Disney Must see/do list--help a 1st timer

[golfgal]

Now I realize this will be different for everyone, but what tops your list for things you must do or see in Disney? I have been to the Official Disney site and making a list of favorites, but knowing next to nothing about what there is to do/see there I was hoping for some extra help. DH and I spent one day in Epcot several years ago, but we have never been to MK or the other parks and the kids have never been anywhere close to Florida.

The only thing I have on the "must" do list so far is PS at Teppanyaki/Japan and Illumintions at Epcot and a Character Breakfast somewhere (most likely AKL since that is where we are staying). The traveling party includes DH39, Me39, DS12 and twins DD/DS10. Thanks!

 

[Gary M]

Golfgal, welcome to the DIS boards. The best suggestion I can give is to get to the parks when they first open and go to the most popular attractions first. The crowds usually will pick-up about 2 hours after the opening. Use fast-pass when you can. We all have our favorite attractions and I'm sure others will give you suggestions.

Check www.mousesavers.com to make sure you have any room discounts that may be available for your trip.

Go to http://www.allearsnet.com/din/dining.htm to see WDW restaurant menus.

 

[picantel]

Epcot area: We love test track and of course the world showcase. Le Cellier for lunch is my favorite restaurant but do not forget beaches n cream at the yacht/beach club area. Mission Space made both my wife and I queezy for the rest of the day and I lost my appetite. My parents also had the same reaction. My kids(4,6) also loved figment.

MK area: My kids favorite character breakfast is chef mickeys. If you want a fairly cheap lunch you can try trails end buffeteria(take boat from mk) at the FW campground. They have really good chilli. We all love caseys for hotdogs in MK. For lunch I also recommend Konas at the poly as it makes a nice little getaway from the crowds. Our family of 4 eats for around $45. For dinner my kids love whispering canyon at the wilderness lodge but don't go if you do not like meat and want a quiet meal. Your kids are a little older but mine love buzz lightyear, the racing cars as they put it, and peter pan. Do not miss philharmagic. Yours will probably love space mountain, big thunder moutain, and splash mountain. I would also take in the pirates ride and jungle cruise(classics). If you need a break from the crowds or heat/cold go try the tiki birds.

AKL area:Nobody in my family really likes AKL. That is not to say it is not nice because it is and they have nice shows but we just love the other 3 parks much much better. We generally go as early as possible and catch the safari, bugs life, and lion king show and then get out. The rainforest cafe is nice but the food is expensive and kinda bland. They do, however, allow us to use childs vkls for the adult menu so how can you beat spending $11 for about $70 worth of food.

MGM: My kids love playhouse disney although yours are a bit too old. However, I love to see the smile on children's faces as they watch it so if you like seeing very happy young children go catch a show. The Little mermaid show is good but do not sit too close- it is hard to see and you get wet. The Indy show is so-so but once again my kids loved it. Of course tower of terror and rock n rollercoast are not to be missed. Both are alot of fun. My 6 year old stopped crying on his second try.

 

[robinb]

Your question is so hard to answer!

I would suggest that you buy a good WDW travel guide for your first time. A lot of people like the Passporter guide (http://www.passporter.com/). It came out after I went to WDW for the first time. I used The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=lpr_g_1/102-2324411-0115314?v=glance&s=books). Both guides are very good and will help you determine which attractions are the best for your family. If you're very comfortable online, I would also recommend Tour Guide Mike's website (http://www.tourguidemike.com/) ... even I learned something from Mike!

 

[dgaston]

We like Donald's Breakfastosaurus in AK. Boma has a great breakfast, but it's without characters. I think the food at Donald's is excellent, and we've had great character interaction. DH (Don) always wears a Donald shirt and that gets things going!

 

[hockey mom]

Our hit list with kids close to your is age-
Character breakfast- Chef Mickey's

MK- all 3 mountains(space, splash, big thunder), Mickey's philarmagic, pirates of the caribbean, and jungle cruise.

AK- It's tough to be a bug, Festival of the lion king, and dinosaur.

MGM- Fantasmic, Tower of terror, and rock"n" roller coaster.

Epcot- Test track, Honey I shrunk the audience, and mission space.

 

[ciera321]

I would not miss Wishes at MK. We love those fireworks!! Very magical.... We just got home on Tuesday and we saw them 4 times.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

First off we are a couple in our early 40's and we don't have kids but here go our favorites:

Magic Kingdom: Must sees would be : 1. Splash Mountain
2. Mickey's philharmagic
3. Peter Pan's Flight
4. Thunder Mountain
5. Haunted Mansion
My Husband's favorites were some of the same as well as Buzz lightyear. ( you know... boys with little lazer guns and all )

We LOVE WISHES. This is a must do !!!!!!! We thought we had a good place to stand over by Tomorrow land.
We also loved Specto Magic Parade and the afternoon parade.

