Walt Disney World InformationIf I could give you once piece of advice it would be to "Have Fun". Of course you're going to have fun right??? You're going to Disney World!!! It will be the "perfect" vacation!!!
Well, not necessarily. Our first memories of Disney World are not "stellar". Our youngest son, then 2, remembers the long lines and on the plus,he fell in love with the poor one legged duck at our campground!!! Our oldest, then 8, remembers Dumbo, 20,000 Leagues under the sea, the heat and the long lines. My husband remembers getting sick on Dumbo and I remember sitting outside some counter service behind the castle while my youngest was crying, trying to get him calmed down with drink and snacks. Those would be our total memories of Disney 1986.
Thank goodness by the time we went the second time I had done lots of reading and learning. We had a wonderful time with my in-laws. We stayed on property, at the Contemporary, we got to the parks upon opening, avoiding long lines and hot afteroon weather, we got everyone out of the park by mid day for a nice lunch and relaxing and pool. Then with everyone refreshed, we went out at evening for a nice dinner and a night time show. . Oh yes, it was not perfect and there were a couple of "trying moments", but mostly, we had lots of fun times and have many great memories from that vacation
Here's 3 tips:
1. Have Fun!!! It really doesn't matter what you do at Disney World, parks, pool, character meals, just make sure your family memories are happy. Yes, you may have been saving for this vacation for years, but if you push your kids to the limit, rushing around the parks getting the "most for your money". Your memories will probably be of your family melt down rather than enjoying each other.
2. You can't do it all. We'll be going on our about 23rd or so trip in October 2016 (I've lost count) and we spend about 8 days there a trip. We have not done it all by any means. Again, refer to rule one. Just have fun!!!
3. Plan but don't stress about it. Have fun planning. Do a general outline of park days and the rides you want to get in, have your meal reservations and just keep having fun learning more. When you're there, just go with your general outline and flow. I have never done everything on my list and many times I've had to adjust my plan. Be cool about it and refer to rule number one!!! Just have fun!!!We still will follow this plan at times when we take new people with us and we really want to make sure we get in all the things that we want. First I would say that this "routine" is how Disney became fun for our family. If you research Disney books and websites in most, you will find a common theme which made the biggest difference to our family.
1. Get to the parks before they open.
The reasoning here is to get in front of the crowd. I will wait in line for 45 minutes before the park opens to be in front of even the park opening crowd, but it saves us hours and hours of waiting time all day long. There are many web sites and books on park strategy and I would encourage reading all that you can, but the bottom line is to do the headliners first and then move on to the less popular rides. By the time the real crowd starts ambling in you will already have avoided the lines. At first I even had a "cheat sheet" with the list of rides in the order we would do them including any notes on times of day shows etc. This all sounds like a rushed way to do Disney, but in fact, if you're trying to accomplish allot it sets the stage to get the rides in early that will bog your day down and give you time to take that afternoon break to get out of the heat, the lines and the crowds and relax in the pool. Once you are ahead of the crowd, your day just kind of goes in reverse and becomes much more relaxing.2. Take an afternoon break.
If only for an hour or two. I would say 2-3 hours is great. The parks are ultra stimulus for kids and the saddest thing I see are parents screaming at the kids that "They WILL have a good time". And yes, I've seen parents literally scream at their children that they will have a good time or else. No matter how many kids we've taken to Disney World we have found out that they all of sudden do not become perfect angels because they are grateful that they are there. On the contrary, I find that families are just not prepared for the realities of the heat, the lines, the amount of walking and the constant stimulus that the parks and the crowd wear on you. To avoid family meltdowns which are all to common, you can try to reduce the problems I've mentioned.Heat- if you can go off season, by all means do it. I wish we would have taken our kids out of school to go. Maybe not when they are in middle school or high school as it's harder to catch up, but certainly grade school. If you do go in the hot weather, do take that afternoon break and get out of the hot parks for a few hours.
Lines- avoiding lines goes along with getting to the parks before they open and getting the headliners done first thing. After that, make good use of the Fastpass options. My personal limit is 30 minutes and that would be only for something I REALLY want to do. There is so much to do at Disney World that I can't think of any ride that's worth waiting in line for hours. There's so many other fun things to do with that time.
