Disney World's New Attractions
June 3, 2002 -- If you haven't been to Disney World lately, you haven't been to Disney World. The enormous Florida playground is constantly adding attractions and resorts, so that every time you visit, there's something new to see.
The numbers alone are staggering: Walt Disney World now has more than 24,000 hotel rooms, 100 major attractions, and hosts as many as 120,000 guests per day.
What began in 1971 as the Magic Kingdom now includes the high-tech, educational Epcot, movie-mad Disney-MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom.
Each time the park expands, so do your options — and your odds of feeling overwhelmed. With so many things to do, how does a family best spend its precious days of vacation?
How to Choose?
It's a tough question, but one I'm prepared to answer. As the author of a family guide to Disney World, I've been to the park more than 25 times with my kids. In the name of research, I've made 13 consecutive trips down the Tower of Terror, raced a group of nuns to Space Mountain and surveyed more than 150 families to get their best tips on seeing the park.
And I've developed a strategy to make a trip over four days — the most common length of visit — manageable and fun.
There's no way that even the most fleet-footed family could see everything in four days — or even 40. If you follow the plan we've provided, however, I promise you'll see the best of the best. Read on for a four-day Walt Disney World itinerary.
Day One
Get ready for a fun-filled day at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot.
Morning: Magic Kingdom
The earlier you start, the better, so grab a muffin and hightail it to the Magic Kingdom (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/parkindex?id=TPMagicKingdomPrk) 30 minutes before the stated opening time. Disney novices tend to sleep late, arrive at the park mid-morning and then flee it by early evening, exhausted by the heat and the crowds. Your goal should be to zig when everyone else zags: Go early, break for lunch and a nap or a swim and re-enter the parks around 6 p.m., when many families with young kids are on their way out.
First off, head for the big rides. If your kids are brave and over 44 inches tall: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. If your kids are younger: Goofy's Barnstormer (a great first coaster for preschoolers), Dumbo and Pirates of the Caribbean.
When the park begins to fill up around 11 a.m., have an early lunch — we like Tony's Town Square on Main Street — then move on to attractions that allow you to sit, such as The Legend of the Lion King (the stage version of the movie), the very scary Alien Encounter (if your kids are over age 10) or Country Bear Jamboree (if they're younger).
Next, stake out your curb space for the 3 p.m. parade. Try to sit along the Main Street hub. That way, the parade will pass by your family first, and you can beat a hasty exit before everyone else.
Afternoon: Take a Break
Head back to your hotel for a short nap and a dip in the pool.
Evening: Epcot
Epcot (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/parkindex?id=TPEpcotPrk) is more than twice the size of the Magic Kingdom, and some might say double the fun. The park has two sections: Future World (which contains nine pavilions grouped around the silver geosphere Spaceship Earth) and the World Showcase, where 11 international pavilions sit around a lagoon. Begin by touring the World Showcase.
The American Adventure show, the Maelstrom ride in the Norway pavilion, and the live street shows are my family's favorites. Jordan and I love the United Kingdom's World Showcase Players, who do a hilarious spoof of the King Arthur story using volunteers. Leigh favors the British Invasion, a Beatles-clone pop group, also appearing at the U.K. pavilion.
It's a 1.3-mile lap around the lagoon, so at some point stop at a World Showcase restaurant. Leigh likes Mexico, where you can ride the El Rio Del Tiempo boat before you enter the restaurant. Jordan prefers the slice-and-dice fest in Japan. Make sure you have priority seating at these restaurants, as they are popular.
Epcot packs a lot of pow, especially at night, but don't be so dazzled by the big pavilions that you forget to save time for the hands-on fun. Kids will enjoy the World Showcase more if you buy them a passport from one of the vendor carts.
At each nation, kids can get them stamped. Jordan's collecting fixation drives him happily from one country to the next, and his passport is the perfect show-and-tell back home. Each nation, I have to point out, also sponsors a craft booth called Kidcot, developed by FAMILYFUN magazine (a part of Disney Publishing). Kids can try painting in Paris, learn Arabic lettering in Morocco or make paper gondolas in Italy.
By 8:15 p.m., it's time for a snack (the pastries in France are terrific) and to find a place to watch IllumiNations, the classic nightly light display that usually starts at 9 p.m. over the World Showcase lagoon.
Travel Tip: If you're leaving through Epcot's back door, a secondary entrance with easy access to nearby resorts, watch IllumiNations on the bridge between the United Kingdom and France. If you're leaving through the front gate, watch the show from Mexico or Canada.
Day Two
Epcot and and Disney-MGM Studios are on the itinerary for Day Two.
Morning: Epcot
First stop, Future World, on the other side of Epcot (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/parkindex?id=TPEpcotPrk). Epcot's main entrance often opens ahead of the stated hour, so try to get there early.
Now's the time to try to beat the long lines at Spaceship Earth, where you can take a 14-minute tram ride inside the 180-foot-tall geosphere, and have a quick breakfast before the rest of the park officially opens.
Once the rest of the park opens, hoof it to Test Track, Disney's most technologically impressive attraction. Riders over 40 inches tall get the chance to test GM-inspired Disney test cars. Next, head for "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" in the Journey Into Imagination pavilion. (If your kids are too young for Test Track, go to "Honey" first.) Lots of attractions claim to be popular with all ages, but this 3-D show truly is.
My kids and I also like the Wonders of Life pavilion, which contains the stomach-lurching, motion-simulation ride Body Wars. Leigh won't touch that one, so she heads for the funny film "Cranium Command," which chronicles a day in the life of a 12-year-old boy. At Coach's Corner, you can have your tennis or golf swing videotaped, played back in slow motion and analyzed by videotaped experts like Chris Evert and Nancy Lopez.]