FOOD in MK: Pecos Bill- Very good counter Service- always room to sit down.
Crystal Palace- We loved this Character meal. We thought the
food was good and that the Characters had
good interaction. (dinner)
These are the only two we have tried here in years.


Epcot: We LOVE world showcase and there are some fun things there for kids also. Future world did not hold too much interest for us but there are some things there we like.
Food in Epcot: We enjoy eating different things from the different countries.
Illuminations is also wonderful

MGM: Must sees for me would be: 1.Indiana Jones
2.Muppets 3-D
3.Little Mermaid
Now, we did not try Rock n roller coaster and i have not been on Tower in years. I have not seen Beauty and the beast but can not wait to see it in April when we go back.

Food In MGM- Prime Time and Sci Fi ( only if you get a burger or a sandwich. We LOVE the burgers here. I would not get anything else here... not so good.

Loved Loved Loved Fantasmic. Get there an hour early and eat counter service while you wait. OR get the Fantasmic package!

Animal Kingdom- Love the safari,Tough to be a bug and the trails.
Festival of the Lion king is so wonderful.

Food at AK- we have only tried Flame Tree but we REALLY liked it.


Food in the resorts etc...- Boma- So yummy!!!
Chef Mickey's- Food is so so. but you have to
do it at least once!Good Character interaction

These are some things that we really liked. Hope it is a little helpful. Also I would really suggest reading these posts and getting lots of ideas from everyone. This really helped us since it had been years since my last visit.
PLAN PLAN PLAN... This will really help you to have a good trip. I have quite a few guide books and they are very helpful but this site will give you THE BEST advice and tips. Good Luck and have a great trip!

 

[crisi]

Get a guidebook and look over what seems to appeal. We like the Passporter.

Thrill ride Disney: (Disney is NOT Six Flags, but these are good thrill rides):

MK: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain
Epcot: Test Track, Mission:Space
MGM: Rock N Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror
AK: Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Kali River Rapids
Both waterparks have great waterslides.

Educational Disney:

MK: Hall of Presidents
Epcot: Darn Near Everything
MGM: Studio Tour, Animation Tour
AK: Safari, Trails, Rafiki Planet Watch
Swimming with the sharks at Typhoon Lagoon

Traditional Disney:

MK: Most of it - but Jungle Cruise, Pirarates of the Carribean and Haunted Mansion stand out Small World Peter Pans Flight and Mickey's Tent are honorable mentions. Some of these are a little hokey nowadays.

The other parks are less tradional

Magical Disney (my not to be missed list, though I've missed these in the past and had a lovely time):

MK: Mickey's Philharmagic, Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear, Spectromagic
Epcot: Mission Space, Journey Into Imagination, Maelstrom. American Adventure. Illuminations
MGM: Fantasmic, Star Tours (but I'm a geek), Great Movie Ride, Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular
AK: Safari, Festival of the Lion King

Shopping Disney:

MK: Mainstreet
Epcot: World Showcase

Eating Disney:

Epcot World Showcase
Hotel restaurants

 

[Crazy Kanga]

Get a guidebook and look over what seems to appeal. We like the Passporter.

Thrill ride Disney: (Disney is NOT Six Flags, but these are good thrill rides):

MK: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain
Epcot: Test Track, Mission:Space
MGM: Rock N Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror
AK: Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Kali River Rapids
Both waterparks have great waterslides.

Educational Disney:

MK: Hall of Presidents
Epcot: Darn Near Everything
MGM: Studio Tour, Animation Tour
AK: Safari, Trails, Rafiki Planet Watch
Swimming with the sharks at Typhoon Lagoon

Traditional Disney:

MK: Most of it - but Jungle Cruise, Pirarates of the Carribean and Haunted Mansion stand out Small World Peter Pans Flight and Mickey's Tent are honorable mentions. Some of these are a little hokey nowadays.

The other parks are less tradional

Magical Disney (my not to be missed list, though I've missed these in the past and had a lovely time):

MK: Mickey's Philharmagic, Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear, Spectromagic
Epcot: Mission Space, Journey Into Imagination, Maelstrom. American Adventure. Illuminations
MGM: Fantasmic, Star Tours (but I'm a geek), Great Movie Ride, Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular
AK: Safari, Festival of the Lion King

Shopping Disney:

MK: Mainstreet
Epcot: World Showcase

Eating Disney:

Epcot World Showcase
Hotel restaurants

I agree with all of the above, but you left off Spaceship Earth at Epcot!

