35. Top 7 Must Do Experiences for a “Happy” Disney World Vacation

[00:00:00] Coming up, it's part one of a seven-part series. It's the happiest episode of them all. And we are diving deep to figure out what are the seven most meaningful and most magical happy moments at Disney World. Where are you going to find the moments that are ultimately going to make you cry? And spoiler alert, upon reflecting on ours, we do cry. There's so much magic, so many tears, and so much fun to be had at Disney World. We're going to find the seven most important ones during this episode.

[00:00:29] Hey there, everyone. Welcome in to another episode of the Moms Behind the Magic Podcast. I am your host, Allie. I'm here today with my co-hosts, Becky and Katie. And we are feeling, dare I say, happy today with our theme episode. I'm actually so excited to talk about what today's episode is and what it means going forward for a few, at least a few fun episodes that you M&Ms are going to get to hear. But before we do, how's everybody doing? Katie, you just got back from a trip. Becky, you and I didn't just get back from a trip, right?

[00:00:58] I did not. I'm like, what day is it right now? Did I travel? I don't think I traveled. But you can tell me I did, and there would be a way to convince me that that's true. That's how, yeah. Summer has lost all time, dimension, and understanding and reasoning. Time has no meaning anymore. Well, it was Matt's 40th birthday. So we spent like a long weekend basically on Universal property. And we especially went to Epic Universe for his 40th birthday. And we had a really incredible time. It was great.

[00:01:28] That was your kid's first time, yeah? We had so many magic moments. Emma, my seven-year-old, keeps wanting to be like the influencer. And so she would see me on our Instagram stories. She'd be like, mommy, give me the video. I want to tell them all about going to the portals and doing the adventures. And I want to tell them to like and subscribe. Aww. That's so cute.

[00:01:52] For M&Ms that don't know, Epic Universe, excuse me, of course, is Universal's big new park. Over a year old now at this point, but still very new. And it's designed by, you know, these portals that you actually enter. So that's what Emma meant by talking about going into portals. Which portal did they like the most?

[00:02:11] They would tell you they probably liked Super Nintendo World the most. We spent a lot of time there. My kids absolutely loved it. I knew that we would probably spend most of our time there. We spent a fair amount of time in Isle of Burke, too. Isle of Burke was so fun. We loved Isle of Burke. You've always loved Isle of Burke, haven't you? Or did you especially love Isle of Burke? Becky loves Isle of Burke. Yeah. Isle of Burke was great. There's a lot of like heart-soaring moments. It was fabulous. We absolutely loved it.

[00:02:40] And I was pleased as punch that my kids also enjoyed the Dark Universe because that's where I like to hang out. Yeah. Were you, we talked a little bit about, you know, is it too dark for kids? And I am, I mean, I, my kids have obviously not been, but I would not be fearful of taking them in there. And I know you weren't either. And they ended up being totally fine, right? Dark Universe was not too dark. They loved it.

[00:03:04] They loved it. I asked Matt, I was like, what, what was your favorite moment from the whole trip? And he was like, watching our girls arm in arm, walking through the dark portal. That was the best moment. I love that. I do think just having been there, I think if I was planning to take my kids when they were little, I think you did it right, Katie. You went during the day. It wasn't during the nighttime when everything is extra spooky.

[00:03:28] And you stayed away from some of the things that are the worst gore, which you have to kind of pre-plan for that. But I do love that you covered having your girls talk about it because it doesn't have to be something that your kids are afraid of. You can do it right and let them experience, especially let them go on the Frankenstein ride. Like that is such a cool ride. I love that area. That portal is fabulous.

[00:03:49] What surprised me in the dark portal, there's two main attractions. So there's Monsters Unchained, which is my favorite. And then there is Curse of the Werewolf, which is kind of like a roller coaster attraction. Tally, my five-year-old, was big enough for Curse of the Werewolf and she loved it. She was not big enough for Monsters Unchained. Wow. She was bummed about that. But yeah, my kids love it. What is the height on Monsters? I don't know. Don't put me on the spot like that, Allie.

[00:04:17] Well, I was just trying to honestly see if my kids were tall enough because I'm just reluctant to take them until they are because they're at the point where we've done the whole they have to sit out because they're too small. We've done it in all of the parks and with all of the big attractions. And I think I'm just over that. At Disney, we're tall enough for everything. I would bet you're tall enough for almost everything at Epic Universe. But Monsters Unchained is a 48-inch high requirement. Yeah, so we'd make that.

[00:04:44] She was just like an inch below it. But they did love it. And I mean, my kids do kind of like the horror and the spooky things, right? Like they like the goosebumps and they like to watch me play horror video games. So they enjoy that. But they were still a little bit apprehensive walking in. And so I told them before we walked in, everything is make-believe. The whole thing is make-believe. It's gonna be spooky, but the spookiness is part of the fun. So we had a great time.

[00:05:11] It's different really than like Tower of Terror. You're just immersed for an entire land. Yeah. I think when, I think 54 inches might unlock Universal. That's what we call it in our family, unlocking it. And I think 54 inches is the key. We're not quite there. So once we're there, my focus will turn to planning that. But until then, I, you know, I just, we've done that, the sit out thing. All right. Well, it was fun following along. It looked like it was great. Anything else y'all want to say before we pivot here?

[00:05:37] No, I'm just so excited for this conversation today. I was preparing my list for today and gosh, there is just so much happiness in the Disney parks. Yeah. So we're gonna dive in. Before we do, we'll take a quick break and then we're getting happy. It's the happiest episode, y'all. This episode of Moms Behind the Magic is brought to you by BabyQuip. Babyquip.com. Use code MAGIC to get $30 off of any order of $150 or more. BabyQuip has grown. It's not just about babies anymore.

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[00:07:59] We're going to take their personalities and turn them into important lists and ideas and experiences that are important for anybody planning a Disney vacation to keep at the front of their mind. Starting, of course, at the happiest because who doesn't want to be happy? So we're drawing inspiration from that guy today. We've each brought our own list of must-do experiences, things that make you happy about Disney World, the Disney bubble, a Disney vacation. And we've done this before.

[00:08:28] This is a refresher episode. Three years later, we are doing it again. And it's important to update because, number one, Disney has changed. It changes so quickly that things that make you happy today may not be there anymore in three years. Cough, carousel of progress. Things that made you happy because of a time of life that you were in. Maybe our kiddos were, you know, we were talking about this yesterday, planning. I was like, was it three years ago that we recorded this originally? And you all confirmed that that was true.

[00:08:57] And my twins are now the age my oldest was then, you know? And so the things that were important or magical then were making me happy then. Maybe they changed, but I intentionally did not try to figure out what I said then because I didn't want it to influence what I said now. I bet a lot of what I'm going to say is the same or similar to what I said then, but maybe with some new experiences trickled in. I think that's probably a fair take.

[00:09:24] I also think that just in general, just like you're saying, we go through phases as mom. We go through phases as our kids go through different phases. My McKenna, who historically is like diehard Taylor Swift everything, when her most recent album came out, she's like, mom, what if I just don't like it? I'm like, it's okay for you to not like everything because you're not in a space that she's in right now. And it's okay that something isn't your favorite. We have an Eminem currently talking, like there's a good conversation in our Facebook group that's talking about like, what am I doing wrong?

[00:09:54] I'm just not understanding Epcot. And I'm like, it's possible you're just not in an Epcot phase. Like at some point in time, Epcot ultimately probably becomes somebody's favorite. But you also have a Magic Kingdom era. You have a time when Animal Kingdom makes the most sense. And it's all of these eras are okay. And you don't have to feel bad about having different opinions throughout the phase of life. Yeah, I mean, we've always notoriously talked about how I didn't really understand Animal Kingdom for a while.

[00:10:23] Katie really didn't understand Epcot for a while. And I think we just weren't in those phases of life, you know, and now we are. And now I love Animal Kingdom and she loves Epcot. And it's okay for those ideas to evolve. And again, this is why we don't ever say we're the once in a lifetime trip people. Because that once in a lifetime trip is going to tell you something that's untrue about yourself. Okay, but I have one of these evolutions.

[00:10:51] I think I've told you about my Disney Springs evolution, like just learning to love Disney Springs. But I heard a revelation or a growth moment in the last two episodes, not just one, two episodes, that Ali Thomas chose Winnie the Pooh for two different things. Crystal Palace and chose to keep the Winnie the Pooh ride. Like, who is this person that I'm looking at on this screen? Okay, well, context. And if anybody needs to go back and listen.

[00:11:20] I chose the ride for my daughter. I chose Crystal Palace for the Churro Waffles. Because, duh. And for Eeyore. It's okay. Even if it's not for Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh is a collection of characters. And maybe you're going to enter a Winnie the Pooh face. I don't have a problem with Winnie's friends. Or his storybook. Or his life.

[00:11:49] I just find him to be a little off-putting. You know. How do you feel about Tigger? Like, do you want to break this down some more? Tigger's all right. Tigger's all right. Kanga? Is Kanga, is that your iteration of Winnie the Pooh? Is you are Kanga? You are watching out for your little one. And you want her to be able to ride the ride. I had to think a little bit about who Kanga was. She's the mom. She's the mom. And then Rue is her baby. To Rue. Yeah. Yeah. I, you know, I don't think we need to break this down in any sort of psychological way.

[00:12:19] I just like, I just like Churro Waffles and my daughter. That's fair. That's fair. Yeah. Yeah. But like, is that going to be on my list of happy today? Maybe if it's, you know, my daughter meeting Winnie the Pooh. I do have a question, by the way. When you all made your lists, did you write down intentionally things that you have experienced that maybe only you could experience? Or did you write down things that other people could also experience?

[00:12:47] And I have a reason I'm asking because I have one that I wrote down. But I can, there is a viewpoint where I can put this to the M&M, but specifically call it back to myself, which ultimately is what I'm going to do. But I was just curious how you drew your list. To start out, my list, which I was supposed to bring seven things, is 28 things. No, we don't have time. Cheater. Cheater. So here's what we're going to do. So each of us brought seven. I'm not listening to 28, Katie. I'm not doing it. You mean you don't like to find the PPG signs? What?

[00:13:18] Wait, what did you just say? I like to find the PPG signs because I'm, you know, a yinzer. Pittsburgh paint glass. There you go. It's literally just Pittsburgh paint glass. But whenever you walk around and they have all the construction walls up, they have like cute little signs on them. And there's an icon on the bottom of every sign that says PPG. Oh, and it actually is that? It actually is a Pittsburgh thing. They're painting. They're painting.

