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Contents
List of Maps xv Acknowledgments xvii
I n t roduction 1 Why “Unofficial”? 1
Declaration of Independence 1 Dance to the Music 1
The Importance of Being Goofy 2 Honey, I Blew Up the Book! 3
A Word to Our Readers about Annual Revisions 6 We Got Attitude 6
The Sum of All Fears 7
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen? 8 The Unofficial Team 10
The How and the Why of It 10 The Unofficial Guide Publishing Year 11 Letters and Comments from Readers 11 Walt Disney World: An Overview 12
What Walt Disney World Encompasses 12 The Major Theme Parks 12
The Water Parks 14
Other Walt Disney World Venues 14
Part One Planning befo re You Leave H o m e 2 1 Gathering Information 21
Request Information Early 22 Disney Magazine 22
The Organizer 22
Walt Disney World on the Web 23
Important Walt Disney World Telephone Numbers 26 This Year’s Buzz: Magical Gatherings 28
When to Go to Walt Disney World 28 Selecting the Time of Year for Your Visit 28
COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
Unofficial Guide Crowd-Level Calendar 33 Least Crowded Days 33
C rowd-Leve l Calendar 34–40
Early Entry (a.k.a. Extra Magic Hour) 40 Summer and Holidays 44
The Disney Calendar 45
Part Two Making the Most of Your Time and Money 4 9 Allocating Money 49
Walt Disney World Admission Options 49 Basic Admission Options 50
Which Admission Should You Buy? 53
Another Tip for Saving Money on Admissions 54 Discounts on Admissions 54
Buying Your Admission on Arrival 56 Partially Used Passes 56
How Much Does It Cost per Day at Walt Disney World? 56 Allocating Time 57
Which Park to See First? 57 Operating Hours 58
Official Opening versus Real Opening 58 The Vacation that Fights Back 58
Arrival-Day Blues: What to Do when You Have Only a Half Day 61 Optimum Touring Situation 63
The Cardinal Rules for Successful Touring 64 What’s a Queue? 66
Touring Plans: What They Are and How They Work 66 Overview of the Touring Plans 71
Early Entry and the Touring Plans 78 FASTPASS 79
Understanding Walt Disney World Attractions 85
Cutting Your Time in Line by Understanding the Rides 87 Cutting Your Time in Line by Understanding the Shows 90 A Word about Disney Thrill Rides 90
“Unheralded Treasures” Touring 92 The Magic Kingdom 92 Epcot 94
Disney-MGM Studios 95 Disney’s Animal Kingdom 95
Part Three Selecting Your Hotel 9 7 The Basic Considerations 97
About Hotel Renovations 98 Benefits of Staying in the World 98
Staying in or out of the World: Weighing the Pros and Cons 99 v i Contents
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The Disney Resorts 101 Disney Resorts 101 101
How to Get Discounts on Lodging 104 Walt Disney World Lodging Areas 108 Choosing a Walt Disney World Hotel 109
Disney Resort Amenities and Recreation 118–119 Readers’ 2004 Disney Resort Report Card 121 Walt Disney World Hotel Profiles 123
The Magic Kingdom Resorts 123 The Epcot Resorts 134
The Bonnet Creek Resorts 148 The Animal Kingdom Resorts 156
Independent Hotels of the Downtown Disney Resort Area 167 Camping at Walt Disney World 171
How to Evaluate a Walt Disney World Travel Package 175 Walt Disney Travel Company Packages 176
Number Crunching 178 Throw Me a Line! 179
Packages from a Different Perspective 179 S o m e Tips fro m M a ry Wa r i n g 182–183 Hotels outside Walt Disney World 182
Selecting and Booking a Hotel outside Walt Disney World 182 Driving to the Theme Parks for Visitors Lodging outside Walt Disney
World 188
Getting a Good Deal on a Room outside Walt Disney World 190 Renting a Vacation Home 194–195
Best Hotels for Families outside Walt Disney World 197 Hotels and Motels: Rated and Ranked 205
What’s in a Room? 205 Room Ratings 206 The Top 30 Best Deals 208
H ow the Hotels Compare 210–223
Part Four The Disney Cruise Line 225 The Mouse at Sea 225
The Ships 227 Cabins 228
Services and Amenities 228 Dining 229
Facilities and Entertainment 230 Children’s Programs 231 Sports, Fitness, and Beauty 232 Castaway Cay 232
Rates 233 A Few Tips 234
Part Five Walt Disney World with Kids 235 The Ecstasy and the Agony 235
Reality Testing: Whose Dream Is It? 236
Recommendations for Making the Dream Come True 236 Lost Children 253
How Kids Get Lost 253 Disney, Kids, and Scary Stuff 255
The Fright Factor 257
Small-Child Fright-Potential C h a rt 258–261 A Bit of Preparation 260
Attractions that Eat Adults 262 A Word about Height Requirements 262
