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The Best of Walt Disney World |
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Wednesday, 10 November 2004 |
So you’re headed to Walt Disney World ... but where to start? Disney offers
such a wealth of fantastic resorts, restaurants, and top-drawer entertainment
experiences it can be difficult to choose which fantasy you wish to indulge. How
best can you plan a visit in which each day comes with the finest Disney has to
offer? Here are a few tips that can make the difference between a mediocre trip
and a fantastic one:
Best Time of Year for a Disney Vacation
If at all possible plan a trip to Disney during the slower seasons of the year
when you’ll find half-filled parks, little waiting in line, and lower hotel
rates. If you can stand the guilt and your children are good students, take them
out of school, whatever, to avoid the busiest times of the year. If not, the
summer months or holidays are certainly better than nothing and, with a bit of
planning and a lot of energy, can be more than enjoyable. These are the least
busy times of the year: the second week of January through the first week of
February (avoiding the Martin Luther King holiday weekend in January); the third
week of August until the beginning of October; the month of November excluding
Thanksgiving weekend; the week after Thanksgiving until the week of Christmas, a
special time when the parks and resorts are festively decorated for the
holidays.
Best Deluxe Resort
Disney’s flagship resort, The Grand Floridian, with its red-gabled roofs and
Victorian elegance, draws inspiration from the grand Florida seaside “palace
hotels” of 19th-century America’s Gilded Age. Just a short monorail ride to the
Magic Kingdom, it spreads along the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon, offering
spectacular views of Cinderella’s Castle and the Wishes fireworks display.
Best Home Away From Home Property
Disney’s Home Away From Home Resorts are a great choice for those who want a
vacation with all the amenities including a full kitchen, living room, and a
bath for each bedroom. For outstanding atmosphere choose the Villas at
Wilderness Lodge with its Bay Lake location and national park character or the
new Beach Club Villas conveniently located next-door to Epcot’s International
Gateway.
Best Resort For Access to the Parks
Disney’s Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian Resorts offer monorail
access to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the Ticket & Transportation Center.
Best Resort For Nature Lovers
Wilderness Lodge is Disney’s dramatic depiction of an early 1900s national park
resort. In its awesome eight-story lobby are walls of ponderosa pine logs, a
massive 82-foot tall fireplace, and two authentic 55-foot Pacific Northwest
totem poles. Outside is a breathtaking scene of sparkling waterfalls, rushing
creeks, towering pines, and Disney’s very own geyser. And it’s all only a boat
ride away from the Magic Kingdom.
Best Resort Pool
Stormalong Bay, the eye-popping free form, mini-water park complex at Disney’s
Yacht and Beach Club, is simply divine. Three acres of winding, watery delight,
it offers sandy bottom pools, a giant “shipwreck” water slide, a tidal
whirlpool, bubbling hot tubs, a kiddie pool with its own slide next to the
beach, and enough waterway to float lazily in inner tubes to your heart’s
content.
Best Resort Lounge
California Grill Lounge on the 15th floor at Disney’s Contemporary Resort offers
unrivaled views of the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas Lagoon along with
cocktails, sushi, and a view of the Wishes fireworks display.
Best Disney Attractions For Thrill Seekers
For a shot of adrenaline head to Disney-MGM Studios, where thrill junkies
beeline it to the Tower of Terror for a 13-story bungee-style plummet. Next-door
is the
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster that rockets from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds
then loops
and corkscrews in the dark through a Hollywood night. It’s a scream come true!
Best Way to Spend an Evening Without the Kids
If you’re a registered guest of a Disney resort, drop off the kids at one of
their child care centers for around $10 an hour per child where they are given
dinner along with classic Disney movies, arts and crafts, and video games. If
your child is under 4 or not potty trained, call Kid’s Nite Out at 407-827-5444
for in-room childcare. Then head to one of Disney’s world-class restaurants. For
fine dining in a stunning setting combined with virtually flawless service
choose Victoria and Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Here you’ll
dine on white linen covered tables set with Royal Doulton china and crystal wine
glasses to the strains of enchanting harp music.
