Essential Orlando Experiences

[SimonV]

Susan and I have been challenging each other with a list of our Top 10 (or more!) essential experiences when you visit Orlando. Our list looks something like this:

IllumiNations
Wishes
Fantasmic
Soarin'
Character Meal (Chef Mickey's is our favourite)
La Nouba
Boggy Creek Airboats
Dinner Show
Orlando Premium Outlets (or just shopping in general!)
Amazing Adventures of Spider-man
Shrek 4-D

What would YOU put in a Top 10 (or 11 ) of the must-do things??

 

[tartangirl]

Difficult

I'll go with (in no particular order):

Stepping out the airport to be hit by the heat
Soarin'
Rock'n'Roller Coaster
Fantasmic (including the build up)
The Hulk
Spiderman
M.I.B.
Feeding the Dolphins at Seaworld
Kennedy IMAX films
Shopping (premium outlets or Florida Mall)

 

[Pootle]

An interesting question. In just 2 weeks' time, I'll be in Orlando with friends who've never been before so I've given lots of thought to the 'they must see/do this. Although I've done everything on your list myself, my list for them has only the top 3 in common

Illuminations
Wishes
Soarin'
A Parade
Jellyrolls
Splash Mountain
PhilharMagic
Dinner at Le Cellier and California Grill
Boat ride from Old Key West to Downtown Disney
The town of Celebration - *so* Desperate Housewives!

So, we're older and it shows

DH is the only one amongst us who would enjoy anything more adventurous. Our friends have only just seen the touring Cirque production in London (they loved it) and so La Nouba not on my list.

Can't wait to see what they make of it

 

[Claire L]

Hmmm difficult one but will have a go -

Illuminations
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Soarin'
ToT
Shopping in general
Boma's for brekkie
Discovery Cove
The Hulk
Kraken
The Mummy
Oh and if I can have one more, a visit to Celebration

Claire

 

[maggs]

Illuminations
Fantasmic
Islands of Adventure
1900 Park Fare
Akershus
Tower of Terror (as many times as possible)
The Lion King show
Manatees experience
Sea World
Premium Outlets

Maggs

 

[cazzie]

In no particular order

Wishes
Illuminations
Sea World
Fantasmic
Shopping Outlets
Mickeys Philharmagic
Shrek 4d
Soarin
Splash Mountain
Water Parks (either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon they are both equal)

 

[Red-Snapper]

Hmm... made me think.

No particular order

Arriving - heat/air con smell
Winter Park
Cheesecake Factory
Flying Fish
Great Movie Ride
Splash Mountain
Fantasmic
Watching fireworks from hotel balcony
La Nouba
Spiderman
Picnic/day out on Longboat Key

 

[Cyrano]

Please keep them coming as this is brilliant for those of us who have never been, but want to know what not to miss

 

[Merylj]

Ooh I love these questions - in no particular order -
Soarin`
TOT
Le Cellier
Philharmagic
The Mummy
Beaches and cream
Port orleans riverside
The lobby at AKL
Main St USA
Typhoon Lagoon

 

[wicket2005]

The Kraken
Splash Mountain
Wishes
Rock n Rollercoaster
Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Boat Rapids
Shrek 4D
The Mummy
Duelling Dragons
Spiderman
Anteater at Animal Kingdom - the world's most weirdness animal.

No particular order.

 

[Scottish-Helen]

Here's mine...

TOT (even though I am more scared each time I go on)
Spiderman
Men In Black
Splash Mountain
Rock N Rollercoaster
Illuminations
Hulk
La Nouba
Mickeys Philharmagic
Test Track

The great thing is there is so much that i haven't done at Disney which we are doing on our next trip so I'm expecting this list to change completely. We have never eaten in the Disney restaurants, never seen Wishes, not yet tried Soarin or Expedition Everest and we are doing the Segway tour and Illuminations cruise

 

[disneyholic family]

Splash Mountain
Tower of Terror
Rock N Roller Coaster
Wishes
Crush N Gusher
Guided Fishing Excursion (on Bay Lake/Seven Seas Lagoon)
Segway Around the World Tour
Bicycling from Wilderness Lodge to Fort Wilderness
Soarin
50's Prime Time Cafe


And of course there are a number of things that used to be essential, but Disney took them away from us: Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan Rocks, Diamond Horseshoe Review, and the Melvin the Moose Breakfast, to name just a few.

Just coming back to give an honorable mention to riding at the Tri-Circle D ranch. It would be on the main list, but it's been so hot these past few summers that we just couldn't bring ourselves to ride.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Shrek 4D
Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster - Joshua's face is just priceless
Joshua playing in the pool
Amazing adventures of Spiderman
Old Town on a saturday night
Popeye's Barges water ride
The Outback steakhouse and an ice cold beer at the bar
Walking down Main Street USA
Shopping at M&M and Florida Mall.
Clearwater Beach

 

[susieh]

A completely different list from me

Typhoon Lagoon
Blizzard Beach
Arriving - feeling that Florida heat!
Boat ride from OKW to DTD
Ming Court (Chinese restaurant on I Drive)
Carousel of Progress
Splash Mountain
Fireworks at MK
Sea World Dolphins
Le Cellier

 

[gilld]

Wishes
Spectromagic
Fantasmic
Illuminations
Soarin'
Test track
It's a Small World - it has to be done
Festival of the Lion King
An ice cream from Main Street
A whole loop of the Monorail and a Journey to Epcot on it.

 

[disneyholic family]

A whole loop of the Monorail and a Journey to Epcot on it.

I'll have to make mine 11 then. I forgot the monorail loop and monorail trip to epcot.

 

[Graeme]

Dudley Do-Right's ripsaw falls X 8
Wendy's quarter pounder with cheese (biggie sized)
Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream

 

[jockey]

In no particular order

Staying at GF
Chef Mickeys
Test track
Discovery cove
Fantasmic
Illuminations
Parades - all of them
POTC
Kilmanjaro Safari
Rain Forest cafe

 

[kellyglv]

In no particular order:



Entering Main Street USA
Race Rock for dinner
A character breakfast
Spectromagic
Shopping at Downtown Disney (in fact all shoppng)
The Kraken
The Festival of the Lion King
Dippin Dots ice cream at Typhoon Lagoon
Splash Mountain
Beetlejuice

Could have had another ten at least!!

 

[mushumadness]

1, shopping
2, rockin rollar coaster
3, the hulk
4, crystal palace character breakfast
5, wishes
6, illuminations
7, cirque do soleil
8, haunted mansion
9, test track
10 soarin