 

[karensi]

golfgal,you mention you are staying at AKL, as far as I know, AKL does not have any character meals. If I am wrong I would like to know as we will be staying there in Feb., and would definately do a character meal there if it was available. AKL does have 2 good restaurants, Boma and Jiko's. Jiko's is very nice, a very good wine list and a very nice table service restaurant. Boma is also nice, but not quite as nice as Jiko's. I believe Boma is buffet style (not 100 % sure though). Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary Hotel is a big favorite for a character meal. You can meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Chip ,Dale and(I think)Pluto. CM's is usually the first meal we have once we arrive, that way the kids get to see the characters before going to the parks. If the kids are going to bring autograph books, try to get them the fat pens, I've heard that the characters prefer them, as they are easier to use. When are you going? We will be there Feb 5th through Feb 12th. Karen

 

[golfgal]

These are great-just what I was looking for. It looks like Chef Mickey's is one place we need to go. I will have to get PS's for that. As far as I can tell, AKL has a character breakfast in the dinosaur rest (I know there is another name for it but I can't remember it). I think I would rather get several character's in one place then have to worry about standing in line. I don't think the boys will be all that interested in the characters, but DD has already said she wants autographs. I think a multi-character breakfast would satisfy her. Keep the suggestions coming!! Thanks!

 

[MrsJ Henry]

The restaurant you are talking about "restaurantosaurus" is in Animal Kingdom PARK. not the resort. The only places to eat in the lodge are Boma's, jiko, and counter service Mara's. All are excellent!!!!! We loved AKL!!

 

[golfgal]

Thanks for the info on the breakfast being in the park, not the Lodge. I think we will do Chef Mickey then.

Question about Mission Space. This sounds like a great ride, but how bad is it for motion sickness? I get queezy in Imax theaters, so I don't do a lot of rides and we have one DS that gets car sick easily. I am guessing this ride is out for us, right.

 

[crisi]

You are right, I forgot Spaceship Earth! And probably some others.

M:S was closed down so they could install holders for barf bags. It is not a good ride for those prone to motion sickness. However, it may be the best total experience Disney offers. So have the family that isn't prone to sickness go while you and DS enjoy the exit area - which has lots of neat stuff to look at and do.

Some people LOVE Chef Mickey's, others aren't so fond of it. We always do the breakfast at Ohana (Mickey, Goofy, Pluto, Chip & Dale) before going to the MK for the day - we love spending a few hours at the Poly. Another good idea is doing dinner at Garden Grill (Epcot) or Liberty Tree Tavern (MK) on a park day. There are lots of character meals, pick one that fits your schedule and who you want to see...

 

[dcmbshafe]

Don't know if it was mentioned, but if you have time, tour the hotels on the monorail route. A lot of times we do this our first day since it is usually a travel day and we don't want to use up a park day. We check into wherever we're staying then head over to the MK resorts. We ride around on the monorail and the boats and stroll around the hotels. Chef Mickey's is also a cool first day thing to do, really gets everyone into the mood.

 

[jaysmom4285]

re: Mission Space and motion sickness - I have to say that I can be prone to motion sickness, but I rode Mission Space with virtually no problems. It's important to do exactly as they say - keep looking straight ahead at the screen, don't try to look around, and don't close your eyes. You're given an "assignment" to push a button at a certain critical time in your "flight" - to fire thrusters or deploy a chute, or whatever. The buttons are lighted and are just slightly below eye level. I just made sure that I had located the buttons in my peripheral vision so that I wouldn't have to look down to push them. The ride was amazing - you really feel like you've been on a space flight. My only reaction to it afterwards was that I felt a bit light headed, but not at all ill, and the feeling passed quickly.

 

[AMYSER]

From a big kid
MK- Buzz Lightyear!!
Epcot- Test Track (MS- did once, never have to do again)
MGM-Fantasmic
AK-Rapids (can't remember name)

Breakfast- Kona Cafe, Polynesian, Tonga Toast!!!
Epcot- Showcase, eat or drink around the world!

Enjoy!!!

 

[eeyore0062]

My "must do" list consists of:
Magic Kingdom: Splash Mtn (weather permitting), Big Thunder, Buzz Lightyear and Haunted Mansion.
Epcot: Test Track, Maelstrom, a Strawberry Margarita in Mexico and a glass of sparkling red wine in Italy.
Disney MGM: RnR, ToT, a Beer at Toluka Turkey Legs.
Animal Kingdom: Dinosaur, and a Ruby Red Slippers at Dawa Bar and a Balsalmic Vingrette Chicken Salad at Tusker House.

Since we have moved down here, my list is shorter, because I don't have to do EVERYTHING each trip!

 

[tinkerbee]

Here are my must dos for each trip

MK: 1 Splash Mnt
2 Wishes
3 PoC
4 CoP
5 Hall of Presidents
6 Haunted Mansion
7 jungle cruise
8 Peter Pans Flight
9 Space Mnt.
10 Buzz Lightyear spin
Epcot 1 Test Track
2 Spaceship Earth
3 Mission Space

MGM 1 Fantasmic
2 Little Mermaid
3 RocknRollercoaster
4 ToT
5 Beauty and the Beast

AK 1 Kilimanjaro Safaris
2 Dinosaur
3 "Its tough to be a bug"
4 Festival of the Lion King

And we try to watch all the parades

Have a great trip!!!