Best Way to Spend an Evening Away From the Parks
The addition of the West Side and Pleasure Island to Disney Marketplace created
what is now known as the wildly successful Downtown Disney, a combination of
over 70 scene-setting restaurants, shops, and nightclubs. During the day it’s a
perfect getaway from the parks, but at night after the parks close, Downtown
Disney comes alive. At Disney Marketplace you’ll find A-plus shopping, the
largest Disney Store in the world, and the volcano-smoking Rainforest Cafe.
Pleasure Island is a nighttime mecca with 8 clubs and a nightly New Year’s Eve
celebration. And then there’s the West Side, loaded with dining and
entertainment venues including Wolfgang Puck Cafe, House of Blues, Gloria
Estefan’s Bongos, Cirque du Soleil, and Disney Quest.
Best Restaurant For Kids
Dine among crashing waterfalls, lush tropical foliage, and dripping vines while
being bombarded with thunderstorms and noisy Audio-Animatronic wildlife at the
Rainforest Cafe. Or head to the Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney’s Wilderness
Lodge for an all-you-care-to-eat blow-out of rib-stickin’ barbecue served piping
hot in iron skillets accompanied by plenty of hootin’ and hollerin’. Kids love
the crazy show put on by the hobby horse-racing waiters outfitted in western
attire who can’t resist making a huge production out of serving food, birthday
celebrations, and those unfortunate enough to leave for the restroom.
Best Disney Resort Restaurant
The California Grill on the 15th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort is a
definite highlight for any connoisseur of cutting-edge cuisine. The immense
windows present an unbeatable panorama of the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas
Lagoon and on many nights picture-perfect views of the Wishes fireworks show.
From pristinely fresh sushi to the exceptional New American Cuisine to
sensational desserts and the outstanding California wine list, this place has it
all.
Best Theme Park Restaurant
In Epcot’s France Pavilion is Bistro de Paris, a charming Belle Époque dining
room with an air of exclusivity. Filled with gilded mirrors and crimson
banquettes, its billowy white drapes frame windows that overlook the World
Showcase Lagoon. Servers with delicious French accents roll out sensational
dishes prepared with only the freshest ingredients. Afterward order a dessert of
crepes prepared and flamed at your table while lingering over cordials and
coffee in anticipation of the nightly Illuminations spectacle.
Best Way to View the Epcot Fireworks Presentation
Each evening boatloads of visitors depart from the docks of Disney’s Boardwalk
Inn and Disney’s Yacht Club headed for Epcot where, from a prime position under
the bridge between the United Kingdom and France, is a view of the Illuminations
fireworks spectacular that can’t be beat. Cruises are offered nightly with your
choice of either a pontoon boat seating 10 or a beautiful reproduction of a
1930s Chris Craft accommodating 6-7 people. Although reservations can be made up
to 90 days in advance, they sometimes sell out on the first day. Call
407-WDW-PLAY.
Best Way to Spend a Lazy Afternoon
When your muscles are aching and your body is screaming for rest after days at
the parks, sooth your jangled nerves at Disney’s Grand Floridian Spa. Immerse
yourself in luxury with one or two feel-good treatments guaranteed to rejuvenate
and swiftly get you back on your feet and ready for another long day of walking.
For the ultimate in romance consider the Grand Romantic Evening where, in a
candle-lit couple’s room, each person receives an aromatherapy massage.
Most importantly slow down and enjoy the magic. Resist the urge to see
everything at breakneck speed. You can’t possibly cover it all, so think of this
as your first trip to Disney, not your last. There will be time to pick up all
the things you missed on the next go-round. Be spontaneous. If something catches
your eye, even if it’s not on your daily list of things to do, stop and explore
or else you may miss something wonderful.
About the Author
Cara Goldsbury is the author of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World: How to
Get the Most Out of the Best Disney Has to Offer available at 800-247-6553,
www.luxurydisneyguide.com, Amazon.com, or your local bookstore. Visit her at
www.luxurydisneyguide.com.
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