Exploring Walt Disney World
On November 22, 1963, around the time President John Kennedy was embarking on his public motorcade in Dallas, Walt Disney was in a private jet, conducting his first flyover of some ignored Florida swampland. By the end of the day, as Disney decided this was the place he wanted to shape in the image of his dreams, America had changed in more ways than one.
While the country reeled, Disney snapped up land through dummy companies. His cover was blown in 1965, but the fix was in: His company had mopped up an area twice the size of Manhattan, 27,443 acres, from just $180 an acre. Disneyland East was coming. Today, it’s the most popular vacation destination on the planet, and its four theme parks receive more than 55.8 million combined visits a year. After years without much significant development, during which it lost ground to Universal nearby, the resort is now in the midst of a multi-year push to pour billions into improvements, and signs of construction are everywhere.
It’s no accident that Walt, a seller of fantasies, enjoyed his peaks during two periods of profound malaise: the Great Depression and the Cold War. It’s also no coincidence that his theme parks flowered while America was riven with self-doubt—the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, the death of Kennedy, and Watergate. His parks are, by design, comforting. They tell you how to feel and where to go, and in reinforcing uncomplicated impressions of history and the world, they never make you feel stupid or left behind. Ironically, what made his reassuring message of simplicity work was complex intelligence, specifically, the relentless drive for technological innovation and revolutionary engineering.
Why should it be so difficult to find straight talk about such an immensely popular place? Disney fans rhapsodize about the “magic”—that intangible frisson you feel when you’re there—but I think a case could be made that the energy doesn’t come from the place as much as it comes from the customers. Where else in your life will you be someplace surrounded by people so elated to be there? Walt Disney World’s magic comes from the accumulated goodwill of strangers united in gratitude and togetherness. It’s the American Varanasi—a place of pilgrimage that some people use as a spiritual balm for life’s hardships. If you don’t believe me, sit on a bench for a while in Fantasyland and watch the children pass. There’s just something about it.
But Disney World, transporting it may be, is a business, and for a significant portion of the population, it’s brutally expensive. The average domestic overnight guest spends nearly $300 per person per day, and that number’s going higher: The American theme park market is outpacing the rest of the economy, and Disney is a major driver of that. Each year, its profits increase because it forces families to spend more. Even people who love Disney agree it requires shrewd navigation. The world needs more carefree days. This book will help you keep your Disney time carefree.
Disney hikes prices early each year but attendance keeps growing, so I guess we should stop complaining about it. This will be the biggest expense, so assess your needs before laying down plastic. All park tickets (except annual passes) are purchased by the day. You decide how many days you want to spend at the parks, and once you nail that down, you decide which extras you want to add. Both decisions are fraught with temptation and the risk of overspending. It’s possible Disney intentionally makes the process complicated so that customers spend more money than they have to.
Magic Their Way
Ideally, visitors to Orlando could spend a weeklong vacation mixing days at Disney parks, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and the Kennedy Space Center. However, the Disney resort uses Magic Your Way, a scaled pricing scheme that both rewards people who stay on Disney turf for more than 4 days and gives them an incentive to eliminate anything else from their experiences. Magic Your Way is a honey trap that requires many visitors to group their Disney days together, which makes on-resort hotel guests unwilling to ever leave.
Once you know how many days you’ll buy, like on an airline, you add the options that you want. They are (including tax, rounded to the nearest dollar):
1.Base ticket. You must at least buy this. This is your theme park admission. It buys you one park per day, with no switching to other parks on the same day. After 4 days, the biggest per-day discounts kick in. (My take for first timers: When it’s all new to you, one park per day for 4 days, is plenty—given the current state of Hollywood Studios, that may be too much until the Star Wars land opens.) For one-day tickets, Disney World prices in seasons: Value, Regular, and Peak. It also charges more for the Magic Kingdom than for its three other parks. Generally speaking, “Peak” is the period straddling school vacation periods: the last three weeks of March; Memorial Day through the end of July; the fourth week of November; and the last two weeks of December. “Value” is most of January, February, late August, and September. The rest of the year is “Regular.”
| Disney Ticket Options* | ||||
| Base One-Day Ticket | ||||
| Magic Kingdom adult: | $137 (Peak)/$127 (Regular)/$116 (Value) | |||
| Magic Kingdom child: | $131 (Peak)/$120 (Regular)/$110 (Value) | |||
| Other theme parks: | $130 adult/$124 child (Peak)/$121/$115 (Regular)/$109/$102 (Value) | |||
| Add Park Hopper: | $38–$67 for a one-day ticket (depending on season); $64 to cover 2–3 days; $80 to cover 4 days or longer | |||
| Add Park Hopper Plus: | $27 on top of Park Hopper | |||
| Multiple-Day Tickets** | ||||
| Days of Use | Age 10 & Up | Age 3–9 | Add Park Hopper | For Park Hopper Plus |
| 2 | $212 | $200 | $70 | $318/$306 |
| 3 | $330 | $310 | $70 | $442/$423 |
| 4 | $395 | $373 | $80 | $533/$511 |
| 5 | $416 | $395 | $80 | $548/$527 |
| 6 | $437 | $416 | $80 | $559/$538 |
| 7 | $458 | $437 | $80 | $570/$548 |
| 8 | $469 | $448 | $80 | $580/$559 |
| 9 | $480 | $458 | $80 | $591/$570 |
| 10 | $490 | $469 | $80 | $602/$580 |
* Prices are rounded to the next-highest dollar and include sales tax of 6% to 7.5%. Prices accurate as of early 2018; rates rise early in the year.
** Advance purchase rates; tickets cost about $20 more if purchased at the gate.
*** The Plus option adds visits equal to the number of park days on the ticket.
2.Park Hopper. Should you crave the privilege of jumping from park to park on the same day (I recommend this if it’s not your first time in Orlando), you must add the Park Hopper option. Example: With it, you can do the early-morning safari at Animal Kingdom, take a nap at your hotel, and then switch to the Magic Kingdom for the fireworks.
3.Park Hopper Plus. If you plan to visit a Disney water slide park, play a round of mini-golf at one of Disney’s two courses (only before 4pm), or see an event at the ESPN Wide World of Sports (a rarity), this option includes admission to those and it automatically comes with Park Hopper. Many people buy this option and fail to use it. During the course of 3 days of theme park going, are you really going to have enough juice for water slides? Do the math: Walk-up admission at the water parks is $64–69 adults and $58–60 kids; so would you save money getting into them that way instead? This option only pays off if you use the water parks at least twice. If you must (you probably won’t), you can always simply add this option to your ticket once you arrive at Disney.
Note: Tickets expire 14 days after you begin using them. Until 2015, guests could buy them with no expiration date, and those are still accepted.
Very slight discounts on Magic Your Way tickets are available. You can save around $20 on tickets of 3 days or longer as long as you buy in advance online or on the phone. Deals also are listed at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers and at www.MouseSavers.com. If you buy your tickets in advance (online or at a Disney Store), save the shipping fee by arranging to pick them up at the gates of one of the parks (long lines) or at Guest Relations in Disney Springs Marketplace (short line). Florida residents are offered entirely different discounts (www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/florida-residents) that come with blackout dates, as do AAA members and active military; if you’re one, call 
407/824-4321 for the latest promotion. Attendees of conventions on Disney property may be offered cheaper tickets for afternoon or evening park entry. (See “Other Ticket ‘Discounts’ & Deals,” below, for more on potential discounts.)
During some times of year, the park mounts special evening events, such as the ones around Halloween and Christmas (see the calendar on p. 274) that require a separate, expensive ticket. You will get less value out of your Magic Your Way ticket if you attend on the same day as one of these parties because if you haven’t paid for the evening-event ticket, you’ll be rounded up and sent out in late afternoon. (Magic Kingdom puts out so many holiday decorations, plus 90,000 poinsettias, that it maintains a special warehouse just for them—but touring the hotel decorations is free, including The Grand Floridian’s famous gingerbread house.)
The Peril of Disney Packages
If you want to spend more than you have to, skip this section.
Overpurchasing is the biggest pitfall. When you call for reservations, agents will suggest adding perks. You’ll ask for tickets, and they’ll suggest you throw in, say, the meal plan (p. 30). The instant you accept, your customer status changes. You’re now purchasing a “package,” and that will often force you to pay more than you would have a la carte. Always, always know what everything would cost separately before agreeing to a Disney-suggested package. If you must, hang up the phone and do some math before deciding to accept or reject the offer. Then call back for a new quote—prices can fluctuate each time you call. That’s the only way to ensure you’re not paying more.
Here’s a hidden loophole that works against you: Disney “length of stay” ticket packages will begin the moment you arrive on the property and end the day you leave. Think about that. If you’ve just flown from a distant place, you are unlikely to rush to the Magic Kingdom on the same day. Likewise, on the day you’re due at the airport to fly home, you may not to be able to visit a theme park. Yet Disney will schedule your package that way. In effect, you will lose 2 days that you’ve paid for—at the start and at the finish of your vacation, when you’ll be resting or packing. That’s colder than Elsa’s heart.
How can you avoid this? You could 1) stay entirely at non-Disney hotels and just buy admission tickets. That’s because the rule only applies to Disney packages—if you simply buy four days’ worth of tickets, you don’t have to use them on consecutive days as long as they’re all used within your two-week deadline. You could 2) stay at a Disney hotel for your ticket days and stay off-site for the others. Or you could 3) insist on making one reservation per phone call. Arrange your tickets plus their corresponding hotel nights for your Disney days. Hang up. Call back and arrange “room-only” nights for your last night and any days you’ll be leaving Disney during the day as “room only.” It’s vital that you do not link your two reservations in advance if you want the best price and the best cancellation policies, but you can link them after arrival. If you don’t plan on seeing anything but Disney, of course, then you won’t have to go through these lengths. But with so many wonders in Florida, many people aren’t satisfied by only visiting the Mouse.
The MagicBand revolution
Disney paid a reported $1 billion to develop a controversial guest identification system. It’s called MagicBand, a waterproof, removable bracelet that monitors your stay. Each contains two types of embedded radio frequency transmitters that enable both short-range and long-range tracking. When you book a package for a Disney hotel, you are mailed MagicBands in preparation of your stay as long as your booking is made at least 10 days ahead. If you’re not staying at a Disney hotel, you can buy one starting at $13–$33 at Disney shops and linked to your ticket by the sales clerk. You then use free My Disney Experience (MDX) smartphone app (Android or iPhone only) to manage everything it can do.
Here’s what the MagicBand/MDX combo empowers:
Stores your ticket info to get you through turnstiles. Touch it to a lollipop-like scanner for entry, paired with your fingerprint for positive identification.
Records and redeems reservations for Fastpass, Disney’s Magical Express, and dining. (The expanded capability is technically called MyMagic+.)
Validates PhotoPass details. Scan it with photographers and at post-ride photo kiosks to add new pictures to your portfolio.
Allows Disney resort guests to make purchases (with a PIN; day visitors cannot) and open hotel room doors and gates. They’re also parking passes.
The system adjusts to your plans and sends you smartphone notifications if something changes. There’s free Wi-Fi in the parks to enable this.
Allows Disney Parks to track your movements. This could translate into you opening your MDX app and discovering a shot of you on Slinky Dog Dash or a video of yourself on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (available for purchase, of course).
Links plans that friends and family make to yours.
There are sassy colors to buy, plus special editions, and an array of charms and accessories (which easily fall off). Although you can buy as many bands as you want and link them all to your account, the batteries only last 2 or 3 years.
To use its benefits, you must register personal details, including your address and date of birth, with the Disney system. For this reason, the new technology has been plagued with privacy controversies. Disney swears personal information is not encoded in the MagicBands by saying, “The MagicBand and card contain only a randomly assigned code that securely links to an encrypted database and are configured to not store any other information about you.” (Read more of its explanations at www.mydisneyexperience.com.)
If you have concerns, you may decline a MagicBand or simply not buy one; you will be given a plastic card that only contains a passive radio transmitter chip that’s used to tap for entry but cannot be used to track your movements around the parks. There are no paper tickets anymore.
If you possess a MagicBand, brace yourself for the overspending potential of tapping a bracelet rather than taking out a wallet. Studies show we spend 18% more when we don’t handle cash or credit cards—a big reason the company decided to sink $1 billion into this.
Another tip: Disney’s reservationists are friendly, but they’re sales-driven, and they are trained to answer only the questions that you pose. If you’re not sure about the terms of what you’re about to purchase, corner them and ask. They won’t lie to you, but they will neglect to volunteer information. Grill them about deposit and cancellation policies—they get much stiffer if you’re on a package vs. buying a la carte. The best Disney experience goes to those willing to pay the most, but always ask if there is a less expensive option. TheMouseForLess.com, MouseSavers.com, and the messages at DISBoards.com will let you know about current deals that Disney won’t. And if you’re still dithering about whether to stay on property, don’t ask their opinion—there’s a list of pros and cons on p. 234 and 235.
Other Ticket “Discounts” & Deals
A few businesses shave a few paltry bucks off multiday tickets; see “Getting Attraction Discounts” in chapter 8 (p. 277) for some upstanding ones. Never buy tickets through eBay or Craigslist, and beware anyone claiming they have discounts on a one-day ticket, because Disney doesn’t allow that. International visitors are eligible for tickets good for longer stays, but only if they are purchased from abroad. Really big fans carry a Chase Disney Rewards Visa credit card (www.chase.com/disney; 800/300-8575), which grants points to be redeemed on all things Disney, a few discounts, and a character meet-and-greet area for cardholders.
Using MagicBands, MDX & Fastpass+
Disney asks you to use a free app, My Disney Experience (MDX), to make most of your arrangements. Think of the smartphone app as the place you make your plans, and the MagicBand as the thing you use to check yourself in to do them. To help you, free in-park Wi-Fi is furnished. Once you create an account at MyDisneyExperience.com (surprise—Disney wants your birthday) and link your ticket number with it, MDX can:
Book and reschedule Fastpass+.
Display your location on park maps.
Show current wait times.
Show in-park schedules.
Show height and accessibility requirements.
Keep a schedule of your reservations.
Make and cancel restaurant reservations.
Manage PhotoPass account and images.
Buy tickets.
Pre-order food for pick up at a few park restaurants.
When used in conjunction with a MagicBand, which detects your location, MDX can even send you movies and photos taken of you on rides—even if you didn’t know they were being taken. (Obviously, it wants you to buy them once you see them.)
To make Fastpass+ reservations for everyone you’re with, make sure every person has an MDX account. Then to go My Account>Friends and Family List to invite everyone to connect by finding them by e-mail address. If everyone in your party links their tickets, MDX can also synchronize everyone’s plans; for that to work best, select one of your group to be the Primary so everything goes through their account.
It’s also supposed to keep you from having to make phone calls, but of course things go wrong with a system as complex as this. Here’s the help line: 407/939-4537. Also, unfortunately for you, all that app time will destroy your battery life, so pack some backup battery power. (Many park shops and a few vending machines in the locker areas sell $30 power packs you can use, drain, and exchange for free for fresh ones at any Disney park.)
Your ticket entitles you to Fastpass+ (technically, it’s in all caps, but come on), which lets you make a few timed reservations for attractions and scan your MagicBand or ticket card to check in at the appointed hour at a Fastpass Return door, bypassing the main line and cutting out lots of waiting. Before you arrive at the park you may—and absolutely should, because the most popular rides and character greetings will run out of Fastpasses days before—pre-book three Fastpasses for each day. Guests at Disney-run hotels get access 60 days ahead (90 for Club Level guests), but day visitors and non-Disney hotel guests get access only 30 days ahead; your booking window starts at 7am on those booking days. Use my star ratings to determine what you think is worth Fastpassing.
To schedule your three starter Fastpasses a day, you must register your name, birthday, and tickets on the Disney website or the free My Disney Experience app (MDX; p. 26). After you tell the system when and where you’re going, MDX comes up with a few options for timing your Fastpasses, usually spread throughout the day. After you accept one of its plans, you may go back and individually revise each reservation—I suggest moving everything toward the first part of the day, because you may only obtain another Fastpass+ after they’re all used or their reservation times have passed (so if your third pass doesn’t come due until after dark, you’ll have wasted a lot of hours you could have been making and using new reservations). You can also only start booking a Fastpass+ for a second park once the first three at the first park are all used up. If you’re an active type, move them all to afternoon, when lines are longest, and race through a bunch of things on your own in the morning, when lines are lightest. Once you’re at the park, you can still revise using MDX and you’ll find scattered kiosks where cast members help you. If someone in your group snags the perfect combo, they can copy it over to everyone else in the group.
Disney doesn’t tell you this when you’re planning Fastpasses, but in three of the parks (not Magic Kingdom), attractions are grouped into tiers. The blockbusters are Tier 1, while most stuff is Tier 2, and each day, you’re allowed to start off with one Tier 1 and your other slots will be salted with two Tier 2 attractions. That’s why you can’t start off a day with passes for both Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey; since both are Tier 1, one will have to be added to your plans after you start using passes.
These are the Tier 1 attractions: Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey. Epcot: Frozen Ever After, Soarin’, Test Track, and a reserved place at IlluminNations. Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania!, Alien Swirling Saucers, and both Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge rides.
Don’t bother Fastpassing for a clear viewing area for the fireworks or for a show—since theatres fit thousands of people, you don’t need one for those, and evening slots will keep you locked out of getting more—although by afternoon the best stuff will be gone anyway. If you’re locked out of what you want, keep trying every day and keep refreshing the screen—plans are always shifting, so even hot tickets can suddenly become available. Note: Fastpass+ is never available during specially ticketed after-hours events such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (p. 276).
Theme park commandos like Fastpass+ because it gives them a refined way to game the system. But if you’re a casual visitor, Fastpass+ junks up the fun by keeping you hunched over your phone and forcing you to pre-research attractions so much that it spoils the sense of unfolding surprise that was critical to Imagineers. The system also turns visitors who don’t pay more for Disney-owned hotels into second-class customers. While Fastpass+ has eased waits on the most popular rides, it has made them worse on second-tier attractions that used to be walk-ons by sending more people to them.
mobile ordering explained
It works great! At an increasing number of counter-service restaurants, you don’t have to wait in a long, boring queue to get fed. On MDX, navigate to My Plans>Order Food to see a list of restaurants where you can place an order via app. Special requests are tricky, but if you want regular menu items, it’s easy. Just choose the time window in which you want to fetch your food and then order it—your credit card will be charged. (If the app claims the restaurant isn’t accepting orders, your connection might be bad.) Then, when you get to the restaurant, there will be one spot dedicated to mobile orders (usually at the right side of the counter). Go back to the Order Food section of the app, click the button that says you’re there and ready to pick up, and within 2 or 3 minutes, your food will be served. (To avoid waiting at all, make that final click about 2 minutes before you reach the restaurant.) Identify yourself to the clerk, though—they don’t always announce names so strangers can’t pretend to be you.
In the original Disneyland, restaurants were operated by outside lessees, but today, Disney controls everything inside the parks. It hasn’t done much for the quality of the food (prepare for memories of your grade-school cafeteria), but at least the math is easy. The cheapest combo meals are always from counter-service restaurants (called Quick Service in Disney-speak), and adults usually pay $11 to $16, including a side but not a drink—the combo is called a “meal.” Kids’ meals (a main dish; milk, juice, water, or soda; and a choice of two items including grapes, carrot sticks, applesauce, a cookie, or fries) always cost $7–$8 at Quick Service locations. If you want to sit down for a waiter-service meal—character meals are always in “table-service” restaurants—adults pay in the upper teens for a lunch entree and usually over $21 a plate at dinner, before gratuity or drinks, and kids’ meals are about half as much. Disney aggressively sells a Disney Dining Plan that takes away the need to pay a bill after each meal, but which comes with a lot of rules and requires a lot of advance reservations (see the sidebar “Why You Don’t Need the Disney Dining Plan,” below).
No longer can you simply stroll into any restaurant that catches your eye and enjoy a meal. Oversubscription to the Dining Plan spoiled that for everyone else. For table-service meals, always make reservations ( 407/939-3463) or you are almost certain to be turned away. Menus and prices are listed on the My Disney Experience app, where you can also reserve. If a restaurant is booked, try again 24 hours ahead, when people dump unwanted reservations before a $10 no-show penalty is assessed.
Semi-healthy options are possible on even the lowest food budget: Disney limits saturated fat and added sugar to 10% of a counter-service dish’s calories; no more than 30% of a meal’s calories or 35% of a snack’s calories come from fat; and juice drinks have no added sugar. Trans fats are out. One way Disney seems to have accomplished this is by reducing serving sizes—you won’t feel stuffed. Kids’ meals come with carrots, applesauce, or grapes instead of fries, and with low-fat milk, water, or 100% fruit juice instead of soda. (Fries and Coke are still available by request—they know kids are still on vacation.) Note: Disney is eliminating plastic straws over the course of 2019.
In summer and during other holidays, it’s wise to get to the front gates of the park about 30 minutes ahead of opening, partly because you can waltz right onto a marquee ride that way (although not everything will be operating right away). Try not to leave any park as it closes, when crowds surge and all transportation is mobbed with intense standing waits. Instead, depart early or linger an hour in the shops, which will be open a bit longer than everything else. Uber operates at all the parks (at the Magic Kingdom, they’re at the Ticketing and Transportation Center), and cars are usually plentiful.
Why You DON’T Need the Disney dining plan
If you book at a Disney hotel, you will be offered the credit-based Disney Dining Plan, which prepurchases meals. Like everything else here, it’s unnecessarily complicated, choked with rules, exclusions, and premium versions. Lots of people cave and buy it in the name of convenience, thinking it will make everything easier, but if you are a casual Disney visitor and not using it for things like character meals, it has other costs.
It’s not cheap enough. The least expensive plan, Quick Service, has a per-day cost of $53 adults, $22 kids 3–9, and includes two counter meals (not all three meals) and one snack (like popcorn or ice cream), plus one drink (it can be alcoholic) and a refillable soft drink mug you can only use at a Disney hotel. Most adult Quick Service meals cost $12 to $15 per meal using cash. Even if you spent $15, remedial math proves that if you stick to two counter-service meals with no plan, plus one $4 snack, you’ll spend about $34 versus $53 using the plan.
It’s inflexible. You must buy the plan for every night you stay at the hotel even though you may be exploring away from Disney on some days. You are not permitted to buy fewer days than your stay. And everyone in your room must be on it, plus, some menu items and food locations are excluded.
It costs time. Many of the plans expect the use of sit-down restaurants. This requires reservations months ahead, and you lose a lot of touring time.
It’s impractical. The Standard plan ($76 adults, $26 kids, per night) buys the equivalent of one sit-down meal, one Quick Service meal, and two snacks. If you want the plan with all three meals whether they’re table or counter, you’re looking at $117 adults/$40 kids each night. Few first-time visitors want that much. It starts to be of value only if you have a sit-down meal every single day.
It’s incomplete. The plan doesn’t include tips (unless your party is six or more, in which case there’s a mandatory 18% added).
It’s wasteful. Because it begins on the day you arrive, you’re bound to leave with some unused credits, resulting in a loss. Most people compensate for this by booking a character meal or fireworks package, which require more credits. If you plan on character meals, the math may—borderline—work out.
The Dining Plan is worthwhile if you are offered it for free as part of a package, which happens during some special sale periods. Free is always delicious!
GETTING AROUND Having your own car is the easiest. But then there’s the Disney Transportation System (DTS; no luggage allowed), reportedly the third-largest bus system in the state, after Miami and Jacksonville’s public services. Taking DTS to a theme park eliminates the parking tram rigmarole. However, it adds waiting time, which can be 20 to 45 minutes, plus the commute itself, which can be just as long and require standing as if it’s rush hour on a Brooklyn subway. You might even have to transfer buses. All told, 90 minutes to 2 hours of a busy day can be devoured by DTS. So often, having a car is worth the expense.
DTS is usually overwhelmed during the opening and closing of the theme parks even though dispatchers run extra buses around those times and keep routes rolling for about 2 extra hours before opening and after closing. If you’re staying at a Disney resort that offers another kind of transportation—say, the monorail to the Magic Kingdom—then a bus won’t be available for the same route. Also, since the system has a hub-and-spoke design centered on the theme parks and Disney Springs, you must often transfer if you’re going between two second-tier points, such as between two hotels, a hotel and a water park, or a theme park and Disney Springs. And buses to Disney Springs from theme parks only start running at 4pm.
In 2019, Disney opens the free Disney Skyliner gondolas, which are not unlike the enclosed gondolas that can transport dozens of skiers at a time in the Alps. The first phase of the installation links Epcot’s International Gateway side entrance with the Caribbean Beach Resort and a stop shared by Art of Animation and Pop Century. A spur line from Caribbean Beach goes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So to travel between Epcot and Hollywood Studios, you’ll have to change at Caribbean Beach.
Disney also has red polka-dotted Minnie Vans zipping around. This newly launched premium transportation network is Disney’s answer to Uber. You hail one using the Lyft app—when you open it, it will tell you where to go to hail one and wait. Each very clean Chevy Traverse fits up to six (and keeps two children’s car seats on hand) and costs a flat $25 plus tax to go wherever you want within Walt Disney World. That’s more than an UberX or often a taxi, they’re not themed inside, and in inclement weather or peak periods, good luck finding one. They will also take you to the airport, but at $150, I don’t know why you would use one.
PARKING Each park has its own sunbaked lot ($22/day; free for Disney hotel guests and annual passholders; $45 for “Preferred” to be extra close). As you drive in, attendants will direct you to the next available spot. This is probably the most dangerous part of your day, because everyone is excited and you’re at risk of hitting a distracted child or hitting an open car door—take it slow. Parking lanes are numbered and sections are named; at the very least, remember your number. Don’t stress out if your row is a high number; at Epcot, for example, the front row is 27. (Don’t lose your car: Before you get out of your car, open your phone’s mapping app, zoom in, and stick a pin in your location. If you still forget, remember what time you arrived: Disney tracks which sections are being filled minute by minute.) You’ll board one of the noisy trams (cross the yellow line to signal you’re boarding; drivers never budge if someone’s in that zone), which haul you to ticketing in their own sweet time; at Epcot and Hollywood Studios, the lots are compact enough so that you could probably walk to the gates within 10 minutes without taking the tram, but the Magic Kingdom, with some 15,000 spaces (in either a Heroes or a Villains section—remember which one), is reportedly the third-largest parking lot in the world. Post-tram at the Magic Kingdom, you still must take either the monorail or a ferryboat to the front gates; at the other parks, the tram lets you off near the gates. There are charging stations for electric vehicles, which cost $0.35 per kilowatt; ask the toll attendant where they are.
contacting Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World offers no toll-free numbers.
General information: www.disneyworld.com; 
407/939-5277
Vacation packages: 407/934-7675
Room-only bookings: 407/939-7429
Operating hours, schedules: 407/824-4321
Dining reservations: 407/939-3463
Tickets: 407/939-1289
MagicBands, My Disney Experience, Fastpass+: 407/939-4357
Tour bookings: 407/939-8687
Lost and found: 407/824-4245
SECURITY American gun culture has intruded upon the Happiest Place on Earth: There are now metal detectors. Drawstring bags are quicker to search than zipper-laden ones, but you’ll save the most time if you don’t have a bag because you’ll bypass some screening lines. Banned: Booze, glass containers, selfie sticks, wheelie sneakers, costumes on anyone age 14 and over. And weapons, duh.
ENTRY To validate your ticket (see the box on MagicBands, p. 25), you must place a finger on a clear plate. That fingerprint is “married” to your ticket so that no one else can use it. Disney swears your personal information is eventually expunged from the system, but what it doesn’t publicize is that if you do not wish for your fingerprint to be scanned, you may use standard identification instead, right there at the gate.
ORIENTATION Once you get inside the gates, grab two free things from the conspicuous racks: a Guidemap and a Times Guide listing the day’s schedule, including shows, character greetings (marked by Mickey in profile), places to eat, and attractions with shorter hours (Animal Kingdom also has an Animal Guide). Also, cast members carry full schedules (it’s called the “Tell-A-Cast”), or you can ask at the park’s Guest Relations desk (marked on the maps, always near the front; Guest Services, outside the gates, is mostly for ticket issues). The wait time for any attraction is posted where its line begins; this number is roughly accurate, since Disney often pads it by 5 minutes to give a sense of exceeded expectations.
SIZE RESTRICTIONS They’re listed on the maps. Take them seriously. They are always enforced. If there is a sample of the ride vehicle out front, you can try it (or make it a photo op) before joining the line. At Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Mission Space, and a few other major rides, kids who are sized out may be offered a card entitling them to jump to the head of the line when they finally grow tall enough. (At Space Mountain, it dubs them a “Mousetronaut,” at Splash Mountain, a “Future Splash Mountaineer”—but sadly, this perk seems to be dying out.)
FOOD Gone are the days when you could decide on a whim to have a table-service dinner. The Disney Dining Plan (p. 30) wrecked that. Now you must plan ahead by racking up Advance Dining Reservations, called ADRs, or risk waiting for cancellations that may not materialize. Having a reservation does not mean you will sit down at that time. There is frequently a wait anyway. If you have no reservations, you’ll be eating from counter service spots.
