I am finally doing a Walt Disney World blog post. I have been hesitant to do this because there are SO MANY ways that Disney World can be done and have the best time! So this is my opinion and what I think about Disney. What's worth it, what's not worth it. Where to eat, and where to get the best seats for things.
Ok here is how I’m going to break this down. Each park has a page. Then each park is divided into sections. I will put everything in the section on this. I’ll tell you what I think is worth doing/eating and what is not. I'm also not going to go into where you can see what characters and when. There are a lot of them and they can be sporadic. Some days they may come out, some days they may not. The best way to find them is to download the WDW app. It will show you when and where the characters come out. They normally do 40 minutes on and 20 minutes off, so plan accordingly.
First. There are things called
Extra Magic Hours. This means that people who are staying on property (at a Disney Resort Hotel) can get into the park an hour early or stay an hour later.
Transportation to and from parks is included when staying at the resort hotels.
The Hotels are grouped into “parks”. So the All-Star resorts are Animal Kingdom hotels – this just means they are the closest to those parks.
You cannot get from one hotel to another. If you are staying at the All-Star and have dinner at the Contemporary, you have to bus to a park then either boat, bus or monorail to the hotel.
Timing.
Allow at least a half hour – 45 minutes to get from park to park. This really only matters if you have dinner reservations at one park but you aren’t at that park or hotel.
You can only use the fast-passes during your allotted time. They won’t let you go early or late.
Be 10 minutes early to your food reservations!!! – They will try to accommodate you if you are late, but no promises.
Bring your own water bottles!!!! – really can’t stress this enough, water is like 5-6 dollars a bottle, there are MULTIPLE fill up/fountains for you to fill up the bottle. It will save you a lot of money in the long-run.
Dining at Hotels
There are several really good places to eat at the hotels!
Chef Mickeys – buffet character dining at Contemporary – MY FAVE! – monorail or walk from MK to get there! Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Daisy, Pluto, and Mickey can be found here.
Ohana – buffet breakfast at Polynesian – FAVE BREAKFAST – monorail from MK. Lilo and Stitch, Pluto and Mickey
1900 Park Faire – buffet breakfast at Grand Floridian – monorail from MK – Alice, Mary Poppins, Bert, mad hatter, stepsisters can be found here.
There is a dining plan option, make sure you really look into this. Example, my family of 4 it is not worth it, we actually do not eat enough to warrant the dining plan. Your family might eat enough to do it!
Table Service vs Quick Service
Quick Service (QS) – this is you go up order your food they hand it to you and you find a seat.
Table Service (TS) – you sit, a waiter takes your order
TS is more expensive than QS
Magic Kingdom
When you first walk into MK, you are on Main Street. It's mostly shopping. There is a Starbucks, ice cream place, confectionary, and CASEYS!!! Casey’s hotdogs are my favorite thing in the whole world. The hotdog with pulled pork bbq on top is my favorite thing to eat in the park.
Crystal Palace – buffet for breakfast and lunch with Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger – ask him for a bounce off.
If you walk directly down Main Street to the castle you will be in the “hub.” From here you can get to any “land”
There are 4 “lands”, 5 if you count Main Street.
Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Adventureland.
Technically there is a Liberty Square – but really that is in Frontierland, so I don’t count it!
Will not talk about the quick service food places unless they have some kind of neat feature about it. Mostly they all have the same type of food. Burgers, chicken, pizza or salads mostly.
Also – no alcohol is served in MK at all. You can sneak your own in (dole whip with rum is delicious) but good luck.
Bippity Boppity Boutique – will make your daughter into a princess for the day (extra charge + reservations)
Pirates League will make your son or daughter into a pirate for the day (extra charge and reservation
The
Town Hall is where you need to go to meet Mickey and trust me that is the Mickey you want to meet!!
The parade is normally at 3pm. Best viewing spots is on main street or in Frontierland by Country Bear Jamboree.
Fireworks are usually at 9 – main street is the best place, there is a show before, try to be in the hub by 8-8:30 to see it!
TOMORROWLAND
If you are facing the castle it is on your right.
Tomorrowland Terrace is off to the side close to Main Street – if it is open it has burgers and such there but mainly it has outside AC! It is always cooler than most places J
Monsters Inc, Laugh Floor – kids will like it, It’s basically a comedy club for kids. Pretty funny. Runs about every 20 minutes – do not fastpass this.
