New Trippin’ with Tara contributor Alix Sternberg was in my neck of the woods on a trip to Disney. She took the time to share her first trip back to the Magic Kingdom for almost ten years. As you will see, even visiting Disney as an adult can be a magical trip, read for yourself how Alix and her friends embraced the Florida summer heat while taking advantage of a fun-filled day at the park.
A MAGICAL TRIP
Disney always brings out the kid in me – there’s just something magical about it – that even as an adult, I am awestruck. I am continually impressed with every little detail in the park – from the hidden Mickeys – to the food choices – to the parades. There isn’t an inch of Disney that hasn’t been well thought out.
I haven’t been to Disney World since 2009, and it has changed a lot. One of the amazing new features is linking your ticket up with the My Disney App and getting three fast passes the day before. You can then get more fast passes as yours run out. The other thing I loved on the My Disney App was the wait times. They were super accurate and helpful for planning out your day.
Disney FastPass+ service lets you reserve access to select attractions, entertainment and more. With the purchase of a ticket or Annual Pass, you can start making selections as early as 30 days before you arrive, or up to 60 days before check-in when you have a Walt Disney World Resort hotel reservation.
It’s A Small World
One of our first rides (and one of my favorites) was It’s A Small World. No matter who you are, or what your beliefs are, this ride is about unity and differences and coming together. And the song stays in your head for a very long time.
Throughout the day, we rode Space Mountain, the Haunted Mansion (another favorite!), The Little Mermaid ride, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Dumbo, amongst others. We ate lunch at Tony’s Town Square restaurant, which was lovely and inspired by Lady and the Tramp. Who doesn’t love that? There was a minor mess up with our reservations, and they gave us a Fast Pass good for any ride at any park (Score!)
I ate churros (a Disney classic), met Ariel, Merida, Tiana, Snow White, Alice, and Gaston. We browsed Gaston’s Tavern, and I even got my silhouette done (see photo). I had a silhouette done as a little kid, and it lived at my grandparent’s house. I always admired it and decided why not… it’s ten bucks and a super sweet way to remember my trip. It turns out, the guy cutting my silhouette didn’t even need to trace me or look down for that matter. Apparently, these artists train for a year, learning the French art/tradition of silhouettes. I was amazed. He cut mine in about a minute! Quickest wait at Disney!
In the late afternoon, we went to the parade where we saw all the characters on floats. My favorites were probably Mickey (because obviously!) and Anna and Elsa, who I hadn’t seen in person before. Despite the heat of 97 degrees beating down on us, we managed to truly enjoy the show.
Night time at the Magic Kingdom
Even with all the rides, the characters, the delicious food, and the extremely humid weather, my favorite part of my day at the Magic Kingdom was the end – the fireworks show. The technology they use now is amazing – projecting images onto the actual castle and playing music from classic Disney movies as fireworks burst in the background along to the music.
My friends and I (all adults, mind you) were completely enthralled with the show. It was beautiful, tear-inducing and honestly magnificent. I loved every moment. We left with sore feet, full hearts and memories to last a lifetime.
Alix is a script coordinator for the CW show Super Girl. Follow her at @thetvchick on Twitter.
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