Ask Us: Our New Year’s Resolutions

Happy 2019! Can you believe it’s a new year already? With a new year comes all sorts of grandiose plans for how to spend that year. And yeah, most of us have those resolutions fizzle out at some point, but isn’t making them wonderful?

I asked around the TouringPlans HQ to see what our writers, videographers, and all around awesome people have in store for the new year. Here’s what they said.

Rikki Niblett

My New Year’s vacation resolution is to do something I started this year. I would like to explore more of the world and do things I’ve never done before. (Also, I’d like to not wait for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for hours . . . but I think that’s wishful thinking. :wink:)

Liz Mangan

In the New Year, I’m hoping to try new (to me) things (except Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which I’m staying far, far away from in 2019 in the hopes that crowds eventually die down a little). Almost every trip, I visit my favorite restaurants, attractions, shows, and shops, leaving little room for expanding my horizons. This year, I hope to ditch that creature of habit . . . habit. I want to stay in a resort I’ve never called home, dine in restaurants I keep putting off in favor of my regular go-tos, and revisit attractions and shows that I’ve skipped over during every trip in recent memory. Oh, and there’s also the matter of triumphing over my husband in Fantasia Fairways Miniature Golf Course. Here’s hoping 2019’s my year!

James Rosemergy

Like many of us, my resolution for 2019 is to try to break out of my usual routine and try to experience some things I don’t do as often. Don’t get me wrong, some things have firmly established that they can be safely skipped–I’m not going to ride Barnstormer on a childless trip purely in the interest of doing something I don’t regularly do. But I do find that I tend to triage things the same way on most trips, which means that some very worthy experiences often don’t make the cut. For example, I haven’t even experienced the new Mission Space, because I always prioritize the other headliners, and I’ve missed out on some of the new snacks around Walt Disney World because I don’t want to miss the opportunity to get yet another Dole Whip. At a minimum, I WILL be trying some of the loaded tots at The Friar’s Nook in Magic Kingdom (probably on a race weekend so I can feel OK about the decision)!

Joseph Matt

In 2019 I’m checking off a big item for me theme park wise: SeaWorld Orlando! When I was little, when we visited WDW we never went to SeaWorld because my parents would point out we had SeaWorld Ohio 40 minutes away. I’m excited to ride all the coasters (including riding my 200th coaster), checking out the food options, and seeing all the animal exhibits. In a more general sense, in 2019 I’m going to get more fit after I gave up going to the gym years ago due to time other obligations. Over the years I’ve realized how much being fit helps tour parks, from better sleep patterns to more stamina.

Angela Dahlgren

I want to explore Universal Orlando more this year. Last year, I really only had time to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but not much else. This year, I want to really give the Uni parks a chance and see what they have to offer. Disney-wise, I want to try a new resort or two, finally visit during the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, and do a Disney Cruise!

Julia Mascardo

The big item on this year’s list for me is doing a family trip to Disneyland. I’ve been solo, and my husband and I have been in the pre-kid days, but time for Lily to have her first Best Week Ever experience West Coast style with her mom and dad. I’m also hoping that this is the year I get to see Happily Ever After from the front of the castle. I see it every night from the backyard, I’ve seen it from the resorts, and I’ve even seen it from Tomorrowland–but I’ve never made the time to go to the parks, camp out somewhere around the hub, and see it there.

Which of these resolutions sounds the best to you? Got anything you think we should add to our lists? Let us know in the comments.