Breakfast ends around 10:30am, and lunch service generally goes from 11:30am to 2:30 or 3pm, though increasingly, some places price lunch as dinner. Prices for buffets and character meals shift according to the day of the week and time of year. Counter service locations, which Disney calls Quick Service, do not require reservations, and their listings can be found with each theme park’s chapter. To avoid lines, eat between 10:30am and noon (lunch) and 4 and 5pm (dinner). Kids under 3 may eat without charge from an adult’s plate, and high chair and booster seats are readily available. If you have dietary concerns, make them plain with your first cast member interaction.
You’ll find menus on MDX. Be warned that eating late can be hard; with the exception of Disney Springs, options tend to dry up by 9pm or so.
Strollers Many times you will be asked to park your stroller before entering a line, so do not keep your valuables in one. Your time (and your neighbor’s) on monorails and trams will be much happier if you have one that folds quickly. Note that you’re not allowed to bring a stroller larger than 36”×52” (92cm×132cm) into the park. If you rent one and go to a second park the same day, you don’t have to pay again. For rental prices, see the box below; if you pre-pay a multi-day stay, you save a few bucks each day.
WHAT TO WEAR Consider dressing small children in bathing suits because some play areas (particularly at Magic Kingdom) will get them soaked.
Meeting Mickey & Co. |
You may remember a time when characters freely roamed Disney World. Now they’re like rock stars. They have bodyguards and access to them is strictly regimented. All Character Greeting times are printed on the Times Guide that you pick up as you enter each park, and the regular locations are marked on maps with a black Mickey profile. There are always lines for them, and the most popular ones (including Mickey, Ariel, Cinderella, Tinker Bell, and Anna and Elsa) accept Fastpass+. But they’re worth the wait: They always exude contagious good cheer. Each one signs a unique autograph—Goofy’s has a backward F, Aladdin does a lamp—and costumes match the locale.
Optional Park Services If you see an on-ride photo you like, tap your MagicBand to that monitor’s sensor to add it to your MDX account, where you can buy it for $15. Photographers (marked on the maps and often accompanying characters) may also ask to take your picture—they’re marked on park maps in the app under PhotoPass. They’re here for convenience, not value, and they hog all the best spots where you wish you could take your own pictures. Let them snap away; you won’t pay anything if you don’t want to. If you’re wearing a MagicBand, it automatically shows up in MDX, and you can order prints (or ornaments, phone cases, mugs, mouse pads—you name it) if you fall in love with them. Sometimes, they can enhance the picture with “Magic Shots” special effects, such as Tinker Bell flying from your child’s hands. You’ll have 45 days to make your decisions. Only when you decide to buy does money change hands. Buying costs much more than it would cost you to make them yourself—5×7s are $17, 8×10s are $21, two 4×6s are $17, plus shipping and so forth—but they’re very good. Now and then, you’ll find an occasion that you think is worth the expense, and the Disney photographers are excellent at what they do. Spend $199 ($169 if you buy at least 3 days ahead of arrival) on Memory Maker and you can download all your vacation photos, including photos on some major rides and at restaurants as many times as you like for a month. Or just pay for a single day’s worth for $59 (via the MDX app only, and you have to start with at least one photo). Tip: Early in your visit, ask a photographer for a “Magic Moment”; the portrait they take will crop up in surprising places for the rest of your visit.
What the Basics cost at All Four Disney Parks
Parking: $22 (waived for guests of Disney hotels); $45 for “Preferred” spots that are closest
Lockers: $10–$15 per day (multi-entry)
Regular soda: $3.50 / Bottle of water: $3 / Cup of beer: $8–$10
ECV (electric convenience vehicle): $50 per day at multiple parks + $20 deposit
Single strollers: $15 per day *
Double strollers: $31 per day *
Wheelchair: $12 per day *
Mickey ice cream bars: $5
Stroller, wheelchair, and ECV rental fee includes multiple park visits on the same day.
* Minus discounts of $2 to $4 if you prepay at the rental desk for the length of your stay.
VIP Tours ( 407/560-4033) exist, but they cost $425–$625 per hour, plus park admission, so they’re not something this book can seriously recommend.
You can send cumbersome souvenirs to the pick-up desk by the park gates, but delivery will take 3 to 5 hours. You can also send them to your Disney resort room. Make your purchase before noon to receive it the next day. If you make it later in the day, you should be staying for at least another 2 nights or you could miss the delivery. (Yeah, it’s not efficient.)
The most-visited theme park in the world (20.45 million visitors in 2017), the Magic Kingdom 
, opened on October 1, 1971, and is more than twice as large as the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, although it has about the same number of attractions. Of the four parks in Walt Disney World, the Magic Kingdom is the one most people envision: Castle, Main Street, Space Mountain. It’s also the first one tourists visit.
The secret to the Magic Kingdom is getting there before it opens. The park almost always opens about 15 minutes before the posted opening time (the “rope drop”). Once in, you line up for the various lands in front of the Castle. About 5 minutes before opening time there’s a cute show, Let the Magic Begin, in front of Cinderella Castle, in which Mickey and other characters proclaim the Kingdom open. At this point there are no lines for the rides. Do your favorite ride in that moment—I suggest Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Peter Pan—because lines will double while you’re riding it. The hour or two after this are the most fruitful of the day, with short lines. Closing time (often preceded by a 15-minute fireworks-and-projections show) varies, usually from 7 to midnight. Near closing time, if you are allowed to get in line for a ride, you’ll be able to ride. Hours change almost daily, and Disney transportation runs an hour before opening to an hour after closing.
GETTING IN & out The proof that you’re about to experience a fantasy realm comes in the effort required to enter it. Designers wanted arrival to be a big to-do. Many guests brave three forms of transportation before they see a single brick of Main Street. Disney bus riders are conveniently dropped off by the front gate, skipping all that. Guests who drive first take the parking tram to the security checkpoint at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). (If you park in Aladdin, Woody, or Jafar, it’s not too far to walk.) Guests who use Uber or a taxi will also be dropped there, but ask to go to the Contemporary Resort instead; from there it’s just a 5-minute walk to the park, saving you lots of transit time. From the TTC, a mile away, the Magic Kingdom gleams like a promise from across the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon, but you still have to take either a monorail (after a 2009 accident that killed a pilot, guests are no longer permitted to ride in the cab) or a ferryboat (often piloted by adorable elder men) to the other side. Transit time is more or less equal; it can take 45 minutes from your car to the park. I recommend doing one in each direction—the monorail carries about 300 people but each ferry can handle 600, so take those numbers into your calculations as you eyeball the waiting crowds. Ferries are named for execs who helped build Disneyland and this park. For getting off quickly, I prefer the bottom deck.
Upon arrival, take the requisite photo at the Floral Mickey in front of the train station, where the “population” sign indicates the rough number of guests who have come here over time. Then head through the tunnels of the mansard-roof train station. There, by the right-hand tunnel, you’ll find the only place in the park to rent strollers and wheelchairs. Note the stylized paintings of the big attractions, done like old-fashioned travel posters. They are a tradition here.
At closing time, hordes stream out of the gates in a popcorn-fueled death march and clog transportation lines like a Times Square throng on New Year’s Eve. “Stay close,” mothers whisper to their children when they see it. You’d be better off putting off your day’s souvenir shopping until the posted closing time and then spending 45–60 minutes in the stores (which stay open after the rest of the park) before trying to leave.
STRATEGY If you have little kids, troop without delay to Fantasyland, because the lines get heavy there. On hot days, schedule Splash Mountain Fastpasses for the peak heat of afternoon, when you’ll need the cool-down.
Main Street, U.S.A.
Out the other side of the train station in the Town Square, you’ll be greeted by your first few costumed characters and to a full view of Cinderella Castle, home to an unlikely jumble of princesses, at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. Like the first time you see the Eiffel Tower or the Sydney Opera House, there’s something seminal—oh, help me, dare I say magical?—about laying eyes on that Castle, and it can’t help but stir feelings of gratitude. This view is as American as the Grand Canyon.
Exploring Main Street: The original Main Street, U.S.A., was created as a perfected vision of Walt Disney’s fond memories of a formative period of his childhood spent in Marceline, Missouri, minus any churches. To impart a sense of coziness, designers built the Main Street facades at diminishing perspective as they rise. Other subtle touches: Shop windows are lower than normal to enable children to see inside, walkways are pigmented red to accentuate both unreality and safety (it alerts walkers of shifts in levels), and buildings on both sides inch closer to each other as you walk, subconsciously drawing your attention forward. All the “American” flags are actually missing a few stars or stripes so they can fly in all weather without disrespecting the true Old Glory.
The Best of the Magic Kingdom |
Don’t miss if you’re 6: Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Don’t miss if you’re 16: Space Mountain
Requisite photo op: Cinderella Castle
Food you can only get here: LeFou’s Brew, Gaston’s Tavern, Fantasyland (p. 60); Citrus Swirl, Sunshine Tree Terrace, Adventureland (p. 59); Pineapple Float, Aloha Isle, Adventureland (p. 60); Mickey Mouse ice cream bars (available at carts throughout the park)
The most crowded, so Fastpass+ or go early: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Splash Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Skippable: Swiss Family Treehouse, Tomorrowland Speedway
Quintessentially Disney: The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, “it’s a small world”
Biggest thrill: Splash Mountain
Best show: Wishes fireworks
Character meals: Cinderella’s Royal Table, Cinderella Castle; the Crystal Palace, Main Street, U.S.A.
Best shopping: The Emporium, Main Street, U.S.A.
Where to find peace: The Fantasyland-to-Tomorrowland railway-side trail; the park between Liberty Square and Adventureland at the Castle; Tom Sawyer Island; the cul-de-sac south of Space Mountain
Magic Kingdom: 1 Day, Three Ways
START: BE AT THE GATE 20 MINUTES BEFORE OPENING TIME.
Grab food at a counter restaurant when it’s convenient to you—but having lunch at 11am (and not waiting until noon) saves time.
Obtain the must-have Fastpass+ where indicated and group everything as close to the morning as you can. After that, using additional ones will speed the day. If your kids want to meet major characters, it’s vital to use Fastpass+ for meet-and-greet venues.
Magic Kingdom with Kids under 8
Head to Fantasyland. Schedule Fastpass+ for one of these busy rides to ease waits later: Peter Pan’s Flight, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, or Splash Mountain.
Do Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (if your kids do coasters—if not, proceed to next step).
Immediately ride Peter Pan’s Flight before the line gets worse.
Visit Enchanted Tales with Belle.
Ride in this order: Journey of the Little Mermaid, Dumbo the Flying Elephant (omit if your kids don’t care), the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, “it’s a small world.”
Visit Pete’s Silly Sideshow to meet Minnie or Goofy.
OR
Take the train from New Fantasyland to Main Street U.S.A. to meet Mickey at Town Square Theater.
Cross to Adventureland. Do Magic Carpets of Aladdin if you feel the urge. Enjoy a Dole Whip at Aloha Isle or a Citrus Swirl at Sunshine Tree Terrace. Ride Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise.
It may be hot by now, so if there’s patience among your party, see these two neighboring indoor shows: the Enchanted Tiki Room and the Country Bear Jamboree.
See the midafternoon parade from Frontierland or on Main Street, U.S.A.
At this point, littler ones may need to leave the park for a break.
Get to Tomorrowland via Fantasyland, and watch Mickey’s PhilharMagic, and (time permitting) meet the princesses at Fairytale Hall.
In Tomorrowland, ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Ride the Speedway if your child meets the height requirement.
It’s evening. If your kids are willing, ride the Haunted Mansion.
If there’s time, hit rides you missed (perhaps the Carrousel and Astro Orbiter).
Watch the parade, ride something you missed, and see the fireworks before departing. If you missed “it’s a small world” earlier, now’s a good time to ride.
Magic Kingdom with Teens
Make sure you have Fastpass+ for Splash Mountain for early afternoon when it’ll be hottest. Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Peter Pan’s Flight are the other prime candidates for Fastpass+.
Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railway.
In Adventureland, ride Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise. Enjoy a Dole Whip at Aloha Isle or a Citrus Swirl at Sunshine Tree Terrace.
Cross the park via Fantasyland (ideally, have Fastpass+ for either Peter Pan’s Flight or the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) to Tomorrowland and ride Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Go to Fantasyland for the Mad Tea Party, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, and any rides that catch your fancy. You’ll be getting hot and tired about now, so something like “it’s a small world” might hit the spot.
Around the corner, ride the Haunted Mansion.
Take the raft to Tom Sawyer Island, where the kids can have free reign and, upon returning, shoot a few rounds at the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade or maybe do a lap on the riverboat. (They close at dusk.)
Ride the train from Frontierland to Main Street, U.S.A.
See the parade and fireworks from Main Street, U.S.A., or in front of the Castle. Cap the night with Space Mountain.
OR
If the parade isn’t of interest, pick rides anywhere except in Adventureland to re-ride or try. Lines will be dramatically shorter during the parade.
Magic Kingdom with No Kids
Schedule Fastpass+ for one of these rides within 90 minutes of opening: Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Head to Fantasyland and ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train immediately, then Peter Pan’s Flight, “it’s a small world,” and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. That’ll put you in the mood.
Head to Frontierland and ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Have a Fastpass+ for early afternoon for Splash Mountain, or if it’s warm, ride it now.
In Adventureland, ride Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise. Consider taking a trip once around the park on the Railroad now.
Go old school: See the Enchanted Tiki Room or the Country Bears Jamboree.
Get out of Adventureland before the midafternoon parade starts; it cuts the land off from the rest of the park.
Ride the Haunted Mansion. Repeat until spooked (or cooled off).
Stay indoors by seeing Mickey’s PhilharMagic.
Head to Tomorrowland and ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Space Mountain. Or get your fill of cheese at the Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.
You’re probably getting a little tired by now, so sit down and enjoy the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (it’s also a good ride to save until late in the evening before departure).
Walk to New Fantasyland and take time to explore.
Enjoy the parade and get in place 30 minutes in advance of the fireworks.
OR
If you have rides you missed or you’d like to repeat, the parade is a prime time for that except near the Castle in Fantasyland, which will shut down for safety then.
There are no big rides or shows on Main Street, just the park’s best souvenir shops—call it Purchaseland. The 17,000-square-foot Emporium, the largest shop in the Kingdom, takes up almost the entire street along the left, and Le Chapeau (on the right, facing the square) is one of the only places where you can sew your name onto the back of one of those iconic mouse-ear beanies ($4–$8 per cap, which start at $15; also available at Fantasy Faire and Storybook Circus in Fantasyland). They resist stitching nicknames. Crystal Arts may have a small glass-blowing demonstration going. In the middle of Main Street, the east side has a little side street, Center Street, for caricaturists and silhouette artists, a Disney World institution since 1971 ($10 for two copies). If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a performance by the Dapper Dans, a real barbershop quartet that ambles down the street, or you’ll be glad-handed by old Mayor Weaver, who’ll remind you the election is approaching (“pull the lever and vote for Weaver!”); otherwise, you’ll hear recorded stuff from “The Music Man.” Those songs have a pedigree—at the opening ceremony of the Magic Kingdom, Meredith Willson, who wrote “Seventy-Six Trombones,” led a 1,076-piece band up Main Street. A few people attend the daily flag retreat ceremony in Town Square at 5pm—no characters, just a brass band (the Main Street Philharmonic) and a member of the military or veteran selected from the guests—sometimes it works to volunteer at City Hall right after opening. Many guests find the ritual moving.
A variety of free Main Street vehicles trundle up the road at odd hours and on odd days (you never know when) and you can catch a one-way, stop-and-go ride on one: They include horse-drawn trolley cars—only if it’s cool enough, and they wrap up by 1pm as not to overheat the animals—antique cars, jitneys, and a fire truck. They won’t save time, of course, but you’ll remember them forever. Pause at the end of Main Street, where the Plaza begins, for that snapshot of a lifetime in front of the 189-foot-tall Cinderella Castle. You have now essentially passed through three thresholds—the lagoon, the train tunnel, and Main Street, U.S.A.—that were designed to ease you into a world of fantasy.
Navigating Main Street: Important services cluster around the square. To the left of the park is City Hall. If you forgot to make reservations for sit-down meals or schedule other activities, this is the place for that. Here, or in front of the Emporium, a cast member hands out free badges for guests marking milestones: “Happy Birthday!”, “1st visit!”, “Happily Ever After” (for weddings and anniversaries), and “I’m Celebrating:” (for everything else). Wear a button and you’ll receive bigger smiles (and maybe treats) all day. If they’re not there, they’re always at the Chamber of Commerce in City Hall.
Main Street is the only way in or out of the park, which fosters a sense of suspense, but just as surely creates bottlenecks at parade time. If you need to leave the park then, cut through the Emporium or though the temporary bypass that opens on the Tomorrowland side. (While a new theater is being constructed on backstage space nearby, parade bypass traffic may be temporarily re-rerouted.)
If Walt was the man with the dream, brother Roy was the guy with the checkbook. He was the first to go to Hollywood, repeatedly staved off bankruptcy, and unfailingly found money for Walt’s crazy ideas, from cartoon shorts to full features to, finally, Disneyland. Although Walt died in 1966, before he could finish his so-called “Florida Project,” Roy made it to the opening day, and he renamed it Walt Disney World in tribute. Having seen it through, he died only 3 months later. His statue is seated with Minnie Mouse in the middle of the square behind the flagpole, where he welcomes guests to Main Street in perpetuity.
Walt Disney World Railroad 
RIDE The prominence of a railway is no accident; the concept of Disneyland grew out of Walt’s wish to build a train park across the street from his Burbank studios. The train, which runs all day, takes about 25 minutes and encircles the park, ducking through Splash Mountain (you’ll see its two-story riverboat through a window), stopping first in Frontierland and then passing through apparent wilderness to Fantasyland before returning here. The best seats are on the right, and you can go around as many times as you want without getting off. You’ll see a few robotic dioramas of Indian encampments and wild animals, and also some backstage areas—following the tunnel after the Main Street station (it’s the passage through the Pirates of the Caribbean show building), the train crosses a road; look right to find the yellow line painted on the ground. This is the border that tells cast members when they’re out of view and can safely come out of character. Tip: Ride during the day because it frequently closes down at 8pm.
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom 
ACTIVITY In the Fire Station (Engine Co. 71, after the year the park opened) you’ll find the Recruiting Station for Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, an innovative scavenger hunt-type adventure that relies on hidden screens and sensors scattered around the park. You’re given a free pack of five daily “spell cards” linked to Disney characters (Pinocchio’s Sawdust Blast, Elsa’s Icy Shield), and a map to locations of Portals spread throughout the park in spots such as shop windows and quiet corners. When you hold up a spell card at a Portal, your animated spell amusingly beats back the villains (it’s fun to watch, say, portly Governor Ratcliffe from “Pocahontas” get swamped by posies from Flower from “Bambi”). If you pick some up—the ones marked with a black lightning bolt are prized as collectibles—you must activate your game the same day or you won’t be given more another day. Although it is cool, Sorcerers is best saved for after you have enjoyed everything else since it often takes a while to complete.
Harmony Barber Shop ACTIVITY The one-room shop on the square (9am–6pm; haircuts: $19 adults, $18 kids 12 and under, beards or bangs $7) overseen by portraits of George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt trims some 700 pates a week and does special requests, such as shaving Mickey onto scalps or combing in clear gel with either “Pixie Dust” or “Pirate Dust” (ssh—it’s the same thing). They’re experts at first haircuts, which come with a baby mouse ears cap reading “My First Haircut,” a Certificate of Bravery, and wrappings of your child’s first trimmings for posterity ($25). You can make an appointment at 407/WDW-PLAY [939-7529], and it takes walk-ins but does book up.
Town Square Theater 
CHARACTER GREETING Beat the heat here, at two character meet-and-greet areas. On the right, meet Mickey Mouse dressed as a magician (get a Fastpass+ for him if you’re a big fan), and on the left, meet a selection of other characters (cameos of who are currently available are pictured on the wait time sign). You can also come here for MagicBand maintenance. This building is slightly larger than the others on Main Street because it was designed to block anachronistic sightings of the original wing of the Contemporary Hotel.
Cinderella Castle LANDMARK The recently renovated park nucleus in front, known as “the Hub,” centers on “Partners,” the statue of Walt and Mickey by the esteemed Disney sculptor Blaine Gibson, ringed by attending statues of supporting characters; the original stands in Disneyland.
Windows on Disney Legends Past |
Notice the names painted on the windows of the upper floors along Main Street. Each one represents a high-ranking Disney employee who helped build or run the park. Several, such as the one for Reedy Creek Ranch Lands, are winks at the dummy companies Walt Disney set up in the 1960s so that he could buy cheap swampland without tipping off landowners to his purpose. Everyone’s window relates in some way to his or her life’s work. Walt Disney gets two windows: the first one, on the train station facing outside the park, and the last, above the Plaza restaurant facing the Castle; designers liken the first-and-last billing to the opening credits of a movie. Notice that former CEO Michael Eisner, whose influence is generally resented, did not get a window.
Then there’s the castle: 189 feet (58m) tall from the surface of the water in its ornamental moat. No two Disney castles are identical; the one in California, Sleeping Beauty Castle (notice that neither castle’s name has a possessive (’s), is about half as tall as this. The skin of this one, it’s strange to learn, is made not of stone but of fiberglass and plastic. The story there is that WDW’s builders, who based its profile on an amalgam of French castles, implored local lawmakers to let them try something experimental, and the structure, buttressed with steel and concrete, has survived decades of hurricanes and baking heat. Look at its top. Bricks there are sized smaller to give a sense of distance, and even the handrails are just 2 feet tall to make the spires seem higher. Within the breezeways (closed during shows on the forecourt), don’t miss the five expressive mosaics of hand-cut glass depicting the story of the glass slipper. They were designed by Dorothea Redmond, who also designed sets for Gone with the Wind. Over each entrance, you’ll see the Disney family coat of arms. Genealogists contest whether they’re correct, but there is unintended accuracy here unbeknownst to Walt: His ancestor was imprisoned in a castle. Researchers recently found graffiti left by Disney’s English ancestor Edward Disney when he was imprisoned in Warwick Castle in 1642 for defending King Charles I. (He survived. Amusingly, that castle is now run by Disney competitor Merlin Entertainments, which runs Legoland.) Look for a wire that connects the Castle with a building in Tomorrowland; during the nightly fireworks, as she has done since 1985, that homicidal pixie Tinker Bell zips down the line, flying 750 feet at 15mph. There is no ride inside the Castle, but there is a princess makeover salon, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (from $60 not including a dress; boys get a “Knight Package” for $20), and massively popular restaurant, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and a sole overnight VIP suite, once an office for phone operators. Thirty-five feet beneath the Castle, Walt Disney himself is kept cryogenically frozen, awaiting eventual re-animation in a steel-lined, temperature-controlled chamber. (I’m just kidding about that. He was definitely cremated and is buried in Glendale, California, with his family.)
Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire SHOW Mickey’s throwin’ a friendship party, and everyone’s invited. The chief Disney characters (plus the leads of Frozen, Tangled, and The Princess and the Frog) dance and sing in a 20-minute floor show in the Castle forecourt capped by a few flares. See the Times Guide or the schedule posted by the stage. Standing here can be hot, but the uplifting theme song is toe-tapping indeed and the “NextGen” character costumes are extremely cool: Olaf can talk out of one side of his mouth, and Mickey’s nose wiggles as he speaks. If the stage is wet, they’ll abbreviate the show, but the characters still come out to wave at the kids. Tip: Get close if your kids are little. It’s rude to put your kid on your shoulders and block everyone’s views behind, but people do it.
Adventureland
As you enter Adventureland from the Plaza, notice how the music gradually changes from the perky pluck of Main Street to the rhythms of Adventureland. Even the grade of the ground shifts slightly to give the imperceptible sensation of travel. Such shifts in drama are integral to the Disney method of park design.
Swiss Family Treehouse ACTIVITY The Swiss who? You’re forgiven if you don’t know The Swiss Family Robinson (1960), a shipwrecked clan that survives using salvage, and you’re also forgiven if you lack the will to take 15 minutes to clamber up the 62 stairs and catwalks to inspect the ingenuity of their arboreal island home. It’s as if the Robinsons have just popped out for a coconut: The waterwheel system is sending rain through a tangle of bamboo channels, fruit is on the dinner table, and someone’s bed is looking tempting. The tree is made of concrete and steel, and its 330,000 plastic leaves were attached by hand. Try doing this one at night, when you can enjoy the flicker of the lanterns and faint chatter of tourists far below. This attraction is the last of its breed—all the ones in other parks have been Tarzan-ized.
Jungle Cruise RIDE The delightful, G-rated excursion was one of the world’s first rides based on a movie. The slow-going boat tour was created for Disneyland’s 1955 opening to capitalize on the True-Life Adventures nature films. Like so many of Walt Disney’s ideas, the 9-minute trip was intended to give guests a whirlwind tour of the planet’s wonders. The ride no longer strives to teach you anything, hence vague descriptions of locals as “the natives” and a religious ruin identified as the Shirley Temple—great for kids, but not what you’d call documentary. This is the ride where over a dozen Indian elephants wash together in a pool, one of the seminal spectacles of a Disney visit. The jokes are unabashedly Eisenhower-era: Near the gorillas, you’re told, “If you’re wearing anything yellow, try not to make banana noises.” In 1971, The New York Times sniffed that what distressed it about the Jungle Cruise was “the squandering of so much effort and technical ingenuity on cheap tricks and an inane script.” Lighten up, Grey Lady; it’s a goof! Boats are safely guided by paddles that slot into a narrow channel in the stream. The water is dyed to keep you from spotting that. Seats in the middle are often exposed to the harsh sunlight. Strategy: Dinnertime seems to be a sweet spot for thinner crowds, and riding in the dark adds a lot.
Magic Carpets of Aladdin RIDE If you haven’t noticed, toddlers abound, and this flying carousel suits their low thrill thresholds. This one is a less-crowded alternative to Fantasyland’s Dumbo, but unlike Dumbo, a family of four can ride—there are two rows of seats on each “carpet.” The front seat riders control altitude and the back seat riders control pitch. One of the golden camels on the sidelines spits a thin stream of water on passersby. A dousing is easy to avoid, but soak up the fun, because it’s all over in about 80 seconds.
Fitting into the Disney Culture |
Disney has a culture all its own that visitors must learn to respect. Working at Disney World isn’t like getting a job at the bank. Many “cast members” live and breathe the brand and moved from other parts of the country to be a part of it despite the long hours and less-than-princely pay. Be alert to the fact that many of them identify personally with the Disney Way (it exists—new hires attend a course called Traditions at a thing called Disney University). Cast members are often uncomfortable with anything that carries a hint of being negative. Don’t ask how long a ride will be broken—they won’t tell you so as not to disappoint. They also won’t tell you if they don’t know something; instead, they’ll tell you they’ll find out for you or send you to someone else. Try to get them to point at something—they won’t use a single finger, which is seen as rude, but they’ll use two fingers or the whole hand. And for heaven’s sake, no cussing! That code is technically meant to apply only to cast members, but the unspoken cultural expectation is that you follow it, too. The flip side of this is that if something goes wrong with your visit, they take immense pride in working to make it right and make your vacation a positive memory.
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room SHOW In the 1950s, Walt Disney developed a Frankenstein-like obsession with developing robots to replace living actors, and as a first stab at lifelike technology, he had his staff create a little mechanical bird. That turned into the concept for a restaurant full of them, chattering away, which was mocked up on Stage 3 at the Disney Studios. “It was kind of an ugly scene,” said songwriter Dick Sherman, who was asked to fix it by writing a song for them instead. This precious show, which takes 10 minutes, is the result—birds sing the catchy “In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room” and wow ’em with robotics. To 1963 crowds, it was the electrifying future, but today, it’s merely endearing. Guests sit in the round, on benches, in an air-chilled Polynesian room and watch the ceiling and walls come alive with chattering, bickering, warbling birds that fit several national stereotypes and perform vaudeville-style ditties in quick succession. Add some animated flowers and magically harmonizing totem poles, followed by a pleasing mist and rain outside the windows, and you’ve got a cherished mood piece. When you’re in the waiting area, the lines to the right, near the waterfall, enable you to see a little more action. Though the roof looks like old straw, it’s actually shredded aluminum. Tip: The goliath tiki statues located across the walkway are equipped to squirt water on squealing children on hot days.
