I suppose my SAFD would be one particular WDW memory out of many.
December 31st, 1999. Dawn of 2000.
Me, my girlfriend, and her son were staying at Old Key West in a room I believe I managed to acquire from that relatively new online presence, ebay.
We spent the morning in the room watching the Y2K fireworks on TV from Australia. The Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House lit in Disneyesque fashion.
We got ready and proceeded to the bus stop.
The bus was empty. Evidently the WISE Disney vets had known to get to the park early. Duh?
The driver told us that the vehicle lines to enter the parks were at a standstill. It was around 9 AM, yet there was talk that the parks were CLOSED to any additional guests. Wut? We MAY NOT BE ALLOWED ENTRY?!
My girlfriend was VERY nervous that we wouldn't be allowed in (and would likely kill me.
Like why is it just MY fault?)
Admittedly, I was panicked but I NEVER showed it. I was calm and cool on the outside but on the inside I was devastated that we may not be allowed in Epcot for the Millennium Celebration.
Yes, we were guests at a Disney property but we didn't have tickets yet. DOH! I suck!
We made it to the Epcot entrance and were allowed entry. WHEW!!! I was SO relieved.
Plan B may have been drinking into a coma at Hurricane Hannas and waking up on an IV drip January 2nd.
Once we were allowed in it was OK to park hop without worry. This was good because we had this special Passport that had to be stamped by the end of the year to receive a Disney World pin collection. We still needed MGM Studios (Yes) Stamp so we meandered over there in the afternoon.
It was Y2K hysteria throughout the world so Disney had portable generators and lighting all over the place.
That fizzled out big time but the fear had already been instilled.
We had a fantastic day. We didn't ride many things, the Malestrom, ToT, Spaceship Earth, and a few other favorites but the atmosphere sold it all. This was the end of the 20th Century and we felt fine.
We drank a bit, ahem, and watched the Millennial Celebration near Mexico. (If only Cava Tequila had been around.then!)
Afterwards, around 1 or 2 AM, the Epcot bus depot was a madhouse. Total chaos! It looked like hours before we could get back.
No Uber or Lyft people, though I should have come up with the idea right then and there!
Anyway I said we should try and walk to another resort and get a bus. Hmmm...
During the walk around Epcot I found a wad of cash, I believe it was $186. Bizarre.
We all looked around in the grass for more. Tired as could be but not a bad way to start 2000.
We eventually made it to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort and the wonderful people there gave us a ride to OKW at 3 AM.
A memory I will never forget.
Second place would likely be my first ever marathon in 2007, at WDW of course.