Walking- the Disney World Complex is like it's own city. Each park in itself is pretty big. Magic Kingdom is the smallest and most "walker friendly" and Animal Kingdom is the largest and the paths wind around everywhere. It is not unusual to put in more than 10 miles of walking in a day. There is not all whole lot to change this except bring a stroller if you'll need it and realize that you will not be able to do everything so relax and enjoy what you're doing. That afternoon break again gets you out of the park and really helps tired bodies and limbs recuperate for an evening of fun.3. Enjoy a nice/fun meal and evening show.
Once everyone is refreshed and ready to go again, it's a perfect time for that character or "fun" meal.Yes we are now "empty nesters" and for all of you empty nesters out there, there's allot of us around Disney in the off season. In fact, it's so nice and pleasant and so much less hassle that I wish I would have taken the kids out of school to go off season instead of battling the crowds and heat of summer. I have found that the parks take on an atmosphere depending on the type of crowd and the off seaon crowd is really there to relax and have fun.
That being said, that's what we do. We have narrowed it down to going during the Food and Wine Festival each year. That's just what we've decided is our perfect time. We take advantage of the Festival at Epcot, the Party for the Senses and different Chef Luncheons and Food Programs they have.
I make sure we I've made any dinner reservations we want, but usually we eat at the Food and Wine Festival. We are now DVC owners at the Boardwalk so for breakfast we might go over to "Fresh" at the Dolphin. We sleep in until we want, we usually bring our bikes and bike the bike path between Wilderness Lodge and the Campground and around the Campground some afternoons. There's swimming in the pool and now that they have Fast Pass in advance, I make sure we have daily reservations for our favorite rides in case we want to do them that day. That would mostly be "Toy Story" at Disney Hollywood Studios. I make those for around noon or so...wouldn't want to feel pressured to get up early!!! Hubby likes Rock n Roller Coaster (and most other coasters) and Tower of Terror but I'm not a coaster person AT ALL, never have been so those he only gets to do those when family does come with occasionally.
We don't go out to movies when we are at home, so another thing we might do is go to Downtown Disney and see what's playing at the theatres. Of course we also have to look around the stores. We don't buy much anymore since we have all the shirts and trinkets we need, but it's fun to look and we do get new coffee cups each year. Another thing to note is that there are clay tennis courts at the Grand Floridian and Saratoga Springs, something we don't see much of in our area. Just call for reservations.
Well, as you can see there's no rhyme or reason to what we do...the highlight of our time there is definitely "Party for the Senses". We splurge for the Wine View Lounge and look forward to it all year. Other than that our schedule is pretty open. We love sitting on the Boardwalk at night when we get back from the parks for a drink or snack and just "wind down". Well, I guess as much "winding down" as you need to do after a relaxing day!!! Let's just say, what we do, depends on what we WANT to do!!! One year we only went on ONE ride there was so many other things we took advantage of and enjoyed. Some years we don't even get to Magic Kingdom and I really can't remember the last time we went to Animal Kingdom!!!
Well, that's us now. I always say Disney World with kids it wonderful and memorable but Disney World without kids is FANTASTIC!!! So don't feel that Disney is just for kids...there's always something for everyone of all ages to enjoy and Disney World is SO much more than just the rides if you take the time to look!!!
Downtown Disney
Market Place-the main attraction here is the big Disney store. If you can't find it here I'm not sure where you will. If you have a Disney Visa or Annual Pass you get a 10% discount on everything at the store. Don't forget to go into Giardelli's for your free candy sample. Our other "haunts" are a walk through the sports store and down to the Christmas shop. There's a toy store, home goods store, McDonalds, Lego store and Dinasour Trek.
Pleasure Island-right now is under construction.
West Side- sounds crazy, but we usually take in a movie or two here. We don't get time at home so it's one of our relaxing vacation activities. Stop in the candy shop for a chocolate covered strawberry. They're delicious and bigger than Giardelli's!!! Also home to Cirque du Soliel. We did go see it and while it was interesting, our family was not crazy about it. Another thing you should try for yourself. Disney Quest was really popular with our boys and niece and nephew. If your family likes video games and hands on activities, they may enjoy this. Another place to get to early as the more popular games get long lines fast.