Pirates of the Caribbean RIDE Housed in a tiled-roof building based on Castillo de San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Disney’s technological prowess as of the 1960s is showcased here at its most whimsical. I call this indoor boat float the quintessential Disney ride, so it’s probably no coincidence that it was the last Disneyland attraction Walt had a hand in designing, even though he conceived it as a walk-through wax museum. With 65 Audio-Animatronic figures in motion, Imagineer Marty Sklar said Walt envisioned the experience like a cocktail party: “You hear a little bit, but you don’t get it all. You have to ride again.” The more you ride, the more you see: the pirate whose errant gunshot ricochets off a metal sign across the room, the nervous barnyard animals, and the sumptuous theatrical lighting that makes everything look as if it has been imported from Jamaica. (The Johnny Depp robots have a lot more performance discipline than he does.) You’ll see a few familiar scenes, including a slapstick sacking of an island port, a cannonball fight, and much drunken chicanery from ruddy-cheeked buccaneers. (Unsavory? Hey, even Captain Hook was obsessed with murdering a small boy.) In 2018, the infamous wench auction was revised into something that doesn’t giggle at human trafficking—the voluptuous redhead who for 47 years was constantly being sold into sex slavery has switched sides. She now has a rifle, a name (Redd), and she’s more interested in rum than anything else. There’s a short, pitch-black drop near the beginning but you don’t get wet—the concept, which you’d never grasp unless I told you, is that you’re going back in time to see what killed the skeletons you pass in the first scene. Near the end of the 9-minute journey, the pièce de résistance: A lifelike Captain Jack Sparrow, having outlived his compatriots, is counting his treasure. Now, can someone please explain why people pronounce this name “Car-rib-BE-an” when we usually say “Car-RIB-be-an”? The shop at Pirates’ exit is one of the better ones because it’s big on buccaneer booty. The Pirates League salon (reservations: 407/939-2739) gives pirate makeovers (temporary tattoos, stubble) to kids from $40. On the stage across the lane, catch the intermittent Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Tutorial (see Times Guide), where volunteer children are taught by lousy role model Sparrow (wobbly drunk, bleary with mascara) to parry with a sidekick using a floppy sword—and then flee. Tip: If you have neck issues, be prepared for jolts near the end of the ride as the boats pile up as they wait for the final dock.
A Pirate’s Adventure—Treasures of the Seven Seas ACTIVITY Using one of five maps and a pentagon-shaped talisman card, you find stations and activate their tricks. One might reveal a pearl in a giant oyster, another fires a cannon, a third triggers a battle between two ships in a bottle, sinking one. When you finish, you get a reward card. It takes about 15 minutes and is ideal for small children.
Frontierland
When Disneyland was built in 1955, America had cowboy fever, and every young boy wore a Davy Crockett coonskin cap sold to them by Walt Disney’s program on ABC. It was in this spirit that Frontierland was conceived.
classic Disney
Disney is always evolving, just as Walt intended it, but if the company were to alter these mainstays, it would be like desecrating pop culture itself. These core attractions are the Disney that Walt designed, as comforting as cookies and warm milk:
The Monorail
Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Fantasyland
Peter Pan’s Flight, Fantasyland
“it’s a small world,” Fantasyland
Walt Disney World Railroad, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Main Street U.S.A.
Pirates of the Caribbean, Adventureland
Jungle Cruise, Adventureland
The Enchanted Tiki Room, Adventureland
Country Bear Jamboree, Frontierland
Tom Sawyer Island, Frontierland
Liberty Square Riverboat, Liberty Square
Haunted Mansion, Liberty Square
Tomorrowland Speedway, Tomorrowland
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland Transit Authority, Tomorrowland
Main Street, U.S.A.—Don’t forget to stitch your name on a Mickey cap at Le Chapeau, Mouseketeer!
Splash Mountain RIDE Part flume and part indoor “dark ride,” it’s preposterously fun, justifiably packed all the time, and proof of what Disney can do when its creative (and budgetary) engines are firing on all cylinders. You track the Br’er Rabbit character through some Deep South sets and down several plunges in Chick-a-Pin Hill—the most dramatic drop, five stories at 40mph (faster than Space Mountain), is plainly visible from the outside. You will get wet, especially from the shoulders up and particularly in the front seats, but are not likely to get soaked because boats plow most of the water out of the way. I never tire of this 11-minute journey because it’s so full of surprises, including room after room of animated characters (as many as Pirates has), seven drops large and small, a course that takes you indoors and out, and some perfectly executed theming that begins with the gorgeous outdoor courtyard queue strung with mismatched lanterns at many heights. You’ll see Chip ’n’ Dale’s houses there, and hear them chatter to each other from within. Strategy: Get an afternoon Fastpass+ for this one, because it’s deservedly one of the most adored rides on the planet. The line can as much as double when things get steamy. If your kid is too short to ride, cast members usually dispense free “Future Splash Mountaineer” cards that go a long way toward drying tears. And try not to put your hands up when you do the drop—it spoils the souvenir photo for whoever is sitting behind you.
Reign On, Parade |
One of the tent poles of a day at the Magic Kingdom is the parade. When you see lines of masking tape appear on the ground, it’s time to heed the crowd-control orders of the show’s heralds. Each parade (there may be different versions in daytime, after dark, and for holiday parties) is a memorable production, with dozens of dancers and characters and up to a dozen lavish floats. The daytime Festival of Fantasy Parade is devoted to characters who might live in Fantasyland, and the Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Street Party is aimed at getting your little one to boogie. Day parades generally go at 2 or 3pm while night parades, when they happen, tend to start just after dusk (sometimes twice); times for the evening parade vary, and they last for less than 15 minutes. While Main Street (especially its train station) has excellent viewpoints, I prefer to catch the parade from the western edge of Frontierland, where I’m closer to rides. Tips: If you want to catch only one parade, see the second one of the day, which is generally cooler and less crowded. During parades, the lines for many kiddie rides (especially those in Fantasyland) and character greetings thin. Once it ends, attractions nearest the route tend to be inundated with bodies—a bypass was recently carved behind the Tomorrowland side of Main Street. Also, the route is essentially impassible from 5 minutes before until just afterward, so don’t get trapped in Adventureland during one.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad RIDE Here we have another Disney thrill mountain, a 2½-acre runaway-train ride that rambles joltingly through steaming, rusty Old West sets. Consider it the closest thing to a standard adult coaster in the Magic Kingdom, although it’s not something that will make you dizzy or scared. Top speeds hit only 30mph, and there are no loops or giant drops, just circles, jiggles and humps. Listen for the voice of the old prospector in the boarding area; generations of American kids have imitated him as he warns, “This here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness!” Tips: Seats in the back give a slightly wilder ride because front cars spend a lot of time waiting for the rear cars to clear hills. Tall riders should cross their ankles to avoid a knee-bashing against the seats in front of them. Chickens can watch their loved ones ride from the overlook on Nugget Way, near the ride’s exit.
Splash Mountain’s Uncomfortable Origin |
You may agree that it’s odd that Disney chose to build Splash Mountain since it’s based on a movie that’s not even available for sale in the United States: Song of the South (1946). The movie has long been criticized for its racist overtones—Adam Clayton Powell called the film “an insult to minorities” and some people bristle at the ride’s minstrel-like characters. Disney knew racism was an issue, because for this ride it eliminated humans of any color, including the film’s narrator, a kindly ex-slave named Uncle Remus.
Walt Disney World Railroad, Frontierland Station RIDE Between Splash and Big Thunder mountains is a stop for the trains, which are pulled by one of four steam engines built between 1916 and 1928 and operated in the Yucatan before coming here. They take you to Fantasyland, then the foot of Main Street, and back here in 20 minutes.
Tom Sawyer Island ACTIVITY Across Rivers of America, you’ll find a place where you can roam the step-free Old Scratch’s Mystery Mine without a guide, cross wooden suspension bridges, and pretend to defend Fort Langhorn with rifles rigged with weak recordings of gunfire—the fort is made of fiberglass logs; the wooden version in Disneyland rotted. The island is a great destination to explore, work off energy, and escape the crush—one of the only places in the park where your kids’ imagination will have true free rein. You can reach it only by taking the platform boats that leave from the vicinity of Big Thunder Mountain, which makes it a blessed place to escape crowd control but also a time devourer. Don’t be in a hurry, because you’ll wait for the pontoon in both directions. They only fit 50 passengers at a time and you have to stand in the sun, so it helps to have decent balance. The island closes at dusk. Tips: There is an ice cream-and-soda stand there, Aunt Polly’s, but it’s rarely open; sit on its porch and watch the Liberty Belle and Haunted Mansion across the water. There are water fountains and washrooms, but overall it’s pretty rustic—it’s a great spot for a picnic.
Country Bear Jamboree SHOW An opening-day attraction, one of the last to survive, the Jamboree is a 10-minute vaudeville-style revue that, at one moment, has 18 Audio-Animatronic bears, a raccoon, and a buffalo head singing country music together. Some kids, particularly pre-Ks, are enthralled by the dopey-looking robots, which appear for a verse or two of a saloon song, and then are retracted away. Other kids, and many adults, are powerfully bored. It’s nice to sit, but don’t wait more than 20 minutes for it unless you’re hankerin’ to see a vintage Disney museum piece.
Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade ACTIVITY A simple activity built from a common 1950s conceit: Fire laser sights at an Old West diorama rigged with plenty of amusing gags. Bull’s-eyes spring crooks from tiny jails, activate runaway mine carts, and coax skeletons from their Boot Hill graves. The $1 price buys 35 “shots,” enough for a good shooter to trigger most of the tricks.
Liberty Square
Check out the replica of the real Liberty Bell, under the Liberty Tree. This is a ringer in both senses; it’s a copy cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, which made the original. Such authentic touches abound: The Liberty Tree, strung with 13 lanterns to signify the 13 colonies, is actually two live oaks one of them found 8 miles away on Disney property, that were partially filled with concrete and grafted together: a pretty Frankentree. That wavy brown stripe down the sidewalk? It represents the poop that flowed in our streets before the advent of sewage systems. Window shutters are mounted at an angle to simulate the leather hinges the real colonialists used, and a few times a day (check the Times Guide), they swing open for one of two versions of Great Moments in American History, 10-minute skits in which the Muppets retell stirring moments from the textbooks—but only the American parts—and butcher them in the process.
App’s Entertainment! |
Sick of using your smartphone for so much at Walt Disney World? You must be old. Sit this one out, old timer: Walt Disney World has introduced Play Disney Parks, a free app (separate from MDX) that detects where you are in the parks and unlocks achievements, triggers something to happen in the queue (at Peter Pan, causing a tiny Tinker Bell to shimmy in her lantern), or opens themed games you can play while you’re waiting in line. Some of the trivia questions are about as challenging as a two-piece puzzle, but the video games take more skill. Score well enough and you may even be rewarded with a pass to the front of the line. But you’d better make sure the other people in your group want to play, too, because some games require multiple players and won’t function in single-player mode, and you can only rack up achievements if you’re 13 or older. It’s almost enough to make you forget you’ve been in line for an hour—until your battery goes dead before noon.
The Haunted Mansion RIDE One of the park’s largest and most intricate rides opened with the park in 1971, and fans are in love with it—many of them can recite the script verbatim (“I am your host…your ghost host!”). The outdoor queue area passes funny gravestones, some of them interactive and some carved with in-jokes and the names of Imagineers—keep an eye on the last one with the female face, because it keeps an eye on you. Once you’re inside, you enter the famous “stretching room.” This dark chamber with a diabolical disembodied voice freaks out tots. But it’s the scariest part of the experience, and a fortitude test for children—one of my earliest life memories is of begging my mother to take me out of the line (she did, and there’s still an escape route if you need it). But if kids get through that, the rest is cake (literally—the undead, oddly, are throwing a birthday celebration inside). Be on the far side of the stretching room to be the first to the boarding zone. As spook houses go, the 8-minute trip is decidedly merry: All the ghosts seem to want to do is party. Passengers ride creepingly slow “doom buggy” cars linked together on an endless loop, no seat belts required—the proprietary system is called OmniMover. Although there are lots of glow-in-the-dark optical illusions, there are no unannounced shocks or gotchas. The climax, a ghost gala in a cavernous graveyard set, is impossible to soak up in one go, so you may want to visit several times to catch the murderous back story revealed in the attic scene. (One fun tip: The singing headstone with the broken head is voiced by the same guy who did Tony the Tiger for Frosted Flakes.) The warehouse-like “show building,” where most of the ride is contained, is cleverly disguised behind Gracey Mansion’s facade. Kids under 7 must ride with someone 14 or older. Don’t miss the Memento Mori shop devoted to the giggly ghouls—you can take a zombified photo of yourself ($20). Strategy: On busy days, lines can be the scariest part, so try going—bwah-ha-ha-ha!—after the sun goes down.
The Hall of Presidents SHOW Following a historical, wide-angle film, Audio-Animatronic versions of the U.S. presidents crowd awkwardly onstage, nodding to the audience, and several in turn spout homilies about democracy, unity, and other satisfying nuggets. The current president reaffirms his official oath of office while “the idea of a president” is celebrated. It’s as lacking in substance as it has been since wowing first-day visitors in 1971. Although audiences don’t realize it, figures were created with historical accuracy; if the president didn’t live in an era of machine-made clothing, for example, he wears a hand-stitched suit. The cavalcade of important names is enough to stir a little patriotism in the cockles of the darkest heart—and sometimes, partisan groans. This, too, shall pass. Focus instead on the pluck of American technical wizardry—Lincoln even rises from a sitting position to address the audience, as he did when the show began, starring only him, at the World’s Fair in 1964. Bank about 25 minutes to see it, plus the (rare) wait—unlike Lincoln, you’ll be seated for the whole show.
Liberty Square Riverboat RIDE The 17-minute ride around Tom Sawyer Island, which departs on the hour and half-hour and has little seating, makes for a relaxing break, and it’s not unusual to see Florida water birds on the journey, which passes a few mild (and mildly stereotypical) dioramas of Indian camps. The top deck offers views but a deafening whistle, and mid-deck has a good look at that hardworking paddle. The bottom is where sailors work the levers that make the honest-to-goodness steam engine run. Fight the urge to praise them for their steering ability—the boat’s on a track. Tip: As you board, ask a cast member if you may pilot the boat. The captain may invite you to turn the wheel and sound the whistle—and you may come away with a riverboat pilot’s license.
Fantasyland
Fantasyland is the heart of Walt Disney World because it contains many of the characters that make the brand beloved, and a few years ago it was expanded; the section through the interior arches is commonly called New Fantasyland, which itself contains a sub-land, Storybook Circus. Most of its attractions are tame cart rides that wouldn’t be out of place at a carnival if they weren’t so meticulously maintained. But the energy is first class. A lot of people must agree, because lines are long. For shorter waits, race here first thing in the morning or arrive after dinner, when little ones start tiring out. Fastpassing is also widespread. Little would-be princesses should not miss Castle Couture, beside Mickey’s PhilharMagic, where every major princess’ outfit is sold ($60) with optional slippers and accessories.
“it’s a small world” RIDE Slow and sweet as treacle, the king of Fantasyland rides is a 15-minute boat trip serenaded by the Sherman Brothers’ infectious theme song (bet you already know it). On the route, nearly 300 dancing-doll children, each pegged to his or her nation by genial stereotypes (Dutch kids wear clogs, French kids can-can), chant the same song, and everyone’s in a party mood. In the tense years following the Cuban Missile Crisis, this ride’s message of human unity was a balm, and in these rooms, millions of toddlers have received their first exposure to world cultures (including yours truly—and then I grew up to be a travel writer). Those 4 and under love this because there’s lots to see and nothing threatening, but by about age 11, kids reverse their opinions and think its upchuck factor is higher than Mission Space’s. The ride’s distinctive look came from Mary Blair, a rare female Imagineer. Walt originally wanted the kids to sing their own national anthems, but the resulting cacophony was too disturbing; instead, a ditty was written in such a way that it could be repeated with changing instrumentation, and so that its verse and chorus would never clash. And repeated it is, some 1,600 times over a 16-hour operating day. The robo-pageant was whipped up in 11 months for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York as a partnership with PepsiCo and UNICEF. Pepsi was about to reject the concept, but Joan Crawford, who was on the board of directors, halted the meeting, stood up, and declared, “We are going to do this!” That was a masterstroke—Walt somehow convinced American corporations to subsidize construction of attractions in his own theme park. His company still depends on that. And, gutsier yet, now it only serves Coke. After the Fair, where it cost $1 for adults to ride, the original was moved to Disneyland. Strategy: If you’re not sure whether meeting characters will wig out your kids, take them on this as a test run. Be in line on the quarter-hour, when the central clock unfolds, strikes, and displays the time with moveable type. No seat is better than another—every passenger will be humming that song in their sleep, and possibly in their graves—but the wait is shortest after the fireworks show ends, so you don’t need to Fastpass+ it.
Peter Pan’s Flight RIDE This iconic indoor ride is also unique because its pirate-ship vehicles (maximum capacity: three adults with a child lap-sitter) hang from the ceiling, swooping gently up, down, and around obstacles, while the scenes below are executed in forced perspective to make it feel like you’re high in the air. The effect is charming and—okay, I’ll say it—magical. This is the ride I loved most as a small child, a feeling that is by no means unique. The aerial view of Edwardian London is especially memorable, and it’s hard for tots not to feel a shimmy of excitement when they fly between the sails of a pirate ship. Strategy: The wait for this slow loader can be 2 hours and up, so, considering it takes only 2 minutes and 45 seconds, hit this one upon opening or arrange a Fastpass+. Thankfully the queue is now mostly in the air-conditioning.
Mickey’s PhilharMagic SHOW The computer-animated, widescreen 3-D entertainment, which runs continuously, is honest Disney in the “Fantasia” mold: Classic characters, prominently Donald Duck, appear to a lush (and loud) soundtrack of Disney songs, while pleasant extrasensory effects such as scents and breezes blow to further convince you that what you’re seeing is real. The pace is lively, and nearly everyone is tickled. You also get to enjoy air-conditioning for 12 minutes. The shop afterwards specializes in Donald Duck merchandise.
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel RIDE Nice to see a prince get a little recognition around here! It’s easy to enjoy one of the world’s prettiest carousels. The 90-second ride was handmade in 1917 for a Detroit amusement park and it spent nearly 4 decades in Maplewood, New Jersey, before Imagineers rescued it, refurbishing it and the original organ calliope (although you’ll hear prerecorded Disney songs instead). The horses, which rise up and down, are arranged so that the largest ones are on the outside. Cinderella’s personal steed has a golden ribbon tied to its tail.
Princess Fairytale Hall CHARACTER GREETING Meet and greet four of the most popular Princess characters, such as Cinderella, Tiana, Elna, or Rapunzel (Belle “lives” at her Enchanted Tales cottage). Little girls (mostly) wait in a reception hall that’s dressed in stained glass and portraits of the royal ladies, and when it’s time, they make their way, wide-eyed, to the individual meeting rooms. Cameras ready!
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh RIDE Pooh makes for quite a joyous attraction, with vibrant colors, plenty of peppy pictures, and a giddy segment when Tigger asks you to bounce with him and in response, your “Hunny Pot” car gently bucks as it rolls (nothing your toddler can’t handle). The effects, such as a levitating dreaming Pooh, a room full of fiber-optic raindrops, and real smoke rings (front-row seats are best for experiencing that one), are the most advanced of the Fantasyland kiddie rides. The more I take this merry, 4-minute romp, the more I see poor Pooh as a junky for honey, since he spends much of his focus binging and having psychedelic dreams about getting more of the sweet stuff. Will someone please stage an intervention for this poor bear? This ride is not anyone’s favorite, but it’s a fine diversion.
Mad Tea Party RIDE Its conceit—spinning teacups on a platter of concentric turntables—has given the name to an entire genre of carnival “teacup” rides, in which each cup serves a steaming serving of nausea. How much you’ll want to heave depends on whether you’re riding with someone who can turn the central wheel and get your twirl on within the 90 seconds allotted. The first time you ride, it’s emblematic, but for after that, it’s ignorable furniture, like a hall table you pass on your way to the rest of the house.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train RIDE Disney’s newest mountain, circa 2014, is really more of a knoll, and a joyful little ride in contrast to the relatively dark movie that inspired it. The mine cart roller coaster, which replaced a circa-1971 Snow White ride told from the Queen’s point of view, goes in and out of a hill containing the gem quarry dug by Snow White’s diminutive landlords, whom you’ll encounter “Heigh-Ho”-ing through a day’s work. Carriages gently rock on pivots as you turn, much like a bassinette, but don’t worry—this is Fantasyland, so this ride is unchallenging, with plenty of S-curves and humps but no loops or daredevil drops. Near the 2½–minute ride’s conclusion, look right and peek into the windows of the dwarfs’ cottage for a charming (but too-quick) glimpse of the last fateful moments of their leisure. Tip: It’s too short and too cramped to appeal to thrill-seekers, but for maximum sensation, the back rows are dramatically better than the first rows. Forget getting a Fastpass+ if you’re not staying at a Disney hotel; it books up weeks ahead, a victim of Disney’s new Fastpass caste system.
Enchanted Tales with Belle CHARACTER GREETING Here’s a character meet-and-greet with a tech twist: In addition to the “Beauty and the Beast” heroine, who selects audience members to reenact one of her beloved stories—the one you can buy as two film versions—you encounter a thrillingly lifelike talking armoire, a fantastic Lumière figure, and, best of all, a trick with a miraculously transforming mirror that must be seen to be believed. There’s no Beast, and the Belle that’s here isn’t the firebrand from the movie but someone as sweet and demure as a debutante. It takes a while to get in and about 30 minutes to finish once you have. Every child who wants a role in the story can have one (they just have to hold a prop and walk to the front on cue), and then they get a photo with Belle that their parents can buy later. Sorry, day visitors: Fastpasses vanish early, taken by Disney resort guests.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant RIDE Fascinatingly, in the 1941 film Dumbo, the stork delivers baby Dumbo almost exactly over the future site of Disney World, 30 years before it became a reality. The famous baby circus animal recently got a makeover, and now there are two copies of this sentimental ride, halving waits. After entering the Big Top, you get a pager (like the ones at the Cheesecake Factory!) and kids are let loose to wreak screaming havoc in an indoor play area until you’re summoned for your turn on board. Back outside, you go round and round in 16 aerodynamic pachyderms whose elevation kids control with a joystick. Each car fits only two adults across, or an adult and two small kids. Standing here, witnessing the joy of ebullient little children being the most spirited you’ll ever see little children be, is almost better than the ride. Tips: An original vehicle is on display in the Smithsonian, but there’s a spare between the two rides here so you can pause for that prize snapshot without slowing things down. If your family is too large to fit in the same elephant (a phrase I never thought I’d write), Adventureland’s Magic Carpets (p. 44) provide the same experience ride for four.
Time Is Money: reducing waits
For a 9-hour day, you’ll pay as much as $13.50 an hour to enjoy Walt Disney World. Maximize your time by minimizing waits with these priceless tips:
1.Be there when the gates open. The period before lunch is critical. Lines are weakest then, so it’s a good time to cram the one or two rides you most want to do. Pitfall: Don’t go to the one closest to the gates. Instead, head as far into parks as you dare. In fact, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the best time for Kilimanjaro Safaris, in the back of the property, is first thing in the morning. The animals won’t have bolted for shade yet and you can get a good look at them.
2.If you don’t have kids, save the slow rides for after dinner. Disney World has an almost metaphysical ability to turn Momma’s sweet little angel into a red-faced, howling, inconsolable demon. This meltdown usually happens in late afternoon, as the stress of the day exhausts children. By dinnertime, parents evacuate their screaming brood. The lines at kiddie attractions such as Peter Pan’s Flight, as tough as 2 hours in midday, shorten after bedtime.
3.Fastpass+ first thing. The sooner your three are scheduled and used, the sooner you can get your next one. Revise the boilerplate schedule Disney offers and move your reservations to as early as possible.
4.Pray for rain. In Florida, it usually strikes in mid-afternoon and lasts for less than an hour, but that’s long enough for many guests to leave, which eases waits.
5.If your kids allow it, skip the parade. Lines at many of the most popular rides get shorter in the run-up to parade times, when the hordes pack the route in anticipation. Bank on thinner lines 30 minutes before and during showtime. It’s often possible to hit two or three rides during the show.
6.Come early or stay late. If you’re paying higher-than-normal rates to stay on Disney property, get some value back by availing yourself of Extra Magic Hours. Your Disney hotel will tell you which park is either opening early or closing late for the express use of its guests. Lines will be shorter during those hours.
7.If the weather will be hot, Fastpass+ the water rides. When it swelters, arrange a Fastpass+ for the water rides by midmorning, which should ensure a slot to ride when the heat peaks.
8.Eat early. Restaurants have lines, too, so avoid peak periods for meals. Eat at 11am, when many places open, and there will be light traffic until noon or so. The same goes for dinner: Schedule a reservation for around 4pm. Eating late in the parks doesn’t work, because many restaurants close.
9.Baby swap. The parks have a system allowing both parents to ride with little additional waiting. After the whole family goes through the line, Dad can wait with Junior while Mom rides. When Mom’s off, Dad can ride without waiting and Mom takes a turn watching Junior. For many people, that cuts the old waiting times in half. It’s not available on kiddie rides because it’s weird to watch Daddy ride those alone.
10.Split up. If you don’t care if you all ride in the same car, a few thrill rides have lines for single riders. Use them and you’ll shoot to the head of the pack, fill spare seats left by odd-numbered groups, ride within minutes of each other, and be back on the pavement in no time flat. Even on rides without dedicated single lines, solo riders should alert ride-loading attendants to their presence—doing so could shave long minutes off a wait.
11.Fastpass+ something broken. If a ride goes down in the evening, grab a Fastpass for it, because if it doesn’t come back online by your appointment time, you’ll get a free pass to use on almost any attraction in any park the next day.
Under the Sea—Journey of the Little Mermaid RIDE As you travel in slow-moving shell vehicles for 6 gentle minutes, you retrace a truncated jukebox version of the film’s plot, including dutiful reprises of “Part of Your World,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls” (by an enormous Ursula), “Kiss the Girl,” and most spectacularly, a big room full of fish jamming out to “Under the Sea.” Nothing happens that would scare a kid. As rides go, it’s acceptable and the Audio-Animatronics are fine, but it’s not as transporting as you want it to be and it’s unlikely to hook adults as much as small children. Nearby, kids get autographs from the underwater princess herself at Ariel’s Grotto, and yes, there’s a separate wait for that, so go ahead—make your choice.
Pete’s Silly Sideshow CHARACTER GREETING By the train station, meet four Disney stars under the Big Top, envisioned as carnival performers: Minnie Magnifique, Madame Daisy Fortuna, the Astounding Donaldo, and the Great Goofini. The waits to get autographs from the girls are often longer, but happily, it happens in the air-conditioning. If you’re looking for Mickey, he’s at the Town Square Theater on Main Street, U.S.A. Reminder: All characters’ appearance locations and times are printed on the Times Guide.
The Barnstormer RIDE Fantasyland’s kiddie coaster, which is all about giving small children a sense of excitement and accomplishment, invariably has a line, which is outdoors. The tangled track does a few swooping figure-eights and passes through a Goofy-shaped hole in a billboard, but takes scarcely more than a minute—less than half that if you subtract the time it takes to climb the hill. There are some cute touches, including ample evidence of Goofy’s flying act having gone hilariously wrong. Believe it or not, this is the fastest ride in the Magic Kingdom.
Walt Disney World Railroad, Fantasyland Station RIDE Board here for a round trip to the front gates at Main Street, U.S.A., then Frontierland, and finally back here in 20 minutes, all to a recorded narration that describes what you see along the way. Across the path, the train motif carries over to the Casey Jr. Splash ’N’ Soak Station, a honking, chugging, wheezing, ringing collection of animal-packed circus railway cars where monkeys squirt seltzer, locomotives steam, elephants sneeze water through their trunks, and camels spit.
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland is lighter on character appearances than other lands. A fun exception is the Cosmic Dance Party, held on the Rockettower Stage from about 5pm on. It’s a chance for little ones to let off steam and mingle with a few characters. To the right of Space Mountain, you’ll see a one-level bathroom structure that looks like it ought to contain something interesting. It once did: The Skyway, a gondola ride over the park, loaded here until 1999 (and unloaded in Fantasyland beside “it’s a small world”). There are quiet places for sitting around it. The much-hated Stitch attraction, though, is now gone forever.
Tomorrowland Speedway RIDE Originally built in Disneyland at a time when freeways were considered tech breakthroughs and not a bane of life, this half-mile, self-driven jog of four-laned track is the first chance most kids will have to drive. These are Go-Karts with no juice, although the late Tom Carnegie calls the “race” and the gas-fired engines reek and snarl. Each vehicle carries two people, steers poorly but is guided by a rail, and won’t go fast (about 7mph) no matter how much pedal meets metal. Though the queue can be blistering hot and the load process tedious, your puttering will end in about 5 minutes. Strategy: Mind the height restrictions—kids shorter than 54 inches can’t go alone, a rule that sparks tantrums.