[00:13:42] This is like Stacey when we were walking through the airport and she's pointing out that the escalator mover thing says Montgomery on it. It's like everywhere you go, you point out things that are so uniquely you and to your space. Is that going to be on your list, Katie? Well, I mean, I'm not going to talk about it. Formal list. No, I believe you just did talk about it. I think that just happened. My seven started as things that make me genuinely happy every time I go to Disney.

[00:14:11] And then my seven evolved into what do I think are the seven things that anybody going to Disney World needs to put on their list. So I evolved my list. So this is where I am, too. So I started with like what makes me smile. Yes. And then I tried to make it relatable. Like if I am an Eminem listening to this and I'm trying to take away seven things that I can't miss, that's where I ended. Right. So here's what we're going to do. We each brought seven. We're going to make an ultimate list of seven.

[00:14:40] So among us, some of our things are going to get cut. I assume some of us will have shared things on our list. And ultimately, we will provide you Eminems with a list of seven most magical things that will make you happiest while at Disney World. Who wants to start? I need to start. I mean. Oh, yeah. Okay, go. Because both of you like just everybody doesn't think I'm trying to go first on a non-graph episode. Spinning the wheel. I said who wants to go first and they both stared at me and one of them shook their head no.

[00:15:08] So I am going to go first because default. Okay. I don't want anybody in there saying Allie even goes first when it's not her turn. Okay. This is a collaborative effort. We're okay here. Well, it's collaborative until we try to take one of your things off the list because we only get seven total. And you brought 28. I did bring 28. Okay. I tell me if I'm off base here, but I think this is an absolute must for a Disney vacation. We talk about this a lot.

[00:15:37] It's probably kind of obvious. And I have three things on my list that relate to this one thing. Okay. So I'm going to talk about this one thing and then talk about the three parts of this one thing that make me happiest. And, of course, it's going to be staying in a Disney World hotel. Staying in the bubble. Obviously, we talk a lot about our favorite resorts. And I could tell you that you need a resort worth of view, which for me, that's one of my happiest.

[00:16:05] I don't think that that's important to everybody. Actually, I know it's not important to everybody. I know that that's a very specific item of importance and that a lot of people don't put a lot of stock in the view from their room. In fact, a lot of Disney hotels don't even have balconies. You know, modern and value resorts are often exterior entry with windows and not balconies. And that's fine, too. But the view from the room is great for me just driving under the sign, driving under that Walt Disney World sign initially.

[00:16:32] And you know that your magic is beginning. And the electrical holes turn to Mickey heads. And the street signs turning purple has been important to me since I was a little girl. We always stayed on property. And I always knew we were there. You know, obviously, driving under the sign, we're yelling and we're excited. But now I'm here. And I know I'm still here because these street signs are purple everywhere. And I'm in this other world where street signs can be purple, you know. And rules just seem to be different.

[00:17:02] And air seems to be more magical. And you arrive at your resort and checking in is magical. And somebody is there for you. And the whole experience levels up. And you never have to leave. That feeling when you're staying on Disney property. And I've said before, I will always say the difference in staying on property and not is you are either visiting Disney World or you are visiting Disney Parks. And that is two different things.

[00:17:30] And when you stay at a Disney resort, you are visiting Disney World. Yeah, I think you capture that perfect. And this is absolutely on my list. However, I originally started with this about the value resorts. I eventually evolved my thoughts into just being in the Disney bubble. Because Becky, growing up, going to Disneyland. Disneyland was my home park. Disneyland's bubble is very different than Disney World's bubble.

[00:17:51] And the first time Sean and I came to Disney World, we were the people who were staying at the little mom and pop or small kind of off-property resorts for the first, gosh, forever. Honestly, until we came to Disney World. Disney World changed this about us. We stretched our budget using promos to make the splurge to stay in the Disney bubble. And it was all-star sports, y'all. Like, that is like an entry-level all-star step into the Disney bubble.

[00:18:21] And that changed my life. I truly believe that I would not be sitting here doing a Disney podcast had we not made that step into the Disney bubble and see that the air feels different. That the magic is everywhere. You don't deal with traffic. You don't deal with, I don't know, thinking about the outside world. You just get to be with your kids.

[00:18:43] And these all-star and the pop century and art of animation, these value resorts in particular, gave my family the okay to splurge on something that felt so incredibly unattainable for the budget that we were as young parents who started out. And we both worked multiple jobs just trying to make ends meet. Like, it allowed Disney to feel attainable. And that does that for thousands and thousands of families every single day. It's about everything you said.

[00:19:09] It's about going to bed in a Disney room. It is about enjoying your pool. And, you know, I obviously have evolved into these resorts and rooms that I love. And there are very strategic ways that I make that happen, you know, because it's a priority for me. But I do not believe that everybody has to stay in one of those resort rooms to experience what I'm talking about right now.

[00:19:35] I can't tell you how many trips I plan for clients where, you know, we're talking art of animation. And family after family, my kids are going to freak. That's what they say. And they're not wrong. They are going to freak. When they step onto that property, their kids are going to freak. And it's true. And you're not going to have a view from your room. But my gosh, you're going to be walking through a movie. You know? You are going to be so happy. And it makes all the difference in the world.

[00:20:01] And the people that say this is just where I'm going to lay my head, no, it's not. It's going to be where your magic begins. It's going to be your pool you're swimming in and the games you play with the cast members. And it doesn't matter which resort you're at. They're doing that every day at 1 o'clock. It's going to be the weight lifted and the exhale allowed. And it has to be on the list. Staying in the bubble is the happiest moment. And the happiest week is the vessel for the happiness for the entire vacation.

[00:20:30] Yeah, and getting that confirmation number that's like, this is happening for me, is such an exhilarating moment as a mom to be like, I'm making this happen for my kids. And it's exactly, you're waking up to potentially a Disney character calling you on the phone to give you a wake-up call. You're walking out and passing all of this Disney-inspired touches of details that you're not going to get anywhere else. And you're getting on a bus or a form of transportation that is also very Disney. You're getting on a bus that has Daisy Duck on the side.

[00:21:00] It has Crush on the side. Like, you're getting on the monorail or the Skyliner. There is just nothing more magical in all of Disney World than just the bubble itself. Yeah. All right. So that's, yes, on the list. We're not going to argue about that. Did you all bring that on your list of seven? Like, did I knock one of yours out? You did on mine. You didn't on mine, but it was something I was thinking about and I didn't know. Katie brought a list of 28 things and staying in the Disney bubble was not one of them. It wasn't. Got it. Got it. All right, Katie.

[00:21:29] That's how happy Disney World is. Yeah. This is true. This is true. All right. We got to come up with a mutual seven. So, Katie, you're up. Yeah. So this kind of goes hand in hand with staying in the bubble. I'm going to pitch an idea out there and that is travel in a non-traditional group. So what I mean by that is there is so much pressure that, you know, I'm a mom. We have a family of five. I got three little kids.

[00:21:56] I got to take my whole family to Disney World. I actually think you may be forfeiting a lot of magic if you have that much pressure on yourself to take the whole family on every single Disney trip. I have found that I'm kind of in a season of motherhood where I'm actively seeking out those happy moments and those magic moments. And they happen a lot more for me whenever we take a kid one-on-one, go on a date.

[00:22:25] I meet up with you guys. I meet up with some other gal pals. Don't think that Disney is just reserved for I have to bring my whole family. Relinquish yourself from that mom guilt because there's literally no reason to have it. But the way that this ties into our former talking point is it may be more doable for you to take the trip if you decide, I'm just going to take my oldest on a one-on-one trip.

[00:22:52] Maybe you're staying at Pop Century and that's okay for taking your oldest on a one-on-one trip, but you're getting to go and you're getting to have moments that you would not have otherwise. This plays into so much magic for me, whether we're taking the kids. We have a tradition where on our kids' birthdays, we take them for like a day just for themselves where Matt and I just go with them and we have the greatest time and do whatever they want. We really slow down. We get to have a lot more magic moments with them.

[00:23:22] And this kind of all started because I was planning on taking a Disney cruise with another friend of ours and she ended up getting sick. And so I ended up having to go with my daughter Bella at the last minute when she was eight. And this has transformed into a tradition in our house where the year that you are eight years old, you get to do a one-on-one Disney cruise with mom or dad.

[00:23:45] Because so much, yeah, so much magic evolved out of that trip that I was like, we're forfeiting so much by saying the pressure is, well, everybody has to go. I agree with your sentiment. Like your sentiment is spot on. Creating moments and magic with one, like Beck, I know you've done that. We haven't really done that yet. We did take my oldest to New York City once by herself. And I find it's much more difficult to do with the twins because they're hitting milestones and things at the same time.

[00:24:12] But, you know, we took our son to his first concert by himself. And, you know, so we find ways to make it. So I agree with your sentiment 100%. I don't know if it's the ultimate list because first of all, I think this is an ultimate planning list for families, right? And the ultimate thing to do with your family is to enjoy that first or, you know, repeat Disney vacation. I agree on this sentiment as well. And I would even add two things about this. One, that I think this doesn't just apply to Disney.

[00:24:40] You should be doing that in your daily life, in my opinion. Right. We took Laker to Legoland on a one. I took him to Legoland on a one-on-one. I took Macy on a cruise one-on-one. Like you should be finding spaces, not just at Disney. Give your kids that one-on-one attention. But also when you're at Disney, even if you're there with your family, you can still find ways to do one-on-one. Sean will take the two kids and I will take one of them and we'll go have a meal together. We'll go and watch a specific show that we love together.

[00:25:10] Just the two of you. Like that's a really fabulous sentiment, but I don't necessarily think that because it's not specifically only a Disney thing and I don't necessarily know if that makes the ultimate seven, but completely agree. The sentiment is absolutely there. Yeah. Okay. So leave it off the main list, but love it for life. All right. So that turns to you, Becky. Okay. Just the order in which I want to talk about these things. Like I love all of them so much. They make my heart just want to burst. Okay.

[00:25:40] I'm going to go with one I think will surprise you and maybe it won't surprise you, but I'm going to say Whispering Canyon Cafe. I'm saying this with a caveat that I originally started this as just Disney table service dining. And then I wanted to get more specific on what restaurants I actually think are worthy of going and making your family like laugh together, smile together. And so let's evolve this thought, but Whispering Canyon Cafe is at Wilderness Lodge.

