Here's my definitive Disney Guide for anyone interested
I made it for my cousin and his 9 year old daughter for their trip last Summer. I tried to delete anything outdated....I hope this helps..it gives a lot of details about all of the rides and everything...
******Some of this is out of date, including the stuff about e-ride night and EMH. They've changed the rules now, but the concept is the same*****
Walt Disney World Guide.
I know you’ve been here before and know some of the rides. I don’t know which you know, so I’m going to give a synopsis for all of them.
The best guide money can buy is The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger.He gives you the real deal and every detail about Disney. There are also detailed park touring plans for each of the parks. He rates every restaurant, ride and hotel.
Extra Magic Hour : Disney Resort Guests are allowed into a specific park one hour prior to general opening each day. Not all attractions are open, but the ones that generally have the biggest lines will be open, so you can avoid the long lines later in the day!!! The resort buses start running about 1 hour prior to this early open time. When you walk through the gate and see all of the non resort guests waiting to get in, you’ll be so glad you stayed on property and came for the extra magic hour. Note: The bus starts running 1 hour prior to this time.
I usually plan my trips around extra magic hour. Check with Disney, but if memory serves (and this is also subject to change, so check with guest services, although the dates have remained the same since my first trip in Jan 2003). They’ll also give you a guide at check-in that will list these.
[list deleted. these have changed to now include evening hours which replace e-ride nights]
[I also have info about the value resorts, but they were staying at PO, so that's what's in here]
PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER:
Recently redone and gorgeous. We stayed in Building 4, which was closest to the main buildings and the bus stops (we requested at check in to be close to the main building). We found the resort to be peaceful and quiet all the time. We had a standard view room which overlooked a beautiful, peaceful garden.
The pool is open until midnight and has a fantastic dragon waterslide. It’s one of the best pools on property. There’s also a cool alligator statue with an umbrella. If you push a button, he’ll shower you off.
One of the best things about staying on property is that instead of driving you can take the Disney bus system. There are two bus stops to the right as you’re exiting the front of the main building. The first stop has buses for Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon and Downtown Disney. The second station has buses for the Magic Kingdom and MGM Studios. They’re clearly marked, so you don’t need to worry. You can always take the bus back. The run until 2 hours after the parks close and they will never strand you, so you can stay until park closing and take your time shopping as you exit!
Other transportation tips: If you want to go to Downtown Disney (Shops, nightclubs, a huge movie theatre and an arcade), there is a boat from the resort.
If you go to Epcot, in the world showcase near France at International Gateway, there’s a boat that goes to MGM Studios. You pass the boardwalk resorts and it’s very pretty and a fun ride!
You can take the monorail from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom and vice versa.
There’s a refillable mug you can buy in the resort food court for $11.99. You can fill up the mug as many times as you want as opposed to constantly paying for drinks. We’ve found it’s worth it.
***-not to be missed!
The Magic Kingdom
Food: If you want to have breakfast in Cinderella’s castle you need to call 1 407 WDW DINE at exactly 7am exactly 90 days before you want the priority seating. This is the best character meal there is and features the princesses. If you want another meal in the castle (without characters) Lunch and Dinner and good food and the atmosphere of the castle but MUCH easier to get. Also, if this is not available you can get a similar breakfast at the Akershus restaurant at the Norway pavilion at EPCOT. This features only princesses and is also great. (There are both pricey at about $22 for adults, $16 for children)
Fast Food at the Magic Kingdom: I recommend Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café for cheap, quick lunch and dinner (burgers, chicken sandwiches, etc). There’s a really funny animatronic alien who sings songs and tells jokes. We love to go there.
ATTRACTIONS:
Adventureland:
Swiss Family Treehouse: Basically you climb up stairs and look at the treehouse. Nice panoramic view of the park though.
Jungle Cruise: Slow moving boat ride , similar to the safari at Animal Kingdom, but with fake animals and corny jokes. The line for this is usually really long so use fastpass. We went on it once and thought it was pretty stupid, especially considering you can do a real safari at Animal Kingdom, but kids tend to like it. I FAR prefer the safari at animal kingdom (REAL animals) and I think Julie would too.
Magic Carpets of Aladdin: Similar to Dumbo, loads slowly so lines can get long.
Enchanted Tiki Birds: Features Iago from Aladdin and Zazu from the Lion King. Funny, gets you in the air conditioning. Wait time is usually pretty short. It’s a little creepy/scary, but not too bad. It’s not usually at the top of my to-do list.
**Pirates of the Caribbean: Slow moving boat ride with pirate scenes. Mildly scary, a few skeletons, some cannonfire, overall fun. The line can get long and boring, but it’s indoors.
Frontierland:
**Splash Mountain: Looks like a standard water flume ride from the outside, but it’s very kid friendly and lot of fun on the inside. The drop looks a lot scarier than it is, and basically the ride is colorful, musical and a lot of fun. There are 3 smaller drops to warm you up before the big drop. I encourage you to try it. It features Brer Rabbit and the song “Zip a Dee Do Dah!” Doug HATES anything that drops and I convinced him to go on it and he loved it. I think Julie can definitely handle it.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Small coaster with no inversion or corkscrews. You feel a few drops in your stomach. This is probably ok for Julie. I can’t ride it anymore because it’s very jerky, so I don’t recommend it if you have back or neck problems.
Country Bear Jamboree: bears singing country music. The music is cute. Another one not at the top of my to do list, but Julie might like it. A lot of the southern people like it and actually sing along because they know the country music.
Tom Sawyer Island: Fun boat ride, caverns and caves. A good place to go to have some iced tea and relax and get away from the crowds. Nothing really special about it though. Time is better spent elsewhere.
Liberty Square:
The Hall of Presidents: Somewhat educational, but utterly boring. (In other words, a nice 30 minute nap). I’d skip it. There’s a better attraction at EPCOT’s American Adventure.
***The Haunted Mansion: Julie loves this, as do I. The line usually moves pretty quickly. You don’t usually need fastpass, it’s a very fast moving attraction.
Fantasyland:
It’s a Small World : Will be closed until March 2005 for a much needed rehab.
Peter Pan’s Flight. This line is always outrageous. Get a fastpass and then get on line for another fantasyland attraction and come back to it. Or, if you’re doing an e-ride nite, do it then.
***Mickey’s Philharmagic: An AMAZING 3D Show. THE best I’ve ever seen. It’s utterly delightful and not at all scary (as some of the others are). It’s a bit loud at times. You usually won’t need fastpass for this as the theatre takes in 500 people every 12 minutes. If you do get a fastpass for this attraction, note that the time between then and when you can get another fastpass is usually shorter. Also, if a group has just gone in ahead of you (i.e the line has moved) you can sit down once it stops moving. It won’t move again for 12 minutes.
*The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Almost always a long line. Use fastpass. Worth the wait though, great attraction.
*Snow White’s Scary Adventures: Not really so scary. Kind of creepy. No fastpass, but the line always moves more quickly than the posted standby time. Also keep in mind that this ride closes about an hour before fireworks (they launch them from here) so be sure to see it early in the day.
Mad Tea Party: Spinning tea cups. Slow line. Fun to do BEFORE you eat.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant: Classic Disney, but nothing more special than what you can do at a fair at home. If you’re desperate to go on it, Go during the parade or fireworks when the line will be more bearable. I find it worth it as it’s the classic Disney attraction.
Mickey’s Toontown Fair
Mickey’s House: You walk through Mickey’s House on an enormous line to meet him.
Minnies House: Cute stuff inside. Minnie’s hardly ever there.
Hall of Fame: Lots of characters. Just beyond the entrance it’s posted what characters are there. You can also get a guide at City Hall to find out what characters will be where and when throughout the park.
