Little known fun things to do?!!

[JessZacc]

I was thinking of asking everyone if they would share some fun things to do, see, go to, places to eat, or collect around Disney that many may not even know about? I wanted to get some ideas for things that might not be so well known but are interesting and different?

 

[CJJenkins]

I don't think that these are "little known" but they are definitely some of the small extras that add to the Disney experience:

Beaches and Cream at the Yacht and Beach Club - Very fun icecream parlor to eat at. We have a tradition that on every trip we eat a Kitchen Sink for dinner... and get nauseated afterwards. But its Disney! The only place you can have ice cream for dinner.

Winder Summerland/Fantasia Gardens - most everyone likes mimiature golf. But Disney does minigolf on a whole other level. The courses are hightech, with automated obstacles and interactive challenges. And the theming is first rate!

Bob Jackson at Port Orleans Riverside - piano player that puts on a high energy show that is very entertaining.

Chip n Dale Campfire Singalong - campfire at Fort Wilderness where kids roast marshmallows and sing songs with CM as well as Chip and Dale!

So many more small things that you have to make time for, but make Disney special... Hope some of these help!

 

[magicbob]

Bob Jackson at Port Orleans Riverside - piano player that puts on a high energy show that is very entertaining.

Yeehaw Bob is fairly well-known here among us Dis-philes. But in the grand scheme of things, I think his show would qualify as one of the "little known" extras. And it's definitely one NOT TO MISS!!!!

 

[thestevied]

Free coke samples at Epcot! Love going there to cool off

 

[JessZacc]

Thanks for the great ideas! I didn't know bout some of those! Hopefully some more people will share, this is fun!

 

[warrior64]

Can you go to the campfire with Chip and Dale if not stayng at Ft. Wild. ?? Sounds fun, anyone have details on this?

 

[Tarffri]

I just went on an Illuminations cruise. The boats are docked at the Yacht club marina. You go on a relaxing boat ride and then park in a very advantageous spot to view the Illuminations show and fireworks. It is weather permitting. The nice thing about it is that you don't need park admission to see the show and after the fireworks, you are not dealing with throngs of people because you are outside of Epcot. Our captain was a long-time WDW employee and imparted a wealth of little-known facts and info about Disney. It was fun and different and refreshing not to be squeezed by crowds.

On the downside, it is pricey. But the boat seats up to 10, so the more people you bring, the more you will feel like you got your money's worth. You must book your cruise months in advance. And if you are not renting a car, you will have to take the bus from the Yacht club back to DT Disney and then another bus back to your resort which is time consuming. We actually took a cab which was about $10 plus tip from the Yacht club back to the POP and saved ourselves the aggravation.

We toured Epcot the next night, and since we had already seen Illuminations from the best vantage point there is, we skipped out just before it started and beat the rush back to the busses. It worked out great for us.

 

[tripletots]

Back in 2007 there was a Disney's Best Kept Secrets thread that had some wonderful things to do and see that you might normally just overlook. I'm sure a lot of it is outdated especially with the Fantasyland Expansion and the many refurbs that have taken place.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/best-kept-secrets_mk.htm

We printed out the information, put it in a notebook and took it with us. It made us appreciate our surroundings even more.

 

[a742246]

I see you have young children. If you need a break from MK, for lunch, take a boat ride over to Grand Floridian and eat lunch at the GF Cafe, then walk around the resort grounds and relax there for an hour or two.

 

[JessZacc]

Back in 2007 there was a Disney's Best Kept Secrets thread that had some wonderful things to do and see that you might normally just overlook. I'm sure a lot of it is outdated especially with the Fantasyland Expansion and the many refurbs that have taken place.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/best-kept-secrets_mk.htm

We printed out the information, put it in a notebook and took it with us. It made us appreciate our surroundings even more.

Thanks for the link! It would be great if we could get everyone going on this one and start a new one with updated info since it has been 5 years and many things might have changed!! That would be awesome!

 

[JessZacc]

I see you have young children. If you need a break from MK, for lunch, take a boat ride over to Grand Floridian and eat lunch at the GF Cafe, then walk around the resort grounds and relax there for an hour or two.

Thanks! Yes my kids are 1 and 3. Can you use the pools and facilities and hotels you are not staying at?

 

[Dan Murphy]

From Deb's site......

http://allears.net/tp/ola.htm

Some items may be out of date.

And no, you can not use pools other than your own resort.

 

[kangaroodle]

Don't forget about PUSH, the talking garbage can, at MK, Wes Palm, the talking palm tree, at AK, DeVine at AK, and the talking water fountains at Epcot!

 

[kangaroodle]

And no, you can not use pools other than your own resort.

You CAN pool hop (with a few exceptions), if you are a DVC owner!

 

[hjvigz72]

@warrior - Yes you can go to the campfire - bring some extra cash for the marshmallow toasting kit or bring your own. We did it - it was awesome! Also at Ft.Wilderness are wagon rides, pony rides.

We also will be planning on sending DD on the Pirate Voyage from our resort. (Carribean - but also available at other resorts too - about $30-40) Its a 2 hour "scavenger" type hunt, and we do it the day we leave so we can pack up the room while she's busy doing something else. (Tried to do this one last year, but she got stung by some huge black and white bee type insect on steriods on our way there and that kinda messed things up - Disney Cast members, Ambulance, Medics - it was awful - but great at the same time! They had to take the extra precautions even though we reassured them that she was not allergic.)

Stayed at PO last April - piano guy is AWESOME!

There's so much . . . where do you start!

 

[John Paul]

Candy Lady in Japan!! Downtown Disney...build your own Lightsaber my son loves this!

 

[JessZacc]

Anyone??

 

[disneyweddingoct2013]

So I know it is kind of dorky but we love to get pins from the ticket counter. I have only been to Disney three times now but every time we get a new pin. I have the "1st timer", "Celebrating" and the "Just Engaged" pins. I love all the comments from the cast members and the feel of the park. Just a fun thing to make sure you get.

 

[Satchmo128]

A couple ideas in Animal Kingdom...

DeVine is SUPER COOL! We saw her for the first time on our trip last November and I was in awe. I think her times are in the daily schedule and she was back by the Flights of Wonder theater.

All of the walking trails around the Tree of Life in the center of the park are relaxing to walk around and enjoy nature/birds.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Not sure if this counts as 'not well known'. But do the drawing class at DHS in the Animation building. You get step by step instructions on how to draw a random disney character, when you are done you can keep your drawings as a free souvenir. I love this event and I have drawings of Donald, Pluto, Stitch, Chip (or as I call him, Zombie Chip) and one of the elves (larry?) from Prep and Landing.