Disney Dining
These reviews are only from the restaurants we've eaten at. They are our own personal opinions and while I also read what other say, I also think that you should try restaurants for yourself. From my experience in general, the "headliners" are usually a disappointment from the rave reviews and the lesser known and talked about are usually a nice surprise.
Our favorite, not to be missed: Kouzzina by Cat Cora (#1 on our list), Wolfgang Puck Cafe, and Olivia's (Disney dining's ultimate hidden gem).Cinderella's Royal Table-everyone should eat at the castle at least once. The atmosphere is, well, the castle, it's special. The food is also very good and of course there's the princesses. While not exactly quiet and romantic with kids everywhere, it is a very special place to eat.
Plaza Restaurant- the Plaza is our favorite place to eat at Magic Kingdom. They have nice fresh sandwiches, malts, shakes and ice cream. We usually eat here about 4:15 before one a party, Halloween or Christmas. Then we are set to begin doing rides. There are usually minimal lines since the day people are leaving and the party people have yet to arrive.
Liberty Tree Tavern- this was a character meal when we went. Even though it no longer is, we still would not eat here. The meat was dry and the stuffing tasted like it was right from the box. Nothing special.
Crystal Palace- if your prince or princess just HAS to see the Pooh characters this is the character meal you'll want to go to. The buffet is typical and the atmosphere typical for a character meal, busy and loud.
World Showcase
Le Cellier- this used to be our favorite restaurant but we feel it has gone "down hill" in the last couple years. Where it used to be relaxed with delicious food, it is now crowded, noisy, and rushed. While the food still might be better than most, it is not worth it for us anymore.
Rose and Crown- a nice place for a nice meal. Not one of our "not to be missed", but certainly a place we will eat at as a second choice and recommend. Great place to watch Illuminations if you hit it at the right time.
Chef's de France- we now consider this to be the nicest restaurant at EPCOT. The food is very good, the atmosphere pleasant and the service good.
Restaurant Marrakesh- we did not care for the food or atmosphere at this restaurant and will probably not eat here again. There is a belly dancer and it's sometimes nice to have some entertainment, but this was not enough to redeem the meal.
Tuttu Italia- highly overpriced, horribly rushed, very loud and one of the worst restaurants we've eaten at. $25.00 for a bowl of pasta that tasted like Ragu which came out in less than 5 minutes does not show much thought into a meal which as I said is, horribly overpriced. Over $100.00 for 4 of us and I'm sure the meal cost them less than $5.00 per person.
Biergarten- this is a nice buffet. There is a group that sings polka music so it is entertaining for the kids. While this place is not bad, we have not gone back in a few years and would probably not unless someone really wanted to go here.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall- at Norway in EPCOT this would be our least favorite character meal. Mainly since we did not really care for the food at all. The atmosphere was typically noisy as in most character meals. If you can't get into the castle or 1900 Park Fair for Cinderella or Princesses or if there is a princess here that is no where else by all means take your princess here. The fact is, face it, you don't go to these for the food. It's to see the light in the children's eyes when they see that special character. Priceless!!!
Nine Dragons- we have not been back here in many years. We were not impressed the first time and I do hear that the menu has since changed but we will still probably keep passing on going back since there are so many others we like and would like to try.
Counter Service
Kringla Bakeri og Cafe- in Norway, this has been our favorite counter service at EPCOT for years. They serve nice fresh sandwiches and the sweet pretzel with almonds is SO yummy!!!
Bolangerie Patasserie- in France, we have eaten here twice, once for just dessert and most recently for sandwich and dessert. I don't think we will go back to this one.
Sci Fi Dine In Theater- this is our favorite place at Hollywood Studios. Mainly for the fun atmosphere of sitting in the little cars watching the old sci fi movies. We usually get lunch food... hamburgers, chicken strips etc. which are good and they also have good malts and shakes. While this is not one of our "not to be missed" places, it is an old stand when we plan lunch at this park.