Goofy’s Barnstormer: Never been on it. MILD coaster. Kids like it. VERY short. 21 seconds. Not worth the wait.=, but you could see how Julie does on this and then move on to Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road. If she does well on that, then she can try Space Mountain, and if she does well on Space Mountain, she may like Rock’N’Rollercoaster.
Donald’s Boat: A playground. Probably too young for Julie.
Tomorrowland:
Space Mountain: Coaster with drops but no inversions. Can be a little scary. Proceed with caution. Most grade schoolers love it. There are two tracks…as you’re walking in and you get close to the loading area, you see a pole and you can go right or left. Go RIGHT for the milder ride. The left sid just makes me sick
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway: Cars on a track. They go 7mph. You must be 52” tall to drive, but a parent can hit the gas while the child steers. Loads very slowly, but is usually pretty empty at night.
Astro orbiters: Like Dumbo, but high up enough to be scary for some. Nice view of the park
Carousel of Progress. It’s a 20 minute animatronics show in a rotating theatre. It tracks the American family from the turn of the century to the future. I really like it. Kids may find it boring but it’s 20 minutes in a comfy chair in air conditioning. It loads 94 people every 4 minutes.
The Timekeeper. 360 degree movie with animatronics. You stand for 20 minutes. It loads 1,000 people every 20 minutes, so the wait is short. I get tired of standing through the show and it’s not that interesting, except that the robot is voiced by Robin Williams and you can see 360 degrees around you back to medieval france, etc.
**Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: REALLY fun game/ride. You ride in a car and shoot targets along the way. It’s fun and addicitive. No one ever gets the controls right the first time so you have to ride it again. The line moves quickly and is ALWAYS faster than the projected wait time (even when the posted wait time was 30 minutes, I’ve never waited more than 10 minutes). This si fun to ride over and over again on e-ride night.
Stitch’s Great Escape: This attraction is scheduled to open in September and it may be previewing while you’re there. It replaced a VERY scary Alien ride, which they took down because it was just too scary. I’m assuming that since this is stitch related it won’t be scary. Id’ recommend going on it if you can.
**Tomorrowland Transit Authority (entrance right under astro orbiter) Slow moving ride on magnetically controlled cars. Goes all around tomorrowland. VERY underrated and never crowded. You get to see all of tomorrowland including the inside of space mountain (so Julie can see it and decide if she wants to go on it), the inside of buzz lightyear and of the store, mickey’s star traders. I really love this, and it gets you off of your feet and into the shade, which is always good.
ENTERTAINMENT:
There’s a walking, talking trash can who sometimes walks around tomorrowland.
**Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration: Great show in front of the castle at various times during the day (See Times Guide for details). Features all your favorite Disney characters. A must see. Also some of the characters come down afterward to take photos and sign autographs.
Sword in the Stone Ceremony: A ceremony with merlin several times a day in front of the carrousel. It’s fun if you happen to be there, but I wouldn’t wait around for it.
***Wishes fireworks. The new fireworks show is INCREDIBLE. It’s best seen from in front of the castle or on the bridge to tomorrowland. It’s GREAT! Much better than the previous show. It lasts 14 minutes. PS: Look at the upper right side of the corner at the beginning for everyone’s favorite fairy!
***SpectroMagic: Light parade ; Another must see. You can watch it from anywhere. If you want to leave the park right after, position yourself on main street toward the exit. Unlike the daytime parade, it starts at the foot of main street and heads toward the castle, so if you’re closer to the foot of main street (by the park exit) you’ll not only finish seeing the parade first, but you’ll be close to the exit.
**Share a Dream Come True Parade: They’ve actually pared down this parade but it’s still great and features many characters. You can watch it from anywhere. It starts in/near frontierland and ends at the foot of main street by the park exit. If you’ve already seen the parade, don’t see it again, use the time to go on rides that usually have long lines.
There are also fife corps and other singing groups who appear on main street throughout the day. I think you can check on Main Street for the times.
At 5pm daily there is a flag retreat.
Also, if you stay at the park and leave at closing (after the last fireworks or parade) mickey is standing outside on the platform of Main Street Station waving goodbye. I think it’s a nice touch, and always puts a smile on my face.
EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, for you trivia buffs)
EPCOT is divided into two vastly different sections, Future World, and World Showcase. You need at least a day and a half, I think, depending on how much you want to savor and absorb. Use a map. It’s not as logical to navigate as the magic kingdom.
Future World has most of the rides and most of the futuristic and educational stuff.
When you first walk into Epcot after getting off the bus, straight ahead you’ll see these giant marble walls (for a price you can put a photo or message on there, Doug and I have a photo)… Beyond that you’ll see ***Spaceship Earth, a giant geodesic sphere resembling a golf ball. There’s actually a ride inside the golf ball, a fact I find pretty amazing in itself. The ride is an educational trip through time, examining the history of human communication. I really love it. At the top you get a really beautiful view of the earth and sky on the inside of the top of the sphere. It’s really lovely. This ride loads constantly so no matter how long the line is, it’s always moving. Many people head straight for this ride when coming into the park. It’s usually open late, so it’s best to save it for after you’ve seen all of the big ticket attractions. It’s a Disney classic and not to be missed. There are rumors that they will take it down.
Innoventions: On either side of spaceship earth, two semi circular buildings make up innoventions (east and west) They have some video games some interactive play areas and new technology. We’ve breezed through. It might be stuff up Julie’s alley. We haven’t been there recently.
Near Innoventions West (the one on your right as you enter) there is a little igloo called ice station cool. It actually snows in there! It’s not really an attraction, but it’s a great way to cool off and inside you can try international sodas for free!
The two big ticket attractions at EPCOT are Test Track and Mission:SPACE
*Test Track puts you in the position of a crash test dummy. You head off in a test car and go up hills, do rough road patterns and even brake tests (it’s all done automatically, you just sit there). There’s also a fun part at the end when it goes pretty fast along the outside of the ride building. I think Julie can handle this. The lines get very long. Head straight to it early in the morning or get fastpass.
**Mission:Space is an intense simulation ride that simulates blast off to and landing on mars. It uses spinning motion to simulate blastoff and zero gravity. It’s VERY cool. You can get motion sickness, but basically you won’t if you follow the directions. Look straight ahead, don’t look from side to side, don’t close your eyes, etc. It’s also not good if you are alustrophobic as you’re in a pretty enclosed space. They warn you a lot. The warnings scared me, but as long as you follow the directions you should be fine. I usually feel sick on body wars and star tours (other simulation rides) but this one really wasn’t so bad. Is it for Julie? Maybe. I’ve been on it with 7 year olds who were on it by themselves, I’ve also been on it with adults who banged to get out before the ride even started, so it’s all a matter of perspective. There’s nothing that jumps out at you or is frightnening, but there is a weird weightless feeling and you do feel a bit disoriented, or slightly dizzy when you get off.
Universe of Energy: Ellen’s Energy Adventure
This entire thing is 45 minutes. There’s a 10 minute pre show..if you come in the middle of it, don’t worry, you didn’t miss much. The whole ride is a lesson about energy. It’s got some boring stuff at the beginning and end, but in the middle you get to go through some really cool environments with dinosaurs. I’m divided on this one. I don’t think it’s worth the time it takes.
The Living Seas: Go when you have time to linger. If I remember correctly there’s a short movie and then you take an elevator ride below to the exhibits. It’s like an aquarium. I’ve heard they’ve improved it since the last time I was there and added some Finding Nemo stuff/
The Land: Some of the attractions here are closed. I believe “Living with the Land” is open. It’s an indoor boatride through Disney’s own greenhouses. It tells you about how Disney grows their own vegetables, etc. It’s ok, but missable if you don’t have a lot of time.
Imagination Pavillion:
Journey into the Imagination with Figment: Corny little ride about using your imagination. It’s fun and enjoyable though. There’s also a cool exhibit after where you can play with photo programs and other computer stuff.
