Walt Disney World® 2021

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Plan Your Trip Online at TouringPlans.com Bob Sehlinger & Len Testa THE unof cial GUIDE® TO Walt Disney World 2021 COME CHECK US OUT!

Supplement your valuable guidebook with tips, news, and deals by visiting our websites:

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Other Unofficial Guides The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream Universal vs. Disney: The Unofficial Guide to American Theme Parks’ Greatest Rivalry The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas The Unofficial Guide to Mall of America The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C. THE unof cial GUIDE® TOWalt Disney World ® 2021

BOB SEHLINGER and LEN TESTA

(Walt Disney World® is officially known as Walt Disney World® Resort.) Please note that prices fluctuate in the course of time and that travel information changes under the impact of many factors that influence the travel industry. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information throughout this book, and the contents of this publication are believed to be correct at the time of printing. Nevertheless, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions, for changes in details given in this guide, or for the consequences of any reliance on the information provided by the same. Assessments of attractions and so forth are based upon the authors’ own experiences; therefore, descriptions given in this guide necessarily contain an element of subjective opinion, which may not reflect the publisher’s opinion or dictate a reader’s own experience on another occasion. Readers are invited to write the publisher with ideas, comments, and suggestions for future editions. There is a risk of contracting COVID-19 in any public space. The Unofficial Guides are not liable for any illness or injury. Consult a physician regarding your risk factors before booking travel.

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5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS

List of Maps and Diagrams ix Introduction 1 For the Love of Disney 1 Why Disney World Needs a 750-Page Guidebook 1 How to Use This Book 3

SPECIAL SECTION Disney World in the Time of COVID 9 Is Disney World Worth It? 9 What’s Open at Walt Disney World 10 Safety Procedures 11

PART ONE Walt Disney World: An Overview 15 What Is Disney World? 15 WHAT’S NEW AT WALT DISNEY WORLD SINCE YOUR LAST VISIT 24 Universal Orlando 25

PART TWO Planning Before You Leave Home 27 Gathering Information 27 When to Go to Walt Disney World 39 WALT DISNEY WORLD PHONE NUMBERS 46–47 IMPORTANT WALT DISNEY WORLD ADDRESSES 48

PART THREE Making the Most of Your Time 49 Allocating Time 49 How to Avoid Long Waits in Line 53

PART FOUR Making the Most of Your Money 68 Allocating Money 68 WHAT YOU PAY AND WHAT YOU GET AT WDW 70–72 Walt Disney World Admission Tickets 74 WDW THEME PARK TICKET OPTIONS 76–77 Optional Expenses 84

PART FIVE Accommodations 86 The Basic Considerations 86 The Disney Resorts 91 Readers' Resort Report Card 121 vi CONTENTS

Walt Disney World Hotel Profiles 126 How to Evaluate a Walt Disney World Travel Package 206 DISNEY LODGING FOR LESS 208–209 Hotels Outside Walt Disney World 217 SIX QUICK TIPS FOR BOOKING THE HOTEL YOU WANT 224–225 Hotels and Motels: Rated and Ranked 245 THE TOP 30 BEST DEALS 248 HOW THE HOTELS COMPARE 250–253 HOTEL INFORMATION CHART 254–264

PART SIX Dining In and Around Walt Disney World 265 Reader Surveys Plus Expert Opinions: Our Approach to Dining 265 Dining in Walt Disney World 266 Where to Find Good Meals 268 Disney Dining 101 269 ADVANCE RESERVATIONS: THE OFFICIAL LINE 272 THE REALITY OF GETTING LAST-MINUTE DINING RESERVATIONS 275 GOOD RESTAURANTS WITH LAST-MINUTE AVAILABILITY 276 WDW RESTAURANTS BOOKABLE AT OPENTABLE.COM 277 Character Dining 280 CHARACTER-MEAL HIT PARADE 282–283 Disney Dining Suggestions 285 Counter-Service Mini-Profiles 295 Full-Service Restaurants In Depth 309 WALT DISNEY WORLD RESTAURANTS BY CUISINE 310–313 Dining Outside Walt Disney World 363 WHERE TO EAT OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD 364–366

PART SEVEN Walt Disney World with Kids 372 The Ecstasy and the Agony 372 Lost Children 388 Disney, Kids, and Scary Stuff 390 SMALL-CHILD FRIGHT-POTENTIAL TABLE 392–394 ATTRACTION AND RIDE RESTRICTIONS 396 Waiting-Line Strategies for Adults with Young Children 397 The Disney Characters 399 WDW CHARACTER-GREETING VENUES 400–401 Character Meals 403 Childcare 403 Special Kids’ Programs 404 Birthdays and Special Occasions 405

PART EIGHT Special Tips for Special People 406 Walt Disney World for Guests with Special Needs 406 Walt Disney World “At Large” 412 Walt Disney World for Seniors 413 Walt Disney World for International Visitors 415 Walt Disney World for Expectant Mothers 416 Walt Disney World for Singles 418 TIPS FOR GOING SOLO 418–419 Walt Disney World for Couples 419

PART NINE Arriving and Getting Around 422 Getting to Walt Disney World 422 How to Travel Around the World (or, The Real Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride) 432 COMMUTING TIMES BY CAR VS. THE DISNEY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 436–437 CONTENTS vii

PART TEN Bare Necessities 452 Money, Etc. 452 In-Park Issues 453 Services 457

PART ELEVEN The Magic Kingdom 461 Overview 461 Arriving 461 Getting Oriented 465 Main Street, U.S.A. 471 Adventureland 473 Frontierland 476 Liberty Square 480 Fantasyland 482 Tomorrowland 491 Magic Kingdom Entertainment 497 Traffic Patterns in the Magic Kingdom 503 Magic Kingdom Touring Plans 504

PART TWELVE EPCOT 509 Overview 509 Arriving 512 Getting Oriented 514 Future World 518 World Showcase 529 EPCOT Entertainment 539 Traffic Patterns in EPCOT 542 EPCOT Touring Plans 542

PART THIRTEEN Disney’s Animal Kingdom 544 Overview 544 Arriving 548 Getting Oriented 549 The Oasis 552 Discovery Island 553 Africa 556 Asia 560 DinoLand U.S.A. 564 Pandora—The World of Avatar 566 Animal Kingdom Entertainment 570 Traffic Patterns in Animal Kingdom 571 Animal Kingdom Touring Plan 571

PART FOURTEEN Disney’s Hollywood Studios 573 Overview 573 Arriving 576 Getting Oriented 577 Disney’s Hollywood Studios Attractions 581 Disney’s Hollywood Studios Entertainment 600 Disney’s Hollywood Studios Touring Plan 601

PART FIFTEEN Universal Orlando 602 Overview 602 Universal’s Islands of Adventure 611 Universal Studios Florida 625 viii CONTENTS

PART SIXTEEN The Water Parks 641 You’re Soaking in It! 641 Planning Your Day at Disney Water Parks 644 SOGGY TIPS FROM A WATER-PUPPY FAMILY 646–647 Water-Park Touring Plans 649 Blizzard Beach 649 BLIZZARD BEACH ATTRACTIONS 651 Typhoon Lagoon 653 TYPHOON LAGOON ATTRACTIONS 655 Universal’s Volcano Bay 657 VOLCANO BAY ATTRACTIONS 659

PART SEVENTEEN Disney Springs, Shopping, and Nightlife 662 Disney Springs 662 Shopping in Walt Disney World and Orlando 669 Nightlife at Walt Disney World Resorts 675

APPENDIX A Readers’ Questions and Comments 677 Readers’ Questions to the Authors 677 Readers’ Comments 678

APPENDIX B Understanding Disney World Attractions 680 Cut Your Time in Line by Understanding the Rides 680 Cut Your Time in Line by Understanding the Shows 682 Accommodations Index 684 Restaurant Index 689 Subject Index 693

TOURING PLANS 712 “Not a Touring Plan” Touring Plans 712 Clip-Out Touring Plans 715 Clip-Out Touring Plan Companions 739 LIST of MAPS and DIAGRAMS

South Orlando 18–19 All-Star Resorts 187 Walt Disney World 20–21 Pop Century Resort Disney Deluxe Resorts & Art of Animation Resort 191 Room Diagrams 114 Fort Wilderness Resort Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts & Campground 202–203 Room Diagrams 115–117 Hotel Concentrations Around Disney Moderate Resorts Walt Disney World 218 Room Diagrams 117 International Drive Disney Value Resorts & Universal Areas 219 Room Diagrams 118 Lake Buena Vista Resort Area Fort Wilderness Resort & the I-4 Corridor 221 Cabin Diagram 118 US 192–Kissimmee Resort Area 222 Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Rental-Home Developments Grand Floridian Villas 127 Near WDW 228–229 Polynesian Village Resort, Villas, I-4 & Walt Disney World Area 429 & Bungalows 132 Disney Springs Sneak Routes 444 Wilderness Lodge & Boulder Ridge/ International Drive Area Copper Creek Villas 137 Sneak Routes 445 Contemporary Resort & US 192–Kissimmee Resort Area Bay Lake Tower 142 Sneak Routes 446 Shades of Green 146 I-4 Sneak Routes 447 Yacht & Beach Club Resorts The Magic Kingdom 462–463 and Beach Club Villas 149 EPCOT 510–511 BoardWalk Inn & Villas 154 Disney’s Animal Kingdom 546–547 Swan, Swan Reserve, & Dolphin 157 Disney’s Hollywood Studios Caribbean Beach Resort and 574–575 Riviera Resort 162 Universal Orlando 604–605 Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa 166 Universal’s Islands of Adventure Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs 612–613 Resort & Spa 167 Universal Studios Florida 626–627 Old Key West Resort 171 Blizzard Beach 650 Port Orleans Resort–French Quarter Typhoon Lagoon 654 174 Universal’s Volcano Bay 658 Port Orleans Resort–Riverside 177 Disney Springs 664–665 Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas 179 Coronado Springs Resort 183 FOR the LOVE of DISNEY DEAR READER, we’ve been writing The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World for 35 years. You’ve really got to love a place to cover it for that long—and we do. Millions of you do too. Comments like these arrive at our of ce every day: “Disney World was definitely the most magical and the best family vacation we ever had.” “Holiday of a lifetime. Meticulous planning required, but amazing.” “We’ve already booked another trip.” Disney’s theme parks are among the world’s greatest man-made vacation destinations. At their best, they combine unparalleled imagination and storytelling with new technologies, all presented with opti- mism and an unwavering faith in humanity. Walt Disney World in particular is essentially a purpose-built city: a place designed to entertain, amaze, and inspire.

WHY DISNEY WORLD NEEDS a 750-PAGE GUIDEBOOK WE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING. The child-rearing classic What to Expect When You’re Expecting clocks in at 645 pages, and a typical version of the King James Bible is around 1,200. Does the advice needed for Walt Disney World really fall somewhere between childbirth and God’s manual for living? If it’s your rst time, yes. The thing that surprises most new visitors to Walt Disney World is that a Disney vacation requires much more planning and effort than most other vacations they’ve had. Why? The main reason is capacity. Around 60,000 people visited Disney World’s Magic Kingdom theme park in a normal, pre-pandemic INTRODUCTION

FOR the LOVE of DISNEY DEAR READER, we’ve been writing The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World for 35 years. You’ve really got to love a place to cover it for that long—and we do. Millions of you do too. Comments like these arrive at our of ce every day: “Disney World was definitely the most magical and the best family vacation we ever had.” “Holiday of a lifetime. Meticulous planning required, but amazing.” “We’ve already booked another trip.” Disney’s theme parks are among the world’s greatest man-made vacation destinations. At their best, they combine unparalleled imagination and storytelling with new technologies, all presented with opti- mism and an unwavering faith in humanity. Walt Disney World in particular is essentially a purpose-built city: a place designed to entertain, amaze, and inspire.

day (it’s around 32,000 a day as we went to press). Most of them most of our core team. Over the years, we’ve spent millions of dollars would eat at its most popular restaurant—Be Our Guest—if they reviewing and analyzing Disney World’s hotels, rides, lines, and restau- could get in. But the restaurant can serve only a tiny fraction of those rants. No other book or website commits the people, skills, or budget who want to dine there. Visitors who can’t get into Be Our Guest to do anything like the research you’ll nd in these pages. The only often end up at restaurants with worse food, higher prices, or both. other organization that does comparable analysis of Disney World is Capacity also affects Disney World’s popular rides: For some rides, Disney itself. And we’ll tell you what it won’t. there are far more people who want to ride than the ride can handle. As a result, some visitors will wait just 10 minutes to experience a ride, and others will wait 80 minutes or more for the same attraction HOW to USE THIS BOOK on the same day. THE BEST WAY TO USE THIS BOOK is to read in order the rst few Don’t panic. If you love theme parks, Disney World is as good as pages of each chapter, to get a feel for the kinds of questions the chap- it gets—the best in the small-w world. If you arrive without knowing ter answers. Then read in depth the chapters most important to you. a thing about the place and make every possible mistake, chances are We’ve organized the chapters so that they appear in the same about 90% that you’ll have a wonderful vacation anyway. sequence and timeline that you’ll use to plan and take your trip. For The job of a guidebook is to give you a heads-up regarding oppor- example, Part Two contains advice on what you need to know to start tunities and potential problems. We’re certain we can help you turn a your trip planning. The next few chapters guide you through choos- great vacation into an absolutely fabulous one. ing a hotel, nding good places to eat, and picking the best rides and A mom from Streator, Illinois, who was amazed at the size of the entertainment in the parks. Unofficial Guide, came back saying this: Each chapter starts with Key Questions, a list of the most common It had been 10 years since we’d been to WDW, and I was shocked by and important queries that visitors have about Walt Disney World how much your book grew. After going, I’m surprised that it’s so small. (and Universal Orlando). For each question, we’ve listed where in the chapter to nd the answers—here’s an example: WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK DIFFERENT? THE ADVICE IN THIS BOOK is different from what you’ll find on KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS CHAPTER the internet or in other books, in three important ways. Where can I ﬁnd a planning checklist and timeline? (pages 30–35) First, the team that produces this book is totally independent of the • Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World, and all other members of • What are the six most important tips for avoiding lines at Disney World? the Disney corporate family. We don’t accept free trips, gifts, special (page 53) favors, or other compensation from Disney in exchange for our cover- • What is the FastPass+ ride-reservation system, and how do I use it? age; we pay for everything we review. Disney doesn’t request, inuence, (page 63) edit, or approve anything you’ll read here. In this guide, we represent and serve you, the reader. If a restaurant serves bad food or a gift item is overpriced or a ride isn’t worth the wait, we say so. In the process, we hope to make your visit more fun and rewarding. Second, we use data, science, and technology to help solve problems that you’ll encounter in Walt Disney World. In many ways, the Disney theme parks are the quintessential system: the ultimate in mass- produced entertainment, the most planned and programmed environment anywhere. Lines for rides and restaurants form in predictable ways at predictable times, for example. That makes it possible for us to study them. You may be surprised that Disney-related questions like “How can I wait less in line?” or “What rides should my kids try?” are active areas of research in schools around the world; similar problems pop up in businesses every day. The authors and researchers who write this book have years—some have decades—of academic and professional experience in these areas and use them to bene t you. The third way this book is different is the amount of time and money that goes into making it. Disney research is the full-time job of HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 3 most of our core team. Over the years, we’ve spent millions of dollars reviewing and analyzing Disney World’s hotels, rides, lines, and restaurants. No other book or website commits the people, skills, or budget to do anything like the research you’ll nd in these pages. The only other organization that does comparable analysis of Disney World is Disney itself. And we’ll tell you what it won’t. HOW to USE THIS BOOK THE BEST WAY TO USE THIS BOOK is to read in order the rst few pages of each chapter, to get a feel for the kinds of questions the chapter answers. Then read in depth the chapters most important to you. We’ve organized the chapters so that they appear in the same sequence and timeline that you’ll use to plan and take your trip. For example, Part Two contains advice on what you need to know to start your trip planning. The next few chapters guide you through choosing a hotel, nding good places to eat, and picking the best rides and entertainment in the parks. Each chapter starts with Key Questions, a list of the most common and important queries that visitors have about Walt Disney World (and Universal Orlando). For each question, we’ve listed where in the chapter to nd the answers—here’s an example:

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS CHAPTER • Where can I ﬁnd a planning checklist and timeline? (pages 30–35) • What are the six most important tips for avoiding lines at Disney World? (page 53) • What is the FastPass+ ride-reservation system, and how do I use it? (page 63)

If you don’t recognize a term such as FastPass+, you should read that section of the chapter—it’s probably important. Of course, each chapter answers many more questions than the ones shown on the rst page. We suggest skimming each chapter’s boldfaced section headings to see if a particular topic is relevant to your family. Some subjects, such as how Disney accommodates guests in wheelchairs, are relevant across multiple parts of your vacation. These subjects are usually covered in depth in one chapter (in this case, Part Eight, “Special Tips for Special People”), with cross-references in other chapters when they’re needed. Many topics are discussed in depth. For example, Disney World has hundreds of rides, from simple spinning things you nd at your local town carnival to massive super-headliners, the likes of which you’ve never seen. Understanding the scale of these rides, and how they’re run, will help you decide what’s worth your time. And if you visit another theme park later, you’ll know what to look for when planning that trip too. If you use the guide like an encyclopedia or dictionary—say, you look something up in one of the indexes then go to the cited page—you 4 INTRODUCTION

may overlook information presented in previous sections that is vital to understanding the subject. Likewise, if you skip or skim over explana- tory material in the introductory chapters, that might lead to a misun- derstanding later on.

YOUR UNOFFICIAL WALT DISNEY WORLD TOOLBOX WHEN IT COMES TO WALT DISNEY WORLD, a couple with two toddlers in diapers needs different advice than a party of seniors going to the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Likewise, adults touring without children, families with kids of varying ages, and hon- eymooners all require their own special guidance. To meet the needs of our diverse readers, we’ve created the comprehensive guide before you. We call The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, at 756 pages, the “Big Book.” It provides the detailed information that anyone traveling to Walt Disney World needs to have a super vacation. It’s our cornerstone. As thorough as we try to make the main guide, though, there just isn’t suf cient space for all the tips and resources that may be useful to certain readers. Therefore, we’ve developed three additional guides that provide information tailored to speci c visitors. Here’s what’s in the toolbox: The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line, by Erin Foster with Len Testa and Ritchey Halphen, presents advice for rst-time cruisers; money-saving tips for booking your cruise; and detailed pro les for restaurants, shows, and nightclubs, along with deck plans and thorough coverage of the ports visited by Disney Cruise Line. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids, by Bob Sehlinger and Liliane J. Opsomer with Len Testa, presents detailed planning and touring tips for a family vacation, along with more than 20 family touring plans not included in the Big Book. The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando, by Seth Kubersky, is the most comprehensive guide to Universal Orlando Resort in print. At more than 400 pages, it’s the perfect tool for understanding and enjoying Universal’s ever-expanding complex consisting of theme parks, a water park, resort hotels, nightclubs, and restaurants. The guide includes eld-tested touring plans that will save you hours of standing in line.

CORRECTIONS, UPDATES, AND BREAKING NEWS LOOK FOR THESE at TouringPlans.com; see page 27 for a complete description of the site.

LETTERS AND COMMENTS FROM READERS MANY OF YOU WHO USE The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World write us to comment or share your own strategies for visiting Disney World. Your comments and observations are frequently incorporated into future editions of the Unofficial Guide and have contrib- uted immeasurably to its ongoing improvement. If you write us or complete our reader survey, rest assured that we won’t release your name or address to any mailing-list companies, direct-marketing adver- tisers, or other third parties. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 5

Speaking of comments, from the thousands of letters, emails, and surveys we receive, only about 1 in 8 contains comments. Of these, only a small percentage are substantive and well stated. In other words, quotable comments are like gold to us. If a comment on a particular subject hits the nail on the head, it’s unlikely (though it happens) that we’ll receive a more well-written and more incisive comment. If a better comment isn’t forthcoming, the older comment remains in the next edition because it best serves our readers.

Online Reader Survey Our website hosts a questionnaire you can use to express opinions about your Walt Disney World visit. Access it here: touringplans.com /walt-disney-world/survey. The questionnaire lets every member of your party, regardless of age, tell us what he or she thinks about attractions, hotels, restaurants, and more. You can also print out the reader survey and mail it to us at the following address: Reader Survey The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2204 First Ave. S., Ste. 102 Birmingham, AL 35233 Finally, if you’d like to review this book on Amazon, go to tinyurl .com/wdw2021reviews.

How to Contact the Authors Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2204 First Ave. S., Ste. 102 Birmingham, AL 35233 [email protected] Facebook: TheUnofficialGuides | Twitter: @TheUGSeries When you write, please put your mailing address on both your letter and your envelope—the two sometimes get separated. It’s also a good idea to include your phone number. If you email us, please tell us where you’re from. unofficial TIP Also, understand that, as travel writers, we’re If you’re up for often out of the of ce for extended periods of time, having your comments so please bear with us if we’re slow to respond. quoted in the Guide, Unofficial Guide email isn’t forwarded to us when be sure to tell us where we’re traveling, but we’ll get back to you as soon as you’re from. possible after we return.

THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TEAM ALLOW US TO INTRODUCE THE PEOPLE who work on this book, except for our dining critic, who shall remain anonymous: Steve Bloom is the voice of reason in the wilderness that is statistical analysis. Gerelyn Reaves answers email better than we could and generally keeps everyone in line. Seth Kubersky is our Universal Orlando guru, assisted by food consigliere Derek Burgan. David Davies, Brad Huber, and Julia Mascardo keep the website running. Tom Bricker does fabulous theme park photography. Todd Perlmutter, Bryan Klinck, and 6 INTRODUCTION

•BOB SEHLINGER Author and publisher •LEN TESTA Coauthor •FRED HAZELTON Statistician •SARAH KELLETH TouringPlans.com webmaster, Lines developer •JIM HILL Disney Dish contributor •TRAVIS BRYANT TheUnocialGuides.com webmaster •KAREN TURNBOW, PhD Child psychologist

DATA COLLECTORS Darcie Vance • ANNIE LONG Text design Chantale Brazeau Mary Waring • SCOTT MCGREW Cover design Shane Grizzard Deb Wills • STEVE JONES, Cliff Myers HOTEL INSPECTORS CASSANDRA POERTNER Ivonne Ramos Ritchey Halphen Cartography Darcie Vance Kristen Helmstetter • TAMI KNIGHT, Rich Vosburgh Seth Kubersky CHRIS ELIOPOULOS Cartoonists Kelly Whitman Lillian Macko • ASHLEY M. ARTHUR, Richard Macko CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DAN DOWNING, Darcie Vance Rich Bernato CARMINE LOPER, Christina Harrison EDITORIAL, ART, DARCIE VANCE, Brian McNichols AND PRODUCTION JAN VANCE Liliane J. Opsomer • AMBER K. HENDERSON, Research editors Sue Pisaturo KATE JOHNSON • POTOMAC INDEXING Indexers Laurel Stewart Managing editors (Joanne Sprott, team leader)

EJJ skillfully debugged our touring plan software. Lines’s chat is mod- erated by the fabulous Weasus, Heather, and Camsdad. We’d like to say thanks to these folks for their assistance with fact- checking and research: Robert Bloom, Shannon Bohn, Dani Denni- son, Anne Densk, Alyssa Drake, Erin Foster, Becky Gandillon, Scott Gustin, Erin Jenkins, Richard and Lillian Macko, Lauren Macvane, David McDonough, and Carlye Wisel. Thanks also to Jamie Hold- ing and his GitHub repository (github.com/cubehouse/themeparks). Thanks to John Tierney, who, as far as we know, did not acquire his “data collection” skills during stints in Eastern Europe working for three-letter US government agencies. Finally, to everyone at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts who follows our research from a distance in this special, weird relationship, even if they can’t say it: We love you too.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SERIOUS SOME ARE ASTONISHED that seemingly intelligent adults would spend so much time on critical analyses of theme park rides. If you’ve ever heard “You’re going to Disney again?” from a relative, try explain- ing to complete strangers your theory that Mrs. Potts is an unreliable narrator. But most of us wouldn’t think twice about reading Consumer Reports before buying a car or a major appliance. And Disney World costs more than a dishwasher. Beyond that, the Disney corporation is immensely powerful—it has enough money, talent, and time to do almost anything its executives desire. When Disney’s marketing says its theme parks and restaurants are “world-class” and its artists are “legends,” it’s important to hold it accountable for those words, if they are to mean anything at all. The best way to do that is to point out whether the things Disney wants to sell you meet the standards it has set for itself. When we say that Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the best theme park ride Disney has made in at least 30 years, it’s because we believe it meets the highest of Disney’s ideals dating back to Walt him- self. Likewise, if you read us kvetching about a cartoon-based roller HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 7 coaster in EPCOT, or that the adjective regal means “ t for a king” and absolutely shouldn’t be used in the name of a post- Colonial American restaurant next to an attraction literally dedicated to the republic, it’s because those things don’t make sense in the stories that Disney has already established. And as Disney says, it all begins with a story.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING GOOFY DISNEY EXEC MILDRED MUGGS is escorting intern Bill Reynolds to an important meeting on yield management. “I’m not sure I know what yield management is,” Bill con des. “Is it something to do with the #MeToo movement?” Mildred gives Bill a disbelieving look. “It’s a variable product- pricing strategy that seeks to maximize revenue given existing market conditions,” she explains. “Oh,” Bill says. “I’m not sure I get it, but . . .” Mildred interrupts, “It’s about how to squeeze the last penny out of every Disney guest.” “Ah . . .” They enter the conference room, where they join a Who’s Who of Disney’s top management. Everett Miserpenny, chief nancial of cer, opens the meeting. “We’ve raised room and food prices way beyond the point of price sensitivity, so we really need to be creative here. What’s something else that all of our guests need no matter what?” “Water?” an accountant ventures. “We sell expensive bottled water. If we remove all the drinking fountains, it would goose sales.” “Yeah, but then we’d have to outlaw guests bringing their own water, which would tie up security at the entrance and cause lots of arguments. We want to get guests into the park quickly, so they can buy stuff.” “How ’bout pay toilets?” the vice president of sanitation ventures. “I think you’re onto something,” says Miserpenny. “But that’s way too simple. We’d never get it past the Complications Department.” “Wahoo!! I think I’ve got it!” the sanitation VP cuts in. “Prepaid Advance Reservations for nicer restrooms in the parks.” “But how do you know when you will need to poop three months in advance?” “Well, some people are very regular. I’m amazingly regular. In fact, just last week . . .” “OK, point taken, George.” “People are very picky about restrooms. My wife won’t go at a gas station, but McDonald’s is OK,” a middle manager relates. “That’s the point! That’s why a lot of guests will go for the upscale restrooms even if they have to pay extra. The Advance Reservation is for a fancy toilet on a certain day, so we can call it A-Commode-Date. Get it? It’s a natural!” “Guests without a toilet reservation will use restaurant restrooms. That would lessen the incentive to buy A-Commode-Date.” “No problem. No getting into full-service restaurants without an Advance Reservation. If they have a dining res, it will be on their MagicBand. That will also unlock the restroom door.” 8 INTRODUCTION

“What about people who really have to go but don’t have a reservation? Not everybody is as regular as George.” “We’ll have three Mayday restrooms in each park. No stalls, just a long row of toilets. Easy, cheap, and ef cient. Plus, we can save money by servicing them less often. It’s a win all around.” “Do we sell toilet paper?” “Each person will get half a roll for free, to be monitored on the MagicBand. After that, 25 per two squares will be charged to the customer’s account.” “That’s all really complicated,” Miserpenny comments enthusiasti- cally. “The board will love it.” And so it goes . . . What makes writing about Walt Disney World so much fun is that the Disney people take everything so seriously. Day to day, they debate momentous decisions with far-ranging consequences: Will Pluto look silly in a silver cape? Have we gone too far with The Little Mermaid’s cleavage? With the nation’s drug problem a constant concern, should we have a dwarf named Dopey? Unof cially, we think having a sense of humor is important. This guidebook has one, and it’s probably necessary that you do too—not to use this book but to have the most fun possible at Walt Disney World. Think of the Unofficial Guide as a private trainer to help get your sense of humor in shape. It will help you understand the importance of being goofy. SPECIAL SECTION DISNEY WORLD in the TIME of COVID

UNOFFICIAL GUIDE UPDATES The ﬁrst set of updates for the 2021 edition were done in early February 2021. We’ve incorporated Disney’s current operating procedures into this edition for those of you planning trips in the next few months. An up-to-date summary of book changes is available at tinyurl.com/wdwupdates. We expect this edition to be available through fall 2021. We know many of you are using this edition to plan trips that will take place after a COVID- 19 vaccine is widely administered, and when Disney may bring back popular programs such as FastPass+. This edition still covers those topics, so you’ll be prepared when they’re reinstated.