Mama Melrose- we have not been back to this restaurant in about 7 years. When we were there only one of four people liked their meal, the place seemed crowded and very noisy. We have never gone back.
The Brown Derby- four of us went here and none of us enjoyed our meal. Needless to say we have not returned.
Hollywood and Vine- we were eating here frequently several years ago but have really not done so in quite a long time. Typical buffet food and there are just much better places to eat. It used to not be a character meal and we have not eaten here since it's has been one so I don't know anything about the characters or how the atmosphere is with them.
50's Prime Time- we have not eaten here in years but it has often been on our list to go back. It's a fun meal with good food and we really would go here again, things have just not worked out for us to do so. So it's not a "not to be missed" but we would go back again if the occasion were right.
Pizzafari- pretty much the only place we've eaten at Animal Kingdom!!! Basic fast food pizza. We have also eaten at Tusker House, but that was a couple years ago and the menu has since changed.
Wolfgang Puck Cafe- this is one of our "not to be missed" restaurants. I wish we could try other things, but when we go, we always have to have our favorite meals which for me is Pumpkin Ravioli with Chicken and for my husband is Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken. My son did have a very good pizza a few years back. I also get the Butternut Squash Soup which is excellent and of the desserts the Carrot Cake is our favorite.
Wolfgang Puck-Dining Room (Upstairs)- we went here to specifically try the famous Wienerschnitzel and Apple Strudel. We both agreed the meat coating was very salty and the potatoes unremarkable. The apple strudel was good, but as my husband pointed out, certainly not as good as my own Apfel Kuchen. The view of the lake was beautiful and while the wait staff was attentive, they were not remarkably friendly. Not what we expected from this restaurant and we will not be returning. We MUCH prefer the Cafe.
House of Blues- I'm not sure how we would rate this one. We would probably not go here again on our own, but if someone wanted to eat here we would certainly not mind. We particularly like the sweet potato fries and bread pudding, but it's just not enough for us to go back without a reason with so many other good places we like.
Raglan Road- we did not enjoy our meals here but the entertainment was nice. It was not enough for us to go back to this restaurant though.
Boardwalk
Kouzzina by Cat Cora-
March 2010 Update: Without a doubt the best restaurant we have eaten at on Disney property. This visit confirmed our previous great reviews. We again had the Cinnamon Chicken for the dinner and Galaktobouriko for dessert. It was outstanding. We liked this place so much that we cancelled our Artist Point reservation and ate here a second time during our visit. To put this in perspective, please read the reviews of Artist Point. The second time I had the Pastistio, which was excellent and my husband had the Pork Chop witha side of the potatoes. All delicious. We again ended the meal with the Galaktobouriko and pressed coffee. Kouzzina's has solidly stolen our #1 restaurant award away from Artist Point and has earned our #1 spot.November 09-we ate here for breakfast and lunch on our most recent trip. Both meals were delicious and this is now a new "not to be missed" for us. For breakfast my husband had the sweet potato hash and eggs. Although he said it was very good, for sweet potato hash he preferred "Olivia's" at Old Key West. I had a waffle with Marscapone cheese and honey which was delicious!!! Dinner was the real star for us. We both had the Cinnamon Stewed Chicken which was homey, unusual and delicious. For dessert, I had Galaktobouriko, a Greek dessert that I have not had in years and it was wonderful!!! My husband had the Baklava, and although it was good, we'd prefer a little more phyllo dough layers instead of so much filling. He also liked the Galaktobouriko. We have decided that Cinnamon Stewed Chicken and Galaktobouriko at Kouzzina is a meal "not to be missed". The atmosphere is airy and fresh, very nice.
Flying Fish-while this meal was very good, we were not blown away. I had the scallops and risotto which was very good and my husband had the potato crusted red snapper, which he also enjoyed. We would definitely eat here again, but it's certainly not one we would make a special point of doing so.
Big River Grill and Brewing Company- this place always gets mixed reviews, even by us. We will go here for a quick very good hamburger, fries and beer and it's nice just sitting on the Boardwalk relaxing. There are no reservations so if we don't feel like driving to a place I planned, we might cancel that reservation and eat here. I would not recommend the meatloaf but the chicken and hamburger are good.
