What’s on Your Disney Bucket List?
Every Disney theme park guest gradually builds a bucket list over time.
This list combines all the experiences that fans hope to do during their lifetimes.
Today, let’s discuss some of the most popular options for such lists.
So, what’s on your Disney bucket list? I’m guessing it’s at least a few of the following options…
A Bank or a Bungalow
Disney bucket list fantasies come in many shapes and sizes.
Some are easily attainable, others can be if you want them enough, and a few would require plenty of luck.
For instance, I haven’t included a stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite, which is currently only available as a grand prize in the occasional contest.
Anything that requires a lottery win to experience isn’t feasible. I’ve tried to populate this list with choices many of you can do.
For instance, as part of a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, you may choose to spend a night or two in some of Disney’s fanciest rooms.
We’ll discuss standard suites in the next section, but let’s talk about a couple of specialty options as well.
At Disney World, you can book a two-bedroom Bungalow at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
The remarkable part about these structures is that they reside in the water.
You’ll be staying by the Polynesian’s beach, only you’ll be closer to Magic Kingdom than anyone else!
For this reason, your view from the pool outside your room – yes, it has a private pool – is Magic Kingdom itself.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge offers an even bigger suite called a Bank. It’s like a private cabin in the woods.
The difference is that you’re only minutes away from Magic Kingdom.
You have a forest oasis that’s conveniently near your favorite theme park.
Book the Same Suite Where Princess Diana Stayed
Then again, you may prefer opulence. If so, you should pick a suite at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
The three-bedroom grand villas here are next-level plush, and you know that because of their history.
The late Princess Diana famously stayed in one of these rooms during her family’s Walt Disney World visit.
If the suite is good enough for Princess Di, it’s good enough for anybody!
Assuming you can afford the cost of a couple thousand dollars a night, you can stay here, too!
Cruise with Disney
Again, not every bucket list item should be an impossibility.
Over the past decade, Disney Cruise Line has exploded in popularity as fans have recognized the greatness of the concept.
Disney theme parks provide a special dose of magic in our lives, but let’s be honest that park visits can be exhausting.
On a cruise, you get all the distilled Disney magic, only you’re sipping boat drinks by the pool rather than standing in line.
Cast Members cater to your every whim during this tranquil Disney experience. It’s a different kind of magical vacation.
Once you try a Disney cruise, you may get addicted!
Eat inside Cinderella Castle
This is one of the most attainable choices listed here.
At Cinderella’s Royal Table, you dine with Disney Princesses inside Cinderella Castle.
For a price of $69-$84 per person, you enjoy some of the finest theme park food in the world.
More importantly, you’re eating inside the landmark you’ve admired from afar all your life.
A Meal at Victoria & Albert’s
I’m actually typing this on my 19th wedding anniversary.
Presuming all goes well, I fully intend to spend my 20th wedding anniversary eating dinner at Victoria & Albert’s.
That’s the kind of special occasion ideal for this experience, which admittedly costs a ton.
For about $425-$600 per person, guests eat the fanciest meal in theme park history.
Victoria & Albert’s recently won a Michelin Star, and it has been named THE best restaurant in America on multiple occasions.
I realize that $1,000+ is a lot for a single romantic meal, but if you’re going to do it, THIS is the place.
Ordering the Kitchen Sink
Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort harbors a secret.
You probably found out by accident the first time you ate here, presuming that you’ve tried the place.
At some point, a Cast Member will ring the bell, and the entire place will erupt in sirens.
That’s a signal that some customer has ordered the Kitchen Sink, Disney’s most decadent dessert.
You can read the ingredients here, but let’s just say it’s like ordering an entire ice cream store.
Remarkably, the dish only costs $38, which strikes me as a great deal…presuming you’re bringing 15 friends to help you eat it all.
Savannah View or Theme Park View
Sometimes, the view matters more than anything else about the room.
That’s particularly true at a couple of Walt Disney World resorts.
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can book Savannah View, which is probably my favorite.
This room type allows you to watch the hotel’s animals play in their natural habitats.
You can sit in your room in the morning and sip coffee while giraffes and zebras frolic beneath you. It’s incredible!
At Disney’s Contemporary Resort, you can book a room with Theme Park View.
When you have this room, you can stare out your hotel window and watch all the action unfold at Magic Kingdom.
The Theme Park View grows even better at night, as you have an eye-level view of the nightly fireworks.
A view can make all the difference in the world during your visit.
VIP Tour
Here’s the one option that would make most people’s bucket list.
I’ve done this one, and it’s still on my bucket list! Once you have a Cast Member escorting you around the park, there’s no going back.
These so-called Plaids (due to their outfits) have the power to take you to the front of many Disney lines.
Even better, they will chauffeur you from park to park, perfecting your experience by taking away the aggravation of logistics.
Of course, you’re paying several thousand dollars for a few hours of this service, which makes it impractical for many.
There are hacks of a sort available wherein three or four traveling parties can split the costs.
That solution isn’t ideal since you’ll probably work at cross purposes in determining an itinerary, though.
Still, I do think a VIP Tour is $500 or $600 if you can ever find nine people you trust to split the cost with you.
Visiting an International Park
The opening of Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea has reminded Disney fans of something they may have forgotten during the pandemic.
Tokyo Disneyland is arguably the best theme park in the world.
I know that’s a strong statement, especially to diehard fans of Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
However, Disney doesn’t own Tokyo Disneyland. The Oriental Land Company (OLC) does.
OLC officials must build and maintain their parks in a way that earns Disney’s full approval. That’s written in the contracts.
This need to maintain a high standard to satisfy a third party has led to the creation of two epic parks.
Many analysts perceive Tokyo DisneySea as the best individual Disney theme park in the world…and they were saying that before Fantasy Springs!
Now, you’d struggle to name any other park on its level.
For this reason, Disney should aspire to visit Tokyo DisneySea someday as the final checkmark on your bucket list.
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Feature Photo: Disney