Disney Parks Bucket List

Not everyone is a Disney person but everyone has something that they enjoy doing; places that bring them joy and give them something to look forward to. I love going to Disney World with my sister and my son. Making memories at the parks is our thing.

Planning a trip to Disney World was always a positive outlet for me. I’m finding it a little harder these days.

I miss it because I don’t feel comfortable getting on a plane and going to the parks right now. It will, most likely, be a long time before I do. It’s hard for me to even think about planning a trip when it will most likely be a year or more before I go back. For someone that goes yearly, having a possible three year gap before I step foot on property again is, well, disappointing.

Disney Instagram stories, blog posts and parks vlogs that I used to consume religiously have become a little hard for me to engage in. 

There is definitely a disconnect for me between what is going on in the world and what is happening at the World. I’m not knocking anyone who has been going to the parks. I truly understand how the parks are EXACTLY what some people need to get through everything that is happening. I GET IT. Knowing Disney, the parks are probably one of the safer things to do at the moment. I haven’t heard of any Covid-19 outbreaks being tied to the parks which really should be used as THE endorsement for mask wearing.

But, my kid hasn’t had in person school for almost a year and it’s looking like he won’t go back at all until the Fall. I haven’t seen my parents, sister, in-laws and nephews for over a year. I have only seen two of my closest friends once or twice briefly, masked and socially distanced. That being said, I am unbelievably fortunate to not have anyone close to me die of, or be hospitalized for, Covid-19. My kid does okay with online school and my husband is able to work from home. We are beyond fortunate and I do not take that for granted, but the idea of even planning a vacation now just seems surreal to me. I can’t wrap my mind around that. 

So, here I am trying to emerge a bit from my Disney exile. 

Baby steps.  Dusting off the Disney Parks Bucket List that I have been adding to and slowly subtracting from for several years. Maybe this little exercise will spark a little of that Disney magic for me again. Who knows. 

There are a ton of things on my Disney Parks Bucket list that apply to all of the parks both domestic and foreign. (I even keep a separate bucket list for food.) In the interest of keeping this from going too far down the rabbit hole, here are the heavy hitters on my must do before I die list.

Pick a Park, Any Park

These are the general things that I would love to do at any of the Disney Parks.

Tours

A VIP tour where we are driven to the parks and enter through a backstage door, hedge or (let’s face it) Cast Member parking lot? Yes please. Having someone steeped in Disney Parks history to show me around? No brainer. The perfect tour for me though? The Marceline to Magic Kingdom tour at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. This is a tour situation where they occasionally treat the guests to a peek behind the scenes at the Haunted Mansion. A DREAM.

Animal Kingdom’s Wild Africa Trek is another dream. A private jeep! Snacks in that little hut that I look at jealously every time we are on the Kilimanjaro Safaris! That rope bridge that you see blissfully happy people walking across in all of the brochures? Definitely on my Disney Parks Bucket List.

Lights On with a License to Snoop

Just once, I would like to be evacuated from a ride. Okay, hear me out. I don’t want it to be due to someone else’s misfortune or as some kind of perilous undertaking. I’m nosy and I just want to experience a SAFE evacuation where the lights are on and you can see the back side of the magic (so to speak). Perhaps, an orderly exit through ancient Rome? A tiptoe past some skeletons and pirate booty? I’m not talking a water up to my ankles evacuation of Jungle Cruise, people. Just a little glimpse of a fully lit Space Mountain from the safety of my People Mover seat would be enough.

Holidays

In some alternate universe where the crowds are low, I would LOVE to visit any of the parks at Halloween and Christmas. Not sure how I would feel about the whole experience on full capacity days, but I really would like to see each of the Disney World Parks all dolled up for Christmas. I want to experience snope. As a fan of a little villainy, Halloween seems like a great time to visit the parks. That Villain walk through thing they have done at Disneyland looks like a lot of fun.  And the holiday snacks? Please and thank you. East coast: I want to ride the Jingle Cruise and see “real” pirates. West Coast: gimme that Haunted Mansion Jack Skellington overlay. 

While I do have these “big” Disney Parks Bucket items, I also have some simpler to-dos. Practically EVERYTHING on Disney property is bucket list worthy.