[00:26:08] It is a restaurant we've talked about several times, even on recent episodes. It's a restaurant that they bring the humor, they bring sarcasm, they bring delicious food, but this is uniquely Disney. If you listen to the podcast, you know that I also love Trattoria Al Forno and the lasagna there. Another very close to my heart Disney dining space. The time your family gets to sit down, whether it's in the middle of a park day to get away

[00:26:33] from the heat or it's on a rest day and you're taking time to go to a resort that you're not staying at and cutting yourself away from the hustle and bustle of a Disney parks vacation to just sit. Not mobile order and eat in 20 minutes. Sit for an hour to an hour and a half with your family and talk about what you have been experiencing. Having fabulous food being served by cast members who know what the Disney magic is and uniquely

[00:27:00] Disney restaurants specifically, ones you're only going to find at Disney World, for example, Whispering Canyon Cafe is just a different level of happiness that you'll look back on your on that time of your trip and be like, gosh, that was time well spent. I love Whispering Canyon Cafe and it almost got put on my list. So I'm so glad that you specifically caught it out because it's like probably my favorite sit down dining on Disney property as well. But to just sort of add to that thought, I know, Becky, you said you were talking about

[00:27:29] maybe just table service in general. You should be making dining reservations on your Disney vacation. Like you can show up and wing it, but I feel like you might be forfeiting a lot of magic if you aren't planning on doing a sit down, you know, meal each day. Disney offers Michelin star restaurants. Disney offers restaurants with James Beard award winning chefs. Like this is high quality, incredible dining if you want to press into there.

[00:27:58] So there's a there's a lot of joy and happiness to gain from eating on Disney property. Not just the table service, but also like character dining. Like I personally think that every person coming to Disney World, if you've been to Disneyland, if you've been to Disney Cruise, whatever, something that makes Disney World unique is the number of table service options available. And I think that everybody should give themselves the gift of at least sitting down for one meal.

[00:28:26] Maybe it's the the Toy Story Roundup one in Toy Story Land. Maybe it's whatever it is that's meaningful for your family. There's just so much goodness and pure joy in some of these restaurants. Yeah. Are we putting so are you saying you want to put Whispering Canyon on the list or dining? I my thought is that Whispering Canyon is my favorite choice to send somebody to.

[00:28:51] However, in general, do I think that Whispering Canyon is the only right answer? I don't. Right. There's a lot of great table options to choose from and whatever makes the most sense for your family and your style. So sit down, like at least a sit down meal eating at Disney because on my list, because I'll just go ahead and bring this up before we make a decision here. On my list, I had character meal because you're not going to go to Disney that one and only time or that first time and ignore this thing.

[00:29:19] You know, could you ignore with like, would you have a great time if you went to Whispering Canyon? Yeah, for sure. It's so fun. We laugh all the time. But is everybody that's going to Disney like I can't ignore Whispering Canyon Cafe that first trip I take? Like, absolutely not. But character meal. Yeah, you got to do one. And there's so many to pick from. They're in the parks. They're in the resorts. There is a wide variety of different types of characters you can meet. Mickey and the gang, specialty characters like Lilo Stitch, Pooh and Friends, princesses, of course.

[00:29:46] And so deciding who fits your family dynamic and at least doing one because they are a splurge, I would say is what should actually be on the list. I mean, you're going to eat, right? Like you're going to eat. Yep. You're going to have. But I think if we're really trying to come up with a list of seven ultimate, I think the way we narrow it down and niche it is you go to a character meal. This is a very specific special thing that you can only do here. You know, this is where you do it.

[00:30:15] And it's part of. Carla would be telling us. She's like, that's not the magic for me. That's not the magic for me. But it was. But it was when her kids were little and it was when they were meeting characters and it was the first time she took them. So, you know, in her adult life. No, for sure. But she's been. Sometimes I think for us five, our lens is a little hard to see through for our Eminem's listening because we have done all of the things. Yes and no.

[00:30:41] I think that I very intentionally was choosing what I wanted to say on this space based on thinking, what do I think every family needs to do? And it might be a character meal. But a character meal with for a family of five, you're probably looking at two hundred plus dollars for that meal where you could go to Whispering Canyon and have maybe two thirds of that cost without having to feel like my teenagers are not going to love a character meal. And so if I was taking my teenagers for the very first time, am I going to tell them you need to go to a character meal?

[00:31:11] I wouldn't. I would say there are so many different options that meet it. And my argument, my argument would be that you would. Like, I think a family taking teenagers for the first time would. You know, my dancers that go and have never been that dance trip I talk about all the time where we went together. A lot of them went to Chef Mickey of all places. These were 15, 16, 17 year olds and the pictures of them with Goofy, you know, like just so cute.

[00:31:36] And we talk all the time about how youth and childhood is alive. And so, yeah, I would tell people with teenagers on their first trip to prioritize a character meal. And I would even go as far as to say if we're going to say save and splurge to stay on property, I'm going to say save and splurge for one character meal and have this experience. If it's a seven ultimate list, am I really saying restaurants are the ultimate list? Like, yeah, there's some great experiences. No, I'm not saying restaurants are the ultimate list.

[00:32:03] I'm saying Disney specific table service is my ultimate list. Something that feels specifically Disney. I'm not talking about something at Disney Springs that is a chain restaurant. I'm talking about something that brings the Disney magic. Like a character meal. Like a character meal. Like with Spring Canyon. Like Garden Grill. Like Trattoria is very uniquely on the boardwalk, which you, yes, it's Italian food. But it's on the boardwalk is so Disney.

[00:32:33] I mean, yeah. So how are we wanting to label this? Because I would like to be on the record saying that for most magical, this should, in my opinion, be a character meal. Can we just call this a meaningful meal? Taking time for a meaningful meal. Yeah. But I mean, you can have a meaningful meal at T-Rex. And I'm scared that that could be missing. And I have. I have had a meaningful meal at T-Rex. So don't take that away from me. I'm certainly not trying to do that.

[00:32:59] But what I am trying to do is not lead people to believe that T-Rex could be one of the seven most magical things at Disney World. So let's define what other than the character meals, because we've talked about a lot about character dining. And what pushes me away is, one, I'm in TeenagerVille. And as much as my teenagers would go and they would have fun, I don't think that that's the best dining experience I would give them. But you're in TeenagerVille with teenagers who have done this. What about people that are in TeenagerVille with teenagers who have never done this?

[00:33:29] I have done that with teenagers who haven't done it. And they've done it, but we've done other things like sci-fi dine-in. And they significantly like that better than the character dining. So there is just a sci-fi dine-in, 50s primetime. There is so many truly Disney enchanting meals on Disney property that I would hate to limit it just to character dining. Yes. Skipper Canteen. Yes. Yes. Would you count Tony's Town Square in the magical list?

[00:33:57] I would not for myself. But if somebody is a diehard lady in the tree of lover. Yeah. And this is where I'll say, like, if you get a really good table outside, like on the patio and it's during the parade. I mean, that is amazing. And the food there is terrible. It's the most magical meal with a magical bad food meal you'll ever have. I don't know. Something about that. Let's call it a magical meal. Okay. I'm fine with that.

[00:34:26] I'm down with classifying it as a magical meal. The food at Tony's is really bad, you guys. It's not. It is not good. The most memorable thing should not be the little cupcake with a spaghetti swirl on the top of it. The bread, the newish. I mean, I think it's a couple years old at this point, but they added it to the menu kind of recently as that bread that you pour the Alfredo sauce over. Okay. That is good. I really, really like that. And then my pasta came and I was like, holy shit, it's bad.

[00:34:58] That was not the most magical food you had on your vacation. But, you know, I can get on board here when I'm thinking about a good table at a good time. And this is where you really need somebody's help to understand, like, you know, if you get this table out, you request it outside, not guaranteed. And it's during the festival of the fantasy parade. And you got a glass of wine and some cheesy bread. Well, now I'm happy. And now I'm magical. Maybe we need an episode that's just dedicated to what actually is going to be the magical meals that you want to prioritize.

[00:35:56] Yeah. Or, okay. Even though. You go. Because that's a couple off my list. Okay. Okay. I'm going to go with an obvious one. Because I have a couple that are like, oh, we could really debate those. I'm going to go with one I think is kind of obvious. Here to take up one of our spots. It's another splurge, though. And I don't know if I should roll it in with something else. But for now, I'm just going to leave it for what it is. And then I'm going to tell you why. I'm going to say a fireworks dessert party. And here is why.

[00:36:25] Number one, fireworks at Disney are my Disney why, right? Yeah. And I think most people have never seen anything like very specifically Happily Ever After. The level of fireworks and choreography, the synchronization with the music. And it is choreography. The projections and the way that they meet the fireworks. You know, you'll have a spark floating through the castle that immediately turns into a firework. The surroundings.

[00:36:53] You know, not every firework show in the world gets a canvas of a castle. Being inside the most magical park on Earth, you know? And this is where Disney has painted and created this show. And what happens is sometimes you recommend this thing that I think is one of the most spectacular accomplishments that Disney has had. And people end up hating it because it can be really difficult to enjoy.

[00:37:16] If you have a kiddo that gets overstimulated or you are claustrophobic at all, the fireworks can be very not enjoyable. And I hate that. I hate that for people because it is arm to arm, wall to wall, person to person, crowded. It is dark. It can be incredibly overwhelming. And then the exit from the show is the Disney low of the day. Yeah. That's the Disney not why.

[00:37:43] And then you leave and that's your most recent memory of this most magical day and this most magical fireworks show and experience. And your last memory is how horrific it was getting out of the park. And I hate that. And I think it jades a lot of people to how special it is. So many people don't know about the fireworks dessert parties. They offer three. They are expensive. I would call them expensive but not unattainable. You know, you'd have to budget for it and it would have to be something you prioritize.

[00:38:10] But you can do a pre-party where you have dessert and then you have a reserved, very open area to watch the fireworks. Or you can do the treats and seats party where you're eating your unlimited desserts and cocktails. It's not cocktails so much as like champagne and beer, I think. It's like it's alcohol of some level. It's not mixed drinks. You can do it while you're watching. Or you can do a post-party, which is my preference, where you go to the reserved area first. We were in the reserved area, I want to say, a half an hour before the show started. Our kids were running around the hubgrass. Yes.

