Help visiting Disney World, EPCOT etc

Factual Questions
1

I hope someone out there has experience of visiting this place or places.

As part of a much larger visit to the States (I’m a Brit) I’m going to be spending some time in Florida with a friend. Among other things, I thought I’d visit Disney World. However, I find the official website and related sources really confusing. There seems to be a very large family of resorts within resorts, theme parks within theme parks, all something to do with the Disney organisation but with very little clarity. This makes it hard to decide which are the best bits to visit, and how much time I should reasonably allocate to this part of my trip - one day? Five days?

My questions are:

  • Can anyone de-confuse the situation for me, and help me to understand what the Disney World complex (Florida) consists of, and how the different bits fit together?

  • If you have been there, can you provide some opinions about what’s worth seeing and what isn’t, and how many days I should think of allocating?

Two adults, no kids, just looking for aimless amusement and easy fun.

2

I went to Disneyworld last a while ago, but I should be able to provide a basic rundown.

There are four “main” attractions:
Disney’s Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios

There’s also Pleasure Island, but I really only visited there for Disney Quest (I believe it was called) which had a bunch of addicting and creative arcadish games (one with a big walker and such, it’s all very active not sit in a chair and passively shoot tie fighters for a lot of them).

Anyway I went for five days with one other. Four days dedicated to each park (though that quickly changed), and one to pick up the slack or revisit rides I really liked. Unfortunatey, I cannot assure you you’ll have the same experience because a lot of it can rely on the actors (their name for staff because they’re allr equired to put on a show). For example there is a “Safari” in Animal Kingdom, the line is usually freakishly long (even moreso than most lines). We got up early on teh day the park was open early to Disney Resort visitors, and got on straight away and the ride was interesting but it was made wonderful by the driver (or “driver” not sure if it was on tracks or not) and his lovely sense of humor and the feeling he put into the lines he was (presumably) given.

One thing with disney though, be prepared for lines… lots of them. Express passes are very nice, you can use your ticket/pass to get express passes (may be certain ticket types, not sure) which can get you in a much shorter line but most of the time be prepared to wait.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom:

I advise using your discretion on what to visit and not nescessarily taking peoples words for it. Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and the Matterhorn (which is apparantly prepetually broken down for some reason) are fun rollercoasters/rides, if you’re into that sort of thing. Pirates of the Caribbean is probably a must ride (even better if you can convince your friend that “there’s a huge drop coming up after this I read about it”). Small world is one of those rides you have to go on once, even though it will be guarenteed to haunt your dreams until the end of time. You’ll definately want to stay to check out the fireworks or parade or whatever they’re doing now, they’re always wonderfully done.

Don’t overlook some of the kiddier rides though. Roger Rabbit, and a Mr. Toad ride are short, little wait, and hilarious/fun. If you want an acid trip and your dreams to be haunted you can’t go wrong with a Winnie the Pooh ride that is surprisingly good. Sure, they’re a little kiddy but this park is great to bring out the kid in you. And with a friend, you can joke around during the ride and make it even more fun.

There’s also a little star wars ride that’s very amusing to say the elast, and an indiana jones ride that can be fun (or maybe that last one is Disneyland only)

Epcot:
It’s fun, btu i wouldn’t dedicate a day to it. The day we dedicated it was raining so we decided to soak most of it up the 5th and final day, it really didn’t take that long. The ebst part about it really is that you can go to “Germany” and go pick up imported German Chocolates and other conventions, run over to Japan and get some anime, then go to various places and do some rides. I believe Epcot also has Mission: Mars, not for the easily motion sicknessed it is a GREAT experience. It’s allr eally knobs and levers that don’t do anything with a cool show going on around you, but it’s still fun. There’s also a ride that goes on in the “ball” in the center but it’s little payoff for a long wait. i mean it would be fine for no wait time but unless you have a little kid (which you don’t) I don’t advise the ridiculous wait for it. As with the fireworks… the laser light show is amazing. I think I watched it from around Norway.

Animal kingdom:
Not a WHOLE lot to do here, it’s a zoo they vehemently declare is not a zoo. A lot fo stuff is, again, good for kids. THe Safari i told oyu abotu was fun, adn there was a water raft ride that was fun. “A Bug’s Life” (or some show based around it), it was okay, another one of those things not nescessarily good for the amount of waiting required. Adventure Everest? Sadly I went there before it went up, but frome verything i’ve heard is a must go.

