Top 10 Things To Do @ WDW without Kids

[Hippychickali]

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/cgrill01182005.jpg
1. California Grill - Dine atop the Contemporary Resort with a breathtaking view. On certain evenings, the Magic Kingdom's Wishes fireworks show adds to the romance. The lights dim and the music from the show is piped into the restaurant. Request a table on the Magic Kingdom side of the room and book a priority seating for an hour beforehand.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/lanouba01182005.jpg
2. La Nouba - A 90-minute dramatic presentation provides exactly what you'd expect from Cirque du Soleil. This very odd French entertainment looks great and provides a lot of fun. Shows occur regularly from Tuesday until Saturday twice nightly at 6 and 9 PM. Tickets run in the $80 vicinity. After the show, enjoy dinner in the bustling atmosphere of Downtown Disney.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/aclub01182005.jpg
3. Adventurer's Club - Located at Pleasure Island, there is no other bar like this one. You will be greeted by a butler at the door, and ushered into a salon populated by regulars know as "The Colonel" and "Babylonia". Every turn is unpredictable and the drinks are wonderful.

4. ESPN Zone - A fun way to spend a Sunday is watching the game at the ESPN Zone at the Boardwalk Resort. The food is reportedly great - wings, beer, burgers, giant hot dogs, and amazing nachos. Tip: Arrive early as possible or else you will be standing. A booth is hard to come by at game time, so arrive a few hours early.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/canada01182005.jpg
5. Drink around the world - Visiting the World Showcase at Epcot is a great educational experience. Here we learn about the cultures around the world - how they dress, what they eat, how they live, and most importantly, how they drink. Start your adventure with a margarita in Mexico and finish with a beer in Canada. What happens at Epcot, stays at Epcot.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/bwalk01182005.jpg
6. Hang out at the Boardwalk - The 1940s themed boardwalk comes to life at night. Play a midway game, watch the buskers, grab a bite to eat or rent a surrey bike. These are bicycles built for two and they provide a fun, exciting way to see the Boardwalk at night. Tip: Take a date that's willing to help pedal. They are rather heavy contraptions.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/illum01182005.jpg
7. IllumiNations at the Rose & Crown - Epcot's nightly spectacular may be the best evening entertainment available at Walt Disney World. The trick is to find the best spot to watch. Many suggest the outdoor deck of the Rose & Crown pub in the United Kingdom. This works best with a pint of Guinness in one hand and an order of fish and chips in the other.


8. Carriage ride through Fort Wilderness - Visitors can now book a thirty minute ride in an antique carriage through the backwoods beauty surrounding Fort Wilderness. Need I say more?

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/vna01182005.jpg
9. The Chef's Table at Victoria & Alberts - If you want an extravagent experience, this is the place to go. The main dining room has only 15 tables, but those who truly want to go all out reserve the Chef's Table. As you can imagine, this is not a cheap venture running around $185 per person complete with linen, crystal, silver and a chef with a way-too-tall-chef-hat.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/wed01182005.jpg
10. Get married at the wedding pavilion - The ultimate fairytale experience is getting married at Walt Disney World. The bride and groom have the opportunity to plan everything from location to theme to wedding cake. This is expensive but memorable and can be followed up with an unforgettable honeymoon.

This post has been inspired by an article in the Boston Herald (http://theedge.bostonherald.com/travelNews/view.bg?articleid=64050). Do you have your own top 10 list?

Ali

[sapiendut]

I have my own top 10 if I go solo (maybe in November)

10. Take my dSLR and all my lenses and filters and walk around all the parks to take pictures

9. Borrow or buy a Sony HDVcam with surround microphone and walk around all the parks to take videos

8. Leave the dSLR and HDVcam and just enjoy all the parks

7. Go on BTMRR over and over and over and over and over again.

6. Go see Wishes over and over and over and over and over again.

5. Go watch Fantasmic over and over and over and over and over again

4. Drink lots of Mezzo at Ice Station Cool

3. Watch that fountain thingie right next to Ice Station Cool

2. Go somewhere and eat lobster (after all, it's Florida)

1. Play minigolf (that winter summerland thingie)

one can only dream

oh yeah, and be with Kylie Minogue at the same time.

[Hippychickali]

That's a great list! I often thought how great it would be to have so much time at WDW that you could break your days up like that. Just leisurely spend time taking photos, like you said.

