That’s right! This fall, we’re going to Disneyworld for five days! Need to lose weight so I can go to Blizzard Beach (note to self: Whoppers are not on the right track)
I’m so excited. Last time we went, I barely thought of anything else for six months.
I’m so jealous. Disneyworld is my favorite place and “The happiest place on Earth” Epcot Center is super cool. The Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain will forever be my “E ticket” rides.
Have fun and don’t forget Paradise Island where it’s New Years Eve every night!
We went a couple of years ago. Epcot is great! And make sure you get a good seat for the parade and the fireworks. And use the “Fast Pass” feature. No more standing in line!
One of Mr. Pol’s & my favorite places to vacation! When we retire -he wants to work the Jungle Cruise & I’d love to be a Haunted Mansion cast member…
Here’s a couple of tips:
Ask the “engineer” if you can ride in the front of the monorail. If it’s not too busy, they’ll usually let you.
If you’re staying on site - take advantage of it! Head back to the room & take an extended lunch break - your feet will thank you!
Magic Kingdom - Ride the train around the park at least once. It’s another way to rest & refresh, as well as get to the back of the park easily.
If you have some extra $$$ - try one of the following:
Tours: (about 1/2 day “behind the scenes” - LOTS of walking!)
Leave A Legacy Tile at Epcot® (tile holds up to two images) – you get a picture taken which is transferred to a metal tile (about 1.5" X 1") which is then placed on a granite monument at the front of EPCOT. You are latergiven coordinates to find your tile on your next visit.
Yay! I just got back from Disney a few weeks ago and had a fabulous time. If you go to Pleasure Island, be sure to spend some time at the Adventurers’ Club – it’s hilarious and a great way to unwind after a long day of Disney-ing.
I just went in April. I second the Fast Pass idea. Also, be sure to see the light show at MGM Studios. And the Buzz Lightyear ride was an absolute blast!
Me too! Me too! Me too!
Only twenty-eight more days to go! I’m as giddy as a schoolgirl! I can’t contain the exclamation points!
Seriously, I’ve never been to any Disney-- Euro, world, land, cesspool. . . My kids roll their eyes everytime I start the countdown (because they’re both so much more wordly and sophisticated than I am, being 15 and all.)
5 days.
There are seafood joints there, right? 'Cause I don’t want to totally wreck my progress with Weight Watchers.
Waitaminit! What the hell am I talking about! I’m on VACATION and those calories don’t count! Again with the runaway exclamation points!
Woohoo!
I’m
Hey, Biggirl, check out www.wdwig.com. They have tons of information on the restaurants.
As the self-declared “Queen of the Theme Parks” (I have an annual pass, nyah!), I heartily recommend the following:
Restaurants
Great food
California Grill - Contemporary Hotel - expensive but worth every penny in terms of food, service and the view. Top rated restaurant at WDW
Artist’s Point - Wilderness Lodge Resort - damned fine food, again on the expensive side (even as far as the resorts go). Specialties: elk sausage (listed in a local magazine as “elf sausage”), buffalo and rabbit. The salmon was fantastic.
Le Cellier - Canada, Epcot - Not much in terms of decor, but again, great food. Ask for extra pretzel bread and munch on it as you wander around the park.
Mitsukoshi - Japan, Epcot - Teppanyaki dining. Whole lotta good food and one helluva hot grill. Trust me on that last part.
Great theming
Sci-Fi Drive-In and 50’s Prime Time Cafe - MGM Studios - okay food, fun theming.
SFDI - you sit in miniature 50’s style convertibles (some are wheel-chair accessable, but not too much fun for large folks) and watch a 45 minute loop of drive-in movie trailers and concession stand adverts. Food - eh.
50sPTC - you sit at the kitchen table in a retro 50s-style kitchen (very kitchy) and watch food-themed clips from 50s sit-coms and commercials. “Mom” (your server) reminds you to get you elbos off the table, and ‘no dessert unless you finish everything on your plate’. Food - eh. Service - fun.
I’m going to check out Spoodles (Disney’s Boardwalk Resort) and Fulton’s Crab House (formerly the “Lilly Belle”, paddlewheeler restaurant, near Pleasure Island) sometime in the next week or so. Review then.
Live Performances
Epcot - do NOT miss
Off Kilter Canada - bagpipe rock. Get there early for a bench - limited seating.
Taiko Drumming - Japan - really big, really loud drums. Standing outdoor.
Chinese Acrobats - China - kid acrobats - pretty impressive. Standing outdoor.
