Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Dagney
We'll be leaving for Disney in a week and a half.
|
Peak season -- Heh. Have fun with that!
Enjoy the resorts and take the time to walk through them -- some of my best trips to Disney didn't involve actually going to a park. Not having a schedule and not demanding that 'we have to ride this ride, that ride, and then eat here before the day is done' makes for an enjoyable trip. Too many people think Disney is about rushing around when the whole idea of going is about relaxing.
Write this number down and keep it with you: 407-WDWDINE. Call it several hours before you eat somewhere and ask for priority seating or you'll get stuck in a line or not get a seat at all.
If you go to Epcot and elect to eat a meal at the McDonald's, turn around and leave. Epcot is about two things, primarily: awesome food and lots of booze.
Epcot's "Soarin'" has an awful wait time and is really the only ride where you'll want to get a fastpass early in the day.
A wonderful Epcot secret: there is only one ride in all of the parks that you can take a beverage with you. Do not pass up the chance to ride the cheesy Mexico boat ride with a margarita while heavily intoxicated. Laugh at the looping footage from 1981.
The only places where you aren't allowed to go will be blocked by fences. Everywhere else is open for exploration. Walk the lawns, recline under trees, have lunch in the shade. Other guests will give you weird looks for walking off the path, but the enjoyment is worth it. (One particularly nice route outside the parks is the river that runs through the resort areas like Port Orleans. You can walk along this river for miles and enjoy the quiet.)
Epcot "closes" at 9pm and an awesome fireworks show that is best viewed from the area around Japan/Morocco follows. Make sure you have a good view of the center of the lake for it. The show ends around 9:15pm and the crowds quickly fight to leave. Hint: stick around, take your time. MGM and other parks are quick to remove people after the official "closing" time, but Epcot works differently. Have a seat and laugh as everyone runs to the gates, then walk through the countries in the dark and be amazed at how wonderful the place is in the quiet. Walk behind England (get lost in the tiny hedge maze!) and through Canada to witness the wildlife that comes out once everyone is gone (bunnies everywhere!). You can easily walk around past 10pm in the cool air and not have to fight traffic when exiting. (
Note: there is some odd promotion with resort guests that allows them to stay until 11pm or so. This was going on during the Food and Wine Festival, but might be over with now. Ask about it and see if you can get a blue wristband to extend your stay.)
When leaving Epcot, keep to the left after you pass the large fountain. Locate the trippy light-up sidewalks. Oooooh.