Hollywood Studios:
This is, in my opinion, the best park. Rockin Rollercoaster you should probably go on once at least. Not quite as good as Calafornia Screamin in Disneyland in California, but possibly the second greatest disney rollercoaster in terms of technical aspects (as opposed to imaginative aspects in which it is lacking). Muppets 3D and Honey I Shrunk the Audience are amusing escapades. But at night, stay for Fantasmic… no I’m not kidding or suggesting STAY. When I went we got a seat in the second row (and the show was packed by the time we got there) and it was one fo the best shows I’ve ever seen. A+ 5 stars etc.

Stuff that I can’t remember what park it’s in:
Stitch’s Great Escape… okay I have an odd weakness for Lilo and Stitch, sue me. But this show thing is one of the best things ever.

Haunted Mansion, probably in Magic Kingdom but. It’s okay I only saw it a long time ago when I was 5, and when I was a kid I had an abnormaly high fear level, even for that little so i never went back there even though i could probably handle it now. It’s worth checking out at least.

Disney Philharmagic: Best… theatrical show… ever, well not ever second to Fantasmic, but I love that thing so much.

Tower of Terror: I think in Hollywood, this ride is really fun, but if you don’t like that falling feeling, don’t go.

As for resorts, I advise a Disney resort, other ones are cheaper but for some rides and stuff the 1 hour early enterance is a godly boon. I stayed in one that I vaguely recall being '80s themed (or maybe it was just “past” I kinda remember '60s a bit as well), and it was very good, as far as hotels go at least.

I may be forgetting something but I hope it helped a bit.

3

It is well worth your money to buy a guidebook - the ‘Unofficial’ ones can be quite good and are updated yearly - things in the parks change quite fast. The best ones have all kinds of helpful tips about what rides fill up fast, times of day, little things you’d enjoy but might miss if you don’t know it’s available, etc.

Expect to do a LOT of walking. Seriously a lot of walking.

Stay on the grounds - at one of the Disney-owned hotels or resorts - if you can possibly afford it. Being able to get in to the parks earlier is one reason; another is full usage of the internal transportation system throughout the grounds.

There’s really so much available to do that you’ll never be able to do it all. The guidebook can help you narrow things down to your interests. (There are specific things you may want to do, say, if you like trains, or are interested in how the parks work ‘behind the scenes’, or wildlife.)We last went in 2000 and had a wonderful time.

There’s a lot more than just the theme parks and hotels - there are campgrounds, waterparks, shopping areas, theatre, etc that may or may not be included in the price of your ticket/pass. The ticket/pass amenities and pricing vary widely and change often as Disney adjusts to demand and seasonal flow. Be aware of this.

Really, studying up ahead of time and looking at a guidebook or two will make your trip a lot easier and more fun. Enjoy!

4

Ah, forgot another thing. I can’t remember the name of it, but i think it was in Hollywood Studios or Epcot. It was a building with all sorts of nifty inventions, games etc. I’m fairly certain it was like Imagineering Workshop or soemthing, I remember a logo with gears, it was a huge building and was the last thing I did before I went, it was a very, very fun place.

And yes, i agree with GythaOgg, guidebooks can help a lot.

5

Look into a “Park Hopper” pass. This will allow you the freedom to go from park to park at your pleasure. Magic Kingdom is a must. Are you traveling with kids? If so, you should plan on two days there, at least. Epcot, is great, but not great for little kids, one day there should be enough. Stay late for the nightly fireworks show, you won’t regret it. MGM is also a lot of fun and it has a lot of stuff for kids to do.

I’d also recommend staying inside the park, if you can. Downtown Disney has hotels with shuttles to all the parks. If you swing it, look at the Grand Floridian, It’s in the park and quite nice.

6

I highly recommend Steve Birnbaum’s guidebook on Disney. It’s well written and has a lot of tips for first time travelers.

We’ve been to DisneyWorld many times and find new stuff to see and do every single time. We’ve only stayed on the resort once and LOVED it. But if cost is an issue, I wouldn’t let staying off-site be a hindrance. Navigation to and from the parks is very easy and well marked with excellent roadways. Last summer, however, there was quite a bit of construction on I-4 making travel more difficult so you may need to allow a little extra time.