Waiting-Line Strategies for Adults with Young Children 264 The Disney Characters 270
Meeting Characters for Free 273 Character Dining 275
Character Dining: What to Expect 275 Character Meal Hit Pa r a d e 276–277 When to Go 278
How to Choose a Character Meal 278
Getting a Priority Seating at Cinderella’s Royal Table 281 Other Character Events 285
Baby-Sitting 286
Special Programs for Children 287 B a by-Sitting Services 288–289 Birthdays and Special Occasions 288
Part Six Special Tips for Special People 291 Walt Disney World for Singles 291
Walt Disney World for Couples 291 Weddings 291
Honeymoons and Vow Renewals 293 Tips for Going Solo 293
Romantic Getaways 294
Quiet, Romantic Places to Eat 294 Walt Disney World for Expectant Mothers 295
More Tips for Moms 296 Walt Disney World for Seniors 296
Getting Around 297 Timing Your Visit 298 Lodging 298
Transportation 299 Senior Dining 299
Behind the Scenes Tours 299
Walt Disney World for Disabled Guests 299 Visitors with Special Needs 301 Guests Who Don’t Speak English 304 viii Contents
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Part Seven A rriving and Getting A ro u n d 305 Getting There 305
Directions 305
Getting to Walt Disney World from the Airport 307 Renting a Car 309
Getting Oriented 312 A Good Map 312
Finding Your Way Around 312
How to Travel around the World (or the Real Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride) 313 Transportation Trade-Offs for Guests: Lodging outside Walt Disney
World 313
All You Need to Know about Driving to the Theme Parks 313 Sneak Routes 317
The Disney Transportation System 320
Door-to-Door Commuting Times to and from the Disney Resort s a n d P arks 322–323
Part Eight B a re Necessities 327 Credit Cards and Money 327
Credit Cards 327 Financial Matters 327 A License to Print Money 327 Problems and Unusual Situations 328
Attractions Closed for Repairs 328 Car Trouble 328
Lost and Found 329 Pal Mickey 329 Medical Matters 330
Sergeant Blisterblaster’s Guide to Happy Feet 330 Rain 332
How to Lodge a Complaint with Disney 332 Visiting More than One Park in a Single Day 333 Services 334
Messages 334 Pet Care 334
Excuse Me, but Where Can I Find… 334
Part Nine Dining in and around Walt Disney World 337 Dining outside Walt Disney World 337
Take Out Express 338
Dining at Universal’s CityWalk 338 One Man’s Treasure 339
Buffet and Meal Deals outside Walt Disney World 339 W h e re to Eat outside Walt Disney World 340–341 Dining in Walt Disney World 345
Getting It Right 345
Disney Dining 101 347 Priority Seating 347
Behind the Scenes at Priority Seating Central Reservations 347 Getting Your Act Together 348
Dress 350 Smoking 350 A Few Caveats 350
Walt Disney World Restaurant Categories 350 Hard Choices 353
Full-Service Dining for Families with Young Children 354 Fast Food in the Theme Parks 355
Disney Dining Suggestions 358 The Magic Kingdom 358 Epcot 361
Disney-MGM Studios 364 Animal Kingdom 366
More Readers’ Comments about Walt Disney World Dining 366 Counter-Service Restaurant Mini-Profiles 369
Walt Disney World Restaurants: Rated and Ranked 378 Readers’ Restaurant Survey Responses 379
Full-Service Restaurant Profiles 383
Part Ten T h e M agic Kingdom 425 Arriving 425
Getting Oriented 425 Starting the Tour 428
FASTPASS at the Magic Kingdom 428 Main Street, U.S.A. 429
Adventureland 431 Frontierland 435 Liberty Square 443 Fantasyland 446
Mickey’s Toontown Fair 453 Tomorrowland 458
Live Entertainment in the Magic Kingdom 466 Parades 469
Afternoon Parade 470 Evening Parades 470
Parade Route and Vantage Points 470 Vantage Points for Fireworks 472
Leaving the Park after Evening Parades and Fireworks 472 Behind the Scenes in the Magic Kingdom 473
Traffic Patterns in the Magic Kingdom 474 Magic Kingdom Touring Plans 476
Choosing the Appropriate Touring Plan 477 About Touring Plan Clip-Out Pocket Outlines 478 x Contents
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Magic Kingdom Touring Plan Companion 478 The Single-Day Touring Conundrum 478 E-Ride Night 479
Preliminary Instructions for All Magic Kingdom Touring Plans 480 What to Do if You Get Off Track 480
Park-Opening Procedures 480 Before You Go 480
Magic Kingdom Touring Plans 481
Part Eleven E p c o t 493 Overview 493
Operating Hours 494 Arriving 495
Getting Oriented 495 The EPCOT Acronym 496 Future World 496
Guest Relations 497 World Showcase 513