Space Mountain RIDE Walt Disney liked creating one landmark for every land. He called it the “weenie” that drew people in. Tomorrowland’s weenie, and only 6 feet shorter than Cinderella Castle, is contained in that futuristic concrete-ribbed circus tent. Although it’s a relatively tame indoor, carnival-style, steel coaster (top speed: barely 29mph), the near-total darkness and tight turns give your go-round (duration: 2½ min.) a panache that makes it one of the park’s hotter tickets. Other worldwide versions are more thrilling, but there’s something endearing about an original. Strategy: The wait is indoors. There are two tracks; the left-hand coaster (Alpha) and the right-hand one (Omega) are mirror images of each other, so there’s no real difference except Fastpassers are sent to Omega. The front seat has the best view.
Tomorrow in Tomorrowland |
The area beside Space Mountain is being prepared for TRON Lightcycle Power Run, a blockbuster roller coaster that consistently ranks as the most popular attraction at Shanghai Disneyland. On this thrill ride, illuminated vehicles are boarded like bicycles and are launched into a long swooping track beneath an undulating glass canopy. The coaster’s footprint will extend over the railroad tracks into what was previously a backstage area. It’s slated to open in 2021.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin RIDE The “Toy Story” movies provide inspiration for a rambunctious 3-minute, slow-car ride that works like a shooting gallery. Passengers are equipped with laser guns and the means to rotate their vehicles, and it’s their mission to blast as many targets as they can. That’s easier said than done, since the aliens are spinning, bouncing, and turning, and your laser sight appears only intermittently as a blinking red light, but that’s all part of the fun. You’ll think you did well at 118,000 until you turn and see the kid who racked up 205,000. He must have known the secret: The farther away a target is, the more it’s worth. Guess you’ll have to re-ride.
Walt’s original system for admission was intended to accommodate people of all incomes. Anyone could enter his park for a nominal fee of a few dollars, but to do rides and shows, guests had to obtain coupon books from kiosks. There were five categories. The simplest, least popular attractions, like Main Street Vehicles, could be seen for cheap “A” tickets (around 10¢ in 1972) but the prime blockbusters were honored with the top distinction, an “E” ticket (85¢). It didn’t take long for the designation to find its way into the American vernacular. Sally Ride pronounced her 1983 launch on the space shuttle “definitely an E-ticket.” The coupon system was dropped in the early 1980s in favor of a high gate price, a system that excludes the poor and has replaced the pay-per-ride system at theme parks across the world.
Astro Orbiter RIDE The gist is like Dumbo—an 80-second spin on an armature, you control height—except from three stories up, and with 12 toboggan-style rockets seating only two each. Usually, it takes too long, partly because you have to use an un-magical elevator, framed operational permit and all, to board and leave. At night, the view of an illuminated Castle could make it worth it. Tip: Beneath the ride, pick up the Metrophone for some gag messages.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover RIDE The tramlike second-story track, which boards under the Astro Orbiter at Rockettower Plaza, uses pollution-free “linear induction” magnetic technology to take a story-free scenic overview of the area’s attractions. On a 13-minute round-trip with no stops, it coasts past some windows over the Buzz Lightyear ride and through the guts of Space Mountain, where you traverse the circumference over the Omega boarding area. You will also catch a too-fleeting glimpse of one of Walt Disney’s original 1963 models for Progress City. The ride itself is historic: Walt Disney envisioned this system, originally called the WEDway PeopleMover, as a principal form of transportation for the resort. Sorry, Walt: They bought buses instead. Tip: Despite the reported fact that half of all visitors ride it at least once while they’re here, there’s almost never a wait. Do TTA at night, when Tomorrowland is illuminated in cobalts and greens.
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress SHOW They know it’s an antique: They put Walt’s name in the title as a sort of apology. But as a preboarding movie attests, Walt Disney loved this attraction—he created an earlier version with General Electric sponsorship for the 1964 World’s Fair. It was later moved here, and appropriate to its underwriter, the message is a banquet of consumerist overtones about how appliances will rescue us from a life of drudgery. Walt’s novel twist was that the stage remains stationary but the auditorium rotates on a ring past six rooms (four “acts” and one each for loading and unloading) of Audio-Animatronic scenes. You’ll see a modern person’s trivialization of daily life in 1904, 1927, and the 1940s, and an unspecified time that you could peg for 1989, what with Grandpa’s breathless praise for laser discs and car phones. While our very white, very middle-class narrator (voiced by Jean Shepherd, the narrator of A Christmas Story) loafs with his dog across the ages, his wife does chores and gets mansplained, his mother festers, his daughter primps, and his son dreams of adventure. (Funny how a tribute to progress is riddled with obsolete gender stereotypes.) The Sherman Brothers, who wrote the repetitive ditty “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” (they also wrote the songs for Mary Poppins) said they considered this to be Walt Disney’s personal theme song. Set aside 25 minutes for the show, but it starts every 5 because the rotating theater allows endless refills, like the chamber of a revolver. As a relic from a more idealistic time, it’s priceless, and here’s hoping they never remove it, as is always the rumor. Another reason to see it: Despite the fact it has no living performers, it’s billed as the longest-running stage show in the United States.
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor SHOW Like Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot, it’s a “Living Character” video show, about 15 minutes long, in which computer-animated characters on a giant screen interact with a theater full of people, singling humans out with a hidden camera for gentle ridicule. The animation looks as fluid as in the Pixar movies and is drawn from a cast of some 20 characters, but the three you’ll see in your set will vary. The experience depends as much on the eagerness of your audience as on the improvisational skill of the (spoiler alert) hidden live actors doing the voices. Don’t miss the gags in the preshow video-instruction room (the employee bulletin board warns against “Repetitive Scare Injury”). You’ll probably find yourself more impressed by the canny technology than by the quality of the jokes, and sticklers for Disney orthodoxy are annoyed it isn’t really set in the future. Tip: Sit in the rear or extreme sides of the auditorium to avoid being picked on.
Where to Eat in the Magic Kingdom
All locations will have a few vegetarian options, kids’ meals, and all can accommodate special dietary requests (usually), albeit often at diminished quality. For info on the table-service restaurants that usually require reservations, see p. 61. Beer and wine is finally served in the Magic Kingdom, but only at sit-down restaurants and only with food. There’s also a fruit stand across from the Little Mermaid ride in Fantasyland. (We’ve noted where mobile ordering is an option.)
The Magic Kingdom’s Quick-Service Restaurants
The park, being a mass-appeal crowd-pleaser, does not support a menu that is as adventurous as its characters. Hope you like burgers!
Lights after dark
A trip to Disney doesn’t seem complete if you don’t catch the nightly fireworks-and-projections show, Happily Ever After, held after dark; check the Times Guide. Although it’s technically at least partially visible from anywhere, the most symmetrical view is from the Castle’s front and Main Street, U.S.A. The 18-minute show is quite the slick spectacle—lights dim everywhere, even the ferry dock, and you can hear the soundtrack wherever you are. Areas around and behind the Castle are roped off to protect guests from falling cinders, and wide portions of the Hub are set aside for premium-paying guests, so arrive at least 30 minutes ahead or get shunted elsewhere by aggressive cast members. Fortunately, while you wait, about 15 minutes before (and after) the fireworks, the trippy and beautiful Once Upon a Time precision projection mapping show (14 minutes long) happens on Cinderella Castle. You have the option of purchasing $30 illuminated “Made with Magic” mouse ears that change color along with the show or using a free app, but few customers seem to use them. Off-season, rides begin closing as soon as fireworks start, and people start heading home; in summer, there are still hours left to play.
For the best views, Disney makes you shell out. It throws a nightly Fireworks Dessert Party with special viewing areas (sitting at Tomorrowland Terrace or standing in front of the Plaza Restaurant) starting an hour before showtime. For $59 to $79 adults and $35 to $47 kids in addition to the park entrance fee, you get all-you-can-eat pastries, ice cream, light beverages, and a primo vantage point. Naturally, it books up early ( 407/939-3463). There’s also the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage out on Seven Seas Lagoon with basic snacks and appearances by Captain Hook and Smee ( 407/939-7529; $72 adult, $43 kids 3–9).
At the very end of the night (well, most nights, but not all), about 30 minutes after the posted closing time, Cinderella Castle flashes with a dazzling rainbow of light. This is a “Kiss Goodnight,” something that isn’t on the schedules but happens every 15 minutes, and it’s a little like the Sandman at the Apollo, sweeping you out the door. Stick it out until you see one or two (the last one is an hour after closing time), because by then, escaping crowds will have thinned. Remember, you still have a monorail or a ferryboat and a parking tram to go.
Casey’s Corner AMERICAN The hot dog-and-nachos joint facing the Castle is the only place to grab a counter-service meal around Main Street, U.S.A., but there is never enough seating. Dogs are nearly a foot long and piled embarrassingly high with choices including mac and cheese and chili. Main Street, U.S.A. Combo hot dog meals $10. Mobile ordering.
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor ICE CREAM Although hand-scooped ice cream is served, the specialty is the Kitchen Sink sundae served in Mickey’s pants ($17, but it’s big). Next door is a Starbucks with a queue like a roller coaster. Main Street, U.S.A. Desserts $5 to $6. Mobile ordering.
Sunshine Tree Terrace ICE CREAM Disney fans beeline to this kiosk for the Citrus Swirl, a wonderful blend of frozen OJ and soft-serve vanilla ice cream. The doe-eyed mascot is Orange Bird; Disney created it for the Florida citrus lobby, which sponsored this stand and the Tiki birds back in the 1970s. Adventureland. Beverages and desserts $5 to $6.
Aloha Isle Refreshments ICE CREAM A favorite Disney treat: Pineapple “Dole Whip” soft serve. Or put your Dole Whip in a Pineapple Float. Or just get a spear of fresh pineapple. Adventureland. Dole Whips $5 to $7. Mobile ordering.
Tortuga Tavern MEXICAN Turkey legs, chipotle spare ribs, and hot dogs are served; it has a large, sheltered seating area. Adventureland. Combo meal $9 to $12.
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe AMERICAN Southwest salad with lots of iceberg lettuce, fajitas, and nachos, in spacious, air-conditioned dining halls. Churros, too! Frontierland. Combo meal $13 to $16. Mobile ordering.
Columbia Harbour House AMERICAN At this indoor counter-service spot, order fat sandwiches, grilled salmon, lobster rolls, and chicken pot pie, plus sides such as chowder ($7), then take them upstairs where it’s quiet. Liberty Square. Combo meal $10 to $15. Mobile ordering.
Pinocchio Village Haus AMERICAN/ITALIAN Vaguely Italian food (flatbreads, chicken Parmesan sandwiches, pizza, and so on) adjoining “it’s a small world,” with a few tables in the air-conditioning overlooking the snazzy loading area. Fantasyland. Combo meal $10 to $13. Mobile ordering.
The Friar’s Nook AMERICAN Window service with outdoor seating for tater tots done Greek or Buffalo style, or hot dogs with chips. Fantasyland. Snacks $9 to $11.
Gaston’s Tavern AMERICAN Behind the amusing Gaston fountain, you’ll find some indoor, only-at-Disney treats. The cinnamon rolls are as big as cinder blocks; the baguette sandwiches limp. LeFou’s Brew is Fantasyland’s (not very successful) answer to Harry Potter’s Butterbeer: frozen apple juice with a lightly fruity foam. Get it in a regular cup for $6, or $13 in a plastic stein. Fantasyland. Sandwiches $10.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe AMERICAN The best choice for indoor Quick Service on this end of the park, it does burgers, BBQ pork sandwiches, and chicken (both sandwich and rotisserie)—choose the “bay” that serves your choice. It’s distinguished by regular lounge-act shows by Sonny Eclipse, a long-running Audio-Animatronic character. The panorama of the Castle is sublime; it’s my favorite lunchtime view. Tomorrowland. Combo meal $10 to $15. Mobile ordering.
The Lunching Pad AMERICAN Tiny window-service zone with exposed seating. Tomorrowland. Hot dogs $8. Mobile ordering.
The Tomorrowland Terrace INTERNATIONAL Shaded but not indoors, it faces the Castle and only opens when things are fairly busy. The menu covers the basics: burgers, sandwiches, Caesar salad, chicken strips. Tomorrowland. Meals $10 to $13. Mobile ordering.
Saving on Park munchies
If you plan to buy all your food at the park, sticking strictly to counter-service meals is the cheapest way to go. But considering you’ll pay $10 to $13 each for a counter-service sandwich, plus at least $3.40 for a medium-size soft drink—the going rate in the Orlando parks—even that way, a family of four can easily spend $70 on every meal! Don’t be Goofy—save money! Besides eating off premises, here’s how:
Order the kid’s meal. If it’s counter service, how will they know it’s really for you?
Subtract unwanted combo items. Although counter-service restaurants make the menu appear like it’s mostly combo meals, it’s an unpublicized fact that you may eliminate unwanted items from adult selections and save money. Dropping fries or other bundled side dishes can save about $2.25. For carrot sticks!
Pack a little food of your own. Park security usually looks the other way if you bring a soft lunchbag-size cooler (hard-sided ones will be rejected). Or just tote sandwiches in plastic bags. If your lodging has a freezer, keep juice boxes in there; they’ll be thawed by lunch.
Economize with an all-you-can-eat meal. Character meals (p. 220) give good value because they serve limitless food; the breakfast ones are cheapest. A big lunch can last you until after you leave the park.
Skip table-service meals, or plan them strategically. They can chomp as much as 90 minutes out of your touring time. Do that twice and you’ve lost a third of your day. A park that could be seen in 1 day would require 2, doubling costs. If you want a sit-down meal, do it at lunch, when prices are often lower than at dinner. Eat around 11am, when crowds are lighter. Also, if you don’t show up for Disney reservations, you’re docked $10—assess whether your kids will truly have energy for an evening table-service meal if you schedule one.
Adults may order cheaper and smaller kids’ meals. No one will stop them.
Snack on fruit. Each park has at least one fruit stand ($1.70/piece).
Seek out the turkey legs. This vanishing species is giant (1½ pounds, from 45-pound turkeys), salty, and costs around $12. They taste so good because they’re injected with brine before cooking for 6 hours. Just don’t think about the hormones it takes to grow a 45-pound bird. Or a 5-foot-tall mouse.
Order drinks without ice. Fountain soda is dispensed cold to prevent foaming. It’s chilling how much ice is in a Disney Coke.
Order water for free. It comes in a regular-size cup.
Stretch meals. A few places have a fixings bar. Raid it.
The Magic Kingdom’s Table-Service Restaurants
This is the most popular theme park in the world, so getting a seat can be competitive (and it requires a credit card) and the wait staff is almost always running around. Three restaurants offer breakfast reservations, which may let you get in line for rides before the official park opening. Some restaurants may accept walk-ins in mid-afternoon. Taking them clockwise around the park:
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant ITALIAN Loosely themed on the Italian restaurant scene from Lady and the Tramp (there’s a fountain of the two doe-eyed dogs), it’s loud, not romantic. To repeat Tramp’s spaghetti-and-meatball sharing gesture (kindly don’t use your nose like he did), you’ll pay $22 a plate. It does chicken Parmesan, cannelloni, shrimp scampi, pizzas, pork tenderloin, and strip steak, plus beer and wine. Main Street, U.S.A. Main courses $19 to $32.
The Crystal Palace AMERICAN Under an airy Victorian-style skylight canopy redolent of an 1853 New York City world’s exhibition, Winnie the Pooh greets diners at what’s probably the prettiest in-park restaurant in all of Walt Disney World. The refined air doesn’t stop Pooh and his buddies (Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet) from jamming the aisles with a conga line. Slightly smaller than many other character dining locations, you’re likely to get more face time with the characters here. This restaurant’s been open since Day One and offers three daily all-you-can-eat buffets of changing, crowd-pleasing standards. There’s also a make-your-own-sundae bar. Prices are lowest at breakfast (the best time anyway, since you have the rest of your day free) and scale up; beer and wine cost extra. Main Street, U.S.A. All three meals: buffet $34 to $47 adults, $20 to $28 children.
The Plaza Restaurant AMERICAN What’s special about this restaurant (different from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor) is its view. Situated at the end of Main Street facing Cinderella Castle, it focuses on sandwiches, burgers, and meatloaf, which are served with broccoli slaw, homemade chips, or french fries. Add soup for $8. It also serves beer and wine with meals and ice cream sundaes and cheesecake from the shop next door. Main Street, U.S.A. Main courses $15 to $21.
Skipper Canteen AMERICAN The fun concept: The proprietors are boat captains from the Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd., across the path, which explains why they tell such stomach-churning jokes. (“Here’s your Coke Zero,” you’re told as they set down an empty glass.) The menu is slightly more daring than the usual (falafel, shu mai dumplings, whole fried fish) and includes beer and wine. You stand a chance of getting in without a reservation. Adventureland. Main courses $19 to $32.
The Diamond Horseshoe AMERICAN Disney closed a long-running revue in this music hall and now uses the pretty room to shovel an all-you-can-eat family-style “Saloon Feast” of pulled pork and beef brisket at tourists who’d pay for anything warm. The stage sits empty except for a piano, as if to protest declining standards. There’s beer and wine. Liberty Square. Adults $36, kids $20.
Liberty Tree Tavern AMERICAN This colonial-style place (stained wood and rung-backed chairs) facing the Rivers of America (no view) serves patriotically named a la carte at lunch (Freedom Pasta, Colony Salad; mains $16 to $23). At dinner, fill up on all-you-can-eat fare such as pot roast and turkey with stuffing. There’s beer, light cocktails, and wine. Liberty Square. $35 adults, $20 kids.
freebies at Disney
It’s not easy finding fun stuff to do that you don’t have to cough up for, but you don’t need to hand over a cent for these pleasures—not even for park admission. Anyone off the street can enjoy these things:
Take the monorail. Whiz round the Seven Seas Lagoon past the Magic Kingdom and through the Contemporary Resort as many times as you want without a ticket. You can also use it to make the 4-mile round-trip to Epcot, where you’ll do a flyover of Future World.
Watch the Electrical Water Pageant on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake between 9 and 10:20pm. The illuminated convoy, which twinkle to a soundtrack, motor around the conjoined ponds after nightfall.
Ride the ferries between the resorts, such as the one from Port Orleans Riverside to Disney Springs along the meandering Sassagoula River, which passes the French Quarter resort and the Old Key West resort. You can even ride the one from the monorail-area resorts to the foot of the Magic Kingdom.
Hike at Fort Wilderness. The trail begins at the east end of Bay Lake and threads through occasionally muddy woods.
Spend a night by the pool. Most resorts keep them open ’til 11pm. Technically, you should be a guest. But behave, and no one’ll care (except at the Yacht and Beach clubs, where bracelets may be required). Parking lots are gated, but if you park at Disney Springs and take a free Disney bus, you’ll scoot right in.
See African animals at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The gatekeeper will admit you to sit by the fire in its vaulted lobby, and out back, you can watch game such as giraffe and kudu from the Sunset Overlook. Sometimes, there are zoologists who answer questions.
Watch the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom. For a marvelous view, stroll on the beach of the Grand Floridian or the Polynesian resorts. The sand is millions of years old and was recovered from under Bay Lake. Did you know Disney built a giant wave machine in the middle of the lake? It never worked.
Join Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long. It happens nightly at Fort Wilderness, followed by a Disney feature on an outdoor screen.
Visit the horse stable. At Fort Wilderness’s Tri-Circle-D Ranch, you can see “Cinderella’s ponies” and the horses that pull streetcars up Main Street, U.S.A.
Ride the bus system. Park at Disney Springs for free and take the buses to any hotel, and from there to a theme park. That’ll save you on parking each day.
Cinderella’s Royal Table AMERICAN This is the Holy Grail of character meals since it takes place past the velvet ropes inside Cinderella Castle, where there’s a capacity of less than 200. The famous royal resident always appears (sometimes joined by her soul sisters Jasmine, Aurora, Snow White, and others), and little girls from far and wide dress up like princesses to meet her. (“Right this way, Royal Family,” greets the hostess.) The interior is as lavish as you’d expect for the inside of the Castle, with mock medieval vaulted ceilings, a royal red carpet, stained glass, and stylized crest shields adorning the walls. Meals aren’t all-you-can-eat, but they are all prix-fixe, though the price shifts with the season. Bookings open 180 days ahead at 7am Orlando time (and must be prepaid by credit card) and are snapped up in moments, although if you’re persistent and flexible, you may snag a cancellation starting two weeks before. Food selections include gnocchi, seared chicken, and pork loin, and beer and wine are available. Fantasyland. All three meals $45 to $80 adults, $35 to $65 children, according to season.
Be Our Guest Restaurant AMERICAN It’s not so easy to be their guest, actually, because bookings fill incredibly quickly. And never was “hospitality” so cumbersome: one line to enter, another to order, few cast members to explain the system—you won’t eat a bite until at least 30 minutes after your reservation. It sports a few technical tricks to evoke Beast’s castle, including animated falling snow outside some false windows, a portrait that reveals a hidden Beast when illuminated by periodic lightning (that’s in the West Wing, the best seating area to choose), and an animated rose under glass that slowly sheds its petals. All those polished surfaces make a meal gratingly loud, and although the food is French-ish (there’s croque-monsieur and French onion soup, plus “the gray stuff” (you know, it’s delicious) which is actually a whipped cookies-and-cream panna cotta), in reality the French would form a posse to detain the chef responsible. You’ll only receive quasi-service, too: You order by kiosk, pour your own beverages, and your food is wheeled to you when it’s ready. (If you don’t have a MagicBand, you’ll need to pick up a “rose,” a device that looks like a red hockey puck that transmits your table location.) You can get alcohol, but only at dinner and only with that coveted reservation. It serves all three meals, but only at dinner will you have the chance to meet the Beast, who can only be met here and nowhere else in the park. Fantasyland. Breakfast $25 adult, $15 kids. Main courses $13 to $17 lunch, $22 to $36 dinner.
Epcot remains one of Walt Disney World’s finest achievements. More than any other park, Epcot changes its personality, decorations, and diversions by the season. Although it used to possess the pretense of education, guests usually don’t learn much more than they already know (so as not to bore them or to insult their intelligence), but even though there isn’t much take-away information, there’s lots to soak up if you explore. There’s plenty to do here without having to wait in lines, and unlike other parks, there are many places to sit. The wide variety of foods and alcoholic beverages is also a big draw. Epcot’s genial personality has earned it a spot as the seventh-most-visited theme park on Earth, racking up some 12.2 million entries in 2017.
Epcot has so much to explore, and eat, and drink that you won’t feel like you’re racing from ride to ride (as you might in other parks). Just make sure you have a late morning/early afternoon Fastpass+ for Frozen Ever After (which usually opens at 11am—check the Times Guide—and will be instantly crowded). If you can’t get that, get one for Soarin’ but be at Frozen Ever After when it opens.
Ride Test Track before the line gets crazy or, if you don’t want a thrill, do Frozen Ever After first thing.
Ride Mission: Space.
By now, your Soarin’ Fastpass is probably valid. Ride it.
Enter World Showcase, go directly to Norway, and ride Frozen Ever After.
Go next door to Mexico and ride Gran Fiesta Tour. You have now enjoyed all the rides in World Showcase.
Continue along World Showcase at a slow pace, having removed the temptation to rush. The movies (in China, France, and Canada) are all worth seeing; the shops can be surprisingly good; and the street entertainment choices (noted on the Times Guide) are excellent. Eat somewhere that appeals to you.
Catch the American Adventure; the Voices of Liberty perform about 15 minutes before show times, and they’re listed in the Times Guide.
Continue along World Showcase. Recharge with a pint in the United Kingdom.
Return to Future World for The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
Ride Living with the Land for a glimpse at Epcot’s roots. Consider doing Soarin’ again.
Ride Spaceship Earth.
Return to World Showcase, eat dinner in the land of your choice, and catch IllumiNations at 9pm. Secure a good viewing point at least 30 minutes ahead.
The 260-acre park is divided into two zones, Future World and World Showcase, laid out roughly like a figure eight. Both areas started life separately but, as the legend goes, were grafted together when plans were afoot. Future World is where the wonders of industry were extolled in corporate-sponsored “pavilions.” The companies had a hand in creating them, and they also maintained VIP areas in backstage areas for executives and special guests. At the back of the property, around a 1.3-mile lake footpath, World Showcase was (and is) a circuit of countries, each representing in miniature its namesake’s essence. These, too, received funding from their host countries. The expense of updating exhibits has caused Disney to gradually phase out the educational aspects of the attractions. One by one, original pavilions have been replaced by sense-tingling rides, so that today only two of the original displays, Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land, remain more or less as they originally were.
GETTING IN The parking lot is at the ticket gates, although you can also catch the monorail from the Magic Kingdom parking area. If you park near the track, don’t bother with the tram; you can walk to the gates faster. Bags will be quickly inspected. As you enter the park, lockers are at the right of Spaceship Earth; wheeled rentals are to the left. Also on the left is Guest Relations, where last-minute dining reservations can be made, though often, you’ll just be deferred to the restaurant in question. A smaller entrance at the International Gateway (by France in World Showcase) is good for entry from the Disney Skyliner, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and the Epcot Resort area.
HOURS Future World opens at 9am, along with the Norway pavilion of World Showcase, and the rest of World Showcase opens at 11am. Street entertainment (there’s more on weekends) and character greetings dry up after about 5pm. The less scintillating Future World attractions close at 7pm, 2 hours before World Showcase. The nightly lagoon show (until early 2019, it's IllumiNations) takes place at 9pm; at its conclusion, the hordes stampede for their cars en masse. From Epcot, you can take a ferry to Hollywood Studios, the monorail to the Magic Kingdom (until very late at night, when it’s a bus), or a bus to Animal Kingdom. Because locals favor it, Epcot is much busier on weekends.
A history of Epcot
Although people think of Walt Disney as all-American, he had a communist streak. He long dreamed of establishing a real, working city where 20,000 full-time residents, none of them unemployed, would test out experimental technologies in the course of their daily lives. In vintage films where he discusses his Florida Project, his passion for creating such a self-sustaining community, to be called the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, was inextricable from the rest of his planned resort. He wanted nothing less than to revolutionize the world. Truck traffic would be routed to vehicle plazas beneath the city, out of pedestrians’ way, while PeopleMovers (like the ones of Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland Transit Authority) would shift the population around town. Between home and downtown, they’d take the monorail. Even on his deathbed, Walt was perfecting real plans for the city that would be his crowning legacy: one whose innovations would make life better for everyone on Earth. Had he been a non-smoker and lived just 3 more years, he would have made it happen.
Future World
By the time Walt Disney World finally got around to opening its second park, EPCOT Center, on October 1, 1982 (11 years to the day after the Magic Kingdom and at a staggering estimated cost of $1.4 billion; America’s biggest construction project at the time), it was but a flicker of its original purpose. No one would actually live there, as Walt had directed, and few experimental endeavors would be undertaken. Instead, the most economical course was to turn Walt’s legacy into another moneymaker, heavily subsidized by corporate participation and sold by heavy promotion of “Walt’s dream”—a formula that prevails today. In truth, the final concept wasn’t much different from the world’s fair that Walt’s father had helped construct in Chicago in 1893 or that Walt himself defined in New York in 1964: Examples of how technology was ostensibly improving lives, plus pavilions representing foreign lands for the edification of people unlikely to travel there themselves. As it turned out, in Disney’s version of the future, all walls are carpeted, all lighting is recessed, and all music is lite FM. In December 1993, the park name was simplified to Epcot. As you face the lagoon, the left side of Future World is generally about the physical and man-made sciences, and the right is more about the natural sciences. There are big changes afoot at Epcot as it approaches its fourth decade and Disney struggles to keep audiences engaged—long-running attractions are being removed (Universe of Energy was unplugged for an upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy ride, due 2021), new ones are being built (a Ratatouille dark ride is joining France, also in 2021), movie tie-ins take over, and whiff of the old World’s Fairs is gradually going the way of all unworkable Utopian ideas.
Don’t miss if you’re 6: Frozen Ever After
Don’t miss if you’re 16: Test Track
Requisite photo op: Spaceship Earth
Food you can only get here: Rice cream, the bakery at Norway
The most crowded, so Fastpass+ or go early: Frozen Ever After, Soarin’
Skippable: Journey into Imagination with Figment
Quintessentially Disney: Spaceship Earth
Biggest thrill: Mission: SPACE
Best show: Voices of Liberty, the American Adventure
Character meals: Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Norway; Garden Grill, The Land
Best shopping: Mitsukoshi, Japan
Where to find peace: Future World: the Odyssey Center catwalks; World Showcase: the gardens of Japan
Spaceship Earth RIDE That gorgeous orb looks like a golf ball on a tee, but the 16-million-pound structure, coated with 11,324 aluminum-bonded panels and sheathed inside with a rainproof rubber layer, is supported by a table-like scaffolding where its six legs enter the dome. Think of this 180-foot-tall Buckminster Fuller sphere as a direct descendent of the Perisphere of the 1939 World’s Fair or the Unisphere of the 1964 World’s Fair, which were the icons for their own parks. No mere shell, it houses an eponymous ride using the OmniMover system of cars linked together like an endless snake. The ride slowly winds within the sphere, all on the course of a shallow, sixth-grade-level journey (narrated by Judi Dench) cheerleading the history of communications, from Greek theater to the Sistine Chapel to the printing press to the telegraph. In a bit of unintended kinesthetic commentary, once computers are invented, it all goes downhill. At one point, Dench tells you to thank the Phoenicians for inventing an alphabet (you may hear other riders doing so—it’s a tradition here), recent discoveries actually show that Syrians and Africans independently did the same thing. When you get off, I defy you to tell me what you learned. This, of course, makes it essential Epcot. This is the ride that still shows what the 1982 park was like—its robot-populated sister pavilions about transportation and the future were razed in the 1990s to make way for flashier stuff. Although some people don’t get it, I cherish it as a soothing sojourn not only through time, but also through air-conditioning.