[00:38:40] My brother, I will never forget, was laying down, just kind of chilling with his eyes shut, you know, while everybody else was wall-to-wall people. And then as everybody was doing that horrific exit of the park, we went and enjoyed. And that was our last memory of the day, was enjoying. And then we left empty park, empty castle photos. They do cap attendance, so it's not going to be overly crowded for the party and the hubgrass. So I would say prioritizing a dessert party, number one, because a lot of people don't know about it.

[00:39:08] And number two, because you're going to actually get that experience in the most magical way that it should be. I love, love, love the dessert party for all of the things that you just said. I 100% am on board that that is a worthy splurge. It's not that expensive of a splurge when you're looking at the grand scheme of things. And you're getting the dessert and the alcohol and the things that come along with it that kind of justify that.

[00:39:30] I want to bring a little lens to this just because I'm looking at we only get to have seven and your Disney why, happily ever after, my Disney why is phantasmic. And so in this space, when I want to see phantasmic, it makes a huge difference on where you're sitting in the phantasmic theater in order to do that.

[00:39:47] And so booking yourself a phantasmic dining package delivers in the same way where you have a dedicated space that you're not rushing to get to, to watch one of the shows that will cap the night perfectly. And so does this have to be an either or, or is there a way for us to? So I could call this, I could call this, you know, nighttime spectacular or spectacular priority viewing. So, and then they're like dessert parties, dining packages, because you can also do dining packages at Epcot.

[00:40:17] So pick Epcot, pick Hollywood Studios, pick Magic Kingdom, pick one of them and prioritize viewing for the show. If you can do multiple, fine, but you're paying extra for any of that. I just feel like Disney puts so much into how you end your day. And unfortunately, and the reason I'm like, yes, happily ever after is my personal favorite. And I do think Disney would say happily ever after is their moment of grandeur.

[00:40:44] You know, it is their most expensive show, I would assume. Maybe Epcot has some rivalry there because it's on the water and those elements. I'm not sure. I would say that Disney might say that. I'm not sure. But when I specifically say the dessert party, not just because happily ever after is my favorite, but because I think about that exit of the park. And it kills me because I hear people say that they won't watch happily ever after. And that's the reason why is because it's so uncomfortable and so crowded.

[00:41:13] And so for me, I'm like prioritizing making sure you see that and see it comfortably is important. But I am willing absolutely to call this nighttime spectacular viewing and then booking something that makes that possible. But the reason I was highlighting Magic Kingdom is for that reason. You know, you can comfortably go to the Fantasmic Theater early and it's not like happily ever after. And when Fantasmic's over, it is not, the exiting the park is not the same. I mean, it's not. Not at all.

[00:41:40] Like, it's not even really uncomfortable, to be honest. So, like, yeah, you can reserve the viewing. That depends where you sit. That depends where you sit. Maybe. I mean, maybe. If you're on the far side of the amphitheater, oh, you're going to be there for a while in a big crowd. Oh, yes. Length time, like time to get out for sure. But I don't know that that's going to be mitigated by priority seating. I do think that getting priority seating for a fireworks show is the correct answer. I love all of Disney's fireworks shows.

[00:42:10] And honestly, I used to love Happily Ever After. Like, foremost, absolutely, there's no challenger. And it didn't take long for Fantasmic to just grow on us so much that I probably love it just as much. The moments in Happily Ever After were what spurred our family to move to Florida. Capturing that moment and telling my husband, like, Matthew, we could just do this anytime we want. Why are we doing this once in a lifetime?

[00:42:39] I understand not everybody's going to pack their bags and move to Florida. But those magic moments from that show, watching it, seeing the magic through my kids' eyes, will literally stay with me till the day I die. And there was a phase where Tally's five now. And probably whenever she was like three or four, she would wake up every day and she would ask to watch the Fantasmic show on YouTube every single day. And she would be like, Mom, there's Mickey.

[00:43:07] And I mean, we would go to Disney World every weekend and she was still like enraptured with, Mom, look, it's Mickey. I will never get that back again with my little one being so thrilled that Mickey's right there on stage. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, obviously, we love Fantasmic as well. Like, we do not miss it. We love it. I hold it in a different ranking order and that's fine. Nighttime Spectacular's, I mean, obviously, I put,

[00:43:37] Epcot's stupid show at the bottom, but I still see it. You know, we still go. I'm still not going to miss it if I don't have to. And so, yes, priority seating so that you can enjoy them. And like, it is a splurge, but it is a worth it splurge. Let me ask you this. Let's pretend that priority seating is completely sold out. Would you still go see the show? I would. But I would no matter what, but I'm saying this because, like,

[00:44:06] if nothing else you see, and I don't mean to not say Fantasmic. I love Fantasmic. But, you know, Fantasmic is a beautiful show in a water amphitheater, you know, in a park that, frankly, a lot of people don't visit. People skip Hollywood Studios. Nobody is skipping Magic Kingdom. And at the end of the day, you see that show that's at the castle. Period. If we're talking most magic, you don't miss the castle show. And if the dessert party is sold out, which often it's not, like, if you think about it far enough in advance. You can get walk-up availability. You can.

[00:44:37] You know, you can. And that just goes to show you how much space you really will have. It is rare. On very busy days, all three will sell out. But for all three to sell out on a normal day is probably rare. What I'm saying is, if you can get the priority seating, absolutely get the priority seating. But if it's, man, the only way I can see the show is if I'm crowded in with a whole bunch of people in the hub area, you should still see the show. You should still see the show. Because it will change your life. Yeah. It will change your life. I agree.

[00:45:07] A hundred. Yeah. And the reason I bring it up is because it's like, I, it, yes, it will change your life. Happily Ever After with your kids will change your life. Period. It is that great. It is that phenomenal of a show. And I don't want it to be ruined by the crowd for anyone ever. Sure. Which is why I was so adamant that this has to be on the list because it is a life-changing moment. It just is. You're going to leave. And again, I'm going to speak to Happily Ever After, but we can talk,

[00:45:35] you can interchange my words with every nighttime show if you need to, to make, you know, your, your soul feel fully fulfilled. But for me, it's like when you leave that Disney vacation, Happily Ever After and the firework show that was on the castle is going to be the thing you tell your coworkers about. It's going to be the things your kids are still talking about. You know, when we went and we did the, the firework party with my entire family, it was this massive splurge. It was my nephew's birthday. Like we'll never do again. I didn't know I was going to cry.

[00:46:03] But like my parents were there. It was the only time my brother and I will probably go together as adults. Our kids were there together. They may never do that again. And we actually saw Enchanted or Enchantment. What, what, what was the show you tried to draft Katie? Yeah. We actually saw Enchantment, which was a lovely show. It wasn't quite Happily Ever After, but it was a beautiful show. And it was what was there for Disney's anniversary. And like my mom is not really that emotional of a person. She doesn't cry like at all ever.

[00:46:33] And she cried, you know, watching that show. And it's just that, that trip was special for so many reasons. But when we look back, that's the moment everybody talks about. You know, we remember the space and we remember the kids running around. We gave my daughter her first lounge fly. I'll never forget it. Like it was a little baby Yoda lounge fly. I don't know. It was just, it was special. And I don't want that moment stolen from anybody. I don't want anybody going home and telling their coworker, we want it. We like the fireworks, but getting out was like the worst I've ever felt in my life.

[00:47:03] Yeah. In that, I think the post-desert party is the right choice. And Allie, that's, that story is beautiful. I think everybody who's been through happily ever after in that space, in a meaningful time in their life, like is absolutely going to be core memory kind of things. And if your family doesn't have the means to make a dessert party, like prioritize it, look and see if it's something you can do for your family. But yeah, add it to your budget. If you absolutely can, where can you cut corners in order to make it happen for your family? But if the dessert party is not a thing, just prioritize the time.

[00:47:33] Give yourself an hour and a half before the party to sit, go sit in front of the castle in the hub or the hub. You don't get to be in the hub grass, but in the hub and talk with your family for that hour. Like, don't look at it as you're wasting time waiting for the fireworks. Like that's valuable time too. And even as squished in as you can get, like I'm a very claustrophobic person. I want my space. And it's probably one of the other things that draws me to Fantasmic is the seating that gives you your own space. I still think nobody should skip happily ever after.

[00:48:01] You have to see it and don't see it as an afterthought. Like, oh, there's fireworks that are starting right now. Like prioritize getting there to see it with the castle and the projections. And you have to be able to see her fly. Like Tinkerbell flies. You have to see that. Okay. Well, that's on the list. I've cried. So now we're done. I am here streaming too. It's ridiculous. I know. This thing so much. But I mean, Becky gave a huge spoiler alert for those who don't know, but it is true.

[00:48:30] I mean, that's, I love Fantasmic, you guys. And I love that you guys love it so much. And I never mean to diminish that. But like what Becky just said that happens at the end of the show, like this show is so perfect. And the way that it's timed and when she, like, you have to, and it has to be a good memory. Okay. Okay. That's on the list. I wrote it how I think we like it. We have three of seven. We only have four more spots, but we each have like four more things. Because was that on your all's list? What I just said? Was that on your guys' list?

[00:48:58] I said Fantasmic, which will turn into nighttime spectacular was my thought. Okay. Yeah. Okay. All right. Then, Beck, is that to you or is it to Katie to give us a moment? I think Katie next. This is so hard to narrow down a list of 28 things on the fly. Okay. I'm going to, I'm going to choose something that is a little bit isolating because not everybody can do it.

[00:49:25] You have to be between the ages of three to 12 to do it, but it brings so much magic that I think if you have a kiddo with you that is able and eligible to do it, you absolutely must do it. And that is getting a makeover at Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique. They have it for girls. They have the princess makeover. They also have it for little boys. If you want to do a night makeover, I'm secretly jealous of the cool chunky confetti that the lights get to put in their hair.

[00:49:55] But this is guaranteed magic. Whether I, there's one time that we took all three of our girls at once. We usually take them each individually on their birthday. I get to see my girls light up in a way that does not happen anywhere else. Whether I'm talking like we took Tally from the time she was three, right? So as young as you can go. Bella is 10 right now and she still loves to go.