Mexico Pavilion 514 Norway Pavilion 515 China Pavilion 515 Germany Pavilion 516 Italy Pavilion 516 United States Pavilion 517 Japan Pavilion 518 Morocco Pavilion 519 France Pavilion 519
United Kingdom Pavilion 520 Canada Pavilion 520 Live Entertainment in Epcot 521
The Best Ways to See IllumiNations 524 Behind the Scenes in Epcot 528
Dive Quest 529 Dolphins in Depth 529 Epcot Seas Aqua Tour 530
Additional Information for All Tours 530 Traffic Patterns in Epcot 530
Epcot Touring Plans 531
Preliminary Instructions for All Epcot Touring Plans 532
Part Twelve Disney ’s A n i m a l K i n g d o m 541 Arriving 545
Operating Hours 545 Getting Oriented 547 The Oasis 547
A Word about Animal Kingdom Live Shows 549
Discovery Island 549 Camp Minnie-Mickey 551 Africa 554
Asia 559
DinoLand U.S.A. 564
Live Entertainment in the Animal Kingdom 569 Behind the Scenes at the Animal Kingdom 569 Traffic Patterns in the Animal Kingdom 570 Animal Kingdom Touring Plans 571
Before You Go 572
Part Thirteen Disney-MGM Studios, U n i versal Orlando, a n d S e a World 577
Disney-MGM Studios versus Universal Studios Florida 577 Disney-MGM Studios 580
The MGM Connection 580
Comparing Disney-MGM Studios to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot 580
How Much Time to Allocate 581 Disney-MGM Studios in the Evening 584 Arriving at Disney-MGM Studios 584 Getting Oriented at Disney-MGM Studios 584
What to See 585
Waiting Times Display 586 Disney-MGM Studios Attractions 586
Hollywood Boulevard 586 Sunset Boulevard 586
Live Entertainment at Disney-MGM Studios 607 Disney-MGM Studios Touring Plan 608
Before You Go 608 Universal Orlando 610
Arriving at Universal Orlando 610 Early Entry and Universal Express 611
Universal Express Programs Available to All Guests 611 Singles Lines 615
Universal, Kids, and Scary Stuff 615 Lodging at Universal Orlando 615 Universal Studios Florida 616
Universal Studios Florida Attractions (Universal Express) 617 Universal Studios Florida Touring Plan 631
Buying Admission to Universal Studios Florida 631 Touring Plan 631
Universal’s Islands of Adventure 633 Beware of the Wet and Wild 634 Getting Oriented at Islands of Adventure 634 xii Contents
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Islands of Adventure Attractions 635 Marvel Super Hero Island 635 Toon Lagoon 639
Jurassic Park 641 The Lost Continent 643 Seuss Landing 646
Islands of Adventure Touring Plan 647 SeaWorld 648
Discovery Cove 651
Part Fourteen The Water Parks 653 You’re Soaking in It! 653
River Country 653 Blizzard Beach 653 Typhoon Lagoon 655
Shark Reef 656 Surf Pool 657
Disney versus Wet ’n’ Wild and Water Mania Swimming Theme Parks 658
Typhoon Lagoon versus Blizzard Beach 659 When to Go 660
Planning Your Day at Disney Water Parks 662
Part Fifteen B eyond the Parks 667 Downtown Disney 667
Downtown Disney Marketplace 667 Pleasure Island 668
Disney’s West Side 668 DisneyQuest 668
Disney’s Wide World of Sports 672 The Disney Wilderness Preserve 672 Walt Disney World Speedway 673 Walt Disney World Recreation 673 Walt Disney World Golf 674 Golf beyond Walt Disney World 677
Other Standout Courses in Orlando 679 The Best of the Rest 681
Miniature Golf 682
Part Sixteen Shopping in and out of Walt Disney World 683 Hey, Big Spender 683
Pin Mania 684
Shopping in Walt Disney World 685 Tips for Disney Shopping 685
I Need… 686 Downtown Disney 686 Epcot 692
Disney-MGM Studios 695 Animal Kingdom 696 The Magic Kingdom 696 Walt Disney World Resorts 698 Disney Water Parks 699 Disney Outlet Stores 699
Shopping beyond Walt Disney World 700 Celebration 700
Universal CityWalk 700 International Drive 701 Outlets 701
Traditional Shopping 703
Part Seventeen Nightlife in and out of Walt Disney World 705 Walt Disney World at Night 705
In the Theme Parks 705 At the Hotels 705
At Fort Wilderness Campground 706 At Disney’s BoardWalk 706
At Downtown Disney 706
Walt Disney World Dinner Theaters 709 Other Area Dinner Theaters 713 Pleasure Island 713
Pleasure Island Touring Plan 716 Universal’s CityWalk 718
CityWalk versus Pleasure Island 719
Appendix 721
Readers’ Questions to the Author 721 Readers’ Comments 724
I n d exe s 727 Hotel Index 727 Restaurant Index 731 Subject Index 735
Recommended Attraction Visitation Times and Pocket Outline Touring Plans 757 Clip-Out Touring Plan Companions 785 Reader Survey 795
Restaurant Survey 797 x i v Contents
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