WALT DISNEY WORLD CLOSED on March 15, 2020, for 118 days as the novel coronavirus swept through the country. When they reopened on July 11, Disney’s theme parks and resorts implemented a series of new safety procedures designed to keep employees and guests as safe as possible. These new procedures are described below. Disney also reduced park hours; capped how many people can enter its theme parks each day (and implemented mandatory park reservations); suspended popular bene ts such as the FastPass+ ride- reservation system; canceled reworks shows, parades, and character greetings; and temporarily closed attractions, restaurants, and hotels. Assuming you’re willing to comply with all the new safety processes, let’s answer the obvious question rst.

IS DISNEY WORLD WORTH IT? EXCEPT FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTS, Disney has charged more or less full price for its theme parks and hotels since reopening. Part of that is just pragmatism: It would be bad customer service to sell discounted hotel rooms to people who can’t get into the theme parks because of capacity limits. But even if you want to go, you can afford it, and you can get hotel and park reservations, is what’s being offered worth paying nearly full price? 10 SPECIAL SECTION: DISNEY WORLD IN THE TIME OF COVID

We’ll answer that question by asking another: Think of your favorite FastPass+ ride-reservation system (see page 63) and hard-ticket events pre-pandemic sit-down restaurant, the one that you’re ordering takeout such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Except for VIP tours, from now. Is the to-go experience that you’re paying full price for today Disney’s guided tours are suspended. the same as the in-restaurant experience you had before? Probably not. We think FastPass+ may return as Disney increases park capacity. But you’re willing to pay full price because you know that in normal Standby lines at the rides now require 6 feet of space between guests. times, the restaurant offers good value for the money, and you want it Even when the parks were at 10% of their pre-pandemic capacity, to make it through this thing. That’s how we feel about theme parks. that increased some lines’ length enough that they spilled out into the If you were in the middle of planning your rst or once-in-a-lifetime walkways. FastPass+ would reduce the need for that many people to trip to Walt Disney World, wait to go until a vaccine is widely admin- be in the standby line. istered and Disney brings back its parades, reworks, and character Some counter-service and sit-down restaurants remain closed, greetings. Those are some of the best and most highly rated activities especially at EPCOT. See Part Six, “Dining,” for more details. in the parks, and you can’t experience them right now. HOTELS AND RESORTS Disney has reopened at least two resorts in If, however, you’re a fan of Walt Disney World and you’ve been each of Disney’s Value, Moderate, and Deluxe categories, and all of before, then we think it’s worth going. You’ll be trading off parades Walt Disney World’s Disney Vacation Club resorts are open. Each you’ve already seen and characters you’ve already met for smaller open resort has at least one dining option available; some sit-down lines and crowds than perhaps you’ve ever seen, and meals that have restaurants might be closed. Each resort has at least one open pool. never been prepared with so much individual attention. You’ll also Other resort activities and recreation are limited or suspended. See be helping to employ thousands of cast members. And the rst time Part Five, “Accommodations,” for more details. you’re on a ride where the lights dim, the music starts, and the special TRANSPORTATION Disney’s buses, monorails, boats, and Skyliner are effects kick in, you’ll forget everything going on in the outside world running between the theme parks, resorts, and Disney Springs and and simply be entertained. It’s blissful. have implemented social distancing. A few monorail, bus, and boat There’s danger, of course, in recommending that people pay full stops have been temporarily closed. See Part Nine, “Arriving and Get- price for drastically limited parks and resorts. It’s possible that as ting Around,” for more details. the pandemic subsides, Disney makes these cuts permanent, guring that people have been willing to pay the same while getting objec- WATER PARKS Blizzard Beach will reopen March 7, 2021. Typhoon tively less, so why not boost the bottom line? Lagoon doesn’t have an opening date at press time. We’re not minimizing this risk; there are plenty of Disney execu- DINING, SHOPPING, AND NIGHTLIFE Almost all of Disney Springs’ res- tives who display the same passion and interest in the parks as they taurants and stores are open at reduced capacity. Dining reservations would a guano farm in Bolivia—as long as money’s coming in, they are still recommended. Restaurants will encourage you to read menus don’t think about who pays it or why. But now feels like the time to using your smartphone. Contactless payments (that is, not cash) are assume positive intent—that someone high up in the Disney company encouraged throughout Walt Disney World. See Part Six, “Dining,” recognizes its theme park guests are willing to take chances and make and Part Eighteen, “Shopping and Nightlife,” for more details. sacri ces today so that the parks will be here tomorrow—and not RECREATION, SPAS, AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOURS Disney’s golf worry about being taken advantage of. courses are open. Most other outdoor activities at resorts, such as boating, are not currently available. Likewise, public VIP tours such as Keys to the Kingdom are temporarily suspended; the one exception is private VIP tours, which continue to be available. WHAT’S OPEN AT We think it’s unlikely that hands-on experiences such as spa treatments, or large-group park tours, will return to the parks before a WALT DISNEY WORLD COVID vaccine is widely administered. Because it’s also likely that THEME PARKS All four of Disney’s theme parks are open daily. The those offerings will be substantially different than they were, we’ve parks open and close at staggered times to reduce the number of peo- decided to discontinue coverage of these topics in this edition. ple standing together on buses and at transportation stops. Operating hours have been reduced substantially: Expect the parks to be open around 10–14 hours daily during summer and holidays, and 8 or 9 SAFETY PROCEDURES hours at other times. A READER FROM DANVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, reported back on A theme park reservation is now required to enter a park each experiencing Disney World during the pandemic: day. See page 32 in Part Two, “Planning Before You Leave Home,” We enjoyed the smaller crowds during the pandemic. We felt safe for details. there. Staff was direct but polite in reminding people to wear their Almost all theme park attractions are open. Up-close character masks appropriately. Distancing in the parks was well controlled. greetings, parades, and reworks have been suspended, as have the Hand sanitizer was readily available. SAFETY PROCEDURES 11

FastPass+ ride-reservation system (see page 63) and hard-ticket events such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Except for VIP tours, Disney’s guided tours are suspended. We think FastPass+ may return as Disney increases park capacity. Standby lines at the rides now require 6 feet of space between guests. Even when the parks were at 10% of their pre-pandemic capacity, that increased some lines’ length enough that they spilled out into the walkways. FastPass+ would reduce the need for that many people to be in the standby line. Some counter-service and sit-down restaurants remain closed, especially at EPCOT. See Part Six, “Dining,” for more details. HOTELS AND RESORTS Disney has reopened at least two resorts in each of Disney’s Value, Moderate, and Deluxe categories, and all of Walt Disney World’s Disney Vacation Club resorts are open. Each open resort has at least one dining option available; some sit-down restaurants might be closed. Each resort has at least one open pool. Other resort activities and recreation are limited or suspended. See Part Five, “Accommodations,” for more details. TRANSPORTATION Disney’s buses, monorails, boats, and Skyliner are running between the theme parks, resorts, and Disney Springs and have implemented social distancing. A few monorail, bus, and boat stops have been temporarily closed. See Part Nine, “Arriving and Get- ting Around,” for more details. WATER PARKS Blizzard Beach will reopen March 7, 2021. Typhoon Lagoon doesn’t have an opening date at press time. DINING, SHOPPING, AND NIGHTLIFE Almost all of Disney Springs’ restaurants and stores are open at reduced capacity. Dining reservations are still recommended. Restaurants will encourage you to read menus using your smartphone. Contactless payments (that is, not cash) are encouraged throughout Walt Disney World. See Part Six, “Dining,” and Part Eighteen, “Shopping and Nightlife,” for more details. RECREATION, SPAS, AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOURS Disney’s golf courses are open. Most other outdoor activities at resorts, such as boating, are not currently available. Likewise, public VIP tours such as Keys to the Kingdom are temporarily suspended; the one exception is private VIP tours, which continue to be available. We think it’s unlikely that hands-on experiences such as spa treatments, or large-group park tours, will return to the parks before a COVID vaccine is widely administered. Because it’s also likely that those offerings will be substantially different than they were, we’ve decided to discontinue coverage of these topics in this edition. SAFETY PROCEDURES A READER FROM DANVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, reported back on experiencing Disney World during the pandemic: We enjoyed the smaller crowds during the pandemic. We felt safe there. Staff was direct but polite in reminding people to wear their masks appropriately. Distancing in the parks was well controlled. Hand sanitizer was readily available. 12 SPECIAL SECTION: DISNEY WORLD IN THE TIME OF COVID

Disney World’s COVID-related safety procedures seem more thorough and more enforced than in any other city in the United States. Mask compliance is nearly 100%, hand sanitizer and cleaning products abound, social-distancing cues are everywhere, and cast members will politely nudge those who need reminding. We think this is in part due to two things: People really, really want to be in the parks, and nobody’s going to pay $120 to get thrown out for not wearing a 50 mask. STATE AND COUNTRY QUARANTINES At press time, Florida did not have a self-quarantine period for people traveling from other US states. Many states, however, have imposed self-quarantine periods for people traveling from Florida. Check your state’s health department guidelines at tinyurl.com/ushealthdepts. At press time, travel to the United States was not permitted by non-US citizens from Brazil, Canada, Ireland, the 26 European states of the Schengen Area, or the United Kingdom. See travel.state.gov for current policies. TEMPERATURE CHECKS All guests and employees will have their temperature checked before being allowed to enter the theme parks and Disney Springs. This check will be performed using a touch-free fore- head thermometer that gives instant results. If any member of your party registers a temperature of 100.4ºF (38ºC) or above, your entire group will be escorted to a shaded, secure area and given time to cool off before being retested. If someone continues to read hot, the entire group will be asked to leave until they have been cleared by a doctor. A deceptively long line for temperature checks may form in the mornings, but it moves very quickly and should usually take no more than 5 minutes to pass through. Grab a dollop of sanitizer from the dispensers immediately before the checkpoint (the rst of many you’ll see throughout the day) and pull your hat up to speed the scanning. Before reaching that temperature check, you’ll want to ensure all members of your party age 2 and older have on their face masks. FACE MASKS Face coverings must always be worn. The only exceptions are when eating or drinking while stationary, and in pools. Masks must: • Be made of at least two layers of material • Fully cover the mouth and nose and secure under the chin • Fit snugly at the sides of your face • Be secured with ties or loops so that you can remain hands-free Masks with valves or vents, mesh material, or holes are prohibited, as are bandannas and neck gaiters. Guests without approved masks will be offered a free disposable mask or may purchase Disney-themed reusable masks for around $5 each. We’ve spent many summer weeks testing different masks in the parks. We think a pack of disposable, three-layer paper masks with elastic ear loops is a good choice. They’re reasonably effective; they’re cheap, so you can change them every couple of hours; and they t most people pretty well. If you need a break from your mask, outdoor break areas called Relaxation Stations, where unmasking is permitted at your own risk, are provided in the parks. SAFETY PROCEDURES 13

SOCIAL DISTANCING Throughout Walt Disney World’s theme parks and hotels, you’ll see and hear reminders to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet (2 meters) between your party and others at all times. Most shops, restaurants, and pools will also designate speci c ways to enter and exit, so that you’re not passing close by strangers. At the theme parks, stickers on the ground delineating proper spac- ing have sprouted like mushrooms anywhere a queue might form, and round markers are placed to designate safe standing spaces where lines aren’t marked. Social-distancing measures also extend to ride vehicles, restrooms, water fountains, and other facilities. Putting 6 feet between guests makes lines look huge: A 25-minute wait at Pirates of the Caribbean that would normally t comfortably inside its air-conditioned hallways, for example, will extend from the boats’ boarding area, through the hallways, and then out the door into a zigzag pattern in a covered plaza, perhaps even into the walkway. The good news, however, is that you’ll move almost constantly in that line, because each group that boards the ride shortens the line by 6 feet. We’re convinced this continual movement (and constant change of scenery) makes the wait more bearable than Disney’s regular process. If you’re a psychologist, economist, or operations researcher interested in testing this idea, drop us a line. Some attraction preshows that required standing in a closed room with strangers have been temporarily suspended. These include the “stretching room” at The Haunted Mansion and the library at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which are now pass-through rooms on the wait to their boarding areas. To maintain separation, ride-vehicle capacity has been signi cantly reduced at attractions where you used to sit with unrelated groups. Many ride vehicles now have plexiglass dividers between rows of seats. Other ride vehicles, such as boats capable of holding 20-plus guests (such as in It’s a Small World), now hold a maximum of 8 (4 guests in the front and back rows, with the middle rows kept empty). Groups larger than 4 get a whole vehicle to themselves. Different groups will not be seated in the same row. Single-rider lines, previously used to ll in the occasional empty seat on rides, are not running. Parties of one will use the regular queues and will likely get a row (or even an entire ride vehicle) to themselves. Seating at theaters and live entertainment will follow similar patterns: empty rows between guests, and several empty seats between unrelated groups in the same row. These capacity reductions mean rides load slower. The good news is that the slower load is usually offset by a larger reduction in park attendance, so your overall wait in line is still less than it would be in normal times. Still, be prepared to exercise patience during the boarding process. At Disney’s resort pools, chairs, tables, and loungers are placed in small clusters with at least 6 feet of space between groups. SANITIZING Disney has stepped up sanitation efforts across the property, in the form of an army of employees regularly sanitizing every handrail and other high-touch surface. Hand-sanitizer dispensers are found at the entrance to virtually every building, ride, and shop, and 14 SPECIAL SECTION: DISNEY WORLD IN THE TIME OF COVID

you can purchase a small bottle of alcohol-based gel in most shops for about $3. It’s impossible to avoid the audio announcements and signage encouraging frequent hand-washing. As always, 3-D glasses are cleaned after each guest. If you nd that your 3-D glasses fog up almost immediately, ensure that your face mask ts rmly along your nose and cheeks; masks with a exible wire to customize the t are good here. If the gap beside your nose is still allowing warm air to travel behind the lenses, try exhaling downward through your mouth by pulling your lower lip back into an overbite; it feels funny, but it will help keep your ride from becoming a blur. At Disney’s hotels, cleaning measures include removing high-touch items, such as coffee makers, and wrapping TV remote controls in disposable plastic bags. You’ll see nonstop sanitation of high- contact surfaces (think telephones, remote controls, door handles, and light switches) throughout the hotel, along with social-distancing reminder signs and hand-sanitizer stations in public areas and elevator landings.

We’ll also reiterate key information throughout the following chapters and highlight it with our own masked Wuffo character (at left), but we’ve tried to centralize the essentials here to avoid overloading the remainder of the book with COVID callouts. PART ONE WALT DISNEY WORLD: An OVERVIEW

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS CHAPTER • What is Walt Disney World? (see below) • How big is Walt Disney World? (see below and next page) • What’s the di erence between the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT? (pages 16–17) • Are Universal and Disney the same? Where are the Harry Potter rides? (page 25) • What do these new words and acronyms mean? (page 26)

WHAT IS DISNEY WORLD? WE MAY BE BIASED, but we think Walt Disney World (WDW), in Orlando, Florida, is the best collection of theme parks on Earth. Its combined size, quality, and ambition go far beyond that of any other amusement park or theme park you may have seen. If this is your rst visit, you’re probably familiar with Disney World through Disney’s theme park advertising. It’s great at showing families enjoying exciting rides and meeting its famous characters. But 30-second ads don’t convey where to nd those rides and characters. Walt Disney World has four theme parks. If you’re familiar with any of them, it’s probably the Magic Kingdom—the rst one built and the one most people think of when they hear the words Disney World. The other three theme parks are EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Walt Disney World also contains two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. But there’s more: over three dozen hotels and a campground; more than 100 restaurants; a massive year-round sports center; an outdoor mall/entertainment/hotel complex called Disney Springs; 6 convention centers; 4 golf courses; and an array of spas, recreation options, and other activities.

HOW BIG IS WALT DISNEY WORLD? WALT DISNEY WORLD IS HUGE—around 43 square miles, about double the size of Manhattan and slightly smaller than Miami. 16 PART 1 WALT DISNEY WORLD: AN OVERVIEW

For easy reference, we (and Disney) use the theme parks as rough guides to locations within Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom Resort Area, for example, is about 7 square miles and contains the Magic Kingdom theme park and nearby hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and entertainment. The EPCOT Resort Area is roughly 1.5 square miles and contains the EPCOT theme park, nearby hotels and restaurants, and so on. Most of these areas are separated by miles of barely developed Central Florida swampland. The areas are so far apart that it’s not possible to walk between them. Instead, you’ll usually get around via the Walt Disney World transportation system’s eet of buses, boats, cars, monorail trains (monorails), and aerial trams. In fact, Disney World’s bus system is the third largest in Florida, behind Jacksonville’s and Miami’s. The Disney transportation system is so large that Part Nine of this book is dedicated to it. Because of Walt Disney World’s size, it would probably take around two weeks to explore most of it. Most families don’t have two weeks to spare, so we’ll tell you the best things to see in the time you have.

THE MAJOR THEME PARKS The Magic Kingdom When most people think of Walt Disney World, they think of the Magic Kingdom, opened in 1971. It consists of Cinderella Castle and adventures, rides, and shows featuring the Disney cartoon characters. It’s only one element of Disney World, but it remains the heart. The Magic Kingdom is divided into six “lands” arranged around a central hub. First you come to Main Street, U.S.A., which connects the Magic Kingdom entrance with the hub. Arranged clockwise around the hub are Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. The Magic Kingdom has more rides, shows, and entertainment than any other WDW theme park. A comprehensive tour takes two days; a tour of the highlights can be done in one full day. Five hotels (Bay Lake Tower; the Contemporary, Polynesian Village, and Grand Floridian Resorts; and The Villas at the Grand Floridian) are connected to the Magic Kingdom by monorail and boat. Three other hotels, Shades of Green (for the US military and their families), Wilderness Lodge (incorporating the Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek time-share units), and Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, are located nearby but aren’t served by the monorail.

EPCOT Opened in October 1982, EPCOT is twice as big as the Magic Kingdom and comparable in scope. It has two major areas: Future World consists of pavilions concerning human creativity and technological advance- ment; World Showcase, arranged around a 40-acre lagoon, presents the architectural, social, and cultural heritages of almost a dozen nations, each country represented by replicas of famous landmarks and settings familiar to world travelers. The EPCOT resorts—the BoardWalk Inn & Villas, Dolphin, Swan, Swan Reserve, and Yacht & Beach Club Resorts and Beach Club Villas— are within a 5- to 15-minute walk of the International Gate- way, the World Showcase entrance to the theme park. The hotels are WHAT IS DISNEY WORLD? 17 also linked to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios by boat and walkway. EPCOT is connected to the Magic Kingdom and its hotels by monorail. An elevated ski lift–like gondola system called the Sky- liner links EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Disney’s Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera Resorts.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Opened in 1989 in an area a little larger than the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) has two main sections. One area, occupying about 50% of the Studios, is a theme park focused on the motion picture, music, and television industries. Park highlights include a re-creation of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards from Hollywood’s Golden Age, several rides and musical shows, and a movie stunt show. The other half of DHS is two immersive lands based on popular Disney lm franchises. Toy Story Land opened in 2018 with two highly themed but relatively simple rides for children. Star Wars: Gal- axy’s Edge, which opened in August 2019, has two cutting-edge, large rides for older children, teens, and adults. DHS is connected to other Walt Disney World areas by highway, boat, and Skyliner but not by monorail. Guests can park in DHS’s pay parking lot or commute by bus; guests at EPCOT resort hotels can reach DHS by boat, on foot, or by Skyliner.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom About five times the size of the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal King- dom combines zoological exhibits with rides, shows, and live entertainment. The park is arranged in a hub-and-spoke configuration somewhat like the Magic Kingdom. A lush tropical rainforest serves as Main Street, funneling visitors to Discovery Island, the park’s hub. Dominated by the park’s central icon, the 14-story-tall, hand-carved Tree of Life, Discovery Island offers services, shopping, and dining. From there, guests can access the themed areas: Africa, Asia, and DinoLand U.S.A. Discovery Island, Africa, and DinoLand U.S.A. opened in 1998, followed by Asia in 1999. Africa, the largest themed area at 100 acres, is home to free- roaming herds in a re-creation of the Serengeti Plain. Pandora—The World of Avatar, based on James Cameron’s 2009 lm Avatar, is the most signi cant recent expansion. Its biggest draws may be the animals and scenery—including “oating mountains” and glow-in-the-dark plants—which Disney has replicated from the movie. See Part Thirteen for full details. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has its own parking lot and is connected to other Walt Disney World destinations by the Disney bus system. Although no hotels lie within Animal Kingdom proper, the All-Star Resorts, Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas, COVID tip Blizzard Beach is and Coronado Springs Resort are all nearby. scheduled to reopen March 7, 2021. At THE WATER PARKS press time, no opening DISNEY WORLD HAS TWO major water parks: date was announced for Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Opened in Typhoon Lagoon. continued on page 22 18 PART 1 WALT DISNEY WORLD: AN OVERVIEW

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continued from page 17

1989, Typhoon Lagoon is distinguished by a wave pool capable of making 6-foot waves. Blizzard Beach opened in 1995 and features more slides. Both parks pay great attention to atmosphere and aesthetics. Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach have their own parking lots and can be reached by Disney bus.

OTHER WALT DISNEY WORLD VENUES Disney Springs Themed to evoke a Florida waterfront town, Disney Springs encompasses four areas, each with shopping, dining, and entertainment: the Marketplace, on the east; the West Side, on (surprise!) the west; The Landing, on the waterfront; and Town Center. The Marketplace contains the country’s largest store selling Disney- character merchandise; upscale resort-wear and specialty shops; and numerous restaurants. The West Side is a diverse mix of nightlife, shopping, dining, and notable entertainment, including a dedicated Cirque du Soleil show found only at Disney World. The Landing offers additional shopping and arguably the best dining options in Disney Springs. These include The Boathouse, an upscale waterfront seafood eatery, with better steaks than anything nearby; Morimoto Asia, a high-quality midpriced table-service restaurant from Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto; Chef Art Smith’s Home comin’, a restaurant from celebrity chef and Florida native Art Smith that features local farm-to-table ingredients, traditional Southern cooking, and excellent cocktails; and Wine Bar George, serving tasty Mediterranean small plates and a well-curated list of affordable wines. Disney Springs includes three multistory parking garages, with short walks to the middle of the action. It is also accessible via Disney transportation from Disney resort hotels and theme parks.

Disney’s BoardWalk Near EPCOT, the BoardWalk is an idealized replication of a 1930s East Coast waterfront resort. Open all day, the BoardWalk features upscale restaurants, shops and galleries, a brewpub, COVID tip and an ESPN sports bar. In the evening, a At press time, both the nightclub with dueling pianos and a DJ piano bar and dance dance club join the lineup. Both are for guests club were closed. age 21 and up only. There’s no admission fee for the BoardWalk, but the piano bar levies a cover charge at night. This area is anchored by the BoardWalk Inn & Villas, along with its adjacent convention center. The BoardWalk is within walking distance of the EPCOT resorts, EPCOT’s International Gateway, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Boat transportation is available to and from EPCOT and Disney’s Holly wood Studios, the Skyliner connects the BoardWalk to the Stu- dios and the hotels on its route, and buses serve other Walt Disney World locations. WHAT IS DISNEY WORLD? 23

Disney Cruise Line: The Mouse at Sea Disney launched (literally) its own cruise line in 1998 with the 2,400- passenger Disney Magic. Three more ships were added, and three more will join the soon-to-be seven-ship fleet starting in 2022. Most cruises depart from Port Canaveral, Florida (about a 90-minute drive from Walt Disney World), or from Miami on three-, four-, and seven-night itineraries. Bahamian and Caribbean cruises include a day at Castaway Cay, Disney’s 1,000-acre private island. Cruises can be packaged with a stay at Disney World. Disney offers a free online video at disneyplanning.com to help familiarize you with Disney Cruise Line cruises. To get the most out of your cruise, check out The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line, by Erin Foster with Len Testa and Ritchey Halphen.

WHAT’S NEW AT WALT DISNEY WORLD Disneyland is something that will never be finished. It’s something that I can keep developing. It will be a live, breathing thing that will need change. —Walt Disney

WHAT WALT SAID OF DISNEYLAND is also true of Disney World. The table on page 24 shows all the major construction projects that have been completed at Walt Disney World in the last 2, 5, and 10 years.