The two biggest hardships I see are people trying to fit every.single.thing into their days at the park. You will do much better to just relax and enjoy what you do see and not try to cram in every single attraction. The second biggest hardship I see is people trying to do too much with kids. If you’re traveling with children, you know their limitations. At the end of the evenings, I can’t tell you how many times I hear hasselled parents and bitchy kids because they just didn’t allow enough time to rest the little ones.

7

Thanks all. That was a great reply, Jragon, full of the kind of clarification and detail I was looking for! Thanks for taking the time. I do intend to stay at one of the Disney hotels, so we’ll be inside the fortress.

Cinehead wrote “Are you travelling with kids?” and Ruby wrote “If you’re travelling with children”, so I guess the final line in my OP just wasn’t clear enough: No children. Just myself and a friend hanging around and seeing what it’s all about.

8

5 days is the absolute minimum.

Go at opening. Take a mid-day break. Go back in the evening. You avoid the most crowded and hottest time of day.

Fastpass is your friend.

Get the Unofficial Guide. One of the authors hangs out here sometimes (Len Testa). Also check out the WDW Today podcast.

Do the Dining Plan. Well worth it. It’s 2 meals & a snack for ~$40/day. But they are big meals; you really don’t need more. My last trip, alcohol was all I paid for outside the plan. And with a bit of research and planning, you can eat good food. Plus, if your going at the right time, Disney may be offering this for free.

If it’s within your budget, I recommend the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

And my favorite thing that tends to get overlooked is the Adventurer’s Club in Pleasure Island. Much fun. Kungaloosh!

If you have time, visit some of the other resorts. Some of them are spectacular.

9

Random other suggestions from my most recent trip (last October).

Go to see the interactive Finding Nemo exhibit in Epcot. It’s a really cool thing, where you can interact with a cartoon character. Trust me, it’s a lot better than I’m making it sound.

Also, at Epcot. For the Fireworks, go to Mexico. There’s a little outdoor restaurant across from the Mayan Pyramid. Grab a seat there early along the lake. When the light show and fireworks begin, you can enjoy them over Coronas, frozen Marguaritas and other Mexican treats.

At the Magic Kingdom, see the Monster’s Inc., comedy club. Pretty impressive and a lot of fun.

Depending on the time of year you go, the Magic Kingdom will have special seasonal parades and theme nights. We were there during their Halloween nights and parades. It’s always well done, don’t miss it.

10

With no kids I think Pleasure Island is a must go. It is basically built for you and your friend and actually while being family friendly - unlike most of the rest of Disney has places that you need to be +18 to enter. Based on my experience you and your friend will feel right at home at DW.

11

Definitely get one of those Disney Guide Books (I took mine out from the library). There is invaluable info in those books. I’ve been to Disney World at least 4 times and that book (Insiders Guide to Disney World?) helped my trip be more organized and thought out. Being that it is a pricey vacation, I also suggest Disney on a Dollar.

Some of the best advice from the books is:

  1. Get there when the parks open. By 11a-12P, the parks are PACKED (year-round). Leave around lunch, come back after 5p.
  2. FastPass IS your friend. Get them early—most are gone by 10A (esp.for the good rides). After they are gone, no more are given away for the day.
  3. Staying at a Disney Resort will give you special privileges like getting into the park one hour earlier or staying in the parks up to four hour later than the other (read Non-Disney resort) guests. Each day it changes (which park) and only Disney Resort guests are privy to the info early.
  4. Try to only eat one big meal a day. Food will bankrupt you in Orlando. I packed food (non-perishables) and shipped to my hotel prior to my arrival (peanut butter, bread, etc.).
  5. Check out this website: www.mousesavers.com. They have discounts on all things Disney. Even have a ticket agent they work with that will give your 10% off your Disney tickets. Yeah, it’s only 10%, but it’s something!

Hope this helps. Definitely get one of the guide. There is a plethora of great advice, hints and helps.

12

On which parks to do when and where to go in them: DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYONE ELSE! Trust me on this. Make you own decision, and realize there’s no bad decisions. But take a look at what’s there via a guidebook. Just skim it and if anything pops out at you, get it.

Magic Kingdom is a little bit more kiddie but it’s also just plain there for fun. Even without the coasters, it’s great to enjoy to Haunted Mansion, People Mover, and the River Safari (or whatever it is.) And those are just the little side attractions, really.

