Family Favorite Walt Disney World Traditions

Traveling to Walt Disney World over the past 20 years our family has developed quite a few family traditions. I didn't realize we had so many until I started blogging about them. Some are the more traditional traditions and some are well, unconventional traditions.

The first family tradition on each trip is heading to the parks after checking in to our resort. The Magic Kingdom is our first park and POTC is our first ride. In Disney's Hollywood Studios we head right for The Great Movie Ride. The last night is always spent at The Magic Kingdom to see Wishes.

Food glorious food! Food is fodder for a whole series of traditions in our family. To be brief, the first two foodie traditions are Dole Whips and Mickey Waffles. You can read about both ad nauseam here on my blog. I ♥ Dole Whips and Mickey Waffles!

Our Mickey Waffles tradition started in the 90's when we all woke up one morning in Disney World with a craving for Mickey Waffles. We were staying at the Contemporary but didn't have ADRs for Chef Mickey's, the only restaurant that served them at the time. I called room service and sure enough they were able to deliver them! It was a splurge but well worth it. Since then we've sought out Mickey Waffles all over Disney World each trip. Breakfasts at Cape May Cafe in The Beach Club is a family tradition. We not only enjoy a hearty breakfast buffet with Mickey Waffles, we get to meet Goofy, Donald and Minnie too!

When we're in Disney World I must have at least one Dole Whip and usually a few throughout the vacation:D It's also tradition to pay one forward for "Bawb", a dear Diser who passed away. You can read more about my Dole Whip traditions here.

Oh Snap! You all know I love to take a few dizzilion pics while on vacation! Tradition has it that I must get the family in front of the castle shot, the Epcot shot, The The of Life shot and The Sorcerer Hat shot by PhotoPass photographers. I usually lend them my camera and have one taken with theirs. Theirs usually comes out better;)

There's one tradition that my family finds difficult especially after a long flight but it's a must. I must take a pic of the rooms before everyone unpacks their luggage.

At least one night during the trip I'll go out late at night and take pics of the resort. It's my time:)

Another tradition is meeting up with fellow Disney fans while in "The World". Each trip I attend a meet and organize one.

Along the way a few unconventional traditions have developed too.

It was during one of our early trips (pre-Peter) that our first unconventional family tradition started. DH always took video of us entering the park. First, he'd zoom in on the entrance sign then my son and I walking up to the gates with our backs to the camera. These movies cause laughs and giggles even now as DH would always manage to get my butt in the picture as I walked toward the park entrances. Thankfully, it was a lot smaller then and a better sight to see than it would be now. So, getting back to how the tradition was born.My son was all of 3 or 4 walking backward into the then MGM Studios waving to DH saying "Come on Dad". Well, of course, what happens when a little guy walks backward? Yup, he stumbled and did a sort of a skip/hop but no plop as he managed not to fall. A tradition was born! Every time we enter Disney's Hollywood Studios we walk backward pretending to fall. Laughing all the way:)

Even that tradition has evolved into a birthday backward walking into Epcot's Future World tradition. On my birthday last year, I walked from Epcot's entrance backward into the Future... Future World that is. One step for each year. I hope to one day walk so far backward into Future World as to reach Spaceship Earth! I haven't counted the steps but it must be over a 100 ;)

Peter started a tradition on one of our cruises and it's continued with our park trips. We call it "Hat Night". The last night of the trip we decorate our hats with pins, glow sticks, fast passes and whatever else we have handy.

Designing them is a blast! Wearing them?!

One of the best traditions DH & I have is relaxing on the balcony of the resort at the end of a long day with a glass of wine. If we're staying at the Wilderness Lodge then we're sipping Fess Parker. DH, a Davy Crockett fan, developed a taste for Fess Parker wines at the Food & Wine Festival one year. Now that's his wine of choice (if we can find it) at Disney World.