Welcome to the Williams Family Blog!

Now that you have found us, we invite you to return often for more adventures!


We Came To Play!

We Came To Play!

Opening Magic Kingdom

Opening Magic Kingdom

Saturday, May 12, 2012

We Opened Magic Kingdom--The Conclusion



Magical, memorable, and incredible are the only words that can describe our experience opening Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. 

 Click on the following to catch up on our story:  Part 1Part 2,  and Part 3.

You would think that after opening the park that we would move on with our day at the Magic Kingdom with an inflated feeling of “what could be better than this?”  But we were wrong. 


Upon exiting the Train Station, we were greeted by Barbara and a double deck bus!




More photos ensued.


Barbara had us sit in the front of the bus on the top level.  We were driven down Main Street, U.S.A. with the horn honking.

Barbara was announcing, “The Williams Family from Iowa” over the speaker.  Guests and Cast Members were waving from below.


We were driven to the Hub in front of Cinderella’s Castle,




More photos were taken by John, our Photopass photographer, to commemorate the event.

By 9:20 am, we had had the time of our lives.  We said good-bye to Barbara and John and thanked them so much for the incredible experience.  Can you imagine having their job?  Bringing such joy to people every day!

When it was time for us to part, the husband turned to me and said,” Well, we might as well go back to the resort, because the day isn’t going to get any better than this.”  We had definitely hit a “high.”  But that didn’t mean that the magic and spirit of Disney couldn’t continue throughout the rest of our day.  And, indeed it did.

We didn’t return to the resort.  We stayed at the Magic Kingdom for the majority of the day and then took the monorail to EPCOT for dinner.  We used our special Fastpasses given to us earlier that morning for an extra spin on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in the middle of the afternoon.  We were recognized throughout the day by people pointing.  The husband was the one who noticed it the most.  He would say, “We just got recognized” as if we had celebrity status of some sort.  I guess we did.

These immersive and special experiences that Disney magically dispenses on guests are truly incredible.  Part of that is their elusive nature.  These experiences cannot be bought or planned for.  They just happen . . . magically.  Our goal is to be open to the magic—no stress, no fretting over park maps and Times Guides, no frustrating decisions about parking or dining, no disagreements about where to go first during park touring, just fun.  Family fun!

23 comments:

  1. that was beautiful and made me cry. I wondered how they picked a family when we watched the opening this past Februay : )

    ReplyDelete
  2. Disney magic can bring on goosebumps and tears. Thank you for reading our story!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm glad I'm not the only one crying while reading this! Simply awesome!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am in tears too! Thanks for sharing your magical moment! @>-->--

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maythem,
      Thank you for reading about our magical moment!

      Delete
  5. Wow! How awesome! Teary reading this! We haven't been to WDW for 5 years, but we're going this October over Halloween for 2 weeks and can't wait! Our ds, will have just turned 8 and is so excited!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gray family,
      Congratulations on your upcoming trip! Enjoy the anticipation. . . it is a wonderful feeling. Have a magical trip!

      Delete
  6. that's one of my dreams is to open magic kingdom truly awesome blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. May all your dreams come true. . . especially Disney dreams! Thanks for reading!

      Delete
  7. Holy moly--I am a pretty tough cookie normally, but this made me tear up as well! I've just had my very first Disney trip (last October for my eldest son's 5th birthday), and we're on our way again in just TWO DAYS! This time, we're taking my mama along for her first Disney experience, and I couldn't be more excited. Honestly, having never gone as a child, I truly didn't get the hype, but I can't believe how excited I am to return. Thanks for sharing your amazing stories--I love the idea of the "zone." We will aspire to remain in it the whole time we're there, and maybe we'll get lucky too! (Although just being there feels like getting lucky, doesn't it?) :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maria G,
      Reading your comments made me tear up! Have a magical trip! And you are right, just being there feels lucky. Enjoy!

      Delete
  8. Reading this made me smile from ear to ear. I read this post before our last trip in December. As luck would have it my family was picked to open the park. Barbara was our tour guide and her energy is amazing! Rereading this has definitely brought back the joy and magic of our special day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Moira Williams,
      From one Williams to another--good for you! So glad your family got to experience the magic that is Disney! Thanks for sharing. . . and your comment made me smile from ear to ear!

      Delete
  9. I am in tears! This was beyond magical! My husband, 2 year old son, and I are getting ready for our first trip to Disney World next week. I can not wait!! Thanks for sharing your story and all of the pictures with us! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Absolutely wonderful! That is most certainly the experience of a lifetime. I am planning our first trip to Disney for Aug 2016 with our family of 6. Our first day at Magic Kingdom is going to be our 10th wedding anniversary. I can only hope that something this magical happens to us! Thank you so much for sharing this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for reading! What a great reason to take a magical trip!

      Delete
  11. What a magical story! I have been to Disney many times, however, our family is going in April and this will be the first trip for my daughter-in-law and my 2 year old granddaughter. My son hasn't been in 14 years. This is a dream of mine! Keeping my fingers crossed that we will get so lucky!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Darla Owens,
      Thank you for reading! What you may not know is that we were picked again during our trip just last week! My fingers are crossed for you and your family, too. Wishing you and your family a magical trip to Walt Disney World!

      Delete
  12. I wonder if it would be possible to be picked if you have a stroller? I have a 5 and 2 year old so a double stroller is a must!

    ReplyDelete