With the Disney parks indefinitely closed right now, Disney fans are working hard to avoid baseless predictions about the future and a loss of their Disney magic by posting how they get their Disney “fix” even though they cannot travel to the parks. Disney fans are by far some of the most creative and enthusiastic fans out there, craving that connection and dose of Disney and willing to share it and inspire each other. They embrace the fact that they have been forced to cancel or reschedule their Disney trips and start the countdowns over again.
As I read through these social media posts and pictures, my mind began to think about my own experiences from previous visits, as well as the planning for my next trip to Disney. I began to play the Never Have I Ever game and think about what I haven’t yet experienced at Disney, that others likely have, even after all of my many trips there. Some of these I plan to do one day and haven’t only because of time management, while others are experiences that I have chosen not to experience intentionally.
Never have I ever… watched the Happily Ever After fireworks from INSIDE the Magic Kingdom. I have seen the fireworks from many other locations around the World. I often try to reserve a table at Ohana for dinner that coincides with the fireworks. I’ve also watched them from Top of the World at Bay Lake Tower, from the Polynesian beach, and from the Wilderness Lodge (awesome location by the way – the resort pipes the music in along the wooden walkways). A couple years ago, Paul and I did the Highway in the Sky Dine Around. This progressive dinner along the monorail line is a blast – very worth the price – and ends with a view of the fireworks from a reserved viewing platform at the Contemporary. Truthfully, I think I’ve avoided the in-park experience because of the crowds. I have seen both the fireworks at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party from within the park, and typically reserve the dessert party in order to get an isolated viewing area. I will likely watch the fireworks from Main Street, USA at some point, but I can’t say it will be on my must-do list.
Never have I ever… visited a Disney water park. A lack of planning is definitely the culprit here. I would love to visit either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon, but cannot seem to allocate the time to do so. They both look like a good time, and as hot as it gets in Florida during many months I visit it would be a cool reprieve from walking in the hot parks.
Never have I ever… used the Tangled bathrooms. Can you believe it? Countless times I have accompanied others that have used them and waited outside. I should also mention, for those who are waiting, there are outlets for charging your devices hidden in the “wood” benches. Keep your eyes open to the details of the area as well, as the hoof prints of Maximus and hidden Pascals are mixed into the landscape. At night, there are floating lanterns lit up and a Photopass magic shot opportunity that will fill any Rapunzel fan with overwhelming happiness . I think I need to spend more time here for sure.
Never have I ever… had a turkey leg. Nor do I think that I will ever want to. However, knowing how popular turkey legs are at county and state fairs across the nation, be assured that Disney has them too. These legs are jumbo sized at 1.5 lbs, so unless you are very hungry you’ll want to share this piece of meat. Then you can also purchase a t-shirt celebrating this “snack”.
Never have I ever… traveled on the Liberty Square Riverboat. I don’t have a good reason as to why this hasn’t happened yet. It seems that when it is on my radar and I plan to do this the attraction is closed for various reasons. The Liberty Belle is an actual steam engine paddle boat with 4 decks that takes a 17 minute journey around Tom Sawyer Island. Sounds like a relaxing way to spend some time, doesn’t it? Next time…
Never have I ever… watched the 3 o’clock parade at Magic Kingdom. I’ve seen seconds and minutes of it here and there as I’ve walked from one area of the park to another, but I have never stopped and watched the parade from start to finish. There are some great floats in this parade though, not to mention the fire-breathing Maleficent dragon. Watching this parade in it’s entirety is something that I want to do.
Never have I ever… traveled to a galaxy far, far away on Star Tours at Hollywood Studios. This is something that will remain on this list with a special notation of “not gonna happen”. Know your limits, I say, and I’ve learned mine by testing them over and over again. I once did Mission Space – the orange side – and learned quickly what a hard line was all about. Sadly, I’ve struggled with Flight of Passage as well and cannot bring myself to try Smuggler’s Run. Star Tours is most definitely out. To be honest though, I don’t feel all that deprived and sad about it.
A few things that I was recently able to move from my Never Have I Ever list to my Recently (Finally) Did list:
Tom Sawyer’s Island – that island is pretty dang cool. It’s quite obviously on a lot of people’s Never Have I Ever lists, as it was nearly empty on a crowded day in the park. It’s a lot larger than it looks from Frontierland, stretching across a rope bridge into a Fort area. The island is full of underground tunnels and nooks just waiting for exploration.
A monorail ride from the TTC to Epcot – I have traveled up and down the Magic Kingdom resort monorail line many, many times. On a recent trip, we were finally in a location to easily walk to the TTC and catch the monorail to Epcot. The monorail is a nice alternative to the bus transportation and always feels more authentic to me. Every Disney visitor needs to take the monorail at least once. It’s an attraction of its own.
Character meals – I’ve avoided these for a long time only because my traveling party consists, typically, of adults only. However, every true Disney fan also knows that Disney is intended for kids of all ages, right? I’ve now done three in the past couple of years: Tusker House, Ohana and Storybook Dining at Artist Point. Never once did I feel out of place as a party without kids. In fact, they were a lot of fun and I expect there will be more in my future trips.
The list of things I haven’t done (yet) at Disney is endless, especially as new activities, dining and attractions are opened. However, the things I listed above were events and attractions that I felt the majority of Disney visitors have done and I was in the minority of those that haven’t. All of these are definitely worth doing. For those of us who go to Disney several times a year (like myself) it is always possible to incorporate new activities into the itinerary. It is impossible to become bored with Disney when there is so much left undone and so many times you have to tell yourself NEXT TIME… and even now, the Disney parks fans know there will be a next time and are diligently planning and re-planning for that next time in order to check more off their Never Have I Ever list.