Transportation

We have tried just about every mode of transportation you can utilize on property at Disney World. We LOVE boats. Figuring out the most scenic way to get from point A to point B is a favorite past time. Each mode of transportation gives you a different way to look at the parks. Sure, the long haul from Epcot to Magic Kingdom on the monorail isn’t the most exciting road trip, but the loop around Epcot is worth the ride. 

There are two forms of transportation that we haven’t tried yet. The Skyliner and the Ferry. When our Spring 2020 vacation was torpedoed by the pandemic, we missed our first opportunity to ride the new (well, it’s a year old now isn’t it?!) Skyliner. We even booked a Caribbean Beach room for easy access. Next time we are at the parks, the Skyliner is on the top of my to-do list. 

Since we fly into Orlando, dive into the Disney bubble head first with Magical Express (soon to be R.I.P) and take resort transportation,  we have have never needed to take the Ferry to Magic Kingdom.  I know that for a lot of long time parks fans, this is the start of their vacation. Like Magical Express was for us, the excitement of the Ferry rounding the corner and then BOOM, Magic Kingdom appears, is part of the whole experience. Definitely want to give that a try. 

Disney World is our “home” resort. 

It’s the closest to get to and involves a less expensive flight. While we definitely have Disneyland on our bucket list and International parks (especially Tokyo DisneySea), there are still some lingering experiences at Disney World that we have yet to tackle. Not all of them are pie in the sky things. In fact, most of them are just things we never seem to have time to get to. 

Animal Kingdom

Snacks and adult beverages at Nomad lounge. I blame Instagram posts for this one. After a long day of stomping around Animal Kingdom, I want to kick back for a late afternoon cocktail and some of the churros or Impossible sliders that everyone raves about. Close enough to hear all of the alien chirping sounds from Pandora World of Avatar, but out of the sun and the crowds? Sounds like bliss.

Magic Kingdom

Before I die I want to get on that darn Liberty Square Riverboat. This is on the top of the list of attractions we always talk about doing but never get to. We run out of time or it’s closed or we are too worn out and would rather head back to our resort room. Tom Sawyer Island is actually one of the few things that I remember from my first trip to Disney World when I was 7. I would like to get back there before I’m 77. 

This is a park that I prefer at night and has always been a favorite of mine for late Extra Magic Hours (R.I.P.). Any After Hours Party, holiday party or Villain’s After Dark is definitely on my Disney Parks bucket list for Magic Kingdom.

Epcot

I want to ride Spaceship Earth  one more time before the refurbishment and since that has been put on the back burner, I may get my wish. A sisters only trip (apologies to my kid, but…) for Festival of the Arts is definitely on my Disney Parks bucket list for Epcot. Food and Wine is too, but it seems like the hottest time of year. Not sure that I would enjoy festival food under those kind of conditions. I’m more excited by Festival of the Arts and cardigans and jean jacket wearing in the evening. Disney when the Florida death star isn’t beating down with added 900% humidity? That’s a festival! 

There is one more item that doubles as a public service announcement. I want a jerk free ride on Frozen Ever After. Seething in the Viking boat because the selfish dude behind you insists of filming the whole thing with a flash the size of a sweeping Coast Guard spotlight is not enjoyable. When the ride is halted and said jerk is repeatedly told to please not do that by Cast Members, it is not a leisurely ride through Arendelle. The whole thing is a blur of Olaf, blinding light and irritation. I want a do over.

I also need to eat a full meal, not just snacks, in Mexico, China, Germany, and the United States. The end.

Hollywood Studios

We haven’t been back since Star War’s Galaxy’s Edge  and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened. Both are definitely on my Disney Parks bucket list. I do regret never seeing Equity Ben perform at the Frozen Sing A Long. If he ever returns, it will go right back on the bucket list for this park.

Confession time. I have never been to Disneyland. 

I know, I know. The place where it all began; the Disney person’s Mecca. ALL of the Disneyland resort is on my Disney Parks bucket list. Walking around Main Street in Walt’s footsteps would be awesome, but I do have a couple of specific things that I am really looking forward to.

