I'm Going to Disney World!- Page 2

[gettinhep]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 6:29pm

Oh, I must agree with California Grill. Great food and you get a wonderful view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.

Even if you don't stay at Wilderness Lodge, go and have a look. They have so many 'Hidden Mickeys.'

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 6:33pm

Last time someone told me to find his "Hidden Mickey"...

[Madhatter]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 6:44pm

hiddenmickeys.org tells you where to find the Hidden Mickeys. Always fun to look for while waiting in lines.

[gettinhep]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 6:50pm

Oh, Tiff...

[Therese]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 7:08pm

Whee, lucky you! I love WDW!! I'm going to repeat a few things that others have already said (Tiff had a lot of good comments), but here are some things I like:

Magic Kingdom:
SPLASH MOUNTAIN! Probably my favorite ride at all the parks.
Mickey's Philharmagic - the newest 3-D movie. The champagne corks popping at you at the end of "Be Our Guest" is now my favorite effect out of all the 3-D shows.
I will second the advice to SKIP Stitch. I love Lilo & Stitch, and they deserve a good attraction, but this is NOT it.

EPCOT:
Mission Space is awesome! You do pull G's. Don't go if you're claustrophobic or prone to motion sickness.
"Soarin'" wasn't open yet when I was there in Dec. '04, but I would like to try that.
Tiff is right about exploring World Showcase.

Disney/MGM Studios:
Tower of Terror!! Woohoo!! I am a big thrill ride WIMP but I love this. It's like having a big tank of adrenalin pumped into a major artery. I have not yet worked up nerve for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster but am determined to do it next time.

Animal Kingdom:
It's Tough to Be a Bug - Not only is the show fun, the lobby is full of bug-themed Broadway posters (like "My Fair Ladybug" and "Web Side Story") and they play showtunes as if buzzed/chirped/etc. by bugs.
Maharaja Jungle Trek - A walking tour featuring big, gorgeous tigers - very cool!
DO NOT go on Kali River Rapids unless you want to spend the rest of the day as a dripping sopping thoroughly soaked and drenched pile of water.

Food:
If you're game to hang out with Pooh and Tigger, the Crystal Palace at the MK has a good breakfast buffet; plan your seating as early as possible, and you can eat before the attractions open and be ready to go when they do.

Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort (a quick monorail ride from the MK) was a great place for a nice relaxing lunch last time I was there. They've changed the menu somewhat since then, but I'm sure it's still good.

I love Marrakesh, the Moroccan restaurant at EPCOT. If you live in a major urban area with lots of diverse ethnic restaurants, it might be no big deal, but for me, it was an adventure. The Royal Feast is great, with bastilla, lamb, chicken, couscous, and crepes for dessert. Try the iced mint tea.

Man, now I really want to go!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 7:16pm

Don't even get me started on the Kali River Rapids. Like those water-spitting monkey gargoyles were SO necessary at the end.

[jarretSF]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 7:17pm

Reading all your messages has me even more excited. I know the Tarzan show is ending while I'm there. Which kind of puzzles me as you would think they could cross-promote it with Broadway. And we are dining at California Grill, I timed the reservation about a half hour before the fireworks. WooHoo! just over 24 hours til I leave!

I've also heard rumors Expedition Everest may be in soft openings by next week.

[dramaparoxysm23]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 7:18pm

*Purchase tickets in advance if possible, because you have to wait to buy 'em and then wait to get in
*Get to the parks as early as possible
*Get a wheel chair and the employees are even nicer than usual (I injured my hip the day before, OK?)
*Use the FastPasses
*People are less likely to be on rides when it's raining (esp Splash Mountain)
*During the parades, Pirates of the Caribbean is practically deserted
*The NEW Tiki Room is not as good as the old one
*Ride it's a small world!!
*Buy pins. They're fun.
*Animal Kingdom is only good for the Tree of Life, Dinosaur, and the Safari ride.
*See Fantasmic! if it's still at MGM - it's an after-hours show involving water and fireworks - very pretty.
*Take your own food and drink to avoid waiting in lines (you can eat while waiting for rides!) and paying an obscene amout of money
*The stores are open at least an hour after the parks are, so enjoy the rides and shows during the day
*Disney Quest has LOTS of cool things to do if you like human pinball games and virtual comic books and free video games. Even I enjoyed it. If you go, DEFINITELY do the Design Your Own Coaster thing and the Virtual Pirates of the Caribbean. Plus - Cheesecake Factory! Mmm...
*Definitely see the 50th Anniversary Parade and whichever other one the Magic Kingdom may show at night
*SUNSCREEN!
*The countries at Epcot will eat up your day, so unless you really MUST see them, skip them
*Soarin' at Epcot is fantastic - this was a good time for my wheelchair
*The Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom has excellent breakfasts
*Mission: Space was so realistic - avoid if you're the type to get nauseous
*

Updated On: 1/13/06 at 07:18 PM

[Therese]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 9:18pm

I'm just certain I heard that they are closing "Tarzan Rocks!" for now at least, because you can hear it from the "Expedition Everest" area and it clashes with the Everest theming.