THE PEOPLE OF WALT DISNEY WORLD DISNEY’S EMPLOYEES are called cast members. How you’re treated by the ones you encounter can make or break a vacation. Fortunately, Disney staff often go the extra mile to make your visit special, as the following three readers report. First, from a family from Pawnee, Illinois, who was assisted in a health emergency: On our first day at the resort, our 6-year-old grandson woke up with a deep cough, fever, and kind of wheezing. Our daughter-in-law con- tacted the desk and found that WDW provided a shuttle to a local prompt-care facility. As it turned out, the shuttle wasn’t available, so they called a cab instead and covered the cost! Our grandson was able to be seen by a physician and received medication that allowed him to get better and salvage the trip. We can’t say enough about what the staff and WDW did for us that day! They were terrific! A family from St. Joseph, Michigan, had this to relate: We had a very unexpected and wonderful surprise waiting in our stroller after the Country Bear Jamboree. Out of nearly 30 strollers, ours had been visited by Santa Mickey while we were in the show. We came out to a stroller decorated with silly bands, Christmas orna- ments, and a snowman Mickey plush toy. Our 5-year-old son, not to mention the rest of our party, were delighted. Just another way that WDW goes one more step to make a magical experience. Finally, from a suburban Philadelphia family: At Expedition Everest, I witnessed expert handling of a group of teenage line-jumpers by Disney staff. Once they reached the loading 24 PART 1 WALT DISNEY WORLD: AN OVERVIEW

area, cast members ushered them aside in a very calm and friendly WHAT’S NEW AT WALT DISNEY fashion, causing no apparent disruption. I didn’t see where they were WORLD SINCE YOUR LAST VISIT ushered or what happened next, but I did not see them board the ride. It was as if they were never there. LAST 2 YEARS • Disney’s Hollywood Studios has undergone major changes. Toy Story Land opened in the summer of 2018 with two new attractions, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge followed it with two more rides in 2019. The Disney Junior Play and Dance now takes place in Animation Courtyard. UNIVERSAL ORLANDO LIKE WALT DISNEY WORLD, • At EPCOT, the nighttime shows IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth and EPCOT the Universal Orlando Resort con- Forever have ended their runs. A new show, Harmonious, will begin later in 2021. sists of two theme parks, a water park, several hotels, dozens of res- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will also open in 2021 in the France Pavilion. A roller taurants, and other entertainment venues. It sits about 14 miles east of coaster based on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will open in Future World in late 2021 or 2022. Walt Disney World, just off I-4. Both resorts are owned by media companies: Comcast owns Uni- • Disney’s Riviera Resort, a Disney Vacation Club property, opened in 2019 adjacent to the Caribbean Beach Resort. versal, and the Walt Disney Company owns Walt Disney World. Thus, admission tickets bought for Disney World can’t be used at • Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort opened the new 15-story Gran Destino Tower in 2019, with more-upscale guest rooms and dining options. Universal, and vice versa. Because they’re owned by different companies, Disney and Uni- • Disney Springs continues to add highly rated dining, including Wine Bar George, Terralina Crafted Italian Restaurant, Maria & Enzo’s, and Paddlefish. versal are generally viewed as direct competitors—the time and money you spend in one place are time and money not spent in the LAST 5 YEARS other. In reality, we think the Disney and Universal parks comple- • The remodeling of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is complete with Pandora: The World of Avatar, with two new attractions and glowing “bioluminescent” plants. The adventurous ment each other; if you’re in Orlando for themed entertainment, it’s restaurant Tiffins opened with the accompanying Nomad Lounge. The nighttime worth visiting both. spectacular Rivers of Light, along with other nighttime activities like evening Universal’s big claims to fame are its spectacular lands themed Kilimanjaro Safaris and multiple entertainment acts, also debuted. to the Harry Potter lm franchise: Harry Potter and the Forbidden • At the Magic Kingdom, the longtime fireworks spectacular Wishes has been replaced by the Journey at Universal’s Islands of Adventure (IOA) and Harry Potter fantastic Happily Ever After. and the Escape from Gringotts at Universal Studios Florida (USF). • EPCOT saw the opening of Frozen Ever After, a ride themed on the superpopular film Both are highly detailed areas with amazing technology and beloved Frozen. EPCOT also unveiled yet another wonderful festival, the Festival of the Arts, characters. (Len has never seen the lms or read the books yet hap- which runs mid-January–February. pily spent 6 hours exploring just Diagon Alley.) And Universal con- • Hollywood Studios began the road toward Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with Star Wars tinues to expand, adding more hotels and rides to its almost 1,000 Launch Bay and Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular, a themed fireworks show. acres of land. • Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort opened, adding Universal is a high-quality alternative to Walt Disney World, so refurbished Disney Vacation Club rooms and two-bedroom cabins along Bay Lake, as well as the new Geyser Point Bar & Grill. we cover its basics in this guide. For an in-depth guide to everything LAST 10 YEARS Universal has to offer, try The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando, by Seth Kubersky. • New Fantasyland opened in the Magic Kingdom, comprising Seven Dwarfs Mine Train; Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid; Enchanted Tales with Belle; and Be Our Guest Restaurant. Also at the Magic Kingdom, Jungle Navigation Co. Skipper Canteen POCKET TRANSLATOR TO COMMON DISNEY offers table-service dining in Adventureland with all the whimsy of the Jungle Cruise, AND UNIVERSAL ABBREVIATIONS and Festival of Fantasy became the new daytime parade. IT MAY COME AS A SURPRISE to many, but Walt Disney World has • The FastPass+ ride-reservation system, with online and mobile apps, replaced the its own somewhat peculiar language. The following tables list some paper-based Fastpass system in use since 1998. abbreviations and slang you’re likely to bump into, both in this guide • MagicBands, flexible, RFID-enabled bracelets, were introduced as a form of admission and in the larger Disney (and Universal) community. and a way to use FastPass+ reservations, pay for food and merchandise, and more.

• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration opened at DHS. • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows opened, adding studios, suites, and over-the- water two-bedroom bungalows on Seven Seas Lagoon. The nearby Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa also opened with studios and one-, two-, and three- bedroom suites.

• Disney’s Art of Animation, a Value resort, opened with many one-bedroom suites. UNIVERSAL ORLANDO 25

area, cast members ushered them aside in a very calm and friendly fashion, causing no apparent disruption. I didn’t see where they were ushered or what happened next, but I did not see them board the ride. It was as if they were never there.

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO LIKE WALT DISNEY WORLD, the Universal Orlando Resort consists of two theme parks, a water park, several hotels, dozens of restaurants, and other entertainment venues. It sits about 14 miles east of Walt Disney World, just off I-4. Both resorts are owned by media companies: Comcast owns Uni- versal, and the Walt Disney Company owns Walt Disney World. Thus, admission tickets bought for Disney World can’t be used at Universal, and vice versa. Because they’re owned by different companies, Disney and Uni- versal are generally viewed as direct competitors—the time and money you spend in one place are time and money not spent in the other. In reality, we think the Disney and Universal parks complement each other; if you’re in Orlando for themed entertainment, it’s worth visiting both. Universal’s big claims to fame are its spectacular lands themed to the Harry Potter lm franchise: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal’s Islands of Adventure (IOA) and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts at Universal Studios Florida (USF). Both are highly detailed areas with amazing technology and beloved characters. (Len has never seen the lms or read the books yet happily spent 6 hours exploring just Diagon Alley.) And Universal continues to expand, adding more hotels and rides to its almost 1,000 acres of land. Universal is a high-quality alternative to Walt Disney World, so we cover its basics in this guide. For an in-depth guide to everything Universal has to offer, try The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando, by Seth Kubersky.

POCKET TRANSLATOR TO COMMON DISNEY AND UNIVERSAL ABBREVIATIONS IT MAY COME AS A SURPRISE to many, but Walt Disney World has its own somewhat peculiar language. The following tables list some abbreviations and slang you’re likely to bump into, both in this guide and in the larger Disney (and Universal) community.

continued on page 26 26 PART 1 WALT DISNEY WORLD: AN OVERVIEW

continued from page 25

COMMON ABBREVIATIONS AND WHAT THEY STAND FOR ADR¦Advance Dining Reservation FP+¦FastPass+ BG¦Boarding group (for RoTR) I-DRIVE¦International Drive (a major Orlando thoroughfare) CM¦Cast member IOA¦Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park DCL¦Disney Cruise Line MDE¦My Disney Experience mobile app

DDV¦Disney Deluxe Villas ROTR¦Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride DHS¦Disney’s Hollywood Studios TTC¦Ticket and Transportation Center DSRA¦Disney Springs Resort Area USF¦Universal Studios Florida theme park DTS¦Disney Transportation System WDI¦Walt Disney Imagineering DVC¦Disney Vacation Club WDTC¦Walt Disney Travel Company ETPE¦Early Theme Park Entry WDW¦Walt Disney World (formerly Extra Magic Hours, or EMH)

THE DISNEY LEXICON IN A NUTSHELL ADVENTURE Ride|ATTRACTION Ride or theater show ATTRACTION HOST Ride operator|AUDIENCE Crowd BACKSTAGE Behind the scenes, out of view of customers CAST MEMBER Employee CHARACTER Disney character impersonated by an employee COSTUME Work attire or uniform|DARK RIDE Indoor ride DAY GUEST Any customer not staying at a Disney resort DRC Disney Reservation Center FACE CHARACTER A character who doesn’t wear a head-covering costume (Snow White, Cinderella, Jasmine, and the like) GENERAL PUBLIC Same as day guest GREETER Employee positioned at an attraction entrance|GUEST Customer HIDDEN MICKEYS Frontal silhouette of Mickey’s head worked subtly into the design of buildings, railings, golf greens, attractions, and just about anything else OFF-SITE A hotel located outside of Walt Disney World’s boundaries ON-SITE A hotel located inside Walt Disney World’s boundaries and served by Disney’s transportation network ON STAGE In full view of customers PRESHOW Entertainment at an attraction before the feature presentation RESORT GUEST A customer staying at a Disney resort ROLE A cast member’s job SOFT OPENING Opening a park or attraction before its stated opening date TRANSITIONAL EXPERIENCE An element of the queuing area and/or preshow that provides information essential to understanding the attraction PART TWO

PLANNING before YOU LEAVE HOME

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS CHAPTER • Where can I ﬁnd a planning checklist and timeline? (pages 30–35)

• What is My Disney Experience, and how do I use it? (page 35)

• When is Disney World least crowded and most crowded? (pages 39–40)

• What is Early Theme Park Entry, and how do I use it? (pages 43–44)

• What special events are scheduled while I’m at Walt Disney World? (pages 45–47)

• How can I contact someone at Disney with questions? (pages 46–48)

Visiting Walt Disney World is a bit like childbirth—you never really believe what people tell you, but once you have been through it yourself, you know exactly what they were saying! —Hilary Wolfe, a mother and Unof cial Guide reader from Swansea, Wales

GATHERING INFORMATION IN ADDITION TO USING THIS GUIDE, we recommend that you visit our sister website, TouringPlans.com. The companion blog posts breaking news for Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Disney Cruise Line, and Disneyland. TouringPlans.com complements and augments the information in our books, and it provides real-time personal services that are impossible to build into a book. The book is your comprehensive reference source; Touring Plans.com is your personal concierge. Sign up for free here: touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/join/basic. With that free access, you’ll be able to create custom touring plans, follow them in the parks, and get updates to them if conditions change while you’re there. You’ll also nd up-to-the-minute information on attractions, shows, restaurants, crowds, park hours and operations, and more. 28 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

A few parts of the site require a small subscription fee to access: a detailed, day-by-day crowd calendar, for example, or a service that sends your hotel room request directly to Disney. That subscription covers the costs of the extra people, technology, and external services that it takes to provide them, beyond what’s needed for the books. Below is a brief rundown of some things you’ll nd on the site. If this looks like a long advertisement, it’s because we still receive many requests each year asking us for tools and information—such as where to nd ticket discounts—that are already available on the site for free. TICKET DISCOUNTS A free customizable search helps you nd the cheapest tickets for your speci c needs. A typical family of four saves around $130 on average by purchasing admission from one of our recommended ticket wholesalers. CUSTOM TOURING PLANS The best and most ef cient touring plans are found in these guidebooks. They’ve been used by hundreds of thousands of families over the years, usually with excellent results. They depend, however, on your arriving at the park before opening. For some families with children, and for those who bristle at rising early while on vacation, being on hand for park opening is a non- starter. In those cases, and for others with unique circumstances, we provide custom touring plans online. If getting up early isn’t an issue, you can customize the plans in this book by simply skipping any attractions that don’t interest you. A DETAILED 365-DAY CROWD CALENDAR FOR EACH THEME PARK Sub- scribers can see which parks will be the least crowded every day of their trip, using a 1–10 scale. You can also view historical crowd data and check the accuracy of our predictions. HOTEL-ROOM VIEWS AND ONLINE EMAIL SERVICE We have photos of the views from every hotel room in Walt Disney World—more than 35,000 images in all—and we’ll give you the exact wording to use for requesting a speci c room. For subscribers, we’ll even automatically email your request to Disney before you arrive. A mother who used the service writes: The send-ahead feature was wonderful! We got a room with a GOR- GEOUS river view! My husband’s jaw dropped when he saw what our view was like! He immediately gave me a big high-five. Thanks! Disney tries to accommodate your request, but its ability to do that depends on variables we can’t control. Most of the requests we send on behalf of readers are honored in full or partially, but sometimes Disney just can’t make it work. Feel fortunate if you get what you asked for. FASTPASS+ INFORMATION When it’s offered, the site shows every FastPass+ reservation available at every attraction in the parks. ANSWERS TO YOUR TRIP-PLANNING QUESTIONS Our online community includes tens of thousands of Disney experts and fans willing to help with your vacation plans. Ask questions and offer your own helpful tips. LINES APP Our in-park app, Lines, is available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. For years, Lines has been the highest-rated Disney World app for Apple and Android devices—higher than even GATHERING INFORMATION 29

Disney’s own apps. Designed to accompany you in the park, Lines has lots of interesting, free features and provides ride and park information that Disney doesn’t, including: • Posted and actual wait times at attractions. Lines is the only Disney- parks app that displays both posted wait times and the actual times you’ll wait in line. The wait time you see posted outside of a ride is sometimes much longer than the real wait time, often because Disney’s trying to do crowd control. With Lines, you can make better decisions about what to see. • “Ride now or wait” recommendations. Lines shows you whether ride wait times are likely to get longer or shorter. If you ﬁnd a long line at a particular attraction, Lines tells you the best time to come back. • Real-time touring plan updates while you’re in a park. Lines automatically updates your custom touring plan to reﬂect actual crowd conditions at a given moment. You can also restart your plan and add or change attractions, breaks, meals, and more. The Unofficial Guide and TouringPlans.com, along with the Lines app, are designed to work together as a comprehensive planning and touring resource. This mom from St. Louis used all of the tools in our toolbox: The Unofficial Guide was the perfect place to start planning our vacation (actually our honeymoon). After reading the book, I had a good idea of what hotels I was interested in, and I had must-do and must-eat places somewhat picked out. I then took the knowledge from the book and switched to the website to personalize our touring plans and use as a reference when needed. The book and the website together made our trip INCREDIBLE. A mother from Lexington, South Carolina, echoes the sentiments of the mom above: The Lines app and the personalized touring plans were unbeatable! If we missed a step or took extra time on something, it was so easy to catch right back up. The book allowed me to preplan our entire trip, from what to pack to what to see and eat. It was priceless. We trav- eled during Thanksgiving week, so the parks were at very high crowd levels. The planning allowed us to maximize the use of our time and quietly rejoice that we weren’t the ones standing in line for hours.

Our other website, TheUnofficialGuides.com, is dedicated to news about our guidebooks and features a blog with posts from Unofficial Guide authors. You can also sign up for the “Unofficial Guides News- letter,” which contains even more travel tips and special offers. Next, we recommend that you obtain the following: 1. WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT VACATION-PLANNING VIDEOS Disney has online videos advertising Walt Disney World’s o¨erings at disneyplanning .com. You can access videos about Disney Cruise Line and other Disney destinations from the same website. 2. GUIDE FOR GUESTS WITH DISABILITIES An overview of services and options for guests with disabilities is available at disneyworld .disney .go.com/guest-services/guests-with-disabilities; at Guest Relations when entering the parks; at resort front desks; and at wheelchair-rental areas (locations are listed in each theme park chapter). 3. VISIT ORLANDO DEALS If you’re considering lodging outside Disney World or think you might patronize out-of-the-World attractions and restaurants, obtain a Free Vacation Planning Kit and the Orlando Ocial 30 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

Visitors Guide (both free) from the Visit Orlando Official Visitors Center. The discounts cover hotels, restaurants, ground transportation, shopping malls, dinner theaters, and Disney and non-Disney theme parks and attractions. For more information, view the deals at visitorlando .com and click on “Deals.” Or call ☎ 407-363-5872 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time year-round. You can also download the Visit Orlando app and sign up for emails on the website.

YOUR DISNEY TRIP-PLANNING TIMELINE, AKA THE QUICK-START GUIDE TO USING THE GUIDE AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS BOOK, you’ll see many references to date-specific planning milestones for your trip: As we went to press, you could make Disney park reservations for dates through January 2023, and dining reservations 60 days before your arrival. And you might be wondering about other milestone dates that are important to know for your Disney trip. Starting on the next page is a comprehensive timeline that represents the major research, decisions, and tasks that come into play when preparing for a typical Walt Disney World vacation. Next to each milestone, we’ve put a reference to the section in this book that has the information you need for that milestone, and/or links to our website and blog for additional material like photos or videos. Most Disney trips involve about a dozen important dates to remember. If you’ve started planning more than 11 months before your trip, you’ll have plenty of time to do research ahead of those dates. If you’ve decided to visit Disney World within the next couple of months, you’ll want to move a bit quicker. Do you really need to do this? Absolutely—the demand for park reservations and restaurants far exceeds their capacity, and you may not get to experience them without planning and reservations. Con- sider that Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with Walt Disney World’s newest land and rides, has a current limit of around 23,000 guests— about 35% of its pre-pandemic capacity. And a hot restaurant such as Be Our Guest, running at full speed, can serve lunch to fewer than half as many guests as it used to. Making park and dining reservations as soon as possible is vital if you want to eat at nice restaurants and avoid hours-long waits at popular rides. Other reservations, such as those for spas or recreational activities, aren’t currently offered. When they are, they can frequently be made when you arrive in Orlando, especially if you’re visiting during a slower time of year or if you’re exible with the date or time of your appointment. But your best bet is to research early and make reservations as soon as Disney allows.

How to Plan in a Hurry We get variations on this email a lot: OMG! Our first Disney trip is in three weeks, and I just found out about the Unofficial Guide. I had no idea about all the preparation I should have done! What do I do? Three weeks is plenty of time. You’ll still want to go through the timeline below, because those steps are important, if not mandatory— you’ll just have a more compressed schedule. GATHERING INFORMATION 31

If your preferred places to eat are already booked, check out our guide on page 276 that shows highly rated alternatives to hard-to-get restaurants. Also check TouringPlans.com for advice. You’ll also want to follow the touring plans in the back of this book— they’re your insurance against long waits in line. They suggest which FastPass+ reservations to get (if they’re available) and when. If our recommendations aren’t available, our free touring plan software can make alternative suggestions and work with whatever FastPasses you can get.

12–9 Months Before Your Trip You may already have a general idea of when you want to visit Disney World. What the trip will cost you, however, can be a surprise. Take a couple of evenings to plan a budget and an approximate time of year to travel, and to narrow down your hotel choices. • Establish a budget. See pages 70–72 in Part Four for an idea of how much Disney vacation you can get for $1,000–$3,000, for various family sizes. More information is available at tinyurl.com/1000-disney-vacation. • Check the quarantine policies for your home state, plus those of Florida and any other state in which you’ll spend more than 24 hours, at tinyurl.com /ushealthdepts. While the policies may change, this gives you an idea of whether you’ll need to add days to self-quarantine on either side of your trip. • Figure out when to go and where to stay. Begin researching resorts (see Part Five) and the best times of year to visit to avoid crowds (see page 39). Our own Erin Foster has devised an excellent method for ﬁnding the best vacation dates for your family. See her planning blog at tinyurl .com/planningwdw. • Brush up on discounts. Disney releases certain discounts around the same time every year. Check mousesavers.com for a list of these regular discounts, when they’re usually announced, and the travel dates they cover at tinyurl.com/wdw-historic-discounts. Also see our section on hotel discounts beginning on page 95 in Part Five. • Create an account at My Disney Experience (see page 35). You’ll need it to make park, hotel, dining, and ride reservations later. • Make a preliminary hotel reservation. This typically requires a deposit equal to one night’s cost, and it guarantees you a room. You can change or cancel your reservation without penalty for several months while you continue your research. • Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members can make reservations at their home resorts starting 11 months before their trip. See page 98 for information on how to rent points from a DVC member. • Investigate whether trip insurance makes sense for your situation. If you’ll be traveling to Disney World during peak hurricane season (August and September), it might be worthwhile. Third-party policies, such as those from insuremytrip.com, are usually cheaper than Disney’s trip insurance and are often more comprehensive. • If you’re not a US citizen, make sure your family’s passports and visas are in order. Passports typically need to be valid for six months beyond your travel dates. An electronic US visa is typically good for two years from the date of issue, if you need one. See esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta for details. As of 2020, you must apply for a visa at least 72 hours prior to arrival.

9–7 Months Before Your Trip Now is the time to start thinking about where you’ll be eating and what you want to do in the theme parks. 32 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

• Purchase your park admission at least this far in advance (see pages 74 and 75 for ticket details and add-ons). Our Least Expensive Ticket Calcu- lator will ﬁnd you the best discounts on Disney tickets: touringplans.com /walt-disney-world/ticket-calculator. • Link your tickets to your My Disney Experience account, so you can make park reservations and FastPass+ reservations (if they’re o¨ered) at the 30- or 60-day mark. • Disney Vacation Club members can make resort reservations outside their home resorts starting seven months before their trip. • Check the best days to visit each park. Use our Disney World Crowd Calendar to select the parks you’ll visit on each day of your trip: touring plans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar. • Make park reservations. Disney World requires you to make a theme park reservation in addition to purchasing valid admission to that park. At press time, reservations were available through at least January 2023. Visit disneyworld .disney.go.com/park-reservations to get started.

6–4 Months Before Your Trip Become familiar with Disney’s rides, shows, and attractions, and start planning what you’ll see each day. This will help you identify potential bottlenecks, which you can address using our touring plans and Disney’s FastPass+ system (temporarily suspended). You can make FastPass+ reservations (if offered) in a few weeks. • Review the attractions and shows at the Magic Kingdom (page 461), EPCOT (page 509), Disney’s Animal Kingdom (page 544), and Disney’s Hollywood Studios (page 573). • Make a list of must-see attractions in each park. If you’re unsure whether your child should experience a particular attraction, see our Small- Child Fright Potential Table on pages 392–394. Every attraction is listed. A table on page 396 lists height requirements for the attractions. Finally, you can preview attractions on YouTube at tinyurl.com/wdw-ride-videos. • Review our touring plans (see page 56) and use them to begin putting together a touring strategy for each park. You can also use our touring plan software: See touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/touring-plans. By starting now, you’ll be able to see what attractions would beneﬁt from FastPass+ (if available), which you can reserve 60 or 30 days before your trip. You’ll also see whether you’ll need the Park Hopper option on your theme park tickets, which you’ll purchase later.

180 Days Before Your Trip Now you can start making tour, spa, and other reservations. These timelines may change (perhaps to 60 days in advance) once these activities return. • Make reservations for the following (all temporarily suspended): Theme park tours: ☎ 407-WDW-TOUR (939-8687) Recreational activities such as boating: ☎ 407-WDW-PLAY (939-7529) Spa treatments: ☎ 407-WDW-SPAS (939-7727) Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (page 666): ☎ 407-WDW-STYL (939-7895) • Get familiar with Disney World restaurants (see Part Six). When Dis- ney’s dining reservation system opens at your 60-day mark, you can make reservations. See touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/dining for current menus and prices at every Disney restaurant, all searchable. • Also get familiar with the Disney Dining Plan (temporarily suspended; see Part Five, page 210). If you’re planning to stay at a Disney hotel, you’ll GATHERING INFORMATION 33

need to ﬁgure out if the plan will save you money on the restaurants you’ve identiﬁed.

120 Days Before Your Trip As your vacation approaches, it’s time to make concrete arrangements for your days in the theme parks. • Save money on stroller rentals in the parks (if needed) by renting from a third-party company; see page 386 for our recommendations. You can also save on wheelchair and ECV rentals this way; see page 408 for details and recommendations. • Recheck the quarantine policies for your home state, plus those of Florida and any other state in which you’ll spend more than 24 hours, at tinyurl.com/ushealthdepts.

60 Days Before Your Trip The theme for this week of planning is “the three F’s”: food, FastPass+, and refunds. (If you are a stickler for precision, then substitute funds retrieval for refunds.) • Make reservations for sit-down dining beginning at 5:45 a.m. Eastern time online at disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining or at 6:45 a.m. by phone (see page 273 for tips): ☎ 407-WDW-DINE (939-3463). If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World resort, you can make reservations for up to 10 days of your trip today. • Revisit the economics of the Disney Dining Plan (temporarily suspended) after you’ve made dining reservations, to verify it’s still worth the money. If not, call Disney to drop it from your reservation. • Disney resort guests and those staying at select on-site resorts can make FastPass+ reservations (temporarily suspended; see page 63) starting at 7 a.m. Eastern time. Once that’s done, update your touring plans. If you’re using our online touring plans, we’ll redo your schedule so that you get to your chosen attractions on time. • Start a walking regimen to prepare for the 7–10 miles per day you may be walking in the parks. See page 376 for more on that. • Try a ride-hailing service like Lyft or Uber. These services are often the fastest way to get between your hotel and the theme parks, and they’re cheaper than taxis. Download one of these apps to your smartphone, create an account, and take a short trip in your hometown to become familiar with how they work. • If you decide not to go to Disney World, you typically have 30 days to cancel most Disney vacation packages without a penalty; room-only reservations can be canceled without a penalty until six days before your trip. See page 92 for a review of Disney’s cancellation policies, as they may be more ﬂexible during the pandemic. Otherwise, you can start your online check-in at Disney resorts 60 days before you arrive.

45 Days Before Your Trip • Final payment for room-only reservations is due if you book online within 45 days of arrival (payment of room-only reservations booked farther out isn’t due until check-in). • Order your MagicBands (page 82) if desired. • Make Disney’s Magical Express reservations (page 422) if ﬂying, or make other transportation arrangements. The Magical Express service will end December 31, 2021. • If you want to switch resorts or make additional dining reservations, now is a good time to check, owing to cancellations at the 45-day mark. 34 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

• Recheck the quarantine policies for your home state, plus those of Florida and any other state in which you’ll spend more than 24 hours, at tinyurl.com/ushealthdepts. • Travelers age 2 and up entering the United States from another country (including returning US citizens), make an appointment to get a coronavirus test no more than three days prior to entering the United States. 30 Days Out • Send your room request to Disney. We can do this for you automatically. See tinyurl.com/wdw-hotel-fax for details. • Final payment is due for Disney vacation packages. • Off-site guests can make FastPass+ reservations (temporarily suspended; see page 63) beginning at 7 a.m. Eastern time. • Confirm park hours and ﬁnish preliminary touring plans. • Download our Lines app so you can follow your touring plan and get updates in the parks: touringplans.com/disney-world-app. • Arrange to stop delivery of mail and newspapers. • Arrange for pet or house sitters. 2 Weeks Out • Arrange grocery delivery to your resort (see Part Ten, page 460). • If you’re flying to the US from another country, complete the Advance Passenger Information and Secure Flight (APIS) process at least 72 hours before your ﬂight. You should be able to do this through your airline’s website; otherwise, make sure your travel agent has your information. You’ll need to provide the address where you’ll be staying in the United States, so have that information handy when you complete this form. • Check that you have enough prescription medication. • Triple-check the quarantine policies for your home state, plus those of Florida and any other state in which you’ll spend more than 24 hours, at tinyurl .com/ushealthdepts. 6 Days Out • This is typically your last chance to cancel Disney room-only reservations booked online without a penalty. Call ☎ 407-W-DISNEY (934-7639). • Check the weather forecast for Orlando: tinyurl.com/wdw-weather. • Start packing. See touringplans.com/blog/tag/packing-tips for our tips. 5 Days Out • This is typically your last chance to cancel Disney room-only reservations booked by phone or travel agent without a penalty. Call ☎ 407-W-DISNEY to do so. 4 Days Out • Purchase Disney’s Memory Maker photo package (see Part Ten, page 457) at least three days in advance to ensure that all photos are linked as soon as you arrive. You’ll also get a discount if you buy your package ahead of time. 3 Days Out • Travelers age 2 and up entering the United States from another country (including returning US citizens) must obtain negative coronavirus test results no more than three days prior to entering the United States. GATHERING INFORMATION 35

The Day Before • Check in to your airline online. • Finish Disney resort online check-in, if you haven’t already done so: disneyworld.disney.go.com/trip/online-resort-check-in. • Cancel any unneeded dining or baby- or pet-sitting reservations. • Do one last check of park hours and weather.

