It's the New Year, so that means everyone is making (and breaking) resolutions. As a Disney fan it seems only fitting that we make some Disney-themed resolutions too. And so we have come up with 15 things that Disney fans should do at the Walt Disney World Resort in 2015. We've included food, rides, experiences, and more to our list of things we can't wait to do this year.
15. runDisney Races: This past weekend marked the 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and tens of thousands of runners participated. Many of this year's races are already sold out including the Disney Princess Half Marathon and the Expedition Everest Challenge. But you could still consider the Wine and Dine Half Marathon in November. Or make a resolution to run in one of next year's races. Or maybe consider the Disneyland Half Marathon in September or the Avengers Half Marathon at Disneyland in November.
14. Plan a Resort Day: Even the best planned Walt Disney World vacation can end up being a bit stressful so it's always a good idea to plan a day where you simply hang out at your resort. Relax by the pool, sip fruity drinks, sleep in and ignore rope drop.
13. Eat at a New Restaurant: With the recent opening of Trattoria al Forno, and the addition of Morimoto Asia, The Boathouse, and STK Orlando at Disney Springs, you have some great choices when it comes to "trying something new" this year! Our resolution is to try them all.
12. Disney Food Trucks: While we're on the topic of food and Disney Springs, we are resolving to eat at every Disney Food Truck this year. Having already dined on butter chicken at the Namaste Cafe food truck and sampled a corn dog from Fantasy Fare truck, we have many more dishes and two more trucks to visit! And now that we can find them in the Food Truck Park it'll be even easier to fulfill this resolution.
11. Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival: Spring is a great time of year to visit the Walt Disney World Resort thanks to gorgeous weather and the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival. Sure the flowers are beautiful and the topiaries are fun and whimsical but we really love the addition of the outdoor kitchens where we can enjoy small plates of delicious eats!
10. Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Lounge: Our friends at the Disney Food Blog recently reviewed the afternoon tea at the Garden View Lounge at Disney's Grand Floridian and we quickly added that to our must-do list for 2015! It sounds like a wonderful time full of delicious tea and food and it's a ritual we need to add to our Disney rotation.
9. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: Our second favorite time of year at Walt Disney World is Halloween time! The Magic Kingdom is decked out for the holidays and one of the best parties around is Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! Put on your best Halloween costume and have a great time. Remember, this event requires an additional ticket.
8. Star Wars Weekends: We're thinking this year is going to be a big year at Star Wars Weekends, since there are only 11 months left until the next film arrives in theaters. Star Wars Weekends run from May 15 until June 14 this year. We can't wait to see what stars from the Star Wars universe will be attending this year!
7. Take a Tour: Whether you pick Disney's Family Magic Tour with the kids or the Keys to the Kingdom, or maybe the Behind the Seeds Tour at Epcot, taking a tour at Walt Disney World is another way to make your vacation extra magical.
6. Epcot Food and Wine Festival: If you love food and wine and want to experience small plates from around the world, this festival is for you! The Epcot Food and Wine Festival runs from September through November and it features special events, culinary and beverage demonstrations, celebrity chefs, of course the World Showcase Marketplace tasting booths. You don't want to miss this one!
5. Christmas at Walt Disney World: As magical as Disney is throughout the year, when the parks are decked out for the holidays it takes it to a whole new level. Attend Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, watch the Candlelight Processional at Epcot, enjoy special holiday-themed food and drink, and visit the hotels to check out their incredible decorations. And don't forget about the gingerbread displays!
4. Ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: You don't have to be a thrill-seeker to love this attraction. From the interactive queue (which you won't see if you FastPass+ the ride) to the rocking mine train cars, this ride has it all. It's not too scary and it's not too fast but it is perfect for the whole family. You'll want to book several FastPass+ for this ride!
3. Starbuck Evening Menu: The Starbucks at Downtown Disney recently announced the addition of the Starbucks Evening Menu that includes beer, wine, and tapas-sized plates of food. This is on our must-do list for sure.
2. Stay for the Kiss Goodnight: This is how the Magic Kingdom says goodnight to guests at the end of the day. The Kiss Goodnight lasts for a couple of minutes and plays every 30 minutes after the park officially closes. You'll hear 'When You Wish Upon a Star' as Cinderella Castle twinkles in the moonlight and then a narrator thanks guests for being part of the magic that day. This is a must-do for every Disney fan.
1. Dine at Be Our Guest: Whether you get the FastPass for lunch service or if you're lucky enough to get an Advance Dining Reservation for dinner (or breakfast very soon!), you'll want to add 'dining at Be Our Guest to your list of Disney resolutions. Sure the food is great, but the atmosphere is what makes this so special. When you walk into the ballroom and look up, you will feel as if you just stepped into Beauty and the Beast. Make sure you take a few minutes to walk around and check out all the rooms, you won't want to miss the West Wing.
What are your Disney resolutions for 2015? Let us know in the comments or visit us in the Forums!
Many thanks to the Disney Food Blog and the WildernessLodgeSite.com for use of their photos.
Kristen K. wrote on Mon, 01/12/2015 - 13:23:
Great list Traci!
We're trying to check a bunch of these off in February. We have a Resort/DTD day, where we'll eat at a bunch of new places for us, we're going to hit the Food Trucks and the new Starbucks menu. We're riding 7DMT for the first time and hop to close down the Park for the Kiss! Then on the Cruise portion of our trip we've got some tours planned. It's a Disney year full of new adventures for my family.
Melissa W wrote on Tue, 01/13/2015 - 15:51:
I want to do it all but I really want to do a runDisney race sometime!
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