Travel Time APRIL 2022
Your Disney Vacation VisitingDisney Parks Exciting adventures for everyone of all ages
Disney Resort Hotels There is a resort for every budget!
Resorts for Every Budget
Pg 1-11 Let’s Eat!
Pg 12-20 What Should I Do First?
Pg 21-34 Popular Attractions
Pg 35-43 Shows and Parades
Pg 44-56 Shopping
Pg 57-70
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PLACES TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD
Magic at every budget: These are the best hotels at Walt Disney World By: Summer Hull and Edward Pizzarello There were just a couple of resort hotels when Walt Disney World first opened 50 years ago, but now there are more than two dozen resort hotels to choose from. These aren’t just your standard chain hotels where you’re getting basically the same product no matter what door you choose. The Walt Disney World resorts range from treehouse villas to rooms with views of live zebras and log cabins in the woods. And that’s only counting official on-site Disney World hotels. There are hundreds of other properties in the Orlando area, some with pretty compelling Disney perks and benefits of their own.
“But if you want a fully imersed experience in the “Disney Bubble,” you probably want to stay at a Disney resort hotel where you’ll have access to Disney themes, access to early park admission and be as close as a short stroll or monorail ride to one of the theme parks.”
But if you want a fully immersed experience in the “Disney Bubble,” you probably want to stay at a Disney resort hotel where you’ll have access to Disney themes, free transportation to and from the Orlando airport on the Magical Express Bus (though the end of 2021), access to early park admission and be as close as a short stroll or monorail ride to one of the theme parks. Don’t worry your bedazzled Mickey ears over the threat of analysis paralysis in choosing the best Disney resort for you because we’ve considered the best (and not so best) features of nearly every Disney World resort hotel. Whether you’re looking to be treated like a fairy tale princess or a grown-up who just happens to be staying near a theme park, Disney World has you covered. To choose the best hotel at Disney World for your family, there are a couple of baseline facts you should know. First, know that Disney World separates its resorts into three main categories: Deluxe, Moderate and Value, with nightly rates that generally correspond to those tiers. Since it isn’t fair to compare a Deluxe resort room costing upwards of $400 – $600 to a $125 per night Value resort, we’ve outlined the best choices in a few different categories.
Best Deluxe Disney World resorts: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Animal Kingdom Lodge Best Moderate Disney World resort: Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Best Value Disney World resort: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Best Disney World resort pools: Disney’s Yacht or Beach Club Resort and Art of Animation Resort Best Disney World resorts for large families: Disney’s Treehouse Villas, Art of Animation Resort family suites and Disney Vacation Club villas
Best for easy access to the Magic Kingdom: The Contemporary Resort Best Disney World resorts for easy access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios: BoardWalk Inn, Beach and Yacht Club and Swan and Dolphin Resorts Best Disney World resort for an escape from Disney: Disney’s Riviera Resort and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Best Disney World Resorts using hotel points: Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort Best Disney Resort if you win the lottery: Copper Creek Cabins Best Deluxe Disney World resorts Deluxe resorts are the most expensive. In some cases, they offer luxury amenities like spas and fancy dining, while others emphasize great themes and close proximity to the parks. In all cases, you’re unlikely to be disappointed by much at most of these properties (except maybe the sticker shock).
World resort hotels inspired by Walt himself, Polynesian Village sits on the monorail only a few minutes from Magic Kingdom — yet it feels like you’ve been transported to a lush Pacific island as soon as you enter.
you’ll find the Polynesian Villas and overwater bungalows. You can rent these (and some other studio rooms) for a bit less with rented Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points, but it’s still going to be a splurge for the limited overwater options.
The proximity to Magic Kingdom is great, but it’s not the only reason Polynesian Village is at the top of our list.
Standard rooms at the Poly are expensive and right now are often starting about $500 per night, with the overwater options costing several times that amount. And while you don’t have as many points-friendly ways to reduce the price at Disney as you would at a Marriott or Hilton, you can use fixed-value points from a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to help offset the expense. Right now, that card has a bonus of 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, which can be used towards Disney hotel charges.
These resort hotel rooms just underwent a Moana-theming renovation and now have a fresh, modern look and feel. Also at the Poly are a couple of our favorite Disney restaurants. There’s ‘Ohana, located within the main building of the Polynesian which recently reopened after a long pandemic closure. The noodles and ‘Ohana Bread Pudding are standouts on the menu!
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort We almost warn against staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort because it’s going to set the bar pretty high for future Disney resort stays.
There are plenty of activities on the grounds, including free movies outside at night. If you’re just looking to relax, head outside to watch the fireworks from the nearby Magic Kingdom and the Electrical Water Pageant that floats by on the water. We also recommend that you make time to grab a drink at Trader Sam’s, where it rains, volcanoes erupt and kids are welcome until 8 p.m.
