You Are Never Too Old For A New Disney Experience

I cannot believe in one week I am going to be back in Walt Disney World! I was there in January to complete my first Dopey Run Challenge, and this time I’m going back to run the First Order Challenge, which is part of the Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend. Even though I have been to Walt Disney World multiple times this trip has a lot of ‘firsts’ for me, and I am very excited to see what this new adventure will be like! This is a list of all of the ‘firsts’ I will be having on my trip, and with such a long list it just goes to show you are never too old to have a magical time at Disney World!

Art of Animation Resort - I am a bit spoiled when it comes to traveling to Walt Disney World because I have stayed at one of the three main resorts (The Contemporary, The Polynesian, The Grand Floridian) for every trip except one (in which my family stayed at the Fort Wilderness Cabins). Due to the last minute planning of this trip, the Art of Animation Resort was the only one available with rooms, but I am very much looking forward to staying at this hotel! The pictures I have seen look phenomenal, and there is a FINDING NEMO POOL!!!!! I never take time to swim while at Disney World, but I am certainly making time to go take a bunch a pictures at this fabulous pool (along with the other amazing pools found within the resort).

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Disney's Character Warehouse - I discovered this little gem via a Disney vlog (though sadly, I do not recall who’s it was) and was instantly hooked. This outlet store is only minutes away from Downtown Disney (yes, I still call it that) and has incredible prices on merchandise that comes straight from the park. I will admit, the thought of leaving the Disney Bubble, if only for a little bit, makes me cringe on the inside, but for an excellent shopping experience I’m sure it will be worth it.

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Star Wars runDisney Event - This will be my first time running a Star Wars race at Disney World and I am very excited to see how this compares to the Walt Disney World weekend races. I just became part of the Star Wars fandom a few years ago, so while a lot of it is still new to me, I’m excited to see how the theme is incorporated throughout the parks as I run through them. (Sadly though, the First Order Challenge finisher medal has Kylo Ren on it, and I am not a fan of him at all, but that’s just me being picky.)

New Photo Ops - It seems Disney’s PhotoPass is coming out with many more creative ways to take pictures, and one photo that I have seen multiple people post online is taken right in Magic Kingdom. In Fantasyland, in the Tangled-designed area, one can get their picture taken while holding a lantern from the movie! As a Tangled fan, I am completely in love with this idea, and will certainly be doing whatever I can to get my picture taken with a lantern.

Celebrating My Birthday - What better way to celebrate a 25th birthday than by being at Disney World!? Need I say more?

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4 Parks, 1 Day - As part of my birthday celebration I have planned out the day so I visit every park and do all of my favorite rides. I have never attempted to visit all four parks in one day, and while it will certainly be a challenge, I think it can be done! I have a meticulously planned out itinerary that is sure to make park hopping easy and keep me on schedule!

Meeting Flynn Ryder (again) - Okay, so technically this isn’t a first, as I met Flynn Ryder at Trattoria al Forno in January, but this time I’m going in with a mission. While I was at breakfast last time, Flynn Ryder was asked by a father at the table next to me if he had anything in his satchel. Mischievously, Flynn Ryder told him no, but secretly pulled out Rapunzel’s crown from the bag! Therefore, my plan is to ask Flynn Ryder if he has the crown, and if so, if I can wear it! (I’m hoping as this will be on my birthday he’ll have a hard time saying no.)

Coral Reef Restaurant - I have been eyeing this restaurant for quite some time and finally decided to make a reservation for it. It’s located in Epcot, right by The Seas exhibit, and you can eat your meal surrounded by multiple fish swimming around in tanks. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect from this restaurant, but I’m always up for a new adventure!

Animal Kingdom’s 20th Anniversary - The last day of this trip just happens to fall on Earth Day, which is also the first day of Animal Kingdom’s 20th Anniversary celebration. Animal Kingdom has always been my second favorite park (the first being Magic Kingdom, obviously) and I cannot wait to see what celebrations will be going on that day! I plan on waiting in a very long line for the new bird show (as my Fast Passes are being used in Magic Kingdom later that day), but I have no qualms about that. I have never been to a park on the first day of an anniversary celebration, but I have no doubt Disney will make it extra special.

Sister Trip - Of course, the whole point of this trip is to celebrate and be with my sister. The two of us have never done a sister trip before, but Disney was the obvious choice for it. I thought I got excited over Disney trips, but my sister has been freaking out 10x more than I have (which is saying something), so I know we’ll have nothing but a great time together!

Magical Thoughts: Anything else I should be looking forward to on my trip? Any other new experiences I should try? Comment below and let me know!