Originally Posted By tapdancemom >>I feel the magic while I'm sitting here at home reading all the posts. Wishing I where there.<< I agree PDX Mousefan. I feel the MAGIC when: I step through the tunnel and onto Main Street, even more when the band is playing. Sitting on a park bench at the hub and people watching. Enjoying the Dapper Dans harmony, costumes and happy faces. Walking through the park at night, especially through Critter Country and Frontierland when it's close to closing and the crowds have thinned out. Watching the parades. Walking through the park with my grandson, watching his face light up when he sees one of his favorite characters. The lights at night on Main Street. Talking with a friendly cast member. Watching the fireworks.
Originally Posted By alexbook Unplanned moments: I recently came across a crowd of people blocking a walkway. I thought it was going to turn out to be a musician or a character signing autographs, but it was a mother duck leading her ducklings.
Originally Posted By bobiascastle I would like to say the second I walk though the gate but really I think it happens for me as soon as we set a date to go again. )
Originally Posted By Grumpy Pete One moment that was especially magic for me was when my children were little. We had just walked in under the tunnel on the right side and saw Alice in Wonderland sitting on a bench near the flag pole. My daughter gasped and ran right over. She was so excited to meet Alice and her face just glowed. That scene of my daughter's joy in meeting Alice is forever etched in my memory. Magic!
Originally Posted By 8 ilovemickey 8 This is a hard topic since all of Disneyland is so magical. But here are a few... beating my boyfriend on buzz lightyear... haha Walking through the gates and seeing the mickey flowers and then under the tunnel to main street...pricess really Hearing the familar sounds, smelling the smells, and seeing the castle... Walking behind BTMRR and hearing the train and screams... However I think my 2 most magical moment one at Disneyland was my last trip when I walked out of Space Mountain and watched the Remember fireworks in a perfect spot with my sister....goosebumps 2 I have a picture of when I was about 5 walking through New Orleans Square hand in hand with Mickey and Minnie
Originally Posted By Walt-Fanatic I feel it when walking under the train tracks, reading the plaque that states "Here you leave today, and enter a world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy" and then seeing Main Street in all its timeless glory. A bench in NOS at dusk to watch the Mark Twain all lit up as it passes is heartfelt as well. But most of all I feel it at night in front of the firestation, looking up at Uncle Walt's apt. to see the lamp lit and know that he IS there too.
Originally Posted By myinnerpeterpan Little story to share...We took our kids to DL for our very 1st family vaca just 11 days after 9/11. The place was completely empty and almost scarry quiet. On our first day, I cried when we entered the park watching my kids faces light up at the site of Mickey Mouse and Alice. The smells that day were truly amazing and the sun was as comforting as ever and as we walked down Main Street, it felt like a giant hug saying, "It's okay...come have fun". We hit POTC 6 times that day and BB...oh..the chowder...yumm. The park was so empty that my kids actually layed down to watch the parade on Main Street. We hit every single ride in the park, which is something that I had never done. We rode every ride in Fantasy Land (most of which I had never been on) and we took pictures of darn near every inch of the park (including every flower my kids saw...they're alway prettier in DL). By the end of that day, I remember standing in front of the statue of Walt and Mickey and crying. I felt so guilty for having such a wonderful day with my family, while so many other people were suffering so greatly. I thanked Walt for creating such a haven for so many people and for such a wonderful place to forget the troubles of life and to always be a child within. I'll never, ever foget that moment...the sites, the smells, the sounds, the peace and quiet of that moment.
Originally Posted By familyguy I feel the magic when standing line for Alice and looking up only to see Mickey Mouse climbing the Matterhorn. I saw it today!!
Originally Posted By lil_kim2005 Wow thats a great story, myinnerpeterpan!! I don't have any fabulous stories to share but I feel the Disney magic in times like these: - Certain parts of Fantasmic!... it's ALWAYS the princess part, particularly when Snow White comes on singing "Someday my Prince Will Come." Maybe the music is really well-written or something, but that part gives me chills! - Walking through Frontierland or Main Street with a churro. Just that! Churros give me a huge Disney vibe. - Anything new that I haven't yet experienced; that leaves only a few main street vehicles and uhhhm the Astro Orbiter but I'm talking things like seeing the Dapper Dans or something, having neat interactions with characters and the like.
Originally Posted By lizard Great thread! I've really enjoyed reading it. There are so many "triggers" of the magic at the resort, smells, music, favorite rides, watching others enjoy it all etc... The magic comes back for me at different times each visit. One time it was this HUGE feeling of relief while walking down Main Street on our first day, like all the worries of everyday life are not allowed past the main gate! Another time it came outta nowhere while watching the water and light show one night at the DL Hotel with my son. Sometimes it's the smell of Pirates, or music in a place you dont remember hearing music before, like a rock or a bush, or a little one hugging a character as happy as can be. Sometimes it comes for no reason I can think of. We'll just be walking along and there will be a pleasant little so/cal breeze and it's almost as if you can feel the collective good of all the years of people experiencing the magic. Back in about a month!
Originally Posted By camom I love these! Mine is kind of unusual...I think the time when I feel the most magic is when we are staying at the Carousel Inn and Suites and on the first morning of our trip first morning looking out of the huge windows in the breakfast area. You can see over the whole park...I get that sort of "I'm fianlly here" feeling!
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove I just re-read all of your messages, and once again, felt the Magic with all of you. Thanks for taking the time to share. It's great to read the never-to-happen-moments again (9/11, mother duck and the ducklings, etc) and the ones we ALL share and feel. Any new thoughts out there? Any Magic happen on Disneyland's birthday yesterday?
Originally Posted By gardenrooms What a wonderful thread. I have goosebumps from reading everyone's magical experiences. As with so many others, the whole place is magic, but the ultimate moment for me each visit is when I walk through the castle and hear Jimminy Cricket singing "When You Wish Upon A Star", and suddenly 50 years melt away.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom WOW, where do I begin! OK, so this is my very first time at DL. But already I have so many "magical" moments. Perhaps one of the most memorable occured when Kennesaw Joe and I were standing in line for Alice in Wonderland. I was wearing a Norway EPCOT tee shirt, Kennesaw Joe was wearing a Disney's Wilderness Lodge tee shirt and behind us in line was a Japanese family each wearing TDL tee shirts and behind them in line was a Chinese family wearing Hong Kong Disneyland tee shirts. It was so funny, KJ and I were showing them our tee shirts and all together as a group us, the Japanese and Chinese were saying "Florida" at the same time. It was like long lost cousins meeting up for the first time.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Another "magical" moment was yesterday while waiting for the LPers to get off Splash Mountain. Kennesaw Joe was getting a mickey sugar cookie in the Pooh Store. I was talking to another LPer ( I don't recall her name ), it was around 7:30pm and she was saying this was her favorite time to be in the park because it was when all the bird returned to the park for the evening. Sure enough... all these black birds were flying returning in droves and flocking to the upper branches of the trees. To me it was very magical, we just don't ever see things like that in Georgia or in WDW.
Originally Posted By Grumpy Pete This certainly is a most enjoyable thread. The memories and special feelings just come flooding back with each experience we share. Isn't it great that you don't have to go a whole bunch of times to get that magic? Just one visit sets up the magic over & over. Last Feb in Critter Country, I took a picture of a little girl giving Tigger a big hug. The look on her face was one of incredible joy. That was pure magic and I can't seem to forget it. The magic just repeats over and over.