IN the same building is **Honey I Shrunk the Audience, an intense 3D show. It’s a lot of fun, but can be kind of intense. You get shrunken down to miniature size, and there’s also a really scary but short graphic of a lion’s head. Other than that it’s a lot of fun. I think Julie can handle it. If you get scared on a 3-d show, just remove the glasses. If this is too intense for Julie, don’t let it discourage her form seeing Mickey’s Philharmagic at the Magic Kingdom, there’s nothing scary about that one.
WORLD SHOWCASE:
World Showcase opens at 11am. It consists of 11 pavillions which go all the way around a big lake. There’s a boatride that cuts across the lagoon about halfway around, so if you get halfway and get tired, you can cut some walking.
--At world showcase they have something called “characters on holiday” where characters come around to dance and sing and meet and greet. I’ve never personally seen this, so you have to ask at guest relations
-- They also have something called kidcot funstops. Kids make crafts and add to them at each pavilion. It’s educational and fun, and the kids get to find the stop and see the different cultures at each pavilion. They also sell little passports that the cast members in each country will stamp.
It’s usually best to start at one side and work your way around. We sometimes get tired and do half, then take the boat back (there’s a boat at germany, which is about halfway across that takes you back to future world, where you can go to the exit). In a counterclockwise direction…
Also, make sure you go into each pavilion. They’re all several streets and buildings and more than you can see from the outside.
Canada: There’s a movie here called O! Canada! I’ve never seen it. What’s cool about Canada is a great kilt wearing celtic rock band called **Off Kilter. I actually have all their CD’s. Kids love to dance to their music. They’re funny and upbeat. See the Times Guide for showtimes.
United Kingdom: There’s a cool store here with Winnie the Pooh, some pretty English garden and a band called the British Invasion who do Beatles covers. It’s funny, though I don’t think Julie would appreciate it as much.
France: They have a cute comedy show here called “le Mime Roland” he does shows on the streets (see times guide for details) and is very funny. Other than that there’s a model of the Eiffel tower and a movie about france, which I’ve never seen, but heard is ok.
Morocco: They have a cool market here, a restaurant and you can often meet Aladdin and jasmine. Not much else to report.
Japan: A great pavilion. They have drumming ceremonies every so often, great food, bonsai trees and a really cool gift shop with lots of neat Japanese stuff.
**United States Pavillion: Here they have the show “the American Adventure” It’s an inspirational patriotic show. It’s not bad. Before the show, right in the building they have two singing groups, one is called Voices of Liberty. They’re really phenomenal. They sing 15 minutes prior tp the posted showtimes for the American adventure. If you want, you can just see the singers and leave, but the American adventure show is good, and it’s a nice break to stop, sit in air conditionaing and relax for 26 minutes, to recharge for the rest of the way around the pavilions.
Italy: The have nice shops here. It really feels like you’re in Italy. I’;ve seen the old entertainment, but not the new one. Check the times guide for details.
Germany: They have a model town and train set, which is pretty cool and a store that sells hummels. It’s pretty, but there’s not much else to do. In the biergarten restaurant they have yodeling, folk dancing and the like. There’s a boatride here back to Future World.
China Pavillion: There’s a Movie called “the Wonders of China”, which they say is good. It’s a 360 degree movie on screens all around you.I never spend time watching the movies to tell the truth. The atmosphere is pretty with reflecting pools, etc.I got a really nice parasol here for $12 at one of the street stands. It really helped keep the sun off of me. They will write your name in Chinese on it for free. Also, if you can catch it, there’s an amazing acrobats show a few times a day. Really worth seeing. You can also meet Mulan here sometimes
Norway: Home of the Maelstrom, a boatride through Norway. A little creepy, but pretty fun. There’s a giant gnome in the gift shop. You can take a cute picture with him. You can use fastpass for this ride.
Mexico: You can go inside the temple for a bustling flea market. There’s also a Mexican restaurant with gorgeous theming. There’s a ride called “el Rio del Tiempo.” The first scene (which is the sky and volcano you can see from the flea market and restaurant) is very pretty, but the rest is disappointing and mostly looks like travel videos. It completely glosses over any Mexican culture it says it’s portraying. If I were Mexican, I’d be offended. Go into the temple, see the marketplace and the sky with the volcano, skip the ride.
And that’s the end of World Showcase.
Don’t forget, Near france you can take a bridge and walk down international gateway to a boat that goes to MGM Studios. Don’t forget to get your hand stamped on the way out, you’ll need it to get back into the parks.
Nighttime entertainment: There’s a fireworks show called “Illuminations: Reflections of earth” it’s shot from the lagoon and features a large moving, glowing globe. I thought it was ok, and best viewed from the path near the entrance to world showcase. It’s always raved about. I think there are better things to do at night, especially for kids. I’d skip it.
Disney-MGM Studios
I love this park, and I can usually do it in a few hours. It’s a little confusing to navigate, but the good thing is that the thrill rides are on their own separate part of the park and they draw a lot of crowds there.
**Rock N Rollercoaster: This is a real indoor coaster with loops and corkscrews. It’s very smooth and you hardly notice you’re going upside down. It plays aerosmith music in the background. Doug had never gone on a rollercoaster before and he loved it.
Tower of Terror. It’s like freefall, but you go up and down several times and the doors of the ‘elevator’ open so you can overlook the park. It’s fun, but it’s very intense and there are some scary images inside. I love it, Doug finds it terrifying, so I think it’s probably too intense for Julie.
**The Great Movie Ride- located right behind the large sorcerer mickey hat in a replica of mann’s Chinese theatre, this is one of MGM’s classic rides. It takes you through the sets of classic movies such as fantasia, singin in the rain, the wizard of oz, etc. I think it’s really a lot of fun. You get to sit, which is good, and it’s full of fun surprises. The wait is usually about 25-30 minutes, but it’s a fun line. First you get to see artifacts from movies (including mary poppins’ carousel horse), and then you watch clips from the famous movies you’ll experience in the ride.
***Beauty and the Beast—live on stage; this is a s20 min stage show that they do in the theater of the stars. It’s amazing. I really loved it and I know Julie loves beauty and the beast so she’ll go nuts over it. Buy some ice cream and get there 15-30 min before the show starts. It’s Broadway quality!
The Magic of Disney Animation: it’s a tour through the now defunct animation studio. The tour hasn’t changed, although it is no longer a working studio. They made lilo and stitch there, so you can see some artifacts from that, but it’s disappointing. Julie may find it interesting, I thought it was pretty boring, except for the fact that you learnt o draw a character at the end, which is fun.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid – use fastpass – it’s another live stage show, this time indoors. It’s not nearly on par with the beauty and the beast show, but it’s good.
Playhouse Disney-live on stage- I’ve heard this is good, but I’ve seen it, and it’s probably too young for Julie.
*Walt Disney Tour- I don’t know what this is called. It’s near the little mermaid. You get to see all kinds of artifacts and costumes dealing with walt Disney and his movies. At the end there’s a movie about walt, but you can skip it. There are models of all of the castles at all of the parks, which is cool. They installed this for the 100 years of magic celebration and kept it!
*Studio Backlot Tour; The line moves quickly. You usually just have to wait for the next show. It starts with a special effects demonstration, which is cool. Then you go on a bus looking through the MGM backlot, which isn’t usually a working studio, but you get to see movie props from famous movies, and you get a peek into the costume shop and the prop shop. I never miss it!
Who Wants to be a Millionaire-Play It! It’s a replica set of the game show and you can play for points and pins and a Disney cruise. Julie would find it boring because the questions are aimed at adults.
Sounds Dangerous- The lights are turned out and you listen to a story played out in sound effects on your headphones. It’s hosted by drew carey. It’s not very interesting.I’d skip it.