One of the original Disney
The Polynesian is also where
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge A true safari involves incredibly long flights and the possibility of malaria pills. Animal Kingdom Lodge offers an unforgettable wildlife experience without either. Away from the bustle of most of the rest of the Disney World complex, Animal Kingdom Lodge is its own ecosystem. Animal Kingdom Lodge
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Things to EAT at
Disney World by Adam Bryan The Ultimate Disney World Food Bucket List Don’t leave Disney World without trying these outrageously delicious Disney World food and dr 101+ Foods and Drinks to Put On Your Disney World Bucket List Last updated on Jan 26, 2022 by Adam Bryan. This post may contain affiliate links. The Ultimate Disney World Food Bucket List Don’t leave Disney World without trying these outrageously delicious Disney World food and drinks. Whether if you’re going to all four incredible parks and Disney Springs or any of the Disney Resorts and Boardwalk, you’ll be sure to find something tasty to eat and satisfying drink. Your tastebuds will not be disappointed. Disney World Food Bucket List Here are 101 of the best food and drinks that you must experience at least once during your trip to Disney World. And to make things a little easier, everything is sepa-
rated by location (Park, Resorts, and Other Disney Locations) Ohana is the Best Disney World Restaurant Here’s Why Magic Kingdom EPCOT Hollywood Studios Animal Kingdom Resorts and Campgrounds Disney’s Boardwalk Disney Springs Just make sure you bookmark this page because new additions will be added whenever something new and delicious is discovered. Plus, to stay on track of this ever growing list of mouthwatering Disney eats and drinks, be sure to follow me on Instagram! So, let’s get down to business! (…to defeat the huns) Magic Kingdom Here are the best foods and drinks to add to your bucket list for Magic Kingdom: Dole Whip Float Aloha Isle Dole Whip Float Can’t beat the classic. Fresh pineapple juice topped with creamy pineapple ice cream. Perfection. (Aloha Isle) Cheeseburger Springs Rolls Cheeseburger Spring Rolls Cheeseburger filled spring rolls with a delicious dipping sauce. (Spring Rolls Cart) Mickey Red Velvet Cake Pop Red Velvet Mickey Cake Pop
A red velvet cake pop covered with milk chocolate and topped with 2 marshmallow Mickey ears. (Main Street Confectionary) Citrus Swirl Sunshine Tree Terrace Citrus Swirl Orange ice cream swirled with vanilla which tastes just like a creamsicle. (Sunshine Tree Terrace) Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake Be Our Guest Vanilla cupcake topped with strawberry cream cheese icing. (Be Our Guest) I Lava You Float I Lava You Float Orange Dole Whip, Strawberry Fanta soda and popping rocks. (Be Our Guest) Fresh Fruit and Nutella Waffle Sandwich cropped-Fruit-and-Nutella-Waffle-Sandwich-05119-3.jpg Freshly made waffle topped with fruit and Nutella. (Sleepy Hollow) The Master’s Cupcake Master’s Cupcake Be Our Guest Chocolate cupcake topped with “Grey Stuff ” icing. It’s delicious…don’t believe me….ask the dishes. (Be Our Guest) Peter Pan Float Peter Plan Float Lime ice cream and Sprite topped with a candy Peter Pan feather. (Storybook Treats) French Onion Soup French Onion Soup Be Our Guest French onion soup topped with gruyere cheese. Mmm. (Be Our Guest)
Lefou’s Brew Lefou’s Brew Frozen apple slushy infused with a toasted marshmallow flavoring and topped with a passion fruit foam. Still doesn’t have anything on Butterbeer though. (Gaston’s Tavern) Warm Cinnamon Roll Gaston’s Cinnamon Roll Huge, warm, and cinnamon-y. (Gaston’s Tavern) Churro Ice Cream Sandwich Churro Ice Cream Sandwich When you catch it just right, the cinnamon churro and vanilla ice cream are just perfect. (Sleepy Hollow Inn)
overpriced ice cream covered in milk chocolate. (Ice cream carts through the park) “Taste’s Like Chicken” Because It Is Tastes Like Chicken Because It Is Asian influenced chicken. (Jungle Skipper Canteen) Giant Mickey Chocolate Chip Cookie Large Mickey Chocolate Chip Cookie Giant chocolate chip cookie dipped in milk chocolate. (Big Top Treats) Corn Dog Nuggets Corn Dog Nuggets from Casey’s Corner I’ll take these over hot dogs any day. (Casey’s Corner)
Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake Warm vanilla cake filled with gooey toffee, drizzled with chocolate and caramel, topped with vanilla ice cream, and dusted with candy sprinkles. (Liberty Tree Tavern)
The “Plaza’ Ice Cream Sundae Plaza Ice Cream Sundae Your choice of ice cream topped with hot fudge, whipped cream and cherry, all placed in a freshly made waffle bowl. (Plaza Ice Cream Parlor)
Sweet and Spicy Chicken and Waffle Sandwich Sweet and Spicy Chicken and Waffle Sandwich Sleepy Hollow Sweet and spicy fried chicken topped with a special veggie mix, all wrapped in a freshly made waffle. INCREDIBLE. (Sleepy Hollow)
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Pineapple Upside Down Cake Warm pineapple upside down cake topped with Dole Whip. (Aloha Isle)
