Fun stuff and traditions

[teamhayes]

I am bored lately so lots of thoughts about Disney! Sorry for all the posts

Tell me about all the fun stuff you guys do?

Do you collect pins or autographs or ornaments?

Any places or food you have to eat?

Any special things you brin from home like light sticks or photo books or picture frames or ponchos

Do you wear matching shirts?

What other fun stuff?

Alway get a balloon on day 2 or ....

[erbear]

I have to admit that I am fascinated by people who go to Disney enough to have "traditions". It was really a once vacation for us. What am I missing??

If I ever go back, I'm having more Mickey ice creams.

[L From The D]

I used to go to Disney a lot as a kid. We had family in FL, so we'd drive down and spend a month in the summer traveling between Miami and Tampa. We'd spend a day or two at Disney. My most vivid memory/tradition is riding the Tea Cups with my dad and my sister. He'd turn his baseball cap backwards and get this focused face...then he'd spin it as fast as he could.

DH and I took the kids for the first time this summer and he did the same when we rode the Tea Cups. We're going again next year but, after that, then probably not until Star Wars land is built. It's an expensive trip...we feel like we have to go for a longer time to make the price of flights "worth it."

[krystee]

We go quite a bit because my ILs live nearby. We usually go for one day every year and a four- or five-day trip every three years. On the longer trips, we get an ornament, and we like to watch one of the Disney movies under the stars at the hotel. We definitely get Mickey ice cream bars too.

[TBM]

As adults we've lived close enough to one park or the other to have it be day trips, not vacations, so that makes for fewer every trip' type traditions.

That said, we do get the pins from guest services for anniversaries and birthdays, and we collect things to commemorate special occasions and use as Christmas ornaments, like the little wrist credit card that you load for Food and Wine or Flower and Garden festivals, pins, keychains (we do this on most trips, because they are easy to pack, cheap and there is usually a nice selection), actual ornaments, stuff they throw at you from parades, hotel key cards.....you name it, and I will hang it on a Christmas tree.

We have taught visiting family to let loose and wave whenever there is an opportunity.....from a ride/vehicle whatever, we wave to people on the trains/the monorail/other rides, and we wave to the people/characters in parades. We have contests to see who can get certain characters to look at them or wave at them first. We always get all of the kids around us at parades to wave too...they get so excited when someone waves back (or when they think they are waving at them).

We talk to castmembers a lot. Entering a ride, exiting a ride...we use their names,smile and are just in general polite to them. Our daughter and son in law encountered nice people but also a lot of rudeness from guests when they worked at DL, so we make it a point to be appreciative. In the World Showcase, DH in particular asks questions about where they are from and how long they have been in FL. They seem to really appreciate being asked and it is pretty interesting. A girl from Japan gave DH a little handmade token that she had in her pocket that we (surprise, surprise) put on our Christmas tree.

We are all about the food at Epcot and if it isn't a festival with the food kiosks, we almost always get the quick serve fish & chips. We have actually gone to the park primarily for them. We start out the day with Starbucks if we leave home too early to have coffee and my morning chai leisurely,so we have them while we walk and talk and figure out what the heck we are doing. We almost always have a Mango Star(r?) beverage when we want something refreshing...frozen mango puree with
Starr African Rum. During the festivals we always get the dole whip with coconut rum.

At DL we used to get the garlic fries in New Orleans Square, and of course, beignet. And usually churros at some point in the day. And dole whip. The Napa Rose at the Grand Californian has bar seating (no kids allowed), so when we didn't have our grandsons with us we would stop in there and get the Truffled Mac n Cheese. AT DCA we were all about ToT for me and Soarin' for DH;

We go to Epcot the most in FL, (like almost exclusively), so we haven't really figured out the other parks at WDW well enough to have favorites or traditions.

[spaghetticat]

I did themed shirts for each park.

We traded pins and MH loved it, probably more than anyone else.

We did autographs but I think maybe I'd rather just enjoy the character interaction next time.

I have to eat Mickey waffles. I remember them from a Disney cruise we took 13 years ago so that was a must for me.

We brought glow ears from eBay for Fantasmic. Ponchos from Amazon but tbh it was really just like wearing a wet garbage bag.

