Tuesday, October 15, 2013

My Disney Bucket List 2013


My Disney World countdown is into the teens and I have been diligently planning.  This trip is different from other trips with have taken in the past. The first thing that is different is that we are NOT doing the Disney Dining Plan.  The second is that we are staying at moderate resort.  The third thing is that we are traveling without the Henderson Family (the other Magical Mom's family).  We are quite sad that they will not be joining us and I am secretly hoping that they will show up to surprise us!!!!!  Ok maybe it is not a secret... I have been trying to convince her for weeks.

Since we are not doing the Dining Plan, we don't have a lot of dining reservations.  I feel like since we are not tied to reservations we have more free time throughout the day, I am hoping to be able to cross off some things that we have just not had time to do in the past.  This is not my list of top things to do at Walt Disney World.  This is a list of what I hope to accomplish during this trip.  I am excited that my list includes the perfect mix of must do's and experiences that are "off the beaten path".

  1. Ride Test Track-  My oldest son and I have ridden it, but it has always been closed for refurbishment while my husband has been there.  This time we will ALL ride it!
  2. Mail a Coconut from Caribbean Beach Resort.  Yes, you  read that correctly.  We plan on mailing a real coconut from the gift shop at our resort.  Who will be the lucky one to receive it?
  3. Go to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party-  Scott and I attended last year without the kids and the kids and I attended the year before but we have never all attended at the same time.  This year is it!
  4. Take the kids to Illuminations- We have never taken the kids to Illuminations.  Crazy right?!?  We have used Kids Night Out babysitting service a couple of times and we always end up going to Epcot for an adults only evening.  This time I want to take them with us.  
  5. See the Jammin' Jingle Parade- We have seen the Jammin Jungle Parade at Animal Kingdom, but since we will bet there during the Christmas season we plan on seeing this holiday version of the parade.  
  6. Go to Tom Sawyer Island.  My boys are very much into exploring.  We plan to take the short boat ride to the island and spend some time checking it out!  I also plan on getting to the bottom of the "Paint Brush" stories I have heard!
  7. Captain EO- I have heard rumors that this attraction will be closing soon and there is no way I want to miss this MJ experience!
  8. Find DiVine- DiVine is a street performer in Animal Kingdom that hides a midst the trees and foliage.  She can be difficult to spot but is a magical sight to see once you do find her.
  9. Watch Festival of the Lion King Show-  I always feel so rushed when we are at Animal Kingdom and we always end up missing the great shows.  Hopefully not this time!
  10. Flag Ceremony at Magic Kingdom- Everyday at 5pm the Magic Kingdom has a flag lowering ceremony.  We have never participated in it
  11. Rope Drop at Magic Kingdom- This is ALWAYS on my list and it should ALWAYS be on your list!  It is one of the most magical moments.  It sets the tone for the whole day, plus being some of the first people in the park is unforgetable!
  12. Go to the campfire and make s'mores at Caribbean Beach Resort-  Every evening the Caribbean Beach resort (which is where we are staying) has a campfire and marshmallow roasting.  They even have movies under the stars.  Lots of resorts have similar evening experiences.  Make sure to find out what is special about your resort.
The list of rides and attractions I want to do and see is very long.  My youngest son is FINALLY 40 inches tall so we will not be using near as many rider swaps as we have in past visits.  At the top of his list is......

   13.  Star Tours-  This attraction is a family favorite.  Both my boys love Star Wars and I am so excited for my little guy to ride it for the first time!!!

I will update when we return from our trip.  It is important when you go to Disney World to have a plan, but don't make your plan too exact.  You need room for flexibility.  Personally I always want to do it all, but I know that is not possible.  I think that it is possible to complete these 13 things, but plans can always change.
 Wish me luck!  

See how we did here!
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