Cool, overlooked things to do at WDW????

[pennylynn]

At the Animal Kingdom when you get to Africa there is a big restaurant on the left hand side (I don't remember the name of it). When you get your food go out to the patio in the back and if it's not to noisy you can hear "people" upstairs, gossiping and doing dishes. Sometimes you'll hear dishes breaking. It's also just a neat place to relax because not many people go out there.

 

[KristineN]

Here is some info:

Kids are people too: Young guests can don a chef's jacket and toque for a quick culinary lesson in the free Junior Chef Program at Epcot and many of the Walt Disney World restaurants. Chefs assist kids in tossing a salad for their family, for instance, or decorating their own desserts. To participate, just ask a server at any sit-down eatery.


Walt Disney World Junior Chefs
Youngsters get a taste of what it�s like behind the scenes in the Walt Disney World Junior Chef Program. In both quick-service and full-service eateries, young guests are randomly selected every day to don a toque and white jacket and help decorate a cake or cookies, or toss a salad for their own family�s meal. Though the children are not permitted in the kitchens, the chefs give them a quick and fun culinary lesson, with guests often gathered round to watch.

For instance, at Boma-Flavors of Africa restaurant at Disney�s Animal Kingdom Lodge, cultural representatives from Africa select children to participate. A Boma chef comes to the table and escorts the child to the restaurant�s on-stage bakery to make a dessert to share with their family. Each participant gets a photo and a certificate signed by the chef.


Junior Chef
The Toll House Story
Great opportunity for kids 6-11 to join in the fun as they spend time mixing, baking and becoming Junior Chefs as they make a batch of toll house cookies from scratch. Last 20-25 minutes, offered 5 times daily, limited to 20 kids and they get to keep a chefs hat.

Kristine

 

[Pigletlover]

Have a look at this thread and the various links it contains:


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1011508

 

[windan]

Some of you may have done this-- but i was reading on another thread about doing the morning "rope drop" at MK.....sounds fun...if you like to wake up early.....

and then there is "waking up tinkerbell in the morning" at the MK....this is an answer i got when i asked what it was .....

To wake tinkerbelle you need to be the first person to the store "tinkerbelles treasures" and to then be the first to ask to wake tink up. Theres a ceremony done and then you can see tink "flying" in the store for the rest of the day. Im afraid i have never done this so i cant tell you exactly what happens though

COOL!

The CM gives your DC a wand to use to wake up Tink and after Tink comes out your DC gets a certificate to mark the occasion. It's really special

 

[OttawaWendy]

Well obviously these aren't overlooked in summer, but very few people seem to remember they exist in winter. You can do whatever you want (no lines at all) and be the only ones with the sharks (and take a very long time) and the water is heated and relaxing.

 

[goofy's friends]

There is a square dance in the street in Frontierland in the afternoons. This may be on the "time sheet"; I'm not sure because I haven't glanced at one in a while. In this square dance, characters (several country bears, Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, maybe others) and CMs interact with the crowd. My kids got to dance with the characters and they had a blast.

Are they still doing this? Last time we were there, we looked for it and never saw it. It was very fun, but it seems that they are reducing the character interaction everywhere.

 

[eleanor]

Riding in the front of the monorail is fun for kids. Just ask , you might have to wait a turn.

 

[miller2470]

Hi to all of the just "subscribers"

just a bit of help-- you can go to the top of the thread screen--go to THREAD TOOLS-- and you can just click on subscribe right there!

Cool Beans!!! Thanks,
i never knew you could do that!

 

[jann1033]

we like to tour the resorts and the boat from DTD to POR was a nice relaxing way to get there..( not a secret by maybe overlooked) and not to be aparty pooper but i printed out the whole secrets thread before we went and took it along ( coded for park , land, talk about anal...)and at least 1/2 are either no longer there or i just couldn't find them!

 

[Elysiannn]

I love taking the boats between MGM and Epcot as a way to relax, take a break because it is a known fact you can get there quicker by car or even walking.

