by: guide4wdw – Caitlin
Walt Disney World is near and dear to mine and Collin’s heart. We have visited the magical place every year (often multiple times a year) since I was five and Collin was two years old. When people learn this about us, they usually ask, “Don’t you want to go somewhere else? Isn’t it boring?” If you’re a part of the Disney community, then you already know the answer. Disney is ALWAYS special; you will never experience the same trip twice. Today I am giving you a roundup of the most magical moments from our recent Disney trip.
Disney cast members are like no other. They make a great effort to create a special experience for all of the guests. But, sometimes, there are moments when they go above and beyond to make someone’s day. During our July trip, I turned 24, and was extremely excited to celebrate my birthday in a Disney park for the first time. In all of our summer visits to the Kingdom, we had strangely never been there for my birthday! As most do, I took full advantage of it by wearing a birthday button all week (you know you’ve done it).
We were at Epcot to celebrate the 4th of July. In true mom fashion, she wanted some caramel corn from Germany while she watched the fireworks. I’ll hand it to her, that stuff is phenomenal. Collin and I nominated ourselves to walk, quite literally, around the world to get it for her while she saved our fireworks spot on the bridge. – Side note. A great Illuminations spot is to park it at the bridge between the France and United Kingdom pavilions – When we arrived at Karamell-Kuche, the line was out the door. Apparently everyone’s mom wanted caramel corn that night! Collin and I waited . . . and waited. . . and waited until we had about 15 minutes left before the show. When we (finally) arrived at the counter, the cashier asked me if it was really my birthday (always wear your birthday pin!), and I told him that it was two days from then. He handed us the caramel corn and said, “Happy Birthday.” I’m not sure if the sweet man recognized that the line had taken ages or if he was simply kind, but we walked out with free popcorn. Magical moment #1. (Not as magical was the walk/sprint back around Epcot in 5 minutes flat)
Fast forward to my actual birthday. We visited Crystal Palace to kick off the day with my favorite breakfast in the parks. Disney is really great about making birthdays special. When celebrating at a restaurant in the parks, the servers will add confetti to your table. You will also receive a birthday card signed by the characters and a cupcake brought to you with a song (even if it’s breakfast time).
Later on, we visited Starbucks. Cast members at Disney Starbucks are known for drawing cute designs on the cups. When I received my tea, the cup had, “Happy Birthday,” written on it along with some Mickey ears. Although a simple gesture, it was a sweet addition to my much-needed cool drink.
For dinner, our family snagged a walk up at The Plaza (now that’s a magical moment in itself). The food was wonderful – look for a detailed post soon – and I HAD to order desert. After looking at the dessert menu, I was so sad to see that my favorite treat, the ice cream cookie sandwich, was not there! I asked my waitress if it could be ordered there, and she replied with, “I’ll see what I can do.” A few minutes later, she arrived with the most glorious ice cream cookie sandwich you have ever seen, complete with peanut butter on top. I was absolutely thrilled and completely full! To make the event even sweeter, the waitress removed the cookie from our bill. She simply laid down the check and said, “Have a happy birthday.”
For dinner, our family snagged a walk up at The Plaza (now that’s a magical moment in itself). The food was wonderful – look for a detailed post soon – and I HAD to order desert. After looking at the dessert menu, I was so sad to see that my favorite treat, the ice cream cookie sandwich, was not there! I asked my waitress if it could be ordered there, and she replied with, “I’ll see what I can do.” A few minutes later, she arrived with the most glorious ice cream cookie sandwich you have ever seen, complete with peanut butter on top. I was absolutely thrilled and completely full! To make the event even sweeter, the waitress removed the cookie from our bill. She simply laid down the check and said, “Have a happy birthday.”
Our final magical moments came at the Contemporary Resort. My family loves to resort hop, and we found ourselves at the Contempo Café one evening (another great counter service option). While there, I realized that I should look for some Mickey shaped straws. Some of you may not know that I am a teacher, and I was on a hunt to acquire Mickey straws for my entire class. I had searched all of the gift shops at the Contemporary and our hotel (Wilderness Lodge), but could not find a single straw. One of the cast members at the Contempo suggested I check The Wave downstairs. I thought this was a strange suggestion, since this was not a Disney-themed restaurant, but I gave it a try. When arriving at the desk at The Wave, I felt a little silly asking the ladies for 11 Mickey straws, but they didn’t bat an eye. They called to the back for the manager to hunt some down. While we waited, the ladies said, “So you’re a teacher?” I explained to them that I had five year old students who would absolutely love the straws. The ladies then opened their desk drawer and pulled out two brand new rolls of Disney stickers. They handed them to me saying, “Your kids will love these.” I was so excited; it was such a kind gesture. About that time, the manager came from the back with a brown paper bag. She asked me some questions about where I taught and how I enjoyed teaching. Then, she gave me the bag full of Mickey straws and said, “Enjoy your school year.” I expressed to her that I would love to pay for them, but she refused. It absolutely made my day. Such kind moments from the wonderful ladies at The Wave.
There you have it, a wrap up of our most magical moments from our last trip! Although some of these events may seem simple, it makes such a difference when people treat you with an extra dose of sweetness. It may always be changing, but Disney has never lost its magic touch.
Have your own favorite moment you want to share? Be sure to share your stories with us on social media! If you enjoyed this article be sure to welcome Caitlin back by following us on Instagram. She really leads our Instagram sharing! (link in header)