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular- A classic. It’s a 30 minute stunt show, where they play out some scenes from Indy films. I think it’s pretty fun.
Star Tours: Star Wars themed simulation ride. You’re flying through space, avoiding meteors and comets, etc. I can’t go on it anymore..it’s very jerky. It can also make you kind of queasy.
*Jim Henson’s MuppetVision 3D. Very cute 3d Show starring the Muppets. It’s remote from everything else, which is annoying, but it’s really cute and funny.
Honey I Shrunk the Kids movie set adventure- playground with giant blades of grass and legos, as if you’ve been shrunken.
Entertainment:
*****The evening show at MGM is called Fantasmic! It is worth your park ticket all by itself. It’s a 30 minute show given once or twice a night in an outdoor amphitheratre. You HAVE to get there at least an hour early, so bring your dinner and a game to play. It’s a great show where mickey fights villains and good wins over evil. EVERY Disney character shows up in this show. It is one of the best things at Disney world and THE best thing at MGM. Don’t miss it!
The day parade is called “Stars and motorcars” I’ve only seen parts of it. Disney characters in classic cars. It’s cute.
Every so often they also have characters around the sorceror’s hat. Check the times guide for details.
Dining: The Prime Time 50’s café isa fun sit down place for lunch or dinner. It’s like being in a 50’s kitchen where “mom” tells you to set the table and makes you eat your veggies. If you misbehave, you have to sit in the corner. It’s a hoot, but it’s not for shy people.
ABC Commissary is the best place to eat at MGM. The lines are long, but there are usually tables and it’s always nice and cool. They have fast food, but it’s cheap and high quality. They have great, inexpensive kid’s meals, which we get when we want a filling snack.
Animal Kingdom
I find animal kingdom is BEST on the early hour day because you can get a LOT done in that early hour and be out of the park by noon. Everything here is spread out, so be prepared for the heat.
Be on the lookout for a talking tree near the entrance!
Nature Trails: There are trails all over the place here. See them if you have time. Not unlike the Bronx zoo, but it feels a little more “natural”
***It’s Tough to be a Bug – located inside the “tree of life” Definitely do this during the early hour or get fastpass. The line is interesting though. There are hundreds of animals carved into the tree surface. It’s a 3D show based on “a bug’s life.” It’s a bit intense as it portrays large bugs and you do feel a bit creepy crawly. I think it’s really great, though I’ve seen young kids run screaming out the door.
***Kilimanjaro Safari; This is the other must-see at animal kingdom. You hop into a bus and go on a “safari” You get to see a lot of different animals , pretty close up. I LOVE IT!
Rafiki’s Planet Watch; You take a train to get here. There are a lot of conservation themed things here. It’s very ahdns on and there’s a petting zoo called the “affection section.” You can also go to veterinary labs. It seems like a lot of fun. I’ve never had a chance to do it, and it seems to be aimed at kids julie’s age.
*Kali River Rapids: Standard rapids ride with an asian theme. It’s fun, but the line is impossible unless you get there early and get a fastpass.
Flights of Wonder: It’s a bird show, I’ve never seen it
Dinosaur: A pretty scary ride. It’s basically like being in the movie Jurassic Park. You’re in the dark with t-rexes growling and in your face.
Primeval Whirl _ Really fun kiddie coaster across form dinosaur. It spins and goes up and down. It’s really cute.
Tarzan Rocks: tarzan stage show. I’ve heard it’s pretty bad.
**Festival of the Lion King: It’s a really fun live show with all of your Lion King favorites. It has colorful costuming, audience participation and cool acrobats!
Pocahontas and her forest friends: This is a 12 minute Pocahontas show. I know nothing about it, but I’ve heard it’s good..
Entertainment: Animal Kingdom closes early, so it has no night entertainment, at 3:45 it has “Mickey’s jamming jungle parade” I’ve never seen it, but I’m sure it’s comparable to the other daytime parades.
*I usually don’t spend a lot of time at AK. I do the safari, the rapids, the 3D show, and maybe dinosaur and primeval whirl and the lion king show. Rafiki’s Planet watch seems like something Julie would enjoy.
Dining: I don’t know much about the food here, though I have eaten at the rainforest café twice. It’s really too pricey.
Other stuff: Since you have a package you have access to a lot of extras including the water parks and downtown Disney
Typhoon Lagoon_ Fun water park with giant wave pool, slides, a lazy river and the famous shark reef.
The slides here are milder than at blizzard beach though I went on one and it hurt my back, so I didn’t go on any more.
There’s a whole beach area with chairs and umbrellas surrounding the enormous wave pool (stake out a spot as soon as you get there).
The shallow part of the wave pool is fun. The part closer to the waves is very intense, and I don’t even like it, even though I’m a great swimmer and I love the ocean.
**In the shark reef, you put on a snorkel and swim across a 7ft deep pool that has all kinds of tropical fish and baby sharks (totally harmless) and rays. I had fun taking photos with a disposable water proof camera. They have life vests. This is a good time for Julie to test out those swimming lessons.
Blizzard beach: I’ve nevr been there, but it has the faster, more intense slides, and the highest water slide in the world, summit plummet.
Downtown Disney: Great restaurants and shops for EVERYthing you could ever want or need.
On the West Side there’s a place called Disney Quest, where they have all kinds of video games and some creative stuff, like create-a-toy and learning how to draw Disney characters. Doug loves it for all the video games, but since the FL kids are home from school it will be mobbed (as in wall to wall teenagers). I don’t think it’s really that amazing. We had more fun in the hotel arcade.
Other tips: We bought a foam cooler for $3 in target and we filled it with ice at the hotel and kept bottled water that we’d bought in it. We also kept any leftover food we had form meals in it. A fridge in the room costs $10 a night. We found the cooler much more cost effective, and we used it to bring souvenirs home in on the plane. The food court has a microwave. We also brought mini muffins and granola bars so everytime we were hungry we didn’t have to go spend a fortune on Disney food.You get a coffee pot in your room at Port Orleans, unlike some of the less expensive resorts.
Always use the extra magic hour whenever possible. You can get more done in that one hour sometimes than 4 hours at another time. E-ride nights are another time when you can get a lot done. For example, when we went in June, we came for the early hour and one hour after that, and then for the e-ride night and we did everything that we wanted to do 3 or 4 times. On our last day we spend the whole afternoon in the magic kingdom and only went on 4 rides, so it really makes a difference. Also, bring a poncho and waterproof shoes. There are a lot of thunderstorms in FL. A lot of people vacate the park when it rains. If you stay, sometimes you can have the park almost to yourselves. One night, EVERYONE left and there were a lot of puddles but no lines at all. Most rides are indoors and they only close the 3 mountains in a rain storm for safety, everything else remains open. They also blow over. By the time you’re out of the 12 minute philharmagic show or 26 minute carousel of progress, it’ll probably have passed over. I don’t know why people leave!!! But if you can brave the rain (especially at night..people always leave because they figure the park is closing soon anyway…) you can get on a lot of rides with minimal waiting time!
Merchandise-Pal Mickey is this $60 talking mickey that tells you pak info, jokes, wait times, etc. We haven’t bought one b/c it’s too expensive.
One thing e have bought are the Magical Moments Pins. They came out for the 100 years of magic celebration and have gotten increasingly high tech. They are $15. They light up at certain times on certain rides (in certain colors, pertaining to what’s going on) so you feel things are really interactive. You can also play games on the new ones, so it can occupy Julie on long lines.
I hope you have lots of fun! Disney is my favorite place on earth and I hope I can go back soon too! If you have any questions, let me know. If you want to borrow my books (now outdated…I don’t buy the new ones now that I’m a Disney expert) or see some of the recent maps I have to plan your trip, let me know. Also, when you come back, you can tell me all about the Disney Cruise, because I’m definitely not an expert on that and Doug and I want to go someday when we’re married and rich ?