There are some Captains who are great putting on a show. There are two lady Captains (sorry I didn't get their names) and then the Birdman - a Captain for years now training the birds at the docks tricks. It makes for a delightful ride.

So take a mini cruise is my cool idea. Ely

 

[Mom to a Princess]

One of my personal favorites is if you have kids be at the rope drop for toontown (a hour after the rest of the park opens). If you are in front by the rope the characters will come up to greet you. Each Chraracter will take a child by hand and walk them through Minnie's house and back to the greeting area. This is just one of those things that makes Disney magical.


Last year DD and I were there and did not know about this all of a sudden after the rope dropped Donald Duck grabed my dds hand and took off with her. She loved it. I have some great photos of the two of them walking and you can see in the picutres that dd is talking Donalds ear off. For the rest of the day every time we saw that same donald he got very excited and "talked" with her about thier morning walk!

 

[Tricialiv]

While waiting for the parade in Fantasyland A CM asked for volunteers. They had stick ponies and had a race down the parade route. All the children received FP's. It passed the time and the kids had a blast!

 

[Pigletlover]

I love taking the boats between MGM and Epcot as a way to relax, take a break because it is a known fact you can get there quicker by car or even walking.

There are some Captains who are great putting on a show. There are two lady Captains (sorry I didn't get their names) and then the Birdman - a Captain for years now training the birds at the docks tricks. It makes for a delightful ride.

So take a mini cruise is my cool idea. Ely

Could you please explain about the birds on the docks? Are they parrots that Disney put there, or are you referring to wild birds that hang around?

 

[Equidae]

Are they still doing this? Last time we were there, we looked for it and never saw it. It was very fun, but it seems that they are reducing the character interaction everywhere.

Yup! They still are! We saw it last month.

 

[dimoe]

I love reading the ideas. My daughter did the cookie baking last time which was our first time there. THis Dec we will be sure to try the chef thing .
thanks for all the great tips
Diane

 

[ajcolorado]

We were looking forward to the Morocco tour on our trip to Epcot in Jan. but they said that they were no longer doing those - maybe it'll be offered again during the busier season.

My favorite thing is to go to the Fort Wilderness Campground for the sing-along with Chip & Dale (free) and the movie on the outdoor amphitheater screen. We got there too late in the day to see the petting zoo. We ate at the Trail's End Buffeteria just before and that was a nice, non-stressful family dinner. We bought the S'mores kit (about $5) to use with the campfire - it was great....even when the sky opened up and we were soaked to the skin! You can get the movie schedule for the month on the disboard camping forum - it is one of the stickies at the top of the forum.

My husband and I just rented a Kayak at POR - very reasonably priced, about $7 for 1/2 hour. We got a little wet but had a wonderful paddling down to POFQ and back.

Friends went to hear the storyteller by the firepit at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and loved it. I also want to hear the storytellers at the Outpost in Epcot next time we're there.

D'Vine is way cool in AK. She is a lady on stilts who looks like a leafy vine, many people don't realize she isn't until she moves.

 

[maddhatir]

D'Vine is way cool in AK. She is a lady on stilts who looks like a leafy vine, many people don't realize she isn't until she moves.

OMG!!! How creepy is she!!! she scared the cr** out of me the last time i was there. it is just creepy in a cool kinda way!---

and-- how beautiful is she??! did you notice-- i was saying it to my husband and all he wanted to know is how she walked so well on the stilts!!! It least i KNOW where his mind is!

 

[a |PiX!e |)uSt]

Could you please explain about the birds on the docks? Are they parrots that Disney put there, or are you referring to wild birds that hang around?

ive seen this! its really pretty neat but the birds arent huge or anything and they aren't parrots i guess you could call them wild they are some little brown birds and he has taught them all kinds of tricks and shows the guests really neat!

 

[twalton]

We love hanging out in Adventureland and watching the camel at the Alladdin ride "spit" on unsuspecting folks walking by. It's a riot!!

 

[Boater]

If you have an early tee time at Magnolia, you could be selected to place the pin on the 18th green for the day.

Do you just carry it on you cart for the round and place it at the end of your round?