Innoventions ACTIVITY The semicircular buildings (originally Communicore) facing each other like parenthesis behind Spaceship Earth have been largely emptied and are under redevelopment. Strong rumors predict their demolition, but at press time, in the southern wings you’d find MouseGear, the largest all-Disney souvenir shop in Epcot and opposite that, Club Cool, by the Coca-Cola Company, which lets you pour unlimited samples of eight soft drink flavors sold only in other countries. In the courtyard, you’ll find the World Fellowship Fountain, which was dedicated by Walt’s widow, Lillian. At the opening ceremony, water from 23 countries was combined as a symbol of brotherhood. It can shoot 150 feet in the air, although half that is the norm. There are 5-minute choreographed splash-ups, often to synthy 1980s music, on the quarter hour, but nothing Bellagio-level and nothing worth diverting your day for.
Character Meets in Epcot |
Check your Times Guide for the current location of the Epcot Character Spot meet-and-greet area in Future World—it’s where Mickey, Minnie, and a few other popular faces (Baymax, Joy, Sadness) will be. You will also find characters in some of the World Showcase pavilions that somewhat remind you of them—Mary Poppins in the U.K., Aladdin in Morocco, and so on. Check the Times Guide.
Mission: SPACE RIDE Behind this gorgeously swirling planetary facade is a ride that approximates, with intensity if you so desire, the experience of a rocket launch. Although technically a whirl aboard a cockpit on a giant centrifuge, the skillful design successfully tricks the mind. At the outside, you choose, according to your gravitas, between Orange (an intense trip to Mars that’ll have you pressed backward against your seat) or Green (an easy glide around Earth that was made even milder and more family-friendly in 2017, with no vomit-inducing effects). The posted wait time will be whichever of the two versions is longer. Each passenger in the extremely tight four-person cockpits (claustrophobics be warned) is assigned two buttons to press at given cues—it doesn’t matter if you don’t, but at least hold onto your steering joystick, because it gives force feedback as you travel. The Advanced Training Lab post-show area (through the gift shop) is worthwhile even if you don’t ride. There, you can play interactive group games and send free postcards home via computer. Strategy: Whereas Mad Tea Party makes me want to hurl, I do fine on this ride—the personal fans blowing air on your face must help. Perhaps this is why Disney felt confident that it was safe to add a future table-service restaurant adjacent to the ride—when it’s finished, a few years from now, diners will look out windows overlooking “space.”
Test Track RIDE Cars thunder enticingly around the bend of an outdoor motorway at nearly 65mph, but that’s as intense as it gets. Those passengers are experiencing the climax of a complicated, multistage ride that puts them through the paces of a proving ground of an automobile manufacturer (sponsor: Chevrolet) that, oddly, takes place in a neon-frosted black box. Before boarding, you use a touch screen to create a car using the factors of capability, power, responsiveness, and efficiency. Then, you go along for the ride in a minimally decorated warehouse on a series of diagnostic safety tests (don’t worry, you don’t have to actually do anything), while trackside screens ostensibly show you how your creation would perform under the same circumstances—in truth, it’s the same exact ride every time. Your six-passenger car brakes suddenly and careens through a mostly black room decorated by illuminated lines that seem to have been inspired both by Tron and a very low renovation budget. Finally, you shoot outside the building and make an invigorating circuit around the circular track over the Epcot employee parking lot. (Hertz has a similar experience—it’s called a convertible.) The post-ride showroom features a few steering games plus samples from Chevy’s current fleet and numerous photo ops for free digital postcards. If you rode this before its 2012 renovation, you saw it in a much better form. As one of the only thrills in Epcot, it gets busy anyway. Strategy: There’s a single-rider line that doesn’t let you skip much waiting and invariably puts you in a right-hand seat and won’t let you design a car.
The Death of “Life” |
Between Mission: SPACE and the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy ride, you’ll spot a golden dome. No, you haven’t been in the sun too long. (Well, you have. But it’s still there.) That’s Wonders of Life, one of the great failures of modern Disney World. Opened in 1989 as a paean to all things biological, execs closed it at the end of 2006 when they couldn’t find a brand willing to pony up sponsorship. The tarnished pavilion sat in neglect and occasional minor use ever since then, but recently it was been buffed up again, preparing for a new tenant. What will it be?
The Seas with Nemo & Friends RIDE/ACTIVITY One of the world’s largest saltwater aquariums—it’s 27 feet deep, 203 feet across, and holds 5.7 million gallons—and you can spend as long as you like watching the swimming creatures from two levels. About a third of the tank is reserved for dolphins and sea turtles, while reef fish, rays, and sharks dominate the rest. When the pavilion opened in 1986 as The Living Seas, sharks were the big draw and scientists answered questions everywhere; today, because of Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, kids ask to see the clown fish and blue tangs yet there’s nary an interpreter in sight. A visit begins with a 5-minute, slow-moving ride in OmniMover “clamobiles” through a simulated undersea world. Half the point of the ride is, of course, to find Nemo, who’s lost again; the other characters incessantly shout his name, which soon grates on adult nerves. The ride climaxes to the tune of “In the Big Blue World” (from the Nemo musical at Animal Kingdom) with a peek into the real aquarium as Nemo and his friends are projected into the windows, cleverly uniting the fictional world with the real animal universe, “Seabase,” with which you will now be acquainted. A few times a day, the giant tube dominating the hall is occasionally occupied by a diver—an unforgettable sight—to demonstrate how SCUBA works. On the second floor, Observation Level, don’t miss the observation platform that extends into the mighty tank. The Daily Roster sign apprises you of the day’s dolphin talks and fish feedings (the schedule is busiest between 10am and 4pm), when there will be someone on hand to explain what you’re seeing. The dolphins live separately in the first space on the left. If human divers are swimming, they’ll communicate with guests by way of magnetized writing tablets. Also, check out the manatees, Florida’s sweet-natured “sea cows.” Strategy: If the pavilion’s entry line is horrific, bypass the ride by entering through the gift shop, at the far left.
Turtle Talk with Crush SHOW Inside The Seas with Nemo & Friends is an amusing 20-minute show in which a computer-animated version of the 150-year-old surfer-dude turtle—plus the occasional Dory or Destiny the whale shark—interacts with audiences, making jokes about what they’re wearing and fielding questions. It’s part of what Disney calls its “Living Characters” program, and it’s nifty. There is the distraction of ray and jellyfish tanks in the waiting area. Next door is Bruce’s Shark World, a play area similar to any science museum’s.
Kid Stuff at Epcot |
Besides The Seas with Nemo & Friends and Frozen Ever After, there aren’t many attractions for kiddos in Epcot. Disney addressed the problem with small, manned booths that it calls Kidcot Fun Stops, which offer free crafty diversions such as coloring, stamping, or mask-making—stuff kids do at the school fair. Epcot Passports, which can be stamped in every country, were once free but now cost $12 at the register of any World Showcase shop, but attendants will stamp your kids’ crafts, such as the handle of the mask they made, for free instead. From the kiosk on the walkway to World Showcase from Future World (or in Italy, the International Gateway, and Norway), sign them up for the engrossing and free Phineas and Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure (starting at 11am), in which they follow instructions on fake cell phones (or use yours) to make tricksy things happen at six stops in various countries. You must activate the unit within 15 minutes of picking it up, but it’ll work all day until 8:15pm. It’s so engrossing that kids sometimes have a hard time paying attention to anything else.
Soarin’ RIDE The Land pavilion takes up 6 acres, more than all of Tomorrowland, and this ride is a big reason why. In it, audiences are seated on benches and “flown,” hang glider–like, in front of a movie that flies over 13 world landmarks on every inhabited continent while scents (grass, roses) waft, hair blows, and the seats gently rock in tandem with the motions of the flight. Now and then, something computer-animated flies at the lens, but mostly the ride is highly repeatable and deeply pleasurable for all ages. Strategy: Even with a third theatre now operating, wait times can exceed 2 hours (I know—crazy!), so schedule a Fastpass+. The best seats are in the middle sections on the top row, where there are no feet dangling in your field of vision and tall images don’t seem warped. That means you should aim for position B-1, or at the very least A-1 or C-1. Those with height terrors should request something ending in 3, the closest to the ground.
Living with the Land RIDE The Land’s other ride, after Soarin’, is a 14-minute (wonderfully air-conditioned) boat trip that glosses over the realm of farming technologies. It’s one of the last Epcot rides to provide a semblance of education, especially when you pass some experimental growth methods (like a nutrient film technique and aquaponics). These methods are being explored, or so we’re told, to curb world hunger, but you won’t learn how they work (for that, you have to go to the desk at Soarin’s exit to reserve the semi-interesting 45-minute Behind the Seeds tour, $25 adult, $20 kids 3–9) and Epcot’s labs are not the hive of active research they were meant to be in 1982. They do some real stuff here, though: Annually, the narration claims, 15 tons of produce are grown here for Disney restaurants, but you won’t see much activity proving it. This ride is original to opening day, although the live narrators were disposed of in favor of a recording. For those interested in the topic, the info will be too thin, but for those who are bored green, it will seem to last forever. Strategy: Boats load slowly, so go early or late to escape the inevitable buildup. It often closes at 7pm.
The Circle of Life SHOW Upstairs, in The Land, this minor, 13-minute movie stars The Lion King characters and concerns conservation (an Epcot-worthy message). It’ll keep you off the streets and seated in air-conditioning, at least until 7pm, when it shuts down for the day.
Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival SHOW Three animated shorts, all of which are available on DVD, done “4-D” style, meaning your seat trembles once in a while. This movie is a space filler and a time killer. Don’t miss something better just because you were doing this. It’s on the back side of the pavilion named “Imagination!” written with an exclamation point because the people who make new attractions seem to be calling out for one.
Journey into Imagination with Figment RIDE Did Disney run out of money halfway through? One section of this slow track-based ride is simply a room of black curtains and painted boards. Its daffy purple dinosaur, Figment, once figured as Epcot’s mascot and now strains to act cuddly in his last, forlorn outpost. The ride purports to be an open house of the Imagination Institute run by Prof. Nigel Channing (Eric Idle), but Figment seizes control and literally tries everything he can to offend your senses—your sense of good taste, though, is the most violated. This is the third attempt to get an Imagination ride right since 1982. The ride dumps out into ImageWorks “What If” Labs, once a high-tech playground but now with little more to offer than the purchase of fairground-style gag photos. Look above the roped-off staircase for a glimpse of the glass pyramids atrium, now forbidden unless you’ve purchased a Disney timeshare (there’s a bouncer if you haven’t), and you’ll get a fuller sense for how this pretty pavilion is now half-empty and riven with neglect. You might have gathered by now that Imagination! is not Epcot at its best. However, the fountain pods in front, which shoot snakes of water from one to another, are a firm favorite of children, who never tire of trying to catch one of the so-called “laminar flow” spurts.
World Showcase
The 1.3-mile path circling the World Showcase Lagoon is home to 11 pavilions created in the idealized image of their home countries—get your picture taken in front of a miniature Eiffel Tower (it’ll look real through the lens), or at the Doge’s Palace in Venice. The pavilions were built more to elicit an emotional response and not to truly replicate. Disney is diligent about the upkeep of this area, but it neglects development—the last “country” to open was Norway back in 1988, and without joint participation by foreign tourism offices, there are unlikely to be more. There also seems to be an emphasis on countries that Americans already know, and neither South America nor Australasia is represented at all. But World Showcase does have some of the most original restaurants in Disney World, and the shops are stocked with crafts and national products (you can buy real Chinese tea in China and sweaters in Norway), although the variety is slipping. It’s also the only area in Epcot in which alcoholic beverages are sold.
There is far more fascinating stuff to do in World Showcase than the free Disney map lets on. Pocket it and let your curiosity guide you. You should, though, keep the day’s Times Guide firmly in hand. The pavilions are crawling with unexpected musical and dance performances conducted by natives of each country (shows usually wrap up by dinnertime). Seeing them makes a day richer and squeezes value from your ticket. Rush and you’ll miss a lot. I suggest going clockwise around the lagoon mostly because the only two rides in World Showcase will come quickly on the left; if you go counterclockwise, you’ll reach them after they accrue lines. After midafternoon, it won’t matter.
A Mini United Nations |
World Showcase pavilions are staffed by young people who were born and raised in the host country. Many of their contracts last for up to a year, and they chose to come to Florida as much to learn about America as to be ambassadors for their own nations, although many of them complain that most park guests don’t bother asking anything except where the bathrooms are. Be kind to them, speak slowly if you sometimes cannot immediately understand each other’s accent, and most of all, seize this unusual chance to ask questions about their cultures. These folks, despite the fact they’re zipped into silly costumes, are modern, intelligent people who are so proud of where they come from that they traveled halfway around the world to have a new experience and share their heritage with you. Help them do that.
Tip: Anything purchased in World Showcase can be sent to the Package Pickup at the front of Future World; allow 3 hours for delivery (it’s not refrigerated, so chocolate melts). On some days—it depends how busy things are—two ferry routes cross the lagoon. One leaves near Germany and one from Morocco, and both land near the top of Future World. You will not save time using them; they’re merely a pleasant way to get off your feet.
Mexico
Skirting the lagoon clockwise, Mexico is your first stop. Everything to see is inside the faux temple, which contains a faux river (for the Gran Fiesta Tour ride), a faux volcano, and a faux night sky strung with lanterns. The Mexican Folk Art Gallery now hosts Remember Me: La Celebración del Día de Muertos, an exhibition on the traditions of the holiday Coco is about. In the main zócalo of Plaza de los Amigos from Tuesday to Friday mornings, look for Alba Hernandez Santiago, who trained in Arrazola, the Oaxacan town most important to the craft of hand-painted Oaxacan woodcarvings here. She has been here since 2002 and works Tues–Fri; her equally talented brother Marco takes over Sat–Mon. Listen for the terrific Mariachi Cobre, which has performed here since the park’s opening day. There’s also a crystal and glass shop with glass-blowing demonstrations. Influences: A diplomatic mix of Mayan, Toltec, Aztec, and Spanish styles. Fun Stuff to Buy: Maracas ($6 each), Oaxacan woodcarvings (from $18), piñatas (from $12), hand-painted pottery skulls ($25), and sombreros ($17). At the dusky La Cava de Tequila, knock back 200-plus types of the house liquor or a designer margarita ($11–$250). Entertainment: Mariachi Cobre. Character greeting: Donald Duck.
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros RIDE It’s easy to develop a soft spot for the bland, 8-minute boat float that, for its cheesiness, has been nicknamed “Rio de Queso.” As you pass movie screens, jiggling dolls, and dancing Day of the Dead skeletons, you quickly realize you’re enjoying the product of Mexican tourist board input. Along the way, expect animated appearances by the 1940s characters the Three Caballeros—never mind that only Panchito Pistoles the rooster is Mexican (José Carioca the parrot is Brazilian, and Donald Duck is American). At the ride’s climax, they appear in “live” form—these figures are actually part of Disney history. They were originally made for the Mickey Mouse Revue, a show that opened with the Magic Kingdom in 1971 and later spent 26 years in Tokyo Disneyland. The experience is sweet, and it’s a worthy siesta break.
Norway 
Get yer Frozen merch here! Norway, the youngest pavilion (built 1988), is home to one of the only two rides in World Showcase. At least, it used to be Norway—Disney expanded it, fudging the Norway theme, to cash in on Frozen fever even though the movie is only notionally set there. Now you have to get here first thing in the morning if you don’t want to wait for hours. The Akershus Royal Banquet Hall does princess character meals morning, noon, and evening. In the one-room Stave Church Gallery, check out Gods of the Vikings, containing a few genuine Norse artifacts (such as 1,000-year-old spears and swords) on loan from Swedish and Norwegian historical societies. Towering above it all, the wooden Stave Church is a Norwegian original; there were once around 1,000 in the country, but today, there are only 28. The Puffin’s Roost contains a 9-foot-tall troll—photo op alert—and sweaters for up to $400. Influences: Town squares of Bergen, Alesund, Oslo, and the Satesdal Valley; the 14th-century Akershus castle on Oslo harbor; traditional cabins in Trondheim. The Wandering Reindeer indulges in everything Frozen. Fun Stuff to Buy: Laila body lotions (assorted prices) and foam swords ($11). At the bakery, try the custard-stuffed school bread or the rice cream, a snack that those in the know are happy to make a detour for (both $3.50). I prefer the plastic Viking helmets ($12–17), Daim candy ($5, even though it’s Swedish), and stuffed Olafs ($25). Entertainment: Wandering slapstick Norway Vikings. Character greeting: Elsa and Anna.
Frozen Ever After RIDE The old Maelstrom indoor boat excursion, an abbreviated 5-minute float-along with easy forward and backward motion, never counted for much. But it’s the hottest—er, coldest—ride in the park now that it’s been populated with some marvelous Audio-Animatronics of Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, Sven, and Marshmallow from Frozen Fever. It won’t change your world—there’s not even a plot other than it’s the “Winter in Summer” festival—but it’s pretty. Nearby is the Royal Sommerhus cabin where kids can meet the princesses, who are pretending to be on summer vacation there—arrange a Fastpass+ or their dreams will be put on ice and they’ll never let it go. This ride opens at 9am.
China
Enter through the remarkable replica of Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. “Tomb Warriors: Guardian Spirits of Ancient China,” in the House of the Whispering Willow, is a miniature re-creation of a tiny portion of the legendary terra-cotta warriors of the Han Dynasty, scaled to the size of a hotel room (the original mausoleum is twice the size of Epcot). The Gallery also contains a few display cases of figures dating as far back as 260 b.c. Influences: Beijing’s Forbidden City (Imperial Palace) and Temple of Heaven. Fun Stuff to Buy: Upon exiting the film, cross the hangarlike shop and enter House of Good Fortune, a particularly good store (photo op: a huge sculpture of Buddha). It sells plum wine ($20), lots of tees and teas, Chinese jackets ($40–$140; in silks, polyesters, and blends), jade bangles ($150), embroidered handbags ($40); teapots ($30–$50), paper parasols ($16), fans ($10), conical hats ($17), and tea sets (from $20). They’ll write your kid’s name in Mandarin for free. Entertainment: Jeweled Dragon Acrobats, some of the most riveting street performers in the World Showcase. Character greeting: Mulan.
“Reflections of China” FILM The big thing to do in China is a 14-minute movie filmed entirely in Circle-Vision 360°. The result, which surveys some of the country’s most beautiful vistas, is ravishing, although the masses no longer seem to care. You wouldn’t believe the work it takes to make a film that surrounds you from all sides. The makers first had to figure out the optimal number of screens (nine—which enables projectors to be slipped in the gaps between screens) and then they had to suspend a ring of carefully calibrated film cameras from helicopters so that the crew wasn’t in the shots. In 2002, the footage of Shanghai had to be reshot because the city no longer resembled the 1982 version that was being shown; it’s already time for another refresh, which Disney is working on, this time with digital cameras.
Outpost 
This area between China and Germany was once slated to contain a pavilion canvassing equatorial Africa, but that fell through for political reasons, so instead, we get a mushy catchall for all things African. The Mdundo Kibanda store has some Kenyan carvings (such as adorable $12 pocket-size elephants, walking sticks for $67–$77) and you’ll find occasional storytelling sessions. Several days a week, a craftsman is on hand, whittling and carving wares—Kenyan-born Andrew Matiso has been doing this at Epcot since 1999. His colleague Joshua may be here instead; these days, Matiso often works in the shop at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Germany
Lacking a true attraction (a water ride based on the Rhine was planned but never completed), Germany is popular for its food. The Biergarten Restaurant does sausages, beer, and the like—accompanied by yodeling and dancing—while the adjoining shop is for crystal doodads. The Sommerfest is the counter-service alternative for brats and pretzels, and the beer kiosk is ever-popular. On the hour, the Clock Tower above the pavilion rings and two figures emerge, just like at the Glockenspiel in München (Munich). The pavilion is otherwise a string of connected one-room shops selling steins ($25–$200), figurines, crystal, Christmas ornaments, cuckoo clocks (up to $1,900), and other high-priced wares. Influences: Eltz Castle near Koblenz; Stahleck Fortress near Bacharach; Rothenburg (the Biergarten and the dragon slayer statue); facades from Frankfurt and Freiburg (the guildhall). Fun Stuff to Buy: The connected candy-and-wine shop, Weinkeller, is worth a gander: You’ll find such pick-me-ups as Gluhwein ($12 a liter), wine by the bottle (spätlese, Gewürtztraminer, Auslese, Liebfraumilch, from $20), beer steins ($50–$130), and cuckoo clocks in the $100s or $1,000s. Der Teddybär sells toys, including stuffed ones by Steiff. The Werther’s Original Karamell-Küche shop for all sorts of caramel treats ($4–$10) is a standout—its warm, hand-tossed caramel popcorn is a top treat on the Lagoon. Character greeting: Snow White.
The Wine Walk |
The pavilions of Germany, Italy, and France have combined their wine tasting programs so that now, for $32, guests are given two acrylic wine glasses that are each good for two tastings in each of those three “countries.” When you’ve had your six tastings, you get to keep the glass.
Italy
The tiny pavilion for Italy lacks an attraction—the gondolas never leave the dock—so content yourself with the miniature, drive-thru versions of Venice’s Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s bell tower. An appealing, if incongruous, attraction that’s not on the maps is the highly detailed model train display just between this pavilion and Germany. Influences: Piazza di San Marco, Venice; stucco buildings of Tuscany; a fountain reminiscent of the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Fun Stuff to Buy: Noodle around in Enoteca Castello shop for chocolate and Wine Walk tastings (above). La Gemma Elegante sells fragrances, handbags, and pricey Venetian carnival masks. Stop into Tutto Gusto for honest adult cocktails—the kind made with a shaker, not a slushie machine. Entertainment: Sergio the juggling mime (5 days a week; check the Times Guide).
U.S.A.
So much for being a generous host: The U.S.A. pavilion takes pride of place in an area that’s supposed to celebrate other countries. Inside, attend the half-hour Audio-Animatronic show The American Adventure. You’ll be impressed. Also in the lobby is the unfairly ignored American Heritage Gallery: The current exhibition is Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art. Influences: General Georgian/colonial Greek-revival buildings (Brits often snicker that its Georgian architecture style is distinctly English). Fun Stuff to Buy: Heritage Manor Gifts sells patriotic tat, throw pillows, and T-shirts emblazoned with the American flag that were actually made in Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Nicaragua, Vietnam, India, and China—but rarely America. Which these days is pretty American! Entertainment: The superlative and long-running Voices of Liberty singing group, which excels at thorny close harmonies, entertains guests waiting inside for the show.
The American Adventure SHOW Ben Franklin and Mark Twain are your Audio-Animatronic surrogates for a series of eye-popping (but ponderous) re-creations of snippets along patriotic themes. Moving dioramas of seminal events such as a Susan B. Anthony speech and John Muir’s inspiration for Yosemite National Park appear and vanish cinematically on a stage a quarter the size of a football field, leaving spectators marveling at the massive amount of storage space that must lie beyond the proscenium. It’s a literal jukebox for mythology, recently refreshed so it sounds better than ever, and the transitions between scenes are theatrical genius. Indeed, all that homespun corn is brought to you by some immensely complicated robotic and hydraulic systems. When this attraction first opened, the Declaration of Independence scene in which Franklin appears to mount stairs and then walk a few steps across the room was (and is still) a technical miracle. The Will Rogers figure actually twirls a lasso purely through robotic movements. Although heavy on uplifting jingoism, the show scores points for touching lightly on a few unpleasant topics, including slavery and a rebuke for the persecution of Native Americans, but in general, it’s not as deep as its stage. Don’t be the first to enter or else you’ll be marooned off to the left.
Japan
Japan has no giant attractions (like Germany, a show building was erected but never filled with its intended ride), but its shopping is by far the best in Epcot, and the outdoor garden behind the pagoda is a paragon of peace. At the back of the pavilion, go inside and turn left to tour the Bijutsu-kan Gallery. Its most recent show was about the Japanese affection for Kawaii, or cute things. A red torii gate inspired by one in Hiroshima sits in the lagoon (the barnacles on its base are fake, and were glued on to simulate age). Influences: 8th-century Horyuji Temple in Nara (pagoda); Katsura Imperial Villa (Katsura Grill); Shirasagi-Jo castle at Himeji (the rear fortress); Hiroshima (torii gate in the lagoon). Fun Stuff to Buy: The Mitsukoshi Department Store, named for the 300-year-old Japanese original, is the most fun to roam of all the World Showcase shops. It’s stocked like a real store, not a theme-park shop, with a variety of toys, chopstick sets ($4–$18), traditional rush mat zouri sandals ($25), linens, anime figures like Pokémon, paper fans, calligraphy supplies, countless solar-powered hand-waving things, antique kimonos (mostly $50–$200), sake serving sets ($17–$35), bonsai trees ($55–$100), sake tastings ($5–$10), and Japanese snacks, such as chocolate-dipped Pocky sticks ($4). Entertainment: The spectacularly thunderous Matsuriza Taiko drum shows, which are held at the base of the five-level Goju-no-to pagoda.
Morocco
Morocco is another delightful pavilion if you’re inclined to dig in. It flies higher than its neighbors because the country’s king took an active interest in its construction, dispatching some 21 top craftsmen for the job. There’s no movie or show, and the architecture is a cross-country mishmash drawn from Marrakech, Fès, and Rabat. Fez House is a tranquil, pillared two-level courtyard with a fountain and seating that recalls a classic Moroccan home; Moroccan Style, a mosaic-rich exhibition of authentic clothing with hanging lanterns and colored glass, is unjustly ignored. Ask a cast member (almost always from Morocco) to write your name in Arabic for you—it’s free. Influences: Marrakesh (Koutoubia minaret), Rabat (Chella minaret), Fès (Bab Boujouloud Gate, Nejjarine Fountain), Casablanca. Fun Stuff to Buy: The middle courtyards are cluttered with Casablanca Carpets and The Brass Bazaar, and they’re sensational. They are perfumed with incense ($4) and stocked with interesting finds, including footstools, tasseled red caps ($25), glass tea cups ($10), Thuya-wood boxes and bowls (from $25), machine-made rugs (from $26), bangle bracelets ($20), genie lamps (from $20), metal hanging lanterns (from $25), fez hats ($25), and belly-dancer outfits ($85). I’ve managed to haggle them down 30% on the floor model of an incense burner—it almost felt like being in the souk of Fès, only with ice cream bars and strollers. Character greeting: Princess Jasmine. Entertainment: Matboukha Groove jams to fusion folk music by the water (check the Times Guide).
France
France, done up to look like a typical Parisian neighborhood with a one-tenth replica of the upper stretch of the Eiffel Tower in the simulated distance (you can’t go up it), is popular mostly for its food. Disney allowed Guerlain and Givenchy to open fragrance shops at Plume et Palette—turns out the smell of selling out is just like Shalimar. In back, Disney is building a new Ratatouille-themed trackless dark ride in which you’re shrunk to the size of Remy the Rat. It’s based on an attraction that opened at Paris’ Walt Disney Studios Park in 2014, and since a new building is being constructed behind the pavilion, the preparations shouldn’t be too disruptive in 2019. Influences: Various Belle Epoque Parisian and provincial streets; Château de Fontainebleau (the Palais du Cinema); the former Pont des Arts in Paris (the bridge to the United Kingdom). At press time, rumors pointed to imminent redevelopment of this area, possibly to add a ride based on Ratatouille that was first installed at the Walt Disney Studios Park near Paris in 2013. Fun Stuff to Buy: Librairie et Galerie sells upscale fragrances. The Parisian souvenirs (from $10 for a 5-in. Eiffel Tower) are available in Les Halles at Boutique de Cadeaux. Across the lane, check L’Esprit de la Provence, a kitchen shop. Aux Vins de France has Wine Walk tastings (p. 76), Epcot wine glasses ($14), champagne flights ($31 for 3 pours), and bottles of wine that cost much more than in Germany or Italy. Entertainment: Serveur Amusant, a thrilling street acrobat who does handstands on stacked chairs. Character greeting: Princess Aurora, Belle.
“Impressions de France” FILM The 18-minute, 200-degree-wide movie is no longer the freshest example of a tourism film—mostly classical music and postcard-worthy shots of some 50 picturesque places. It has been playing continuously since Epcot opened in 1982, so the imagery lacks the fidelity we expect today, but France is ravishing enough to overcome that. Happily, it provides seating.