Stitch’s Great Escape – smells. Kids may like it. I do not. Do not fastpass this.
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin – LOVE – fastpass this – talk all the smack to the kids. You have a laser and shoot targets for points. Super fun and you will probably ride 5-10 times.
Carousel of Progress – Walt Disney made this for the worlds fair a long time ago. Old animatronics – GREAT place to nap. Cool and dark. The song will get stuck in your head. – Not a priority.
Space Mountain – rollercoaster – fastpass unless you go first thing when the park opens. One of my favorite rides
Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover – great place to relax for a little bit in the afternoon.
Astro-Orbiter – actually never rode this. An awful lot like carnival rides at the 4th.
Tomorrowland Speedway – not awful, basically a go-cart but you really don’t control the car.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café – inside and pretty nice.
FANTASYLAND
Be prepared to spend a lot of time here. It's directly behind the castle. There is a little walkway right by where Merida meets, toward the castle. Snow White’s Wishing well is there and it's really cute for photos J
Mad Hatter Tea Party – ugh. Do everything in your power to avoid this ride. This is sickness waiting to happen. Purple teacup goes the fastest!! AVOID AVOID AVOID
Dumbo – actually pretty cool, especially since they now have the play area inside you can let your kids go in while you wait.
Barnstormer – goofy’s rollercoaster – it's pretty good – I barely fit on the ride.
Ariel’s Grotto – where you meet Ariel
Little Mermaid – another ride where you sit and watch the movie scenes on a clam. – do not wait more than 20 minutes.
Be Our Guest Restaurant – can meet the beast – really expensive and not my favorite place to eat.
Winnie the Pooh – you sit in a cart and go through the movie scenes. Do not wait more than 20 minutes for this ride.
7 Dwarves Mine Train – roller coaster - really really good. Either fastpass this or ride this first thing in the morning!
Princess Hall – 2 sides: one with Cinderella and Elena the other with Rapunzel and Tiana. Normally have to fast-pass these. Or Late in the evening, it does slow down!
Prince Charming Carousel – nothing spectacular
Mickey’s Philarmagic – cute and great place for a nap
Peter Pan’s Flight – my favorite ride ever!!!! You will probably need to fastpass this, it is also a sit and watch the movie scenes type of ride.
It’s a Small World – you gotta do it. The song will get stuck in your head, but you have to do it. Do not wait more than 20 minutes for this ride.
Rapunzel bathrooms are the best bathrooms in the park FYI J
Frontierland
Again this is liberty square included!
Haunted Mansion – as a child, I thought it was a little weird. But as an adult, it really is one of Disney’s best rides.
Riverboat – never been on it – it just goes around the “rivers of America” nothing fabulous.
Tom Sawyer’s Island – the kids will love it, kind of like a playground
Hall of Presidents – nap time ONLY – really don’t do this. It's so bad.
Liberty Tree Tavern – is my favorite place to eat in all of Disney. It’s an all you can eat Thanksgiving style meal.
Country Bear Jamboree – Naptime only not worth it
Pecos Bills – TACOS
Splash Mountain – you will get a little wet – sit in the middle you won’t get soaked that way
Big Thunder Mt Railroad – rollercoaster!! J - fastpass
Adventureland
Pirates of the Caribbean – saucy jack is the best J
Jungle Cruise – has the worst jokes around but it's hilarious! – ask if you can see the backside of water J
Tiki Room – a napping area as well
Magic Carpet ride – not worth it
EPCOT
Kidcot Fun Stops – these are stops in each country. You get a cardboard Duffy bear (Mickey’s teddy bear made by Minnie for all his global travels) and the kids can color it/collect stamps from each country and learn a little bit about the history. It’s a great keepsake --- AND they can take it to school and show/tell what they learned from each country.
Future world
Spaceship Earth – actually pretty fun – they take photos of you and use them to predict the future
Innoventions – a big tech playground the kids will love it.
Soarin – fastpass this – go flying through the sky!
Mission: Space – no. let the kids go. It spins you around to create the G forces for the ride. I get sick on it.
Test Track – kind of like a rollercoaster, the kids will like it. Fast pass it
World Showcase
The only ride is the Frozen ride in Norway. Fastpass is a must.
