Introducing The Must Do Disney Drinking Game

I have a confession to make: I never got into “Must Do Disney.”

NO WAIT PLEASE DON’T KICK ME OUT OF THE DISNEY ADULT CLUB I CAN EXPLAIN!!!

WHAT IS “MUST DO DISNEY”?

“Must Do Disney” was a show that ran on a special Walt Disney World resort television channel on a continuous loop. It starred a bubbly woman named Stacey who… shall we just quote the lady herself?

You know, there’s a lot of things in life that you must do. But there are only a few of those must-dos that you really want to do—and that’s why we’re here today. We’re going to take you all around the Walt Disney World Resort, park by park, and show you what’s hot and what you must do right now at Walt Disney World. This is Must-Do Disney—let’s go!

Got that? (Side note: Stacey does everything she can to sell it. I couldn’t do her job; I’d immediately be like “This copy is meaningless!” and get fired.)

Basically it was a sort of on-site only, condensed version of a vacation planning video. In twenty-odd minutes, Stacey walked the viewer through the highlights of all Disney’s biggest attractions, including all four theme parks, two water parks, and Disney Springs, amongst a smattering of other offerings. Every year or so, when enough aggregate changes had occurred, Disney would cut together an updated version using a combination of old and new footage.

HOW DARE I SUGGEST YOU AREN’T ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH “MUST DO DISNEY”

Sorry, sorry! Although I must say, “Must Do Disney” has a much smaller footprint than I initially thought. I know it’s been off the air for a couple years now, but the way people talk about it, it sounds like a cherished Disney vacation institution.

And for many it is! But for more than I expected, it’s not. In fact, when putting together this post, I asked my Instagram followers if they would care to provide any contributions to a “Must Do Disney drinking game.” Perhaps I should have clarified, but given the rampant love surrounding the show, I assumed the Disney community would know what I was talking about.

Well. Every single reply I received instead assumed I meant I was putting together a list of Must Do Disney Drinks for a bar crawl of some sort. Which also sounds super fun, but not what we’re looking for here.

WHY A MUST DO DISNEY DRINKING GAME?

I said above that I was never a “Must Do Disney” person, but it’s not like I was out there crusading against it. I just never put it on, and the occasional clip or screen grab I ran across never compelled me to put it on.

Given the furor surrounding it even five years after it last aired, I thought it my duty as a Disney Adult to try it out. I thought about giving it the Thoughts While Watching treatment, but I typically prefer that format for vintage media. Anyway, something about that didn’t feel right. Everything was too recent for my brand of Disney anthropology.

And then I hit upon it: a drinking game! Perfect! I would simply watch a whole bunch of “Must Do Disney” episodes, take note of the prevailing leitmotifs, and assemble my drinking game instructions from there.

SO, LIKE… WHAT IS THE APPEAL, EXACTLY?

I’m kidding; know the appeal. It’s the same thing that makes so much of Disney appealing. Let’s say it together! One… two… three… NOSTALGIA.

I lucked out and hit upon the motherlode: a compendium of YEARS worth of “Must Do Disney” episodes – possibly all of them? – rolled into a single YouTube video. Reader, I watch all THREE HOURS AND TWENTY FOUR MINUTES OF IT. And after THREE HOURS AND TWENTY FOUR MINUTES OF IT, I can confidently say: hmmm, yeah. That’s more or less what I would have expected.

Look, I think there are some Disney things that you just have to have been there for… or been at Disney for. You have to be nostalgic for watching this show in the resort. Otherwise “Must Do Disney,” stripped of its context, just feels like an extended commercial. I know this because I myself harbor tremendous nostalgia for an extended commercial. I guess your favorite extended commercial is determined by fate, not intention.

If “Must Do Disney” is YOUR chosen extended commercial, I’m dying to know – do you love it ironically or unironically? And can you quote it? A lot of those episodes clip are in EVERY version; I strongly suspect fans have their favorite quotes and I want to know which.

PICK YOUR POISON (OR LACK THEREOF)

Enough of my dubious commentary; let’s circle back to why we’re all here today. Namely: the drinking game!

The “Must Do Disney” drinking game comes in two guises. They only differ in one way, but that one way is important. To determine which edition you should employ, you must first choose your beverage. Are we drinking to get lit? Or are we drinking to hydrate? (For my runDisney denizens, the latter would be a great way to get your liquids in during race or long run prep!)

If you are drinking alcohol: DO NOT DRINK whenever Stacey says “Must Do.” It’s too much. You’ll die. I am only here to provide the pieces; what you do with the game outside of that is not my responsibility, okay?

If you are drinking water: any time Stacey says “Must Do,” CHUG!

Use the video I embedded above, or select your own from the wilds of the internet. You can take your bathroom breaks during those random interstitials about Minnie Van and Mobile Order. You’ll see.

Only I could employ a solid thousand words of runway just to get to a drinking game. The good news is that we have finally arrived! So without further adieu following, like, a LOT of adieu, I give you…

THE “MUST DO DISNEY DRINKING GAME”

Drink:

• When something extinct is on screen (Example: Primeval Whirl)

• When something is called by its old name (Examples: Downtown Disney, Splash Mountain)

• Whenever you encounter something that used to be free (Examples: FastPass, MagicBand)

• When Stacey shouts NEW!!!! about something old (bad news: it’s all old now)

• Whenever Stacey gets a new outfit (this may be any time her outfit changes or only each time a new outfit shows up in the rotation; dealer’s choice)

• When something gets a refurb (Examples: Test Track, Star Tours)

• Every time a new shop or restaurant gets a Disney Springs highlight

Chug:

• When free FastPass is mentioned

• When Downtown Disney becomes Disney Springs

IN CONCLUSION

Tada! That’s the game! If you’re a “Must Do Disney” superfan from way back, I hope it’s given you a new way to enjoy one of your nostalgic favorites. And if you’re new to Stacey and her must-dos, I hope the game gives you an access point to understanding a key piece of Disney history.

Finally, as a treat for both groups, here’s a bonus Stacey video that came out before “Must Do Disney.” Consider it her audition tape. I’m sure she won’t mind if you drink while you watch it.

Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Threads @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.com. See ya real soon!