Churro IMG_5806 You can never go wrong with a warm chewy stick covered with cinnamon sugar. But to be honest, the churro experience is much better at Disneyland. (Churro Cart, Frontierland) Mickey’s Ice Cream Bar Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bar I swear the chocolate or ice cream takes this bar to the next level. It’s not just some generic
Loaded Buffalo Tater Tots Loaded Buffalo Tater Tots Magic Kingdom Tater tots smothered in hot sauce and buffalo chicken. (Friar’s Nook) Adventure is Out There Cone Adventure is Out There Cone Mango ice cream in a blue cone topped with candy balloons. (Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies)
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THINGS TO DO AT DISNEY WORLD by Tom Bricker
Things to Do in Magic Kingdom The most-visited theme park in the world, Magic Kingdom opened on October 1, 1971. It’s more than twice as large as the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, although it has about the same number of attractions. Of the four parks in Walt Disney World, the Magic Kingdom is the one most people envision: Castle, Main Street, Space Mountain. It’s also the first one tourists visit. The park almost always opens about 15 minutes before the posted opening time (the “rope drop”), when there’s a cute musical show in the train station above the entry plaza. Characters sing “Good Mornin’” while Mickey and his pals arrive spectacularly by train to greet them and open the park for the day. The hour or two after this are the most fruitful of the day, with short lines. Closing time (often preceded by a 10-min. fireworks show) varies, usually from 7 to midnight. Near closing time, if you are allowed to get in line for a ride, you’ll be able to ride. Hours change almost daily, and Disney transportation runs an hour before opening to an hour after closing. Keep your ticket card/room key/MagicBand safe. You’ll need it throughout the day.
Getting In The proof that you’re about to experience a fantasy realm comes in the effort required to enter it. Designers wanted arrival to be a big to-do. Many guests brave three forms of transportation before they see a single brick of Main Street. Disney bus riders are conveniently dropped off by the front gate. Guests who drive take the parking tram to the Transportation and Ticket Center. (If you park in Aladdin, Woody, or Jafar, it’s not too far to walk.) From there, a mile away, the Magic Kingdom gleams like a promise from across the manmade Seven Seas Lagoon, but you still have to take either a monorail (after a 2009 accident that killed a pilot, guests are no longer permitted to ride in the cab) or a ferryboat to the other side. Transit time is more or less equal. I recommend doing one in each direction—the gradual approach of the boat is probably the most exciting for your morning glimpses of that famous Castle, and the monorail is probably better at the end of a long day because you’ll have air-conditioning. Ferries are named for execs who helped build Disneyland and this park. For getting off quickly, I prefer the bottom deck. Whatever you choose, considering crowds and queues, bank on about 45 minutes to enter or
leave the park, and even longer at closing time when the hordes stream out of the gates and clog transportation in a popcorn-fueled death march. “Stay close,” mothers whisper to their children when they see it.
The Best of the Magic Kingdom Don’t miss if you’re 6: Dumbo the Flying Elephant Don’t miss if you’re 16: Space Mountain Requisite photo op: Cinderella’s Castle Food you can only get here: LeFou’s Brew, Gaston’s Tavern, Fantasyland; Citrus Swirl, Sunshine Tree Terrace, Adventureland; Pineapple Float, Aloha Isle, Adventureland; Mickey Mouse ice cream bars (available at carts throughout the park) Where everyone stampedes first: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight The most crowded, so Fastpass or go early: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Splash Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Skippable: Swiss Family Treehouse, Tomorrowland Speedway Quintessentially Disney: The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Walt Disney’s
Carousel of Progress, “it’s a small world” Biggest thrill: Splash Mountain (and soon, Tron Lightcycle Power Run) Best show: Fireworks Biggest store: The Emporium, Main Street, U.S.A. Where to find peace: The Fantasyland-to-Tomorrowland railway-side trail; the park between Liberty Square and Adventureland facing the Castle; Tom Sawyer Island; the cul-de-sac south of Space Mountain
Things to Do in Epcot Epcot remains one of Walt Disney World’s finest achievements. More than any other park, Epcot changes its personality, decorations, and diversions by the season. This year, the front of the park takes on one new profile: construction site. The company is sinking more than $1 billion into drastically updating it to keep up with modern tastes, after having allowed it to wander from its intentions for nearly 40 years. The expense of continually updating exhibits tempted Disney into gradually phasing out the educational aspects of the attractions.