Ali

[sapiendut]

Believe it or not, travelling with my kid I still haven't enjoyed Wishes... not even once.
Either I'm taping it (I have 4 different versions/angles of it) or taking pictures of it (I have another 4 different angles).

Similar thing with Spectromagic. One time taping it, another photographing it, two other times had to carry my kid over my shoulder in order for her to see the parade. Considering I have bad lower back... I can't really enjoy it. Regardless, at least I enjoy hearing my kid's oohs and aahs.

[Renate_do]

We are a couple in the 40th from Germany and are going to DLRP quite often (33 nights last year) :cool1:
There it can happen that we only walk around the park and do 1 attraction a day, meeting friends from all over Europe or just strolling around. There we have the time to do so cause we know we can do all the things the next trip.

At WDW it is different cause we cannot go as often :cool1: and at our last trip two weeks ago we were at the parks the whole day long and had a stron timetable pirate:

At the 8th day we could slow down a bit cause all of the main attractions has been done.

Our top 10 would be:

1. soaking the magic at any park
2. character meals
3. Fun at Biergarten (mention we are Germans :cool1: )
4. Fantasmic Dinner Package at the Hollywoood Brown Derby
5. guided tours
6. Illumination cruise
7. looking at each shop at least twice (and buy a lot)
8. find out the differences between the rides at DLRP and WDW
9. Mission Space
10. Hop around the hotels to find out where you want to go the next time

Greets Renate

[spiceycat]

1. definitely go visit the other WDW resorts - WL/VWL,Polyn, Cont, AKL, BC/YC/BCV, BW are all worth a visit not to mention - SSR,PO, OKW, CBR, CSR, PC, and Alst...
2. park hop - go to the MK in the morning - then Epcot in the afternoon
3. every place at WDW (except the MK) has a bar or a lounge or both - enjoy them fully!!!
4. do the tours at MK or Epcot or AK
5. take time to enjoy your resort - slow down - walk around the resort and notice the little things - WDW does it right!!!
6. the cruises are nice
7. do all the rides you want
8. do the shows you want
9. at night go to PI and have fun - or BW
10. go shopping at DD and the resorts - sometimes the resort gift shop have a sale - you can also go to the outlets stores in the area.

[Hippychickali]

I think resort hopping is a great idea. If we had time, we would definitely do that. I keep saying to my DFi that we aren't going to get everything done - there's no way. So, we should just enjoy the time we are there and realize that we can go back in the future and see the things we missed. This is easy to say but I know once I'm there I'm going to want to do it all.

Ali

[FutureAshleyDukes]

I'm excited to read that list. We're planning on doing about 7 out of the 10 on the list. We're eating at Victoria and Alberts, but not the chef's table. Getting married on our second day there, and almost everything else except drinking around the world, La Nouba (DH2B doesn't like Cirque :confused3 ), and ESPN (if he wont do Cirque, I'm not going to watch a baseball game during our honeymoon with him :rolleyes: )

Thanks for sharing the list!

Ashley

[spiceycat]

there are other dinner shows in the area that are pretty good and he might be willing to go to one of them.

they are also cheaper than Cirque du Soleil.

I didn't enjoy it that much myself. Of course the day before we went to the Arabian nights so -got a great price on the tickets like $20 each. - so paying $60 each for cirque du soleil and not getting the seats because of mother's wheelchair (which I mentioned when I ordered the tickets)....Anyway we did not like cirque du soleil and won't be back....

I might one day - but it was too expensive for what it was (my opinion) - of course I am a BIG animal lovers and that might be part of the problem....

[Hippychickali]

- of course I am a BIG animal lovers and that might be part of the problem....

:confused: What does this have to do with La Cirque?

Ali

[sapiendut]

of course I am a BIG animal lovers and that might be part of the problem....

Huh? There is animal with Cirque du Soleil? I must've fallen asleep big time during the show and while watching the DVD over and over again.

:confused3

[ncbyrne]

The only thing DH and I like to do that hasn't already been mentioned - is staking out a chair well inadvance of Wishes on the upper train station platform. A GREAT view and all the comforts of a real chair!

[Hippychickali]

The only thing DH and I like to do that hasn't already been mentioned - is staking out a chair well inadvance of Wishes on the upper train station platform. A GREAT view and all the comforts of a real chair!