DISNEY ONLINE: OFFICIAL AND OTHERWISE A SET OF HIGH-TECH ENHANCEMENTS to Disney’s theme parks and hotels, officially known as MyMagic+, includes optional rubber wristbands (MagicBands) with embedded computer chips that function as admission tickets and hotel keys; MyMagic+ also encompasses Dis- ney’s FastPass+ ride-reservation system and dining-reservation system. MyMagic+ requires you to make detailed decisions about every day of your trip, sometimes months in advance, if you want to visit popular parks and avoid long waits in line (see the previous section for a complete trip-planning timeline). Park reservations require you to decide in advance which theme park you want to visit on each day of your trip, and restaurant reservations require you to know the exact time you want to eat, and where, two months before you arrive. The Walt Disney World website (disneyworld.com) and mobile app are the glue that binds all of this together. Because you must plan so much before you leave home, we cover the basics of both the website and the app in the next section. While we may provide naviga- tional instructions here, note that Disney’s web designers move things around all the time, so you may have to hunt around to nd some features. More information about theme park reservations is on page 74; MagicBands starts on page 82; details on how FastPass+ works start on page 63. While FastPass+ wasn’t offered as we went to press, we expect it to return in 2021, so you should read the FastPass+ section before making any reservations.

My Disney Experience at DisneyWorld.com In this area of the Disney website (disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan), you can make park, hotel, dining, FastPass+, and some recreation reservations; buy admission; and get park hours, attraction information, and much more. TECHNICAL PROBLEMS Google “My Disney Experience issues” and you’ll get back almost 90 million results (not kidding). Disney’s app and website frequently don’t work as intended and often require human intervention to x, so if you nd yourself in a digital pickle, call ☎ 407-939-4357 in the US or ☎ 0800 16 90 749 in the UK for help. BEFORE YOU BEGIN Set aside at least 30–40 minutes to complete this process. Make sure you have the following items on hand: • A valid admission ticket or conﬁrmation number for everyone in your group • Your hotel-reservation number, if you’re staying on-site • A computer, smartphone, or tablet connected to the Internet • An email account that you can access easily while traveling 36 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

• A schedule of the parks you’ll be visiting each day, including arrival and departure times and the times of any midday breaks • The dates, times, and conﬁrmation numbers of any dining or recreation reser vations you’ve made If you’re coordinating travel plans with friends or family who live elsewhere, you’ll also need the following information: • The names and (optional) email addresses of the people you’re traveling with • A schedule of the parks they are visiting on each day of their trip, including their arrival, departure, and break times • The dates and times of any dining or recreation reservations they have made

GETTING STARTED Go to disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan and click “(+) Create Account.” You’ll be asked for your email address, along with your name, home address, and birth date. (Disney uses your home address to send your hotel-reservation information, if applicable.) You’ll also be asked to choose two security questions and answers—write these down and store them in a safe place, or save them as a text le. If you forget your login information, Disney will ask you these questions to verify your identity. Once you’ve created an account, the website will display a page with links to other steps in the planning process. These steps are described next. It’s worth noting that the steps below apply only to the rst time you sign into Disney’s website—for some reason, the website shows you different screens and options when you sign in after that. In those cases, click the “My Disney Experience” icon in the upper-right corner of the page, and look for wording like that below. DISNEY HOTEL INFORMATION If you’re staying at a Disney hotel, select “Resort Hotel” and then “Link Reservation.” Enter your reservation number. This associates your My Disney Experience (MDE) account with your hotel stay in Disney’s computer systems. If you’ve booked a travel package that includes theme park admission, Disney computers will automatically link the admission to your MDE account, allowing you to skip the “Linking Tickets” step below. If you’ve booked a Dis- ney hotel through a third-party site like Expedia, that site should send you a Disney reservation number to use here. REGISTER FRIENDS AND FAMILY Click the “Family & Friends” icon; then enter the names and ages of everyone traveling with you. You can do this later, too, but you’ll need this information when you make your park and dining reservations. LINKING TICKETS You will need to have purchased theme park tickets for each member of your group and linked them to each member’s MDE pro le, before making some reservations. If you haven’t purchased your tickets, do so now. Disney’s website doesn’t have the cheapest prices for theme park tickets of three or more days. See pages 79–81 for where to nd better deals. Once purchased, you can add these tickets to MDE just like tickets bought directly from Disney. If you’ve already purchased tickets but have not linked them, click the “Park Tickets” widget, then click on “Link Tickets,” and follow the instructions. GATHERING INFORMATION 37

MAKING FASTPASS+ RESERVATIONS Click the “FastPass+” option from the main menu, then click “Make a Selection.” On the next screen, indicate which members of your group will be with you. On the screen COVID tip after that, choose the park and the date on FastPass+ was tem- which you’ll be visiting. You can make advance porarily suspended FastPass+ reservations at just one park per day. for social distancing at If you’re park-hopping, you can start with up press time. to three FastPasses in one park. Once those are used or expire, you may reserve day-of FastPasses (one at a time) at another park, but don’t expect much to be available at the second park. Now you’ll see a list of your chosen park’s participating FastPass+ attractions. Select the ones you’d like to reserve; if an attraction isn’t selectable, either all of its available FastPass+ reservations are gone or the attraction is closed at the time shown. At this point, the website will show you which attractions have FastPass+ reservations available and three possible return times. The default view shows morning FastPass+ availability, and you can select afternoon, evening, or speci c times to display. Select the attractions and return times that most closely t your plans for the day, or, if you’re using our touring plans, select the set that most closely matches the suggested FastPass+ return times on the plans. After con rming your selections, you can check for alternative return-time windows for each attraction. You’ll need to repeat these steps for every day you want to use FastPass+ in the theme parks. If you’re unsure what times of day or for which attractions you should use FastPass+, our touring plan software can make recommendations that will minimize your time in line. See page 28 for details. If the initial set of FastPass+ return times conicts with your plans, you can check whether alternate times are available that better t your schedule. The good news is that you can change each attraction’s return times separately. Plus, if none of the return times for a particular attraction work for you, then you can pick another attraction at this stage without having to start over. A reader from White Plains, New York, found this all to be too much trouble: It was tough to set up for a big group—we ended up just getting the same FastPasses for everyone. You’ve gotta hand it to Disney—making FastPass+ reservations online combines the ef ciency of a third-world bureaucracy with the excitement of double-entry bookkeeping. See page 63 for advanced tips on using Disney’s FastPass+ system and website.

MAKING DINING RESERVATIONS Click the “Dining Reservations” link to get started. (You may have to reenter your travel dates.) A list of every Disney World eatery will be displayed. Use the ltering criteria at the top of the page to narrow the list. Once you’ve settled on a restaurant, click the restaurant’s name to check availability for your preferred dining time and the number 38 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

of people in your party. If space is available and you want to make a are popular places for Disneyphiles to gather online and share tips and reservation, you’ll need to indicate which members of your party will photos. Walt Disney World’s of cial social-media outlets are facebook be joining you. You’ll also need to enter a credit card number to hold .com/waltdisneyworld, twitter .com/waltdisneyworld, and instagram your reservation. If you want to make other dining reservations, you’ll .com/waltdisneyworld. need to repeat this process for every reservation. BEST DISNEY DISCUSSION BOARDS There are tons of these; among the most active boards are disboards.com; forums.wdwmagic.com; our own My Disney Experience Mobile App forum.touringplans.com; and, for Brits, thedibb.co.uk (DIBB stands for In addition to its website, Disney offers a companion app on the Apple “Disney Information Bulletin Board”). App Store and Google Play Store (search for “My Disney Experience”). It includes park hours, attraction operating hours and descriptions, wait times for buses, restaurant hours with descriptions and menus, the abil- WHEN to GO to ity to make dining and FastPass+ reservations online, GPS-based directions, counter-service meal ordering, the locations of park photographers, WALT DISNEY WORLD and more. My Disney Experience is optimized for the latest phones and tablets, so some features may not be available on all devices. SELECTING THE TIME OF YEAR FOR YOUR VISIT IN BOTH PRE- AND POST-PANDEMIC TIMES, Walt Disney World Our Recommended Websites is busiest from the weekend before Christmas Day until the first week- Searching online for Disney information is like navigating an immense end in January. Next busiest are spring break (early March–early April, maze for a tiny piece of cheese: You may find a lot of dead ends before plus the week before Easter when Easter is later); Thanksgiving week; you get what you want. Our picks follow. and February during Presidents’ Day and Mardi Gras. You’ll also see shorter bursts of crowds on three-day weekends, such as Columbus Day. BEST Q&A SITE Walt Disney World’s Mom’s Panel consists of mothers The least busy time historically is Labor Day chosen from among 10,000-plus applicants. The panelists have a web- through the beginning of October—but see our cave- unofficial TIP site, DisneyWorldMoms .com, where they offer tips and discuss how to ats following. The last two weeks of October and See tinyurl.com plan a Disney World vacation. Several moms have specialized experi- the rst week of November are usually less crowded /planningwdw for a ence in areas such as Disney Cruise Line, runDisney, and traveling than average, as are the weeks after Thanksgiving handy worksheet to with sports groups; some speak Spanish, French, and Portuguese too. and before Christmas. The weeks between late April help with this step. BEST MONEY-SAVING SITE MouseSavers (mouse savers .com) keeps an and Memorial Day have lower crowds than the weeks on either side. updated list of discounts for use at Disney World resorts. These dis- Aside from being asphalt-melting hot, July brings throngs of tourists counts are separated into categories such as “For the general pub- from South America who are on their winter holiday; summer crowds lic” and “For residents of certain states.” Anyone who calls or books were highest in 2019 between mid-July and mid-August. online can use a current discount. The savings can be considerable—as Late February, early April, and early June are dicey. Crowds ebb much as 40% in some cases. MouseSavers also offers deals on rental and ow according to school vacation schedules and the timing of cars and non-Disney hotels in the area, along with a calendar showing Mardi Gras and Presidents’ Day weekend. when Disney sales typically launch. The rule of thumb is that Walt Disney World is less crowded (and BEST SITE FOR CAR-RENTAL DEALS AutoSlash (autoslash.com) will less expensive) when kids are in school. That said, Disney has become use every available discount code for every car company in Orlando adept at loading off-peak periods with special events, conventions, to nd you the best car-rental deal. See page 424 for more details on food festivals, and the like; discounts on rooms and dining during car rentals. slower periods also gure in, as does the number of employees Disney BEST SITE FOR GUESTS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES At AllergyEats (allergy decides to use in the parks. eats.com/disney), you enter your allergies and your park, and it shows New rides and Disney’s new park reservation system also affect you where and what you can eat. crowds. In the weeks immediately after Disney opens a new ride, expect it to be more dif cult than normal to get reservations for that BEST GENERAL UNOFFICIAL WALT DISNEY WORLD WEBSITE Besides park, and for the park to hit its capacity limit. TouringPlans.com, AllEars.net is the rst website we recommend to In short: The World can be packed at any time, and you’ll need to friends who want to make a trip to Disney World. Updated several look beyond the time of year to pinpoint the least crowded dates. For times a week, the site includes breaking news, tons of photos, Disney a calendar of scheduled Disney events, see tinyurl.com/wdwevents. restaurant menus, resort and ticket information, tips for guests with special needs, and more. We also check wdwmagic.com for news and Oª-Season Touring happenings around Walt Disney World. We strongly recommend going to Disney World in the fall, winter, or SOCIAL MEDIA YouTube is an excellent place to nd videos of Disney spring because of the milder weather, generally smaller crowds, and and other Central Florida attractions. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram deeper discounts. However, these benefits come with some trade-offs. WHEN TO GO TO WALT DISNEY WORLD 39 are popular places for Disneyphiles to gather online and share tips and photos. Walt Disney World’s of cial social-media outlets are facebook .com/waltdisneyworld, twitter .com/waltdisneyworld, and instagram .com/waltdisneyworld. BEST DISNEY DISCUSSION BOARDS There are tons of these; among the most active boards are disboards.com; forums.wdwmagic.com; our own forum.touringplans.com; and, for Brits, thedibb.co.uk (DIBB stands for “Disney Information Bulletin Board”). WHEN to GO to WALT DISNEY WORLD SELECTING THE TIME OF YEAR FOR YOUR VISIT IN BOTH PRE- AND POST-PANDEMIC TIMES, Walt Disney World is busiest from the weekend before Christmas Day until the first weekend in January. Next busiest are spring break (early March–early April, plus the week before Easter when Easter is later); Thanksgiving week; and February during Presidents’ Day and Mardi Gras. You’ll also see shorter bursts of crowds on three-day weekends, such as Columbus Day. The least busy time historically is Labor Day through the beginning of October—but see our cave- unofficial TIP ats following. The last two weeks of October and See tinyurl.com the rst week of November are usually less crowded /planningwdw for a than average, as are the weeks after Thanksgiving handy worksheet to and before Christmas. The weeks between late April help with this step. and Memorial Day have lower crowds than the weeks on either side. Aside from being asphalt-melting hot, July brings throngs of tourists from South America who are on their winter holiday; summer crowds were highest in 2019 between mid-July and mid-August. Late February, early April, and early June are dicey. Crowds ebb and ow according to school vacation schedules and the timing of Mardi Gras and Presidents’ Day weekend. The rule of thumb is that Walt Disney World is less crowded (and less expensive) when kids are in school. That said, Disney has become adept at loading off-peak periods with special events, conventions, food festivals, and the like; discounts on rooms and dining during slower periods also gure in, as does the number of employees Disney decides to use in the parks. New rides and Disney’s new park reservation system also affect crowds. In the weeks immediately after Disney opens a new ride, expect it to be more dif cult than normal to get reservations for that park, and for the park to hit its capacity limit. In short: The World can be packed at any time, and you’ll need to look beyond the time of year to pinpoint the least crowded dates. For a calendar of scheduled Disney events, see tinyurl.com/wdwevents. Oª-Season Touring We strongly recommend going to Disney World in the fall, winter, or spring because of the milder weather, generally smaller crowds, and deeper discounts. However, these benefits come with some trade-offs. 40 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

The parks often close early during the off-season, either because of low crowds or because of special events such as the Halloween and Christmas parties at the Magic Kingdom. This drastically reduces touring hours. Even when crowds are small, it’s dif cult to see big parks such as the Magic Kingdom between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Early closing also usually means no evening entertainment. And because these are slow times, some rides and attractions may be closed. Finally, Central Florida temperatures uctuate wildly during late fall, winter, and early spring; daytime highs in the 40s and 50s aren’t uncommon. Still, it’s so much easier to see the parks during the off-season that we’d advise taking children out of school for a Disney World visit. See page 374 for the pros and cons of this approach. If this isn’t possible, we want to make clear that you can have a wonderful experience regardless of when you go. Our advice, irrespective of season, is to arrive early at the parks and avoid the crowds by using one of our touring plans. If lines are low, kick back and forget the plans. DON’T FORGET AUGUST Kids go back to school pretty early in Florida (and in a lot of other places too). This makes mid- to late August a good time for families who can’t vacation during the off-season. A New Jersey mother of two school-age children spells it out: The end of August is the PERFECT time to go (just watch out for hurricanes; it’s the season). There were virtually no wait times, 20 minutes at the most. A family from Roxbury, New Jersey, agrees: I recommend the last two weeks of August for anyone traveling there during the summer. We have visited twice during this time of year and have had great success touring the parks.

PLANNING FOR FLORIDA WEATHER Why is the world’s best theme park in the world’s worst climate? —A reader from Clackamas, Oregon

LONG BEFORE WALT DISNEY WORLD, tourists visited Florida year- round to enjoy the temperate tropical and subtropical climates. The best weather months generally are October, November, March, and April (see the table on the next page). Fall is usually dry, whereas spring is wetter. Rain is possible anytime, usually in the form of scattered thun- derstorms. An entire day of rain is unusual. SUMMER TEMPERATURES CAN FEEL LIKE 120°F Did you know that air temperature is measured in the shade? So if your phone’s weather app says it’s 95°F in Orlando, it’s warmer if you’re standing in the sun, and hotter still if you’re wearing dark-colored clothing. Florida’s notorious humidity makes the heat feel worse because it prevents your perspiration from evaporating to cool you off. Meteorolo- gists use something called the Heat Index to express the combined effect of heat and humidity as a temperature reading we can understand. Dur- ing summer in the Magic Kingdom, you’ll commonly feel Heat Index temperatures above 110°F, and we’ve measured highs of up to 122°F. How hot is that? A steak cooked rare is considered done at 130°F. WHEN TO GO TO WALT DISNEY WORLD 41

WALT DISNEY WORLD CLIMATE

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC AVERAGE DAILY HIGH 71°F 73°F 78°F 83°F 89°F 91°F 92°F 92°F 90°F 84°F 78°F 72°F AVERAGE DAILY HEAT INDEX (TEMPERATURE + HUMIDITY) 76°F 75°F 80°F 88°F 104°F 109°F 116°F 117°F 110°F 92°F 80°F 74°F AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE 60°F 61°F 67°F 71°F 77°F 81°F 82°F 83°F 81°F 75°F 68°F 62°F AVERAGE DAILY HUMIDITY 62% 73% 71% 70% 71% 70% 74% 76% 76% 75% 74% 73% AVERAGE RAINFALL PER MONTH 2.9" 2.7" 4.0" 2.3" 3.1" 8.3" 7.0" 7.7" 5.1" 2.5" 2.1" 2.9" NUMBER OF DAYS OF RAIN PER MONTH 6 6 7 5 8 14 16 16 13 8 5 6

CROWD CALENDAR DISNEY WORLD’S ATTENDANCE was almost 59 million in 2019— an average of around 161,000 guests per day. Tips for avoiding crowds is the most frequent request we get. Besides which month or week to visit, readers want to know the best park to visit on each day of their stay. Expect Disney to regularly adjust things like resort discounts, park capacity, and park hours. Because of that, it’s not possible to include an accurate calendar in this book. To make things easier for you (and us), we provide at TouringPlans.com a calendar covering the next year (click “Crowd Calendar” on the home page). For each date, we offer a crowd-level index based on a 1–10 scale, with 1 being least crowded and 10 being most crowded. Our calendar is based on how long you’ll wait in line and takes into account all holidays, special events, and more, as described in the next section.

ANNUAL ATTENDANCE PATTERNS AT THE MAGIC KINGDOM

Visitors Per Day (Thousands) 120

—

100 Christmas New Year’s Easter — Thanksgiving Memorial Day 80 Labor Presidents’ Day Day College — Spring Break 60

—

0 Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug 42 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

Keeping the online Crowd Calendar updated requires year-round work. Thus, we have to charge a modest subscription fee. Much of the rest of the website is free, and owners of the current edition of this guide are eligible for a substantial discount on the subscription. See pages 27–28 for more information about our website. Even on a “slow” day, you may see waits of 60 minutes or more for popular rides such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at the Magic Kingdom, Flight of Passage at the Animal Kingdom, Test Track at EPCOT, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Implementing social distancing and cleaning policies has also affected wait times. Capacity at many rides and shows has been cut substantially to allow ample space between groups, and cleaning ride vehicles and surfaces slows down the loading process. This can cause relatively long waits even on days when only a few thousand people are in a park. A Braintree, Massachusetts, woman cautions: It should be emphasized that parks can still feel really crowded on a low-crowd day, especially the Magic Kingdom. But you will notice the difference when you see the wait times for the rides. Anyone expecting to have room to roam freely in certain parts of the Magic Kingdom on a low-attendance day will be disappointed. The same is true for Animal Kingdom: We went there on a “low” attendance day in the afternoon, and it was extremely congested and difficult to walk through some areas of the park.

HOW WE DETERMINE CROWD LEVELS AND BEST DAYS A number of factors contribute to the models we use to predict both crowd levels and the best days to visit each theme park. Data we use to predict crowd levels: • Historical wait times from the same time period in past years • Historical theme park hours from the same time period in past years • Future hotel-room bookings in the Orlando area • Disney’s special-events calendar (for example, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party) • Legal holidays in the United States • Public-school schedules, weighted by distance from Florida and tourism rates We also collect thousands of wait times from every ride in every Disney park every day, including posted and actual times. Popular Sci- ence did a nice article on the data science behind our predictions; read it at popsci.com/touring-plan-app-disney-lines.

SUMMER AND HOLIDAY CROWDS MANY FOLKS HAVE NO CHOICE concerning the time of year they visit Disney World. Much of this book, in fact, is dedicated to making sure those readers who visit during busier times enjoy their experience. Armed with knowledge and some strategy, you can have a great time whenever you visit. To put things in perspective, early summer (up to about June 15) and late summer (after August 15) aren’t as crowded as the inter- vening period. Disney World experiences its highest demand during holiday periods. WHEN TO GO TO WALT DISNEY WORLD 43

If you visit during spring break or a major holiday, the rst thing you need to know is that the theme parks’ guest capacity is not in - nite. Disney allocates park capacity so that guests staying at its hotels and those who have bought date-speci c tickets in advance have priority for park reservations. If you’re not staying in the World, you may nd yourself on the outside looking in, like this Boise, Idaho, dad: The Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios were so full on our visit that they closed the parks. For three days we couldn’t enter those parks at all, so we were forced to go to EPCOT and use up two days of our four-day pass. We paid for another night at our hotel to see if the crowds would let up, but no luck. All we could do was drive around Orlando and sightsee.

While this reader visited before the pandemic and Disney’s new park reservation system, the end result (not getting into the park) was the same. The point is that you must commit to obtaining park reservations well in advance of your trip.

Christmas and New Year’s at the Theme Parks Don’t expect to see all the attractions in a single day of touring at any park. That said, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is usually the least crowded park during the winter holidays, especially on New Year’s Eve. EPCOT is a good choice too, because it typically has lower crowds and has about twice the land of the Magic Kingdom. (It also has fewer attractions, but many of them are high-capacity shows and rides.) New Year’s Eve is the busiest day of the year at The Magic King- dom. The park stages New Year’s Eve reworks on both December 30 and December 31 for those who either wish to see reworks in multiple parks or who don’t wish to be caught in the crowds. If you stay until midnight, expect it to take 1–3 hours to get back to your hotel by bus or car. We suggest getting a room at a Magic Kingdom resort, ideally the Contemporary, Bay Lake Tower, or Grand Floridian, which have walking paths.

EARLY THEME PARK ENTRY (formerly Extra Magic Hours) EARLY THEME PARK ENTRY (Early Entry) is a perk for families staying at Walt Disney World resort hotels, including the Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green. Those Disney resort guests are able to enter any of Disney’s four theme parks 30 minutes earlier than the official park- operating hours on any day of the week. This perk replaces the Extra Magic Hours (EMH) program that ran until early 2020. At press time, Disney had not announced a start date for Early Entry. Also, Disney had said only that “guests of other select hotels” would be eligible for the new Early Entry program. We think this will include guests staying at the Four Seasons and the independent hotels of the Disney Springs Resort Area because those hotels were covered under the old EMH program. WHAT’S REQUIRED? A valid ticket or MagicBand, along with a reservation for that theme park on that day, are required to enter the park. 44 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

If you haven’t yet checked into your Disney hotel, make sure you have your reservation linked to your My Disney Experience account. WHEN IS EARLY ENTRY OFFERED? Early Entry is offered every day at all four Disney theme parks. HOW DOES EARLY ENTRY WORK? Disney resort guests are invited to enter any theme park 30 minutes before the general public. Dur- ing this time, guests should be able to enjoy select attractions. In the Magic Kingdom, for example, you should nd attractions open in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. In practice, we think Disney might begin the Early Entry period more than 30 minutes ahead of of cial park opening, especially on days with high attendance. For that reason, we think on-site guests who want to experience Early Entry should arrive at their park’s entrance an hour before of cial opening. During holidays and other busy times, the Magic Kingdom opens to regular guests at 8 a.m. and Early Entry begins at 7:30 a.m., so you’ll need to be at the Magic Kingdom entrance no later than 7 a.m. You won’t be alone, but because relatively few people are willing to get up that early for a theme park, your rst few hours in the parks will be (pardon us) magical.

How Early Entry Aªects Attendance at the Theme Parks Early Entry should affect theme park attendance much less than the previous EMH program because EMH was offered only at one or two parks per day. When Animal Kingdom offered morning EMH sessions on Monday, for example, rides at that park had longer waits throughout the day because of the additional guests who arrived early to take advantage of their perk and stayed all day. That incentive to visit a speci c park on a speci c day is removed with Early Entry because it’s offered at every park every day. That should spread out Disney resort guests more evenly among the parks, while still providing an on-site bene t for Disney to dangle in front of potential hotel customers. If you’re staying at a Disney resort, remember these three things about Early Entry: 1. The Magic Kingdom has more attractions open for Early Entry than any other park. We think the Magic Kingdom’s Early Entry, coupled with a good touring plan, is the most worthwhile of any park. 2. Early Entry will be useful at EPCOT for the new attractions Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. 3. Should Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ever get a standby line, it would be almost mandatory to use Early Entry at DHS to avoid long waits. WHAT’S THE CATCH? The primary disadvantage of Early Entry for on-site guests is that they must now get up an extra half-hour early to beat the crowds. And that’s mitigated somewhat (for now) by the staggered park opening times. Off-site guests are considerably disadvantaged by the new Early Entry program. With the old EMH schedule, off-site guests could level the playing eld by simply avoiding the park that offered morning WHEN TO GO TO WALT DISNEY WORLD 45

EMH. If that park was EPCOT, then it was still possible to stay at an inexpensive hotel, get up early, and be at the front of the pack when the Magic Kingdom’s rides opened. With Early Entry, off-site guests are guaranteed to have thousands of on-site guests already in front of them at any theme park they visit on any day. When EPCOT opens a new ride like Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s a safe bet that its line will be hours long well before the rst off-site guest even sets foot inside the park. To mitigate the effect of Early Entry on off-site guests, we’ve added off-site versions of our touring plans to this book. Be aware, however, that even with an optimal touring plan, off-site guests may wait up to an extra hour or more in line per day than on-site guests, due to the head start that on-site guests have.

THE WALT DISNEY WORLD CALENDAR DISNEY CELEBRATES SPECIAL EVENTS throughout the year. Some events commemorate major holidays, while others have been designed specifically by Disney to boost attendance during otherwise- slow times of year.

