When, where, or what starts your WDW vacation for you?

[RollTideMickey]

I know your vacation starts when you actually leave your home. My question is when, where, or what do you see that starts your WDW vacation??

The place that always kicks off my WDW vacation is when I get off the plane at MCO airport. Walking into the main lobby area I always go into the Earport disney store, for some reason it always gets me in the mood for my vacation!

[wallfan329]

For me it starts a couple of day before our trip down with a deep cleaning of the van, putting all my stuff to do on the 2 day drive down in my little area and making sure it is organized and packing for the trip.

[smith913]

It really starts for me once I walk in Pop Century and check in! I always say, "I'm home!" Then, I just get goosebumps!! I'll never grow up and never get tired of that feeling!!

[britney05]

Always once we land at MCO and we're walking down to check into the Magical Express...and the cast members there, and the ride with the cute little video on the way and then the Welcome sign just as you enter WDW!

[edwardsfire]

I have always considered the "start" to be when i see the Walt Disney World sign along the 4 freeway.
And then of course when we go under the official sign upon entering WDW property.

[Serkazong]

Man that's tough....

• Mentally, as soon as I turn on the 'out of office assistant' for my e-mail at work I consider my self on my way to WDW.
• Physically, as soon as we get the wave from the DME cast member with the big Mickey glove @ the airport, I count us as officially there.
• Philosophically, I have never really come back to the real world since my first trip!

[bigthundermicky]

At the risk of repeating what many have and I'm sure will mention, the start of our WDW vacation is passing through the Walt Disney World marquee style signs. My wife and I always look at each other and take a deep breath and realize where home.

[NC_WDW_Daddy]

The I-95 welcome area rest stop with free OJ and grapefruit juice.

[SnowCinder82]

mine always starts with THE BIG clean out of my car, and getting everything situated, pillows, games, coolers, it used to be a big hassle with getting CD's organized too, but thank goodness for iPods. (and there is only my husband and I lol)

but secretly i love getting the car ready, it also gets a super wash!

[msufan]

What a great question! As soon as the plane touches down at Orlando airport. I start getting all "giddy" and I am a 48 year old kid. Walk to Magical express and see the cast members. I bust out my Mickey Mouse Ears and board the bus. The rest of the vacation is one big Disney rush!!

[BamaJenn]

We always kick off our trips with DtD. We check-in and head right over and spend the afternoon/evening there, shopping and walking. This year we're especially psyched because my husband wants to check out the new RC "build-a-bear".

[JNota0005DakMC]

For me it really depends...

When i was younger we used to stay at a holiday inn near international drive... and we used to drive from NY to Fl. My trip began the first disney billboard i saw... whether it be

• the Tower of Terror board of the broken elevator
• the Epcot center sign
• the welcome to Orlando on I-95

Now that i fly... it begins

• when i get on the plane... hey i know where we are headed!!!
• when i get off and feel at home at MCO
• seeing the cast members waving mickey hands
• and believe it or not the video on the ME buses

[dcbush12]

For me it really depends...


Now that i fly... it begins

• when i get on the plane... hey i know where we are headed!!!
• when i get off and feel at home at MCO
• seeing the cast members waving mickey hands
• and believe it or not the video on the ME buses

I completely agree!!! i love seeing the cast members at the airport! and that old lame ME bus video just gets me all excited

[dcbush12]

but when we drive I really start getting excited when the street signs start changing colors

[trickster]

For us, it's the day before when we get the train to the airport and stay at the Radisson Hotel (within Manchester Airport) over night before flying to Orlando with Virgin Atlantic!!