Non-Disney reminders of a Disney Trip

[ransam]

Everytime i go to Steak and Shake i think of DIsneyworld, when i pass by one, i think of Disney. I'll explain.
When i was a little boy we landed in Orlando late in the evening. we were all starving. we couldn't find a place to eat as we were driving down some dark highway, when we came across a Steak and Shake. My dad really wanted to treat us to a very nice dinner, but this was all we could find at the time, so there we went. I remember sitting there thinking, I like Steak. I like Shakes.....and here i am w/ my family, everyone was in a good mood, i had Disneyworld waiting for me the next day, and it was the absolute best dinner i ever had.
so now every time i go on vacation, i go the night before we leave and eat at steak and shakes.
I was just wondering what totally non disney things reminds you of disney.

[MrPeetrie]

The Baltimore House restaurant:

On the last three trips, we have stopped at the Baltimore House for dinner the night before we're set to leave. We ate dinner, talked about the upcoming vacation, before going to The Disney Store for any "last minute things." Now, my DD8 won't let us go there except the night before a trip.

"No! We only go there before a Disney vacation!"

So now we say, I can't wait to eat at the Baltimore House again. It's code for: I can't wait to leave for Disney.

[retiredfigment]

Wow- I am not alone! My daughter and I can be doing something totally non-disney and the next thing I know, something has reminded us of Disney. Too many too mention:)

[AnnaMom]

We LOVE Steak & Shake!! We do not have any of those here in Baton Rouge & we always drive to Disney World so every year it is always a must do for us to stop and have lunch there starting & ending our trip.

[Ms. Mode]

For us it has more to do with the weather and time of day. We are early risers and so we see the early am at WDW just about every day while there.

One Sunday morning my DD and I were crossing the parking lot of our church and she said it reminded here of WDW (blue bird sky and mild temp), I told her I had just been thinking the same thing.:thumbsup:

[T-Belle]

Love this thread! I have many reminders but the strongest is a smell. On a visit to the World years and years ago I took a bottle of peach body spray. Now everytime I use it I'm mentally back at Disney. Funny thing is...it now has the same effect on my adult daughter. Even now it's one of the first things I pack.

[DisneyOtaku]

Two things, really:

1)Waffle Houses. We drive in from Lousiana all the time, and there are Waffle Houses EVERYWHERE on our route (especially in Mississippi...). Anyway, since we leave at 3 am, by the time we hit FL, we are hungry for breakfast, so we usally stop in one and have a really tasty breakfast. (yuuuum, steak and eggs...WH also has the best hash browns)

2)The Florida Welcome Center. When we hit this place on our trip to WDW, my sister and I are usually starting to wake up from the car ride. We will go inside, grab some fresh OJ, and brochers about WDW (because we don't know everything yet, apparently, lol ;) ). I know it's already on out way there, but getting there is like..."yes, this is really happening." :mickey:

[darthmacho]

For us it has more to do with the weather and time of day. We are early risers and so we see the early am at WDW just about every day while there.

One Sunday morning my DD and I were crossing the parking lot of our church and she said it reminded here of WDW (blue bird sky and mild temp), I told her I had just been thinking the same thing.:thumbsup:

I agree with you. There are mornings in the summer that the temperature and humidity are just right, and it I feel like I'm standing in Town Square, looking down a freshly cleaned Main Street towards Cinderella Castle. Yes, for me the weather is the most potent reminder... :mickey:

[TheVBs]

Any kind of road trip reminds me of WDW. I always feel like we should be on our way there. Our favorite zoo has an Africa themed area that is so well done it reminds me of AK. :mickey:

[NewDVCowner]

Here's a really random one.

My firm switched over to a new way of making deposits about a year ago - right when I was about to leave on a trip to Disneyland. While I was going through the training I was also spending probably more time thinking about my upcoming vacation than I should have.:blush: Now, every time I do a deposit for my office (on a daily basis) I think about Disney because, to me, doing a deposit has now been associated with going to Disney. :mickey:

[magicofdisney]

When we eat at Olive Garden and they have their music playing. The music doesn't play every time so it's only on those special occasions. It doesn't just remind me of Disney (Epcot in particular), it makes my heart ache and I want to end my meal knowing I'm visiting the park and not the parking lot. It has nothing to do with the food. It's all about the atmosphere.

[jazzy]

I agree with the summer months reminding me the most of disney. When ever i see A Golden Coral commercial in NY and there aren't any near but i always eat there in florida and the food is amazing.
The strong smell of foliage when it is the most humid reminds me of CB and AK
I could go on and on...............

