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10 Things I DO Want to Do On Our Next Disney Vacation: A Walt Disney World Planning Article

by Lisa Smith-Lester, PassPorter Guest Contributor
Last modified 02-25-2015

With so much to see and do on a Walt Disney World vacation, it just is not possible to do everything on one vacation.

With this in mind, this year I have decided that there will be a list of 10 things that I really hope I get to do on this Disney trip. Obviously I hope we get to see and do so much more, but anything on top of this list can be classed as a bonus!

1. Pool: I would like to spend more of our downtime at one of our resort swimming pools. We are staying at Old Key West, which has some really fun looking pools that I know my daughters will love. We swam a few times on our 2013 trip at Saratoga Springs Resort but not as many times as my daughters would have liked. They also loved the one evening we spent at the pool so I am hoping that we can have a few evening swims.

2. Resorts:I love the Boardwalk, Beach Club and Yacht Club resorts and this area is one of my favorite places on Disney property. I love visiting here in the early evening when it is just starting to get dark, and walking around the lake with my family, soaking up the atmosphere. This is one of the things I am most looking forward to this year.

3. Word Showcase Pavilions: I would love to properly do World Showcase this time around. Though we walked "around the world" last time, sampling some of the food offerings from the Food and Wine Festival, we didn't visit any of the countries. We just have walked around the lake and didn't venture inside any of the pavilions. I think my daughters will enjoy this and hope to spend more time in Epcot and really explore the World Showcase.



4. Togetherness: Just enjoy our time together, both as my family of four and with my extended family who are traveling with us again. It will be great to get away from the usual day to day routines of schools and cooking and cleaning and work and just relax and enjoy the craziness of the parks and some meals together.

5. Attractions: Ride certain rides! I missed out on quite a few of the rides on my last trip and it really bothered me quite a bit. I really, really hope I find time to ride Toy Story Midway Mania, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Soarin' with my husband and daughters, as I would love to experience these as a family. With my rather timid older daughter, the likes of Test Track and Space Mountain will have to be ridden using Child Swap!

6. Restaurants: Try some new places to eat. On my last two trips, in 2010 and 2013, there were some restaurants we ate in on both vacations, including Wolfgang Puck Café, Chef Mickey's, Whispering Canyon Café, Raglan Road and Cape May Café. Now as great as these all are, there are so many restaurants on Disney property that I would like to try some new places. One of these mentioned is my favorite so that will remain one of my must do restaurants for this year however; I think I will save these for another article!

7. Cruise: Go on a Disney Cruise. Since my parents and sister did a 3-night cruise on the Disney Dream in 2012, we have longed to do one ourselves. We are so excited to have booked this year on the Disney Dream. We were originally booked on a 3-night cruise but this was cancelled due to dry dock so we are now booked on a 4-night cruise. I know this one is a bit of a cheat for a top 10 as it is already booked but it is the part of our vacation we are all looking forward to the most.

8. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique: That I can get two Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (BBB) reservations for similar times on the same day. On our last vacation only my eldest daughter was old enough for this and she thoroughly enjoyed herself, as did I being the parent who went with her. This time I am hoping for an appointment for both daughters and around the same time would be perfect so that they can enjoy this magical experience together.

9. Evening Shows:I am really hoping we manage to do these next two things (cheating again and listing two must-dos instead of one) and that is to see Wishes more than once and see Illuminations for first time since my vacation in 2000! Wishes is my absolute favourite but this could be because it is the only evening show I have seen consistently on my trips. I love the words to this and listen to the CD in the car! I have read so many good things about Illuminations and am desperate to see this again. If we could squeeze Fantasmic! in too (last seen in 2001), that would be amazing.

10. Do Less, Enjoy More: Try to enjoy every minute and not cram too much in. Though I have listed many things I hope to do, and obviously there is everything else not listed here, I do not want to over do it. I want to ensure we take it easy to start with as the jet lag will affect us and I don't want us to be too tired to enjoy ourselves.

We will be back again, likely in 2019, and anything we don't do this time will be added to the "hope to-do list" for next time.

About the Author: Lisa Smith-Lester is a working Mum with two daughters who is visiting again this year, a year earlier than originally planned.

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Updated 02-25-2015

Check for a more updated version at http://www.passporter.com/articles/ten-things-to-do-walt-disney-world.html