Have Fun! Say hi to Mickey! And my favorite Princess Snow White!
******Some of this is out of date, including the stuff about e-ride night and EMH. They've changed the rules now, but the concept is the same*****
Walt Disney World Guide.
I know you’ve been here before and know some of the rides. I don’t know which you know, so I’m going to give a synopsis for all of them.
The best guide money can buy is The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger.He gives you the real deal and every detail about Disney. There are also detailed park touring plans for each of the parks. He rates every restaurant, ride and hotel.
Extra Magic Hour : Disney Resort Guests are allowed into a specific park one hour prior to general opening each day. Not all attractions are open, but the ones that generally have the biggest lines will be open, so you can avoid the long lines later in the day!!! The resort buses start running about 1 hour prior to this early open time. When you walk through the gate and see all of the non resort guests waiting to get in, you’ll be so glad you stayed on property and came for the extra magic hour. Note: The bus starts running 1 hour prior to this time.
I usually plan my trips around extra magic hour. Check with Disney, but if memory serves (and this is also subject to change, so check with guest services, although the dates have remained the same since my first trip in Jan 2003). They’ll also give you a guide at check-in that will list these.
[list deleted. these have changed to now include evening hours which replace e-ride nights]
[I also have info about the value resorts, but they were staying at PO, so that's what's in here]
PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER:
Recently redone and gorgeous. We stayed in Building 4, which was closest to the main buildings and the bus stops (we requested at check in to be close to the main building). We found the resort to be peaceful and quiet all the time. We had a standard view room which overlooked a beautiful, peaceful garden.
The pool is open until midnight and has a fantastic dragon waterslide. It’s one of the best pools on property. There’s also a cool alligator statue with an umbrella. If you push a button, he’ll shower you off.
One of the best things about staying on property is that instead of driving you can take the Disney bus system. There are two bus stops to the right as you’re exiting the front of the main building. The first stop has buses for Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon and Downtown Disney. The second station has buses for the Magic Kingdom and MGM Studios. They’re clearly marked, so you don’t need to worry. You can always take the bus back. The run until 2 hours after the parks close and they will never strand you, so you can stay until park closing and take your time shopping as you exit!
Other transportation tips: If you want to go to Downtown Disney (Shops, nightclubs, a huge movie theatre and an arcade), there is a boat from the resort.
If you go to Epcot, in the world showcase near France at International Gateway, there’s a boat that goes to MGM Studios. You pass the boardwalk resorts and it’s very pretty and a fun ride!
You can take the monorail from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom and vice versa.
There’s a refillable mug you can buy in the resort food court for $11.99. You can fill up the mug as many times as you want as opposed to constantly paying for drinks. We’ve found it’s worth it.
***-not to be missed!
The Magic Kingdom
Food: If you want to have breakfast in Cinderella’s castle you need to call 1 407 WDW DINE at exactly 7am exactly 90 days before you want the priority seating. This is the best character meal there is and features the princesses. If you want another meal in the castle (without characters) Lunch and Dinner and good food and the atmosphere of the castle but MUCH easier to get. Also, if this is not available you can get a similar breakfast at the Akershus restaurant at the Norway pavilion at EPCOT. This features only princesses and is also great. (There are both pricey at about $22 for adults, $16 for children)
Fast Food at the Magic Kingdom: I recommend Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café for cheap, quick lunch and dinner (burgers, chicken sandwiches, etc). There’s a really funny animatronic alien who sings songs and tells jokes. We love to go there.
ATTRACTIONS:
Adventureland:
Swiss Family Treehouse: Basically you climb up stairs and look at the treehouse. Nice panoramic view of the park though.
Jungle Cruise: Slow moving boat ride , similar to the safari at Animal Kingdom, but with fake animals and corny jokes. The line for this is usually really long so use fastpass. We went on it once and thought it was pretty stupid, especially considering you can do a real safari at Animal Kingdom, but kids tend to like it. I FAR prefer the safari at animal kingdom (REAL animals) and I think Julie would too.
Magic Carpets of Aladdin: Similar to Dumbo, loads slowly so lines can get long.
Enchanted Tiki Birds: Features Iago from Aladdin and Zazu from the Lion King. Funny, gets you in the air conditioning. Wait time is usually pretty short. It’s a little creepy/scary, but not too bad. It’s not usually at the top of my to-do list.
**Pirates of the Caribbean: Slow moving boat ride with pirate scenes. Mildly scary, a few skeletons, some cannonfire, overall fun. The line can get long and boring, but it’s indoors.
Frontierland:
**Splash Mountain: Looks like a standard water flume ride from the outside, but it’s very kid friendly and lot of fun on the inside. The drop looks a lot scarier than it is, and basically the ride is colorful, musical and a lot of fun. There are 3 smaller drops to warm you up before the big drop. I encourage you to try it. It features Brer Rabbit and the song “Zip a Dee Do Dah!” Doug HATES anything that drops and I convinced him to go on it and he loved it. I think Julie can definitely handle it.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Small coaster with no inversion or corkscrews. You feel a few drops in your stomach. This is probably ok for Julie. I can’t ride it anymore because it’s very jerky, so I don’t recommend it if you have back or neck problems.
Country Bear Jamboree: bears singing country music. The music is cute. Another one not at the top of my to do list, but Julie might like it. A lot of the southern people like it and actually sing along because they know the country music.
Tom Sawyer Island: Fun boat ride, caverns and caves. A good place to go to have some iced tea and relax and get away from the crowds. Nothing really special about it though. Time is better spent elsewhere.
Liberty Square:
The Hall of Presidents: Somewhat educational, but utterly boring. (In other words, a nice 30 minute nap). I’d skip it. There’s a better attraction at EPCOT’s American Adventure.
***The Haunted Mansion: Julie loves this, as do I. The line usually moves pretty quickly. You don’t usually need fastpass, it’s a very fast moving attraction.
Fantasyland:
It’s a Small World : Will be closed until March 2005 for a much needed rehab.
Peter Pan’s Flight. This line is always outrageous. Get a fastpass and then get on line for another fantasyland attraction and come back to it. Or, if you’re doing an e-ride nite, do it then.
***Mickey’s Philharmagic: An AMAZING 3D Show. THE best I’ve ever seen. It’s utterly delightful and not at all scary (as some of the others are). It’s a bit loud at times. You usually won’t need fastpass for this as the theatre takes in 500 people every 12 minutes. If you do get a fastpass for this attraction, note that the time between then and when you can get another fastpass is usually shorter. Also, if a group has just gone in ahead of you (i.e the line has moved) you can sit down once it stops moving. It won’t move again for 12 minutes.
*The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Almost always a long line. Use fastpass. Worth the wait though, great attraction.
*Snow White’s Scary Adventures: Not really so scary. Kind of creepy. No fastpass, but the line always moves more quickly than the posted standby time. Also keep in mind that this ride closes about an hour before fireworks (they launch them from here) so be sure to see it early in the day.
Mad Tea Party: Spinning tea cups. Slow line. Fun to do BEFORE you eat.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant: Classic Disney, but nothing more special than what you can do at a fair at home. If you’re desperate to go on it, Go during the parade or fireworks when the line will be more bearable. I find it worth it as it’s the classic Disney attraction.
Mickey’s Toontown Fair
Mickey’s House: You walk through Mickey’s House on an enormous line to meet him.
Minnies House: Cute stuff inside. Minnie’s hardly ever there.
Hall of Fame: Lots of characters. Just beyond the entrance it’s posted what characters are there. You can also get a guide at City Hall to find out what characters will be where and when throughout the park.
Goofy’s Barnstormer: Never been on it. MILD coaster. Kids like it. VERY short. 21 seconds. Not worth the wait.=, but you could see how Julie does on this and then move on to Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road. If she does well on that, then she can try Space Mountain, and if she does well on Space Mountain, she may like Rock’N’Rollercoaster.