** Tapestry of Dreams parade** - 20 minute large puppet parade, twice in the evening - cancelled if the winds are over 10 mph. Claim a bench between Norway and Morocco about an hour before the parade, otherwise you are standing or sitting on the pavement.
Some new acrobat trio who can contort themselves in ways that the human body was never meant to - new act - caught this the other day and very impressed. Trust me on this one. I have a backache just thinking about them. Outdoors behind the big fountain.
Animal Kingdom - do NOT miss
Festival of the Lion King - not just a 20 minute retelling of “The Lion King” (but do catch that show at Magic Kingdom) - dancing, acrobats and puppets - the animal costumes were very imaginative, and the choreography is impressive. Semi-indoor covered venue. See the early show - this one fills up fast.
Pochahotas - fun show, catch the animal training sessions if you are in the area (10 minute public viewings - check the schedule for times). Outdoor covered venue.
Tarzan Rocks! - doesn’t. Very underwhelming. Outdoor covered venue.
Haven’t seen the Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade yet - won’t comment on that yet.
MGM Studios - do NOT miss
Beauty and the Beast - 20 minute retelling of the story. Still fun with all your favorite songs and chracters. Outdoor covered venue.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame - better than the movie. See it. Outdoor covered venue.
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular - live-action scenes frm the movies. Fun stuff. Get there early and sit down front to be picked as an ‘extra’, especially if you can scream loudly. Outdoor covered venue. Very popular, FastPass available.
Motorcade of Stars - Disney characters riding in themed limosines, with a hyperactive gossip columnist annoucer (think “arrival of famous stars at a movie premiere”). Outdoors on the main street: claim a piece of the sidewalk an hour before, limited benches (I’ve seen angry words exchanged over claiming a bench)
Got young kids?
Bear in the Big Blue House - haven’t seen this yet, but judging from the number of strollers parked outside the theatre, it’s definitely a popular show with the young 'uns. And it’s indoors and AIR-CONDITIONED!!! That’s a BIG plus this time of year.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid - again, multiple rows of stroller parking indicate the popularity. 20 minute indoor retelling with film clips, live action and black-light puppetry. Crowded, but the A/C and the lasers definitely make you feel like you are underwater. FastPass available (they go quickly.)
Fantasmic - still haven’t seen this yet, but lots of great reviews from friends - Mickey battles all your favorite major Disney villians (Chernebog from “Fantasia” is still my favorite). Lasers and pyrotechnics. Outdoors uncovered venue. Can get very crowded depending on the season.
Magic Kingdom - do NOT miss
The Lion King - puppet retelling of the movie. Fun. Indoor standing/seating. And A/C!!!
Disney Magical Moments - the current “three o’clock parade”. Claim a piece of the sidewalk an hour to an hour-and-a half before the parade. Or skip the parade and hit all the rides, since everyone is 6 people deep on the sidewalks.
Check your schedules for SpectroMagic: if they are running it twice in the evening, catch the later show. It’s less crowded and easier to claim part of the sidewalk.
Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks - get near the Castle on the walkway to Tomorrowland, and you can see Tinkerbelle ‘fly’ overhead. Again, if they run this twice in the evening, see the second show - less crowded.
Ride reviews later.
I’m going during the last week of September! My brother lives in Celebration, so I get to stay there for FREE!
Colin
You poor, poor person. Have fun in your mass produced single serving vacation.
Screech-owl,
Definitely get yourself to Spoodles. I went there for lunch a couple years ago. Friendly service, great food. Do not miss the yogurt based spread that comes with the bread. Wow!
Thank you. I will. And I’m not poor yet; I haven’t bought my park tickets. But thanks for your sympathy. 
Not bragging but just for note, I currently live in Orlando. So if you need some leg work done, let me know. My fingers walk very well, and it isn’t long distance.
I took my kids to Disneyland over Christmas break this winter, so I’ve fulfilled my Duty as an American Parent to take them to a major theme park once during an appropriate time in their childhoods. I can now relax, secure in the knowledge that I will never, ever be required to go to Disney World.
Have fun!
[sub]I am glad that someone enjoys it - for me any major amusement park will always just be “the crowdedest place on earth.”[/sub]
That’s why I’ll never go during the summer. November is a slow month since kids are all in school (benefit of not having children). We walked on nearly every ride or show we went to, and with only a couple of exceptions, no other wait time was more than 15 minutes.
I used to live 5 miles from Six Flags in Arlington, TX, and I would never have dreamed of going in the summertime.
ronincyberpunk, thanks for the kind offer!