Your Favorite DL Moment

[GatorChris]

I've reached the milestone of 1000 posts....and I'm not sure if I should celebrate or not??? Yip. I'm celebrating!!! So here's the special post for #1000.

What's your favorite moment at DL? And you can take this either way. Your favorite moment ever or your favorite moment that happens each trip. Or both!

I love interaction with the characters, and I captured on film my favorite of all time. The Step-sisters are always fun, but this time they really hammed it up for me. Check it out:

Your turn....

 

[Disney Kidd]

I was at Disneyland for the millennium, and I remember it being so crowded I could hardly move. My whole family was there including cousins, aunts, and uncles. We had a great time, regardless of the crowds. We went to bed super late, slept for a few hours, then got up at the crack of dawn to go to the Rose parade.

 

[brb1006]

Does anyone remember DCA's "Dancing With Disney" from 2013? It was the only time guests could actually spend more time with the characters along with dancing with them. While I never been to Disneyland, I always felt bad for Disneyland since some character like Clarice and Marie only showed up once for that event. They haven't been seen since.

 

[Geemo]

There are so many!
We try to go at least every year. We have a blast on each trip.

 

[lorijohnhill]

I think my favorite memory (for the moment) is when my daughter (8) was the last in line to see Mickey, in DCA, and he took her by the arm and escorted her all the way down Burna Vist Strret, across the street, and to the lockers where he then met up with Minnie and went off stage. It was quite a magical experience!

 

[DWillowBay]

I went to college at Cal State Long Beach, but I'm from the other side of the country. I had grown up on The Wonderful World of Color (which I only ever saw in Black and White, but .....) and was overwhelmed when on my first Thanksgiving in So Cal, I went to Disneyland. I remember just being stunned that I was there and that it was a really real place. I met Bernard and Miss Bianca that day and that was thrilling to me. I also met Robin Hood, Prince John and I think....Little John was there too, but that's a blur. My family and I are now returning for the 60th anniversary, having been there for the 25th. I am so blessed and grateful! ...and old.

 

[egritz]

My favorite is shown in my avatar (ETA pics below)....last Halloween my then 3 year old daughter was Sally (my mom made the dress and my MIL made the wig) & my then 4 month old son was Jack (from Nightmare Before Christmas). DD LOVES the movie & loved meeting Sally & Jack the previous year when she was 2 (when my mom took a ton of detailed photos of Sally dress so she could get it right....as DD was already asking to be Sally for Halloween.)

Anyway last Fall I was on maternity leave and we took a last minute trip in November to DL. ON day 4 Sally was finally greeting guests. It was her last visit that day too. We were in line, both kids in costume, when the "handler" started telling us we may not get to see Sally with Jack. I was soooooo nervous we weren't going to get to get pictures of our little Sally with the "real deal". Well, the real Sally saw DD and started going through guests more quickly to make sure she not only got to meet us but also spent quite a bit of time comparing dresses and hair. I seriously had tears in my eyes as I snapped pictures. Sally was amazing and one of the best CM interactions we've ever enjoyed.

 

[GatorChris]

I think my favorite memory (for the moment) is when my daughter (8) was the last in line to see Mickey, in DCA, and he took her by the arm and escorted her all the way down Burna Vist Strret, across the street, and to the lockers where he then met up with Minnie and went off stage. It was quite a magical experience!

There's nothing like watching your kids get to experience Disney Magic. My WDW trips are filled with those moments.

 

[Reepicheep]

Three or four years ago, there was that special promotion at Disneyland where pass holders could register for a special "magic morning". When the gates opened, there was only a small number of people lined up to enter the park, maybe 50 or 60 total. For all intents and purposes, it was like having Disneyland to ourselves for one hour.

We started off by doing Peter Pan three times in a row, with absolutely no lineup whatsoever, then each side of Matterhorn twice, Alice thee times, Mr. Toad twice, and Pinocchio/Snow White once. We then made a mad dash to Star Tours, but arrived there about a minute too late, so the lineup of "regular folk" had already formed.