United Kingdom
United Kingdom, another wild mix of architectural styles, has no rides or shows, so few people know about the knee-high hedge maze in back. The U.K. is popular chiefly for its English-style pub, the indoor Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, and a counter-service fish and chips shop. That’s two fish and chips outlets in a block—far more than you’d find even in London these days. In mid-afternoon Sunday to Thursday, duck into the pub to catch Carol Stein, a three-decade Epcot entertainer who plays piano and will improvise your name in song. Request her version of “Do Re Mi” (it’s clean). In the garden, the British Revolution band (check the Times Guide) does covers. Influences: Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon (the Tea Caddy); Queen Anne style (the middle promenade); Hampton Court, London (Sportsman’s Shoppe); Victorian, country, and traditional pub styles (Rose & Crown). Fun Stuff to Buy: Featured shopping in the conjoined Sportsman’s Shoppe, the Crown & Crest, and Toy Soldier includes football (soccer) jerseys, merchandise for the Stones, Beatles, and Bowie; Dr. Who stuff; and Guinness shirts (that’s actually Irish, but carry on). Across the way, Lords and Ladies does jewelry and soap, and the Tea Caddy sells Twinings tea plus English candy bars ($4 each). Entertainment: British Revolution rock cover band. Character greeting: Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland.
Canada
Like Japan, Canada’s gardens (inspired by Victoria’s Butchart Gardens, although the sign says Victoria Gardens) are a surprising oasis, adding a hidden artificial canyon delightfully washed by a man-made waterfall. A lumberjack-themed show takes the stage here several times daily (check your Times Guide). Influences: 19th-century Victorian colonial architecture (Hotel du Canada); emblematic northwestern Indian design and Maritime Provinces towns; Butchart Gardens, Victoria (Victoria Gardens). Fun Stuff to Buy: The shop, Northwest Mercantile, mostly hawks maple syrup ($15 for 8.5 oz.), hockey team wear, faux fur-lined muff hats ($25), stuffed moose ($15), ice wine in 2-oz. servings ($13), and T-shirts themed to moose and hockey. Entertainment: A rock/folk band at the bandstand.
“O Canada!” FILM Canada, like China, has a round movie screened by nine clacking projectors. It’s shot in Circle-Vision 360°, a process Walt Disney originally called Circarama. The 18-minute presentation (1982), which requires standing (you can lean on railings, though), was refurbished by adding newly shot bits with Martin Short as emcee, who ladles on plenty of curling jokes and hockey references. Most of its spectacular scenery (the Rockies, the Bay of Fundy) is timeless. You’ll find it hidden deep within the pavilion by a waterfall in a dreamy rock canyon.
Where to Eat in Epcot
Epcot has the best dining choices of any Disney World park, and people come just for the food. All locations will have a few vegetarian options, kids’ meals, and (if you identify yourself) special dietary requests can usually be accommodated, albeit often at diminished quality. Alcohol is served everywhere—even in Morocco, where it’s not so easy to get in real life. You can also drink the water in Mexico.
Epcot’s Quick-Service Restaurants
There are only two major counter-service choices in Future World, plus a Starbucks. The real casual eating action is in World Showcase. There are many more minor kiosks for snacks than what’s listed here.
Epcot at Night |
There are no parades at Epcot, but at 9pm, the pulse-pounding IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth flames-music-and-water spectacular takes place over World Showcase Lagoon. Its central globe is studded with 15,500 tiny video screens, and the show’s so-called Inferno Barge carries a payload of 4,000 gallons of propane. (IllumiNations ends in 2019 and will be replaced by a new production.) Crowds start building on the banks 1–2 hours before showtime, but I find doing that a waste of time, and therefore money, as a day’s admission is so steep. Any view of the center of the lake will be fine (some people find the islands obstructive, but I don’t), but take care to be upwind or you may be engulfed by smoke. Food kiosks close with the very first downbeat of the show.
Sunshine Seasons INTERNATIONAL Offering the best selection and freshest food of all Epcot’s counter-service locations, options here include salads, grilled items (oak-grilled salmon), sesame-crusted tuna, vegan korma, and shrimp stir-fry—not a deep-fried item, burger, or pizza in sight. The desserts are epic (cheesecake with berries, red velvet whoopee pie. You can also pick up snacks suiting dietary restrictions. The Land. Breakfast $7 to $10, lunch and dinner combo meal $10 to $14.
Electric Umbrella AMERICAN Future World’s most central counter-service locale. Expect burgers, chicken, brisket, flatbreads. Refill alert: You get to fill your own drinks for free, a rarity. Innoventions East. Combo meal $12 to $14. Mobile ordering.
La Cantina De San Angel MEXICAN Mexico’s counter-service option will give you beef, fish, chicken tacos, cheese empanadas, nachos, and margaritas (from $11). It’s outside but on the water. Mexico. Combo meal $12 to $14.
Kringla Bakeri Og Kafé SCANDINAVIAN Some of the selections in Norway’s bake shop can’t be found elsewhere at Disney. More than one person claims the smooth, strawberry-topped rice cream pudding to be their favorite sweet in Walt Disney World. You can also get sandwiches, heated to order. Norway. Desserts $3 to $5, sandwiches $7.50 to $8.50.
Lotus Blossom Café CHINESE A Panda Express redux: China’s Quick Service choice, with covered seating, is basic, serving beef noodle bowls, shrimp fried rice, pot stickers, and the like. China. Combo meal $10 to $12.
Sommerfest GERMAN When you can’t get into Biergarten, settle for this kiosk to get your bratwurst, sausage, and beer. Germany. Sausage rolls $10–$11.
Tutto Gusto ITALIAN The excellent full bar (stand-up only) attached to the Tutto Italia Ristorante is an underrated oasis that serves grown-up cocktails and also a selection of cheese and meat plates for two or three (from $25), plus pasta, cannoli, tiramisu, and panini. Get a six-wine “Grand Tour” flight tasting for $32. Italy. Panini $12 to $16, meat-and-cheese plates for two $24 to $29, desserts $4 to $10.
Liberty Inn AMERICAN Burgers on brioche buns and fried chicken in a setting as blandly Colonial as a rest stop on a Maryland highway. Outside, the Liberty Square Market stand has turkey legs and beer and a kiosk sells pumpkin spice funnel cakes. The American Adventure. Combo meal $10 to $13. Mobile ordering.
Katsura Grill JAPANESE Japan’s small counter-service location is in the gardens, and it supplies Japanese curry, teriyaki chicken, sushi ($9–$12 for four pieces), and edamame. Below, the Garden House kiosk pours plum wine and sake for $7 to $10. Facing the lagoon under the pagoda, the Kabuki Cafe kiosk (closed in cold weather) serves shaved ice with syrup (including melon and cherry flavors) for $4, and sake-infused ones for $9. Japan. Combo meal $9 to $14.
Tangierine Café MOROCCAN The indoor counter-service location serves shawarma or falafel with hummus, couscous, bread, and tabbouleh; and lamb or chicken wraps. Accent it with Casa Beer, from Casablanca, or Moorish coffee (powerful espresso spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg), and add baklava for $4. Kids can get burgers or chicken nuggets for $9. Morocco. Combo meal $13 to $15.
Boulangerie Pâtisserie FRENCH Grab a fast, bready bite in the back of Les Halles, such as a chocolate croissant or a ham-and-cheese croissant ($3.50–$4.75—decent bargains), pastry ($2.25–$5), plain croissant ($2.25), quiche ($6.50), or baguette sandwiches ($4.75–$9). Next door, L’Artisan des Glaces has good sorbets and ice creams—plus a deadly ice cream martini made with Grand Marnier ($12). A cash-only kiosk on the lagoon griddles up hot crepes (with sweet fillings, not meat) for $5 to $7. France. Salads and sandwiches $8 to $9.25.
Yorkshire County Fish Shop BRITISH Snag walk-up fish and chips and eat it al fresco. You get two strips of fish with chips (fries)—make sure to put vinegar, not ketchup, on the fries the way the English do. Ale costs $9. In the Rose & Crown pub, you can buy Scotch eggs or fish and chips ($12). United Kingdom. Combo meal $12.
Epcot’s Table-Service Restaurants
Book ahead if your heart is set on something, particularly for a nighttime lagoon view—if you’re going to spend this kind of money, get a view out of it. The host will not guarantee seating location, but it helps to politely ask. Objectively, there are very few meals that would rate highly if I ate them outside of the park gates, and as with all mass-produced meals, quality varies greatly from day to day; the lion’s share of the enjoyment is just being there. Lunch entrees are generally $3 to $5 less expensive than at dinner. Taking them as you encounter them, going clockwise around World Showcase:
The Garden Grill AMERICAN As Farmer Mickey, Pluto, and Chip ’n’ Dale press the flesh in this slowly revolving, two-tiered circular restaurant, you’re served all-you-can-eat family style “Harvest Feast” platters of meats and vegetables, some of which were grown in the greenhouses downstairs. This is the only character meal in Future World, but it’s a good choice because it’s mellow and small enough so that the merry rodents can spend quality time with you. The Land. All-you-can-eat, all three meals. $32 to $47 adults, $19 to $28 kids.
Coral Reef Restaurant SEAFOOD Turns out fish are both friends and food: Through windows into the 27-foot-deep aquarium, admire the luckier buddies of the fish on your plate. You’re even given a cheat sheet to identify what’s swimming by. Only about half the menu selections are fish, and the rest are things like short ribs or strip steak. It’s about the cool view, not the cuisine. The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Main courses $24 to $35.
San Angel Inn Restaurante MEXICAN Epcot’s most atmospheric restaurant is set beneath a false twilight sky at the base of an ancient pyramid, with the boats from the Gran Fiesta Tour steadily passing—reserve the first time of the day to guarantee a seat by the river. The fare isn’t Tex-Mex as much as it is Mexican: Dinner has chicken mole, chili relleno, grilled catch of the day, and caramel dulce de leche ice cream for dessert. If you can’t get in (a likelihood), try La Hacienda de San Angel, across the main path on the lagoon. Its food is similarly Mexican. Mexico. Mains $22 to $32 lunch, $25 to $34 dinner.
La Hacienda de San Angel MEXICAN By day, it’s a sunny place to get your tequila on. By night, this villa-themed restaurant (vaulted ceilings, hanging lanterns) is a fair place to sit for the nighttime show, but only if you’re lucky enough to score a window seat. Margaritas are $15. Get the steak, chicken al pastor, or pan-seared snapper. Mexico. Main courses $18 to $34.
Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall AMERICAN It’s Epcot’s meet-the-princesses extravaganza for all three “feasts” daily, in a Norwegian castle-like setting of vaulted ceilings and banners. Someone always stops by, be it Belle, Aurora, Snow White, Cinderella, or Ariel, who must not have heard that Norwegians love raw fish. This is the only character dining in World Showcase. Breakfast is the more lively time to come. Norway. Meals: $49 to $59 adults, $29 to $35 kids.
Nine Dragons Restaurant CHINESE When you can’t get a reservation anywhere else, you end up here. The food here is not much more daring or spicy than the cheaper Quick Service option, Lotus Blossom Café, except here, there are more choices and they’re more expensive. The decor is handsomely geometric, but nothing memorable, although some tables face out toward the water. China. Main courses $16 to $24.
Biergarten Restaurant GERMAN Toddlers lurch forward to polka, dads dive into mugs of Radeberger pilsner, and strangers make friends with their neighbors at this rowdy, carb-loaded party, an all-you-can-eat stuffer featuring schnitzel, spaetzle, rotisserie chicken, sauerbraten (at dinner), and an oompah band for about 20 minutes at a time. It’s popular. Germany. Lunch (noon–3pm): $35 adults, $19 kids; dinner (after 4pm): $41 adults, $22 kids.
Tutto Italia Ristorante ITALIAN Proclaimed authentic mostly by people who have never been to Italy, this dusky environment of chandeliers and murals nonetheless packs ’em in. Pasta of this low caliber should not be $25, but that doesn’t stop patrons from buying $28 slices of lasagna. Italy. Main courses $22 to $35.
Via Napoli ITALIAN The more enjoyable of Italy’s two table-service restaurants features lots of light, three-story vaulted ceilings, and three amusing wood-fired ovens shaped like the open mouths of giant mustachioed men named after volcanoes. Into those are thrust $18 to $23 individual pizzas and $9.50 kids’ pizzas made with flour imported from Naples (not that you could tell the difference). There’s also some lasagna and spaghetti at around $21 to $30 a plate. It’s operated by Patina Restaurant Group, which runs eateries in Macy’s, the Hollywood Bowl, and other tourist spots. Italy. Main courses $24 to $27, pizzas serving three to four, $45 to $48.
Teppan Edo JAPANESE Above the Mitsukoshi store (which runs it), a chef-cum-swordsmith slices, dices, and cooks at the teppanyaki griddle built into your table. It’s fun to watch, although it’s not a great choice if your kids are too young to keep their hands to themselves. Ask to see the smoking onion volcano. There’s no view, but the food? Oh, it’s fine, but you really come to see the fancy knife work. Japan. Main courses $24 to $36.
Tokyo Dining JAPANESE On the second floor of the Japan pavilion, the decor is modern and stylish, the waitstaff subdued, and the menu offers both tempura/grills and sushi in modest portions at inflated prices. Some tables have a view of the lagoon through nearly floor-to-ceiling windows, which comes in handy around the nighttime show. A third sit-down restaurant in Japan is under construction (in a space built for a ride that was never created) and may be open by late 2019. Japan. Main courses $27 to $34, sushi $12 to $18 per order.
Restaurant Marrakesh MOROCCAN Tucked in the back of the souk, this lesser-known restaurant, lit theatrically with hanging lanterns, features a belly dancer, who appears (in a chaste costume) at 10 minutes before the hour at lunch starting at 12:50pm and at the top of the hour during dinner until 8pm, minus 4pm. The fare is approachable North African, heavy on shish kebabs, lemon chicken tagine, and couscous. Thinner crowds allow it to serve a good value at lunch: appetizer, entree, and dessert until 3:30pm for $20. Morocco. Main courses $19 to $35.
Spice Road Table MOROCCAN Serving spicy garlic shrimp, coriander-crusted rack of lamb, and powerful organic sangria and cocktails, it has terrace lagoon views ideal for spectators of the nighttime show, so it fills up by 8pm. It also has a rare full bar that can do proper cocktails, not just pre-blended ones. Morocco. Small plates $9 to $13, full plates $23 to $36.
Chefs de France FRENCH In a glassed-in dining room recalling a typical French bistro, dine on quiche and crepes or prototypical French food such as duck breast, beef bourguignon, escargot, and filet de boeuf (lunch and dinner). There’s also a $40 prix-fixe, three-course meal. France. Main courses $21 to $36.
Monsieur Paul FRENCH Epcot’s most thoughtful menu (and also its most expensive) starts with napkins that are folded like a chef’s jacket. This is special occasion stuff: an oxtail soup with black truffle for $29, grilled tenderloin with mushroom fricassee, black seabass in rosemary sauce with scales made of roasted potato slices, plus all the amuse-bouches and long preparation explanations you’d expect of a fine establishment. Although it faces the water, the windows are small, so not every table has a view of the nighttime show. The entrance is tucked around the back door of Chefs de France, under a green-and-white striped awning. France. Main courses $40 to $45.
Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room BRITISH The interior is similar to a country pub—big wooden bar with Victorian screen serving whisky and lots of British and Irish draught beers ($9, or twice as much as a London pub)—although some of the seating is outdoors. You can get bangers and mash (sausage with mashed potatoes), shepherd’s pie (ground beef with peas topped with cheddar and mashed potatoes), and that standby that finds its way onto every Disney menu, no matter how errant, New York strip steak. You can only have a drink in the pub or you can wait for a patio seat. The pub’s motto is otium cum dignitate—that’s not a Hogwarts spell, it’s “leisure with dignity.” United Kingdom. Main courses $21 to $27.
Le Cellier Steakhouse STEAKS It takes the Canadian-themed restaurant to deliver the most all-American menu of filet mignon, snapper, pork, and chicken, but it also Canucks it up with sides such as poutine fries (topped with cheddar, truffle salt, and red-wine reduction). Specialties include a popular cheddar cheese soup and pretzel bread. True to its name, the restaurant is windowless and vaulted, like a very clean version of a wine cellar. It’s a tough reservation to secure. Canada. Main courses $30 to $54.
The largest Disney theme park in Florida (500 acres), Disney’s Animal Kingdom is enjoying attention after years as an also-ran. The park, which for 2017 became Disney’s second-most popular (12.5 million visits) because of the hype over the new Avatar-themed area, debuted in 1998 at a reported cost of $800 million as a competitor to Busch Gardens. Most of that land is used up by a menagerie of exotic animals; instead of cages, they’re kept in paddocks rimmed with cleverly disguised trenches that are concealed behind landscaping. Most attractions are given a mild environmentalist message (ironic, considering how much swamp was obliterated to build this resort, but never you mind).
Because animals retire to the shade as the Florida heat builds, a visit here most times of year should begin as soon as the gates open, usually around 8am, yet there really isn’t enough to keep you here for 15 hours until the summer sun goes down. If you only have one day here, you really should choose whether to come in the morning (more active animals) or skew toward the evening (Pandora alight, a nighttime spectacular, but fewer animals). Tips: Check the weather, because if it’s excessively hot or wet, you will be miserable: Only five major attractions take place in the A/C. There is currently no parade at Animal Kingdom, but there is a night show.
GETTING IN Locker and stroller rental are just past the gates in what’s called the Oasis, a lush buffer zone that gradually acclimates guests to the world of the park. Pick up a free Guidemap, a Times Guide, and an Animal Guide for the locations of animal enclosures, otherwise you’ll miss a lot.
Generally speaking, the biggest animals collect at the back of the park (Africa and Asia), the thrills to the right (Asia and DinoLand U.S.A.). Nowhere will you find balloons—once discarded, they choke animals—and straws are made of paper for the same reason.
Don’t miss if you’re 6: Festival of the Lion King
Don’t miss if you’re 16: Avatar Flight of Passage
Requisite photo op: The floating mountains of Pandora
Food you can only get here: Frozen chai, Royal Anandapur Tea Company
The most crowded, so Fastpass+ or go early: Avatar Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris
Skippable: Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Quintessentially Disney: It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
Biggest thrill: Expedition Everest
Best show: Rivers of Light
Character meals: Tusker House Restaurant, Africa
Best shopping: Bhaktapur Market, Asia; Island Mercantile, Oasis
Where to find peace: Discovery Island Trails
Discovery Island
Like the Plaza of the Magic Kingdom, Discovery Island is designed to be the hub of the park. Guests can touch down here to change lands.
The Tree of Life RIDE Instead of a castle or a geosphere, the centerpiece here, Animal Kingdom’s “weenie,” is an emerald, 14-story-high arbor (built on the skeleton of an oil rig) covered with hundreds of carvings of animals made to appear, at a distance, like the pattern of bark. Some 102,000 vinyl leaves were individually attached—which is why its shade of green is more lurid than the surrounding foliage—to some 750 tertiary branches. That the best way to enjoy it is to slowly make a circuit of it, looking for and identifying new animals, is perhaps proof that the best way to experience this park is to slow down and open your eyes. At night, the front is illuminated with gently animated projections that highlight some of the hidden sculptures and bring them to life.
Discovery Island Trails ACTIVITY The self-guided paths encircle the Tree of Life. Here’s where you’ll find giant red kangaroos, flamingoes, storks, otters, lemurs, macaws, and the lappet-faced vulture; some are removed from view when it’s hot. It takes only about 15 minutes to enjoy.
Adventurers Outpost CHARACTER GREETING Mickey and Minnie, wearing explorer garb, meet kids, and sign autographs here, on the east side of the path toward Asia. It is the only place in the resort where they appear as a couple.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 1 Day, Two Ways
START: BE AT THE GATE FOR OPENING TIME.
Try to have a Fastpass+ for Avatar Flight of Passage or The Na’vi River Journey. It won’t be easy, so plan to wait.
Animal Kingdom with Kids
The morning will be busy, but the afternoon will be milder. When the gates open, head straight to Pandora and ride Avatar: Flight of Passage and The Na’vi River Journey, in that order.
Go to Africa for Kilimanjaro Safaris because the animals are most active before the heat sets in. Head next door.
Find the gorillas and hippos on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.
Go to Asia to spot tigers on the Maharajah Jungle Trek.
Ride Kali River Rapids to cool down.
See UP! A Great Bird Adventure.
Have lunch at Yak & Yeti.
See the next performance of Finding Nemo—The Musical, seated and indoors.
Ride Primeval Whirl and TriceraTop Spin.
Go see It’s Tough to Be a Bug! and walk the Discovery Trails to look for animals embedded in the Tree of Life.
Go to Africa to see Festival of the Lion King. At this point, younger kids may need to call it a day.
If you have time or energy, take the train to and from Rafiki’s Planet Watch for a 20-minute walk-through (budget 45 min. total).
Wait until dusk to re-ride Kilimanjaro Safaris (if you care) and then return in the dark to Pandora to see its bioluminescent lights. If you have the energy, see Rivers of Light, or use the time to watch the projections on the Tree of Life.
Animal Kingdom without Kids
When the gates open, head straight to Pandora and ride Avatar Flight of Passage and The Na’vi River Journey, in that order.
Off to Africa for Kilimanjaro Safaris. (Have a mid- to late-morning Fastpass+ for Avatar Flight of Passage or an early morning one for Kilimanjaro Safaris, depending if you want thrills or animals. It’s fine if you have a Fastpass+ for later safaris; each trip yields different animals.)
Watch the gorillas on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.
OR
Go to Asia to ride Expedition Everest before the line gets too crazy.
Walk to Asia and ride Expedition Everest (if you haven’t already!).
Explore the Maharajah Jungle Trek to see tigers.
If it’s hot by now, ride Kali River Rapids.
Eat at Yak & Yeti.
See UP! A Great Bird Adventure. (Or maybe just chill with a cocktail.)
See the next performance of Finding Nemo—The Musical. Enjoy the air-conditioning.
Ride Primeval Whirl.
Ride DINOSAUR.
See It’s Tough to Be a Bug! and walk the Discovery Trails to look for animals embedded in the Tree of Life.
Go to Africa to see Festival of the Lion King.
If you have time or energy, take the train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch (budget 45 min. total).
Wait until dusk to re-ride Kilimanjaro Safaris for the sunset experience and then return in the dark to Pandora to see its bioluminescent lights. If you have the energy, see Rivers of Light, or use the time to watch the projections on the Tree of Life.
It’s Tough to Be a Bug! SHOW Hidden in the flying roots of the Tree of Life, in a cool basementlike theater, you’ll find a cleverly rigged cinema showing a sense-tricking 10-minute 3-D movie based on the animated movie A Bug’s Life. When the stinkbugs do their thing or the tarantula starts firing poison quills, you’ll never quite be sure what’s an image, what’s cutting-edge robotics, and what’s clever rigging in the theater. It’s one of the best sense-tricking movies at Disney World. Little kids who can’t distinguish fantasy from reality may be scared by the marvelously realized Hopper figure; sit in back (the first doors after you get your glasses) and to the left to be far from him. The indoor preshow area is decorated with posters for some funny entomological variations on Broadway shows (my faves: “Web Side Story” and “My Fair Ladybug”). Strategy: Upon exiting, go left to explore the trails (above) or right for the bridge to Asia.
Pandora—The World of Avatar
In 2017, at a reported cost of $500 million, Disney made the odd choice of opening this elaborate 12-acre area, which not only contains zero animals but also isn’t even a Disney-created franchise. Whatever the logic, you can’t say it isn’t pretty. An evocation of the fantastical planet and tribal people from the 2009 film Avatar, Pandora is dominated by a vine-covered cascade of “floating mountains”—an impressive sight that’s hard to photograph. To simply wander is to best experience it, taking in the sumptuous floral creations and listening for weird alien animal calls coming from the foliage. At night, vegetation and walkways illuminate with fluorescent light that Disney likes to call bioluminescent, and that spectacle necessitates a second visit after dark. Set aside the veiled, almost Victorian tropes about the Noble Savage that Disney seems to be evoking here. Seek out a cast member dressed as a guide for Alpha Centauri Exhibitions, the fictional tour company that purportedly brought you to Pandora. They can point out some of the hidden secrets of the land—such as secret pressure points in the trees that trigger flashes of light. There’s a tiered viewing terrace in the center to better enable your admiration. The must-get souvenir, sold for $50 at the Rookery shop after Flight of Passage: little banshee puppets that sit on your shoulder.
Avatar Flight of Passage RIDE Like the characters in the movie, your consciousness will be transferred into the host body of (colonialism symbolism alert!) a Na’vi whose name you never learn as they ride a dragon-like creature, called a banshee, over the wonders of Pandora. Or that’s the premise, and it’s accomplished rather brilliantly, starting with a body scan to prep you for the transition. Easily one of the most elaborate attractions in Disneydom thanks in part to a sensationally decorated queue, the 4.5-minute ride feels intense even though it’s basically you straddling a bike-like vehicle (it secures you by gripping your legs and clapping your back) in front of a very big movie screen; a breeze and water spritzes keep you from becoming nauseated. The concept works a lot like Soarin’, but with a 3-D film and more intensity, but you actually travel nowhere. Pay special attention to the fun physical feedback as your vehicle presses against your legs. The ride’s point is to take in landscapes, not terrify you. Tip: Some larger guests report difficulty fitting on the vehicle, so test the sample out front. The theatre is multi-leveled, if you have a hard time with stairs, ask for sections 1C or 1D; section 2 is evenly in the middle and 3 is at the top. Also, pee before you get in line. Cruelly for a ride with routine 3-hour waits, there are no restrooms in the building.
Na’vi River Journey RIDE All ages will find this gentle boat float through a dark but colorful Pandoran bog to be mellow going. All you do is bob from room to room, listening to music and soaking up what you see—it’s a strange world, after all. There’s lots of pretty plants and animals to look at, but the most impressive thing is the huge, limber-limbed, and deceptively complex “Shaman of Songs,” the most complex Audio-Animatronic figure ever built, that serenades you near the ride’s climax. All told, Journey is 4.5 minutes of calm, a glowing Tunnel of Love.
Africa
Due to its star attraction, Africa is mobbed in the morning; in the afternoon, it’s a popular place to grab food or a cocktail. By evening, because of the new sunset effects on Kilimanjaro Safaris, it’s mobbed again. Dawa Bar, at the entrance to Tusker House, is a nice place to people-watch with a cocktail.
Kilimanjaro Safaris RIDE Easily the bumpiest ride at Disney World, the 20-minute excursion is the crown jewel of Animal Kingdom. Climb into a supersize, 32-passenger Jeep-like vehicle—an actual one with wheels, not a tracked cart—and be swept into what feels like a real safari through the African veldt, with meticulously rutted tracks and all. Be quick on the shutter, because drivers speed fleetly, passing through habitats for giraffes, elephants, wildebeest, ostrich, hippos, lions, antelope, rhinos, and other creatures that made safaris famous. Considering the quality and quantity of animals on display—and the cleverness of the enclosure design, as there are never bars between you and them—it’s easily the best animal attraction of the park. Animals are most active when the park opens, but the queue builds once again at night so people can see it all over again with a sunset lighting effect (if you want to see that, I recommend Fastpassing it). Some people say that the second-best time to see the animals is in midafternoon because they get antsy with the foreknowledge that they’re about to be led to their indoor sleeping quarters. Ride twice if you want—the free will of the animals means it’s never the same trip twice: Sometimes you’ll zip right through, and sometimes you’ll be halted by a moody rhino who refuses to get off the road. Strategy: Photographers who want clear shots should jockey toward the back, away from the cockpit. At the very least, they should negotiate with their companions for a seat at the end of their row.
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail ACTIVITY Upon exiting Kilimanjaro Safaris, begin this trail, which focuses on African animals. It wends past a troop of lowland gorillas (very popular), naked mole rats, okapi, meerkats (yes, like Timon), and hippos you can view through an underwater window; the nocturnal animals start waking up around 3:30pm. The circuit takes about a half-hour, but you can spend as long as you want. The gorillas come near the end, so budget your time. All close before dusk.
