Disney World: what should I know and do? (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

Yup.

Impressions de France is still going strong. Buddy Baker arranged the score which was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Not really 360-degree however, I think it's got four or five screens (more than 180).

And Wonders of China has been replaced by Reflections of China (same basic idea but Reflections is the title of a song from Mulan).

 

[Eric_L]

I live a few hours away from Orlando and have gone quite a bit with my family.

I'll start by saying I like Universal / Islands of Adventure WAAAAY more... I'll come back to that...

When I go to the parks I always bring a fannypack. In it is my cell phone (with camera), my wallet, park passes, park map, a poncho and a tiny collapsible umbrella. I also bring a handbag with towels, a change of clothes and sandals. I put that in a locker right away. That is so that if I get too wet on a water ride I can get relief.

Wear comfortable shoes (NOT SANDALS) when you first go. You will be walking... alot. You can change into the sandals wen you go on a water ride - or if you wore you shoes on a water ride and don't want squishfoot all day (and the accompanying blisters)

The fanny pack is nice because I can swivel it around when I get on a ride to wherever it is comfortable. Way better than pockets - plus me trousers don't droop.

You want to arrive EARLY. One - to get a locker - Two to make reservations for meals (if you weren't able to by phone or internet in advance) and Three to avoid the large crowds which seem worst from 1PM to about 5PM.

Spend time with the map. You are allowed ONE quickpass at a time. Pick a ride and get a quickpass then have som activities planned nearby where you can keep busy. AS SOON AS YOU GET OFF THE QUICKPASS RIDE - go immediately to your next quickpass ride and get another pass. Don't dally!

(If you go to MGM the Aerosmith rollercoaster is ABSOLUTELY worth the wait. Do it twice)

For meals in the parks - I had a great meal at Cinderellas Castle. The experience was fun but I have to say the food impressed me. But if you want the absolute BEST dining experience in Orlando - you need to go to Emeril's at the City Walk (in front of Universal) There is no charge to go to the City Walk, but you need to make reservations at Emeril's at least three to four weeks in advance.
Get the Chef's treat - where the Chef prepares for you whatever it is they feel like - five courses.. For a little extra you also get a recommended wine with each course. I promise you - you will not be disappointed. Not even close. You will be spoiled shamelessly. Expect to drop a buck fifty or more, but it is sooooo worth it. Your romantic partner will reward you well: I promise.

And - since you're so close to Universal - I'll tell you why I prefer it. First - the parks have a more 'grown up' feel and the rides are oriented that way. Islands of Adventure in particular. Second - the onsite hotels are much less expensive (Portofino, Hard Rock, and Polynesian. (and the restaurant in Polynesian is pretty cool too - one whole wall is a waterfall.) There is a ferry which goes to each hotel every fifteen minutes.

But the primary reason why I prefer the Universal parks is that if you stay at the onsite hotels you can use your room key at EVERY ride and get front of the line priority. That's right - you get to do the jiggy-walk past all the peons while you walk to the front of the line. Lets face it - you don't go there to stand in line - so every moment you are in line is a loss of time and money. Jiggy-walk jiggy-walk jiggy-walk!

Other parks to consider would be Sea World and Aquatica. Aquatica is mostly a waterslide park - good for kids but it does not have much for grownups. Sea World is fun and there is a restaurant inside which is really nice. I forget the name but it is near the rear of the park and they only take same-day reservations. One 100' long glass wall of the restaurant is part of a the shark exhibit. You can have something that would be only too happy to eat you watch from only a few feet away as you eat it's cousin. FUN!

Whatever you do I know you'll have fun - no matter when you go.

Have fun.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

IIRC at the end when you get to Paris they play the finale of Saint-Saens 3rd Symphony "Organ". A better copy is probably the Charles Munch recording on RCA Living Stereo SACD.

 

[Greg_R]

The Touring plans websites listed above are one (good) option. There are also tour books written about the parks that will tell you where to go and when (i.e. start with ride X, then go to ride Z, etc.). My family followed this when we were there and the longest line was 5 minutes long. There are some tricks about getting into the park early (e.g. the boat may let you off in the park 10 minutes before they open the main gate, etc., etc.). The boat thing is made up... get the book or look on the website for the actual tips. They also keep things updated (including new attractions or park schedules). Enjoy your trip!

 

[Ken Chan]

You can get a different and interesting perspective on the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the Contemporary Resort (the A-shaped hotel that the monorail goes through). Since you're not staying there, you can try to schedule a reservation at the California Grill there. It's popular, so you should reserve (months) in advance.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Somewhere I've got a detailed listing of the music used in the film (including the Buddy Baker originals)...but wiki shows you are correct about the musical finale.