The rest of the showcase – just walk around and see it. Go to the shops and experience the culture.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall – breakfast with the princesses!!
Food
I mean this list is huge and I'm not going to get into it completely. I'll hit my favorites:
Le Cellier Steakhouse - To me this is the best place to eat in Epcot. It's not cheap but worth it for that steak
La Hacienda de San Angel - Mexican Food
Disney Hollywood Studios
This was called MGM when I was younger and I can’t seem to break the habit. There is A LOT of construction going on in this park, however Toy Story World is going to be open very soon, but Star Wars Land will not be.
There are lands here as well.
When you first come through the gates, straight in front of you, is extremely similar to Main Street in MK. A lot of shops.
Sunset Blvd
Take the first right you come to in the “road” towards the Hollywood Tower of Terror!
Tower of Terror – must do
Rockin’Rollercoaster – MUST DO! Aerosmith is everything
Beauty and The Beast Show – one of my favorite shows. Must check showtimes though!!
Fantasmic – If you don’t do a reserved dining plan for this. YOU MUST GET HERE EARLY!!! Some of the seats are really bad and you can barely see anything. It’s a really good show though!
There is a little section of quick services right in front of beauty and the beast. This is my normal place to eat lunch!
Animation Courtyard
Voyage of the Little Mermaid – another show, it's cute.
Disney Jr. Live on Stage – don’t think you should do it especially if none of your kids watch Disney Jr. – doc mcstuffins, jake, and the neverland pirates are the normal characters.
Star Wars Launch Bay – you can meet some of the star wars characters AND there is a section where you can draw characters. Its really cute, but I’m not 100% certain they still have it since it has changed to star wars now.
On the way to Pixar place, there are a couple things sneak peek - is normally a trailer for their next movie – not worth it. And Walt Disney presents – basically just about Walt and his dream for the parks – not worth it either.
Pixar Place
This will change by the time you guys go. I’ll present updated information as I get it. But for now
Toy Story Mania – fastpass this. I am the queen of this game. It’s a lot like buzz lightyear at MK. But its 3D. and way more fun!
Grand Avenue
Muppet Vision 3D – a 3D show, it's actually pretty cool!
Star Tours – Virtual ride, its awesome since the update!
Backlot Express – 2nd fave place to eat that’s quick service
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular – get there early and you may become an extra on the movie! ☺ I tried for years and finally made it!
Food
50's Prime Time Cafe - Buffet style character dining for some meals, also included in the Fantasmic Dining Package
Hollywood and Vine - a great place for some fine dining, also included in Fantasmic Dining Package
Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano - I've actually never eaten here, but have heard good things and is in the Fantasmic Dining Package
Animal Kingdom
Quite possibly my favorite park but don’t tell MK that.
When you walk into the park directly in front of you is 2 paths. Either will take you to the Tree of Life.
Either path has animal viewing areas and it is a little bit of a hill!
When you cross the bridge there is a Wilderness Explorer place on your right. Do this! They give you a book and missions to complete to become a Wilderness Explorer!! It is actually really fun and super informative for the kids.
AK is set up almost exactly like MK. The tree is the hub.
The tree has some trails and It’s Tough to be a Bug – a bugs life 3d show. The kids will like it.
Pandora
This is the place I know the least about.
There are 2 rides,
Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey. Both will require fastpasses
Africa
Festival of the Lion King – best show in Disney. Best show ever!!!!
Kilomanjaro Safari’s – do this first thing! The animals will be more active in the mornings.
Tusker House has really good food and is character dining for some meals.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Have to train there
Can meet Rafiki, Pocahontas and can pet some animals. Sometimes you can watch them do procedures on some of the animals.
Asia
Kali River Rapids – you WILL GET WET
Expedition Everest – best rollercoaster in Disney
Finding Nemo Musical -2nd best show in Disney behind Lion King
Dinosaurland
There is a little carnival section with some games and rides.
The Boneyard is an outside playground.
Dinosaur – dark and can be scary.
My favorite place to eat is right by the entrance to Dinosaurland from the Tree its called flame tree bbq – so good.
There is a new night show – Rivers Of Light – there is a dining package
This is a huge list and can be complicated if you have any questions or want me to email you a copy of this I totally can!
graceparsons2023@gmail.com