Donald’s Boat: A playground. Probably too young for Julie.
Tomorrowland:
Space Mountain: Coaster with drops but no inversions. Can be a little scary. Proceed with caution. Most grade schoolers love it. There are two tracks…as you’re walking in and you get close to the loading area, you see a pole and you can go right or left. Go RIGHT for the milder ride. The left sid just makes me sick
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway: Cars on a track. They go 7mph. You must be 52” tall to drive, but a parent can hit the gas while the child steers. Loads very slowly, but is usually pretty empty at night.
Astro orbiters: Like Dumbo, but high up enough to be scary for some. Nice view of the park
Carousel of Progress. It’s a 20 minute animatronics show in a rotating theatre. It tracks the American family from the turn of the century to the future. I really like it. Kids may find it boring but it’s 20 minutes in a comfy chair in air conditioning. It loads 94 people every 4 minutes.
The Timekeeper. 360 degree movie with animatronics. You stand for 20 minutes. It loads 1,000 people every 20 minutes, so the wait is short. I get tired of standing through the show and it’s not that interesting, except that the robot is voiced by Robin Williams and you can see 360 degrees around you back to medieval france, etc.
**Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: REALLY fun game/ride. You ride in a car and shoot targets along the way. It’s fun and addicitive. No one ever gets the controls right the first time so you have to ride it again. The line moves quickly and is ALWAYS faster than the projected wait time (even when the posted wait time was 30 minutes, I’ve never waited more than 10 minutes). This si fun to ride over and over again on e-ride night.
Stitch’s Great Escape: This attraction is scheduled to open in September and it may be previewing while you’re there. It replaced a VERY scary Alien ride, which they took down because it was just too scary. I’m assuming that since this is stitch related it won’t be scary. Id’ recommend going on it if you can.
**Tomorrowland Transit Authority (entrance right under astro orbiter) Slow moving ride on magnetically controlled cars. Goes all around tomorrowland. VERY underrated and never crowded. You get to see all of tomorrowland including the inside of space mountain (so Julie can see it and decide if she wants to go on it), the inside of buzz lightyear and of the store, mickey’s star traders. I really love this, and it gets you off of your feet and into the shade, which is always good.
ENTERTAINMENT:
There’s a walking, talking trash can who sometimes walks around tomorrowland.
**Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration: Great show in front of the castle at various times during the day (See Times Guide for details). Features all your favorite Disney characters. A must see. Also some of the characters come down afterward to take photos and sign autographs.
Sword in the Stone Ceremony: A ceremony with merlin several times a day in front of the carrousel. It’s fun if you happen to be there, but I wouldn’t wait around for it.
***Wishes fireworks. The new fireworks show is INCREDIBLE. It’s best seen from in front of the castle or on the bridge to tomorrowland. It’s GREAT! Much better than the previous show. It lasts 14 minutes. PS: Look at the upper right side of the corner at the beginning for everyone’s favorite fairy!
***SpectroMagic: Light parade ; Another must see. You can watch it from anywhere. If you want to leave the park right after, position yourself on main street toward the exit. Unlike the daytime parade, it starts at the foot of main street and heads toward the castle, so if you’re closer to the foot of main street (by the park exit) you’ll not only finish seeing the parade first, but you’ll be close to the exit.
**Share a Dream Come True Parade: They’ve actually pared down this parade but it’s still great and features many characters. You can watch it from anywhere. It starts in/near frontierland and ends at the foot of main street by the park exit. If you’ve already seen the parade, don’t see it again, use the time to go on rides that usually have long lines.
There are also fife corps and other singing groups who appear on main street throughout the day. I think you can check on Main Street for the times.
At 5pm daily there is a flag retreat.
Also, if you stay at the park and leave at closing (after the last fireworks or parade) mickey is standing outside on the platform of Main Street Station waving goodbye. I think it’s a nice touch, and always puts a smile on my face.
EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, for you trivia buffs)
EPCOT is divided into two vastly different sections, Future World, and World Showcase. You need at least a day and a half, I think, depending on how much you want to savor and absorb. Use a map. It’s not as logical to navigate as the magic kingdom.
Future World has most of the rides and most of the futuristic and educational stuff.
When you first walk into Epcot after getting off the bus, straight ahead you’ll see these giant marble walls (for a price you can put a photo or message on there, Doug and I have a photo)… Beyond that you’ll see ***Spaceship Earth, a giant geodesic sphere resembling a golf ball. There’s actually a ride inside the golf ball, a fact I find pretty amazing in itself. The ride is an educational trip through time, examining the history of human communication. I really love it. At the top you get a really beautiful view of the earth and sky on the inside of the top of the sphere. It’s really lovely. This ride loads constantly so no matter how long the line is, it’s always moving. Many people head straight for this ride when coming into the park. It’s usually open late, so it’s best to save it for after you’ve seen all of the big ticket attractions. It’s a Disney classic and not to be missed. There are rumors that they will take it down.
Innoventions: On either side of spaceship earth, two semi circular buildings make up innoventions (east and west) They have some video games some interactive play areas and new technology. We’ve breezed through. It might be stuff up Julie’s alley. We haven’t been there recently.
Near Innoventions West (the one on your right as you enter) there is a little igloo called ice station cool. It actually snows in there! It’s not really an attraction, but it’s a great way to cool off and inside you can try international sodas for free!
The two big ticket attractions at EPCOT are Test Track and Mission:SPACE
*Test Track puts you in the position of a crash test dummy. You head off in a test car and go up hills, do rough road patterns and even brake tests (it’s all done automatically, you just sit there). There’s also a fun part at the end when it goes pretty fast along the outside of the ride building. I think Julie can handle this. The lines get very long. Head straight to it early in the morning or get fastpass.
**Mission:Space is an intense simulation ride that simulates blast off to and landing on mars. It uses spinning motion to simulate blastoff and zero gravity. It’s VERY cool. You can get motion sickness, but basically you won’t if you follow the directions. Look straight ahead, don’t look from side to side, don’t close your eyes, etc. It’s also not good if you are alustrophobic as you’re in a pretty enclosed space. They warn you a lot. The warnings scared me, but as long as you follow the directions you should be fine. I usually feel sick on body wars and star tours (other simulation rides) but this one really wasn’t so bad. Is it for Julie? Maybe. I’ve been on it with 7 year olds who were on it by themselves, I’ve also been on it with adults who banged to get out before the ride even started, so it’s all a matter of perspective. There’s nothing that jumps out at you or is frightnening, but there is a weird weightless feeling and you do feel a bit disoriented, or slightly dizzy when you get off.
Universe of Energy: Ellen’s Energy Adventure
This entire thing is 45 minutes. There’s a 10 minute pre show..if you come in the middle of it, don’t worry, you didn’t miss much. The whole ride is a lesson about energy. It’s got some boring stuff at the beginning and end, but in the middle you get to go through some really cool environments with dinosaurs. I’m divided on this one. I don’t think it’s worth the time it takes.
The Living Seas: Go when you have time to linger. If I remember correctly there’s a short movie and then you take an elevator ride below to the exhibits. It’s like an aquarium. I’ve heard they’ve improved it since the last time I was there and added some Finding Nemo stuff/
The Land: Some of the attractions here are closed. I believe “Living with the Land” is open. It’s an indoor boatride through Disney’s own greenhouses. It tells you about how Disney grows their own vegetables, etc. It’s ok, but missable if you don’t have a lot of time.
Imagination Pavillion:
Journey into the Imagination with Figment: Corny little ride about using your imagination. It’s fun and enjoyable though. There’s also a cool exhibit after where you can play with photo programs and other computer stuff.
