Disney Tips

I thought I'd put together a list of tips that Jeff & I have regarding Disney World. These are some of our favorite rides, places to eat, places to stay and general tips. I'll post a link over on my sidebar and add tips from others and additional information as I think of it.

Magic Kingdom
For the last several years, this has been our favorite of the four parks available at Walt Disney World.

We really enjoy Tomorrowland and it's quite the feat to pull my grown husband off of "Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin." He has managed to find the high scoring targets and likes to ride it repeatedly. I'm a huge fan of the "Tomorrowland Transit Authority." Nice cool ride and it's rarely busy. 2007 was my first year riding on the "Tomorrowland Indy Speedway." It's not very fast, but I sure had a great time. This is also the location for Space Mountain. There were times we'd ride Buzz, TTA, Space Mountain and start all over again. This side of the park can get crowded but you can usually find Buzz and Stitch out for pictures and autographs. New this year was the "Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor"...it's really cute, but you'd need more people in the show than we had to make it really fun.

Mickey's Toontown - It's mainly for the kids, but I like to visit Mickey and Minnie at their houses and have my picture made.

Fantasyland - This is where the kids used to hang out. Home of "It's a Small World," "Peter Pan's Flight," the Carrousel, Dumbo, Pooh and much more. I really like this area and we use our Fast Pass here quite often.

Liberty Square has the Haunted Mansion. Great ride and recently updated. The effects are a little easier to see now and the sound has been fixed in the Doom Buggies.

Frontierland is home to Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. One of Jeff's favorites and one of mine. We don't spend a ton of time here, but we do enjoy it. Again, the crowds in this small area can get overwhelming at times.

Adventureland is home of the Pirates (now featuring Davy Jones, Barbossa and Jack Sparrow) and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. The Carpets are great when the lines for Dumbo are just too long!!

Here's a few dining options:
Main Street Bakery - This was recommended as the only place to eat breakfast in the Magic Kingdom. They have a great selection of pastries, but it's quite busy at park opening.
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor - Want a lot of ice cream? Visit this parlor.
Casey's Corner - Want to grab a hotdog? Sure. But, it's not the best in the park.
The Crystal Palace - Highly Recommended! Jeff & I have enjoyed both meals that we've eaten here. The food is great and buffet style. The head chef keeps a close eye on everything. And Pooh & friends drop by and visit you at the table. The only downside is the service...take is easy on your drinks.
Columbia Harbour House - Good place to grab a quick bite if you like chicken and fish. They have an upstairs seating area that most people don't know about.
Cinderella's Royal Table - We really enjoyed our first visit here, but the food seems to have gone downhill. We have elected not to go back unless we are traveling with others who would like to go.
Pinocchio Village Haus - Another good place to grab a quick bite. Chicken, burgers, sandwiches. They also have an upstairs seating area that most people don't know about.
Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe - Take your pick from three different lines. Chicken. Burgers. Sandwiches. Cute show going all the time. Another good place for a quick bite in the a/c.

Epcot
We were really bummed this year that Spaceship Earth was closed. They are updating the ride and we look forward to seeing the new, improved Spaceship Earth in the future (this is the big ball ride). We also enjoy the Intense Training at Mission: Space and the thrill of Test Track. We always ride Test Track as single riders and usually end up only a car apart. I know this wouldn't work if you have kids, but I highly recommend it for adults traveling together. They have recently renovated The Seas and you can now visit with Nemo and talk with Crush. I recommend both of these even if you don't have kids. I loved watching all the young ones interact with Crush. The show is very well done and different everytime. Jeff & I weren't impressed at all with Soarin' and don't get the hype. It's ok, but we aren't going to stand in line for it again. The Figment ride was much better before they tried to improve it.

The World Showcase is still amazing and I find something new every time I go back.

Here are some dining options:
Electric Umbrella - Looking for something fast. Here it is. Good luck finding a seat.
Coral Reef Restaurant - Loved this place. Looking forward to going back. I had Lobster Salad and it was amazing!
The Garden Grill - We recommend this place too. It rotates while you eat and the characters stop by your table. The food is grow in the greenhouses of the "Living with the Land" ride.
San Angel Inn Restaurante (Mexico) - Beautiful place. Bad food. Just eat Mexican at home.
Chefs de France (France) - I finally got Jeff into this place and we both really enjoyed it. Recommend it and can't wait to go back.
Le Cellier Steakhouse (Canada) - Great steak! Great atmosphere. Recommended.