 

[DaveF]

Good stuff Eric. Regarding Uni, I've spent a couple of days on Universal Orlando and my wife and I have been to Universal LA. I really like it (SpiderMan 3D. Best. Ride. Ever.) and suggested a broader vacation, with a few days here and there. But she wants to do a Disney-centric vacation.

I will try to get to Emeril's. My wife may not be overly impressed (she has very specific tastes and getting what the gourmet chef likes wouldn't work for her) but it sounds great to me

 

[Joel...Lane]

If you haven't already you can go to http://www.disneyworld.com and create a custom itinerary. It's basically a custom map of the parks that only show the rides and attractions you want to go to. It's more of a souvenir than anything else but you could use it if you want. They put your name on it and everything. And it's free!

The value resorts are fine. We stayed at All Star Movies last May. I would say no matter where you stay, try to get a room near the bus stop. Those hotels are big and since you're already walking around the parks all day the last thing you want to do is walk to the other side of the resort when you get back.

I believe you said you're not driving? Flying is the way to go. I mean as soon as you check in at the airport you don't have to touch your bags again. They then pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel and your bags are "magically" waiting for you in your room. It's a nice service. Just remember that you're responsible for your own bags when you leave. And by not driving you are "stuck" there but come on, we always stay a week and still don't get to see everything.

The magic hours are good to. They open up one park an hour early and keep one open after closing one or two hours for guests. That helps in planning where to go everyday. Of course they have schedules with all that info on them.

I think you can knock off a $100 bucks or so if you don't get the park hopper.

Of course if you're a AAA member you get a discount.

FastPass's are very helpful if you get them for the rides that are really crowded. If the wait is only 5 or 10 minutes then a fast pass won't really be a benefit. Save them for the popular rides.

I think you said it's just going to be you and the mrs.? They also do a rider switch but you need at least 3 people for that.

Sunscreen. Bottled water. Comfy shoes.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Are you a Brit, Eric?

 

[RolandL]

Future World opens at 9 and World Showcase at 11. Get there when they open. Do Future World first (follow touring plans) and be in line when World Show case opens at 11.

To have the best time, get to the parks before they open, following the touring plans.

 

[Eric_L]

I looked in my fannypack to see what I forgot;

Face sunscreen. Regular sunscreen burns your eyes whenyou sweat it off. It HuRtS!

Bandaids. Just a few for blisters

Sunglasses. Put them on your face of course, but in the pack on rides - especially dark rides

As far as Emerils goes - I enjoy the surprises - adventure if you will - exploring the new experiences guided by the chef and sommelier. Maybe it isn't for everyone but it is sure a treat ; it is like a performance - but of flavor instead of music or dance.

 

[Joel...Lane]

They also have Disney dollars. If you haven't seen it before it's real Disney money. Just ask for whatever amount you want when you check in. One real dollar will get you one Disney dollar. It's good anywhere in the parks and is actually kind of funny when you pull them out to pay for something and people in line are like "that's cool!" You can trade in what you don't use or save them for the next trip. My oldest one is from 1989, my first trip.

 

[DanielKellmii]

Shows you what I know. Check the calender on the website for the hours that day.

I travel with my three young boys. FWIW, I liked the All Star Resorts. They are a clean place to sleep in the park. The pools are fun, the food court is cheesy and the grounds are fun. It is not luxury, just cheap the disney way.
Sunscreen!!! Yes, very important.

 

[DaveF]

We learned from MouseSavers that the past 3 years, Disney offered free meal package with a vacation package in Aug & Sept, so we're going to wait a bit longer to see if that returns.

We've been working with a travel agent, but we called Disney today and were told that booking with Disney direct provides price matching against any improved offers Disney provides after we make reservations. So we're examining that.

 

[Jon Bell]

We have been to DW at least 10 times in the last 17 years. The last time we went (about 2 years ago, so we're overdue!), I found this website:

Walt Disney World Vacation Planner for Orlando, Florida Vacation TourGuideMiKE

Without a doubt, this is the best $25 that I ever spent in preparing for a trip. You are planning far enough in advance to take full advantage of the services on the site-- there are so many things that you can plan ahead of time. I have recommended this site to everyone that is planning a DW trip, and everyone has agreed.

Basically, the site is a trip planner-- what parks will be least crowded on what days, what order to do attractions in, how to use Fast Pass, where to find characters and the million or so little hidden things in the parks.

I'm not affiliated with the site-- I'm just a very satisfied customer.

Good luck

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

The NYTimes has an article up today.

Practical Traveler - With Deals for ’09, Disney Is Making It Tougher to Say No - NYTimes.com