I have been getting magnets everywhere we go. I want to make a magnet board with a picture of the girls at the place to go with each magnet. So I got a magnet from each park and our hotel.

Eta: I agree that the fish and chips are worth going for. And then get a cronut for dessert.

Next time I go I will also go back for the pot roast Mac and cheese at MK.

[daisyfay25]

TBM Where is this mango rum drink? In the Africa area? Or in a restaurant?

[TBM]

Sept 24, 2016 11:31:28 GMT -5 daisyfay25 said:

TBM Where is this mango rum drink? In the Africa area? Or in a restaurant?

It is at the Outpost in the Africa area. And it does have 2 r's....Mango Starr

[daisyfay25]

Sept 24, 2016 11:52:14 GMT -5 TBM said:

Sept 24, 2016 11:31:28 GMT -5 daisyfay25 said:

TBM Where is this mango rum drink? In the Africa area? Or in a restaurant?

It is at the Outpost in the Africa area. And it does have 2 r's....Mango Starr

It sounds good, I'll definitely try it on our trip!

[curbsideprophet]

DD likes finding the penny press machines. She has a Tinker Bell book that she collects them all in.

Bring lots of quarters and pennies if you plan to do this.

[Deleted]

we go about once every two years (whenever we can save enough to go!)

we always do tony's in the magic kingdom for our last meal. It's now a tradition, but it started by accident during a storm our first trip after my dad left--it was a really rough trip, my brother especially was having a hard time and he was really unpleasant during our whole stay. It burst out raining and we (mom, brother and i) ducked in to tony's and ending up eating a LOOOOONG meal and reliving all the GOOD things we had accomplished since my dad left...it was healing for us. So...now our last meal is always tony's and we give thanks for all the great things the past year or two.

now with OUR kids, dh and i do themed shirts each day

also at some point during the trip, dh always has to get a turkey leg and i always get a mickey pretzel

we must ride small world, spaceship earth and the monorail

[Deleted]

I always buy an ornament
I always have a Mickey Ice Cream at MK
I always spend my last morning in MK before I leave. Usually with a pre RD reservation at Crystal Palace.
I used to take a picture of my kid in front of the Rose Garden. I need to find a new spot.

[taratru]

Tell me about all the fun stuff you guys do?
I always meet princesses. I don't care if my kids are with me or not.  On a related note, I love character dining.  I also love eating and drinking my way around the world.   


Do you collect pins or autographs or ornaments?
Ornaments


Any places or food you have to eat?
Have to always hit up Norway for a School Bread.  And always, always, always, castle picture.  


Any special things you brin from home like light sticks or photo books or picture frames or ponchos  I only bring a poncho.  And always carry a string backpack.


Do you wear matching shirts?  No.  Somehow that's just too much for me.  



What other fun stuff?
I find a couple of hours for myself one morning to sit on Main Street and have a coffee and pastry (at DLR it's a cinnamon roll from Jolly Holiday).  I love watching the park wake up in the morning. 

[krystee]

Oh, I forgot our other one. MK ALWAYS has to be the first park we go to. We're not at Disney until we've walked Main Street and seen the castle!

[teamhayes]

Anyone care to share pics of your shirts or where you got them?

[revolution]

We usually have a surprise gift from Mickey waiting for the kids when we check in. Usually a balloon, something small to keep them entertained (coloring book type stuff) and a mickey snack.

ETA:  I also get an ornament at Disney Springs.

[georgeglass]

We loved, loved, loved the Epcot Seas Aqua Tour - snuba (snorkeling with floating scuba tanks) in the giant Epcot aquarium, seeing all of the fish, turtles, and sharks. My daughter and I had so much fun waving to the people looking in the tanks and eating at Coral Reef. I hope to do it again this year.

[Wines Not Whines]

I don't know if we really have traditions, but there are some things I like to do every time we're there because I enjoy them. I used to always get a Dole Whip on every trip, but I don't like them as much since they don't do the pineapple-vanilla swirl anymore. My new food thing is getting a grand marnier slush and ice cream in France. If we go in the fall, we usually let our son pick out an ornament for our Christmas tree.

One of my old traditions was seeing the Osborne lights at Hollywood Studios. But those are gone now, too. RIP Lights and good Dole Whip.