The first time we did Alice, there was a short 20 second delay because there was a couple who was visiting with the employee, but other than that, every ride was literally a walk on, with no lineup whatsoever. I don't expect we'll ever have Disneyland to ourselves ever again.

 

[lorijohnhill]

There's nothing like watching your kids get to experience Disney Magic. My WDW trips are filled with those moments.

Yes, these are the moments that make me cry!

On our most recent trip, we got a photographer that had photographed my daughter with Woody in May. At the time in May, she told me that the photographers only take the standard pose picture, but then ended up being so enthralled by the interaction between my daughter (dressed as Jessie) and Woody, that she ended up taking 30+ photos. She actually remembered my daughter on our trip in July, when we were visiting with Captain America, and started posing them and taking photos. I got quite a chuckle out of that!

 

[wvnative]

This is my favorite moment. My DD's Sweet 16 trip. We waited for over 2 hours in line so the could get a pic with Aurora (her fav princess) only to find out she was gone. As we were leaving PFF, the girls decided they needed a pic with the cute guys. Before I could snap the pic, up walked Aurora who was more than happy to pose fo rht pic. Hot on her heels was Snow White (my fav) who Aurora convinced to pose as well. Disney magic at it's best.

 

[scrapshappen]

My most magical memories are kind things other guests have done for me and my family.

On our last trip, we lost a Disney Gift Card with nearly $100 on it. I had used it to buy a kids meal for my son for lunch and then it was gone when I got back to our hotel room for our afternoon break. I walked back over to DCA and talked to a couple of employees in the Pacific Wharf area and then to Guest Services and nothing had been turned in. I was sure I'd thrown it a away or that it was just gone forever, but I filed a lost report for it anyway. The next morning we were taking our farewell train ride around the park when I got a phone call from Lost and Found telling me they had it and to come pick it up! I still can't believe someone turned it in. Disney people are the best.

 

[mt mommy]

Moments with my kids!! My DD was 4 years old and LOVED the Princesses, (as most 4 year olds DO!). She looked around after a full day at Disneyland and said, "mommy, Mickey is just dressed up, BUT MOMMY oh MOMMY, this is where the Princesses live, I am HERE with the Princesses!" It was a magical moment I will never forget.

Another moment was with my 8 month old nephew. He had spit up all over his clothes as we were sitting eating lunch at Jolly Holiday Bakery. It wasn't pretty. A very observant CM noticed, walked to up to my sister-in-law and gave her a voucher for a new baby outfit she could buy at any store in the PARK!!!! DISNEY MAGIC!!!! Love it~

 

[Jrsy Boy]

My first DLR trip was in 2008 at 39 years of age and there were many memorable moments, as there have been on every trip since then. However, there is one moment that stands out from that first trip...I think we were on our way out of Disneyland, maybe for a break back at the hotel or just hopping over to DCA. We made a pit stop at the rest rooms that are in an alley just inside the right side tunnel. There were several of us split up between the men's and ladies' rooms but I was the first one back out in the alley. At the end of the alley is a CM entrance and, as I stood there all alone, several princesses came out of the CM access. I was probably wide-eyed as Aurora, Belle, and Snow White strolled past, each smiling and saying "Hi" to me. By the time any of my family members emerged from the rest rooms, they were gone but I had a great story to tell them about my private princess encounter.

 

[Indiana Scott]

Our son, Wes, is developmentally disabled - he will basically be a 3~5 y/o boy his whole life. We took our first family trip to DLR in 2000 when he was ten years old. Wes really had no idea what to expect and was a little apprehensive of the whole idea.
On our first morning we were standing in line and it was a bit cool because of some low level fog. Of course there were all kinds of people and noises around us and Wes was a little unsettled.
All at once, the fog began to swirl and the grey gave way to all the colorful sights around us as the sun broke through. At the same time the sun began to warm our bodies, a beautiful clear version Jiminy Cricket singing "When you wish upon a star" filled the air.
It was pure Disney magic at work.
I looked down at my son and noticed a look on his face that I'd never seen before. It took me a moment to realize what he was feeling -
It was completed and utter awe.