JANUARY Usually held the second weekend after New Year’s, the Walt Disney World Marathon pulls in more runners and their families every year. Information on all Disney running events can be found at rundisney.com. Another winter event is the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts. Running January 8–February 22 in 2021, the festival—included as part of your park admission—features art (some of it Disney-themed), food, entertainment, and workshops to further your creative skills. See page 676 for more information. FEBRUARY Black History Month is celebrated throughout Walt Disney World with displays, artisans, storytellers, and entertainers. In 2021, Presidents’ Day is Monday, February 15, and Mardi Gras is Tuesday, February 16. These holidays increase attendance starting the weekend before. MARCH At the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, which runs March 3–July 5 in 2021, expert horticulturists showcase exotic oral displays and share gardening tips. The 30 million blooms from some 1,200 species will make your eyes pop. The festival features food and beverage kiosks, making it more like fall’s International Food & Wine Festival (see page 46), only with owers. See page 676 for more information. APRIL Easter is April 4, 2021, so expect the week on either side of that to be peak spring-break season. Disney usually announces a “free” Disney Dining Plan promotion in mid- to late April for travel dates usually starting in August. See page 210 for more details. JUNE Gay Days, an unof cial gathering of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people from around the world, has been happen- ing annually at Walt Disney World since 1991. Organizers say previous 46 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

Gay Days have attracted close to 200,000 visitors and their friends and families. For additional information, visit gaydays.com. AUGUST “Fall” begins in mid-August as far as Walt Disney World is concerned. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, at the Magic Kingdom, is typically held 35+ select nights between mid-August and November 1, 7 p.m.–midnight. The festivities include trick-or-treating in costume, parades, live music, storytelling, and a reworks show. See page 84 for more information. At press time, it wasn’t yet known if this event would take place in 2021. Those who say Christmas is the most wonderful time of year have never been to the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. Usually held in the World Showcase late August–late November (2020’s started in July), the celebration represents 25 nations and cuisines. Before 2020, the event included demonstrations, wine seminars, tastings, and oppor- tunities to see some of the world’s top chefs; many activities are included in EPCOT admission, though some workshops and tastings are by reservation only and cost more than $100. There’s no word yet on whether these will be back for 2021. See page 676 for more information. NOVEMBER The Wine and Dine Half-Marathon early in this month revolves around a 13.1-mile race that ends with a nighttime party

WALT DISNEY WORLD PHONE NUMBERS General Information ☎ 407-824-4321 or 407-824-2222 General Information for the Hearing-Impaired (TTY) ☎ 407-827-5141 Accommodations/Reservations ☎ 407-934-7639 Advent Health Centra Care (urgent-care clinic) Kissimmee ☎ 407-390-1888 Lake Buena Vista ☎ 407-934-2273Universal–Dr. Phillips ☎ 407-291-8975 All-Star Movies Resort ☎ 407-939-7000 All-Star Music Resort ☎ 407-939-6000 All-Star Sports Resort ☎ 407-939-5000 AMC Movies at Disney Springs ☎ 407-827-1308 Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas Jambo House ☎ 407-938-3000 Kidani Village ☎ 407-938-7400 Art of Animation Resort ☎ 407-938-7000 Beach Club Resort ☎ 407-934-8000 Beach Club Villas ☎ 407-934-8000 Blizzard Beach Information ☎ 407-560-3400 BoardWalk Inn ☎ 407-939-6200 Caribbean Beach Resort ☎ 407-934-3400 Car Rentals ☎ 407-824-3470, ext. 1 Contemporary Resort & Bay Lake Tower ☎ 407-824-1000 Convention Information ☎ 321-939-7129 Coronado Springs Resort ☎ 407-939-1000 Dining Advance Reservations ☎ 407-939-3463 Disabled Guests Special Requests ☎ 407-939-7807 Disney Institute ☎ 407-824-7997 or 321-939-4600 Disney Springs Information ☎ 407-939-6244 ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex ☎ 407-939-1500 Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf ☎ 407-560-4870 Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground ☎ 407-824-2900 Golf Reservations and Information ☎ 407-939-4653 WHEN TO GO TO WALT DISNEY WORLD 47

amid the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. No word on whether this will be offered for 2021. DECEMBER The annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade, televised on December 25, is usually taped at the Magic Kingdom in November or the rst week of December. The parade ties up pedestrian traf c on Main Street, U.S.A., all day. EPCOT’s holiday celebration, called the EPCOT International Festi- val of the Holidays, typically runs late November–late December. The festival includes food booths similar to those present in World Show- case during the Food & Wine and Flower & Garden Festivals. MICKEY’S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY This takes place 7 p.m.– midnight (after regular hours) on 20+ evenings in November and December. The event includes attractions, holiday-themed stage shows featuring Disney characters, cookies and hot chocolate, performances of Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, carolers, “a magical snowfall on Main Street,” white lights on Cinderella Castle, reworks, and a show titled Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration. See page 85 for more details.

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa/Grand Floridian Villas ☎ 407-824-3000 Group Camping ☎ 407-939-7807 Guided-Tour Information ☎ 407-939-8687 Guided VIP Solo Tours ☎ 407-560-4033 House of Blues Tickets & Information ☎ 407-934-2583 Lost and Found (for articles lost yesterday or before; for same day, go to Guest Relations, front desk, or disneyworld.com/lostandfound) ☎ 407-824-4245 Merchandise Guest Services ☎ 877-560-6477 Old Key West Resort ☎ 407-827-7700 Outdoor Recreation Reservations & Information ☎ 407-939-7529 Polynesian Village Resort ☎ 407-824-2000 Polynesian Village Villas ☎ 407-824-3500 Pop Century Resort ☎ 407-938-4000 Port Orleans Resort–French Quarter ☎ 407-934-5000 Port Orleans Resort–Riverside ☎ 407-934-6000 Resort Dining ☎ 407-939-3463 Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Treehouse Villas ☎ 407-827-1100 Security Routine ☎ 407-560-7959; urgent ☎ 407-560-1990 Shades of Green Resort ☎ 407-824-3400 or 407-824-3600 Telecommunication for the Deaf Reservations (TTY) ☎ 407-827-5141 Walt Disney Travel Company ☎ 407-939-6244 Walt Disney World Dolphin ☎ 407-934-4000 Walt Disney World Swan ☎ 407-934-3000 Walt Disney World Ticket Inquiries ☎ 407-939-7679 Weather Information ☎ 407-827-4545 Wilderness Lodge/Boulder Ridge & Copper Creek Villas ☎ 407-824-3200 Winter Summerland Miniature Golf ☎ 407-560-3000 Wrecker Service (7 a.m.–11 p.m.; if closed, call Security) ☎ 407-824-0976 Yacht Club Resort ☎ 407-934-7000 48 PART 2 PLANNING BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

IMPORTANT WALT DISNEY WORLD ADDRESSES GENERAL INFORMATION WDW Guest Communications, PO Box 10040, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040 ☎ 407-560-2544, [email protected] or guest.services@ disneyworld.com General online help: disneyworld.disney.go.com/help/email CONVENTION AND BANQUET INFORMATION Walt Disney World Resort South PO Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000 ☎ 321-939-7129, disneymeetings.com MERCHANDISE MAIL ORDER (Guest Service Mail Order) PO Box 10070, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0070 ☎ 877-560-6477, [email protected] WALT DISNEY WORLD CENTRAL RESERVATIONS ☎ 407-W-DISNEY (934-7639) WALT DISNEY WORLD YOUTH PROGRAMS ☎ 877-WD-YOUTH (939-6884), disneyyouth.com WALT DISNEY WORLD TICKET MAIL ORDER ☎ 407-566-4985, [email protected] PART THREE MAKING the MOST of YOUR TIME

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS CHAPTER • How long does it take to see Walt Disney World? (see below) • What are the six most important tips for avoiding lines at Disney World? (page 53) • What are touring plans, and how do I use them? (page 56) • What is Disney’s FastPass+ ride-reservation system, and how do I use it? (page 63)

ALLOCATING TIME THE VACATION THAT FIGHTS BACK A WHIRLWIND TOUR of Disney’s four theme parks and two water parks takes at least six full days and a level of stamina more often associated with running a marathon. A British gentleman, thinking we exaggerated, measured how far he walked and found this: Our visits to the theme parks were spread over five days, during which my wife and I (ages 51 and 55) walked a total of 68 miles for an average of 13 miles per day! At Walt Disney World, less is more. Take the World in small doses, with plenty of swimming, napping, reading, and relaxing in between. If you don’t see everything, you can always come back. An articulate Anchorage, Alaska, teen and her family found out the hard way the importance of building in time to decompress: We crammed our schedule a little too full, with seven parks—Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld—in eight full days. My older sisters would speed-walk from attraction to attraction while my parents straggled behind trying to keep up, while I was caught in the middle, both wanting to get to the next ride as fast as I could and wanting just to spend some quality time with my parents. No family should spend more than two consecutive days at the parks without a low-key day in the middle. I wish I’d known this going in. 50 PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

It’s exhausting to rise at dawn and run around a theme park for 8–10 hours day after day. Sooner or later (usually sooner), you hit the wall. To avoid that, use these two tips alone or in combination: 1. Take at least a morning o¨ (preferably the entire day) after two consecutive days in the parks. 2. Return to your hotel for a 3- to 5-hour break each day you’re in the theme parks. The keys to those sleep-in days are to set up a touring plan (see page 56) and visit over multiple days. To get you started, we’ve created late-start touring plans for Animal Kingdom. Check them out at tinyurl.com/sleepin-animalkingdom. This Arlington, Virginia, family recommends taking it slow and easy: We spent eight days in Disney, and it was totally worth it. A longer trip, believe it or not, eliminates the happy death march—we cut our stress by 90%. Each day, we took some sort of break: a morning swim, an afternoon nap, a sit-down snack in a restaurant. The end result was that the kids got to see/ride everything they wanted without exhausting themselves (or us)—or spending most of their days in line. And we had almost zero tantrums (really!). The rest of this section will help you decide which park to start at, when to arrive, how to build breaks and naps into your schedule, and what to do on the rst and last days of your trip.

WHICH PARK TO SEE FIRST? THIS QUESTION IS LESS OBVIOUS than it appears, especially if your party includes children or teenagers. Kids who see the Magic Kingdom first expect the same experience at the other parks. At EPCOT, they’re often disappointed (as are many adults) by the educational orientation of the older Future World attractions. And children may not find Animal Kingdom as exciting as the Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios—real animals, after all, can’t be programmed to entertain on cue. First-time visitors should see EPCOT rst; you’ll be able to enjoy it without having been preconditioned to think of Disney entertainment as solely fantasy or adventure. See Disney’s Animal Kingdom second. Like EPCOT, it’s educational, but its live animals provide a change of pace. Next, see Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS), which helps you transition from the educational EPCOT and Animal Kingdom to the fanciful Magic Kingdom. We recommend saving the Magic Kingdom for last, although we recognize that for many readers the Magic Kingdom is synonymous with Walt Disney World.

OPERATING HOURS AS OF PRESS TIME, the Disney World website publishes preliminary park hours around 75–90 days in advance, but schedule adjustments can happen at any time, including the day of your visit. Check disneyworld .com or call ☎ 407-939-5277 for the exact hours before you arrive. Disney parks were open 10 hours each day immediately upon reopening in 2020. Off-season, parks may be open as few as 8 hours (9 a.m.–5 p.m.). At busy times (particularly holidays), they may operate for more than 10 ALLOCATING TIME 51 hours. Disney staggers each park’s opening and closing times to limit the demand on its transportation systems. Animal Kingdom usually opens first, typically at either 8 or 9 a.m., followed by the Magic Kingdom (9 a.m.), Hollywood Studios (10 a.m.), and EPCOT (11 a.m.).

Closing Time Rides and attractions shut down at approximately the official closing time. Some shopping venues, such as Main Street, U.S.A., in the Magic Kingdom, remain open 30 minutes to an hour after the rest of the park has closed.

O²cial Opening Versus Real Opening When you check the website or call, you’re given “official hours.” On many days, the parks open to day guests a bit earlier. If the official hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m., for instance, Animal Kingdom may start admitting day guests into the park and onto rides at 8:40 a.m., possibly earlier during busier times.

THE PRACTICALITY OF RETURNING TO YOUR HOTEL FOR REST MANY READERS WRITE ABOUT the practicality of departing the theme park for a nap and swim at the hotel. A dad from Sequim, Washington, made the following request: I would like to see nearness to the parks emphasized in your accom- modation guide. We tried going back to the hotel for midday breaks, but it was too time-consuming. By the time you got to the car, nego- tiated traffic, rested, and reversed the process to get back to the park, it took 2–3 hours for a short rest and was not worth it! In Part Five, “Accommodations,” we publish a chart (pages 254– 264) that provides the commuting times to each of the Disney theme parks from many popular hotels within 20 miles of Walt Disney World. Before the pandemic, our advice to the reader above would have been to allocate 4–5 hours for a break to remain rested and relaxed. It’s dif cult to recommend a 4- or 5-hour break these days, as the parks may be open only 8–11 hours. A better option is to cut your day short: sleep late and arrive later, or arrive earlier and leave earlier for a nap. In fact, Disney’s staggered park openings are excellent guidelines: arrive early at the Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom, then leave for naps when you’re tired. Sleep in on the mornings you want to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. How long will it take you to get from a theme park to your hotel by car? At Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT, you can get to your car in the parking lot in about 15–20 minutes. From the Magic Kingdom, it will take you 30–35 minutes. Obviously, if you’re at the farthest point from the park entrance when you decide to return to the hotel, it will take longer. But from most places in the parks, the times above are correct. Once in your car, you’ll be able to commute to most US 192 hotels, all Disney World hotels, all Lake Buena Vista hotels, and most hotels along the I-4 corridor and south International Drive (I-Drive) in 20 minutes or less. It will take about the same time to reach hotels on I-Drive north of Sand Lake Road and 52 PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

in the Universal Orlando area. So, for most people, the one-way com- Another daytime option is a trip to a water park (if open; see Part mute will average 35–40 minutes. Sixteen, The Water Parks, for details). Any one that stays open past 5 p.m. is worth a look because the crowds at all parks clear out sub- ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE DAYS: stantially after 4 p.m. If the park is open late and you get hungry, you’ll WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE ONLY HALF A DAY nd ample fast food. ON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE DAYS, you will probably have only If none of the above sounds appealing, consider minigolf (expen- part of a day for touring or other recreational pursuits. It’s a common sive in Walt Disney World, more reasonable outside it) or the enter- problem: You roll into the World about 1 p.m., excited and ready to tainment lineup at Disney Springs (see Part Seventeen, page 668). go—but where? The rst question: Do you feel comfortable using a full day’s In the Evening admission to the parks when you have less than a full day to tour? Dinner provides a great opportunity to plan the next day’s activities. If The incremental cost to add another day of admission is under $20 if you’re hungry for entertainment too, consider Disney Springs. It includes you’re visiting for four or more days but $90 and up if you’re there Cirque du Soleil (see page 666) and Raglan Road, an Irish pub with live for only one to three days. The availability of park reservations, your music and good food, both best appreciated by adults. arrival time, and the parks’ closing times are also considerations. If you even think you might want to visit a park on your rst or last day, Departure Days make a park reservation just in case. There’s no charge to do so, and Departure days don’t seem to cause as much consternation as arrival you can cancel at any time. days. If you want to visit a theme park on your departure day, the Ani- mal Kingdom is usually the first to open, and it’s easier to get in and out Opting for a Partial Day at the Theme Parks of than the Magic Kingdom. Get up early and be at the park when it opens. If you have a lot of time, check out and store your luggage with If you decide to use one day’s admission on a half day or less, refer to the bell desk or in your car. Or, if you can arrange a late checkout, you our app for the least crowded park to visit and to see which parks Lines might want to return to your hotel for a shower and change of clothes have reservations available. Since reopening, lines at most parks diminish before departing. rapidly starting around 2 p.m. One option, if you can reach the park before 1 p.m. and stay until closing (5–6 p.m., depending on season), is Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which requires the least amount of time to tour. You’ll nd short lines for HOW to AVOID Avatar Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Expedition Everest on all but the busiest days of the year. LONG WAITS in LINE Another option is to experience Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ sec- LONG LINES ARE USUALLY THE TOP COMPLAINT among theme ondary attractions, such as Star Tours–The Adventures Continue, any park guests—not the quality of the rides, nor the cost to get in, nor the live shows and entertainment, and shopping on your partial day, leav- food. It’s fair to say that the Unofficial Guide was written to save you ing your full day for the park’s rides. time in line. It’s the thing for which the book is most famous, and the Whenever you arrive at a theme park after noon, you should go to thing around which most of our day-to-day work revolves. higher-capacity attractions where waiting time is relatively brief, even There are six keys to avoiding long lines at Disney World: during the most crowded part of the day. Our clip-out Touring Plan 1. Decide in advance what you really want to see. Companions in the back of the book list attractions in each of the Dis- 2. Arrive early. ney parks that require the least waiting during the most crowded part 3. Know what to expect when you arrive. of the day. Although the lines for these attractions may seem humon- 4. Use a touring plan. gous, they move quickly. 5. Use Disney’s FastPass+ ride-reservation system. Alternatives to the Theme Parks on Arrival Day 6. Use the single-rider line if one is available. Before you head out for fun on arrival day, you must check in, unpack, We elaborate on each these in the remainder of this chapter. and buy admissions, and you will probably detour to the grocery or convenience store to buy snacks, drinks, and breakfast food. At all Disney 1. DECIDE IN ADVANCE WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE resorts and many non-Disney hotels, you can’t occupy your room until DISNEY’S ATTRACTIONS RANGE from midway-type rides that after 3 p.m. (4 p.m. for DVC resorts); however, many properties will check you can get at your local carnival to high-tech extravaganzas found you in, sell you tickets, and store your luggage before that hour. nowhere else on earth. The least expensive way to spend your arrival day is to check in, To help you decide which to see, we describe the theme parks and unpack, do your chores, and relax at your hotel swimming pool. their attractions in detail. In each description, we include our evaluation HOW TO AVOID LONG WAITS IN LINE 53

Another daytime option is a trip to a water park (if open; see Part Sixteen, The Water Parks, for details). Any one that stays open past 5 p.m. is worth a look because the crowds at all parks clear out substantially after 4 p.m. If the park is open late and you get hungry, you’ll nd ample fast food. If none of the above sounds appealing, consider minigolf (expensive in Walt Disney World, more reasonable outside it) or the entertainment lineup at Disney Springs (see Part Seventeen, page 668).

In the Evening Dinner provides a great opportunity to plan the next day’s activities. If you’re hungry for entertainment too, consider Disney Springs. It includes Cirque du Soleil (see page 666) and Raglan Road, an Irish pub with live music and good food, both best appreciated by adults.

Departure Days Departure days don’t seem to cause as much consternation as arrival days. If you want to visit a theme park on your departure day, the Ani- mal Kingdom is usually the first to open, and it’s easier to get in and out of than the Magic Kingdom. Get up early and be at the park when it opens. If you have a lot of time, check out and store your luggage with the bell desk or in your car. Or, if you can arrange a late checkout, you might want to return to your hotel for a shower and change of clothes before departing.

HOW to AVOID LONG WAITS in LINE LONG LINES ARE USUALLY THE TOP COMPLAINT among theme park guests—not the quality of the rides, nor the cost to get in, nor the food. It’s fair to say that the Unofficial Guide was written to save you time in line. It’s the thing for which the book is most famous, and the thing around which most of our day-to-day work revolves. There are six keys to avoiding long lines at Disney World: 1. Decide in advance what you really want to see. 2. Arrive early. 3. Know what to expect when you arrive. 4. Use a touring plan. 5. Use Disney’s FastPass+ ride-reservation system. 6. Use the single-rider line if one is available. We elaborate on each these in the remainder of this chapter.

1. DECIDE IN ADVANCE WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE DISNEY’S ATTRACTIONS RANGE from midway-type rides that you can get at your local carnival to high-tech extravaganzas found nowhere else on earth. To help you decide which to see, we describe the theme parks and their attractions in detail. In each description, we include our evaluation 54 PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

of the attraction, and the opinions of Disney World guests are expressed as star ratings, with ve stars being the highest rating. Our evaluation also uses the following hierarchy of categories to compare the size and scope of the different attractions: SUPER-HEADLINERS The best attractions the theme park has to offer. Mind-boggling in size, scope, and imagination, they represent the cutting edge of attraction technology and design. When you get back from Walt Disney World and people ask, “Did you go on so-and-so?” this is what they’ll be talking about. HEADLINERS Multimillion-dollar, full-scale, themed adventures and theater presentations that are modern in technology and design and employ a full range of special effects. MAJOR ATTRACTIONS More modestly themed adventures, but ones that incorporate state-of-the-art technologies. Or larger-scale attractions of older design. MINOR ATTRACTIONS Midway-type rides, small “dark” rides (cars on a track, zigzagging through the dark), small theater presentations, transportation rides, and elaborate walk-through attractions. DIVERSIONS Exhibits, both passive and interactive, including playgrounds, video arcades, and street theater. Not every attraction ts neatly into these descriptions, but it’s a handy way to compare any two. Remember that bigger and more elaborate doesn’t always mean better. Peter Pan’s Flight, a minor attraction in the Magic Kingdom, continues to be one of the park’s most beloved rides. Likewise, for many young children, no attraction, regardless of size, surpasses Dumbo.

A Word About Disney Thrill Rides Readers of all ages should try to be open-minded about Disney “thrill rides.” Compared to those at other theme parks, the Disney attractions are quite tame, with more emphasis on sights, atmosphere, and special effects than on the motion, speed, or feel of the ride. While we suggest you take Disney’s pre-ride warnings seriously, we can tell you that guests of all ages report enjoying rides such as Soarin’, Tower of Terror, Big Thunder Mountain, and Splash Mountain. Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster and Expedition Everest, however, are a different story. Both are serious coasters that are faster and more intense than Space Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain. Mission: Space, a high-tech simulation ride at EPCOT, is a toss-up (pun intended)—it absolutely has the potential to make you sick. After many guest incidents, Disney made half of the ride a tamer, no-spin experience—one that’s less likely to launch your lunch.

2. ARRIVE EARLY! ARRIVE EARLY! ARRIVE EARLY! THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST important key to efficient touring and avoiding long lines. First thing in the morning, there are no lines and fewer people. The same four rides you experience in 1 hour in early morning at the Magic Kingdom can take as long as 3 hours after 10:30 a.m. Besides that, some parks are now open as few as 8 hours per HOW TO AVOID LONG WAITS IN LINE 55 day during the off-season. Factoring in meals and breaks, that leaves as little as 6–6½ hours to see the park. Eat breakfast before you arrive; don’t waste prime touring time sitting in a restaurant. You gain a big advantage if you’re already past the turnstiles when the park opens. While everyone else is stuck in line waiting for the people ahead to nd their admission media and gure out how the turnstiles work, the lucky few (hundreds) already in the park will be in line for their rst attraction. You’ll probably be done and on your way to your second before many of them are even in the park, and the time savings accrue throughout the rest of the day. The earlier a park opens, the greater your advantage. This is because most vacationers won’t make the effort to rise early and get to a park before it opens. Fewer people are willing to make an 8 a.m. opening than a 9 a.m. opening. If you visit during midsummer, arrive at the turnstiles 30–40 minutes before opening. During holiday periods, arrive 45–60 minutes early. By arriving, we mean be at the turnstiles at the recommended time. Consider that you’ll have to clear health screening and security before advancing to the turnstiles. Many readers share their experiences about getting to the parks before opening. From a Pennsylvania mom of two: Be there at rope drop. I went during one of the slowest times of the year, and the morning I didn’t wake up for rope drop I was able to experience less than half of what I did the other days. A reader from Kingsley, Pennsylvania, notes that the secret of rope- dropping was becoming more widely known before the shutdown: Rope-dropping is not the advantage that it used to be as crowds have increased. As recently as five years ago, you could be at rope drop for Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Carib- bean, and The Haunted Mansion, and they would all be close to walk- ons. That’s not the case anymore. On an average day, if you rope-drop Splash Mountain, you’ll wait 20 minutes unless you’re right up front, and Big Thunder Mountain will have a 35-minute wait when you get off Splash Mountain. The Haunted Mansion will have a 30-minute wait by 10 a.m. Even Pirates will have a 20-minute wait within the first hour. Even with more people rope-dropping, it’s still the best free strategy for seeing the most popular attractions with minimal waits. If getting the kids up earlier than usual makes for rough sailing, don’t despair. You’ll have a great time no matter when you get to the park. Many families with young children have found that it’s better to accept the relative inef ciencies of arriving at the park a bit late than to jar the children out of their routine. In our guide especially for families, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids, we provide a number of special touring plans (including touring plans for sleepyheads) that we don’t have room for in this guide.

3. KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU ARRIVE BECAUSE MOST OF THE TOURING PLANS are based on being present when the theme park opens, you need to know about opening 56 PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

procedures. Disney transportation to the parks begins 1–1½ hours before official opening. The parking lots open about an hour before the park does. Each park has an entrance plaza outside the turnstiles, where you’ll remain until the parks open. In early 2021, Disney parks opened roughly 30–60 minutes before of cial opening time. This prevents dense crowds from forming around the admission turnstiles. Once the park is opened, a process called rope drop for historical reasons, you can walk immediately to your rst attraction.

4. USE A TOURING PLAN SINCE THE FIRST EDITION of the Unofficial Guide, minimizing our readers’ waits in line has been a top priority. We know from research that theme park patrons measure overall satisfaction based on the number of attractions they’re able to experience. unofficial TIP Thus, we developed field-tested touring plans: The facts and ﬁgures in step-by-step itineraries that allow readers to our books come from experience as many attractions as possible with years of data collection the least amount of waiting. and analysis by expert Even though park attendance was capped statisticians, programmers, at 35% of pre-pandemic capacity as we went ﬁeld researchers, and life- to press, we think the touring plans in this long Disney enthusiasts. book can save you up to an hour or more, and they allow you to see more attractions. How do they do this? The answer is science. You may be surprised to learn that avoiding lines in theme parks is similar to everyday situations faced by companies around the world. For example, it’s almost the exact problem FedEx and UPS have when trying to deliver packages ef ciently (you’re the driver; the rides you want to ride are the customers that need to be visited; and the time you spend walking and waiting in line is the travel time to the next customer.) Because this kind of problem is common, it gets studied widely in schools and corporations, mainly in the elds of mathematics, operations research, and computer science. Bob used his experience teaching college operations research to come up with the rst Disney touring plans in this book. Years later, Bob helped Len while Len was writing his master’s thesis on ef cient computer techniques for this kind of problem. It was their chocolate-and-peanut-butter moment. In the years since, we’ve assembled a full-time team of data scien- tists, programmers, and researchers, and spent millions of dollars, to gure out how to avoid lines at Disney World. This research has been recognized by both the travel industry and academe, having been cited by such diverse sources as Popular Science, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Dallas Morning News, the Mathematical Association of America, Money, The New York Times, Operations Research Forum, Travel Weekly, USA Today, and Wired, along with the BBC, CBS News, Fox News, and the Travel Channel. The methodology behind our touring plans was also used as a case study in the 2010 book Numbers Rule Your World, by Kaiser Fung, professor of statistics at New York University. HOW TO AVOID LONG WAITS IN LINE 57

So that’s a touring plan: a step-by-step guide to avoiding lines, just for you, that is supported by a team of well-funded, obsessive, Disney science–y types with lots and lots of computers. We get a ton of reader mail—98% of it positive—commenting on our touring plans. First, from a mother who planned a last-minute trip: We rode all of the main attractions in EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios over a three-day period, and we didn’t wait more than 10 minutes for any ride—and this was during spring break! An Ohio family felt the wind in their sails: The whole time we were in the Magic Kingdom, following the touring plan, it seemed that we were traveling in front of a hurricane— we’d wait 10 minutes or so for an attraction (or less—sometimes we just walked right on), but when we got out and started moving on to the next one, we could see the line building for what we just did. From a Noblesville, Indiana, couple: LOVE the Touring Plans. They work. I was skeptical. A family of four from Louisville, Kentucky, had this to say: If there is one cult in this world I could join, it would be the staff of the Unofficial Guide. I tell everyone going to Disney to use this book and the awesome app. Years ago, we tried to convince friends to use the book, but they were scared off by the highly structured nature of the touring plans. We happened to see them at Disney during a late summer afternoon. Our family had enjoyed a full day with lots of rides and no more than a 20-minute wait. They had been on two total rides, standing in line over 1½ hours each time. They were miserable, and already considering escaping back to the hotel. A mom from Warren, Arkansas, gave the touring plans a shot: This is our fifth family trip to WDW, and this was my first time to use a touring plan. I have read the books and been a member of Lines for years. However, I never bought into the demands of the touring plan. After this last trip, I am officially a fan! I cannot express to you how much better our trip was since we followed a plan. We accomplished more in the first hour of Magic Kingdom than we used to accomplish in 3 hours. My family will use touring plans from now on. From a Monroe, Michigan, family of 10: I have always read the Unofficial Guide but never paid much mind to the touring plan section. This trip there were 10 of us in total going to the parks! We decided to give the plans a try so that we weren’t standing around saying, “What do you want to do next?” Oh, my goodness! How have we survived without the plans? We got to do every attraction that everyone in the group wanted, with minimal cry- ing from the 2- and 4-year-old nieces. A woman from Westminster, Colorado, chimed in with this: I love the Unofficial Guides. I love the humor, and I feel like I get a real idea of what to expect. When I first told my family I wanted to use the 58 PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

touring plans to maximize our theme park experience, they thought I was crazy. I secretly cut the plans out of the book and stowed them in my day pack, then urged us in the direction of the plans. After the first day they were shocked at how much we got done and how few huge lines we had to wait in. When I told them that we had actually followed your touring plans, they happily followed them the rest of the trip. It made a huge difference with the crowds and heat of summer! A 30-something mom of two from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, found that the touring plans fanned the ames of amour: My husband was a bit doubtful about using a touring plan, but on our first day at Magic Kingdom, after we’d done all the Fantasy land attractions and ridden Splash Mountain twice before lunch, he looked at me with amazement and said, “I’ve never been so attracted to you.” A woman from Smithville, Tennessee, used the touring plans as a litmus test for her ancé: Your book has helped me plan two amazing trips to Disney World. My first trip there, I went in blind. My second trip, I discovered your book and used your touring plans. My third trip, I used the app you created and had the best trip of my life! My fiancé just informed me that we can’t go “every year.” I think I’m going to have to break it off with him. Finally, from an Edmonds, Washington, family who used the touring plans for Universal’s Islands of Adventure: This trip was the first time we were actually going to leave the property (gasp!) and go to Universal, and I was very happy that you included a touring plan for Islands of Adventure. It worked like a charm! I’ve always wondered how it feels to follow your plans not ever having seen the park before, and now I know—it was easy!

