Disney History

The Team Looks Back At 2018

2018 was full of new Walt Disney World stuff like Toy Story Land, Chicken Guy, the revamped Disney Store, After Hours Parties and H2O Glow Nights, dining with Snow White, the new Pirates of the Carribean auction scene, and more.

The team had so much fun this past year, not only traveling to the parks but sharing it all with you. Here are our favorite 2018 memories and what we hope to do in 2019.

From Cat, Our Fashionista

One of my 2018 Disney highlights was the movie, Christopher Robin. Also, I discovered Legglife YouTubers who do lots of Disney stuff, and they are inspiring. Discovering the Spireside candles and some nicer Disney merchandise out there was fun this year.

(Editor’s Note: Cat took her family on an incredible Universal Resort trip in 2018. The Harry Potter attractions, Volcano Bay Waterpark, and the Cabana Bay Resort were all highlights she says any Disney fan would love.)

In 2019, I’m excited to see the new Star Wars section. I want to make it to the Grand Floridian. I hear the tea there is wonderful. We’re taking a cruise on the Disney Magic soon, so I’m excited to check out the ship and the new Frozen show. (Cat also fed her family’s love for Hidden Mickeys by picking up the 3rdEdition of Steven M. Barrett’s book, Hidden Mickeys Go To Sea. If you have kiddos who love scavenger hunts, you should check out Barrett’s various Hidden Mickey books!)

From Matt & Jen, Our “No Such Thing As Too Many Disney Visits” Couple

In 2018, we did our first “resort only” trip. We had Annual Passes, so for us that meant just going to the parks twice on a five-day trip, and both were half days. It was great to just relax and hang out at the pool. A relaxing WDW trip IS possible! We were also able to check out Toy Story Land. We loved the attractions and the area is adorable, and well themed. We were both pleasantly surprised by Slinky Dog Dash. We were expecting a tame coaster that would underwhelm. It’s truly a coaster that the entire family can enjoy. 

We also prioritized Illumination’s in 2018, because we know we’ll miss it fiercely. We arranged several nights around finding an optimal spot for the show, which meant really slowing down and just enjoying the atmosphere of the World Showcase at night.

Matt enjoyed playing a new-to-him Disney Golf Course, The Palm. It was a well-maintained course and a fun challenge for him. 

We discovered the Turf Club Restaurant at Saratoga Springs. We loved the atmosphere, and the food was delicious. For a Disney table service meal, we also felt that the price was reasonable! 

In 2019, we are looking forward to many changes to the parks. We’ll miss Illuminations but remain hopeful that its replacement will become a new favorite. I am, intrigued by the interim show, Epcot Forever, that will start in the fall. I love Epcot music, and this show is a celebration of that. Hopefully, they will include the music from the Tapestry of Nations Parade.

We are super excited to see Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! We anticipate that it will be phenomenal. We are less excited about the impact that the new land will have on park crowds, resort availability, and pricing—but we’ll take the good with the bad. 

We’re more hopeful that we’ll get to see Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway on our fall trip. We love new attractions! Matt is looking forward to the Skyliner, but I am a little nervous about it. I don’t love enclosed spaces or heights, so it sounds scary to me. Plus…no AC on these things? How is that going to work in March through November? 

From Erin, Our Veteran Visitor AND Mom Of A Cast Member

My favorite moments of 2018 included: #3 Eating at the Grand Floridian Cafe for dinner, walking out onto the lawn, and watching July 3rd fireworks – patriotic music and 360 degrees!  And no crowds. Spectacular! #2 Staying in the Treehouse Villas and figuring out that right before closing is the best time to wait for Avatar. #1 Walking into the Confectionary on Main Street and being able to say my daughter works there! I also loved all the retro-looking Mickey and Minnie merchandise for sale last year.

So, what am I looking forward to in 2019? I would love to say I am a Star Wars fan, but even though I’m not, I still want to see it.  I also want to see how Disney is going to handle the crowds. New attractions + December holiday events = massive amounts of people. Main Street can’t get any wider, so will they offer new ways to cut wait times like online ordering and opening it up to more than three fast passes?  It will be interesting to see how they manage it all in 2019.  Prep year for 50th anniversary, Tron, and Guardians. Dear Lord! LOL

From Kim, Our Disney-Obsessed Editor

I loved Toy Story Land more than I ever expected. It’s a small space but chocked full of details. Seeing all the toy references from my own childhood is so joyful and I had fun riding BOTH new rides (Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers). They are the perfect complement to one of my favorite Disney rides of all time, Toy Story Mania. 

My other 2018 highlights included the Second Annual Epcot International Festival of the Arts, the new Disney Style Store, having a cast member in my family to visit on Main Street, U.S.A., finally seeing the magical Peter Pan queue, eating my fill of churro ice cream sandwiches and loaded pub tots, and getting to stay at my favorite resort, Port Orleans French Quarter. And I almost forgot our family’s Waterpark Showdown trip in August!

I can barely count all there is to look forward to next year. I can’t wait to step foot in Galaxy’s Edge and see the Millennium Falcon up close. New attractions always entice me, so the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run are on my wish list for 2019. Last and least (because the concept scares the Mickey Bar out of me) I want to try the new gondolas. They’ve gotta be safer than the Monorail these days, right?

Whether you are going to Disney for your first trip or your 50th, we hope you stick with us in 2019. We’ll be “popping in” every week to give you a fix of Disney magic.

Send us your questions for us to answer in future blogs. We can be reached at info@mainstreetpopin.com.

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