[AdventurerKim]

When we are in the parking garage by Semolina's, it smells like Mama Melrose's and reminds us of Disney. The smell of warm apple pie is like Philharmagic. In my last car when I'd turn on the a/c, it would smell like the Haunted Mansion. Recently I smelled the burning of Rome from Spaceship Earth when we were out. All happy reminders! :mickey:

[Rayadragon]

Oreos! My family had a chance to stay at the Yacht Club Resort not long after it first opened. On one of our "non-park" days, we wandered around the hotel grounds and came across Beaches and Cream. The place was empty, so my parents decided it was a good time for us to stop and relax. My brother and I wanted sundaes, so our parents said we could order one of the larger sundaes and share it. We all sat at the counter, and the CM gave us our oreo topped treat.

The problem was that I was being a bit of an oreo fiend that day, and kept eating them all instead of letting my brother have some. Since there was no one else there, the CM kept entertaining us and kept adding more oreos to the top of the sundae, with strict instructions to let my brother have some this time. I think the two of us wound up eating more oreos than ice cream.

[brivers222]

standing outside the hockey arenas around the tour bus loading area... sights and smells of disney all the way.

[JesterandJoker]

Usually for Disney trips we go to the airport early in the morning- when it's still incredibly dark outside- so whenever I walk down the street coming home late at night, part of me has a sense that I'm heading for the airport again. ^^

~JesterandJoker

[DisneyMom12]

I have never heard of Steak and Shake, but it sounds good. We are driving for the first time, so I will keeps my eyes open for one, and a Golden Coral.

[Mickey'sIrishPAl]

Anytime we drive to Cleveland from Oil City PA to visit my parents, we have to stop at the rest stop for the little ones. Well, as many of you know that when you stop at a rest stop, the kids can't just go to the bathroom and then get back in the car for the remainder of the trip. The kids want to eat to ( I won't lie, I like to grab a quick something when we are there). So there is 2 parents and 2 kids. One wants Burger King, one wants Pizza Hut, one wants Panera Bread, and I just want a milk shake. Well, I usually don't carry cash with me so I have to take everyone to their individual choice with my debit card and pay for what they want. Makes me think of the food courts at WDW. I always think to myself, "Why can't they just grab their food and meet me in the middle and we can all just pay together like at our Disney resort."

[Mickey'sIrishPAl]

I have never heard of Steak and Shake, but it sounds good. We are driving for the first time, so I will keeps my eyes open for one, and a Golden Coral.

I firmly believe that God helped to create Golden Corral....it's that good.

[DisneyMom12]

I firmly believe that God helped to create Golden Corral....it's that good.

Would you say it's better than Joe's Crab Shack?

[Bethis26fan]

Target bathrooms. They smell just like the disney world bathrooms. :)

[magicofdisney]

Would you say it's better than Joe's Crab Shack?
I've been to both. While Golden Corral is good, it doesn't really compare to Joe's (which I prefer). Golden Corral is a buffet place with many varieties whereas Joe's is primarily seafood.

[mreinventtt]

target bathrooms. They smell just like the disney world bathrooms. :)

i agree!

[Mickey'sIrishPAl]

Would you say it's better than Joe's Crab Shack?

That's a tough one. I've only had Joe's once in Nags Head and loved it. But...GC gets the nod I think. If you walk out of GC still hungry it is your own fault. I mean steak, prime rib, burgers, tacos, fish, salads, desserts, chicken/ BBQ. You name it, they have it and all for one reasonable price.

JCS was very good tho. :thumbsup:

[disneycutie165]

Well, there are 2 for me:
1) Cracker Barrell (restaurant)- I always love eating here because when we went on trips when I was a kid we would drive (we've flown since these 2 trips.). On the way there both times we would stop at Cracker Barrell and eat because my mom knew that would most likely be the most healthy meal I would eat on the whole trip.

2) Airports- I've never flown anywhere besides Disney, and when I was 8 that was the first time I'd ever flown at all. Since I've never flown anywhere else, the airport always gives me a good feeling. If you're in the airport, you know you're going to Disney!

[ryca1dreams]

This will sound bizarre, but going into Cabelas has kind of a Disney-esq feeling about it. It's colorful (if camo counts), the employees always greet you and are very nice, it is clean, there is a pond in front, there is a restaurant inside, lots of "attractions" (guns, boats, clothes, camping gear - I know it's a reach), and always some background music playing. At ours, they play 80s music, which is cool.

If they only had a tram from the parking lot...

[magicofdisney]

One of the post reminded me of this.

When our 4th child was born, the hospital experience was like a Disney vacation. The rooms were exceptionally clean, the staff was super friendly and helpful and everyone was in a good mood. I remember my husband making a comment about how the positive atmosphere reminded him of Disney. There was even background music (lullabies) to add to the ambiance. :)

[Hog]

Would you say it's better than Joe's Crab Shack?

I never ate at Joes, but correct me if I am wrong but Joes isn't a Buffet. Golden Coral is... all you can eat steak, chicken, etc... it is wonderful. I want to go eat there right now! Just go in hungry.