6/16/23

No Regerts… well, maybe a few 

June 16, 2033

We’re not the same.

Well, maybe some of us are, but not many. I did not grow up going to the parks. I was a grown man of 40 something when I had my conversion. Sure I went once when I was little, but we did a half-day in Magic Kingdom and a half-day at EPCOT Center, and I don’t remember a ton of it. My trip in 2016 is when my fanaticism was born. Without having been raised going to WDW, I didn’t take for granted the details, the nuances, and the somewhat surprising nature of what the parks had to offer.

It honestly doesn’t bother me in the least that I didn’t grow up going to the “World”, but as my fascination with the vacation capital of the world grew, I learned about many things that I never got to see, hear, or experience. While it is true: what you don’t know, you don’t miss. The more you research and learn about your passion, the more you yearn to see things of the past. So as much as I adore my happy place, here are some attractions, experiences, and restaurants I wish I had gotten to enjoy.

7. Top of the World – No, not that one. While there is still a Top of the World Lounge at Disney’s Bay Lake Tower, next door at the Contemporary where California Grill is situated, there used to be a restaurant called Top of the World. It opened with the Resort in 1971 and even back then it got high marks for its creative menu, its presentation, and food quality. I love California Grill. It is probably my favorite restaurant on property right now, but I would have loved to dine at the OG signature eatery at Walt Disney World!

6. Horizons – When my family visited EPCOT Center in 1986 for a half-day of edutainment, my favorite attractions were the slow moving dark rides. World of Motion, Spaceship Earth, Universe of Energy, etc. I often hear people sing the praises of another dark ride from that park, and that has put it on this list. I have watched old 8mm videos on RetroWDW on Youtube, but ride-through videos (especially when recorded on a potato) do not satisfy my hunger for this long gone attraction. It seems to have its own cult following, even all these years later. Rose-colored glasses? Maybe. But I’d like to make that call personally.

5. Year of a Million Dreams – This was a 2+ year celebration that Disneyland and Walt Disney World promoted from October 1, 2006 until December 31, 2008. It was only planned to be one year long, but the celebration was so incredibly popular that it was extended. Theme park guests could be randomly selected to win prized during this time. The prizes ranged from Fastpasses to a night in Cinderella’s Suite in Cinderella Castle to an entire trip! This time period in the company’s history is often looked back upon with fondness by so many people. I wish that WDW was in my radar back then!

4. Illuminations – This is the first of two experiences that I actually would have gotten to enjoy during my 2016 trip, but we just didn’t make it over to see it. It wasn’t too long after that trip that I started listening to the Illuminations soundtrack pretty regularly and fell in love with the music. Only then did I start to realize what I had passed up on our EPCOT evening, simply because mY fEeT WeRe tIrEd. Ugh. You don’t know what you don’t know, but hindsight being what it is, I am now kicking myself. It will always be the one that got away.

3. The Adventurers Club – While it is no secret that I am not an uber Disney Springs fanatic (although it has been growing on me), I do wish I had gotten to visit the Adventurers Club. This was a nightclub in the Pleasure Island section of what was Downtown Disney at the time. I think I would have enjoyed the whole vibe of Pleasure Island as a whole, but the Adventurers Club in particular would have intrigued me. I love all things “Jungle Cruise” and “Society of Adventurers and Explorers”, and The AC was full of cheeky references and inside jokes. Kungaloosh!

2. The Great Movie Ride – Another one that I just missed. It was open during our 2016 trip, but we never made it over there. Apparently, the kiddos weren’t big fans of it, so we passed it up. I told myself I could see it next time. Next time was December of 2020 and by then TGMR was so much dust in the wind. Being that I’m not a huge fan of MMRR, I definitely feel like I would have enjoyed its predecessor so much more.

1. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights – While this list is not in any order, number one is number one for a reason. I love Disney. I love Christmas. I love music. I love lights. This would have been my jam! Every person I have ever heard talk about the Osborne lights raves about how amazing the whole experience was. I have watched the videos, and while I know they do not do it justice, even those blow me away. If I could pick any one thing from the past to return to Walt Disney World, it would be this.

Well, I’ve rambled on enough about spilled milk. I don’t spend a lot of time bemoaning the past and living in “what could have been” mindsets, but those are the things I wish I could visit but will never get the chance. Sad? Perhaps. But I did get to ride the Magic Kingdom Skybuckets and I have ridden 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, so I have some experiences many of you all may not have. It all equals out in the end, I guess. What attractions do you wish you had had the opportunity to experience?