Variables That Aªect the Success of the Touring Plans The plans’ success will be affected by how early you arrive at the parks; how quickly you move from ride to ride; when and how many breaks you take; when, where, and how you eat; and whether you have young children in your tour group, among other factors. Rider Switch (page 397), also known as “baby swap,” among other things, inhibits families with little ones from moving expeditiously among attractions. Plus, some folks simply cannot conform to the plans’ “early to rise” conditions, as this reader from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, recounts: Our touring plans were thrown totally off by one member who could not be on time for opening. Even in October, this made a huge difference in our ability to see attractions without waiting.

UNEXPECTED RIDE CLOSURES Some things are beyond your control. Tops among these are rides that don’t open on time or stop running suddenly during the day. For example, Test Track, an automobile- based thrill ride at EPCOT, can run about 30 cars at a time. But it’s a decades-old, outdoor ride with fragile technology that doesn’t seem to handle Florida’s humid mornings very well. About twice a week, Test Track will unexpectedly open late or stop running while the staff work to get it going again. They might begin HOW TO AVOID LONG WAITS IN LINE 59

ATTRACTIONS THAT FREQUENTLY EXPERIENCE OUTAGES Likelihood Likelihood Median ride is down ride is down NAME OF outage at some point at some duration ATTRACTION in first hour point during in minutes AND THEME PARK park is open the day FROZEN EVER AFTER (EPCOT) 11% 60% 45 min. TEST TRACK (EPCOT) 27% 80% 21 min. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 21% 62% 16 min. (Magic Kingdom) SEVEN DWARFS MINE TRAIN 12% 56% 38 min. (Magic Kingdom) SPACE MOUNTAIN (Magic Kingdom) 15% 56% 31 min. SPLASH MOUNTAIN (Magic Kingdom) 28% 67% 53 min. STAR WARS: RISE OF THE 15% 90% 30 min. RESISTANCE (Hollywood Studios) the ride with 10 or 20 cars before going to full capacity; on these days, you’ll have a long wait even if you’re among the rst in line. Most Disney attractions run reliably for days on end. A few experience chronic outages. When a major ride breaks down during the middle of the day, the thousands of guests who would have been on that ride head for the others that are still running. Our touring plans consider ride reliability when choosing which attraction to visit rst each morning. The EPCOT plans usually visit Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Soarin’ rst, for example, because there’s a decent chance that walking to Test Track or Frozen Ever After would be a waste of time and effort. If you’re following a touring plan on our Lines mobile app, you can tap the “Optimize” button to have the plan adjusted automatically to avoid the problem areas. If you’re following a printed touring plan, it’s safe to assume that a ride outage will affect your plan at some point during the day. Our advice is to check the My Disney Experience app or our Lines app for current wait times throughout the rest of the park and then adjust your plan accordingly.

WEATHER AND STAFFING Two things we can’t predict are the weather and how Disney will staff its rides. When lightning or heavy rains are close, Disney will close many (if not all) outdoor rides for safety. The effect on ride wait times when this happens is similar to a set of unexpected ride breakdowns, as described above. Also, Disney will occasionally cut a ride’s staf ng or hourly capacity, typically to save money. We’re pretty sure—because we’ve counted how many people exited the attractions per hour—that this has happened many times over the past few years; it’s likely to keep happen- ing too, but it’s unpredictable. THEATER SHOWS Another variable is your arrival time for a theater show: You’ll wait from the time you arrive until the end of the presentation in progress. The sooner you arrive after the show in progress has started, the longer you’ll wait; conversely, the later you arrive, the shorter your wait will be. 60 PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

Customize Your Touring Plans The attractions included in our touring plans are the most popular as determined by more than 1,000,000 reader surveys. If you’ve never been to Walt Disney World, we suggest using the plans in this book. Not only are they the best our program can produce, but they’ve also been field- tested by hundreds of thousands of families. They’ll ensure that you see the best Disney attractions with as little waiting in line as possible. If you’re a return visitor, your favorite attractions may be different. One way to customize the plans is to go to TouringPlans.com to create personalized versions. Tell the software the date, time, and park you’ve chosen to visit, along with the attractions you want to see. Your custom plan will tell you, for your speci c travel date and time, the exact order in which to visit attractions to minimize your waits in line. Our touring plans also support Rider Switch on thrill rides (see page 397). Besides attractions, you can schedule meals, breaks, character greetings, and more. You can even tell your plans how fast you plan to walk, and they’ll make the necessary adjustments. Our custom touring plans get rave reviews from readers and website subscribers. From an Edmonton, Alberta, reader: We love the ability to personalize the touring plans! Because we rarely arrive at park opening, we can’t use the ones printed in the book. The personalized plans let us reduce wait times and eliminate argu- ing about what we are going to do next. Everyone can see their “big” attraction coming up on the plan, and we know we’ll get to them all. From a mother of two from Halifax, Nova Scotia: I was hesitant to pay additional money to get the TouringPlans.com membership, but boy, am I glad I did! My husband was hesitant about needing to have a plan for the park, but when we got there and he saw how we beat all the lines by following it and using the FastPasses suggested in the book, he was happy we had the plan. We also used the Lines app in the park to see the waiting times for rides, which were much more accurate than the Disney posted times. Next time we go to Disney World, the very first thing we will do is get a website membership! (As a reminder, you can create touring plans for free on the website. See page 28 for details.) From an Alexandria, Virginia, mom: The touring plans helped make our vacation perfect! We visited WDW over spring break, the week before Easter. It was CROWDED. We saw signs for 90- to 120-minute waits on some of the rides. Using our touring plans, we only waited for 30 minutes once. Other than that, our longest wait was 20 minutes, and most of our other waits were 0–10 minutes. We would have had a completely different vacation without the touring plans. They were lifesavers! From a couple across the pond in London: The personalized touring plans and the Lines app worked really well. In our five days at the parks, we managed to ride everything we wanted to multiple times. Even though there were posted waits of up to and over 120 minutes for some rides at peak times, we very HOW TO AVOID LONG WAITS IN LINE 61

rarely waited more than 15 minutes, and most times we just walked straight up to the rides. Finally, from a Chelsea, Alabama, reader: The book and the personal touring plans are like a one–two punch. Between them we were completely covered. Alternatively, some changes are simple enough to make on your own. If a plan calls for an attraction you’re not interested in, simply skip it and move on to the next one. You can also substitute similar attractions in the same area of the park. If a plan calls for, say, riding Dumbo and you’d rather not, but you would enjoy the Mad Tea Party (which is not on the plan), then go ahead and substitute that for Dumbo. As long as the substitution is a similar attraction (substituting a show for a ride won’t work) and is pretty close by the attraction called for in the touring plan, you won’t compromise the overall effectiveness of the plan. A family of four from South Slocan, British Columbia, found they could easily tailor the touring plans to meet their needs: We amended your touring plans by taking out the attractions we didn’t want to do and just doing the remainder in order. It worked great, and by arriving before the parks opened, we got to see everything we wanted, with virtually no waits! As did a Jacksonville, Florida, family: We used a combination of the Two-Day Touring Plan for Parents with Small Children and the Two-Day Touring Plan for Adults. We were able to get on almost everything with a 10-minute wait or less.

What to Do If You Lose the Thread If unforeseen events interrupt a plan: 1. If you’re following a touring plan in our Lines app (touringplans.com /lines), just press “Optimize” when you’re ready to start touring again. Lines will ﬁgure out the best possible plan for the remainder of your day. 2. If you’re following a printed touring plan, skip a step on the plan for every 20 minutes’ delay. For example, if you lose your phone and spend an hour hunting for it, skip three steps and pick up from there. 3. Forget the plan and organize the remainder of your day using the standby wait times listed in Lines or the Clip-Out Touring Plan Companions in the back of this book.

“Bouncing Around” Disney generally tries to place its popular rides on opposite sides of the park. In the Magic Kingdom, for example, the most popular attractions are positioned as far apart as possible—in the north, east, and west corners of the park—so that guests are more evenly distributed throughout the day. It’s often possible to save a lot of time in line by walking across the park to catch one of these rides when crowds are low. Some readers object to this crisscrossing. A woman from Decatur, Georgia, told us she “got dizzy from all the bouncing around.” Believe us, we empathize. In general, our touring plans recommend crossing the park only if you’ll save more than 1 minute in line for every 1 minute of extra 62 PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

walking. (If you prefer some other trade-off, our touring plan software can help.) We sometimes recommend crossing the park to see a newly opened ride; in these cases, a special trip to visit the attraction early avoids much longer waits later. Also, live shows, especially at the Studios, sometimes have performance schedules so at odds with each other (and the rest of the park’s schedule) that orderly touring is impossible. If you want to experience headliner attractions in one day without long waits, you can see those rst (requires crisscrossing the park) or hope to squeeze in visits during the last two hours the park is open (may not work). If you have two days to visit the Magic Kingdom, use its Two-Day Touring Plan (see page 508). It spreads the popular attractions over two mornings and works great even when the parks close early.

Touring Plan Rejection We suggest sticking to the plans religiously, especially in the mornings, if you’re visiting during busy times. The consequence of touring spon- taneity in peak season is hours of standing in line. However, some folks don’t respond well to the regimentation of a touring plan. If you encounter this problem with someone in your party, roll with the punches, as this Maryland couple did: The rest of the group was not receptive to the use of the touring plans. I think they all thought I was being a little too regimented about planning this vacation. Rather than argue, I left the touring plans behind as we ventured off for the theme parks. You can guess the outcome. A reader from Royal Oak, Michigan, ran into trouble by not getting her family on board ahead of time: The one thing I will suggest is if one member of the family is doing most of the research and planning (like I did), that they communi- cate what the book/touring plans suggest. I failed to do this and it led to some, shall we say, tense moments between my husband and me on our first day. However, once he realized how much time we were saving, he understood why I was so bent on following the touring plans. That said, if you’re a type-A planner, relax and be prepared for surprises and setbacks. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all of this, as this woman from Trappe, Pennsylvania reected: I had been planning for this trip for two years and researching it using guidebooks, websites, videos, and information from WDW. On night three of our trip, I ended up taking an unscheduled trip to the ER. When the doctor asked what seemed to be the problem, I responded, “I don’t know—but I can’t stop shaking and I can’t stay here very long, because I have to get up in a couple hours to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.” Diagnosis: an anxiety attack caused by my excessive itinerary. One of our all-time favorite letters came from an Omaha, Nebraska couple. One of them was a planner, and one clearly wasn’t. They were both experienced negotiators, as their letter shows: HOW TO AVOID LONG WAITS IN LINE 63

We created our own 4.25 x 5.5 guidebook for our trip that included a number of pages from the TouringPlans.com website. This was the first page:

THE TYPE-A SPOUSE’S BILL OF RIGHTS 1. We will not see everything in one vacation, and any attempt to do so may be met with blunt trauma. 2. Len Testa will not be vacationing with us. His plans don’t schedule time for benches. Ours may. 3. We may deviate from the touring plans at some point. Really. 4. Even if it isn’t on the Disney Dining Plan, a funnel cake or other snack may be purchased without a grouchy face from the nonpurchasing spouse. 5. Sometimes, sitting by the pool may sound more fun than going to a park, show, or other scheduled event. On this vacation, that will be ﬁne. 6. “But I thought we were going to . . . ” is a phrase that must be stricken from the discussion of any plans that had not been previously discussed as a couple. 7. Other items may be added as circumstances dictate at the parks.

It was a much happier vacation with these generally understood prin- ciples in writing.

Early Theme Park Entry, Special Events, and the Touring Plans Disney announced a new program called Early Theme Park Entry (aka Early Entry; see page 43) to replace the Extra Magic Hours program that ran until 2020. With Early Entry, Disney resort guests are admitted to all four Disney theme parks 30 minutes before official park opening. Off-site resort guests who enter the parks will find thousands of on-site guests already ahead of them in lines. To mitigate the effect of Early Entry on off-site guests, we’ve added off-site versions of our touring plans to this book. And our free touring plan software (see page 28) will optimize touring plans that begin up to an hour before of cial park opening. As we went to press, Disney had canceled all special events throughout Walt Disney World. COVID tip 5. USE FASTPASS+ (if available) FastPass+ was tempo- FASTPASS+ IS DISNEY’S free ride-reservation rarily suspended as we system. Somewhat like making a reservation at a went to press. restaurant, it allows you to reserve a spot on an attraction at a Disney theme park for a specific day and time. As with Disney dining reservations, you’re encouraged to book Fast Pass+ reservations a month or two in advance, depending on whether you’re staying at a Disney hotel. You must use a computer, a mobile device, or an in-park terminal to make and modify reservations (see page 37), and you must use your RFID-enabled MagicBand or Key to the World Card (see page 83) when you show up to use the reservation. This system can help you see more with less waiting. But there are restrictions on how it can be used, so understanding those rules is important when using our touring plans, especially if you want to experience lots of attractions or you’re unable to arrive at park opening. (See “FastPass+ Rules” on the next page.) FastPass+ does not eliminate the need to arrive early at a theme park. Because each park offers a limited number of FastPass+ attractions and 64 PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

a limited number of reservations for those attractions each day, you still have to get an early start if you want to avoid long lines at non- FastPass+ attractions. By distributing guests at designated attractions throughout the day, FastPass+ reduces waits for those attractions. It provides an incentive (a shorter wait) for guests who are willing to postpone experiencing a given attraction until later in the day and, in effect, imposes a penalty (standby status) on guests who don’t use it. However, spreading out guest arrivals sometimes decreases waits for standby guests as well.

Making a FastPass+ Reservation You’ll find detailed instructions on how to navigate Disney’s website and make FastPass+ reservations starting on page 37. But read the rest of this section first, because it tells you which FastPass+ choices are most valuable and which you can ignore.

Returning to Ride Each FastPass+ reservation lasts for an hour, and Disney officially enforces the ride return time. Thus, if you make a FastPass+ reservation to ride Space Mountain at 5:30 p.m., you have unofficial TIP until 6:30 p.m. to either use it or change it to You’ll be notiﬁed of any something else. Just like a restaurant reserva- issues with FastPass+ tion, your FastPass+ may be canceled if you reservations through the don’t show up on time. In practice, however, My Disney Experience we’ve found that you can usually be up to 15 mobile app. minutes late to use your reservation. When you return to Space Mountain at the designated time, you’ll be directed to a FastPass+ Return line. Before you get in line, you’ll have to validate your reservation by touching your MagicBand or RFID ticket to a reader at the FastPass+ Return entrance. Then you’ll proceed with minimal waiting to the attraction’s preshow or boarding area. If technical problems cause an attraction to be closed during your return time, Disney will automatically adjust your FastPass+ reservation in one of three ways: 1. If it’s early in the day, Disney will o¨er you the chance to return to the attraction at any point in the day after it reopens. 2. Alternatively, Disney may let you choose another FastPass+ attraction in the same park, on the same day. 3. If it’s late in the day, Disney will automatically give you another selection good for any FastPass+ attraction at any park the following day.

FastPass+ Rules Disney has rules in place to prevent guests from obtaining certain combinations of FastPass+ reservations before they get to the parks. RULE #1: You can obtain only one advance FastPass+ reservation per attraction, per day, but you can get more once you’re in the park and you’ve used your rst set of three. RULE #2: FastPass+ reservation times can’t overlap. If you have a Fast- Pass+ reservation for 2–3 p.m., for instance, you can’t make another reservation later than 1 p.m. or earlier than 3 p.m. in the same park. HOW TO AVOID LONG WAITS IN LINE 65

RULE #3: FastPass+ Tiers At EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Holly- wood Studios, FastPass+ attractions are divided into two groups, based on popularity. Attractions in Tier A have the longest lines, while few attractions in Tier B require FastPass+ for most of the year; you can choose just one attraction from Tier A but two attractions from Tier B. Before FastPass+ was temporarily suspended, here’s how the tiers looked at EPCOT, for example:

TIER A (Choose one per day) • Evening fireworks• Frozen Ever After • Soarin’ Around the World• Test Track TIER B (Choose two per day) • Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival• Journey into Imagination with Figment • Living with the Land• Mission: Space• Spaceship Earth • The Seas with Nemo & Friends• Turtle Talk with Crush

In practice, it’s dif cult to score FastPasses at the park for the Tier A attractions you didn’t select in advance. The only reliable strategy for avoiding long waits is to be on hand at park opening and experience these attractions before the park gets crowded. Again, though, the tiers don’t apply beyond your rst three advance FastPass+ reservations—any reservations you make beyond the rst three when you’re in the parks are totally up to you. RULE #4: Booking Window If you have reservations for a resort in Walt Disney World, you can begin making your FastPass+ reservations 60 days before your arrival. You’ll be able to make FastPass+ reservations for as many days as your Disney tickets have theme park admission. Thus, if you have a seven-day theme park ticket, you’ll be able to make FastPass+ reservations for all seven days of your trip on the 60th day before you arrive. RULE #5: Resort Cancellation If you make a Disney resort reservation and FastPass+ reservations more than 30 days before arrival and then cancel your Disney resort reservation, you must rebook at another Disney hotel or your FastPasses will be canceled. Clearly, these rules are designed to encourage you to do three things: stay at a Disney resort, book your trip well in advance, and tell Disney exactly where you plan to be every day. These three things not only increase Disney’s revenue but also decrease its operating expenses because Disney can adjust its staf ng levels at each park based on how many people have made FastPass+ reservations. And by promising lower wait times in advance, Disney encourages you to spend more time at its unofficial TIP parks versus Universal Orlando’s and others’. Assume that using the FastPass+ line will take WAITS WITH FASTPASS+ You’ll still wait to actu- 15%–25% as long as the ally board the ride, even if you’re using FastPass+. posted standby time— The time you’ll wait can vary considerably, from about 6–12 minutes for almost nothing to 40 minutes or more (see the an attraction with a next section for possible reasons why). A reason- 60-minute posted wait. able estimate is that your wait to ride with Fast- Pass+ will be 15%–25% of the posted wait time when you return. 66 PART 3 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

How FastPass+ Aªects Your Touring Plans We think most Unofficial Guide readers probably spend fewer minutes per day walking around the parks because they can make FastPass+ reservations using their phones. The time saved from not walking is a little more than the overall increases in standby waits at secondary attractions, so FastPass+, when it works, is roughly a break-even propo- sition for folks using our touring plans. We say “when it works” because we’ve spent a lot of time observ- ing just how wrong things can go at a FastPass+ return point. The most common problem we see is people arriving too early or too late for their reservation. That’s understandable because MagicBands don’t display reservation times, and they’re a hassle to nd on My Disney Experience. Another frequent issue we see is from families, particularly those whose native language isn’t English, simply not understanding how FastPass+ works. For example, many people seem to think that just wearing the MagicBand allows them access to the FastPass+ line without having to make a reservation. When a problem like this happens, a cast member can usually resolve it fairly quickly. When the problem is more complex, the line stops while the issue is sorted out. Consider what happens when an issue occurs at Pirates of the Caribbean, which can handle around 2,800 people in a good hour. Roughly half the ride’s capacity is dedicated to FastPass+, so on busy days about two new guests arrive at the FastPass+ entrance every 5 seconds. If the cast member at the Fast- Pass+ entrance takes 30 seconds to resolve a problem, then a line of 12 guests will have formed by time the issue is xed. The good news is that Disney has made a lot of progress in stream- lining and resolving these kinds of issues, and we expect the process to continue improving.

Your FastPass+ Priorities at Each Park When FastPass+ returns, we will update the touring plans on our website with the suggested FastPass+ start times for the attractions that will save you the most time in line. In general, most Walt Disney World shows never require FastPass+. The touring plans already do a good job of getting you to the show at least 15 minutes in advance (or earlier for shows like Fantasmic!), in which case you’ll almost always be able to get in to see that performance. In the worst-case scenario, you’ll have to wait only until the next show. Also, because you can get FastPass+ for either Soarin’ or the reworks show (when it is reinstated) at EPCOT, you’ll almost always end up with a shorter wait if you use the FastPass+ for Soarin’.

What to Do If You Can’t Get an Advance FastPass+ Reservation at a Popular Ride The entire supply of FastPasses for popular rides like Avatar Flight of Passage, along with Millennium Falcon, can be snapped up a few seconds after they’re available. Getting one of those—especially one at the exact HOW TO AVOID LONG WAITS IN LINE 67 time you want—is like winning the lottery: So many people are trying to do the same thing that your odds of succeeding are essentially zero. There are two ways to deal with this: Get the next-best FastPasses you can, or wait for day-of FastPasses. Our touring plan software can adjust any touring plan to use whatever FastPass+ reservations you have. The software will also work with day-of FastPass+ reservations you get while you’re in the park, as described next. DAY-OF FASTPASSES While Disney typically sets aside around 80% of a ride’s capacity for FastPass+ reservations 60 days before your visit, it doesn’t make all 80% available at once. The rest are released on the day of your visit. Some of these are surely for people who didn’t plan anything before showing up, so they’re not angry at paying $135 each and having to wait in long lines for popular rides. Disney also holds back ride reservations for day-of distribution as insurance against ride breakdowns. When a FastPass+ ride breaks down, the other attractions in the park get swamped with people from that ride. To mitigate that effect, Disney holds back a certain number of FastPass+ reservations at key rides, on the assumption that the ride might break down that day. At speci c times of the day, if the ride hasn’t yet failed, Disney releases these “buffer” FastPasses for use. THE FUTURE OF FASTPASS+ As this edition of the Guide was going to press, we were hearing rumors that Disney may change the FastPass+ system to include more paid options. We’ll have updates on touring plans.com if this happens.

6. USE THE SINGLE-RIDER LINE COVID tip (if available) Single-rider lines were temporarily suspended BESIDES FASTPASS+, another time-saver is the single-rider line, a separate line for individu- as we went to press to promote social distancing. als who are visiting the park alone or don’t mind riding alone. This option is available at Test Track in EPCOT; Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom; and Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The objective is to ll odd spaces left by groups that don’t quite ll the entire ride vehicle. Because there aren’t many singles and most groups are unwilling to split up, single-rider lines are usually much shorter than regular lines. PART FOUR MAKING the MOST of YOUR MONEY

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS CHAPTER • What kind(s) of tickets do I need for Disney World? (page 74) • Where can I ﬁnd ticket discounts? (page 79) • What are MagicBands, and how do they work? (page 82) • Which special events are worth the extra cost? (page 84)

There is more to Orlando than Disney World. And that’s a good thing, because increasingly, the only people who get to rub elbows with Mickey Mouse are rich ones. —Sandra Tan, staff writer, Buffalo News

ALLOCATING MONEY HOW MUCH DOES A DISNEY VACATION COST? EVERY YEAR, WE HEAR FROM tens of thousands of families who are either planning or just back from a Disney vacation, and we talk with travel agents who hear from thousands more. The thing that surprises these families the most is how expensive their trip turned out to be. So that you know what you’re dealing with up front, we’ve created the table on pages 70–72. It shows how much Disney vacation you get for $1,000, $1,500, $2,000, and $3,000, for families of various sizes. Most cells in the table contain a list of options, such as the type of hotel at which you stay or the restaurants at which you dine. These options illustrate the trade-offs you should consider when planning your trip— and there will be trade-offs. Here’s an example for a family of two adults and one child with a $1,500 budget, excluding transportation: OPTION A One day at a Disney’s theme park, three counter-service meals that day, and one night at a Disney Deluxe resort OPTION B Two full days at Disney’s theme parks, three counter-service meals both days, and three nights at a budget o¨-site motel ALLOCATING MONEY 69

In this case (and in general), your choice is between (1) a nicer hotel or (2) a longer trip, including more time in the parks, plus more nights in a cheaper hotel. You may also get better meals every day. If you’d like to plug in your own numbers, you can download our spreadsheet at tinyurl.com/wdwyouget2021. Ticket prices are based on Disney’s January 2021 prices and include tax. All hotel prices are quoted for summer nights in 2021 and include tax. These prices are likely 15%–20% higher than what you’ll actually pay—at press time, Disney had not released discounts for summer 2021. Here are the assumptions we made to go along with actual prices from Disney’s website: • Children are ages 3–9; adults are ages 10 and up. • The cost of Base Tickets comes from Disney’s website, reﬂects a moderate season, and includes tax. • One night at a non-Disney budget hotel—the GreenPoint Hotel Kissimmee— KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS CHAPTER booked through the hotel, costs $96.59. • What kind(s) of tickets do I need for Disney World? (page 74) • One night at Disney’s Pop Century Resort (the cheapest Disney Value resort at the time) costs $234.56 on the WDW website. • Where can I ﬁnd ticket discounts? (page 79) • One night at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (the cheapest Disney • What are MagicBands, and how do they work? (page 82) Moderate resort at the time) costs $284.64 using Disney’s website. • Which special events are worth the extra cost? (page 84) • One night at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort (the cheapest Disney Deluxe/Disney Vacation Club resort at the time) costs $365.35 using Disney’s website. • A day’s worth of counter-service meals, plus one snack, costs $56.54 for adults and $38.84 for kids. • A counter-service breakfast and lunch, a snack, and a table-service meal costs $88.37 per adult and $53.96 per child. In most places in the table, theme park admission ranges from 35% to 60% of the cost of a trip, regardless of family size. If you’re not staying at a Deluxe resort, it’s safe to assume that ticket costs will take half of your budget (again, excluding transportation). It’s a different story for off-site hotels, which lack services like free shuttles and extra time in the theme parks. Excellent third-party resorts, such as the Sheraton Vistana and the Marriott Harbour, offer two- bedroom rates 30%–35% less than those of Disney’s cheapest one- bedroom Deluxe hotels. It helps considerably if you have a car, even if you factor in the cost of gas.