Thanks for the tip Ncbyrne! My DFi and I will have to do this. How much in advance would you have to do this in July?

Ali

[SkipperBubba]

There's some useful information. We never tried teh chair at the train station for Wishes. How far in advance should you show up to stake out a chair?

We've done the patio at Rose & Crown for Illuminations and will do it again. One of the best views of the show.

We also take advantage of the Fantasmic dinner package. Last November, we showed up about 35 minutes ahead of the show and were still seated in the fifth row.

Other things that we like to do as a couple are to spend some time in the hot tubs at the WL. Great way to relax after a long day of playing theme park commando.

pirate: :drinking1

[sapiendut]

I was trying to stake out a chair but quite unfortunately, even 2 hours before Wishes started, the area was already crowded. Tried 3 times and they were always like that.

No way I'm spending more than 2 hours sitting there.

[ncbyrne]

We have never seen Wishes during the "high" season, but in the regular season we usually buy some portable food from a counter and head over to the train station about 1½ hrs ahead and have a leisure supper. We'll put stuff on two chairs and then one of us can stay behind while the other shops nearby, and then we switch. Once the platform gets completely crowded though, we stay put.

[DeDixie]

DH and I went alone last Sept for 3N (should have been 4, but had to leave early due the hurricane) and here are some of my favorites:

Sleeping In
Pleasure Island
Private Dining (DH arranged with GF)
California Grill
Breakfast @ Spoodles
Not having to please a whole family, as the Disney Planner I am always trying to make everyone happy-- it was great to just do what the two of us wanted.

[CrazyChristie416]

""5. Drink around the world - Visiting the World Showcase at Epcot is a great educational experience. Here we learn about the cultures around the world - how they dress, what they eat, how they live, and most importantly, how they drink. Start your adventure with a margarita in Mexico and finish with a beer in Canada. What happens at Epcot, stays at Epcot.""

The first time I did this was about 3 months after my 21st bday. Normally i would eat my way around the world but this was so much better. This is what I drank.

Mexico- fiesta margarita
France- wine sampler
Italy- wine sampler, lemoncello Margarita@ Alfredos
China- sweet wine
Beers from the rest of the countries, im not really a beer person, but it was interesting to try them all.

I think next time I would break it up into a couple days, rather than doing it all in one day.

I would definately reccomend it, its a lot of fun!

Crystal ::MinnieMo

[bugsy]

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/cgrill01182005.jpg
1. California Grill - Dine atop the Contemporary Resort with a breathtaking view. On certain evenings, the Magic Kingdom's Wishes fireworks show adds to the romance. The lights dim and the music from the show is piped into the restaurant. Request a table on the Magic Kingdom side of the room and book a priority seating for an hour beforehand.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/lanouba01182005.jpg
2. La Nouba - A 90-minute dramatic presentation provides exactly what you'd expect from Cirque du Soleil. This very odd French entertainment looks great and provides a lot of fun. Shows occur regularly from Tuesday until Saturday twice nightly at 6 and 9 PM. Tickets run in the $80 vicinity. After the show, enjoy dinner in the bustling atmosphere of Downtown Disney.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/aclub01182005.jpg
3. Adventurer's Club - Located at Pleasure Island, there is no other bar like this one. You will be greeted by a butler at the door, and ushered into a salon populated by regulars know as "The Colonel" and "Babylonia". Every turn is unpredictable and the drinks are wonderful.

4. ESPN Zone - A fun way to spend a Sunday is watching the game at the ESPN Zone at the Boardwalk Resort. The food is reportedly great - wings, beer, burgers, giant hot dogs, and amazing nachos. Tip: Arrive early as possible or else you will be standing. A booth is hard to come by at game time, so arrive a few hours early.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/canada01182005.jpg
5. Drink around the world - Visiting the World Showcase at Epcot is a great educational experience. Here we learn about the cultures around the world - how they dress, what they eat, how they live, and most importantly, how they drink. Start your adventure with a margarita in Mexico and finish with a beer in Canada. What happens at Epcot, stays at Epcot.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/bwalk01182005.jpg
6. Hang out at the Boardwalk - The 1940s themed boardwalk comes to life at night. Play a midway game, watch the buskers, grab a bite to eat or rent a surrey bike. These are bicycles built for two and they provide a fun, exciting way to see the Boardwalk at night. Tip: Take a date that's willing to help pedal. They are rather heavy contraptions.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/illum01182005.jpg
7. IllumiNations at the Rose & Crown - Epcot's nightly spectacular may be the best evening entertainment available at Walt Disney World. The trick is to find the best spot to watch. Many suggest the outdoor deck of the Rose & Crown pub in the United Kingdom. This works best with a pint of Guinness in one hand and an order of fish and chips in the other.