Epcot is a lot more adult and relaxing, but again it’s a slower pace, with more informaive experiences (with some exceptions). With all respect to Jragan, he told you he Epcot was boring. He’s wrong. It’s absolutely fascinating just to walk around and experience things, much less get on the rides I could spend all day just in the arcade section.

The movie park is also nice and a light-hearted way to end your stay if you so choose. You can get a selection of brilliant “informative” stuff and take some incredibly awesome tours, but if you’re less aggressive there’s great fun in seeing things like Muppetvision 3D or Star Tours. It’s all about the movies, love, and like the movies it’s as sedate or exciting as you want it.

I haven’t been to Animal Kingdom, so no comment.

Food is high-proced but for what it’s worth they don’t skimp on portions or quality. If you’re looking for snacks, check out the small cafe in Epcot’s Norway area. Likewise, there’s a small cafe in Da Movie Place called Starring Rolls. Good for a snack or breakfast. It’s more expensive than normal, but OTOH it’s no worse than any other amusement park.

You can get some side entertainment very cheaply. Last I saw, the movie theatre on property was ludicrously cheap (the food, too), For the price of admission, Pleasure Island was an impressive deal. The better tickets include the price of water parks, and some of them have very unique features, like swimming with the sharks at Typhoon Lagoon (no joke!). So you can take the afteroon off and rest, eat, or relax if you want to hit the parks aggressively.

13

We go every other year. When are you going? What do you like to do? Are you a stay up late or a sleep in person? Are you interested in the Disney version of “vaguely educational” or thrill rides.

Dining Plan got much worse this year and I wouldn’t do it (we did it last year when it was a good deal, and didn’t like it), but YMMV. If you plan on sitting down to dinner at Disney you need to make reservations.

My three big pieces of advice for first timers:

1> Disney is huge. Four big parks, two waterparks, 99 holes of golf spread, horseback riding, fishing tours, a standing Cirque show, etc. over 51 square miles. This translates two ways a) Don’t plan on doing EVERYTHING in four or five days (or even a week) and plan on an hour travel time if you need to get from the back of the Magic Kingdom to your dinner reservation in Epcot.

2> Disney is worth planning - it costs a lot of money to walk in and not understand what interests you in terms of attractions - or not being able to eat anything other than a burger because you didn’t know how to make dining reservations or find the good non-burger counter service that is out there. Birnbaums is a nice book for first timers. I like the Passporter (www.passporter.com) I think the Unofficial Guide is overwhelming for first timers (but Len posts here on Disney threads occasionally, and I will say he has some of the best queuing theory work on Disney - hey Len, how about a shorter easier Unofficial Guide for Newbies?).

  1. Understand what it is…it isn’t a huge thrill ride location. It has a bunch of edutainment content and kitsch. Its ‘attractions’ - some of which are rides and some of which are shows and some of which are just experiences - all put in a huge set (the employees are called cast members - call them actors and Disney might get stuck paying them real wages).

try www.allearsnet.com or www.disboards.com (the Disboards will BURN YOUR EYES OUT and make you crave the sense of this place).

14

One thing I will say - we found we enjoyed EPCOT a lot more at night than during the day. That park comes alive in the early evening/nighttime. There are lighted fountains and paving stones and other unexpected effects, and it just seemed to be a lot more fun. It’s almost like a completely different park. And then the laser/fireworks show before closing is pretty good, too.

15

Go to Clearwater. Go to Cocoa Beach. Go to Busch Gardens. Go to Silver Springs. You’re not travelling with children, right?

16

Many people on holiday like to take things easy, get up late, and be spontaneous, but doing so at Disney will almost guarantee that you end up in long lines, miss some great attractions, and as others have mentioned, are unable to eat at the best restaurants. That’s because almost everyone else is trying to do exactly the same thing at the same time.

The key to getting the most out of your Disney trip is learning how to work the system to avoid the crowds, and the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is without question your best resource for doing that. For instance, the parks usually open at least an hour before the nominal opening time, and if you get there first, and go straight to the farthest attractions, then work your way back to the entrance, you’ll miss most of the worst crowding.

It’s a given that you won’t be able to do everything, so it’s important to read about all the attractions, and prioritize the ones that you and your friend are most interested in. Then get to as many of them as you can each day before getting tired, leaving a little time to be spontaneous.