Disney’s California Adventure

My son was obsessed with what he called “Movie Cars” when he was little. It was one of the first full length movies he saw and he watched it on repeat. While I can only imagine his glee if he had experienced it when he was in his Lightning McQueen hey day, I’m pretty sure we will all get a kick out of Cars Land.

Soarin’ Over California

I know that the “over California” version is only open sometimes but Soarin’ Around the World is one of my favorite attractions at Disney World. In my bucket list dreams, I actually get to the west coast at the same time Soarin’ over California is running. Never experienced the orange groves at Epcot before they switched the ride and I want to smell ALL the smells. Actually, I would like to experience my favorite in all of its iterations here and abroad which brings me to the really pie in the sky bucket list item: international parks.

Always one to dream big, the international parks are definitely on my Disney Parks bucket list. 

So much to get into here, but these are the highlights:

Shanghai

Pirates of the Caribbean with seriously cool technology. Talk about immersion!

Tokyo DisneySea 

Jules Verne. Steam Punk. Need more? My one trip to Disney World as a kid, I had my heart set on riding 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The attraction was down the entire trip. I still hold a wee bit of a grudge. I could, however, be vindicated here.

Disneyland Paris

 Sleeping Beauty’s castle with Mary Blair-esque square topiary! This was my favorite movie as a kid and still is one of my favorite Disney movies. I love the more angular animation. It’s somehow sleeker and feels darker than the average Disney film.

Hong Kong

ALL of the various Haunted Mansion scenarios are on the list, but Mystic Manor looks like crazy fun. The back story is bonkers.

While I may never be able to save enough money to accomplish all of this international travel, I might be able to swing the next category some day.

Resorts

Disney resorts are simply parks that do not require a ticket. Ride strategy and stress free ticketless experiences for the whole family. At this point, we have at least resort snooped at the majority of Disney World’s resorts and stayed at several. I would like to stay at least once at most of the resorts. However, there are several heavy hitters that are on the top of my bucket list.

Wilderness Lodge 

I would stay here any time, but if we are shooting for the stars? I want to stay at Wilderness Lodge at Christmas. While I do appreciate the escape from Florida heat into a wonderland of stone, wood beams and forest-y vibes, the holidays would be a perfect time to visit. A lodge all decked out for Christmas and a roaring fire in the lobby? Sure thing.

Fort Wilderness

I’m not much of a camper. I like the wilderness, but spending more than one night in a tent or an RV really isn’t my thing. What I want to do here is zip around in a golf cart during Halloween. Those people go ALL OUT with the decorations in the Fall. Also, I know that my sister is determined to get behind the wheel of a golf cart. Heaven help us all. When it comes back, Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue is also on my list. Comfort food and shenanigans.

Animal Kingdom Lodge

Savannah view room, please. Do I need to add anything more to this? Didn’t think so. This is definitely something that would involve a few ticketless “rest days.” Coffee on the balcony while possibly making eye contact with a giraffe? Isn’t this on everyone’s list?

Polynesian Village Resort

Okay. Technically, I have already done this, but a stay 45 years ago is now no longer valid. Vague memories of the luau (I though poi was the grossest thing ever) and waiting for the monorail to come are the only images still knocking around in my brain. I admit that whenever we go to the Poly for a meal or to snoop around I do feel a little nostalgic so it wedged itself into my little kid psyche a bit. I would like a do-over here as an adult though. And, I’m dying to go to Trader Sam’s. 

Man. I miss the parks. 

Right now EVERYTHING is on the bucket list. I miss so many of my favorite attractions. But…honestly? It’s the rest of it that I miss more. Sitting in Magic Kingdom and hearing the Dapper Dans or the Main Street Philharmonic Band in the distance or the tiki drum beat that spills out of Adventureland. Breathing in each resort lobby smell in person. Eating caramel popcorn in Germany. Strolling down Sunset boulevard or through Asia at dusk. 

When we are all vaccinated and I feel comfortable enough to return? 

I’ll be the lady bawling her eyes out on Soarin’,  weeping on my caramel popcorn in Germany, or just sitting and staring glassy eyed on a hub bench with a stupid smile on my face.  It will be messy and embarrassing, but it will be GLORIOUS.

(Well, maybe not weeping on my caramel corn. I don’t want to ruin it’s crunchy goodness)