ESPN Club- we do usually end up here on Sunday when we go in the fall to watch the Packer Game. The food is pretty good and they do let you stay for the whole game. In fact, they pretty much expect that you will. We do end up eating more than we usually do though as we get an appetizer, main dish and dessert over the 3 hours. Make sure you get in line at least 1/2 hour to 1 hour before game time to get a seat.
Boardwalk Bakery and Pizza Window- I could not do a food review for the Boardwalk without mentioning the place we go to the most. For breakfast the Bakery has all the usual sweet things, but also a couple egg croissant choices. For lunch there is nice sandwiches which can be eaten cold or heated as a panini. There is also fruit dishes/plates, veggie plates, milk, juice and other fresh food choices. We eat here quite a bit and sitting on the Boardwalk just can't be beat for atmosphere. Very relaxing. The Pizza window serves large portions of very good pizza. Both the Bakery and Pizza window are especially nice and handy for those of us who love the Boardwalk.
Beach Club
Cape May Cafe Breakfast- the food at this buffet is very good. The atmosphere is quieter than some of the other character meals we've gone to. Overall, a nice meal if Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Chip and Dale are some characters you'd like to see.
Cape May Cafe Clam Bake- we are not big seafood eaters and would probably not have eaten here except it was the only place that night where we could get a reservation!!! We did not care for this a whole lot, but my neice who does like seafood found plenty to eat.
Beaches and Cream- For a good hamburger I would go across the way to the Boardwalk to Big River Grill and Brewing Company. For a complete selection of ice creams and toppings this would be the place to go.
Yacht Club
Captain's Table- this is a great place for a nice non-character buffet for breakfast. We don't go to this every visit, but most. They have a nice simple buffet or you can order off the menu. Dinner was "OK", not something we'll go back to very soon, but we feel the specialty of this restaurant is the nice breakfast.
Dolphin
Fresh- this is a great place for a good breakfast. It is basically a buffet with a place where you can order egg dishes, pancakes and waffles to order and they make them right in front of you. There's an interesting selection of healthy juices and a nice selection of rolls and breakfast sweets.
Magic Kingdom Resorts (Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness)
Grand Floridian
Grand Floridian Cafe-
March 2010 Update-apparently has fallen from the "not to be missed" rank since we did opt to eat at Kringla Bakeri instead of keeping our reservation here. Still a great place to eat overall.November 09-we have eaten here for all meals. It is one of our "not to be missed" mainly because of their "Chocolate Fondue" dessert. The dinner meals are very good as are the lunch sandwiches. Also a pretty Victorian atmosphere and usually not very crowded. What I consider a "Disney hidden gem".
1900 Park Fare- I would consider this the nicest character buffet for food. As with all the character meals it's busy and noisy, but if you can't get into the castle and your princess just needs to see Cinderella, this is the place to go. Also includes Mary Poppins, the Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella's two step-sisters.
My Disney Girl Princess Tea- for me this was well worth the money. I took my niece and we had a great time. The entertainment is wonderful, special time with Princess Aurora and gifts of a crown, Princess Aurora doll and bracelet. The sandwiches are not the greatest but the cake is delicious. It is done very nicely and special. I would recommend ages 4-7. My niece was 8 and is tall. The one bad thing is she was one of the couple biggest girls there. A couple Dad's also attended. If you do not have the money for this, do not scrimp and save to do it. There are many other far cheaper things to do that are also special.
Contemporary Resort
Chef Mickey- this is the "funnest" of the character meals. The characters are great and the singing and napkin waving give this place a real party atmosphere. The buffet is pretty typical.
Polynesian
Ohana- this meal is served family style and very nice for kids. As I mentioned in the Character meal section, this is one of three restaurants I would recommend in my "perfect foursome" for kids meals. They have coconut/broom races and hoola hoops for kids activities. A nice meal for kids but we would probably not go here by ourselves.
Polynesian Luau- we went to this quite a few years ago. While I'm glad I did it once I would not make a point to do it again. Great fun for kids.