[00:50:23] And she tells me, mom, I want to dress up as this princess. I want to do my hair this way. I want to make sure I get the Mickey tiara and the little Brett in the back. And there is just, God, I don't want to cry. Stop. I know. Happy New brings out the tears in this. That's for sure. It does. Like, I did not expect to cry. But Katie, as soon as you're, I don't know if Lake Ripper did this, so I don't want to speak. But as soon as you started talking about the night, I started crying because like I took my son and he got to be the knight.

[00:50:51] And it was like, oh my God, he was bowing at his sisters. He was so happy. And there was this moment of, because I booked it, I did it at the perfect time where all three of my kids could enjoy it. My oldest wasn't too old to be out of it. And my youngest, my twins were old enough to enjoy it. Yeah. And I do kind of feel like that night phase might be a smaller window, you know, for some boys. And so I really hit a sweet spot where all three could love it.

[00:51:19] And there was a moment where I thought to myself, oh, I'll just book my girls. And then I quickly decided, no, I'm going to do all three. And, you know, I'll ask my son if he wants to be a knight. And if he doesn't, I'll just ask them there if we can, you know, not do it. And not only did he want to do it, but it was the happiest. It was one of our most happy memories ever of all time. He was bowing. He was using his sword to knight the girls. His comb over. Oh, my gosh. You know? Because he has wild curly hair.

[00:51:48] And when they, like, it was just one of the best. Yes, this is on the list. It's got to be. It has to be. This is one of the things that I have such bad, like, reflective FOMO that I can't participate in this because when my kids were growing up, Laker 16, Disney hadn't quite gotten on board that boys were a part of this piece as well. I mean, I'm sure that they had the package there, but there was not a bunch of little boys going into Bippity Boppity Boutique to kind of participate. It was very much something that we did.

[00:52:16] Macy and McKenna both had multiple opportunities to participate in Bippity Boppity Boutique. Like, and they are truly cherished moments, not just the boutique themselves. We always bought our dresses outside of Disney. I think it's amazing if you can do it in the park. Let them shop for which princess they're going to be in the moment. But if that's a budget constraint that you need to kind of pre-plan for. But then the after, when they walk into the park and the cast members bow to them and they're like, hello, princess.

[00:52:43] And they just get to literally feel like royalty in that moment with their sash and with their hair all fancy. Like, it's just something that you can't get anywhere else on this earth. That's exactly it. Like, I alluded to this a little bit earlier in the episode, but like, I'm in a really strange phase of motherhood where the magic is changing. Disney is so happy, you guys. I know. We didn't get that. Weep the whole dang time.

[00:53:12] I know. I didn't want to get weepy. But like, I listened back to, you know, our former episode and, you know, Tally wasn't old enough yet to even go to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and, you know, take your littles while they're little. And so many people like, I want to wait. And I'm like, you're so crazy to wait with my youngest being five right now. I'm still like, look at all the magic that's already behind us. Yeah. And this is why you take your kids when they're little and you do this makeover. And I mean, yeah.

[00:53:42] And if you miss that opportunity for whatever reason that life was, take your kids now. Like, yeah, you can't get that time back, but you also can't get this time back. Whatever they are right now, like, just stop waiting. It's so true. And, you know, to to call back from something I was saying earlier, if you missed this piece of the magic, I promise you, despite what some other people said, I promise you, if you take your teenagers to a character meal, they're going to have fun and you are going to experience some magic, even if it's their first time.

[00:54:12] You know, it's it's not too late to create magic, whatever it is. But yes, if you've got kiddos, girls or boys or whatever, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is on the experience list if they are under 10 years old or if they are 10 or under because 12 or under. I thought they changed it to 10. No, it's 12. There have been some there. There are some unique factors to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique that make it a really cool thing, too. First of all, it's one of the only ways to get inside the castle.

[00:54:40] And my girls are always begging to go inside the castle. And they recently added that you get to meet the fairy godmother. She will be in the salon. She will say hello to you in the salon. But then afterwards, you get to go meet her at this dedicated spot that's just for people who participated in Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. And you get a photo op with her. You get her autograph. It's such a magical experience. She is so charming. She spent so much time with Tali. That was really great.

[00:55:08] And Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is an experience that does sell out. Listen, if it sells out, if it sells out and you can't get there, there is a good chance that I don't want to say good chance. There's a fair chance that you might be able to pick up a last minute reservation. So don't give up all hope. But if you can't have the full experience like that, walk next door to Sir Mickey. You can buy pretty much any costume you can imagine there. Pick a costume for your kids.

[00:55:36] They will pixie dust your kids there if you ask them to. Go up to the register. Talk to the cast member and say, would you please pixie dust my kiddo? And they will get out a magic wand just like they do over in Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. And they will pixie dust your kiddos and put glitter in their hair. Now we need Sir Mickey's to add gel to swipe Katie's side of her head with pixie dust gel. Also, not that this is at all the same magical experience. But did you all know that the Grand Floridian Spa does do makeovers for kiddos?

[00:56:06] You can go to the salon. And those appointments are a little bit easier to get as well. And you are at the Grand Floridian. And actually, I think the price is pretty decent. So that's just an alternative as well if Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I mean, you're not getting the boutique. It's not the princess experience. Yeah, the boutique is something special. But, you know, when I had this on my list as well, but I kind of had it rolled with. It's so hard because an enchanting experience is what I labeled it because they're called enchanting extras. Because for some families, this may be way off the radar.

[00:56:36] You may have kiddos that could care less about this type of thing, but they want to build a lightsaber and they're Star Wars junkies. And the moment they get to hold their saber is as magical as when the chair turns around for somebody else's princess, you know? Yeah. And so that's why for me, the magic can be found in any of these special add-on enchanting experiences. And that's what I had it listed as. I'm okay to put just Bibbidi Boppidi Boutique because this is another one of mine. And I wanted to throw it in the arena to say, should it be enchanting experiences?

[00:57:07] Because building a droid or a saber can be as emotionally jarring as, you know, the tears that we have. We don't have that emotional tie to Star Wars, but I know plenty of people do. And now I'm crying because Laker did drive. Oh my gosh, guys. Laker did build the gazillion dollar lightsaber and I got to be the one to go in with him.

[00:57:28] And my babies are just growing up and he's 16 and watching him do the photo shoot with the Memory Maker people after, like. Yeah. What a mess we are. I know. I think this needs to be enchanting. It's a good thing we moved to being visual and, you know, makeup and the whole. I didn't put makeup on today. Thank God. Oh my gosh. I think we should call this enchanting experiences because, you know, your most enchanting experiences are the ones that are going to make you cry when you think back about them.

[00:57:58] And the ones I wouldn't trade. And, you know, for the three of us have been to Disney an unimaginable amount of times. How many of the moments that we look back on still provoke tears? Two of mine we've talked about today and I've cried. But we have a, you know, we have a million experiences every trip. Right. But my three kids doing the boutique together and the fireworks and my whole family, those are, those are etched within.

[00:58:25] You know, these are my Disney, the reasons why I can't stop going. Mm-hmm. And so I'm going to call it enchanting experience because I don't want to not shine light that there are other experiences like Laker's Saber Build that are going to be as impactful as Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique is. Let me, let me twist this just a little bit. So you may know the phrasing enchanting extras where you're booking something like Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique or a lightsaber build, right?

[00:58:51] Right. But something like hugging Mickey or Pinocchio, if you're me, something like hugging Mickey. Do you remember the first time your kids hugged Mickey? Okay. So yes. But before you go into this, I have another thing on my list that's going to kind of be like this and I don't think it's the same. Okay. So I, because I have booking and enchanting experience as this because I think you have to really go out of your way. You have to budget to spend money on this thing and I think it's worth it.

[00:59:19] Whereas a character meet and greet, you don't have to book it and you don't have to pay for it. Right. And so I think it's a different category entirely. Do we want to go there then? Do you agree back before I do? Cause like that this would be different. Yeah. Yeah. I think this is different. Because the, you know, at the top, let's take a break. Let's take a break and take a pause for a moment. When we come back, we will dive into this, but we're going to go hear from some of our social media friends in our friend like me segment. They're out there doing their thing. You're going to listen, follow, like, and subscribe.

[00:59:48] Like Emma and find somebody that's connecting to what you connect to. And then we come back. I'm going to explain where my mind is with this one. We need to like call in the makeup crew. Makeup. Yeah. Where are the tears? When is the best time to go to Disney? That is the question everybody is asking in between managing crowds, cost, weather, exclusive events, and more. It's a lot to think about. And our friend Kayla is offering a free guide.

[01:00:17] That's right. It's included. When you join her Facebook group, visit Family Vacations with Kayla, Disney Universal Cruises, Hawaii, and more. Where you are going to learn not only when the best time to visit Disney World is, but when is the best time to visit any of your vacation destinations. That's Kayla Nix at Family Vacations with Kayla, Disney Universal Cruises, Hawaii, and more on Facebook or in the link in today's show notes. Okay. The reason I asked at the top of this episode was because, and Katie, you just spoke.

[01:00:47] I don't know if I sent you guys this picture. I don't know if I've even talked about this. But it's going to, if I haven't, especially with you all, it's going to be a little odd right now that I haven't. But as you all know, or Katie, you knew at least, my oldest daughter's dance routine this year was Pinocchio. They were, we called it the Pinocchios, and they did the song When I Grow Up by the Pussycat Dolls. Because Pinocchio is all about growing up. So we did like a fun jazz take on that. You know, whatever. I loved that. It was adorable.

[01:01:16] When we were at Hollywood Studios, where you had your magical moment with Pinocchio, because, again, this is not a character that I am super attached with, but my daughter saw him and Geppetto. And having had this experience being Pinocchio in a dance, it became the utmost of priorities to go meet Geppetto. And Geppetto held her like Pinocchio so that she could send it to her dance team. And then her and Pinocchio got to pose together so she could send it to her dance team. And it became this very important thing that we do.

[01:01:42] And we stood in the blazing sun because, you know, they meet in that little courtyard area where the sun is. Yep. Hollywood Studios is hot. It's hot. It is hot. That is a hot park. Okay? There's not a lot of shade going on. And so I started thinking about how special it was for that moment in time for those specific characters. And I started thinking that something on the list should be meeting characters that matter to you. Having a very impactful and meaningful character meet and greet. And that is different than having an enchanting moment. I agree.

[01:02:11] Meeting a character that's important to you may also be a thing that changes your life. No matter what age you are. I think that if you're little or your kids are little and you're meeting a character that they love, of course, your heart is just bursting at that moment. But I will say that even as someone who never got to go to the parks until I was an adult, the very first character I ever met was Pinocchio. I walked in and Pinocchio is there. I dressed up as Pinocchio for Halloween that year. I walked right up to him.

