End of Trip Traditions?

[DisneyFansInNYC]

We too start and end our trip at MK. We love the People Mover too - usually ride it several times each trip. Our family does those questions as well - usually on the ride home as we usually drive to DW. Favorite Meal, favorite ride, favorite day, what would you do again, what wouldn't you do again, etc. We all just love all things DW and agree with PPs about crying when we leave.

 

[dobtia]

We don't have a mandatory starting park because MK always has a late night EMH on Wednesday when we go in June. That is a must. We always start that morning going right through tomorrow land.

Our last day is always at MK no matter what. It is normally a Sunday and we hit rope drop and go left. We get so many rides on Splash and Big Thunder. We work around around to Haunted Mansion and then towards Columbia Harbor House for lunch. We finish up with a few fastpasses in Tomorrowland. Our last ride is always Buzz. It was a ride we always enjoyed from our first trip. Then a few pictures and a stroll down Main Street. A slow turn and wave not goodbye, but a slow wave until next time.

 

[Statefan17]

We closeout our vacation at MK. We take that final ride on Splash Mountain then head towards Main Street and stop in the Confectionary to pick up some sweets to take home. It's always difficult to walk out of the park and know the vacation is over.

 

[kmv]

When we go we normally end with a morning at MK and after lunch head back to the resort and hang by the pool. Take a quick shower and catch ME to the airport.

 

[hedberg1661]

All we really do have is "First Flight In and Last Flight Out" FFI/LFO! This way we get a full day on both arrival and departure days.

This is what I try to do as well. Maximizing on my travel days is one of my favorite things to do.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

I get up, pack the truck, go for a walk around the resort and wait for the family to get up. As we drive under the sign on Western Way I cry a little and put on some Disney music to listen to on the long ride back to reality.

 

[JessicaW1234]

We have a nice breakfast and then I cry on the ME back to MCO as I watch that video on the bus

 

[ljmclin]

Like so many, our last day involves a morning visit to MK before we start the 10hr trip home. We usually drive so we can leave whenever. We take out time at MK, take a picture at the entrance to the park with a picture of the castle in the back ground, load up on snacks with all of our extra snack credits and then head home. I always take a picture of my kids as they walk out of MK to put on the back of the photo book I make with the caption "See ya next year!"

This is a great thread. I love reading all the fun traditions!

 

[mara429]

We always spend the day in MK, and go to Epcot at night. We get ham and cheese croissants at Les Halles, watch Illuminations, and then walk the long way around WS back to BWV.

 

[GillianP1301]

We've always done Ohana breakfast on our departure day and the last two years my son has cried through most of breakfast (some tears from me too!), so this year I've decided to move that breakfast up to earlier in the trip so we can truly enjoy it and our last morning will be a couple of hours in MK FP'ing our favourite rides before heading to the airport. I'm sure there will still be some sadness, but I'm hoping with running around quickly to a few attractions we'll have less time to think about it then we did while we sat in Ohana waiting for Stitch to come to our table.

 

[Rachystar]

We were just talking about this, we end our trip at MK and our last ride is Pirates. It has been a tradition since I was in the CP and would go to MK after work. However, AK has 11pm-1am EMH while we are there so we might head over there if we have the energy. We decided this trip we would drive(from Texas). We knew the trip home would be sad so we have added a few nights in New Orleans on our drive back. Something to keep us in vacation mode as we drive 11 hours.

 

[Pmlocke]

My wife and I travel to WDW every year, the last 5 trips have been without kids or grandkids. We have started a new tradition of ending our trip. As usual we get up and have breakfast at the Intermission Food Court of the ASMusic where we always stay. I always have the Bounty Breakfast so I always announce that I won't have this breakfast until the next year. We always arrange to leave for the airport late in the evening, giving us another full day and I make arrangements to have a late checkout so we have the room until the ME bus come to take us to the airport. We then go to the Magic Kingdom after we have finished breakfast. No rides and we never leave Main Street. We usually go throught the shops one more time and then sit in one of the rocking chairs to watch the people. Around 1 PM we get up, walk to the middle of Main Street and say goodbye to the Magic Kingdom and we thank Walt for his dream. We are both usually in tears at this point, thank goodness a big strong retired firefighter like me is wearing shades. We take the bus back to the resort, get into our bathing suits, grab a lunch and dine and laze at the pool until it is time to leave, usually around 4 PM. Get on what we call "The Bad Bus" to get on a plane and head back to Michigan and start planning our next trip.

 

[bladiator]

I also usually end up at Epcot at the end of the trip. It's my favorite park, and I usually have a late flight out, so we'll just mill around for half a day, do a ride or two, have lunch at Sunshine Seasons (has great memories dating all the way back to ye olde honeymoon), and then walk around WS eating this or that until I finally say to my wife "eh, I think I'm finally done here." And then we get in the car and leave. And then a couple days later I wonder how I left so easily.

Unlike someone earlier in the thread, we turn around a number of times and get yet ANOTHER Epcot ball picture that looks exactly like every other one for 8 years, lol.

 

[katt789]

We always start & end at MK
Goal is always to stay til the kiss goodnight if not the absolute latest we can. Biggest tradition is to head up into the train station an just take it all in, saying thank you to Walt & goodbye to the park.

 

[DisneyFive]

Our actual departure day has varied a lot. Anything from a hurried trip to a park before we need to get back for the Magical Express, or swimming at the resort.

Our last FULL day is Magic Kingdom though, just like for others. It tends to be a slower, "go with the flow", type of evening spent visiting our favorite attractions and taking everything in for one last time that trip.

Dan

 

[MaryKatesMom]

It's so fun to read what others do to end their WDW trips!! Thanks for sharing, Dis friends!

I'm also glad that I'm not the only one who suffers from Disney Depression!

I agree! Nice to know you are not alone!

We stay BC or YC and have early evening/late afternoon flights so a last morning is EPCOT the earliest possible lunch at Le Cellier. Those warm rolls and a couple of glasses of wine are a tradition with the DH getting the onion soup.

The DH is neurotic about being at the airport 2 hours before boarding so we end up getting there 3 hours earlier.

 

[Farps]

We are breaking tradition this year, we usually end with MK. But this year our last day of the trip will be on 5/27 so we will spend our last day in AK, EMH in the morning and at night.

 

[Scubee]

Thank you all for sharing. I always love these types of threads.

Our flight out is usually around 4-5pm. So we are up and at it early hitting rope drop at either MK or Epcot (usually MK), favorite rides, favorite foods, and grab our snacks to go. My to-go snack is the Confetti Popcorn from Main Street Confectionery. Plus, there's always the slow walk back to the front of the park.

But here's are true end-of-trip tradition: We take our "leaving photo" - we stick our our lower lips and make the saddest faces we can. It's almost like making fun of the sadness. When we look back our trip photos, we always check out our leaving photos.

 

[wdwlver]

Last dinner is always ohana and last night is spent at MK. We usually sleep in the next morning and maybe go for a last swim in SAB before ME picks us up.

 

[Parker Clan]

We end at Epcot. It's our fave Park and we love Illuminations! Gotta end the trip watching that. We usually get a delicious sorbet in France and chill and watch the fireworks.
99 days!!!