Ah, the New Year. It’s a clean slate, a fresh start, and a time to create some resolutions that may not all come to fruition to inspire us in 2016. But if I’m being completely honest, when it comes to resolutions, I probably have a slightly higher achievement rate when they’re Disney-related. So what better way to start the year off with than having a list full of Disney-specific resolutions? Here are some top New Year’s resolutions of a Disney Addict:
Resolution #10: Lose a pound, or two, or three! I know you might be asking, what does this have to do with Disney? I’m not a big fan of going on a diet, but I’ll tell you when I get the determination – right before I go on vacation to Disney! There’s no better time to lose a pound or two, so that I can indulge as much as possible into the food mecca that is Disney World. That only means I can enjoy my Dole Whips, Ohana bread pudding, Mickey ice cream bars, and Starring Rolls cupcakes, guilt-free.
Resolution #9: Watch a Disney movie you’ve never seen before. Did you know there was a movie where Wendy was all grown up and her daughter was kidnapped by Captain Hook, prompting Peter Pan to come to her rescue? It’s called Return to Neverland, and it was released in 2002. Here’s another one: you’ve probably heard of The Goofy Movie, featuring Goofy and his son, Max. But how about the sequel, called An Extremely Goofy Movie? Here, Max heads off to college, where Goofy also ends up getting a job, much to his son’s dismay. There’s so many hidden gems to choose from: Meet the Robinsons, The Emperor’s New Groove, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Rescuers Down Under…the list goes on and on.
Resolution #8: Ride a ride you’ve never been to before. My husband and I recently had a chance to go on an adults only trip, and it was amazing! We rode on rides and did activities we’ve never done before, including Carousel of Progress and Mickey’s Philharmagic. We also visited Tom Sawyer’s Island for the first time – where I marveled first at how much larger the attraction was than what I could see from the other side of the river, and second, how tricky and somewhat disorienting those dark passages were! We’ve been to Disney many times, so we don’t really have an excuse for why we’ve never tried them before – but this much is clear, as much as we’ve already done at Disney, we need to try more new things! On my list for our next trip: ride Journey into Imagination with Figment and Expedition Everest (I know!), and visit one of the walking trails at Animal Kingdom.
Resolution #7: Spread some pixie dust for a cast member. Yes, Disney is memorable because of the rides and music and the food and entertainment. But I’ll never forget that one trip when we got caught in the soaking rain and the Cast Member (understandably) refused to let us in to the ride because we were late for our Fast Passes. I walked over to the Fast Pass stands (back when there were paper passes!) to get new ones, and this one other Cast Member must have overheard the whole thing and took us into the ride anyway. It completely made our trip to experience a random act of kindness. But this is just one of many stories I’m sure we all have about the amazing Cast Members at Disney. In return, I would love to pay it forward in 2016 by recognizing a Cast Member – whether it is by filling out a comment card at guest relations, or by handing out thank you notes handwritten by my children.
Resolution #6: Cook or bake a classic Disney dish. I’ve seen the recipes, and I’m sure many of you have too. But I’ve never taken the step of actually trying one out. What could be better than a lazy weekend spent watching Lilo & Stitch while enjoying Ohana’s bread pudding with bananas foster sauce? Sure, my version probably won’t come close to the real thing, but at least it’ll be something to tide me over until I get off the monorail and step foot into the Polynesian.
Resolution #5: Go Disney Bounding. Our very own Disney Fashionista has some fantastic ideas on how you can give an homage to your favorite Disney characters without actually going in costume. Inspired by Frozen? How about dressing up in a light blue dress, sparkly silver shoes, and adding a snowflake necklace for good measure? Or maybe you’d rather channel your inner villain and dress in coordinating black, purple and neon green as an ode to none other than the fabulous Maleficent?
Resolution #4: Take part in a unique Disney experience. Maybe you’ve never been to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, or you may never have laced up your running shoes during a RunDisney event. Disney offers so many unique experiences, from special dessert parties all the way down to a haircut right at the heart of Main Street! The choices are endless! For me in 2016, it’s going on a behind-the-scenes tour of Magic Kingdom, like with the Keys to the Kingdom Tour.
Resolution #3: Meet-and-greet a new character. I find that some of the most special interactions our family has had with Disney characters are those that are the least expected. One time, we were on our way into Hollywood Studios and ran into a few princesses doing meet-and-greets. An unexpected visit with Mulan turned into a five-minute conversation with my two young daughters not just about honor, but fabulous shoes! For our next visit, I would love to meet Gaston. His lines are always long, but he seems like such a hoot!
Resolution #2: Try a new Disney restaurant! With new choices opening up (Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen, anyone?) this should be easy peasy! But let’s not forget, there are also some restaurants that serve outstanding options without requiring that I get up at the crack of dawn at the 180-day mark to book. Case in point: on our last vacation, we tried the Garden Grill for the first time, and we will always make it a part of our future trips. The character interaction was one of the best, if not the best, we’ve ever experienced during a character meal. I still dream about the freshness of the salad (and my husband would probably characterize me as somewhat “allergic” to salad) and the yumminess of the other entrees. While we all have our favorites for a reason, I’m sure Disney will continue to surprise and amaze if we give it a chance!
Resolution #1: Plan a trip to Disney! As a self-confessed Disney Addict, this is always at the top of my list. In fact, as soon as my vacation is over, I can’t wait to plan for the next one. Maybe it’s a land-and-sea trip, or a trip during a special event like the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival. Maybe it’s a trip during the holidays or for a special occasion. Or better yet, maybe it’s a trip for no reason other than being at the happiest place on Earth. Thankfully, Disney comes to the help of our collective pocketbooks with some discounts – so our next trip is a little bit closer to our reach.
Speaking of discounts, you may not have heard that Disney came out with some fantastic discounts this spring! There are room only discounts up to 25% off standard rates as well as room & ticket package rates – like a 3-night/2-day stay in a standard room at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort with theme park tickets for a family of 3 for just $908! New Year’s can’t come soon enough so I can start crossing some things off this list!
With that, I will turn it over to you. What are your Disney-inspired New Year’s resolutions for 2016? Who’s thinking about a trip to Disney in the New Year? Sound off in the comments below!
Hi, I’m Myra and I’m a huge Disney nerd and addict! I’m also an independent travel agent at World of Magic Travel, the preferred agency of Chip and Co. and Disney Addicts. If you have any questions regarding your upcoming vacation, or if there’s anything I can do to help you book and plan your trip, visit my page or send me an email at myra@worldofmagictravel.com. My services are always free!
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