Kona Cafe- we went here for breakfast because of the rave reviews of the Tonga Toast. We actually found the meal very very sweet for even our sweet taste. I would not mind trying dinner here sometime though. It's on our "to try" list, but not very high at this point.
Wilderness Lodge
Artist Point-
March 2010 Update-has definitely fallen from the top spot. We actually did not eat here on this trip and opted to eat at Kouzzina's a second time. After discussion, we realized that the two sides we loved were no longer offered and the berry cobbler, which used to be perfection had been changed to a sloppy mess. The only things left were the still very delicious Portobella mushroom soup and the good but not outstanding salmon. At this point I believe it has fallen as hard as Le Cellier before it and it is not even a "not to be missed", since we did opt to miss it this vacation!!!November 09- our current top favorite restaurant. Our meal here has not changed in years....Portobella mushroom soup, Cedar plank salmon and Berry Cobbler. I would say that Kouzzina that we tried on our last vacation in November could give this a run for it's top spot in the future, but for now, this is and has been our favorite since Le Cellier fell from the esteemed rank several years ago.
Whispering Canyon Cafe- while this is not one of our "not to be missed", when we take new people to Disney World it is one of the restaurants we will probably take them. Lots of fun with good home cooked food. Another fun meal for kids and adults alike. We have been here for both breakfast and dinner and both are very good.
Fort Wilderness
Hoop Dee Doo- we went here when the kids were younger and had an absolutely wonderful time. The food is very good and the show fun, especially since my little one got picked to be the "sherrif" for the show!!! I would highly recommend this over the Luau. It's somewhere that would be fun to go to at least once.
Jiko- while the meal here was good and many love this place I got so ill after eating here that I just cannot think of going back. It's one of those that I would definitely recommend trying if you have not eaten here, for many this is their favorite place and my circumstances could have just been coincidental. My husband thought his meal was very good.
Boma- since this place gets rave reviews we have tried it both for breakfast and dinner. We just don't think it's that great. Besides the juice and Zebra Domes there's really not much we like and feel this buffet does not offer as many selections as some of the others. Although, if you want a non-character buffet, this is one of the places to go.
Old Key West
Olivia's- this is one of our "not to be missed". We have eaten here for all meals and all have been delicious. The atmosphere is friendly and casual. The prices are right and the food wonderful. My husband especially likes the prime rib. This is what I would consider the ultimate Disney hidden gem.
Saratoga Springs
Turf Club Bar and Grill- we did enjoy this meal but not enough to go back. The food was good and worth a try if you want, our list of "not to be missed" is just too long and this one just not good enough for that list.
Port Orleans
Boatwrights- we ate here on recommendation of the pancakes. Breakfast has since been discontinued and we did not think it good enough to go back for dinner.
For kids, what I consider a "perfect foursome" meals are "Cinderella's Royal Table", "Chef Mickey" "Whispering Canyon" (see Wilderness Lodge reviews) and "Ohana's" (see Polynesian reviews). They include what I think are the best princess meal, with the most fun Mickey meal, with and 2 fun activity meals. Of course, you should always make sure your childs favorite characters are "covered" in the character meals you plan.
Cinderella's Royal Table- everyone should eat at the castle at least once. The atmosphere is, well, the castle, it's special. The food is also very good and of course there's the princesses. While not exactly quiet and romantic with kids everywhere, it is a very special place to eat.
Chef Mickey- at the Contemporary resort this is the "funnest" of the character meals. The characters are great and the singing and napkin waving give this place a real party atmosphere. The buffet is pretty typical.
1900 Park Fare- at the Grand Floridian, I would consider this the nicest character buffet for food. As with all the character meals it's busy and noisy, but if you can't get into the castle and your princess just needs to see Cinderella, this is the place to go. Also includes Mary Poppins, the Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella's two step-sisters.
My Disney Girl Princess Tea- at the Grand Floridian, for me this was well worth the money. I took my niece and we had a great time. The entertainment is wonderful, special time with Princess Aurora and gifts of a crown, Princess Aurora doll and bracelet. The tiny sandwiches are not the greatest but the cake is delicious. It is done very nicely and special. I would recommend ages 4-7. My niece was 8 and is tall. The one bad thing is she was one of the couple biggest girls there. A couple Dad's also attended. If you do not have the money for this, do not scrimp and save to do it. There are many other far cheaper things to do that are also special.