8. Carriage ride through Fort Wilderness - Visitors can now book a thirty minute ride in an antique carriage through the backwoods beauty surrounding Fort Wilderness. Need I say more?

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/vna01182005.jpg
9. The Chef's Table at Victoria & Alberts - If you want an extravagent experience, this is the place to go. The main dining room has only 15 tables, but those who truly want to go all out reserve the Chef's Table. As you can imagine, this is not a cheap venture running around $185 per person complete with linen, crystal, silver and a chef with a way-too-tall-chef-hat.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/images/travel/wed01182005.jpg
10. Get married at the wedding pavilion - The ultimate fairytale experience is getting married at Walt Disney World. The bride and groom have the opportunity to plan everything from location to theme to wedding cake. This is expensive but memorable and can be followed up with an unforgettable honeymoon.

This post has been inspired by an article in the Boston Herald (http://theedge.bostonherald.com/travelNews/view.bg?articleid=64050). Do you have your own top 10 list?

Ali
GREAT POST!!! :Pinkbounc DH and DISNEY turn (ed) the big 5-0 this year-we are going to WDW for the first time ever, and as a couple only--great ideas!
thanks!

[PURRRRRN]

I love that someone else does that!
Since my son is now grown, my husband and I always save one day at disney to be completely decadent and drink our way around the world:
but we start in england (no special drinks in canada really) with a hard cider and some fish n chips...
then a glass of wine and a sweet snack in france...
then something in morrocco (can't remember what by this point) while we giggle at the bellydancers...
ahh yes, sample different kinds of saki in japan and a maybe a plum wine too just 'cause it's yummy...
usually just a funnel cake in america no special drinks here either...
lemoncellos and more wine in italy...
beer (i don't DO schnaps) in germany...etc.
by the time we hit china we need a nap...but we soldier on...
no great drinks in norway but maelstrom is so much more fabulous by this point!
and of course, margaritas in mexico, and that cute river de tiempo ride...
and then......
usually back to england for another cider and more fish n chips (husband is british and usually homesick and sentimental by this point) while we watch the fireworks
OR - dinner at one of the great resturants, often le cellier, I love the garden and the creme brulee' --plus, it's close and i probably need to sit down bt now.)
Alot of fun,forget the calories- just be sure to eat a little bit in each country so you don't get too stupid!
ps- my grown son and his partner did it with us last time and they were a bit embarrassing...they should have stopped before norway, but no one seemed to mind...

[Mokat76]

Don't have a top 10, but here's one my two best gal pals and I just did this weekend. Make an early dinner ressie at Chefs du France (6-ish) and graze off the appetizer/salad page. We had flatbreads and soups and escargot and salads and cheeses. We were there for 2.5 hours and loved every minute of it. The food was yummy, the wine flowed and we enjoyed our reunion ever so much. And yes, we tipped our waitress well because we lived at that table for so long. Pricier than we planned, but priceless at the same time. We walked out just in time to run to the French bakery for treats, then watch Illumnations. Paradise, but not for kids (at least not the way we did it).:)

[Evil Princess]

Oh but how can you forget Jellyrolls?

[Jaymie]

[QUOTE=PURRRRRN;17261677] (no special drinks in canada really)

You should try a Bloody Ceasar in Canada next time. It's similar to a Bloody Mary but instead of tomato juice, we Canadians use Clamato juice with tabasco & worchester sauce. Then it's rimmed with celery salt. The spicier the better!!

I was wondering how Jellyrolls didn't make the list!! I love it there.

[pezheadmeg]

Can't forget the grown-up drinks with their glowey ice cubes at Sci-Fi or Primetime at MGM. One of those is always a must.