[01:02:38] I told him, I'm like, oh my gosh, Pinocchio, I was you for Halloween. And that's why Pinocchio has stuck with me for all this time. And so why I love to meet him. I have like waved to him from a parade and he's waved back to me and I've been so excited about that. And that was me at 33. Okay? So meeting characters is important, but I want to call back to a time. Our first, my family went on our first Disney World vacation in September of 2021.

[01:03:05] And we were, you know, starting to get out of pandemic phasing, but there were still face masks. There were no character meet and greets at the time. You couldn't go anywhere to hug Mickey. And whenever they brought character meet and greets back, it wasn't just the kids that were thrilled about that. Like adults were full out bawling to hug Mickey Mouse. Like it was so important to us. This is where I said earlier, you know, this magic doesn't die.

[01:03:36] You don't want to meet, you know, waiting to meet a character matters. We talk all the time about rides and meals. We don't talk a lot about character interactions. And you can filter those easily in the app to see who's in the park the day you're there, where they're going to be and what time. Occasionally you'll get a pop-up character that's not listed in the app. That's just sort of that pixie dust moment. Becky, I don't feel like you're sold on this one. Character interactions for me are kind of awkward. I think Carla and I are both in that kind of weird phase.

[01:04:04] However, I will say that meeting the character that matters is completely worth it. Do not get in line to meet every single character. And also, don't let the interaction be about getting the signature solely. Have a conversation. Make it about more than just getting an autograph. Let there be an extension of the storytelling that you have with that individual character. For me, it's two characters that absolutely mean the most to me when I meet them.

[01:04:30] And both of them are not the easiest to get because Merida, meeting Merida when she had her meet and greet was everything to me. Like everything to me. Here you go again. There we go again. Second one, looking back at, and I think this is just in having this bright red hair baby. Bless my life 20 years ago. Macy grew up being told that she was Ariel. And Ariel, just like Carla, like both of us grew up because of being born in 84.

[01:04:58] Ariel was our five-year-old to eight-year-old like life. And so watching my 18-month-old meet Ariel for the first time at Disney World, like Ariel sitting in her seashell. And like those moments hold so much core foundational memory for me. And so even though I don't necessarily go and meet the characters all the time now, I personally at this point in my life love waving to them from the sideline of the parade. But it's not the same as meeting the character.

[01:05:27] Whoever that character is for you, prioritize getting in line and letting anybody who has one of those in your family have that moment if it's a moment that can be had. Yeah, I've told my story about Jasmine. And yeah, just I mean, Ariel was Ariel and Jasmine were my girls, right? I'm just a little younger than you. I didn't miss the Ariel boat at all. She was her and Jasmine were very equal for me. And my whole family holds that memory of Jasmine and me, me running away and cutting the line. And that's one of their favorite stories.

[01:05:57] Yeah, you wouldn't do that today. But in the 90s, early 90s was a lot different. I just I think this is where your memories are built. And it matters so, so deeply. And so I think meeting your favorite, meeting your favorite character, meeting, how do we want to word that? Meeting your favorite character does make sense to me. Do you all feel and maybe this is why when I go back to the character dining, I think character dining is fantastic. You get to meet the Fab Five in so many different places. You can meet all of the different ones.

[01:06:21] But meeting at a character meal versus getting one on one dedicated time when you stand in line to meet that character feels different to me than them coming around to your table and you getting a moment with them. Like, yeah, those feel like two very different things. Although I will say I will say this. We do this show at our studio at my dance studio where the kids choreograph their own piece every single year. It's very, very fantastic. They have to conceptualize it. Awesome. And my oldest daughter who participates as a choreographer did a piece from Encanto this last year.

[01:06:51] And when we went to 1900 Park Fair and Mirabelle was there and we had just done our show like three days prior. When I tell you my 11-year-old was so, so happy to share with Mirabelle about this piece she had done. And the magic is very specific for my 11-year-old. Yeah. And that moment was still really, really, really, really special. Mirabelle even said, can I see some of the dance? You know, we happened to have a video and like Mirabelle watched some of it.

[01:07:21] And I have a picture of my daughter just like showing it to her. And that wasn't a meal. And so while I agree with you that the experience is maybe better elsewhere, at the meal was really special. And so that's another one off my list. By the way, we have five on the list, none in the standby queue. And actually, everything on my list has made the list in some way. I only have a few left. So I have four.

[01:07:49] I have four that I need to be on the list and we only have two spots. We only have two spots left. So you better give us one. I have one I don't think is going to make the list, but I would like to talk about it, but it's not my turn. So you go ahead. This is a massive like releasing of I'm having to realize the morning of two of these or at least two of these are not making the list. It's just going to add to your weeping of the day. Should our magic word be weeping on the happiest episode? Yes, it should. Irony. Yeah.

[01:08:19] Oh my gosh. The magic word will be weeping. Okay. Okay. I've thought a lot about how to bring up this topic because I know I am a solo person on this team that finds this and I know it's going to probably lean into something else. But we have to talk about Disney rides. For me, that ride is Flight of Passage. I know that is not the ride for everyone.

[01:08:43] And so I want to come from a lens of it might be about what the single pass rides are, like the rides that Disney knows that these are the rides at Disney. It might just be that these are uniquely Disney. Only rides that you can ride at Disney World are are kind of where my sentiment is here. For me, Flight of Passage, it's in the world of Pandora in Animal Kingdom. It is unlike any other ride.

[01:09:08] I was originally thinking maybe this is very similar to Soarin', but when you think about it, it's a massive screen, yes, but it's not like Soarin'. It's not like Soarin'. You're sitting on a Banshee. You are flying and smelling and feeling the Banshee breathe and unearthly experience on this ride. And so I know that that also extends to several other rides at Disney World, but Flight of Passage was the one that I specifically wanted to bring it up with. So on my list of 28 things, eight of them are rides.

[01:09:37] Eight of them, right? But Flight of Passage is one of them on there. And I put in parentheses spiritual experience because I genuinely feel close to my maker when I'm on Flight of Passage. I feel this like endorphin rush. I feel this like, wow, I can't believe I'm alive moment on Flight of Passage.

[01:10:00] I also feel that sort of spiritual feeling on Navi River Journey, which I know no one is writing home about Navi River Journey. But that one also, to me, has this connection that just makes me feel like I'm so happy that I'm here and I'm alive. Yeah, Becky, I think you hit the nail on the head with, I think we should put this on the list from a vantage point of the individual lightning lanes or the single pass rides. I think that's what it's actually called. It changed so much so quickly over a few years. I just call it whatever I call it at the time.

[01:10:30] The single pass attractions. Because I agree with you, Flight of Passage, yes. But some people skip Animal Kingdom entirely. And, you know, if you're only doing three park days and you have to miss one, I don't want you to feel like you're not also going to have a wow moment on Rise of the Resistance or Guardians of the Galaxy. Oddly enough, the park nobody is skipping, Magic Kingdom. I think the single pass attractions there are the most skippable. Yes. No. They are. No, no, no, no. I know you love my train. I understand that it's like... Yes! I know that.

[01:11:00] I know that. But it is... I'm sorry. It is exciting. No, I'm level. No, it is not... My entire family. I know that. I know. If every... I talk to you guys all the time about how difficult it is to go to the parks with my kids because we're dealing with neurodivergence. We're dealing with sensory sensitivities. It's a whole thing, if I'm honest with you. But the thing my whole family can agree on and everybody wants to do is Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I agree that it's a great coaster.

[01:11:27] I liken it to Slinky Dog Dash, which is not a single pass attraction. It is a must-do. It is fun for everyone. It is 100%. I almost would say not debatable. That it is not an experience like Guardians, Rise, and Flight of Passage. Those are experiences... Yes, they are. ...disguised as rides. And so I'm not trying to say Mind Train isn't a fun ride, but it is a ride. Mm-hmm. Tron is a ride.

[01:11:54] Flight of Passage, Guardians, and Rise are experiences masquerading as rides. And that's what I would say. Yes. Allie, that is... Yeah. You leave those and you're like, what did I just experience? You do not leave Tron or Mind Train thinking, what did I just experience? You're like, that was an amazing ride. That was such a fun ride. You know what I mean? Yes. Well, I don't want to exclude them from the list because I don't think we need to be that granular.

[01:12:22] I think we should probably say experience the single pass attractions. Yes. Whether that means you buy the single pass or just wait in line is up to you. That doesn't even cover like seven of my rides almost. You got to warrant them in another place then. But I think it's important because this is an ultimate list. Like, I don't think we can just put ride rides. Right. You know what I mean? I know. But there are so many that are like... It doesn't include Tower of Terror, Kitty. And you're like, you know that's my... Tower of Terror's like my favorite and it doesn't include that.

[01:12:51] I feel like Sorin though, Sorin is sort of this rite of passage. And maybe it's not so much like our generation views it that way. But I know that my grandparents and my parents' generation are very much like Sorin felt like a milestone for my life. Yeah. Well, Sorin is also that ride that when it ends, you're coming down off that ride. There's applause pretty much every single time you ride that ride. So it is a very unique Disney experience. Yeah. Is there a way to tie that in?

[01:13:21] I do think that the single pass, specifically those three, really are the rides that are so incredibly different. They're not just a ride. Because you should be riding all of the rides that speak to who you are. Yeah. I don't think we can put ride the rides because I just think it's a cheat. I think it's an easy way out. Obviously, you're going, you're riding the rides. And obviously, I think many of these should be experienced. But specifically, the life-changing ones are probably those three.

[01:13:50] And I mean, we could literally... I'd be happy if we just said experience, flight of passage, rise of resistance, and guardians of the galaxy. Like those three. Can we put that? Soren is great, but I... And the remarkable boat ride. Yeah. I put Soren like with Tower of Terror. These great things that I love that we should do, that you shouldn't miss. But like the ultimate list is if you miss these three, you've missed out on something you cannot even begin to comprehend if you didn't do it.

[01:14:20] Okay. All right. They are beyond comprehension without the experience. That's what I would say. Watching them on YouTube is not the same. Like, no. That spiritual connection, Katie, you were talking about. Like, there is something different in that space. Yeah. I'm going to put experience, rise, guardians, and flight of passage. Because you can't understand unless you've done it. And you're going to be missing a piece of understanding without the experience. So... That's wild.