IN the same building is **Honey I Shrunk the Audience, an intense 3D show. It’s a lot of fun, but can be kind of intense. You get shrunken down to miniature size, and there’s also a really scary but short graphic of a lion’s head. Other than that it’s a lot of fun. I think Julie can handle it. If you get scared on a 3-d show, just remove the glasses. If this is too intense for Julie, don’t let it discourage her form seeing Mickey’s Philharmagic at the Magic Kingdom, there’s nothing scary about that one.
WORLD SHOWCASE:
World Showcase opens at 11am. It consists of 11 pavillions which go all the way around a big lake. There’s a boatride that cuts across the lagoon about halfway around, so if you get halfway and get tired, you can cut some walking.
--At world showcase they have something called “characters on holiday” where characters come around to dance and sing and meet and greet. I’ve never personally seen this, so you have to ask at guest relations
-- They also have something called kidcot funstops. Kids make crafts and add to them at each pavilion. It’s educational and fun, and the kids get to find the stop and see the different cultures at each pavilion. They also sell little passports that the cast members in each country will stamp.
It’s usually best to start at one side and work your way around. We sometimes get tired and do half, then take the boat back (there’s a boat at germany, which is about halfway across that takes you back to future world, where you can go to the exit). In a counterclockwise direction…
Also, make sure you go into each pavilion. They’re all several streets and buildings and more than you can see from the outside.
Canada: There’s a movie here called O! Canada! I’ve never seen it. What’s cool about Canada is a great kilt wearing celtic rock band called **Off Kilter. I actually have all their CD’s. Kids love to dance to their music. They’re funny and upbeat. See the Times Guide for showtimes.
United Kingdom: There’s a cool store here with Winnie the Pooh, some pretty English garden and a band called the British Invasion who do Beatles covers. It’s funny, though I don’t think Julie would appreciate it as much.
France: They have a cute comedy show here called “le Mime Roland” he does shows on the streets (see times guide for details) and is very funny. Other than that there’s a model of the Eiffel tower and a movie about france, which I’ve never seen, but heard is ok.
Morocco: They have a cool market here, a restaurant and you can often meet Aladdin and jasmine. Not much else to report.
Japan: A great pavilion. They have drumming ceremonies every so often, great food, bonsai trees and a really cool gift shop with lots of neat Japanese stuff.
**United States Pavillion: Here they have the show “the American Adventure” It’s an inspirational patriotic show. It’s not bad. Before the show, right in the building they have two singing groups, one is called Voices of Liberty. They’re really phenomenal. They sing 15 minutes prior tp the posted showtimes for the American adventure. If you want, you can just see the singers and leave, but the American adventure show is good, and it’s a nice break to stop, sit in air conditionaing and relax for 26 minutes, to recharge for the rest of the way around the pavilions.
Italy: The have nice shops here. It really feels like you’re in Italy. I’;ve seen the old entertainment, but not the new one. Check the times guide for details.
Germany: They have a model town and train set, which is pretty cool and a store that sells hummels. It’s pretty, but there’s not much else to do. In the biergarten restaurant they have yodeling, folk dancing and the like. There’s a boatride here back to Future World.
China Pavillion: There’s a Movie called “the Wonders of China”, which they say is good. It’s a 360 degree movie on screens all around you.I never spend time watching the movies to tell the truth. The atmosphere is pretty with reflecting pools, etc.I got a really nice parasol here for $12 at one of the street stands. It really helped keep the sun off of me. They will write your name in Chinese on it for free. Also, if you can catch it, there’s an amazing acrobats show a few times a day. Really worth seeing. You can also meet Mulan here sometimes
Norway: Home of the Maelstrom, a boatride through Norway. A little creepy, but pretty fun. There’s a giant gnome in the gift shop. You can take a cute picture with him. You can use fastpass for this ride.
Mexico: You can go inside the temple for a bustling flea market. There’s also a Mexican restaurant with gorgeous theming. There’s a ride called “el Rio del Tiempo.” The first scene (which is the sky and volcano you can see from the flea market and restaurant) is very pretty, but the rest is disappointing and mostly looks like travel videos. It completely glosses over any Mexican culture it says it’s portraying. If I were Mexican, I’d be offended. Go into the temple, see the marketplace and the sky with the volcano, skip the ride.
And that’s the end of World Showcase.
Don’t forget, Near france you can take a bridge and walk down international gateway to a boat that goes to MGM Studios. Don’t forget to get your hand stamped on the way out, you’ll need it to get back into the parks.
Nighttime entertainment: There’s a fireworks show called “Illuminations: Reflections of earth” it’s shot from the lagoon and features a large moving, glowing globe. I thought it was ok, and best viewed from the path near the entrance to world showcase. It’s always raved about. I think there are better things to do at night, especially for kids. I’d skip it.
Disney-MGM Studios
I love this park, and I can usually do it in a few hours. It’s a little confusing to navigate, but the good thing is that the thrill rides are on their own separate part of the park and they draw a lot of crowds there.
**Rock N Rollercoaster: This is a real indoor coaster with loops and corkscrews. It’s very smooth and you hardly notice you’re going upside down. It plays aerosmith music in the background. Doug had never gone on a rollercoaster before and he loved it.
Tower of Terror. It’s like freefall, but you go up and down several times and the doors of the ‘elevator’ open so you can overlook the park. It’s fun, but it’s very intense and there are some scary images inside. I love it, Doug finds it terrifying, so I think it’s probably too intense for Julie.
**The Great Movie Ride- located right behind the large sorcerer mickey hat in a replica of mann’s Chinese theatre, this is one of MGM’s classic rides. It takes you through the sets of classic movies such as fantasia, singin in the rain, the wizard of oz, etc. I think it’s really a lot of fun. You get to sit, which is good, and it’s full of fun surprises. The wait is usually about 25-30 minutes, but it’s a fun line. First you get to see artifacts from movies (including mary poppins’ carousel horse), and then you watch clips from the famous movies you’ll experience in the ride.
***Beauty and the Beast—live on stage; this is a s20 min stage show that they do in the theater of the stars. It’s amazing. I really loved it and I know Julie loves beauty and the beast so she’ll go nuts over it. Buy some ice cream and get there 15-30 min before the show starts. It’s Broadway quality!
The Magic of Disney Animation: it’s a tour through the now defunct animation studio. The tour hasn’t changed, although it is no longer a working studio. They made lilo and stitch there, so you can see some artifacts from that, but it’s disappointing. Julie may find it interesting, I thought it was pretty boring, except for the fact that you learnt o draw a character at the end, which is fun.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid – use fastpass – it’s another live stage show, this time indoors. It’s not nearly on par with the beauty and the beast show, but it’s good.
Playhouse Disney-live on stage- I’ve heard this is good, but I’ve seen it, and it’s probably too young for Julie.
*Walt Disney Tour- I don’t know what this is called. It’s near the little mermaid. You get to see all kinds of artifacts and costumes dealing with walt Disney and his movies. At the end there’s a movie about walt, but you can skip it. There are models of all of the castles at all of the parks, which is cool. They installed this for the 100 years of magic celebration and kept it!
*Studio Backlot Tour; The line moves quickly. You usually just have to wait for the next show. It starts with a special effects demonstration, which is cool. Then you go on a bus looking through the MGM backlot, which isn’t usually a working studio, but you get to see movie props from famous movies, and you get a peek into the costume shop and the prop shop. I never miss it!
Who Wants to be a Millionaire-Play It! It’s a replica set of the game show and you can play for points and pins and a Disney cruise. Julie would find it boring because the questions are aimed at adults.
Sounds Dangerous- The lights are turned out and you listen to a story played out in sound effects on your headphones. It’s hosted by drew carey. It’s not very interesting.I’d skip it.
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular- A classic. It’s a 30 minute stunt show, where they play out some scenes from Indy films. I think it’s pretty fun.