How to Save $600 on Your Trip This guide describes many techniques for saving money on a Walt Disney World vacation, including finding an inexpensive hotel, discounts on third-party admission tickets, and budget-friendly restaurants. Some- times, however, you can do all of that and still need to cut your budget. TouringPlans.com blogger Kristi Fredericks has you covered with six simple ways to save almost $600 on your Disney vacation. For each of these tips, assume a family of four traveling to Walt Dis- ney World for a one-week (six-day, seven-night) vacation. Our sample family includes two adults and two children ages 3 and 9.

continued on page 73 70 PART 4 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY

WHAT YOU PAY AND WHAT YOU GET AT WDW • 2 ADULTS/$3,000 • 2 ADULTS, 2 KIDS/$3,000 BUDGET OPTION ($3,148) BUDGET OPTION ($3,068) • 9 days theme park admission, parking • 4 days theme park admission, parking • 9 counter-service meals • 4 counter-service meals • 8 nights at a budget off-site motel • 4 nights at a budget off-site motel VALUE OPTION ($3,135) VALUE OPTION ($3,025) • 6 days theme park admission • 3 days theme park admission • 6 counter-service meals • 3 sit-down meals • 6 nights at a Disney Value resort • 3 nights at a Disney Value resort MODERATE OPTION ($2,996) MODERATE OPTION ($2,986) • 5 days theme park admission • 3 days theme park admission • 5 counter-service meals • 2 counter-service meals, 1 sit-down dinner • 5 nights at a Disney Moderate resort • 3 nights at a Disney Moderate resort DELUXE OPTION ($2,979) DELUXE OPTION ($3,135) • 4 days theme park admission • 3 days theme park admission • 2 counter-service meals, 2 sit-down dinners • 3 counter-service meals • 4 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort • 3 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort • 2 ADULTS, 1 KID/$3,000 • 3 ADULTS/$3,000 BUDGET OPTION ($3,068) BUDGET OPTION ($2,943) • 6 days theme park admission, parking • 5 days theme park admission, parking • 6 counter-service meals • 5 counter-service meals • 5 nights at a budget off-site motel • 5 nights at a budget off-site motel VALUE OPTION ($2,934) VALUE OPTION ($3,024) • 4 days theme park admission • 4 days theme park admission • 4 counter-service meals • 4 counter-service meals • 4 nights at a Disney Value resort • 4 nights at a Disney Value resort MODERATE OPTION ($3,134) MODERATE OPTION ($2,940) • 4 days theme park admission • 4 days theme park admission • 4 counter-service meals • 4 counter-service meals • 4 nights at a Disney Moderate resort • 3 nights at a Disney Moderate resort DELUXE OPTION ($2,895) DELUXE OPTION ($2,918) • 3 days theme park admission • 3 days theme park admission • 3 sit-down dinners • 1 counter-service meal, 2 sit-down dinners • 3 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort • 3 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort • 5 ADULTS/LESS THAN $2,000 MODERATE OPTION ($1,518) DELUXE OPTION ($1,838) • 1 day theme park admission • 1 day theme park admission • 1 counter-service meal • 1 sit-down dinner • 2 nights at a Disney Moderate resort • 2 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort • 2 ADULTS/$2,000 • 2 ADULTS, 1 KID/$2,000 BUDGET OPTION ($2,060) BUDGET OPTION ($1,913) • 5 days theme park admission, parking • 3 days theme park admission, parking • 5 counter-service meals • 3 counter-service meals • 4 nights at a budget off-site motel • 3 nights at a budget off-site motel VALUE OPTION ($2,026) VALUE OPTION ($1,933) • 3 days theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 3 counter-service meals • 2 sit-down dinners • 4 nights at a Disney Value resort • 3 nights at a Disney Value resort MODERATE OPTION ($1,942) MODERATE OPTION ($1,925) • 3 days theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 3 counter-service meals • 2 counter-service meals • 3 nights at a Disney Moderate resort • 3 nights at a Disney Moderate resort DELUXE OPTION ($1,841) DELUXE OPTION ($1,960) • 2 days theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 2 counter-service meals • 2 sit-down dinners • 3 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort • 2 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort WHAT YOU PAY AND WHAT YOU GET AT WDW 71

WHAT YOU PAY AND WHAT YOU GET AT WDW (continued) • 2 ADULTS, 2 KIDS/$2,000 • 3 ADULTS/$2,000 BUDGET OPTION ($1,819) BUDGET OPTION ($2,077) • 2 days theme park admission, parking • 3 days theme park admission, parking • 2 sit-down dinners • 2 counter-service meals, 1 sit-down dinner • 2 nights at a budget off-site motel • 3 nights at a budget off-site motel VALUE OPTION ($2,102) VALUE OPTION ($2,101) • 2 days theme park admission • 3 days theme park admission • 2 counter-service meals • 3 counter-service meals • 3 nights at a Disney Value resort • 2 nights at a Disney Value resort MODERATE OPTION ($1,967) MODERATE OPTION ($1,971) • 2 days theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 2 counter-service meals • 2 counter-service meals • 2 nights at a Disney Moderate resort • 3 nights at a Disney Moderate resort DELUXE OPTION ($1,951) DELUXE OPTION ($2,039) • 2 days theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 2 sit-down dinners • 2 sit-down dinners • 1 night at a Disney Deluxe resort • 2 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort

• 3 ADULTS, 1 KID/$2,000 • 3 ADULTS, 1 KID/$1,500 BUDGET OPTION ($1,995) BUDGET OPTION ($949) • 2 days theme park admission, parking • 1 day theme park admission, parking • 2 sit-down dinners • 1 counter-service meal • 3 nights at a budget off-site motel • 2 nights at a budget off-site motel VALUE OPTION ($2,024) VALUE OPTION ($1,413) • 2 days theme park admission • 1 day theme park admission • 1 counter-service meal, 1 sit-down dinner • 2 counter-service meals • 2 nights at a Disney Value resort • 2 nights at a Disney Value resort MODERATE OPTION ($2,013) MODERATE OPTION ($1,305) • 2 days theme park admission • 1 day theme park admission • 2 counter-service meals • 1 counter-service meal • 2 nights at a Disney Moderate resort • 2 nights at a Disney Moderate resort DELUXE OPTION ($2,030) DELUXE OPTION ($1,466) • 2 days theme park admission • 1 day theme park admission • 2 sit-down dinners • 1 counter-service meal • 1 night at a Disney Deluxe resort • 2 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort

• 2 ADULTS, 2 KIDS/$1,500 • 3 ADULTS/$1,500 BUDGET OPTION ($1,535) BUDGET OPTION ($1,447) • 2 days theme park admission, parking • 2 days theme park admission, parking • 2 counter-service meals • 2 counter-service meals • 1 night at a budget off-site motel • 3 nights at a budget off-site motel VALUE OPTION ($947) VALUE OPTION ($1,352) • 1 day theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 1 counter-service meal • 2 counter-service meals • 1 night at a Disney Value resort • 1 night at a Disney Value resort MODERATE OPTION ($1,473) MODERATE OPTION ($1,402) • 1 day theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 2 counter-service meals • 2 counter-service meals • 2 nights at a Disney Moderate resort • 1 night at a Disney Moderate resort DELUXE OPTION ($1,443) DELUXE OPTION ($1,483) • 1 day theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 1 counter-service meal • 2 counter-service meals • 2 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort • 1 night at a Disney Deluxe resort

continued on page 72 72 PART 4 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY

continued from page 71

WHAT YOU PAY AND WHAT YOU GET AT WDW (continued) • 2 ADULTS/$1,500 • 2 ADULTS, 1 KID/$1,500 BUDGET OPTION ($1,534) BUDGET OPTION ($1,480) • 3 days theme park admission, parking • 2 days theme park admission, parking • 3 counter-service meals • 1 counter-service meal, 1 sit-down dinner • 4 nights at a budget off-site motel • 3 nights at a budget off-site motel VALUE OPTION ($1,557) VALUE OPTION ($1,541) • 3 days theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 3 counter-service meals • 2 counter-service meals • 2 nights at a Disney Value resort • 2 nights at a Disney Value resort MODERATE OPTION ($1,314) MODERATE OPTION ($1,356) • 2 days theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 2 counter-service meals • 2 counter-service meals • 2 nights at a Disney Moderate resort • 1 night at a Disney Moderate resort DELUXE OPTION ($1,476) DELUXE OPTION ($1,437) • 2 days theme park admission • 2 days theme park admission • 2 counter-service meals • 2 counter-service meals • 2 nights at a Disney Deluxe resort • 1 night at a Disney Deluxe resort • 2 ADULTS/$1,000 • 2 ADULTS, 1 KID/$1,000 BUDGET OPTION ($978) BUDGET OPTION ($990) • 2 days theme park admission, parking • 1 day theme park admission, parking • 2 counter-service meals • 1 counter-service meal, 1 sit-down dinner • 2 nights at a budget off-site motel • 2 nights at a budget off-site motel VALUE OPTION ($1,043) VALUE OPTION ($859) • 2 days theme park admission • 1 day theme park admission • 1 counter-service meal, 1 sit-down dinner • 1 sit-down dinner • 1 night at a Disney Value resort • 1 night at a Disney Value resort MODERATE OPTION ($1,029) MODERATE OPTION ($831) • 2 days theme park admission • 1 day theme park admission • 2 counter-service meals • 1 counter-service meal • 1 night at a Disney Moderate resort • 1 night at a Disney Moderate resort DELUXE OPTION ($808) DELUXE OPTION ($990) • 1 day theme park admission • 1 day theme park admission • 1 sit-down dinner • 1 sit-down dinner • 1 night at a Disney Deluxe resort • 1 night at a Disney Deluxe resort • 2 ADULTS, 2 KIDS/$1,000 • 3 ADULTS/$1,000 BUDGET OPTION ($1,020) BUDGET OPTION ($1,047) • 1 day theme park admission, parking • 1 day theme park admission, parking • 2 counter-service meals • 1 counter-service meal, 1 sit-down dinner • 1 night at a budget off-site motel • 2 nights at a budget off-site motel VALUE OPTION ($1,041) VALUE OPTION ($899) • 1 day theme park admission • 1 day theme park admission • 1 sit-down dinner • 1 sit-down dinner • 1 night at a Disney Value resort • 1 night at a Disney Value resort MODERATE OPTION ($997) MODERATE OPTION ($854) • 1 day theme park admission • 1 day theme park admission • 1 counter-service meal • 1 counter-service meal • 1 night at a Disney Moderate resort • 1 night at a Disney Moderate resort DELUXE OPTION DELUXE OPTION ($934) None available • 1 day theme park admission • 1 counter-service meal • 1 night at a Disney Deluxe resort • 3 ADULTS, 1 KID/$1,000 BUDGET OPTION ($963) MODERATE OPTION ($1,020) • 1 day theme park admission, parking • 1 day theme park admission • 1 sit-down dinner • 1 counter-service meal • 1 night at a budget off-site motel • 1 night at a Disney Moderate resort VALUE OPTION ($970) DELUXE OPTION • 1 day theme park admission None available • 1 counter-service meal • 1 night at a Disney Value resort ALLOCATING MONEY 73 continued from page 69

TIP #1: BRING YOUR OWN RAINGEAR Disney World can be a rainy place no matter what time of year you visit. Bring your own rain ponchos instead of buying at the parks to save some dough. DON’T Buy 2 adult ponchos x $10 and 2 kids’ ponchos x $9 = $38 DO Buy 4 ponchos at local dollar store = $4 SAVINGS $38 – $4 = $34

TIP #2: BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE Disney adds a $21.30 surcharge to every ticket of three days or longer that is bought at its theme parks. Why? Because it can; it knows that you’re not likely to turn the kids around and leave once you’re that close. DON’T Wait until you get to the parks to buy tickets. DO Buy tickets in advance either from Disney or from one of our recommended ticket wholesalers (see page 78). SAVINGS $21.30 x 4 tickets = $85.20

TIP #3: BRING YOUR OWN STROLLER Our sample family will need a stroller for their 3-year-old in the parks, and it’s handy to have a stroller for the airport and resort areas as well. Remember that most airlines will gate-check your stroller for free. DON’T Rent a stroller for $15 per day (length-of-stay rate) x 6 days = $90 DO Buy 1 umbrella stroller on Amazon = $28 SAVINGS $90 – $28 = $62

TIP #4: DRINK FREE WATER All Disney restaurants will give you a free cup of ice water. Instead of wasting money and calories on sugary drinks, this is an easy way to save some cash. For our sample family, let’s assume that everyone wants to drink something other than water at breakfast and that the kids’ meals will include a drink at lunch and dinner. Only the adults will drink free water, and only at lunch and dinner. DON’T Buy 1 beverage at $3.99 each x 2 adults x 2 meals x 6 days = $96 DO Drink free water = $0 SAVINGS $96 – $0 = $96

TIP #5: BRING YOUR OWN SNACKS It’s amazing how much you can save by bringing your own nonperishable snacks into the park. A zip-top plastic bag filled with cereal bars, granola, raisins, and crackers goes a long way toward staving off hunger. DON’T Buy 1 snack at $4 each x 4 people x 2 times x 6 days = $192 DO Bring your own snacks = $35 SAVINGS $192 – $35 = $157

TIP #6: EAT BREAKFAST IN YOUR ROOM This saves you time and a small fortune. Let’s assume our family will grab two coffees and two milks from their hotel’s food court each morning, so we won’t include beverages in either cost. DON’T Buy one $12 breakfast platter + one $6 yogurt parfait + two $7 kids’ Mickey waffle meals x 6 days = $192 DO Bring your own breakfast, including paper bowls, napkins, plastic spoons, cereal, breakfast pastries, mini-doughnuts, and cereal bars = $40 SAVINGS $192 – $40 = $152 TOTAL SAVINGS $586.20 (about $98 per day) 74 PART 4 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY

FOUR MORE TIPS FROM BOB 1. Buy your admission online from one of the sellers on page 78. Get tickets only for the number of days you plan to visit, skipping any add-ons. 2. Book a hotel outside of Walt Disney World. Hotels on US 192 (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway) are usually the least expensive. Or consider renting a vacation home (see discussion starting on page 226) if you have four or more people in your group. 3. Avoid parking fees by using your hotel’s shuttle service or by taking a Disney bus from the water parks (where—for the moment—parking is free) to a Disney hotel, then to a theme park. This suggestion takes a lot of time, so do it only if you’re budgeting to the penny. 4. Buy discounted Disney-brand apparel and souvenirs from one of Orlando’s two Disney Character Warehouse outlets (tinyurl.com/disneyoutlets).

WALT DISNEY WORLD ADMISSION TICKETS DISNEY OFFERS MORE THAN 7,000 theme park ticket options, rang ing from the humble 1-Day Base Ticket, which is good for a single day’s entry into one Disney theme park, to the blinged-out Premium Annual Pass, good for 365 days of admission into every Disney theme or water park, plus Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course and other attractions. See the table on pages 76–77 for a summary of the most common admission types. Because of capacity restrictions due to COVID-19, a theme park reservation is required for each day you plan to use your theme park tickets. Make reservations as far in advance as possible. Capacity is limited, and buying park tickets, even directly from Disney and for speci c dates, doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get a park reservation. Thus, there’s a risk that you could purchase tickets that cannot be used, especially during busier times of the year. If you purchased tickets and were planning to use them between March 12 and July 11, 2020, Disney will automatically extend those tickets to be used on any date through September 26, 2021. If you’re not planning to visit before September 26, 2021, you can apply the value of the unused portion of your tickets to new tickets bought after that date. If those options don’t work for you, then you can ask Disney for a refund by calling ☎ 407-939-1289.

DATE-BASED PRICING AND OTHER SURCHARGES DISNEY INTRODUCED DATE-BASED PRICING for multiday theme park tickets in late 2018, following its switch to date-based pricing of single-day tickets in 2016. Now they’re more like hotel-room or airline- ticket pricing, where the price of the ticket changes based on the days of the year you’re traveling. Tickets are now generally most expensive when children are out of school: Christmas and other holidays, spring break, and summer vacation. Less-expensive tickets are generally available during nonholiday periods when children are in school and during months subject to WALT DISNEY WORLD ADMISSION TICKETS 75 inclement weather: January and February, for example, and peak hurricane season in September. To avoid additional surcharges when buying tickets, you must tell Disney the rst date you plan to visit a theme park or water park. Your ticket price will be based on that starting date, the number of days you plan to visit theme parks or water parks, and whether you plan to visit more than one theme park per day. See “Flexible Dates” below for more details. If you need to move your vacation dates from more-expensive to less-expensive days, Disney will not refund the difference in ticket prices—but they will charge you the incremental cost if you need to move from less-expensive to more-expensive days.

TICKET ADD-ONS FOUR TICKET ADD-ON OPTIONS are available with your park admission, each at an additional cost: FLEXIBLE DATES (not oered at press time) Allows you to visit Disney’s theme parks on any day you choose without having to specify the exact date your vacation will start. This option costs anywhere from $0 to $166 per ticket, depending on how many days you’re visiting the theme parks. It makes sense if you want to buy tickets now for a trip at some uncertain date in the future. PARK HOPPER Lets you visit more than one theme park per day. The cost is about $69–$91 (including tax) on top of the ticket price. The longer your stay, the more affordable it is: As an add-on to a 7-Day Base Ticket, for example, the at fee works out to $13 a day for park- hopping privileges; as an add-on to a 2-Day Base Ticket, the fee works out to $40 a day. If you want to visit the Magic Kingdom in the morning and eat at EPCOT in the evening, this is the feature to request. At press time, guests must make a reservation for the rst park they wish to visit, and they must enter that park rst. Guests will not be allowed to hop to the second park until 2 p.m., though that is subject to change. WATER PARK AND SPORTS This $75 (including tax) option provides daily entry to Disney’s two water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon), the Oak Trail Golf Course, Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland minigolf, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. PARK HOPPER PLUS The Park Hopper Plus option combines the Park Hopper and Water Park and Sports add-ons. This option costs $91– $112 more than a Base Ticket, including tax, which is cheaper than the combined cost of the two options purchased separately. You can’t change how many Park Hopper/Water Park/PHP admissions you can buy with either option; the number is xed, and unused days aren’t refundable. You can, however, skip Park Hopper/Water Park/PHP entirely and buy an individual admission to any of the venues above—that’s frequently the best deal if you’re not park-hopping and want to visit just Typhoon Lagoon and/or Blizzard Beach once. If you buy a ticket but then decide later that you want to add the Park Hopper/PHP option, you can do so. Disney doesn’t prorate the cost: If you add Park Hopper/PHP on the last day of your trip, you’ll pay the same price as if you’d bought it before you left home. 76 PART 4 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY

WDW THEME PARK TICKET OPTIONS NOTE: ALL TICKET AND ADD-ON PRICES INCLUDE 6.5% SALES TAX. 1-DAY 2-DAY 3-DAY 4-DAY 5-DAY 6-DAY 7-DAY 8-DAY 9-DAY 10-DAY USE WITHIN: 1 DAY 4 DAYS 5 DAYS 7 DAYS 8 DAYS 9 DAYS 10 DAYS 12 DAYS 13 DAYS 14 DAYS BASE TICKET AGES 3–9 BASE TICKET AGES 3–9 ALL PARKS: $111–$164 $216–$319 $321–$461 $419–$578 $446–$611 $459–$625 $473–$640 $496–$656 $513–$669 $530–$680 — ($108–$160/day) ($107–$154/day) ($105–$144/day) ($89–$122/day) ($77–$104/day) ($68–$91/day) ($62–$82/day) ($57–$74/day) ($53–$68/day) BASE TICKET AGE 10+ BASE TICKET AGE 10+ ALL PARKS: $116–$169 $226–$330 $336–$476 $437–$597 $466–$631 $480–$646 $494–$662 $518–$679 $536–$692 $554–$704 — ($113–$165/day) ($112–$159/day) ($109–$149/day) ($93–$126/day) ($80–$108/day) ($71–$95/day) ($65–$85/day) ($60–$77/day) ($55–$70/day) Base Ticket admits guest to one theme park each day of use. Tickets must be used within Park choices are Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the number of days shown in the “Use Within” row above. or Disney’s Animal Kingdom. FLEXIBLE DATES (add-on) FLEXIBLE DATES (add-on) AGES 3–9: $0–$53 $5–$109 $4–$144 $4–$163 $5–$170 $5–$171 $7–$174 $8–$169 $11–$165 $12–$162 AGE 10+: $0–$53 $6–$109 $5–$145 $6–$165 $6–$171 $6–$172 $6–$174 $7–$168 $9–$163 $10–$160 Flexible Dates allows you to start using your ticket on any day of the year, In essence, the Flexible Dates option prices your ticket as the most expensive possible through December 31, 2021. In addition, tickets expire 14 days after first use. under Disney’s pricing scheme, plus a small surcharge. PARK HOPPER PARK HOPPER AGES 3–9: $180–$233 $296–$399 $401–$541 $509–$669 $536–$701 $550–$716 $563–$730 $586–$747 $603–$759 $620–$770 AGE 10+: $185–$239 $306–$410 $416–$556 $528–$687 $557–$721 $571–$736 $585–$752 $609–$769 $627–$782 $644–$794 Park Hopper option entitles guest to visit more than one theme park on each day of use. Park choices are any combination of Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood See page 75 for details. Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom on each day of use. WATER PARK AND SPORTS WATER PARK AND SPORTS AGES 3–9: $185–$224 $296–$368 $406–$505 $492–$625 $520–$671 $575–$740 $593–$756 $624–$777 $635–$788 $644–$798 AGE 10+: $191–$244 $306–$378 $421–$520 $511–$644 $540–$691 $596–$761 $615–$778 $647–$799 $658–$811 $668–$822 Water Park and Sports entitles you to a specified number of visits (between 1 and 10) Choices are Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park, to a choice of entertainment and recreation venues. It’s a flat $75 fee to add to any Oak Trail Golf Course, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (if open), and Fantasia or ticket for any age and any ticket length. Winter Summerland minigolf. PARK HOPPER PLUS PARK HOPPER PLUS AGES 3–9: $201–$255 $335–$421 $443–$562 $535–$685 $562–$722 $575–$740 $593–$756 $624–$777 $635–$788 $644–$798 AGE 10+: $207–$260 $345–$431 $458–$577 $554–$704 $582–$742 $596–$761 $647–$799 $630–$791 $658–$811 $668–$822 1 visit 2 visits 3 visits 4 visits 5 visits 6 visits 7 visits 8 visits 9 visits 10 visits Park Hopper Plus option entitles guest to a specified number of visits (1–10) to a choice Choices are Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park, of entertainment and recreation venues, plus the Park Hopper option above. Oak Trail Golf Course, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (if open), or Fantasia PHP tickets expire 1 day later than the “Use Within” days above. Gardens or Winter Summerland minigolf.

WHEN TICKETS EXPIRE (for tickets dated January 1, 2021, and later) ALONG WITH IMPLEMENTING date-based pricing, Disney has shortened the amount of time you have to use your tickets. Whereas previously all tickets expired 14 days from the date of first use, ticket expiration is now based on how many days you’re visiting the theme parks and water parks, as shown in the table on the next page. Example: If you purchase a basic 4-Day Base Ticket and specify that you’ll start using it on June 1, 2021, you must complete your four theme park visits by midnight on June 7, 2021. Once you start using your ticket, any unused admissions expire even if you don’t use them. If you purchase a ticket and don’t use any of it before it expires, you can apply the amount paid for that ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket at current prices, providing the new ticket’s price is the same cost (or more) of the expired ticket. WALT DISNEY WORLD ADMISSION TICKETS 77

WHEN TICKETS EXPIRE Number of How Many Days Till How Many Days Till Days on Ticket Expires From First Use Ticket Expires From First Use Base Ticket (without Park Hopper Plus option) (with Park Hopper Plus option) 1 Expires after first use Expires 1 day after first use 2 4 days 5 days 3 5 days 6 days 4 7 days 8 days 5 8 days 9 days 6 9 days 10 days 7 10 days 11 days 8 12 days 13 days 9 13 days 14 days 10 14 days 15 days 78 PART 4 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY

ANNUAL PASSES ANNUAL PASSES PROVIDE UNLIMITED USE of the major theme parks for one year. Two versions are available (prices are for age 3 and up and include tax): The Disney Platinum Pass COVID tip ($1,273) includes free use of Disney’s Memory At press time, Disney Maker photo service in addition to park access. had suspended the The Disney Platinum Plus Pass ($1,379) also sale of new annual provides unlimited use of the minor parks, passes. We expect those ESPN Wide World of Sports, and Disney’s Oak to resume in the ﬁrst half Trail Golf Course. Holders of both types also of 2021. get perks, including free parking; hotel, dining, and merchandise discounts; and seasonal offers such as a dedicated entrance line at the parks. The passes are not valid for special events. Finally, the Water Parks Annual Pass costs $148. Check disney world .disney.go.com/passholder-program for the latest. Note: Due to COVID-19, a theme park reservation is required for each day you plan to use your theme park tickets. Purchasing an annual pass doesn’t guarantee you a theme park reservation. As we went to press, the minigolf bene ts of annual passes were temporarily suspended.

WHERE TO PURCHASE DISNEY WORLD TICKETS unofficial PASSES ARE AVAILABLE at Disney resorts and TIP theme parks and at Disney Stores and disney If you order tickets in advance, allow enough world.com for the prices shown above. (If you pur- time for them to be chase on arrival, you will incur a $21.30-per-ticket mailed to your home. surcharge for tickets of three days or longer.) If you’re trying to keep your vacation costs to an absolute minimum, consider using an online ticket wholesaler such as Tripster (☎ 888-590-5910; tripster.com) or Boardwalk Ticketing (boardwalkticketing.com), especially for trips of three or more days in the parks. All tickets are brand new, and the savings can easily exceed $100 for a family of four. Vendors will provide you with electronic tickets just like Disney does, so you’ll be able to make park and FastPass+ reservations immediately through the My Disney Experience website. You might be wondering why Disney gives third- party wholesalers such large discounts on tickets. The answer is volume. Disney knows most visitors will pay full price for tickets, so there’s no incentive to offer them a discount. However, Disney also knows that there are lots of shoppers who might visit, but only if they can get a deal. Disney uses third-party wholesalers to offer discounted tickets to those shoppers, so it doesn’t have to offer discounts to the general public. It’s a win-win-win: The discount shoppers get their deal, Disney maximizes its revenue, and third-party companies earn a little bit too. Tripster offers discount tickets for almost all Central Florida attractions, including Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld. Boardwalk Ticketing offers them only for Disney. Discounts for the major theme parks range from about 6% to 12%; tickets for other attractions are more deeply discounted. Finally, tickets are available at some non-Disney hotels and shopping centers and through independent ticket brokers. Because Dis- ney admissions are only marginally discounted in the Walt Disney WALT DISNEY WORLD ADMISSION TICKETS 79

World–Orlando area, the chief reason for you to buy from an independent broker is convenience. Offers of free or heavily discounted tickets abound, but the catch is that they generally require you to attend a time-share sales presentation.