[01:14:47] There's not one that like feels like that key experience in Magic Kingdom. I just don't think they're... I mean, there's great rides. Like, I could go all day and say ride the mountains, right? Like, those are iconic. Don't miss my train with your kiddos. Tron is a massive coaster. It's going to be so fun. But I don't think you're going to leave Disney and be like, no, you don't understand. If you didn't ride it, you just can't understand. I feel like the headliner attractions and the other parks are like that experience that you have to have.

[01:15:16] Whereas Magic Kingdom is sort of... The way to do Magic Kingdom right and to have the most magic is actually to just slow down and enjoy the park. It's not necessarily, oh, you got to hit this one ride. I think you're going to have a great time riding all the rides. But I think it's actually slowing down and soaking up the magic with your family. I think it's like, this is going to sound so stupid. On our first trip, it had rained and our girls were in these like Disney princess inspired

[01:15:46] twirl dresses and they were just dancing after the rain in the puddles. And so I have this picture of them over by the carousel dancing in the puddles. And that stands out to me as one of the highlights from that trip is just that we took the time to slow down to enjoy the magic. That's not a bad thing, Katie. That's what Disney is about. And if you are missing opportunities to slow down in any of these four parks and just let

[01:16:13] the magic happen, follow your kids' lead, you are missing an element of what makes Disney different. Yeah. Like that's magic. That's pure magic. And whether you have an actual picture or just a picture in your brain of it, that's magic. Yeah. Yep. It's a lot to be gained by slowing down. Like I remember this one time my family and I had placed an order for Pecos Bill and we were rushing over to Pecos Bill and we were walking by Jungle Cruise and somebody, I was

[01:16:41] like in my phone, like watching for our order or whatever. I was not really paying attention to my surroundings. And someone said, can anyone tell me where Jungle Cruise is? And I was like, it's right over there. It's literally right there. And I turned around to look to ask and it was a bunch of Jungle Cruise skippers. They had a map. It had like, it had torn, they'd torn off the corner where Jungle Cruise was. There's no, it's not in your map. We can't find it. And so they were hysterical.

[01:17:09] It was so funny, but they started doing this like skit with us and they were like, would you like to come to the front of the line and ride Jungle Cruise? And I was like, I could have said, no, I got to get to Pecos Bill. But I was like, no, we're going to go ride Jungle Cruise right now. Yes. Yeah. Yes, you are. Yeah. You're not passing that up. That's amazing. I don't know that story. That's hilarious. Oh, it was great. I have three more things on my list and we only have one spot and I am. We have one. We have one spot.

[01:17:38] Do you want to know what my one thing left is that I know is probably not going to take home the spot? Yeah. Okay. I'm holding my breath. It's, this is not going to make the spot. Um, but I love this and this is one of my happy things about Disney. It is, I don't want to say it, relaxing and enjoying the music and ambiance at the, at the front of the parks or at the most important part of the parks, right? Like the music sets the tone. It's so different.

[01:18:04] So like in Hollywood studios, listening to the old Hollywood music and you've got sing, sing, sing and big band and old Hollywood vibe going on and you know, you're there. And on main street, maybe you have the Dapper Dans and you hear this like upbeat, high octave, magical tunes and you're shopping or whatever you're doing there. And then in Epcot in world showcase, like each pavilion has a very specific sounds and an animal kingdom. It's all about the sounds.

[01:18:31] And I think just taking it in is when I'm happiest. Like when I stop and I'm looking around the parks and I'm like, I am, I am so happy in this moment. I'm hearing this and I'm experiencing this. I'm smelling this and I'm stopping. That's one of my Disney happiest. So I wanted to put it on there, but I understand that maybe it's not everybody's. Well, you're talking to a team of co-hosts who absolutely love music and love Katie.

[01:18:58] Katie's conversation around the front of Epcot and feeling so inspired inspires me to be like even more in tune when I'm walking in that space, like sharing those kinds of stories. And you're right. It's everywhere. It's not even just on those main streets. So like also the soundtracks of the rides, the soundtracks of the different lands, it changes between each individual space. And it's almost like back, literally background noise unless you intentionally listen for it.

[01:19:24] That's kind of why I wanted to talk about it because it's like the sounds of Disney and the soundtracks of Disney are part of what brainwashed you. Because it's the smells, it's the sounds. There is so much intention in everything that Disney does. And it's why Disney is different. It's not just like going to another amusement park. Okay. Well, I love that idea. Can we go in the standby queue just so we can see what else is there? Yeah. Katie, what else do you have? This is so stinking hard.

[01:19:51] Well, we haven't really, we haven't really talked about the shows. And I feel like if you're missing the shows at Disney World, you're missing a whole lot because I feel like there's a lot of magic to be had there. The shows are on mine too. Did you have a specific show in mind? I think the Frozen show especially is great. I specifically said Frozen show is, I said Frozen show, but then I was like, what about just live performances in general? Like the Frozen show is amazing. The Lion King is amazing. That feels like a spiritual experience too. The Lion King. It does.

[01:20:19] The Nemo show is like letting your kids see a Broadway musical without having to go to Broadway. And pay for that. Yes. The Beauty and the Beast show. The Little Mermaid show. The Villain show in Hollywood Studios. There are so many live production stage shows. And even, I could almost even classify like Festival of Fantasy Parade is kind of a show on wheels.

[01:20:42] Like it is, they are performing their little hearts out and it is, gosh, those Disney cast members and their live performances are just so deep in my why. They are the magic. They are the magic. Yeah, I, the Festival of Fantasy Parade is super, super high on my list too, along with the show. I think it can be categorized as a show kind of too. Yeah, it's, I mean, they're performing. The live productions. In my heart, like the parade is just as good as the fireworks show.

[01:21:12] Like you literally can't miss it. You literally can't. It's pretty epic. I mean, it's really, really wonderful. Yeah. Like we touched on the Frozen show, but the Frozen show, moms, dads, kids, everybody's going to love that show. I feel like that is Disney magic on stage. Like they, they mastered that show and I hope it never goes away. I hope they continue to iterate on it, which they do. And changing up who's being the storytellers in it.

[01:21:40] There's something special about that show, but just in general, all of the Disney live performances is another thing that sets Disney world apart. It's, it's something just magic in what they do when they create that on stage. And Allie has the blessing of knowing people who go on those stages. And yeah, I mean, I do. I have that personal connection. So it's a little bit skewed for me. But even before I had a lot of personal connections in that way, this mattered a great deal to me.

[01:22:09] I, I almost wonder if it matters too much to me that my, you know, is it big enough to be the top seven ultimate list? I think so. I think so. But you know, I worry a little bit that I have a bit of a skewed view. I'm looking at my, my three that I have left and I had written frozen show that became live performances. I have two other ones that do you want me to tell you what my other two are and you can give me a yay or nay.

[01:22:36] And then we can maybe even consider if some of these should go into the standby queue or do we feel like we're done talking about it? No, you gotta tell me. No, you gotta tell me. No, you gotta tell us.

[01:23:12] Yeah. I spend my time in the chain stores. I spend my time in the stores that are uniquely Disney and Disney Springs has grown on me so much and we're getting what level 99 is coming soon. I have. Very cool. Yeah. It's going to be really, really cool. And I, my first time going to Disney Springs was on our very first trip to Walt Disney World. We didn't have kids yet. And we went to something called Disney Quest and it felt very similar to what level 99 is, but of course technology and all of that kind of bringing it along.

[01:23:40] Disney Springs has really, really raised, like I could consider Disney Springs brunch time, morning time or golden hour to like 9 PM peak Disney Springs times. Middle of the day. It's hot. It's going to be busy. But if you could get there for brunch or you could get there for golden hour to like 9 PM, there is something magic happening in that store that it isn't or that space that is not just a mall. It is so, so much more than that.

[01:24:07] I don't know that I would put that over the live performances, but it is high, high priority for our family at this point, especially with teenagers, letting them have some space to just be teenagers in this Disney sphere. It's pretty awesome. It is fun. It is cool. I would not call it like a magical must. That's fair. A good meal. Like you're going to have a great meal there. We've already really talked about meals and you have to do it right. You got to pick the right restaurant and there are lots to pick from, you know. Yeah.

[01:24:36] What's your favorite go-to restaurant in Disney Springs? Boathouse. Boathouse. Yeah. I think like we're, we're definitely chef Art Smith's, but we, we really, really enjoyed the Edison. We thought it was, we ate Thanksgiving dinner and it was fantastic. There's, we should, we need to have a deeper dive into Disney Springs at some point. Okay. I will leave that one that that does not need to be on our list, but then the last one I mean, it's amazing. Yeah. It's amazing. Yeah. Wineport Bar George. So good. Bar George is so good.

[01:25:01] Kind of at the point right now where we haven't been to Disney Springs in the last couple of trips. We're going, if we're going out of our way for a meal, we're hitting up the boardwalk a lot more. Cake Bake is really, yeah. Cake Bake is really just taking our hearts and running. Yeah. Um, it's crowded and it is mall vibes and I kind of want to stay disconnected from reality. And I think Disney Springs sometimes has the ability to put you back in reality, even though it is still Disney. I, that's kind of my take. I used to feel that way.

[01:25:31] I don't feel that way anymore. And so I don't know if it's just a different era with having teenagers. I don't know. I don't know what that is, but I've had a full circle moment with Disney Springs for sure. Okay. The last one that I want to talk about, I know that this will hit with you all, but I don't know that we're going to make it on the list is Beacon Barrel. Beacon Barrel as a lounge in consideration also with GEO82 as an adult only space in consideration with Tap House as a place to chill and vibe and have the music that just

[01:26:00] adds to the storytelling and the relaxation that Disney has. But Beacon Barrel in particular was such a great addition to what Disney has to offer. And it's not even about the alcohol for me. No. Yeah. It's an environment thing. It's an environment experience. And it's a short experience. It's hard to get a reservation for, but it really is Disney storytelling continuing beyond the ride and giving you a space to sit and just be in the Disney magic with your people.

[01:26:29] And I truly love what Disney lounges does for that space, a space to decompress, have a drink. So many people tell me they're like, oh, I've skipped the lounges. Like, I want to make sure I come back and do them. And it feels like this thing is kind of on the back burner, but everybody wishes they could do. So I think that the Disney lounges are a fantastic way to spend your time, too. I love the Disney lounges. They obviously can't get enough of the Disney lounges. We never skip the Disney lounges. At least one on every trip. Ogas. Ogas. Yeah.

