What at WDW is still Magical for you?

[DoppelV]

I had a conversation recently with my dad; our Florida trip is rapidly approaching and we've had nothing else on our mind for the last month. The question I posed to him, he having visited at least once for every decade WDW has been open, what remains Magical for him? We pondered the question for a few minutes and here's the list we compiled, this includes both his and mine.

MK
"it's a small world"
Mickey's Philharmagic
Big Thunder Mountain
Haunted Mansion (pre-2005)

Epcot
Spaceship Earth
China
Living Seas (pre-Nemo)

DMGM
Tower of Terror
Fantasmic!
Star Tours

Animal Kingdom
Legend of the Lion King
Kilmanjaro Safaris

Are there attractions or lands, shops, or restaurants that when you walk through it's door you forget your cares, your fears, or your reality and step into pure fantasy? A place were you can honestly feel like a kid?
Add any and all ideas, nothing is too childish or immature, what is truly Magical to you?

[Pacha]

These are the first ones that come to mind. Might add some more later...

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
Festival of the Lion King
Soarin'
Living Seas (pre Nemo also)
Tree of Life

[DoppelV]

Dude! I totally forgot Illuminations: Reflections of Earth! I got to watch it every night I worked the International Gateway, and I loved it every time, it's soundtrack one of my absolute favorite music tracks!

Thanks for reminding me!

[pyrateslife4me84]

MK:
Cinderella Castle, Pirates, Splash, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan's Flight, "it's a small world," PhilharMagic, Space Mountain (though ready for a fix), Buzz, Walt Disney World Railroad, SpectroMagic, Wishes, Cosmic Ray's, Pecos Bill's, Columbia Harbour House.

Epcot:
Mission: SPACE, UoE, Test Track to a point, Spaceship Earth, Soarin, Living Seas, American Adventure, Maelstrom, World Showcase as a whole (not any of the other countries in particular, just the whole place), Flower and Garden Festival, IllumiNations, the torches, Cantina de San Angel, Electric Umbrella, Lotus Blossom Cafe.

MGM:
Tower of Terror, RnRC, Sunset Blvd., Fantasmic!, Catastrophe Canyon (not the rest of the backlot tour), Muppet*Vision 3D, Streets of America, Great Movie Ride, Star Tours queue, streetmosphere actors, Star Wars Weekends, Backlot Express, Mama Melrose's.

AK:
DINOSAUR, Everest, Tree of Life, the Oasis, It's Tough to be a Bug!, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Festival of the Lion King, Kali to an extent, Maharajah Jungle Trek, Jammin Jungle Parade, the park's theming in general, Flame Tree Barbecue, Tusker House.

Miscellaneous: All of the Resorts, Christmas at all the resorts, animal watching at AKL, the geyser at WL, Seven Seas Lagoon white sand beaches, torches at Poly, the Boardwalk, Yacht/Beach Club pool, Winter Summerland, Fantasia Gardens, sunset at Coronado Springs, background music at POP, Boma, Beaches and Cream, Chef Mickey's, Trail's End, 'Ohana, Mount Gushmore, BB Skilift, BB lazy river, Mount Mayday, Shark Reef, Slush 'n' Gusher, Ghirardelli, Cirque du Soleil, purple road signs, the monorail, WDW ferry system.

ANY WDW PROPERTY AT NIGHT!!!

[Hamlet Schmalzbach]

Any of the parks at night.
The Wedway peoplemover.
Coming out of the tunnel when entering the MK and seeing the castle.
SM at night.
Sitting on Main Street while eating ice cream.
Epcot at night.
Tom Sawyer's Island...and eating PB&J
The COP.
TMR---anytime.

[WaltsFavorite02]

MK.
PotC, Peter Pans Flight, Dumbo, Cinderella Castle, Monorails, Wishes, Spectro Magic,TL at Night,

EPCOT.
Spaceship Earth... Then, Now, Forever. Journey Into Imagination, Soarin, El Rio Del Tiempo, Maelstrom, The American Adventure, O Canada, Illuminations:Reflections of Earth

Disney Studios.
Fantasmic, The Great Movie Ride, BATB Live on Stage, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, One Mans Dream.

Animal Kingdom.
Its tough to be a bug, Festival of the Lion King

[WaltsFavorite02]

Oops Double Post!

[kcnole]

It all still feels magical to me, even SGE. It's not the same emotion I felt as a child. When I was a kid it was all so overwhelming (and Epcot Center truly did rock in the early 80's) and everything seemed so big and larger than life.

I don't get that feeling anymore. I'm growing up. I'm a much more cynical person than I used to be. But the fact is, when I enter the gates it's like those layers of cynicism roll away and I feel like a kid again. Not exactly like I did when I was a kid, but all the stress of life (except for walking) leaves for the hours I'm there.

The fact is, I could just sit down for an hour or so and people watch and it would feel wonderful.

[Pacha]

Watching kids (any kids) play with the fiber optic lights in the sidewalks at Epcot at night.

[Pacha]

Actually, thinking this through a bit, every time I've ever visited WDW, at least one Castmember went out of their way to make my visit magical. So, I'm going to include Castmembers in this list as well.

[Mitsukai]

WDW
* PotC
* Seeing Tigger
* PhilharMagic (can someone please explain the title to me?)
* breakfast at the Crystal Palace, 'cause of Tigger
* the Stitch animatronic even if the show is bad
* Mickey
* Jungle Cruise
* Haunted Mansion
* Peoplemover

MGM

*The Walt Disney walkthrough
*Fantasmic
*ToT
*Great Movie Ride
*RnRC
*Tigger

Epcot

*Soarin
*Spaceship Earth
*Test Track
*Norway waffles
*That rotating restaurant in The Land

AK

*Everest
*The Animals
*Dinosaur
*Tigger
*Primeval Whirl

[Pacha]

WDW
*That rotating restaurant in The Land

Garden Grill. Yum! Great food and atmosphere there!

[captsmith84]

What magic?

Define magic for me and you might get an answer that you wern't expecting. lol

[DoppelV]

WDW
* PotC
* Seeing Tigger
* PhilharMagic (can someone please explain the title to me?)
* breakfast at the Crystal Palace, 'cause of Tigger

PhilharMagic is a play on the word Philharmonic, which is a typical word used to describe an orchestra-like performance of music.

Bill, the greatest thing about the word magic is that it can mean anything to anyone, it is not a defined term in its most liberal sense, anything and everything can be magical depending on your own personal point of view.

Go ahead, give any answer you wish!

[kcnole]

To me the "magic" is the little things that makes Disney so special, that makes it memorable and stand out above other places to visit.