Ill never forget that moment as long as I live.


Another great moment was when we finally took Wes on his first roller coaster (Space Mountain). We didn't know what to expect so when the ride ended and Wes got off and started crying, we thought the worst.
My wife asked him "Did you get scared?" No! (Uh oh..)
"Do you wan't to go again?" YES!!!
We'd created a thrill ride monster and all he wanted to do after that was go on more roller coasters.

Note to new parents, if you spend lots of time throwing your kids in the air and swinging them in circles so long they giggle and drool, this is what happens.

 

[Mr. Bastos]

On my 30th birthday, after we watched the World of Color we walked back to the hotel. I found a nice gazebo near the Disneyland hotel, where my GF and I were staying. I took a picture of her, and then we chatted, then I proposed. It was nice because I got to propose on Disney property, yet it was still quite private. Definitely my favorite memory.

 

[Brancaneve]

Our son, Wes, is developmentally disabled - he will basically be a 3~5 y/o boy his whole life. We took our first family trip to DLR in 2000 when he was ten years old. Wes really had no idea what to expect and was a little apprehensive of the whole idea.
On our first morning we were standing in line and it was a bit cool because of some low level fog. Of course there were all kinds of people and noises around us and Wes was a little unsettled.
All at once, the fog began to swirl and the grey gave way to all the colorful sights around us as the sun broke through. At the same time the sun began to warm our bodies, a beautiful clear version Jiminy Cricket singing "When you wish upon a star" filled the air.
It was pure Disney magic at work.
I looked down at my son and noticed a look on his face that I'd never seen before. It took me a moment to realize what he was feeling -
It was completed and utter awe.

Ill never forget that moment as long as I live.


Another great moment was when we finally took Wes on his first roller coaster (Space Mountain). We didn't know what to expect so when the ride ended and Wes got off and started crying, we thought the worst.
My wife asked him "Did you get scared?" No! (Uh oh..)
"Do you wan't to go again?" YES!!!
We'd created a thrill ride monster and all he wanted to do after that was go on more roller coasters.

Note to new parents, if you spend lots of time throwing your kids in the air and swinging them in circles so long they giggle and drool, this is what happens.

Tears and chills right now. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Indiana Scott]

Tears and chills right now. Thanks for sharing!

Oh thank you so much!

Scott

 

[stephanie22]

My favorite moments all involve the characters, I went with my best friend in 2009 and we met Ariel who was so much fun, she complemented me and tried on my glasses and I got a picture of us making fish faces.

But my all time favorite memory is when we took my ds to Disneyland for the first time when he was almost 2. I had been showing him videos of kids meeting Mickey and Minnie for weeks before we went so he wouldn't be frightened, well we walked into the park and Minnie was greeting people in front of the hat shop. I asked if he wanted to meet her and showed him her and he said yes. When it was our turn he ran right up to her and gave her the biggest hug, and it felt like he "talked" to her for a very long time and she was just so great with him nodding along to whatever he was saying in baby talk. He was so happy to see her, and it made my trip.

 

[BigCheese]

We had a moment today at the parks that served as a reminder that the magic at DLR is still alive and well. We got to the gates around 7:15 this morning and decided to start the day at DCA. We were the first to our gate at the furthest west entrance gate. Out of the blue, a security guard CM came up and asked if we were going to take part in MM. We told him we have APs and unfortunately didn't have MM access. He replied "you do now", and handed us a ticket (regular DLR admission ticket with Olaf on the front) with Magic Morning printed on the back with today's date. I was in shock as I have never heard of this before. We thanked him several times before heading to DL and he smiled and told us to have a great day. I've been a bit disappointed (like many on DIS) with all of the recent cuts to Halloweentime in DLR, but this RAK by a kind CM not only made our day (and provided a pleasant change of park plans) but served as a reminder that the magic is still there. It's always been there, and is and always has been delivered by people as opposed to a corporation.