[01:26:58] Is it a magical must for enough families? Does it? I mean, obviously it taps into mine. This is a must for us. But in trying to make a broader list, and I think live performance is probably going to take precedent over the Disney lounges for most. I would agree on that. It's the broadest stretch for sure. I can summarize the rest of my list in two things. Are you ready? We are.

[01:27:24] Okay, so one thing I would say is take time to do the hidden gem entertainment or the things that, you know, maybe not your headliners. And what I mean by that is like the treasure hunt, the Pirates Avengers treasure hunt in Magic Kingdom opens up so much magic and joy for you or the DuckTales in World Showcase and Epcot. Like those things add so much joy. The Passport. Yeah. Right.

[01:27:51] Those things add so much joy and happiness that I feel like that could be one thing is doing the off the beaten path things. The other thing that I'm going to say in summarization is creating your own family traditions. Right. So something that adds a lot of joy for us is pixie dusting. We like to bring little gems or little dinosaurs and hide them in the queues or pass them along to other kids. So pixie dusting is a tradition for us.

[01:28:18] Or if I'm in Epcot with all of you or other friends, I've made a tradition of we all got to go to Club Cool and do a shot of Beverly because that's just how it is. So I think making your own traditions in the parks to do again and again is another really great way to add magic and happiness. Yeah. That's a really fun one. I like that. I still think seeing live performance is probably the winner. It's probably the winner here. It's probably got to be the winner. But gosh, there's so much magic at Disney.

[01:28:48] There really is. Yeah. I can't believe, you know, we agreed so much on this list, but I think it just speaks to how experienced we are in these things. And this list wasn't meant to capture all of the magic. This list was meant to say these are the seven most prominent ways to make magic. Don't miss these things. And it's important because it may require extra budgeting. It may require extra planning. Reservations are hard to get. Should we talk about the list? Is there anything else on y'all's list that you want to bring forward just to say, I

[01:29:17] mean, seeing your kids' faces at the castle for the first time was kind of on my list. Yeah, seeing the castle. Eating a Mickey-shaped snack was on my list. The Epcot festivals was on my list. I ultimately took it off because I don't think you have to do a festival in order to enjoy Epcot. But I do love the festivals, the live music, the live production. The leaning into the different festivals in general with the food and the drinks. And it's just, I love Epcot, guys.

[01:29:44] Like it's, I think the only thing that didn't get mentioned in this episode that's still on my list is magic. You're insane. We're waiting. We're waiting, Ellie. When are we getting a review? I believe that. It's great. Yeah, I believe that. Okay. I'm going to review this list and then we have a little game we're going to play. Here it is. The seven happiest things, the must-do experiences at Walt Disney World in no particular order, but agreed upon from all three of us. In no particular order.

[01:30:12] Number one, staying in the bubble. Driving under the sign. Seeing the street signs turn purple. Enjoying your pool. Immersing yourself in a Disney World vacation and not a visit to the Disney parks. Number two, a magical, meaningful meal. That is most likely going to be an experience that you can only get at Disney in one of their theme-forward restaurants or food-forward restaurants or a character meal. Right? So maybe you're eating on top of the contemporary and watching the fireworks,

[01:30:41] or maybe you're meeting Mickey or a princess, but having a meal that is a staple of the trip is going to matter. Number three, priority viewing for a nighttime show. This matters so much, whether it is a dessert party or a dining package. Give yourself room to breathe, to enjoy, and to watch these shows without the stress that comes with the large crowd. Number four, booking an enchanting extra. This could be Bippity Boppity Boutique for your kiddo.

[01:31:08] This could be building a lightsaber with the Star Wars lover in your life. But whatever it is, you got to have an enchanting experience that will make you cry years later. Number five, meeting you or your kid's favorite character. Somebody that you have a connection or draw to from something in your life. May it be your childhood or theirs. Meeting that character is going to go a long way. Number six, experiencing Rise of the Resistance, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Flight of Passage. We said these are experiences that are masquerading as rides.

[01:31:37] And if you leave your Disney vacation and go home and somebody tries to say, you know, did you ride Rise and you didn't? There's nothing that's going to make you be able to understand these three attractions unless you experienced them. And number seven, seeing live performances. That's shows, parades, anything that incorporates a live performer that is daily pouring their heart and soul onto a stage or street. And you're getting to live through it and experience the magic through it.

[01:32:06] Did I just make you happy reading that list? Yes. Oh, it was good. These are the whys. Get yourself there. Are we done crying now? Yeah, I think there was so much happiness woven into that list. I did not cry reading it, but I did cry talking about it. The happiest things are going to make you cry upon reflection. You know, I think that's what's true. And I think we proved that today. So we crushed it, girls. I like our list. I do. Okay, this is what we've done for our game today. Each of us have brought a set of things that are similar but have potential to bring happiness.

[01:32:36] But you got to choose between them. It's a this, not that. And it's presented in Lightning Lane fashion. So for example, I'll give you one and you all have to choose. Do I pick one of you to choose? Because I'm not targeting mine at any specific person. But it might be fun though. All right, Becky. Staying in the dizzy bubble or watching Fantasmic from the center. Oh, why would you do this? Happy. That's diabolical. That's not happy. Between the two of them, I'm choosing Fantasmic. Really? Yes.

[01:33:05] That's because you live there. That's driving in for the day and watching Fantasmic and you had a great day. I literally would make the three and a half hour drive, go watch Fantasmic, get back in my car and drive back to Southampton. Florida, that's how much I love it. But as a family going on vacation, staying in the bubble is probably the bigger impact on your overall experience. That was rude, Allie. That was rude. It was rude. I'm singing Maui in my head. Oh my gosh. All right. He's got one. I have one. Okay.

[01:33:34] Deluxe after hours or party tickets? Which would you rather have? I am on the record saying that the most magic that you could possibly have is at the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, standing on Main Street, castle in the background, Christmas parade coming down the street, snowing on Main Street. That is the pinnacle of the most magical, happiest moment you can have. It's not true. I'm with you, Katie. Party tickets.

[01:34:02] That could be for Halloween or either Christmas party. You know I love deluxe resort stays and the deluxe after hours, the emptiness of the parks is amazing. But give me a stay value so that you can afford to go to the party and have that memory all day. I think I would choose that too. Those parties are just something special. Yeah. All right. Katie, your turn. Okay. Ready? Oga's Cantina or Guardians of the Galaxy? Guardians. That's easy for me. Yeah, Guardians for sure. I love Oga's, but I'm going Guardians.

[01:34:30] It's my, it's so good. Good. Okay. Katie, Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach? I'm going to say Typhoon Lagoon. Blizzard Beach is great with, you know, the frozen stuff and everything. But gosh, I was talking to Matt about this last night because Tally was just big enough to walk. She was like somewhere between 15 and 18 months when we went to Typhoon Lagoon and we were like, can't she really do Miss Adventure Falls? Yeah, she can. And I'm like, my kids are growing up going to Disney.

[01:34:59] I've done something right in Hollywood. Yeah. I love that. Okay. Katie, picture one kid in your head just so it's easier. Okay. Her first hug with her favorite character or her first time on her favorite ride. You experiencing that. The hug. It's going to be the hug every time. The character hug? The character hug. Mm. Interesting. Life-changing. Life-changing character hug. I always go back to that. My youngest daughter sitting next to me on Slinky Dog and that giggle. Oh my gosh.

[01:35:29] Yeah. That's so sweet. Oh my God. Well, I've got one. Becky, resort hopping during the holidays or eating around World Showcase during Festival of the holidays. I feel like you're targeting me so far. I think I'm going to choose eating around the world. I think Epcot holds a special place for me in particular. But gosh, if resort hopping, especially during the holidays, isn't a special level of magic. Yeah. That's a good one. Okay. Both of you. You can only invest in one.

[01:35:57] Are you choosing multi-pass or single-pass? Lightning Lane, which is the better investment for your family. Single-pass. Can you still only buy two single-pass in a day, though? I, yeah, I would, my gut is telling me single-pass. Multi-pass is probably the better answer for most people because you get to do more. But I would say single-pass for my family. And we would buy, we'd buy Flight of Passage and Guardians. Listen, I'll wait 30 minutes for Haunted Mansion all day long, but I'm not waiting forever for it.

[01:36:27] I know, but with multi-pass, you just get to go boom, bounce, bounce, bounce, you know. You are correct. You are correct. And especially if you're in Hollywood Studios, like, all bets are off if you don't have multi-pass. I would almost say multi-pass is a struggle in Hollywood Studios. I gotta be really honest. Like, every time I'm in Hollywood Studios and I have multi-pass, it's hard to have the... The problem with Hollywood Studios is it's always crowded. It's always busy. The lines are always long.

[01:36:55] Like, there's no reprieve for Hollywood Studios because everything is such a headliner. Yeah. And I'm a multi-pass at Magic Kingdom, single-pass anywhere else. Let's see. Do you guys have one or do you want me to give one? Go ahead. Okay. Walking down Main Street first thing in the morning or walking down Main Street at Park Close? Oh, Park Close. Yes. For me, it's morning. It's gotta be first thing in the morning. Disney at Nighttime is...

[01:37:20] You will literally never forget turning that castle or turning that corner and seeing the castle. You never forget it. True. I mean, that is true. All right. That was really fun, you guys. I think we gave our M&Ms everything they need to understand how magical Disney World can be, the moments that are going to build and create that magic. And we've cried about that magic. And that was really fun. We are going to be doing this for all seven of the dwarfs.

[01:37:49] This was just the happiest, y'all. We've still got all of our dwarfs to go through and the spins, the angles we're going to take are going to be so much fun. So stick with us through it all. Take guesses on which dwarf we're going to hit next. And I would love to hear and see you in our Facebook community, Moms Behind the Magic, to let us know how you think we're going to spin each dwarf and which dwarf you would like to hear us talk about next. But this, of course, was happy. You know, we're going to get, we're going to get sneezy and grumpy and what's going to happen. I don't know, but we'll see.

[01:38:19] And I'm excited to take you all along with us on this seven part series. But that is going to do it for us this time on another episode of the Moms Behind the Magic. And until next time, we're sending you some serious fun, love and joy. And we'll see you real soon. Moms Behind the Magic