Cape May Cafe Breakfast- at the Beach Club, the food at this buffet is very good. The atmosphere is quieter than some of the other character meals we've gone to. Overall, a nice meal if Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Chip and Dale are some characters you'd like to see.
Crystal Palace- at Magic Kingdom, if your prince or princess just HAS to see the Pooh characters this is the character meal you'll want to go to. The buffet is typical and the atmosphere typical for a character meal, busy and loud.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall- at Norway in EPCOT this would be our least favorite character meal. Mainly since we did not really care for the food at all. The atmosphere was typically noisy as in most character meals. If you can't get into the castle or 1900 Park Fair for Cinderella or Princesses or if there is a princess here that is no where else by all means take your princess here. The fact is, face it, you don't go to these for the food. It's to see the light in the children's eyes when they see that special character. Priceless!!!
Resorts
These are reviews of only the resorts we've stayed at.
Boardwalk/Boardwalk Villas- this is our resort of choice and we really don't stay anywhere else at this time. The main reason for us-location, location, location!!! We think this is a perfect resort for families with older kids (middle school and up), just married couples, empty nesters etc.
Pros:
5-10 minute walk or boatride from EPCOT
25 minute boatride or 20 minute walk from Hollywood Studios
Boat dock is right out front
Busses are conveniently located
Atmosphere in general is quiet and pleasant
Having the Boardwalk right outside your door. We love to sit on the Boardwalk for breakfast or lunch and its so nice coming home to someplace like the Boardwalk just to relax before going to your room.
Very nice pool and slide
Restaurants from all the EPCOT resorts and EPCOT all right there.Cons:
Bus ride to Magic Kingdom
Does not have a "snack shop". Although it does have a "general store" and "bakery" that sells not only bakery items but sandwiches, fruit, veggies, juice and milk.
Some rooms can be down long hallways
Contemporary- this resort is special to us since it's where we stayed when with our kids. We think this resort is perfect for families with small children. If Magic Kingdom is still the park of choice for them this resort is perfect.
Pros:
the monorail-just so convenient...you are in your room within minutes since all rooms are right in the building. (Unless you're in the villas)
Busses are conveniently located
Minutes by monorail or bus to Magic Kingdom
Monorail to EPCOT (although you do need to "change" monorails.)
Snack shop conveniently located
Awesome views of Magic Kingdom or the LagoonCons:
Busses or monorail take a while to all parks except Magic Kingdom
Not a big choice of restaurants nearbyOld Key West- if you want a relaxing, quiet vacation this is the resort for you. Old Key West is in a little world of it's own and has a peaceful, friendly, family feel.
Pros:
Car is parked right outside your door
Peaceful, quiet atmosphere
Boat ride to Downtown Disney
The bus service for this resort is the best we've found for a resort
Even though the only restaurant is Olivia's. It IS a real gem and usually not too busy.Cons:
It is more isolated and except for Downtown Disney you need to count on the busses.
Only a few of the buildings have elevators, so if you have problems with steps make sure you ask for one of these buildings or the bottom level.Animal Kingdom Lodge- a wonderful resort for school aged children. The snack bar here is great, the pool very nice and the animals right outside your room are fun to watch.
Pros:
Great snack bar
Very nice pool
Savannah animals right outside room
Stunning detail and atmosphere at the resortCons:
Need to take busses everywhere
Hallways can get pretty long if you're on the end of the resort
Not a good selection of restaurants anywhere near the resortBeach Club/Beach Club Villas- if you plan on taking that afternoon pool break and want the ultimate pool, this would be the resort for you.
Pros:
The closest resort to EPCOT, probably 5 minute or less walk.
Boat ride to MGM
Huge pool complex with great slide and lazy river
Has a small but adequate snack bar
Many restuarant choices with all the EPCOT resorts and EPCOT nearbyCons:
The boat dock is in front of the Yacht Club, so a bit of a walk
Rooms can be down long hallways and especially the villas are far from the pool
The pool is nice but can get crowded since it's for the Yacht Club also
Saratoga Springs Resort- this would be my second choice of resort to stay at. Much like the Boardwalk but with Downtown Disney right there either by 10 minute walk or a boat ride.
