rosie what her favorite memories of Walt Disney World were, she said, “making new friends“.  And the pop-up fountains were one of the places that she did just that.

The excitement builds, you can feel it in the air, as the crowd gathers around Cinderella’s Castle.  Then it begins… the music, the fireworks.  I get goosebumps.  It’s amazing, simply amazing and my daughter does it again – the biggest ever hug and she says, “I love you SO much, mommy.”

Forever memories for all of us.  Let the memories begin!