MGM Studios
We don't spend all that much time at MGM. We like the Tower of Terror and the Rock-N-Roller Coaster (which was closed this year). If we want to kill some time we will ride Star Tours, but it really needs to be updated. The Great Movie Ride is nice, but the lines are usually way too long for the ride quality. Muppet Vision 3-D is really cute for a nice relaxing time as well.

This year we stuck around and watched "Fantasmic!" Now please understand again, we don't have kids and we didn't travel with kids...We thought this show was a total waste of time. We've heard rave reviews and we were expecting great things and we just didn't get it. They start seating 2 hours before showtime for a 1/2 hour show. Snoozefest. Won't be doing that again.

Some dining options:
Backlot Express - Great little fast food joint. Kind of hidden from the main travel pattern and you can usually find good seats.
Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano - Don't do it. Eat pizza next door at the Toy Story Pizza Planet Arcade.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant - Cute idea, but I wanted hamburgers and hotdogs. Not baked chicken. The food was too fancy for the theme and I didn't like sharing a "car" with people we didn't know.

Animal Kingdom
We only visit the Animal Kingdom for three rides. We highly recommend those three rides, but can't recommend much else. We just don't stick around there that long. The three rides that we LOVE - Expedition Everest (we ride single rider here too), Primeval Whirl, and Dinosaur. You may want earplugs for Dinosaur though...

Outside The Park
Boma - Until this year it was our most highly recommend place. We can't say the same now. The food was off and very dry. The place is extremely loud and you have a hard time carrying on a conversation. With the difficulty getting to the Animal Kingdom Lodge this place has fallen off of our list for the future.
Gasparilla Grill at the Grand Floridian - Best pizza ever. We eat a pizza there once a trip.
1900 Park Fare - Cute buffet. Loud though. Fun if you have children in your party (which we actually did that time) but otherwise skip it.
'Ohana - We weren't too impressed. It was the service though, not the food. I'd try it again.
Disney's Spirit of Aloha Show - A fun one time thing. I don't think I'd do it again unless we had a large group.

Hotels
According to the "Rules of Jeff" we are only allowed to stay in one of three hotels. Our hotel must be located on the Magic Kingdom Monorail system, so here you go.
Polynesian - My favorite. It's great it you don't have kids and don't mind walking. I can see how it would be difficult with children since you have to walk to get to most anything. We like to stay on the side of the resort closest to the Transportation and Ticket Center. It gives us the option to catch our monorail or walk over and catch that one. It also allowed us to get off a stop early, swing by our rooms to grab our "All you can drink" cups and then walk over to the main lobby. We didn't have to walk in a big circle. Views are pretty of the Castle and the other two resorts. The fast food place "Captain Cooks" has decent food and lots of seating. Beware of the ducks though...they are everywhere and very cute.
Contemporary - Love it. They are doing construction there now, but it's been upgraded and it's well done. The gift shop on the 2nd Floor rocks and is one of my stops every year, whether we are staying there or not.
Grand Floridian - Of the three, this is my least favorite. We even had upgraded rooms. Not worth the extra money to stay there and you are always last on the Transportation system which means you stand...no sitting for you!

The Not So Scary Halloween Party
Know your plans before you go. Do you want to ride rides or see the characters? You won't be able to do both. Jeff let me stand in line for Mickey and Minnie. I had to skip the rest. The fireworks are different that the main show and amazing! The parade is always different and fun. I really enjoyed seeing the villians come out to play even if I didn't get to meet any of them.

Tips
First Aid is located at all parks. If you need it, use it. They are very helpful. I know. I've been twice!

Other Great Resources
Deb's Unoffical Walt Disney World Information Guide - Great for up-to-date tips; menus; ride closures; great, great resource
Lauren's Disney World Tips - A family guide to Disney World by one of my favorite bloggers