Star Tours: Star Wars themed simulation ride. You’re flying through space, avoiding meteors and comets, etc. I can’t go on it anymore..it’s very jerky. It can also make you kind of queasy.
*Jim Henson’s MuppetVision 3D. Very cute 3d Show starring the Muppets. It’s remote from everything else, which is annoying, but it’s really cute and funny.
Honey I Shrunk the Kids movie set adventure- playground with giant blades of grass and legos, as if you’ve been shrunken.
Entertainment:
*****The evening show at MGM is called Fantasmic! It is worth your park ticket all by itself. It’s a 30 minute show given once or twice a night in an outdoor amphitheratre. You HAVE to get there at least an hour early, so bring your dinner and a game to play. It’s a great show where mickey fights villains and good wins over evil. EVERY Disney character shows up in this show. It is one of the best things at Disney world and THE best thing at MGM. Don’t miss it!
The day parade is called “Stars and motorcars” I’ve only seen parts of it. Disney characters in classic cars. It’s cute.
Every so often they also have characters around the sorceror’s hat. Check the times guide for details.
Dining: The Prime Time 50’s café isa fun sit down place for lunch or dinner. It’s like being in a 50’s kitchen where “mom” tells you to set the table and makes you eat your veggies. If you misbehave, you have to sit in the corner. It’s a hoot, but it’s not for shy people.
ABC Commissary is the best place to eat at MGM. The lines are long, but there are usually tables and it’s always nice and cool. They have fast food, but it’s cheap and high quality. They have great, inexpensive kid’s meals, which we get when we want a filling snack.
Animal Kingdom
I find animal kingdom is BEST on the early hour day because you can get a LOT done in that early hour and be out of the park by noon. Everything here is spread out, so be prepared for the heat.
Be on the lookout for a talking tree near the entrance!
Nature Trails: There are trails all over the place here. See them if you have time. Not unlike the Bronx zoo, but it feels a little more “natural”
***It’s Tough to be a Bug – located inside the “tree of life” Definitely do this during the early hour or get fastpass. The line is interesting though. There are hundreds of animals carved into the tree surface. It’s a 3D show based on “a bug’s life.” It’s a bit intense as it portrays large bugs and you do feel a bit creepy crawly. I think it’s really great, though I’ve seen young kids run screaming out the door.
***Kilimanjaro Safari; This is the other must-see at animal kingdom. You hop into a bus and go on a “safari” You get to see a lot of different animals , pretty close up. I LOVE IT!
Rafiki’s Planet Watch; You take a train to get here. There are a lot of conservation themed things here. It’s very ahdns on and there’s a petting zoo called the “affection section.” You can also go to veterinary labs. It seems like a lot of fun. I’ve never had a chance to do it, and it seems to be aimed at kids julie’s age.
*Kali River Rapids: Standard rapids ride with an asian theme. It’s fun, but the line is impossible unless you get there early and get a fastpass.
Flights of Wonder: It’s a bird show, I’ve never seen it
Dinosaur: A pretty scary ride. It’s basically like being in the movie Jurassic Park. You’re in the dark with t-rexes growling and in your face.
Primeval Whirl _ Really fun kiddie coaster across form dinosaur. It spins and goes up and down. It’s really cute.
Tarzan Rocks: tarzan stage show. I’ve heard it’s pretty bad.
**Festival of the Lion King: It’s a really fun live show with all of your Lion King favorites. It has colorful costuming, audience participation and cool acrobats!
Pocahontas and her forest friends: This is a 12 minute Pocahontas show. I know nothing about it, but I’ve heard it’s good..
Entertainment: Animal Kingdom closes early, so it has no night entertainment, at 3:45 it has “Mickey’s jamming jungle parade” I’ve never seen it, but I’m sure it’s comparable to the other daytime parades.
*I usually don’t spend a lot of time at AK. I do the safari, the rapids, the 3D show, and maybe dinosaur and primeval whirl and the lion king show. Rafiki’s Planet watch seems like something Julie would enjoy.
Dining: I don’t know much about the food here, though I have eaten at the rainforest café twice. It’s really too pricey.
Other stuff: Since you have a package you have access to a lot of extras including the water parks and downtown Disney
Typhoon Lagoon_ Fun water park with giant wave pool, slides, a lazy river and the famous shark reef.
The slides here are milder than at blizzard beach though I went on one and it hurt my back, so I didn’t go on any more.
There’s a whole beach area with chairs and umbrellas surrounding the enormous wave pool (stake out a spot as soon as you get there).
The shallow part of the wave pool is fun. The part closer to the waves is very intense, and I don’t even like it, even though I’m a great swimmer and I love the ocean.
**In the shark reef, you put on a snorkel and swim across a 7ft deep pool that has all kinds of tropical fish and baby sharks (totally harmless) and rays. I had fun taking photos with a disposable water proof camera. They have life vests. This is a good time for Julie to test out those swimming lessons.
Blizzard beach: I’ve nevr been there, but it has the faster, more intense slides, and the highest water slide in the world, summit plummet.
Downtown Disney: Great restaurants and shops for EVERYthing you could ever want or need.
On the West Side there’s a place called Disney Quest, where they have all kinds of video games and some creative stuff, like create-a-toy and learning how to draw Disney characters. Doug loves it for all the video games, but since the FL kids are home from school it will be mobbed (as in wall to wall teenagers). I don’t think it’s really that amazing. We had more fun in the hotel arcade.
Other tips: We bought a foam cooler for $3 in target and we filled it with ice at the hotel and kept bottled water that we’d bought in it. We also kept any leftover food we had form meals in it. A fridge in the room costs $10 a night. We found the cooler much more cost effective, and we used it to bring souvenirs home in on the plane. The food court has a microwave. We also brought mini muffins and granola bars so everytime we were hungry we didn’t have to go spend a fortune on Disney food.You get a coffee pot in your room at Port Orleans, unlike some of the less expensive resorts.
Always use the extra magic hour whenever possible. You can get more done in that one hour sometimes than 4 hours at another time. E-ride nights are another time when you can get a lot done. For example, when we went in June, we came for the early hour and one hour after that, and then for the e-ride night and we did everything that we wanted to do 3 or 4 times. On our last day we spend the whole afternoon in the magic kingdom and only went on 4 rides, so it really makes a difference. Also, bring a poncho and waterproof shoes. There are a lot of thunderstorms in FL. A lot of people vacate the park when it rains. If you stay, sometimes you can have the park almost to yourselves. One night, EVERYONE left and there were a lot of puddles but no lines at all. Most rides are indoors and they only close the 3 mountains in a rain storm for safety, everything else remains open. They also blow over. By the time you’re out of the 12 minute philharmagic show or 26 minute carousel of progress, it’ll probably have passed over. I don’t know why people leave!!! But if you can brave the rain (especially at night..people always leave because they figure the park is closing soon anyway…) you can get on a lot of rides with minimal waiting time!
Merchandise-Pal Mickey is this $60 talking mickey that tells you pak info, jokes, wait times, etc. We haven’t bought one b/c it’s too expensive.
One thing e have bought are the Magical Moments Pins. They came out for the 100 years of magic celebration and have gotten increasingly high tech. They are $15. They light up at certain times on certain rides (in certain colors, pertaining to what’s going on) so you feel things are really interactive. You can also play games on the new ones, so it can occupy Julie on long lines.
I hope you have lots of fun! Disney is my favorite place on earth and I hope I can go back soon too! If you have any questions, let me know. If you want to borrow my books (now outdated…I don’t buy the new ones now that I’m a Disney expert) or see some of the recent maps I have to plan your trip, let me know. Also, when you come back, you can tell me all about the Disney Cruise, because I’m definitely not an expert on that and Doug and I want to go someday when we’re married and rich ?
Have Fun! Say hi to Mickey! And my favorite Princess Snow White!