“Festival of the Lion King” SHOW If this lavish, colorful, intense spectacle can’t hold your attention for 30 minutes, you might require prescriptions. Audiences sit on benches in four quadrants (front rows are good for engaging with performers), and the event comes on buoyant and boisterously, like an acid trip during a rock concert. Four huge floats enter the room, topped with soft-looking giant puppets of Timon, Pumbaa, and African wildlife and attended by acrobats, stilt-walkers, flame jugglers, and dancers, all of whom get their turn to dazzle you with their acts, which are performed, of course, to the hit songs of the movie. Strategy: Shows are scheduled, and they can fill up, so arrive 30 minutes early. Unfortunately, the seating is bleacher-style and lacks backs. The last shows are around dusk.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch ACTIVITY Its elements are listed separately on the park maps, but everything is of a piece. The only way to reach this educational veterinary station is using the Wildlife Express Train. Waits are generally no longer than 10 minutes. The trip takes 7 minutes and you’ll get glimpses of plain backstage work areas and maybe a white rhino in its indoor pen, but not much else. Habitat Habit!, the path that leads to the main building, is another “discovery trail,” this one with cotton-top tamarins (endangered monkeys about the size of squirrels). Conservation Station is a quasi-educational peek at how the park’s animals are maintained—you’re not seeing the true veterinary facilities, but a few auxiliary rooms set up so tourists can watch activities through picture windows. There’s not always something going on (early mornings seem to be most active), and the Times Guide doesn’t help, so you might get all the way here and then find yourself with only some tanks of reptiles and amphibians to poke at, although Rafiki makes appearances all day. There’s nothing earthshaking—enter a dark, soundproof booth and listen to the sounds of the rainforest—but the pace is much easier than in the park outside. The Affection Section is a petting zoo hosting your typical petting-zoo denizens—donkeys, goats, sheep, and so on. Tip: Try to visit by noon, when the vets are more likely to be treating animals; Guest Relations, at the front of the park, keeps a schedule. It tends to close around dinnertime.
Kid Stuff at Animal Kingdom |
Animal Kingdom has a free paper scavenger hunt, Wilderness Explorers, in which kids collect merit badges (stickers) for learning things about animals and conservation. Join on the bridge between Oasis and the Tree of Life, opposite the Yak & Yeti, and by Dino-Bite Snacks.
Asia
Asia’s decor (rat-trap wiring, fraying prayer flags) evokes Nepal or northern India. Don’t miss the white-cheeked gibbons who live on the ruined temple at the exit of Kali River Rapids. Also make a stop at Bhaktapur Market, which sells Asian souvenirs that are a cut above the usual theme park stuff—printed dresses, little Buddhas, conical hats.
Expedition Everest RIDE The lavishly themed roller-coaster is mostly contained in the “snowcapped” mountain looming nearly 200 feet over the park’s east end (if it were any higher, Florida law would require it to be topped by an airplane beacon). The queue area is a beautifully realized duplication of a Himalayan temple down to the tarnished bells and red paint, although portions of it are exposed to the sun, so drink something before you pony up. The coaster itself is loaded with powerful set pieces: both backward and forward motion, pitch-black sections, and a fleeting encounter with a 22-foot Abominable Snowman, or Yeti. As with all Disney rides, the most dramatic drop (80 ft.) is visible from the sidewalk out front, so if you think you can stomach that, you can do the rest. There are no upside-down loops; the dominant motion is spiral. Strategy: This is a top candidate for Fastpass+. The seats with the best view, without question, are in the front rows, although the back rows feel a little faster. The single-rider line is one of the resort’s fastest-moving and most fruitful. It’s an especially exciting ride at night.
Expedition Everest’s original effects were too complicated to function for long. For example, the summit was once shrouded in a cool mist. But the Yeti suffered the most ignoble fate. Although it was the most complicated Audio-Animatronic creature ever commissioned (25 feet tall, 19 movement functions) and the sight of it lunging five feet horizontally for your train was, for a short period, the ride’s scintillating climax. But its repetitive motion began cracking its foundation, which were too integrated with the structure of the rest of the mountain to repair. The solution: A strobe light now makes it appear as if the motionless Yeti moves. Disney fans deride it as the “Disco Yeti.” Imagineers swear they intend to fix it one day.
Kali River Rapids RIDE The 12-passenger round bumper boat shoots a course of rapids, and sometimes you can get soaked—it depends on your bad luck—but it’s generally milder than similar rides. Your feet, for sure, will get wet. The worst damage is usually done by spectators who shoot water cannons at passing boats. Lots of guests buy rain ponchos ($9–$10 each at nearby stores, or a buck at your local dollar store), but there is a water-resistant holding area in the center of each boat. To be safe, there are free 120-minute lockers available, $7/hour if you go over. Strategy: Lines build considerably when it’s hot, so this is another prime Fastpass+ candidate.
Maharajah Jungle Trek ACTIVITY Too few people enjoy this self-guided, South Asian–themed walking trail featuring some gorgeous tigers (rescued from a circus breeding program), flying foxes, komodo dragons, and a few birds frolicking among fake ruins. The tigers are most active when the park opens and toward the end of the day. Grab a bird information sheet after entering the aviary; there’s a bat display, too, that you can bypass if you’re squeamish. It’ll close by dusk.
UP! A Great Bird Adventure SHOW Cushy costumed character versions of Russell and his dog Dug somehow wander into a presentation about birds, affording the host an excuse to introduce them, and you, to some gorgeous creatures—parrots, toucans, bald eagles, peacocks, African birds of prey—who swoop around the semi-enclosed arena, barely clearing heads. The last show of the day is in late afternoon. Tip: Sit on the end of an interior aisle for an extra thrill. If you’ve got short kids, try the sloped bleachers in back, because the ground seats may miss some low-level action.
DinoLand U.S.A.
When it rains, come here, where two attractions and one big counter-service restaurant are indoors.
“Finding Nemo—The Musical” SHOW One of the best shows at Disney is a fast-forwarded version of the movie by the songwriters of the Oscar-winning tune “Let It Go.” The story was heightened with such catchy added songs as “Fish Are Friends, Not Food” and the infectious, Beach Boys–style “Go with the Flow.” Just as in the Broadway adaptation of The Lion King, live actors manipulate complicated animal puppets in full view, which allows the fish to appear as if they’re floating in the sea. Sprightly, bright, colossal, and energetic, this winning 40-minute show is a good choice for taking a load off (the bench seating is indoors), and even those who know the movie backward and forward will find something new in the vibrant vigor of the delivery. Strategy: Because some scenes happen in the aisle that crosses the center of the theater, sit in the rear half of the auditorium.
Animal Kingdom’s Night Moves |
The park stays open into the evening and is just more easygoing. The slow-paced but sumptuous Rivers of Light water-and-light spectacular fires up the lagoon near Asia with illuminated floats, prancing fountains, and projections on water curtains; it’s nice but won’t change your life. Also catch the glowing color features of Pandora—The World of Avatar after dark. Kilimanjaro Safaris added lighting that simulates perpetual sunset (it’s pretty, but worse for spotting animals, so don’t make it the only time you ride it). And The Tree of Life is illuminated with kumbaya projections.
Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama ACTIVITY/RIDE Kids run loose in this miniature parking lot-style carnival with a midway, Fossil Fun Games (Mammoth skee-ball races, “Whac-a-Pachycephalosaurus”), and two simple family rides. TriceraTop Spin , for the very young (90 seconds), is yet another iteration of the Dumbo ride over at Magic Kingdom and is designed for kids to ride with their parents. Cars fit four, in two rows. Primeval Whirl is a pair of mirror-image, family-friendly carnival-style coasters (FYI, Walt hated carnivals) that start out like a typical “wild mouse” ride before, mid-trip, the round cars begin spinning on an axle as they ride the rails. Think of it as a roller-coaster version of the teacup ride. You can plainly see what you’re in for, although you may be surprised at how roughly the movements can whip your neck. Don’t feel bad if you give it a miss, too, because it’s not a Disney original; it was made by a French company that sells similar rides to other parks. Keep the kids in control by swinging them across the path to The Boneyard , a hot, sun-exposed playground where the very young can dig up “prehistoric” bones in the sand and work off energy on catwalks, net courses, and slides.
DINOSAUR RIDE A good rainy-weather option is this 3-minute indoor time-travel ride in which all-terrain “Enhanced Motion Vehicles” simultaneously speed and shimmy down an unseen track, all as hordes of roaring dinosaurs attempt to make you dinner and an approaching asteroid shower threatens to do everyone in. Some kids, and even some adults, find all those jaws and jerky movements rather intense, and it’s extremely dark and loud, but ultimately, it’s a fun time, even if the perpetual darkness makes me wonder how much money Disney saved in not having to build more dinosaurs. Like many modern rides, well-known actors perform in the preshow video; this one’s got Phylicia Rashad, fiercely overacting, and Wallace Langham, in a horrific tie. The line never seems to be as long as this ride deserves. On the path to the ride, don’t ignore Dino-Sue, the 40-foot-long, full-scale T. rex skeleton—it’s a replica of Sue, the most complete specimen anyone has yet found. The original, unearthed in South Dakota in 1990, is on display at Chicago’s Field Museum. The Cretaceous Trail, at the head of the path, showcases ferns and American alligators extant in that period.
Where to Eat at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
All locations have vegetarian options, kids’ meals, and if you identify yourself, special dietary requests can usually be accommodated. There are no plastic drink lids because they can choke animals. The fruit cart ($2/piece) is in Africa. You’ll find some minor food kiosks on the paths linking Discovery Island and Africa to Asia; if they’re open, they’ll be on your Guide Map.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Quick-Service Restaurants
Flame Tree Barbecue AMERICAN If you don’t mind gorging on dishes such as ribs and baked chicken when you’re supposed to be appreciating animals, it has a wonderful terraced back garden with cushioned seating on the Discovery River useful for watching the Rivers of Light at a comfortable distance. The pulled-pork barbecue is a favorite. This is also where you get those honking turkey legs. Discovery Island. Combo meal $12 to $19. Mobile ordering.
Satu’li Canteen INTERPLANETARY At this popular new choice, dishes are cooked with a kooky spin to make them appear alien: Sustainable fish or sliced beef are served with yogurt boba balls, and the cheeseburgers are (deliciously) rethought as spongy steamed bao dumplings. You’ll want the Blueberry Cream Cheese Mouse for its Instagram factor alone. You can order food ahead using MDX. Pandora—The World of Avatar. Combo meal $12 to $16. Mobile ordering.
Pizzafari AMERICAN A vibrantly colored restaurant that once did only pizza went uptown and now also does flatbreads. Discovery Island. Combo meal $10 to $12. Mobile ordering.
Packing It In: Two Parks, 1 Day
START: BE AT THE GATE 20 MINUTES BEFORE OPENING TIME.
You really don’t have to pay for 2 days’ worth of park tickets to visit Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. As long as you have the Park Hopper option, you can see the highlights in 1 action-packed day. You will miss some lesser attractions, but not enough to lose sleep over.
Which park you do first is a toss-up. The animals are most active first thing in the morning at Animal Kingdom, but the lines at Hollywood Studios’ Toy Story Land are long this year. This plan starts at Animal Kingdom; if you follow it, have a pre-arranged afternoon Fastpass+ for Toy Story Mania! or Slinky Dog Dash at Hollywood Studios. Because it’s still new, Pandora at Animal Kingdom will be busy all day, which is why I have you seeing it first thing in the morning, before crowds peak. If you start at Hollywood Studios, have an afternoon Fastpass+ for one of the two Pandora rides instead. And if the new Star Wars land is open, do Hollywood Studios first—and get there super early.
Begin your day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. When the gates open, head straight to Pandora to ride Avatar Flight of Passage. You can then skip the Na’vi River Journey to visit Africa for Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Animal people: Enjoy the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.
Coaster people: Ride Expedition Everest. If the wait’s bad, use the Single Rider line.
Explore the Maharajah Jungle Trek.
Ride Kali River Rapids.
If you enjoy live musicals, see the next performance of either Finding Nemo—The Musical or Festival of the Lion King. This will take nearly an hour, so cut this if it’s too close to lunch.
Ride DINOSAUR. (Maybe you can do this while waiting for the Nemo show to start?)
Switch parks. On the way, you could lunch on U.S. 192, where food’s cheaper. Reach that quickly by following the signs to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and turning left at the light before its entrance. That’s Sherbeth Road, and it winds to U.S. 192. After lunch, drive east on U.S. 192 a few miles and follow the signs back to Disney.
Enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Use your Fastpass+ for Toy Story Mania! or Slinky Dog Dash at Toy Story Land. Try riding the other one if the lines aren’t too long.
Ride Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
Ride Star Tours.
If you have time, see the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
Now you have a choice. When it gets dark, either see Fantasmic! (if it’s performing tonight) or Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular—or return to Animal Kingdom for its evening attractions, the lights of Pandora, Rivers of Light show, or the after-dark version of Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Go back to your hotel and collapse.
Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery SANDWICHES A hole in the wall selling panini with curry-spiced chips and offers Kosher items. Africa. Sandwiches $10 to $11.
Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes ASIAN Although there is a table-service location indoors by the same name, the outdoor windows do counter-service teriyaki beef bowls, Asian chicken wraps, ginger chicken salad, and pork egg rolls so greasy they could be used as torches. Chicken fried rice is just $5. Across the path on the water, the Royal Anandapur Tea Company kiosk offers something unique: teas and slushy chai ($6). Asia. Combo meal $12 to $15.
Harambe Market INTERNATIONAL This food court (in a pan-African costume) has sheltered outdoor seating. The windows started out serving what they advertise, but now are more or less all the same: chicken skewers, gyro flatbread, ribs, beef and pork sausage, and South African wines. Also delicious: The coconut African milk tart in a chocolate shell. Combo meal Africa. $10 to $14. Mobile ordering.
Tamu Tamu Eats & Refreshment INTERNATIONAL Serving the beloved Dole Whip frozen pineapple dessert, but here, it’s spiked with a shot of rum ($8). It’s near Dawa Bar, a relaxing spot mimicking a fortress on the water where cocktails ($8–$16) are served; there are 10 seats at the bar but more under a bamboo shelter, but sadly it closes well before the park does. Africa.
Restaurantosaurus AMERICAN As American as DinoLand U.S.A., the kitchen pumps out burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and nuggets. The Dino-Bites kiosk (not open nearly enough for such an awesome name) nearby sells desserts. DinoLand U.S.A. Combo meal $11 to $14. Mobile ordering.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Table-Service Restaurants
Because you’re probably going to be up early to see the animals at their best, this park is a good candidate for a character breakfast. There are very few places to get out of the heat and have a waiter-service meal.
Rainforest Cafe AMERICAN In a lush, jungle-like, theatrically lit setting, robotic animals roar and twitter over your cheese sticks, burgers, and rum cocktails in souvenir glasses. This is not a Disney original, but one of two outposts of the established brand at Disney World (the other is at Disney Springs Marketplace). Oasis, at the park entry. Main courses $15 to $36.
Tiffins INTERNATIONAL A contemporary upscale choice, the park’s finest, was added in 2016. The menu is seasonal and inventive, but to give you an idea, it has included lobster popcorn Thai curry soup, Ethiopian coffee butter-infused venison, and pomegranate-lacquered chicken. Lunch and dinner. The casual Nomad Lounge, attached, is an air-conditioned space for small plates (poke, saté), South African wines, Ethiopian-style coffee, cocktails, and bespoke beer including the Kungaloosh Spiced Excursion Ale, made just for here by Miami’s Concrete Beach Brewery. Nomad, which has a delightful terrace over the water, closes with the park. Oasis. Main courses $36 to $53.
Tusker House Restaurant AMERICAN/AFRICAN Under multicolored banners in an ancient souklike environment, Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Goofy greet families in safari garb for Donald’s Safari Breakfast and Donald’s Dining Safari lunch and dinner, all all-you-can eat buffets. The buffet dares more than most of Disney’s do, featuring spit-roasted chicken, curries, peri-peri roasted salmon on banana leaf, and other pleasingly aromatic choices. It also has good vegetarian choices. Africa. Breakfast: $24 adults, $20 kids. Lunch and dinner: $47 adults, $28 kids, add $8/$5 for preferred seating to Rivers of Light.
Yak & Yeti Restaurant ASIAN Themed like a Nepalese mansion stocked with souvenirs from across Southeast Asia, the restaurant has a menu just as geographically varied, serving Kobe beef burgers, Malaysian seafood curry, fried honey chicken, and sweet Korean beef. The Quick Service counter outside offers a shorter, but similar, menu for less, but at Animal Kingdom, air-conditioning is the most delicious treat. Asia. Main courses $11 to $26.
This is it! Disney has been working for years to make 2019 the moment the 154-acre Disney’s Hollywood Studios , the least popular of the four Disney parks (10.7 million visitors in 2017), finally rises to the level of its siblings. Disney threw a reported $1 billion at the addition of the small Toy Story Land of kiddie rides (opened summer 2018), and this year, it premieres a new Mickey Mouse dark ride and the hotly anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land.
While the park was originally conceived as a single Epcot pavilion about show business, Universal’s invasion of the Florida market prodded Disney executives to jealously and hastily inflate the concept and add a working production facility: Disney–MGM Studios. It was poorly planned. In 1989, the Studios opened with just two rides, both now gone. Production never took off, the park layout was (and remains) confusing, and younger guests didn’t care about the MGM co-branding. Its production center for hand-painted animated movies shut down in 2004; MGM was stripped from the name in 2008. From this year on, though, people will call it “the Star Wars park.”
Until Galaxy’s Edge opens, Frommer’s does not recommend devoting a full day to Hollywood Studios. Instead, combine it with Animal Kingdom or come in the mid-afternoon for the marquee attractions and then catch the pyrotechnic–and–water curtain evening show, Fantasmic!, which is good. Also good is Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular, a nighttime show that mixes fireworks, lasers, and projections; it’s well done even if it is one more Star Wars thing; get a viewpoint that looks squarely at the Chinese Theater or you’ll miss details.
Hollywood Boulevard & Echo Lake
You arrive by the usual car/tram combo, by free ferry (from Epcot and the Boardwalk) or by bus (from the other parks). As soon as your bag is approved and you’re through the gates, take care of business (strollers, wheelchairs, lockers) in the plaza before proceeding down Hollywood Boulevard. There are no attractions here, only shops and restaurants. The 122-foot-tall Sorcerer Mickey Hat, the park’s central icon, was built at the Boulevard’s terminus in 2001, but it was demolished, to cheers from purists, in 2015, and the park’s original entrance vista of the Chinese Theater was restored. No one pays much attention to the theatre’s forecourt, but you should since it has many original concrete impressions of footprints and handprints collected from movie stars when the park was still angling to be a player in the film industry. In fact, this is the only place to find Audrey Hepburn’s handprints; she didn’t leave them at the Hollywood Grauman’s. Occasional 15-minute Star Wars-themed live shows—strolling Stormtroopers and way too many movie clips—periodically take over the cheap festival stage erected here; check the Times Guide for those.
Frozen Sing-Along Celebration SHOW The 30-minute, self-explanatory group torture chamber features live actors telling the history of Arendelle six to nine times daily, as well as an opportunity for you to endure “Let It Go” for one more white-knuckled, mother-loving time. You’ll be seated in the air-conditioning, but don’t waste Fastpass+ on it because it’s never full—the real Elsa and Anna show is over at Epcot now. Strategy: Strong cocktails are served at a kiosk on the patio of the Brown Derby, opposite the theatre.
Star Wars: Path of the Jedi MOVIE Run in the other direction. It’s just a 10-minute featurette that slaps together movie clips. We used to call this a DVD extra feature and click past it, not pay $100 admission for it.
The Best of Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
Don’t miss if you’re 6: Slinky Dog Dash
Don’t miss if you’re 16: Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster
Requisite photo op: The Chinese Theater
Food you can only get here: Grapefruit Cake, the Hollywood Brown Derby, Hollywood Boulevard; Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake, 50’s Prime Time Café, Echo Lake
The most crowded, so Fastpass+ or go early: Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania!
Skippable: Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage
Quintessentially Disney: Walt Disney Presents
Biggest thrill: Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Best show: Fantasmic!
Character meals: Hollywood & Vine (breakfast, lunch)
Best shopping: The Beverly Sunset, Sunset Boulevard
Where to find peace: Around Echo Lake
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 1 Day, Two Ways
START: BE AT THE GATE FOR OPENING TIME.
Grab food at a counter restaurant when it’s convenient to you—but having lunch at 11am saves time. The must-have Fastpass+ candidates for this park are Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania!, or Alien Swirling Saucers. (You can only schedule one of those at a time; that’s the order of preference.) Note: If Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has opened by the time you go, scratch this entire plan, arrive at the park an hour+ early, and go straight there for the entire morning.
Hollywood Studios with Kids
Fastpass+ within 90 minutes of opening: Slinky Dog Dash. If your kids are too young, Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
When the gates open, head directly to Slinky Dog Dash. If you’re holding a pass to ride that later, do Toy Story Mania; it’s worth re-riding. Enjoy Toy Story Land.
OR
Note: If your child wants to participate in the Jedi Academy, reserve a slot around now (ask a cast member where; it changes).
See Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
See Disney Junior—Live on Stage! (if your kids are wee) or Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy (if they’re grammar school age).
Meet Mickey Mouse (check the Times Guide for his location).
Target a performance of Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage for around now.
At this point, littler ones may need to leave the park for a break.
See Muppet*Vision 3-D.
See the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
If you think the whole family can handle them, slot in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
See Fantasmic! (if it’s performing tonight). People stake out their seats as long as an hour ahead, but 30 minutes will do. Or catch Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular—make sure your view is of the middle of the Chinese Theater.
Hollywood Studios without Kids
When the gates open, ride Toy Story Mania! even if you have a Fastpass+ for later; it’s worth re-riding. Either that or Slinky Dog Dash.
Head to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and ride them.
See Voyage of the Little Mermaid (it’s fun even without kids).
Ride Star Tours.
See Muppet*Vision 3-D.
See the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
You’ll have a lot of time to kill now—re-ride anything you choose. Or you may decide you’re done for the day—perhaps see the nighttime attractions at Animal Kingdom.
If you stay, see Fantasmic! (if it’s performing tonight) or the Star Wars fireworks show.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular SHOW The 30-minute, bone-rattling tour de force of hair-raising daredevilry—rolling-boulder dodging, trucks flipping over and exploding—simultaneously titillates and, to a lesser degree, reminds you how such feats of derring-do are rigged for the movies. They try hard to convince you that they’re really filming these sequences—you may need to explain to young children why they’re lying about that, and about calling the lead actor “Harrison Ford’s stunt double,” but most kids understand the violence is fake. The acrobats and gymnasts are skilled, and the production values are among the highest of any show at a Disney park. The outdoor amphitheater is sheltered, and you can bring drinks and food. Strategy: Arrive 20 minutes early, because there’s a warm-up and volunteers are selected before showtime. It’s mounted about five times daily, listed on the Times Guide.
Star Tours—The Adventure Continues RIDE Before Disney bought Star Wars, it made, and later upgraded, this popular, 40-person motion-simulator capsule that has you riding shotgun with a fretful C-3PO on an ill-fated and turbulent excursion. In 5 minutes, you manage to lose control, go into hyperdrive, dodge asteroids, navigate a comet field, evade a Star Destroyer, get caught in a tractor beam, and join an assault on the Death Star—or another combination of perils, since there are more than four dozen possible combinations of storylines (some newly created to promote the new movies). The video is well matched to the movements, which cuts down on reports of nausea. Row 1 is the front row, and that’s the best place to see the screen.
2019’s Major Premieres in Hollywood Studios |
If you are alive on Planet Earth in 2019, it will be impossible to avoid the Force of the Disney hype machine for the new 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. It doesn’t open here until late fall of 2019, 6 months after the first one, with all the same components, opens at Disneyland in California. What should you expect, besides obscenely crushing crowds? (Seriously—if you don’t arrive before the park opens, you will still be in line by the time our 2020 edition comes out.) The setting is the Black Spire Outpost on the frontier planet Batuu, a way station for adventurers and rogues that’s filled with full-size spaceships and ancient petrified trees. The industry buzzword here is immersive: You won’t even be able to buy souvenirs with the movie logos on them—the aim, as with Universal’s Harry Potter lands, is to foster an illusion that you’re actually at an intergalactic supply post, so you’ll buy things like alien pet creatures. There will be two rides. One is a battle between the Resistance and the First Order, said to be more extraordinarily complex than anything else in the Disney universe, and the other has you piloting the Millennium Falcon. And here’s a twist—how you perform on those will affect how you’re treated at the “cantina” and elsewhere in the land; wear those MagicBands so the hidden technology can make that happen.
And 2019 will also see the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, a fast-paced, lollipop-colored indoor ride inside the Chinese Theater that yanks you through the screen and into the hijinks of the classic Mickey Mouse cartoons. It’s said to be rollicking, eye-popping, and packed with Hidden Mickeys (p. 106). We’re counting on it, because its lead Imagineer is the guy who oversaw Disney California Adventure’s spectacularly successful Radiator Springs Racers.
Jedi Training SHOW Up to 15 times daily (see the Times Guide), about a dozen kids are lent robes, telescoping “light sabers,” and some gentle training in the Force by a “Jedi master” before a final defeat of Darth Vader and some Stormtroopers. It’s cute and takes 20 minutes. Recruits (ages 4–12) are selected by 10:30am, tops, at the Adventure Outpost, to the left of Indiana Jones as you face it, so get there early if your young Padawan wants a shot at carrying home the diploma.
Sunset Boulevard
The prime items in the park are on this street, which peels off not from the hub, as you might expect, but from the middle of Hollywood Boulevard. Look for vaudeville-style, slapstick street performances here.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror RIDE The tallest ride at Disney World (199 ft.) is one of the smartest, most exciting experiences at the parks, and it’s the best version of the ride at any Disney park. It shouldn’t be missed. Guests are ushered through the lobby, library, and boiler room of a cobwebby 1930s Los Angeles hotel before being seated in a 21-passenger “elevator” car that, floor by floor, ascends the tower and then, without visible tracks, emerges from the shaft and roams an upper level. Soon, you’ve entered a second shaft and, after a pregnant moment of tension, you’re sent into what seems to be a free fall (in reality, you’re being pulled faster than the speed of gravity) and a series of thrilling up-and-down leaps. The fall sequence is random and you never drop more than a few stories—but the total darkness, periodically punctured by picture-window views of the theme park far below as you become momentarily weightless, keys up the giddy fear factor. It’s impossible not to smile. Strategy: In the preshow “library” room, move to the wall diagonally across from the entry door and you’ll exit first, saving time. In the boarding area, the best views are in the front row, numbered 1 and 2, although you may not be given a choice. Chickens can bail down the stairs before the ride boards.
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith RIDE On one of DHS’s two big thrills—it’s a big favorite—24-passenger “limousine” trains launch from 0 to 57mph in under 3 seconds, sending them through a 92-second rampage through smooth corkscrews and turns that are intensified by fluorescent symbols of Los Angeles (at one point, you dive though an “o” of the Hollywood sign). The indoor setup is a boon, because it means the ride can operate during the rain, and it makes the journey slightly less disorienting for inexperienced coaster riders. Cooler yet, speakers in each headrest (there are more than 900 in total) play Aerosmith music, which is perfectly timed to the dips and rolls. Strategy: The Fastpass+ line is absorbed quickly. There’s also a single-rider line, though it’s not always quick.
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy SHOW This early 2019 addition is at the Sunset Showcase, a special-events building behind Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster that hasn’t been used as a daily part of the park before. Since it’s the only permanent Cars-themed attraction in Florida, it’s the only place to get a look at the beautiful character design work on display at Cars Land in Anaheim—full-size Mater, Cruz Ramirez, and Lightning McQueen, who shows off his racing techniques on a simulator and relives career highlights with his audience. Tip: Check the Times Guide for the schedule.
Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage SHOW The kid-friendly, 30-minute show is advertised as “Broadway-style,” but it’s really not. It’s theme park–style, simplified with the most popular songs from the movie. The story is highly condensed (you never find out why Belle is at the Beast’s castle and Gaston’s fate isn’t shown) and many characters inhabit whole-body costumes, speaking recorded dialogue with unblinking eyes. To the benefit of timid kids, the Beast looks more like a plush toy than a scary monster. Its intended audience cheers like it’s a rock concert and hoists smartphones during the ball scene, and because of that, most performances are jammed. The metal benches are numbing, but at least the amphitheater is covered. Strategy: Arrive 20 minutes early so you don’t end up in the back where afternoon sun can seep in.
Fantasmic! SHOW The super-popular 25-minute pyrotechnics show featuring character-laden showboats, a 59-foot man-made mountain, flaming water, and lasers projected onto a giant water curtain, takes place in the 6,500-seat waterfront Hollywood Hills Amphitheatre. Although it’s a strong show by dint of its uniqueness, it doesn’t play nightly. I’m always stunned to see people start arriving at the theater as much as 2 hours before showtime. Most people will be satisfied taking their chances and showing up within 30 minutes of showtime. The seating is hard on the derriere. Strategy: On nights when there are two performances (not common), do the second one, as it’s always less crowded. Sit toward the rear to avoid catching water from the special effects and to the right to make exiting easier. You can get reserved seats if you book the Fantasmic! Dining Package and eat dinner in the participating restaurants ($45–$63 adults, $18–$22 kids).
Muppets Courtyard & Commissary Lane
This confused area is bearing the brunt of the closures necessitated by construction—construction walls dominate and even the whimsical fountain of Miss Piggy as the Statue of Liberty has been reduced to a role as a planter. Mostly, it’s where you can find two places serving Italian food.
