If there’s one thing Walt Disney World does well, it’s making memories.
Maybe you’ve been visiting Disney since you were old enough to burp. Maybe your first time came as an adult single who had no idea a theme park could be so fun for someone over the age of ten. No matter who you are, a trip to Walt Disney World is an opportunity for milestones—major life events that you’ll never forget. If you’ve grown up as a regular to the Most Magical Place on Earth, you might just catch yourself turning nostalgic at the memory of these hallmark moments for any Walt Disney World visitor.
1. Your first visit
Image: Disney
There’s nothing like a first visit to Walt Disney World… The first time you plunge into the abyss of Splash Mountain… The first time you taste a creamy Dole Whip… The first time you see the sky set alight with exploding stars and dreams projected to life on Cinderella Castle…
Maybe your first visit came so early you couldn’t remember it. Speaking for myself, I was so young that my first words were spoken at Walt Disney World! Maybe you were that bright-eyed kid who couldn’t stop gaping over meeting your favorite hero or princess (or hero-princess). You might remember driving your little brother crazy while waiting in a two-hour line for Space Mountain or that embarrassing moment when you got in trouble for sticking an entire Mickey Mouse rice treat up your nose.
First visit fun isn’t just for kids. If you became hooked on Disney as a teen or adult, what do you remember most? A mouth-watering dinner at your favorite restaurant? Did you and your best friend addle yourselves senseless marathon riding Mission: SPACE Orange Team? Did you take on an “Around-the-World” challenge? Are you a huge Star Wars fan who wee’d yourself just a little upon seeing a legion of stormtroopers march down Hollywood Boulevard?
Even if your first experience was less than ideal (it’s happened to the best of us), you’re a reader of Theme Park Tourist! You’re armed, equipped, and ready to make sure your family’s first visit is a trip to remember! Speaking of which…
2. First Disney birthday
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega (@mykingdomforamouse Instagram)
Want to up the ante on your next Disney trip? It’s time you (or your little one) experienced their first Walt Disney World birthday.
Disney knows how to make birthdays shine. The minute you slap on that “Happy Birthday” celebration button, expect the unexpected. I’ve had janitors stop me and break out into opera. I’ve seen drivers rouse bus-fulls of strangers into birthday choruses. Free desserts are never a guarantee, but our family has definitely enjoyed plenty.
If you want to really go all out, you could plan an epic Walt Disney World surprise trip. Convince your kid you’re headed to Fresno to visit Aunt Taffeta then BAM! They realize they’re on a plane to Orlando! If you have the funds, you can recruit Disney Floral and Gifts so your birthday boy or girl arrives to a room full of custom goodies. You can also order a birthday cake to be delivered to your resort or to arrive while you’re dining at a special meal in the parks.
Have you had a Walt Disney World birthday? What do you remember from that milestone?
3. First time reaching a height restriction
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Many former Disney kids can remember the agony of waiting years to reach height restrictions for favorite attractions. Don’t be surprised if your child counts the inches hour by hour until you arrive at the parks. Meeting a height restriction means earning access to the exclusive club of the big kids!
At 32 inches, kids get their first taste of one of these “secret” attractions in the Tomorrowland Speedway (riding… driving doesn’t come until a whopping 54 inches!). Once they’ve squeaked up to 35 inches, they can step onto their first roller coaster, Goofy’s Barnstormer in the Magic Kingdom. At 38 inches, things get real– you can always spot that one kid taking his first strut down the queue onto the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train or Kali River Rapids.
At 40 inches, a whole new world of possibilities opens (this is a great age for a Disney trip!). Kids can brace for their first thrill on one of Disney’s iconic mountains—both Big Thunder and Splash Mountain! They also can take their first flight on Soarin’, their first drive on Test Track, their first drop on the Tower of Terror, and their first journey through space and time on Star Tours and Dinosaur.
Finally, after years of trying to stretch their little bodies out by hanging from the monkey bars, at 44 inches they can take the ultimate ride on Avatar: Flight of Passage, Expedition: Everest, and Mission: SPACE Orange Team… which means your kid has reached Height Level: EPIC! By 48 inches, they can ride all the same rides as the adults!
