On an early September morning in 2009, my mom, the kids and I were headed to a pre-opening breakfast rendezvous with our friends from the Hundred Acre Wood at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. We had a small mission before greeting Pooh and the gang. While I snapped away on an empty Main Street USA, my mom made her way to City Hall to inquire about the flag ceremony that afternoon. She caught up to us with a smile on her face and said “Guess who the veteran of the day is today!”
Let me take a minute to mention that there is a lot of speculation on how the veteran of the day is selected. Some say they are chosen at random, in which case, the honoree would need to “look like a veteran.” I suppose this means wearing a hat or tee proclaiming the title or branch of service. I’d also heard that you can inquire at City Hall, which is what we did. It seems this may not be the case anymore, but if you’re traveling with a veteran who’d like to be a part of the ceremony, it certainly can’t hurt to stop by City Hall early in your day. Ours was a surprise for my grampa, so he had no idea how it all came about.
Held each afternoon at 5:00 (time may vary based on other events, inquire at City Hall for schedule changes), the Magic Kingdom Flag Retreat ceremony is a longstanding tradition at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland honoring our veterans. Surrounded by much pomp and ceremony with the inclusion of the band, color guard and even a crowd-sung rendition of “God Bless America,” the event is one to catch at least once during your vacation.
I’d seen it several times before our family was involved. Maybe it’s the patriotic music or those early years as a Marine brat, but it always gets me a little shiny-eyed, if you catch my drift.
We were told to have him arrive at City Hall at 4:30 for the 5:00 ceremony. They did a quick run-through with gpa while our family was given a front row “seat.”
Before the flag retreat festivities begin, the Dapper Dans, the barbershop quartet of Main Street USA, choose a child to lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Wouldn’t ya know, they chose our little Cinderella. Normally somewhat shy and reserved, she jumped at the chance! We were so proud!! She did such a good job saying the Pledge that Cinderella herself sent her a personal invitation to join her and her family for dinner that evening at 1900 Park Fare! Good thing the kids were already dressed for such an occasion. 😉
After the Pledge, the color guard and grampa made their way to the flag…
The color guard lowered the flag and proceeded to fold it for the night and handed it to my gpa. A small percentage of Walt Disney World guests and an even smaller percentage of veterans have this picture, and it’s one of my absolute favorites from the day!!
Once the flag was folded and the crowd sang, we made our way down Main Street USA flanked by Main Street ops cast members. The cast member walking next to the kids and me found our video and YouTube and recognized himself! How fun!
After making our way to gpa was presented with a certificate and exclusive pin, and we took a few family shots as Stitchy, who had slept through the entire ceremony, Main Street Band and all, just started to stir.
It was such an honor for our entire family to be involved with the ceremony and is absolutely a priceless memory!
Love this story! If I am ever there with a veteran, I will definitely inquire about this.
Like I mentioned, the method for choosing the vet probably changes with whomever is on duty that day, but there’s no harm is inquiring. You might just get a yes!
i concur. the best disney memory so far.
So glad we got to do it!