Muppet*Vision 3-D SHOW The 17-minute movie features various tricks such as air blasts to make you feel like what you’re seeing is actually happening. The doors on the right lead to the back of the 600-seat auditorium and the ones on the left lead to the front; stick in the middle, since the theater’s walls become part of the show and you’ll want to see. The preshow is amusing in that Muppet way (says Sam Eagle about seating procedures: “Stopping in the middle is distinctly unpatriotic!”), but the movie contains a few missteps (Waldo, a CG character, is crude and old-fashioned), and not all the effects function. Still, it’s fast moving and includes lots of beloved Muppet Show favorites, such as Miss Piggy and Kermit. The Muppets, too, lend themselves very nicely to Audio-Animatronic technology. Strategy: Lines are longest just after the Indiana Jones show lets out.
Toy Story Land (opened 2018) is one of the park’s most colorful treats. Take a few minutes to absorb the surroundings—the concept (not immediately obvious) is that you have shrunk down to the size of Andy’s other toys. It’s a tough zone on hot days since the trees are still too young to provide much shade and only one of the three rides (Toy Story Mania!) has an indoor queue. There are no indoor restaurants in this area, either, just a kiosk. The expansion accomplishes two goals: Build more stuff that plays off of millennial nostalgia, and add more rides younger kids can do. There’s also a ton of product placement, and everything looks its best after dark.
Slinky Dog Dash ROLLER COASTER You may think it’s just a Barnstormer-style kiddie training coaster, but its quick accelerations, banked turns, and humps with genuine air time make it more exuberant than it appears to be, yet for all its giddy sensations, its 2 minutes remain rambunctiously accessible. While not for toddlers (the minimum height is 38 inches), it perfectly straddles the family-friendly line, unleashing a little giddy-up for the teens without turning into something Grandma would hate, and the theming has a few surprises you can’t see from the waiting area. Tip: It will be hard to get a Fastpass+ for this ride in 2019 because it’s so new and Disney resort guests will snap them up early. So head here first thing upon opening.
Toy Story Mania! RIDE The plotless indoor ride is the most popular in the park, and rightly so. Wearing 3-D glasses, passengers shoot their way through a series of six animated midway games (themed as Woody’s suction cup shooting game, a Little Green Men ring toss, etc.) based on the Pixar toy box characters. Along the way, air puffs heighten the reality. Your cannon is easy to work and easy on the hands—you just tug a cord and it fires. Racking up points is harder; both accuracy and intensity count—a top score for the whole month might be 584,000 (my record is 212,600). The queue area, stuffed with outsize toys such as Etch-a-Sketch and Barrel of Monkeys, makes waiting a delight: A 6-foot-tall, lifelike Mr. Potato Head entertains with live interaction and hoary jokes (“Is this an audience or a jigsaw puzzle?”). Tip: This is also a top Fastpass+ contender, because the wait can jump to an hour just 15 minutes after the park opens.
Alien Swirling Saucers RIDE It’s essentially a covered variant of the tried-and-true Whip carnival thrill but with a Little Green Men theme (and the same thing as Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at the Disneyland resort). Your vehicle, containing a bench that should fit up to four, does an easygoing do-si-do with other carts along four slowly spinning plates. It takes 90 seconds, which is enough time to meander across the four discs three times, and because you’re not actually spinning but weaving, it doesn’t tend to make most people queasy the way the teacups ride does. It’s easy on kids (at least 32 inches). Tip: Seat your heaviest passenger on the end; the spinning will send everyone sliding into them. It’s a nice enough diversion but nothing you can’t skip if time is scarce.
Pixar Place & Animation Courtyard
If you have wee kids, Animation Courtyard is where two of the primary toddler attractions are. When the park opened, it was the starting point of a walking tour through a working studio that actually produced Disney movies. The artists were evicted and now it’s where Star Wars movies and merch are hawked.
The Voyage of the Little Mermaid SHOW This bright, energetic, condensed version of the animated movie has high production values (puppets, live actors, mist, and a cool undersea-themed auditorium) and is a standout. It’s a top contender for the best show to see in the heat of the day, and Fastpass+ is available. Strategy: In the preshow holding pen, the doors to the left lead to the back half of the theater; because the blacklight puppetry of the marvelous “Under the Sea” sequence can be spoiled if you see too much detail, I suggest sitting there. Put very small kids in your lap so they can see better.
Disney Junior—Live on Stage! SHOW For those of us who obediently rise and dance when commanded by Mickey Mouse, there’s this breezy, 25-minute show with lots of excellent puppets (Warning for adults: You sit on the ground). It inspires such fervent participation from under-5s that it feels like a meeting for a kindergarten cult that you’re not a member of. Even if you don’t know the names Doc McStuffins or Sofia the First, this sing-along revue is still pretty to look at, and Mickey, Minnie, and friends make appearances. The parental units won’t be too bored, because this de facto Disney Channel ad is fast paced, like changing the channel every 4 minutes. Obviously, anyone old enough to do a book report can skip it. Tip: It only happens once or twice an hour; the schedule is in the Times Guide.
Star Wars Launch Bay SHOW Filler from a galaxy far, far away! An exhibition on the animation glories that built the Disney Empire was swept away for this, which serves only to sell the Star Wars franchise by Force through costumes and props (replicas) and character meet-and-greets. Chewbacca was always a teddy bear, but why patricidal baddie Kylo Ren is suddenly eager to pose for selfies with random children is a story lapse worse than the Ewoks. Launch Bay is paired with a pointless 10-minute movie about the Hollywood filmmakers, but you can enter through Cargo (the gift shop) to skip that.
Walt Disney Presents ACTIVITY The only focus on Disney history on resort property, it’s mostly overlooked but the display is a requisite stop for anyone curious about the undeniable achievements of this driven man. Here, you (and a few other stragglers) find a few authentic artifacts (props, costumes, his desk from his studio on Hyperion Avenue), plus explanations of the revolutionary “multiplane” camera that enabled animators to reproduce the sliding depth of field normally seen in live-action films—you’ve seen the fruit of the process in Snow White as the camera seems to move through the forest. The Oscar he won in 1954 is on view, too. The end of the exhibition chronicles the theme parks, including a few scale models and an Abe Lincoln Audio-Animatronic skeleton from the 1964 World’s Fair. Most people take about 20 minutes for the museum, and then there’s a good 15-minute movie, culled mostly from archival footage. The feature scores points for mentioning Disney’s 1931 breakdown, but tries to prove Walt was a patron of the Disney Company’s current efforts, implying he approved of Epcot’s final design and worse, elbowing pivotal Roy Disney virtually out of the story. But maybe it can be changed. “Disneyland,” he promises “is something that will never be finished.”
Go on Safari—for Mice |
A favorite resort-wide pastime for longtime fans is spotting Hidden Mickeys, which are ingeniously camouflaged mouse-ear patterns that can be secreted just about anywhere. You’ll find the three circles signifying a Mickey head in an arrangement of cannonballs on Peter Pan’s Flight; flatware in the dining room at the Haunted Mansion; woven into carpeting, printed on wallpaper. Many sightings are up to interpretation, so sharpen your observational skills at HiddenMickeysGuide.com.
Where to Eat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
All locations have a few vegetarian options, kids’ meals, and if you identify yourself, special dietary requests can usually be accommodated, albeit often at diminished quality. There are also some snack kiosks not listed here, and you can buy alcohol throughout the park.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Quick-Service Restaurants
The Trolley Car Café AMERICAN A glorified Starbucks themed after Los Angeles’ bygone Red Cars, it has the usual Starbucky food. Hollywood Boulevard. Sandwiches from $6.
Rosie’s All-American Cafe AMERICAN In the Sunset Ranch Market riff on L.A.’s Farmer’s Market, you’ll find outdoor-only but sheltered counter service serving burgers and chicken nuggets. Sunset Boulevard. Combo meal $10 to $12. Mobile ordering.
Catalina Eddie’s AMERICAN Outdoor counter service for doughy personal pizza. Near it is Anaheim Produce for fruit ($2 per piece). Sunset Boulevard. Combo meal $10 to $11. Mobile ordering.
Fairfax Fare AMERICAN Grab hand-friendly food: pulled-pork sandwiches, empanadas, fajitas. Sunset Boulevard. Combo meal $10 to $13. Mobile ordering.
ABC Commissary AMERICAN Burgers, chicken clubs, Asian Mediterranean salad—it’s one of DHS’s most comfortable Quick Service choice because the air-conditioned space is fashioned after a 1930s Art Deco backlot cafeteria. Commissary Lane. Combo meal $11 to $18. Mobile ordering.
Min & Bill’s Dockside Diner AMERICAN Hot dogs, nachos, pulled-pork sliders, eaten al fresco under umbrellas for shade. There are some changing food carts on the other side of the lake, too. Echo Lake. Combo meal $11 to $13.
Backlot Express AMERICAN Bacon cheeseburgers, chicken and waffles, hot dogs, and a few simple salads served with air-conditioning and self-serve soda machines for endless refills. Echo Lake. Combo meal $10 to $14. Mobile ordering.
PizzeRizzo AMERICAN Counter-service pizza, antipasto salad, and meatball subs themed to the Muppets with scads of air-conditioned seating. It has the biggest dining area in the park. Muppets Courtyard. Meals $10 to $11. Mobile ordering.
Woody’s Lunch Box AMERICAN Counter service with exposed seating. Greasy delights include BBQ brisket melt and grilled three-cheese sandwiches. Toy Story Land. Meals $9 to $13. Mobile ordering.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Table-Service Restaurants
The highest-concept reservation restaurants in Disney World are here. The food isn’t legendary, but some of the settings play on entertainment greatness. In addition to these, check out the Baseline Tap House at the end of Commissary Lane, with nine excellent craft beers on draught, one cider, and snacky dishes like soft pretzels and cheese plates.
The Hollywood Brown Derby AMERICAN With interior design based on the after-hours industry hangout of Hollywood’s Golden Age, this airy post-Deco hall shoots for class. Caricatures of film legends line the walls—and while the original Brown Derby was noted for inventing the Cobb salad, this version is a bit of a caricature too, often soggy. Other choices, all invoking that mid-century California spirit at the park’s highest prices ($29 for vegetarian pho? Are they kidding?). Expect rack of lamb, chicken breast, Faroe Islands salmon, and beef filet. Its grapefruit cake is a specialty—they’ll give you the recipe. Outside, The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge does sliders, steamed buns, smaller Cobb salads, and cocktails. Hollywood Boulevard. Main courses $18 to $49.
Hollywood & Vine AMERICAN At breakfast and lunch, costumed Disney Junior characters (such as Goofy, Doc McStuffins, and Jake) greet kids, sing, and dance in a diner-like setting for Disney Junior Play ’n Dine at Hollywood & Vine. Lunch here means 10am. At dinner, your core Disney talent (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy) shows up. The food is always an all-you-can-eat buffet. Echo Lake. Buffet $34 to $50 adults, $20 to $30 kids.
50’s Prime Time Café AMERICAN Dine atop Formica in detailed reproductions of Cleaver-era kitchens while TVs play black-and-white shows from the era. Waitresses gently sass customers as they sling blue-plate specials—meatloaf, pot roast, chicken pot pie, and other mom-like dishes—but the favorite here is its peanut butter and jelly milkshake ($6). Attached is the Tune-In Lounge, a TV room for adults serving beer and proper cocktails “from Dad’s liquor cabinet”—plus anyone can eat from the regular menu at the bar, which is first-come, first-served. Echo Lake. Main courses $17 to $25.
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano ITALIAN Items cost two-thirds of what they do at Epcot’s Italy, and the atmosphere recalls the brick-walled, red-boothed family restaurant you’d find in any big American city. As expected, there are pastas, steaks, flatbreads, saltimbocca, and wood-grilled chicken dishes. Streets of America. Main courses $19 to $33.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant AMERICAN Disney World’s most unusual restaurant arranges mock-ups of 1950s automobiles before a silver screen showing a loop of B-movie clips and trailers. Couples sit side-by-side, like at a real drive-in movie, stars twinkle in the “sky,” and families get their own booths. It’s a brilliant idea, but it was even better when there were roller-skating carhops. Food quality is iffy. Dishes include burgers, shrimp or chicken pasta, and prime rib sandwich, and wedge salad. Commissary Lane. Main courses $15 to $33.
The big question: Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon? Both can fill a day. So it depends on your mood. Typhoon Lagoon’s central feature, a sand-lined 2½-acre wave pool, is an ideal place for families to approximate a day at the beach. If your kids have a need for speed, then head to Blizzard Beach, which has wilder water slides. If you use a one-day ticket (and not Water Parks Fun & More), you can hit both in the same day without paying more.
Both water parks, similar in size, have free parking and are less busy early in the week, probably because folks tend to start their vacations on a weekend and don’t get to the flumes until they’ve done the four big theme parks. They tend to be busier in the morning than in late afternoon. They also sell everything you need to protect yourself from the sun, including lotion (should you have forgotten) and swimsuits (should you lose yours in the lather). Most lines (many rides have two: one for a raft and one for the slide) are exposed to the sun, so it’s important to keep hydrated, because you won’t always be aware how much you’re sweating. Both parks sell refillable mugs for endless soft drinks for $12 (otherwise, soft drinks start at more than $3.50). They also rent towels for $2. Lifeguards usually make you remove water shoes on slides that don’t use a mat or raft, and swimsuits with rivets or zippers are forbidden.
A day at a water park isn’t as stressful as one spent among the queues of the theme parks, and if you’re paying attention, the sights and sounds of a day here are pretty heartwarming. Every time the wave machine roars into gear, for example, dozens of kids shriek with delight and scamper into the water. Because they’re chilling out, people tend to be happy at these parks.
LOCKERS A locker is $10–$15. They allow multiple access, and a typical one is about 2 feet deep with an opening about the size of a magazine.
PREPARATION Thoughtfully, parking is free. There are bulletin boards past the park entrances that tell you what the sunburn risk is and what the wait times are for the slides, as well as what times the parades run at Disney parks that day. If there are any activities (scavenger hunts are common), they’ll be posted here.
FOOD There are only counter-service choices. Eat promptly at 11am when kitchens open because lines get crazy quickly. Don’t plan on eating dinner at the water parks, because the kiosks shut down before closing.
TIMING If you’re coming to Florida between November and mid-March, one of these parks will be closed for its annual hose-down. The other will remain open. Most water features are heated, but remember that you eventually must get out.
Blizzard Beach
Of Disney’s two water parks, Blizzard Beach is the more thrilling, possibly because it opened 6 years after Typhoon Lagoon and had the benefit of improving on what didn’t work there. It also has a wittier backstory that is perfect for a hot day: A freak snowstorm hit Mount Gushmore, and Disney was slapping up a ski resort when the snow began to melt, creating water slides. So now, a lift chair brings bathers most of the way up the 90-foot peak, and flumes are festooned with ski-run flags and piled with white “snowdrifts.” Best of all, at this park, no one has to tote rafts uphill—there are conveyors to do it for you.
Surely the most exhilarating 8 seconds in all of Walt Disney World, Summit Plummet is the immensely steep, 12-story-tall slide that commands attention at the peak of the mountain, which incidentally, offers one of the best panoramas of the Walt Disney World resort. A slide down this one is for the truly fearless, because the first few seconds make you feel weightless, as if you’re about to fall forward. By the end, the water is jabbing you so hard that it’s not unusual to come away with a light bruise, and it turns the toughest bathing suit into dental floss. This is a fun one to watch; just ask the young men who are glued to it for the aforementioned reason. Slush Gusher , next to it among the Green Slope rides and slightly lower, is a double-hump that gives the rider the sensation of air time—not a reassuring feeling when you’re flying down an open chute.
The enormous chute winding off the mountain’s right side is Steamboat Springs , a group ride in a circular raft; just about everyone gets a chance to enjoy the top of a banked turn, and after the inevitable splashdown, another minute is spent in a comedown floating on a river. It’s highly re-rideable, but if you go alone, you’ll be paired with strangers for some slippery awkwardness.
Snow Stormers (Purple Slope) is a trio of standard raft water slides, but the twin Downhill Double Dipper is a simple slope of two identical slides with a good embellishment: It times runs so you can race a companion down. Toboggan Racers multiplies the fun to where eight people can race at once down an evenly scalloped run. At the base of these is Melt Away Bay , a 1-acre wave pool in which waves create a gentle bobbing sensation. It could stand to be larger since it gets very crowded.
At the back of the mountain (the Red Slope; reach it by walking around the left or via the lazy river), the three Runoff Rapids flumes comprise two open-air slides and a totally enclosed one—you only see the occasional light flashing by. (These are the only ones for which you must haul your own raft up the hill.)
The park is circled by the superlative lazy river (for the newbie, that’s a slow-flowing channel where you float along in an inner tube) called Cross Country Creek , which is probably the best of its kind, passing a cave dripping with refrigerated water and a slouching shack that, every few seconds, gushes as you hear the sound of Goofy sneezing. Tip: It’s easier to find a free inner tube at a ramp far from the park entrance; try the one at the base of Downhill Double Dipper or the one to the left past Lottawatta Lodge, the main food building.
There are two kiddie areas, for grade-schoolers, Ski Patrol (short slides, a walk across the water on floating “icebergs”) and for littler kids, Tike’s Peak (even smaller slides, fountains, and jets). The latter is a good place to look if you can’t find seating.
Tip: The miniature golf course Winter Summerland (see “Puttering Around” on p. 177) shares a parking lot with Blizzard Beach, so it’s easy to combine a visit.
www.disneyworld.com. 
407/560-3400. $64–69 adults, $58–$60 kids 3–9 depending on season. Hours vary, but 10am–5pm is common.
Typhoon Lagoon
Despite the petrifying imagery of the shrimp boat (Miss Tilly) impaled on the central mountain (Mt. Mayday), the flumes at Typhoon Lagoon are less daunting than the ones at Blizzard Beach or Volcano Bay, but the wave pool is rougher. Typhoon Lagoon is extremely well landscaped (most of the flowers are selected so that they attract butterflies but not bees) to hide its infrastructure, but its navigation is not always well planned. For example, you tote your own rafts. Also, the paths to the slides ramble up and down stairs—the one to the Storm Slides actually goes down eight times as it winds up the mountain. It’s also not always clear where to find the slide you want. Help guide little ones.
The Surf Pool divides its time between “surf waves” (at 5 ft., they pack a surprising punch, and are announced by a whoompf that draws great peals of delight from kids) and mild “bobbing waves”—times for both are noted on the Surf Report chalk sign at the pool’s foot. The slides are generally shallow, slow, and geared toward avowed sissies. That will frustrate some teenagers, but little kids and mothers with expensive hairdos think Mayday Falls , which sends riders down a corrugated flume, is just right (adults come off rubbing their butts in pain). It’s very tough to find a vantage point to watch your kids ride, but there’s a spot near the entrance of Gangplank Falls , a family-size round raft, where you can see a little, and there’s a lovely hidden overlook trail with a suspension bridge and waterfalls that passes under the Miss Tilly. The leftmost body slide of three at Storm Slides is slightly more covered; otherwise the slides are much the same. The Crush ’n’ Gusher “water coaster” flumes use jets to push rafts both uphill and downhill; the gag is that it used to be a fruit-washing plant. Behind it, the multi-person round rafted Miss Adventure Falls , added in 2017—the first new slide here in nearly a decade. It’s pleasant, goes past an animatronic parrot, and uses a belt to hoist you uphill, but the easy journey is not all that remarkable. If you ride alone, you’ll be seated next to strangers with their shirts off, so that’s fun.
For the best shot at finding an inner tube for the lushly planted lazy river, Castaway Creek , pick an entry farther from the entrance, such as in front of the Crush ’n’ Gusher area. That’s also a good place to find a lounger if the Lagoon is packed, which it usually is; otherwise, try the extreme left past the ice cream stand. That’s near Ketchakiddee Creek , the geyser-and-bubbler play area for small children. Funny how the water’s always warmer there.
“Learn to Surf” lessons are held in the Surf Pool 2 hours before park hours and, sometimes, after it closes ( 407/939-7529; $150 for all ages, minimum age of 5). The lessons come with 30 minutes of preparation followed by 2 hours of in-pool instruction, always with lifeguards scrutinizing your every twitch.
www.disneyworld.com. 407/560-3400. $64–69 adults, $58–$60 kids 3–9 depending on season. Hours vary, but 10am–5pm is common.
See “Puttering Around” on p. 177 for details on the two Disney miniature golf areas.
Disney Springs
The free shopping and entertainment district Disney Springs comprises nearly a pedestrianized mile of restaurants and shops along a small lake, away from the major theme parks in a traffic-plagued eastern reach of the resort grounds. Its West Side is home to a 24-screen AMC cinema and a whole lot of redevelopment. Cirque du Soleil, a longtime anchor on the West Side, debuts a Disney-themed show here in 2019; check to see if it’s running. Also coming in mid-2019 to the West Side: a newly built NBA Experience restaurant-cum-amusement complex.
Characters in Flight RIDE You’ll see it from miles away: A huge, round helium balloon that rises from a pier, lingers 400 feet up for a spell, and then descends back to earth within about 10 minutes. Although it’s safely tethered and the circular observation platform is securely enclosed with mesh, it lists and drifts with sudden breezes and that may disturb some guests. If you’re adventurous, though, the trip is good fun, and of course, the view rocks. It’s known to summarily shut down for breezes over 22 mph or if lightning is detected within 30 miles, so if it’s flying and you want to go, don’t assume it will still be open later.
Disney Springs West Side. www.disneyworld.com. 407/824-4321. $20 adults, $15 kids 3–9. Daily 8:30am–midnight.
Disney after dark with Kids
Although on some nights, one could argue that the people drinking at the clubs and bars are infantile, you still can’t bring your kids to hang out in them. Don’t worry—Orlando is a family city, so there’s much for kids to do.
Magic Kingdom parade: Most evenings, there are one or two parades through the park. When there are two, the second is less crowded.
Fireworks: The Magic Kingdom is open until 9pm or later on most nights. There’s usually an evening parade, and the nightly fireworks display, Happily Ever After, happens around Cinderella Castle. Hollywood Studios mounts Fantasmic!, a pyrotechnics-and-water display and a Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular sky show a few times a week. Epcot has its own spectacular show over its lagoon, and Animal Kingdom has the Rivers of Light lagoon procession. Check with each park for showtimes, because they change.
The Electrical Boat Parade: It’s a tradition going back 48 years—a string of 14 40-foot-long illuminated barges floats past the Disney resorts on Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake starting at 9pm, accompanied by music. Lower key than the fireworks shows, you can see it for free from any resort hotel in the area or, if your timing is good, from the ferries.
Special event evenings: From September through March, the Magic Kingdom schedules irregular special-ticket evenings (Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, his Very Merry Christmas Party, and Disney After Dark events) for kids with free candy, character meetings, dance parties, and extended hours. The calendar of events can be found on p. 274, online at www.disneyworld.com, or you can call Disney at 407/939-7679.
Dinnertainment: The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue and Spirit of Aloha shows have been going strong for decades. See p. 220.
Free movie: Nightly at Fort Wilderness, the Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long is followed by an outdoor screening of a Disney movie.
Character meals: Early bedtime? Very young kids will be sent to sleep dreaming if they meet their favorite character over dinner. See p. 221 for a list.
The Void/Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire ATTRACTION Hands down the coolest thing to do for a half-hour at Disney Springs: You don a special suit and visor and are sent walking into the virtual reality world you see and hear in your helmet. Reach for an animated rifle and you can really pick it up and shoot it at Darth Vader. Get shot, and you feel a ticklish buzzing where you were hit, but nothing hurts and you can’t lose the game—you proceed along a pre-determined course until it’s over. And then you want to do it again. You may think virtual reality doesn’t quite work as a concept yet, but this will make you a true believer in its potential.
Disney Springs Marketplace (1732 East Buena Vista Dr., Lake Buena Vista). www.thevoid.com/locations/orlando. 385/323-0090. Admission $30 per person (Mon–Thurs) or $33 per person (Fri–Sun and holidays). Ages 10+ only, up to 4 people in a group. Mon–Thurs 10am–10:45pm; Fri–Sun 10am–11:15pm.
House of Blues MUSIC CLUB One of the principal nightspots on the West Side has a 2,000-person, three-tiered venue (standing space only) hosting regular performers along the lines of B. B. King, One Republic, the Charlie Daniels Band, and Norah Jones. Big talent is ticketed at concert prices, and operator Live Nation piles on the fees, but mostly, it’s a restaurant for Southern food. On Sundays, it hosts a de-sanctified Gospel Brunch (p. 220).
Disney Springs West Side. www.hob.com. 407/934-2583. Sun–Thurs 11:30am–11pm; Fri–Sat 11:30am–1am.
Splitsville Luxury Lanes BOWLING ALLEY Giving families something to bond over, this Florida-based franchise charges by the hour, which might make you feel rushed, and it charges high prices at that, but its souped-up 1950s decor, two floors of bowling, and copious cocktails have charm to spare. The food ($13–$20) is better than it should be; it even sells sushi. Cast members like to hang out here—meet a few and beat a few.
Disney Springs West Side. www.splitsvillelanes.com/location/orlando/. 407/938-7328. Daily 10am–2am. $17/hr. per person before 4pm, $22/hr. per person after 4pm and weekends. Rates include shoe rental.
Walt Disney World Tours
Walt Disney was unquestionably a visionary. When he started out, he was mostly interested in animation as an art form. But as his fame and resources grew, his dreams became infinite, and by the end of his life, he was obsessed with building a city of his own. But because the Magic Kingdom was built by his most-trusted designers, it incorporated several idealistic innovations.
One is the utilidor system. The bulk of the Magic Kingdom that you see appears to be at ground level. But in fact, you’ll be walking about 14 feet above the land. The attractions constitute the second and third stories of a 9-acre network of warehouses and corridors—utilidors—built in part to guard against flooding but mostly so cast members could remove trash, make deliveries, take breaks, change costumes, and count money out of sight, in a catacombs accessed through secret entrances and unmarked wormholes scattered around the themed lands. Clean-burning electric vehicles zip through the hallways, some of which are wide enough to accommodate trucks, and all of which are color-coded to indicate which land is upstairs.
Among the other engineering feats and innovations of the Kingdom:
Trash is transported at 60mph in 24-inch tubes to a central collection point by Swedish AVAC pneumatic tubes to a compactor behind Splash Mountain.
Fire, power, and water systems are all monitored by a common computer, and the robotics, doors, lighting, sounds, and vehicles on the most complicated attractions are handled by a central server called the Digital Animation Control System (DACS), located roughly underneath Cinderella Castle.
Bay Lake, beside Fort Wilderness, was dredged, and the dirt used to raise the Magic Kingdom. Underneath the lakebed, white sand was discovered, cleaned, and deposited to create beaches on the Seven Seas Lagoon, which was created from dry land.
Energy is reused whenever possible. The generators’ waste heat is used to heat water, and hot water runoff is used for heating, cooking, and absorption chilling for air-conditioning. Wastewater is reclaimed for plants and lawns (80% of the resort is watered this way), and sludge is dried for fertilizer. Food scraps are composted on-site. The resort produces enough power to keep things running in case of a temporary outage on the municipal grid. This will keep you up tonight: Disney even has the legal right to build its own nuclear power plant, should it care to.
Some 55 miles of canals were dug on resort property to keep the land drained. Most of these canals were curved to appear natural.
The resort was the first place to install an all-electronic phone system using underground cable—so guests don’t see ugly wires. It was the first telephone company in America to use a 911 emergency system. In 1978, the first commercial fiber optic system in the U.S. was installed.
The rubber-tired monorail system, designed by Disney engineers, now contains nearly 15 miles of track. Walt had intended monorails, plus vehicles akin to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority ride, to be the main forms of transportation to and through his Epcot. In 1986, the monorail was named a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
The Walt Disney Co. now shows little interest in advancing these innovations. Epcot has only a small network of utilidors, partly located under Spaceship Earth, and the other Disney parks were built without any. The monorail has not been expanded since 1982 and is falling apart.
But even if the company now pays scant attention to developing “Walt’s dream”—that Talmudic totem that the company’s marketing department invokes to sell souvenirs—it will, fortunately, grant a backstage gander at the resort’s ingenuity and the mind-boggling challenge of its scale. The superlative Walt Disney World tours (www.disneyworld.com/tours; 407/939-8687) require tons of walking and the quality depends on the ability of the guide, but they’re also well organized, with coach transport, snacks, plenty of comfort breaks, and sometimes, a special pin souvenir. Not all of them go daily, so you have to check the Disney site for what’s running when you visit. There are several good ones, such as nature tours of Animal Kingdom by night and close looks at the Magic Kingdom’s steam trains. The best one is Backstage Magic , a seven-hour, $275 exploration of how the parks work at every level. Stops include the mechanized miracle of the American Adventure robotics; Central Shops, a 280,000-square-foot facility where ride vehicles are maintained in the blocks-long, 30-foot-tall Assembly Alley; and the Animation Shop, where Audio-Animatronic figures are repaired. Every minute is fascinating.