Speaking of Everest, if you get to go, you must bring back a report. I'm a coaster wimp, but the idea of this sounds so cool, I may have to try it.

Tiff, I don't even remember the water-spitting monkey gargoyles. I was facing directly backwards when we hit the big drop, and no number of monkeys could have made me any wetter than I already was!

[starsprite]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 11:14pm

Aww I love WDW. I go there every year with my family so here are my tips for your visit:

1) Don't plan a whole day at Animal Kingdom. There's really not a whole days worth of stuff to do there IMO. It's fairly boring compared to the other parks, so if you have a park hopper USE IT!

2) Food tips: Visit Sleepy Hollow in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom. They have these fantastic fresh baked ice cream cookie sandwiches. So delicious! Also the fish and chips at the UK pavillian are amazing. It's something my dad and I always look forward to at Epcot.

3) Do not miss Fantasmic at MGM!! It is amazing, but it does get incredibly crowded and to get good seats you have to get there a couple hours before it starts. To avoid the crowds, the long waiting time, and for easy access to leave at the end what my family does is wait until right before it starts to go in (but not too late, perhaps go in, but hang around the restrooms or something, otherwise the ushers will make you sit down somewhere) and then as it starts there is an area where you can stand. The ushers usually like to make people find seats, but once the show starts they generally don't do anything as long as you're in the designated standing areas. You'll still be able to see the show, probably better than those sitting down around the sides or in the last rows, and you avoid all the annoyances that can come with the show. It took my family a few years to figure this out, but it's become somewhat of a tradition with us now :)

4) The first thing to do at MGM is get fast passes for either Rockin' Rollercoaster or Tower of Terror. Those are the rides that have the longest lines and it is pretty easy to swerve to the right to pick up some passes before you explore the rest of the park.

5) Plan your days beforehand!! You will be able to use your time much more efficiently if you remember that the World Showcase stays open 2 hours later than Future World at Epcot etc, etc...

6) If you are thinking of going to any of the water parks, but aren't sure which one to go to make sure you visit Blizzard Beach! In my opinion it is far superior to Typhoon Lagoon, though both parks are quite fun and different from one another.

7) If you aren't a fan of parades, or would simply rather go on rides than watch a parade, this is the time to ride the Fantasyland rides at the Magic Kingdom!! Particularly the more popular ones: Snow White, Winnie The Pooh, Peter Pan...because these rides are very family based and the families with young children are the main audience during the parades it is ideal to go on these rides during this time. Another time to go on these is later at night, close to the park closing time since a lot of the younger children families will have left by that point in the day. Otherwise the wait is usually at least an hour upwards.

***To emphasize some of the tips already posted, use the FastPasses like crazy, skip Beauty and the Beast, and do not ride Mission: Space if you have the tendency to experience motion sickness.

Wow this turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would, but oh well. If I think of anything else I'll be sure to post more. If you have any questions feel free to PM me and I leave you with this fabulous site: http://www.wdwmagic.com/
It's filled with so much information, the posters are very friendly and I always spend time checking it out before my trip.

I hope you have a fantastic time! :)

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 1/12/06 at 11:15pm

"Also the fish and chips at the UK pavillian are amazing"

Hell YEAH, they are! I forgot to add that. They are amazing.


Here's another site. It's really cool.

[neocomposer]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 2:23am

*random* when i was in high school we did one of those choir competitions and got first place and the awards thing was at the indiana jones theatre and i was sitting on the floor which equals the stage, anyway one of the spikes came up out of the ground. it was really odd and scarey!

but YAY FOR DISNEY! even though they own the world and have taken over most of it...

[theatreboi11]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 2:33am

Definatly see Fantasmic!

[Kellie]

Posted: 1/13/06 at 11:30am

Yeah, and if you're scared of going on the Rock 'n Roller Coaster thing - I thought I was gonna die, but it's so comfortable and cool.. just ride it :)!
(and if you've never had the guts to go on a rollercoaster with loops in it: do NOT pick the Indiana Jones one to devirginise you. Do you have that in Disneyworld? It goes backwards all the way and leaves about six times as much of a headache as Space Mountain did.. and that says something)
Updated On: 1/13/06 at 11:30 AM