Another Epcot must-see is Innoventions, an arcade containing virtual-reality video games. The lines can be long, and you get just three minutes on some of the machines, but I must confess that even a Sega-dunce like me got hooked on the billiard game. It's easy to kill a couple of hours here, so don't go until you've been to a few of the large pavilions.
Afternoon and Evening: MGM
MGM (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/parkindex?id=TPDisneyMGMStudiosPrk) has lots of shows, ergo, lots of chances to sit, so my crew can handle going directly there from Epcot. (Younger kids, however, may be ready for a nap.) Exit Epcot via the World Showcase back door, walk to the dock at the Yacht Club Resort, and take the water taxi to MGM.
Once through MGM's gates, we like to have an early dinner at the Prime Time '50s Café which puts you smack in the middle of a '50s sitcom set.
Classic TV clips play in the background while you sit at Formica tables, eating meat loaf and other comfort food served up by your waitress-mom. It's a hoot to click through the dessert menu on a View-Master. The s'mores are a must.
Afterward, take in a few rides and shows. At this time of day, the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" Stage Show are easier to get into, and you may be able to slip into the last seating of "Beauty and the Beast."
The Tower of Terror is especially fun to ride at night. Disney technology allows the long-deceased Rod Serling to narrate the pre-show, which takes you into a segment of "The Twilight Zone." The brief ride through the Hollywood Tower hotel is spooky, but the real killer is the 13-story plunge down an elevator shaft at the end.
Day Three
Cool off on Day Three at Blizzard Beach, and then in the evening enjoy Downtown Disney Marketplace, Pleasure Island and dinner shows.
Morning Through Mid-afternoon: Blizzard Beach
Blizzard Beach (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/parkindex?id=WPBlizzardBeachPrk), Disney's newest water park, resembles a melting ski lodge, complete with sleds, slalom runs and chair lifts. Arrive early, claim your lounge chair with a beach towel (available for rent or bring your own) and head up Mount Gushmore for the superfun white-water raft ride, Teamboat Springs.
Blizzard Beach's thrills range from the kiddie slides in Tike's Peak to Summit Plummet, which at 120 feet is the longest flume ride in the world.
In between, there are the Toboggan Racers, where you slide down the mountain on a foam-rubber sled, and the highly addictive tube ride, Runoff Rapids. (Warning: It's 157 steps to the top of this sucker.)
Travel Tip: If time is short and your kids are under age six, you may want to skip the water parks and focus on the major theme parks. But if your kids are over age seven or good swimmers, a stop at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/parkindex?id=WPTyphoonLagoonPrk) just might be the highlight of the entire trip.
Afternoon: Take a Break
Water parks wear out my family more than the other parks, so when Blizzard Beach gets crowded, we always head back to the hotel for a nap.
Evening: Downtown Disney Marketplace, Pleasure Island, Dinner Shows
Younger kids will enjoy the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness, a down-home dinner show that's been packing 'em in for years. But kids ages 10 and up will enjoy Pleasure Island equally well. Pleasure Island is a Disney version of a nightclub complex, that is, wholesome. Leigh's favorite stop is the Comedy Warehouse, where the show is improvised. (If you want to be part of the act, sit by the telephone on the right-hand wall.)
In the mood to dance? Check out the retro 8-TRAX disco or learn a country line dance at the Wildhorse Saloon, both in Downtown Disney (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/parkindex?id=PMDowntownDisneyPrk). More unconventional entertainment takes place all night in the streets, where you can watch women bodybuilders strike their poses.
Across the bridge at the Downtown Disney Marketplace (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/shopping/shoppinggroupingindex?id=DDShoppingGrping), there are tons of cool places to eat (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/restaurants/restaurantgroupingindex?id=DDDiningRestGrping). Our favorite spots are the Rainforest Café (check out the zebra and flamingo legs on those bar stools), Ghirardelli(R) Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop, Cap'n Jack's Oyster Bar and the Portobello Yacht Club.
Day Four
And it's back to MGM and the Magic Kingdom to end your trip.
Morning: MGM
If you visit MGM (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/parkindex?id=TPDisneyMGMStudiosPrk) on the Surprise Morning (check your information packet for details), certain rides, including Star Tours, The Great Movie Ride and the Tower of Terror, will be open early. Ride them, and then get in line for the first show of "The Little Mermaid," which is held in a small theater and can be packed later in the day. At this point in the trip, everyone will probably welcome more opportunities to sit. Check out the amusing Muppetvision 3-D; the Animation Tour, where you can see Disney artists at work; and Superstar Television, which uses audience volunteers to hilarious effect.
Lunch
What you do depends on your energy level. You could dine at MGM's Sci-fi Dine-In where you eat in cars and watch cheesy clips of old monster movies, then catch the Hercules Parade. If you're feeling zapped, you could head back to your hotel and rest.
Afternoon and Evening: Magic Kingdom
Ride anything at Magic Kingdom (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/parkindex?id=TPMagicKingdomPrk) you missed earlier, or revisit favorites such as Big Thunder Mountain, Dumbo, Astro Orbiters and Splash Mountain, which are especially atmospheric at night. You can also opt to enjoy the character dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern hosted by Mickey and the gang in Revolutionary garb.
There's a certain symmetry to beginning and ending your trip on Main Street (disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/parksandmore/attractions/attractionindex?id=MKWaltDisneyWorldRailroadAtt) in the Magic Kingdom. Check postings for the time of the Main Street Electric Light Parade and line the route 40 minutes before show time. When my family waits for the parade, we're always using the phrase "next time." Because no matter how well you plan, you won't see it all. So there's comfort in knowing you can always come back and do it again.
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