Making each trip special

We’re planning a Disney trip for this August. It will be my husband, myself & 2 boys (12 & 9). This will be our fourth time to Disney with the kids, last time in 2019. I try to mix up each trip that we do so that we’re not trying to recreate the magic of the prior trip. For instance, last time we did an After Hours in AK and it was awesome.
So…what cool “extra” Disney experience should I be thinking about for this trip? Dessert party? Wild Africa Trek? What have been the best extras you’ve done?

Yes.

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Are they SW fans? Lightsabers or droids? Or Oga’s?

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No.

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Yup. That’s the one. Single best extra I’ve ever done on ANY vacation to date.

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Another vote for the Wild Africa Trek. And also horseback riding.

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We treat each trip same way- something special each trip…

By far the favorite of my boys was the snorkeling in the living seas-

They were 12 & 14 at the time. ( I missed it as I was tracking my car on the old speedway )


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Ha ha. Why? We’ve never done one.

Yes! These are all on my list! We’ve never seen Galaxy Edge. We were there right before it opened so this will definitely be on my list.

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We were too! I thought DS would be all over building a lightsaber but he said no. He did fancy building a BB8 but just for fun, he didn’t want to keep it :joy: So I’m just going to book Oga’s.

ETA he did ask for space 220 - we’ll just try to book the lounge for drinks.

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Haven’t done but plan to do next year: surf lessons at Typhoon Lagoon. We did Villain’s After Hours in 2019, definitely a trip hearing metal music in MK lol.

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Mini golf? We’re going for the first time this year. Our kid is kind of obsessed with mini golf.

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We really liked the Behind the Seeds Tour in Epcot.

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I have a specific perspective.

Before COVID, which really means before Chapek, I regarded dessert parties as essential. I never watched HEA outside of a dessert party.

Two things changed.

First, HEA was retired and replaced by Enchantment. Enchantment is trash. It is best viewed from Ohio.

Second, the price of dessert parties was raised and the quality was lowered.

I no longer book dessert parties at all.

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I enjoy watching the fireworks with a beverage at a MK resort over being in the park or over their parties. IMO the FW are sufficient, the projections and the crowd are not worth it.

:rofl: :rofl: I feel much better about not booking a dessert party now!

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Since WAT has already been mentioned, some of my most memorable experiences include parasailing, renting a pontoon, carriage ride and HDDR.
I’ve always wanted to go fishing, but can never find the time.

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Love it. And I agree.

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Thanks for the shoutout here in Ohio :joy: We don’t get mentioned often… it’s probably because it’s a terrible place to live :laughing:

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Just landed in Dayton, waiting for dh to pick us up from the airport. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

I have watched Enchantment from the balcony at California Grill and from the Dessert After Party area.

I liked the CG view well enough. It is a lovely view of fireworks. I enjoyed the view from the after party area as well and it has an excellent vantage point to see all the castle projections.

Both were great experiences and the right decisions for those trips/circumstances. I did the party on a solo trip and CG was with my 20yo dd (on 10/1 for the anniversary). BUT, I don’t think I would pay for either with a family. Too $$$ and I have one picky teenager that wouldn’t have eaten anything.

I will add that part of my reasoning for both were due to COVID and not wanting to be shoulder to shoulder with people in the hub.

I wouldn’t say never do it, but I would rank it towards the bottom of your list.

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