Pros:
Very nice zero entry pool
Spa and clay tennis courts right there
The snack bar is the nicest I've seen
Car can be parked right outside your door
Close to Downtown Disney for things to do and restaurant choicesCons:
Need to take a bus to all parks
Annual Events
The Flower and Garden Show is held each spring at EPCOT. There are gorgeous topiaries and beautiful flower gardens. We have also attended several of the informational programs about gardening.
Click on the picture for a larger image. Click on the thumbnail panel buttons below to change panels.
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France Food Stand- fandw2.jpg
France Menu- fandw.jpg
Greece Food Stand- fandw3.jpg
Canada Food Stand- fandw4.jpg
France-Favorite Food and Drink-Mashed Potatoes with short ribs (SO tender) and Grand Marnier Vodka slushy!!!- fandw5.jpg
The Theme That Year was "Be Our Guest"- fandw6.jpg
Andrew Zimmern "Kitchen Conversations"- fandw7.jpg
Cream of Chicken Soup, Appetizer Andrew Zimmern, one of the best things we've evern had at Food and Wine Festival!!! YUM!!!- fandw8.jpg
Andrew Zimmern Main Dish-Ribs...Delicious!!!- pfts.jpg
Party for the Senses- pfts2.jpg
Party for the Senses- pfts3.jpg
My favorite drink...Chocolate Martini with a dessert !!!- pfts4.jpg
Chef Celina Tio from Top Chef Masters- (the scallop was delicious!!!)- pfts5.jpg
Chef Robert Irvine from Restaurant Impossible and Food Impossible- pfts6.jpg
Party for the Senses- pfts7.jpg
Cirque du Soliel Entertainment
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Other Fun Activities
Disney has many levels and many things to offer vacationers. Once you really begin exploring, you realize that Disney is SO much more than just the parks!!!
Tennis- this has been one of the highlights of our last two vacations. The courts at the Grand Floridian and Saratogo Springs are clay. Our 24 year old son was so excited to play on these and did so several times last year with my husband. This year it was one of the highlights of my sisters vacation since she loves tennis and has never played on a clay court. Courts are open from about dawn to dusk at Saratoga Springs and are free. These courts have an underground watering system. The courts at the Grand Floridian are about $10.00 per hour and are closed a couple hours mid day while they water the courts.
Wilderness Lodge Biking Trail- we had a few hours to spare on our last vacation so I remember reading about some bike trails near Wilderness Lodge/Fort Wilderness. We checked it out, rented bikes and did a casual bike ride through a nicely wooded area from Wilderness Lodge to Fort Wilderness campground and around the campground area. It was really fun and we saw parts of Walt Disney World we had never seen before including the stables.
Albatross Treasure Cruise- taking off from the Yacht Club dock, this is a fun adventure for kids. Our niece did this and the kids traveled around World Showcase, making several stops looking for treasure. They get a little lunch and do eventually "find the booty".
More information to come
My Favorite Disney Links
All Ears Net- this is filled with Disney Information. It is generally arranged in a nice manner also. I especially use the Dining links when planning my meals since all the menus are listed. Also, if you are trying to choose a resort there a pictures of all of them.
The DIS- this site is also filled with Disney Information. I think the highlight of the site is the Discussion Boards. So much information from many "Disney Old Timers". If you have any questions at all, this is the place to ask.
Dreams Unlimited- while I prefer planning my vacation myself, if you would like help with your reservations and planning this is a travel agency with experts on Disney vacations.
Walt Disney World Entertainment- this site in particular is usefull in planning character meet and greets, times for the "odd little shows" at the parks, and also times of some rides, for example, Lights Motor, Action etc. As you get close to your trip, jot these times down just so you have them on hand. Just click on the link to the correct park along the top for all the information at that park.
Mousesavers- while I have never really used the information on this site very much, I think it is worth including on my list as someone might find it useful.