Oh… except for driving in the aforementioned Speedway. Back to the monkey bars, kids.
4. First time volunteering for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Image: Disney
This is one that many guests don’t think of, but for some kids, this is the ultimate of all Walt Disney World coming-of-age milestones: volunteering to be an extra for the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney Hollywood Studios.
Speaking personally, I have a soft spot for Indiana Jones. I grew up watching the world’s greatest archeologist and had the pleasure of being at Disneyland for the opening of the Indiana Jones Adventure. I got my first Indiana Jones fedora at age twelve, and I still have it to this day. You would think kids of this generation wouldn’t recognize good old Indy, but he’s a legend that never dies. I have middle-school students who still regularly steal the hat off my head and start pretending to wield a bullwhip!
It’s the ultimate event for a Disney adventurer to commemorate their leap into adulthood—by literally jumping up and down, flailing your arms like a fool to get picked as a volunteer extra for the show. Don’t worry. You won’t get blown up by a flaming WWII aeroplane.
This milestone can prove a tall order, but there are a few ways to up your chances. First off, get to the show early enough to score seats in the middle sections near the front. Second, when the MC makes the call for volunteers, DO NOT STAY SEATED. Seriously, jump to your feet and let your freak flag fly. If you are visiting with a friend or family member who is just as batty as you, recruit them on the action. My husband and I got to do this on our first wedding anniversary and it was a blast (quite literally what with all the explosions).
Want to be parent of the year? Spring for a fedora at the gift shop and thank me later.
5. A Disney wedding, honeymoon, or first anniversary
Image: Disney
Break out the Mickey and Minnie bride and groom ears! There is a reason Walt Disney World is one of the top honeymoon destinations in the world. Disney knows how to turn up the romance and give newlyweds an experience they will never forget. If you have the means (and stunning patience), you can even have the ultimate fairy tale wedding at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Now, let’s get one thing out of the way: Disney weddings are expensive and there is usually a waiting list. One couple we know waited for a Disneyland wedding for years then finally caved and had their ceremony at an off-property hotel followed by a romantic Walt Disney World honeymoon. If you can make it happen though, a Disney wedding is a spectacle like nothing else. Disney offers everything from intimate ceremonies at their beautiful resorts to the opportunity for a bride and groom to be escorted by pumpkin carriage down Main Street in front of Cinderella Castle. Now that’s a milestone!
Image: Disney
Disney honeymoons are no less grand. You can cut loose enjoying your first adventure together in the parks or spend a romantic week being pampered, wined, and dined. Splurge on a room at one of Disney’s gorgeous luxury resorts and make reservations for an extra special meal to commemorate your nuptials. Book a couple’s massage at Senses spa or build an entire album of pictures of you shoving pastries in each other’s faces. However you choose to have your dream honeymoon, show off those “Just Married” buttons and TREAT YO SELF!
Already had your honeymoon elsewhere? Enjoy a well-deserved honeymoon 2.0 by celebrating your first anniversary at Disney! We did this and couldn’t believe what an amazing time we had!
6. First trip with kids
Image: Disney
As Lord Vader would say it, “The circle is complete.” When a little bundle of joy enters your life and rocks your world, the whole cycle starts again. If you have never been to Walt Disney World with kids, you are in for a true adventure.
A kid’s first Walt Disney World visit is a milestone of milestones. Make it count! Have a family MagicBand-reveal night. Make your child their own “Magic Backpack” Disney explorer’s kit. Save a little extra to splurge on an epic character meal at Tusker House or a themed suite at one of the resorts.
“Will it be easy?” Maybe not, but it will be rewarding. “What age is old enough?” You know your kid’s speed and can plan the first trip according to their temperament and the ease of planning the trip. “What if they want to spend the whole trip at the pool?” Bring your floaties and get to splashing! The truth is, you are the one who can truly make your kid’s first Disney trip magical. Treasure the moments with them. Be patient and adapt when they get fussy. You’re not alone, and there is tons of great advice (ahem… such as here on Theme Park Tourist) to help you make your little prince or princesses’ first Walt Disney World vacation a memory to last a lifetime.
What other Walt Disney World milestones have you experienced?
