I don't know how Pecos Bill ends up on so many "Must Do" lists. That place is awful! Even for counter service.
My list is: (list is for anyone 18+, not kids per say)
Epcot
- Spaceship Earth. Especially now with the narration by Judi Dench. But seriously, I see something different every time I ride.
- The Land. It's so magical, right? With the little growing fruits and vegetables. It's better after you've uh, drunk around the world.
- Mexico Pavilion / San Angel Inn. This is THE place to eat folks. They have great empanadas and tacos here. I'm Mexican and let me tell you-- it comes close.Also more economical than say the sit down restaurants. A close second is the Sunshine Seasons eatery inside the Land Pavilion/ Soarin' queue area.
- Gift shops in Epcot: Do NOT miss Japan , China , France and Mexico's gift stores.
Magic Kingdom
- Splash Mountain. And I want to add that if you don't want to get wet, definitely ride the back of the trunk. I've gotten the least wet here each time I ride.
- Haunted Mansion. Self explanatory, really. Plus, they added a really neat interactive queue area in recent times.
- The Main Street Bakery. Not sure if that is it's official name but it is located in Main Street and they have delicious chocolate chip muffins and cheesecake. Great to munch on while you watch the parade!
- Parade watching from the train station balcony on Main. This is THE place to scope out the electrical parade/fire works.
- People Mover. This is a "boring, slow ride". But when you've been walking around on your achey feet all day, you will thank me for this relaxing break as you tour Tomorrow Land. There is also a fantastic retro vibe happening here.
- Peter Pan. By far the best "dark ride" in the Disney World parks. I remember Snow White being my favorite when I was wee and lived in L.A. I'm looking forward to the Snow White ride in new Fantasy Land.
Animal Kingdom
- I can't say. Because I haven't really visited this park that much. I only went once and it was just to go to Rainforest Cafe. Hopefully this will change with my upcoming February/birthday visit! But........
- Nemo Show. The Nemo Show is great. It's the one thing I remember doing at AK. It's Broadway quality guys. Superb!
Hollywood Studios
- Hollywood Tower Hotel. My personal favorite of the thrill rides at WDW. I'm a huge film noir/ classic film devotee and this attraction satisfies that part of me when I'm at WDW. In fact, the whole Sunset Boulevard area is awesome.
- Beauty and the Beast. Somehow the Disney folks crammed a Broadway style production into 20 or 25 minutes. Put it on your list.
- Fantasmic. This is by far the best fireworks / night time display at WDW. It doesn't compare to anything anywhere else. It's absolutely stunning and honestly, I could easily see WDW charging a separate entry fee for this. We're lucky it comes included in the ticket cost of HS. Definitely make the time to check this out. It'd be a great end to your trip.
- ABC Commissary
Resorts
- Whenever I stay with friends or family, we try to stay on site. There are various reasons for this. For one, the convenience of staying on property-- buses shuttle you around from the hotels to other hotels and from hotels to parks and dining. This comes especially in hand when you want to get to MK. You get to skip the whole take a monorail or ferry boat to the actual park thing.
- I've stayed at Port Orleans FQ, Coronado, Caribbean Beach and Key West. So far, POFQ has been my favorite. It is the most relaxing of all the hotels, in my opinion. It's quiet and it's been the least full of excitable children and their respective irritable parents (Sorry, no offense!
) But speaking strictly for scenery, Caribbean Beach is beautiful. The property literally resembles a tropical vacation. I suggest making "resort hopping" a part of your plans. You get to see all that the different properties have to offer-- no two are alike. Well, except for the rooms themselves. Those all pretty much look the same so far.
Downtown Disney
- Wolfgang Puck Express - Wolfgang for less $$$. Who's not down with that? Great food and wine at a reasonable cost.
- I'm not exactly sure what it is called but I want to say House of Mouse(???). It is the shop adjacent to Wolfgang Puck express and they have all sorts of goodies for the home/kitchen/cook books.
- Ghiradelli Soda Fountain. I don't think I need to explain this.
- Finally, the best place to eat at Downtown Disney is indeed Raglan Road. Especially for the 21+ crowd. Great fish and chips and great brews on tap plus they put on a nice Celtic dancing show.
Best Dining Experience
- BOMA at AK Lodge: Holy piglet! This place is delicious. And so worth the $30 give or take. You seriously get great value. So much food and vegetarian friendly.
Hope this helps anyone looking for suggestions. I'm eager to try some of these breakfast suggestions.