As for Drinking around the world. It's even better during Food & Wine! There's a reason I save coins all year so I can get Disney Dollars! :drinking1:dance3: :drinking1

[Leota]

Our Top Ten ~ Always During Food & Wine Fest, our Daily Routine
1.) Sleep In
2.) Drink coffee & read the paper on the balcony
3.) A Leisurely sit-down breakfast
4.) Strolling Parks without rushing. May or may not include rides.
5.) Our Mission: To Sample food & drinks from each Booth at F& W Fest
6.) Cuddle, Nap, Pool, Lounge, Movie time
7.) Dressing Up & having a Signature Dinner
8.) Strolling Boardwalk arm in arm.
9.) Wine on the balcony
10.) Censored :angel:

[newholidayx2]

1 Off Kilter
2 Off Kilter
3 Off Kilter
4 Off Kilter
5 British Invasion
6 Off Kilter
7 Off Kilter
8 MoRockin
9 Off Kilter
10 Off Kilter

[D&R love Disney]

Our top 10:

1. Get married at Disney
2. Cocktails on our balcony while watching the castle change colors.
3. Romantic meals
4. Jacuzzi in a 1 bedroom DVC
5. Cocktails in the Belle Vue Lounge at the Boardwalk
6. Adventurers Club
7. Watching Wishes from a room on the 14th floor of the Contemporary
8. Early morning watching the sunrise over Bay Lake
9. Spa visit
10. Taking your time wandering around the parks.

[HockeyKat]

Top 7:
7) Swim/hot tub late at night
6) Sleep in
5) Do whatever we want since, well, just two of us
4) Quiet romantic dinners
3) Watch harried parents with strollers and screaming children and feel happy
2) Drink around the world
1) Go back to the room during the heat of the day and enjoy a few cold drinks :drinking1 , then go back to the park w/ a wee bit more "magic" in us.

[dolcezena]

I love that someone else does that!
(no special drinks in canada really)

Gotta say if you've never tried icewine at the Canada pavilion, you're missing out! After all it is the one wine we're actually famous for! :thumbsup2 (We won't mention Baby Duck) :eek:

Anyway, hitting the Food & Wine Festival pretty much makes up my entire top 10 - with the 2 major additions of: Cirque de Soleil & convincing my DF that DW isn't just for kids & that it's HIS idea to go back! (Maybe that's 3?)

[billybaruch1]

there are other dinner shows in the area that are pretty good and he might be willing to go to one of them.

they are also cheaper than Cirque du Soleil.

I didn't enjoy it that much myself. Of course the day before we went to the Arabian nights so -got a great price on the tickets like $20 each. - so paying $60 each for cirque du soleil and not getting the seats because of mother's wheelchair (which I mentioned when I ordered the tickets)....Anyway we did not like cirque du soleil and won't be back....

I might one day - but it was too expensive for what it was (my opinion) - of course I am a BIG animal lovers and that might be part of the problem....

Could being a animal lover mean Arabian Nights (with its beautiful horses and great price) was better (more enjoyable) than cirque (with its worse seats and absence of non-human animals)? :mickeyjum I think spiceycat knows whether cirque du soleil uses animals.
-----------

I'm excited to read that list. We're planning on doing about 7 out of the 10 on the list. We're eating at Victoria and Alberts, but not the chef's table. Getting married on our second day there, and almost everything else except drinking around the world, La Nouba (DH2B doesn't like Cirque :confused3 ), and ESPN (if he wont do Cirque, I'm not going to watch a baseball game during our honeymoon with him :rolleyes: )

Thanks for sharing the list!

Ashley

Yeah, you're off to a great start: if he won't do that, I won't do this! LOL :rotfl2: :happytv:

The Pleasure Island Jazz Company used to be a top 10 favorite. The midnight countdown and the Comedy Warehouse can be fun. How about a boat ride on the Sassagoula from DTD to POR? :cool1:

[DVCajun]

[QUOTE=PURRRRRN;17261677] (no special drinks in canada really)

You should try a Bloody Ceasar in Canada next time. It's similar to a Bloody Mary but instead of tomato juice, we Canadians use Clamato juice with tabasco & worchester sauce. Then it's rimmed with celery salt. The spicier the better!!

I was wondering how Jellyrolls didn't make the list!! I love it there.

So, what do you do -- go into LeCellier and order one to go? It sounds delish!

[Ricky's Girl]

Illuminations from Rose and Crown sounds great. Any idea as to what time we should arrive? When we make the ADR should we specify we want to sit outdoors?:confused3