Welcome to those of you joining me from A Glass Slipper Vacation and those of you just hopping aboard.
I am the 3rd stop on our Magical Blogorail.
It is not being born or dying that makes us noteworthy; it is what we do in between.
I’m not one for making lists. Sure, I make grocery and shopping lists, but those catalogs are usually barely legible scribbles hastily jotted down on my way past a piece of paper as I’m doing something else – just a “so I don’t forget.” Writing lists for the big things always seems to take too long; there are a thousand other things I should be doing, and making a list always seems to fall by the wayside.
So a bucket list for Disney? Really? Why would I take the time to do that?
Bucket lists are funny things. They’re unflinchingly morbid – “I want to do this before I die.” And yet they are full of hope and wonder, “This is what I want to do while I’m alive.” They require us to really think about our goals and our dreams, yet they encourage us to temper those goals and dreams with a realistic evaluation of what we can do. And, of course, in the process, they reveal a lot about who we are and about what is really important to us.
For someone who loves Disney, not just as a vacation but as a way of looking at the word, a Disney bucket list isn’t just another set of bulleted items. It’s a consideration of what you love most about Disney – how Disney fits into your life and your way of looking at things. It’s a way of saying “this is how I fit Disney into my life and how I want to get the best out of it.” If you love Disney, a Disney bucket list is a way of taking a moment to discover your “Disney personality.” It goes beyond Disney dreams into Disney goals – a way of realizing what’s really important to you and starting to think about how you can make your dreams come true. And, in the end, isn’t daring to dream and believe that dreams come true with faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust (and hard work) part of what Disney’s all about?
For me, my Disney bucket list isn’t that long, but it is revealing, both of my love of Disney and of where Disney fits for me:
Dine at the Chef’s Table at Victoria and Albert’s: Disney represents the ultimate in customized service, and having the special experience of dining with my husband at Vicky and Albert’s chef’s table is something I plan on doing before too long. That special experience, kept from being too fancy by its kitchen-side location is something I want to share with the man who makes my life complete. For me, Disney is one of the few places where I can have that experience and share my love of food, my love of service, and my love of my husband in a warm environment where I will not feel intimidated.
Take a Weekend at AKL: I love Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is by far my favorite Walt Disney World Resort; it feels like “home” to me in a way that no other resort does. We’ve stayed there multiple times, and spent quite a few hours on our room balcony watching the savannah, but every time I visit, I find myself looking longingly at the boards listing resort activities, knowing that I don’t have time to do those things. Someday, I want to go to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for a weekend without visiting the parks. I want to indulge in the sense of place created by the resort, learn about Africa from the staff, taste the cuisine, tour the lobby, and just be. Too often, my Disney trips are busy; I want to stop and enjoy the sense of place and story at my favorite resort to the fullest.
Go on an Adventures by Disney Trip: Learning is one of my greatest passions, yet I am often timid about venturing out into unknown places without knowledge, guidance and planning. Adventures by Disney promises a personalized experience that will allow me to learn. There are so many trips I want to take – California to see WDI; England and France to share art with my husband; Italy to see the art closest to my heart; America’s heritage to really appreciate the sights I skimmed past as a child. I want to indulge in those amazing experiences with trust in the Disney touch to let me relax and discover without worrying about the practical things.
Go to the D23 Christmas Event: Living in Florida, you get used to seeing Christmas lights on palm trees, but the ideal of my childhood – that deep, white snow for Christmas – never fades. For me, it’s never quite Christmas until I’ve gotten to go to a Disney park to celebrate, and the D23 Christmas event sounds like the ultimate expression of that holiday cheer. My experience with D23 thus far has been one of organization and efficiency – getting special events and access set up in a way that takes care of the details for me and ensures a merry Christmas experience? Yes, that’s something I want to do.
For me, Disney is about adventure and sharing magic with the ones I love, and my bucket list shows that.
Take a Disney Cruise: I’ve never been on a cruise. My parents considered such things a waste, and since my husband and I have had the money, we haven’t had the time to take a cruise. But someday, I want to go on a Disney cruise. The idea of escaping all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, being isolated on a floating city with every amenity available, alone with the man of my dreams…that sounds like paradise. Someday, we’ll make that happen, and I’m targeting a Disney cruise in hopes of that little extra magic to put the experience over the top.
For me, Disney is about escape, security, and the freedom to find magic with the most important people in my life. My bucket list reflects those things, my longing for that little bit of magic, wonder, and luxury that I seem to find best at Disney. Those dreams aren’t just pie-in-the-sky….they’re something that can come true. Even if I forget the list, I need to remember the hope behind it and strive to make that a reality because, in the immortal words of Horizons, “if we can dream it, then we can do it…”
So, what’s on your bucket list? What does it say about you?
Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is My Dreams of Disney
Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail Loop should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ Disney on Wheels
2nd Stop ~ A Glass Slipper Vacation
3rd Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky (You are here)
4th Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney
Final Stop ~ Heidi’s Head
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