You don’t have to treat your vacation as a commando raid, planning every second of every day. But careful planning and prioritizing can keep you from wasting lots of time in line, ensure you get to the best of the parks, and increase the chance that you won’t come home and find out that you missed the greatest ride in the place.

Have fun.

17

I’ve grown up with seasonal Florida resident passes to Disney and I have gone about 10 times a year for the last 20 or so years.

As noted above, there are 4 main parks: the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

In addition, there are two water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon), four shopping / entertainment districts (Downtown Disney West Side, Pleasure Island, Downtown Disney Marketplace, and Disney’s Boardwalk) and 22 on-property Disney resorts.

It can seem overwhelming, but you can’t really have a bad time. Accept right now that you will not see everything and that that’s OK.

Visit the Animal Kingdom early in the day, because the animals are more active before it gets really hot, and the park itself becomes incredibly uncomfortable later in the day – it has narrow walkways that are hemmed in by trees, so it gets really hot, even for this native. Must-dos: Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Maharajah Jungle Trek and Pangani Forest Exploration Trail (animal exhibits), Expedition Everest, and DINOSAUR.

The Magic Kingdom is better in the afternoon and evening, because it is the park that everyone visits first thing when they get there. Saturday, Sunday, Monday mornings in the Magic Kingdom are just swamped. Capacity at the Magic Kingdom is about 80,000, so keep that in mind when I say “swamped”.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is my least favorite park, because its two big rides are thrill rides (Tower of Terror and Aerosmith’s Rockin’ Roller Coaster). However, the Great Movie Ride’s good for campy fun and Star Tours is simply awesome. Also good are Muppet-Vision 4D and Lights, Motors, Action!. The Hollywood Studios is also good for shopping and dining and has an excellent nighttime show, Fantasmic.

Epcot is my favorite of the parks. It has the best food and the best shopping of any of the parks. Future World has several must-see rides (Soarin’ at the Land, Test Track, Mission Space, and Spaceship Earth), and the World Showcase is the best place to eat in the resort. I recommend heartily the Akershus (Norwegian food), the Biergarten (German), the Teppanyaki Dining Room (Japanese), Chefs de France and Bistro de Paris (French), Restaurant Marrakesh (Moroccan) and the San Angel Inn (Mexican).

Jragon’s getting Disney World confused with Disneyland on a couple of points, though. The Matterhorn is in California, as is Roger Rabbit’s Spin. Also, Mr Toad’s Wild Ride closed several years ago and was replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
General pointers: Try to structure your days so that you are OUT of the parks from around 2ish til 5. Go back to your hotel and swim or watch TV or whatever. Take a break. Then go back in the early evening and stay til close. Do NOT miss the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom and the closing shows at Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Counter service restaurants are everywhere and not too expensive, but in each park pick a table-service restaurant that sounds really good and make priority seating reservations now by calling (407) WDW-DINE – otherwise, you’ll probably not get seated.
If you want more information, feel free to PM or e-mail me. I grew up Disney and am always happy to be an ambassador for the Mouse.

18

You know, having grown up here, I just can’t see the attraction in Clearwater. It’s only 20 minutes to Clearwater Beach from my home, but I don’t see what people see in it.

Silver Springs is pretty, though, and you can’t go wrong with the Space Coast.

19

I worked at Epcot, years ago.

Disney World is the best of the parks, hands down.

It has many attractions. Save Pirates & the Tiki Birds for the afternoon. They are shady & cool, & you can sit down for them.

Don’t buy souvenirs until afternoon. And keep a list of what you want. They have a lot of pretty/shinies to wave under your nose; buy only the best.

The time of year helps. October, February & March are pretty quiet times. Short lines.

20

Much good advice here! A minor point to add - bring your own drinking water to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The water fountains there spray out h2o with just enough sulfur in it to make heat prostration start to look attractive. Blech!! It didn’t help that we were in the Animal Kingdom on the hottest day of our trip to Disney last July. The water fountains in the other Disney parks weren’t great, but Animal Kingdom water was the worst.

The Unofficial Guide is a great place to start looking at Disney. The descriptions of the rides were great! The advice for which attractions to do when looked ot be very useful, but we opted to trade time and waits in line for the flexibility of letting the kids pick where we were going next.