Where Not to Buy Tickets and Passes unofficial TIP In addition to the many authorized resellers of Disney Also steer clear of admissions, a number of unauthorized ones exist. passes o¨ered on They buy unused days on legitimately purchased park eBay and Craigslist. passes and resell them as if they were brand new. These resellers insist that you specify the exact days you plan to use the ticket. They already know, of course, how many days are left on the pass and when it expires. If you tell them that you plan to use it tomorrow and the next two days, then they’ll sell you a ticket that has three days left on it and expires in three days. Naturally, because they don’t tell you this, you assume that the usual ve-day expiration period applies from the date of rst use. In the case of your tickets, however, the original purchaser triggered the ve-day expiration period. Skip a day instead of using the pass on the next three consecutive days, and you’ll discover to your chagrin that it has expired.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON DISNEY WORLD TICKETS DISNEY’S DATE-BASED PRICING SCHEME is the most complicated system it has ever used for ticket purchases—so complicated, in fact, that we wrote a computer program to analyze all the options and to look for loopholes in the new pricing rules. Visit TouringPlans.com and try our Ticket Price Comparison Tool (tinyurl.com/ug-ticketcalculator). It aggregates ticket prices from Disney and a number of online ticket vendors. Answer a few questions relating to the size of your party and the parks you intend to visit, and the calculator will identify your four cheapest ticket options. It will also show you how much you’ll save versus buying at the gate. The program will also make recommendations for considerations other than price. For example, annual passes might cost more, but Disney often offers substantial resort discounts and other deals to annual pass holders. These resort discounts, especially during the off- season, can more than offset the price of the pass. Our Ticket Calculator will automatically use all of the tips below, and more. If you’d rather do the heavy lifting yourself (please don’t), here’s what you’ll need to consider: 1. BUY PARK TICKETS BEFORE YOU GET TO THE PARKS. As mentioned previously, if you buy at the theme parks, Disney adds a surcharge of $21.30 to park tickets with three or more days of admission. 2. BUY FROM A THIRD-PARTY WHOLESALER. As we’ve noted, Disney contracts with third-party ticket vendors to offer discounts to price- sensitive consumers who’ll visit only if they are able to get a “deal.” By using other companies, Disney doesn’t have to offer those discounts directly to people who’d visit anyway. These vendors sign contracts with Disney and provide exactly the same tickets you’d purchase at Walt Disney World. See “Where to Purchase Disney World Tickets,” page 78, for vendors we recommend. 80 PART 4 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY

3. MEMBERS OF THE US MILITARY AND FLORIDA RESIDENTS GET SPECIAL DISCOUNTS. Disney’s recent deal for US military personnel included a 4-Day Park Hopper for $282, substantially less than the $687 regular price. Florida resident discounts aren’t as substantial, but they’re better than anything the general public gets.

4. KNOW EXACTLY WHEN YOU WILL BE VISITING. If you’re buying tickets and don’t specify the dates of your trip, Disney will charge you as if you’re visiting at the most expensive time of the year (e.g., Christmas). If you’re not actually visiting during the most expensive time of the year, you can save up to $174 per ticket by simply telling Disney your travel dates.

5. SET YOUR TICKET’S START DATE EARLIER THAN YOUR ARRIVAL DATE. Suppose you’re visiting for a long weekend (Thursday–Sunday) and you’re buying four-day tickets. You’d naturally pick Thursday as your ticket’s start date. But remember that four-day park tickets are valid for seven days. If you’re visiting at the start of a busy (i.e., expensive) season, setting your ticket start date to Monday or Tuesday can save around $8 per ticket.

6. CONSIDER THE PARK HOPPER PLUS OPTION INSTEAD OF THE FLEX - IBLE DATES ADD-ON IF YOU’RE ALREADY PARK-HOPPING. Disney adds one extra day to the life of a Park Hopper Plus ticket, to use all of its features. If you need an extra day to use your theme park admission and you’re already planning to park-hop, the Park Hopper Plus option is cheaper than buying the Flexible Dates option.

7. ADD EXTRA THEME PARK DAYS INSTEAD OF THE FLEXIBLE DATES OPTION. If you’re visiting Disney World before and after another destination, such as a cruise, the Flexible Dates option sounds reasonable because it would give you 14 days to use your tickets. But it’s not always the cheapest option. Adding extra theme park days, which automatically extends the life of your ticket, is sometimes cheaper, especially on visits of six days or longer.

8. BUY A SEPARATE WATER PARK TICKET INSTEAD OF THE WATER PARK AND SPORTS OPTION IF YOU’RE VISITING ONLY ONE WATER PARK. The break-even point on the Water Park and Sports option is two water- park visits. 9. VISIT A WATER PARK ON YOUR FIRST OR LAST DAY. Let’s say your Disney World trip starts at the end of a busy period and you’re already planning one water-park visit. Visiting the water park on your rst day allows you to set your theme park start date one day later, saving around $3 per ticket. The same advice works in reverse: If your trip ends at the beginning of a busy season, go to the water park on the last day of your trip.

Ticket Deals for Canada Residents Disney often discounts theme park admission for Canada residents by setting the Canadian dollar at par with the United States dollar. The exchange rate as of this writing is $1 CAD equals $0.78 USD, so this deal effectively boosts the value of the Loonie by around 33%. Visit disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/special-offers to see the latest offers. WALT DISNEY WORLD ADMISSION TICKETS 81

Ticket Deals for UK Residents In the United Kingdom, Disney offers advance-purchase tickets that aren’t available in the United States. As we went to press, you can get 14-Day Ultimate Tickets for £439 for adults and £419 for kids—the same price as a 7-Day Ultimate Ticket. Ultimate Tickets provide unlimited admission to major and minor parks along with park- hopping privileges to the major parks. Ultimate Tickets expire 14 days after first use. To find out more, call ☎ 0800-169-0730 UK or 407-566-4985 US (Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.), or see disney holidays.co.uk/walt-disney-world or the Disney Information Bulletin Board at thedibb.co.uk.

Discounts Available to Certain Groups and Individuals DISNEY VACATION CLUB Members get a discount on annual passes. CONVENTION-GOERS Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and other Orlando-area parks sometimes set up a web link cited in convention materials allowing you to purchase discounted afternoon and evening admissions. DISNEY CORPORATE SPONSORS If you work for one of these, you may be eligible for discounted admissions or perks at the parks. Check with your workplace’s employee-bene ts of ce. FLORIDA RESIDENTS get substantial savings on virtually all tickets. You’ll need to prove Florida residency with a valid driver’s license or state identi cation card. MILITARY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, CIVIL SERVICE Active-duty and retired military, Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employees, some civil-service employees, and dependents of these groups can buy Disney multiday admissions at a 9%–10% discount. Military personnel can buy discounted admission for nonmilitary guests as long as the military member accompanies the nonmilitary member. If a group seeks the discount, at least half must be eligible for the military discount. DISNEY YOUTH EDUCATION SERIES Disney runs daily educational programs for K–12 students; these programs also offer substantial ticket discounts (but with substantial restrictions). See disneyyouth.com.

Special Passes Go to MouseSavers.com for information on passes that are not known to the general public and are not sold at any Walt Disney World ticket booth. For details, see tinyurl.com/wdwdiscounttix.

DISNEY TICKET PRICE INCREASES DISNEY USUALLY RAISES TICKET PRICES once or twice a year. Hikes were announced in February 2020, March 2019, February and September 2018, February 2014–2017, June 2011– 2013, and August 2006–2010. We expect a price unofficial TIP increase in 2021. Save money on tickets Prices on all tickets went up an average of almost by planning ahead— 6% in 2020, 4% in 2019, 9% in 2018, and 7% in buy them before the 2017. Year-over-year hikes averaged around 5% next price increase. 82 PART 4 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY

earlier in this decade. If you’re putting together a budget, assume an increase of around 10% per year to be safe.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON TICKETS IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR CONCERN regarding admissions that can be addressed only with a person-to-person conversation, call Disney Ticket Inquiries at ☎ 407-566-4985 or email ticket.inquiries@ disneyworld.com. If you call, be aware that you may spend considerable time on hold; if you email, know that it can take up to three days to get a response. In contrast, the ticket section of the Walt Disney World website, disneyworld.disney.go.com/tickets, is refreshingly straight- forward in showing how ticket prices break down.

TICKETS AND MAGICBANDS WE’VE USED THE WORD TICKET to describe that thing you carry around as proof of your admission to the park. In fact, Disney admission media come in three forms—none of which is a ticket. One admission medium is a rubber wristband about the size and shape of a small wristwatch. Called a MagicBand, it contains a tiny radio frequency identi cation (RFID) chip, on which is stored a link to the record of your admission purchase in Disney’s computers. Your MagicBand also functions as your Disney hotel-room key, and it can (optionally) work as a credit card for most food and merchandise purchases. MagicBands are available for purchase for about $13 each if you’re staying off-site, or about $5 if you’re staying on-site. Each member of your family gets his or her own MagicBand, each with a unique serial number. The wristbands are removable, resiz- able, and waterproof, and they have ventilation holes for cooling. Eleven colors are available: black, blue, green, mint green, orange, pink, purple, red, yellow, dark gray, and gray (the default). You can choose your colors and personalize your bands when you order them at the Disney World website. More customized bands are available throughout the parks. Some guests, particularly those with hand- or wrist-mobility issues, nd using the MagicBand physically challenging. To help with this, the center portion of the band (essentially a puck the size of a quarter) is removable. The puck can then be placed on a lanyard or clipped on a bag, making it easier to maneuver. Along with the wristband, each family member will be asked to select a four-digit personal-identi cation number (PIN) for purchases. See below for details. If you don’t want a MagicBand, you’re staying off-property, or you bought your admission from a third-party vendor, your second “ticket” option is a Key to the World (KTTW) Card, which is a exible, credit card–size piece of plastic with an embedded RFID chip. Your third option is to use the My Disney Experience (MDE) app on your Bluetooth-enabled smartphone. This option allows you to “tap” your smartphone for admission at park entrances, in the same way you tap your phone for payments at stores and restaurants. Of these three options, we think the MagicBands and KTTW Cards are the fastest and easiest to use. The main problem with using WALT DISNEY WORLD ADMISSION TICKETS 83 the MDE app is that it’s far slower to take out your phone, open the app, and nd the right screen to do what you want. And that’s assuming you don’t have to connect to Wi-Fi, log into the app, or remember the password you used. COVID tip RFID for Payment, FastPass+, Disney strongly Hotel-Room Access, and Photos encourages guests Disney’s hotel-room doors have RFID readers, to use contactless allowing you to enter your room simply by tap- methods of payment ping your wristband or KTTW Card against the throughout Disney World. reader, or by telling the MDE app to open the These include Disney’s door. RFID readers are also installed at virtually MagicBands, ApplePay, every Disney cash register on-property, allowing Google Pay, credit cards, you to pay for food, drinks, and souvenirs by and debit cards. tapping your MagicBand/KTTW Card against the reader. We expect Disney to allow the MDE app to handle FastPass+ redemption and payments sometime in 2021. To complete a purchase, you’ll be asked to verify your identity by entering your PIN on a small keypad. We think the MDE app will require that you enable Bluetooth transmitting and receiving for tickets, photos, FastPass+, and payments. Doing so will allow your location to be tracked while you’re using the app. If you’re using Disney’s Memory Maker service (see page 457), your MagicBand/KTTW Card serves as the link between your photos and your family. Each photographer carries a small RFID reader, against which you tap your MagicBand, KTTW Card, or (eventually) your phone after having your photo taken. The computers that run the Memory Maker system will link your photos to you, and you’ll be able to view them on the Disney World website. Disney’s onboard ride-photo computers incorporate RFID technology too. As you begin down the big drop near the nale of Splash Mountain, for example, sensors read the serial number on your MagicBand (or detect the Bluetooth signal sent from the MDE app on your phone) and pass it to Splash Mountain’s cameras. When those cameras snap your family plunging into the briar patch, they attach your MagicBands’ serial number to the photo, allowing you to see your ride photos together after you’ve returned home. Because ride sensors may not pick up the signal from an RFID card or a phone sitting in a wallet or purse, we think onboard ride photos require MagicBands. PRIVACY CONCERNS Many people are understandably wary of multi- national corporations tracking their movements. As noted earlier, guests who prefer not to wear MagicBands or not to download the MDE app can instead obtain KTTW Cards, which are somewhat harder to track (RFID-blocking wallets are available online). Disney says guests who opt out of MagicBands and the MDE app don’t get the full range of ride experiences, though, so there’s a trade-off.

Biometrics As we went to press, Disney had stopped using biometric finger scans to verify the identify of ticket holders when entering its parks. 84 PART 4 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY OPTIONAL EXPENSES WHICH SPECIAL EVENTS ARE WORTH THE MONEY? AS A WAY TO “SELL” THE SAME THEME PARK RIDES multiple times per day, Disney constantly experiments with offers of extra time in the parks that require buying separate COVID tip admission. For example, on some days, the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Magic Kingdom hosted separate admission Halloween Party, events before the park opened, then regular Mickey’s Very Merry park hours, and then another event after the Christmas Party, and After park closed to regular guests. The only park Hours events were canceled that was not running some sort of special in 2020. We expect these to event pre-pandemic was Disney’s Holly- return in the second half of wood Studios. 2021, though likely without The scope of the events varies: Morning up-close character greet- events usually include access to all the rides ings or candy stops. in just one land, plus breakfast. Evening events typically include most of a park’s attractions. Holiday-themed events are held in the evening and include special entertainment, parades, reworks, and decorations in addition to access to almost all the park’s rides; complimentary snacks are also offered. (Guests with tickets to evening events are usually admitted to the parks starting around 4 p.m., allowing them to catch a few extra hours in the parks too.) Disney restricts the number of tickets sold for these events, from a few hundred at the morning events to less than 30,000 (we’ve heard) for the Halloween and Christmas events (those estimates are pre- pandemic). As a result, wait times for rides at most of these are usually 15 minutes or less. Hyperpopular rides, such as Avatar Flight of Passage or Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, will undoubtedly have longer waits, but nothing like those during the day. The trade-off for the money, therefore, is shorter lines (and often unique entertainment). We think all the events have some value to guests with limited time. To help you decide whether they are worth the cost, we’ve sum- marized each below, in the (rough) order we think they’re worth. In addition, each theme park chapter includes a table showing which attractions are best experienced during these events. Finally, as we discuss in Part Seven, children rate character greetings and these events’ parades and reworks higher than almost every ride in these parks. If you’re looking for good entertainment with short lines for your children, start here. 1. MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY (Magic Kingdom; 7 p.m.–midnight; select days mid-August–November 1; $91–$159 adults, $85–$153 children). With holiday-themed characters and performers, the Magic Kingdom’s Halloween parade is the best in Walt Disney World, starting off with a horseback ride by the Head- less Horseman. The event also includes decorations throughout the park; special (often rare) character greetings; reworks; and occasional, light retheming of a few attractions, plus a boatload of candy if you’re interested. OPTIONAL EXPENSES 85

2. MAGIC KINGDOM AFTER HOURS (Magic Kingdom; 3 hours after regular park closing; select Mondays and Thursdays; $137 per person). Yes, it’s $137 for 3 hours in the park, but the high cost keeps crowds low. Most rides will have wait times of 5 minutes or less, meaning that the number of rides you can visit depends largely on how fast you can walk between them and how long the rides last. 3. MICKEY’S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY (Magic Kingdom; 7 p.m.–midnight; select days early November–late December; $105– $148 for adults and $100–$143 for kids ages 3–9). Like the Hal- loween party, the Christmas party offers holiday decorations and a special parade and reworks, plus unique shows and live performances by the Disney characters. We like the Halloween parade and character greetings better, and the crowds are smaller at the After Hours events. 4. ANIMAL KINGDOM AFTER HOURS (Animal Kingdom; 3 hours after regular park closing; days of week vary; $137 per person). If you can’t get FastPasses for Avatar Flight of Passage and you’re visiting during a busy time of year, this is the most direct way to experience the ride (multiple times!) with short waits. Plus, nighttime rides on Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest are vastly different than during the day. PART FIVE ACCOMMODATIONS

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS CHAPTER • What are the pros and cons of staying at a Disney resort? (pages 88–91) • What kinds of hotels are represented at Walt Disney World? (page 91–92) • Where can I ﬁnd hotel discounts? How do they work? (page 95–102) • Which Disney hotel should I stay at? (page 102–113) • What amenities are o ered at Disney resorts? (pages 108–109) • What do the rooms at Disney resorts look like? (pages 114–119) • What is the Disney Dining Plan? Is it worth the money? (page 210–216) • What are some simple tips for booking my hotel online? (pages 224–225)

The BASIC CONSIDERATIONS LOCATING A SUITABLE HOTEL OR CONDO is critical to planning any Walt Disney World vacation. The basic question: whether to stay at a hotel located inside Disney World (“on-site”) or not (“off-site”). Around 86% of Unofficial Guide readers stay on-site during their trips. Beyond the convenience and amenities, readers say they enjoy “being in the Disney bubble”—that is, the special magic and peace of mind associated with staying inside Walt Disney World. “I feel more a part of everything and less like a visitor,” one guest writes. We agree. The primary reasons to stay off-site are cost and space. Walt Disney World room rates vary from about $112 on a slow weeknight at what Disney calls its Value resorts to almost $2,200 per night during the holidays at its Deluxe properties. Outside the World, bare-bones, clean motel rooms can be had for as little as $80 a night. Lodging prices can change, but it’s possible to get a hotel room comparable to one at a midtier Disney resort for half the cost during holidays, or a room twice the size for the same money, all within a 15-minute drive of the parks. There are advantages to staying outside Disney World and driving or taking a hotel shuttle to the theme parks. Meals can be less expensive, and rooming outside the World makes you more receptive THE BASIC CONSIDERATIONS 87

to other Orlando-area attractions and eating spots. Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, SeaWorld, and Gatorland are well worth your attention. Because Walt Disney World is so large, some off-property hotels are actually closer in both time and distance to many of the theme parks than are some Disney resorts. Check our Hotel Information Chart on pages 254–264, which lists commuting times from both Dis- ney and non-Disney hotels. If you have young children, read Part Seven, “Walt Disney World with Kids,” before choosing lodging. Seniors, couples on a honeymoon or romantic holiday, and disabled guests should read the applicable sections of Part Eight, “Special Tips for Special People,” before booking. Finally, if you’re looking for the cheapest room possible on the prem- ise that “it’s just a place to sleep,” please read our discussion on page 107 rst. Our research indicates that most people are happier not book- KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS CHAPTER ing the cheapest room, even when they take the extra cost into account. • What are the pros and cons of staying at a Disney resort? (pages 88–91) THE LATEST IN LODGING • What kinds of hotels are represented at Walt Disney World? (page 91–92) BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT, a major hotel-refurbishment project • Where can I ﬁnd hotel discounts? How do they work? (page 95–102) was underway ahead of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary in 2021. Some properties, such as Pop Century Resort and All-Star Movies, have • Which Disney hotel should I stay at? (page 102–113) already dramatically improved their rooms; others, such as Wilderness • What amenities are o ered at Disney resorts? (pages 108–109) Lodge, have expanded their restaurants and amenities. The COVID reces- sion has led Disney to pause most of its scheduled refurbishments and • What do the rooms at Disney resorts look like? (pages 114–119) temporarily close many resorts. Additionally, Universal Orlando’s building • What is the Disney Dining Plan? Is it worth the money? (page 210–216) spree has been put on hold, and it has also temporarily closed some resorts. • What are some simple tips for booking my hotel online? (pages 224–225) However, the existing updates, especially at Disney’s Value resorts, are signi cant enough for us to recommend that most readers’ rst choice for lodging be an on-site hotel at Disney World (or Universal Orlando). The incremental extra cost is generally more than offset by the room quality, amenities, transportation, and theme park bene ts. The pandemic has reduced the number of people Disney allows into its theme parks. As we went to press, the parks were operating at no more than 35% of their maximum capacity. Because of physical distancing measures, it’s unlikely that the parks have the space to run at much more than that until a vaccine is widely administered. And because Disney can’t t that many people in its theme parks, it doesn’t need to sell as many hotel rooms to ll the parks. That means Disney should be more reluctant to offer hotel discounts. That said, many owners in the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points- based time-share program are understandably reluctant to travel until a COVID-19 vaccine is widely administered. Many DVC owners who can’t use their points are renting them out at signi cant discounts, especially for last-minute travel. Also, rates at the Disney Springs Resort Area (DSRA) hotels are much lower than they’ve been. See page 95 for details on lodging discounts. Finally, we spent considerable time researching the one area in which Disney is not yet price-competitive: family suites and villas. We tried a bunch of non-Disney contenders, and the very best have been added to this chapter. Almost all of them offer a whole lot more space than Disney does, and for a whole lot less money. All come highly 88 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

rated by Unofficial Guide readers, and most are within a 15-minute drive of the parks. See “The Best Hotels for Families Outside Walt Disney World,” page 231, to nd out more.

COVID tip THE BENEFITS Before the pandemic, OF STAYING IN THE WORLD Disney resort guest GUESTS WHO STAY on Disney property benefits included the enjoy privileges and amenities unavailable to ability to make FastPass+ those staying off-site. Though some of these ride reservations 60 days perks are advertising gimmicks, others are before their trip (and 30 real and potentially valuable. days before the general Here are the bene ts and what they mean: public and annual pass holders). FastPass+ has 1. CONVENIENCE Commuting to the parks been suspended indefinitely, using the Disney transportation system is and we expect it to return. easy, especially if you stay in a hotel connected by monorail, boat, or Skyliner. 2. EARLY ACCESS TO RESTAURANT RESER- VATIONS Guests at Disney-owned resorts unofficial TIP can make dining reservations 60 days before If you’re flying to Orlando arrival and then an additional 10 days into and staying on-property, their trip. Disney’s free transportation network—coupled with 3. EARLY ACCESS TO RIDE RESERVATIONS ride-hailing services like (temporarily suspended) Disney resort guests, Lyft and Uber—means you along with guests of the Swan, Dolphin, won’t need to rent a car. Swan Reserve, the military-only Shades of

WDW RESORT PRIVILEGES AT A GLANCE FASTPASS+ RESTAURANT EARLY THEME MAGICAL HOTEL RESERVATIONS RESERVATIONS PARK ENTRY EXPRESS** Disney resort hotels 60 days out Up to Yes Yes and Disney Vacation Club 70 days properties Disney Springs 60 days out 60 days Yes No Resort Area hotels* Four Seasons Orlando 60 days out 60 days Yes No Hilton Bonnet Creek 60 days out 60 days Yes No Shades of Green 60 days out 60 days Yes No Swan, Dolphin, and 60 days out 60 days Yes No Swan Reserve Waldorf Astoria 60 days out 60 days Yes No Non-WDW hotels 30 days out 60 days No No

*Disney Springs Resort Area (DSRA) hotels are B Resort & Spa, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton; Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Holiday Inn Orlando– Disney Springs, and Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista. Dining note: All table-service restaurants at Disney Springs and the Swan and Dolphin are independently owned and run, as are a handful of other restaurants scattered around the parks (such as Patina Restaurant Group’s Tutto Italia and Via Napoli at EPCOT). These non- Disney-owned restaurants take Advance Reservations (see page 271), but many also accept reservations directly or through OpenTable.com, meaning (1) they may have tables available even when Disney says they don’t and (2) depending on the restaurant, you may not have to prebook with a credit card or pay a no-show fee when you make reservations outside of the Disney system. **Magical Express will end December 31, 2021. THE BASIC CONSIDERATIONS 89

Green, the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, the Four Seasons, and the hotels of the DSRA, can make FastPass+ ride reservations 60 days before they arrive, or 30 days earlier than the general public. This perk offers real advantages over staying elsewhere. 4. EARLY THEME PARK ENTRY Disney resort guests—plus guests of the Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, Shades of Green, the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, the Four Seasons, and the DSRA hotels—enjoy extra time in the theme parks not available to the general public. In many cases, this means shorter waits in line for Disney’s most popular rides. See page 43 for more details. 5. DISNEY’S MAGICAL EXPRESS (through December 31, 2021) If you arrive in Orlando by air, this free bus service will shuttle you between Orlando International Airport and your Walt Disney World resort, saving you the cost of transportation each way. You’ll need to collect your checked baggage at the airport and bring it to the Magi- cal Express bus stop. For an in-depth discussion of Disney’s Magical Express, see page 422. 6. SEPARATE POOL OF PARK RESERVATIONS Disney’s new park- reservation system holds a certain number of reservation slots to be used only by Disney resort guests. Thus, even if no park reservations remain for (off-site) annual pass holders or (off-site) guests with dated tickets, Disney resort guests might still be able to get reservations. This is a big advantage, especially when trying to get into Disney’s Holly- wood Studios during busier times of the year. 7. FREE PARKING AT THE THEME PARKS Disney resort guests with cars pay nothing to park in theme park lots—this saves you $25 per day. Be aware, though, that Disney charges for overnight parking at its hotels (see page 121 for details and exceptions). 8. GOLFING PRIVILEGES Disney guests get priority tee times at the on-property golf courses. 9. NO RESORT FEES Unlike most hotels outside of Walt Disney World, the on-site hotels don’t charge a nebulous nightly resort fee (versus a parking fee) on top of their advertised rates.

THE PROS AND CONS OF STAYING ON-SITE 1. COST Realistically, you should expect to pay $100–$175 per night (including taxes and fees), depending on the time of year, for a clean, safe, everything-in-working-order hotel room near Walt Disney World. Disney’s cheapest hotel rooms compare favorably with non-Disney rooms within this price range. Rooms at the Pop Century Resort, for example, cost $166–$304 (before discounts) throughout the year, plus they have convenient transportation and perks such as separate park reservations. In addition, Pop Century has completed a major stylish refurbishment. For an incremental cost of around $66–$129 per night (again, before discounts), we think Pop Century is a better choice for most readers. Off-site hotels and homes are often better deals for families looking for more space, or high-end lodging and service for the same money. For instance, Disney’s cheapest family suite, at the Art of Animation Resort, sleeps six and costs $428–$764 per night. A comparable room 90 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

at the Sonesta ES Suites Lake Buena Vista costs around $170–$305 per Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Blizzard Beach night, depending on the time of year. Renting a three-bedroom condo water park than many hotels inside Disney World. in Kissimmee is even cheaper: around $150–$250 per night. You can Traf c on I-4 is the largest potential problem with staying at an afford a longer trip with those savings—a fact that more than offsets off-site hotel, especially if you’re coming or going during rush hours. the advantage of park reservations and free airport transportation. Thus, the closer your off-site hotel is to Disney property, the less risk Similarly, the cheapest room at Disney’s agship Grand Floridian there is in being stuck in I-4 traf c. Secondary roads, such as Turkey Resort costs between about $720 and $1,085, depending on the date Lake Road, Palm Parkway, International Drive, and Universal Boule- of stay, while the cheapest room at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando vard, can help get you around that traf c; look for shortcuts in Part (adjacent to Walt Disney World), is within a few dollars of that. But Nine, “Arriving and Getting Around.” the Four Seasons room is larger and better in every way, with restau- A Kentucky dad overruled his family about staying at a Disney rants generally as good as or better than the Grand Flo’s, along with resort and is glad he did: superior customer service. My wife read in another guidebook that it can take 2 hours to com- Our ratings of hotel quality, cost, and commuting times to the mute to the parks if you stay outside Walt Disney World. I guess it theme parks include hotels both in and out of the World (see How the could take 2 hours if you stayed in Tampa, but from our hotel on Hotels Compare, pages 250–253, and the Hotel Information Chart, US 192, we could commute to any of the parks except the Magic pages 254–264). Kingdom and have at least one ride under our belt in about an hour. 2. EASE OF ACCESS Even if you do stay in Walt Disney World, you’re For commuting times from speci c non-Disney hotels, see our dependent on some mode of transportation. It may be less stressful to Hotel Information Chart on pages 254–264. use the Disney transportation system, but with the single exception Many off-site hotels’ prices include some sort of of commuting to the Magic Kingdom, the fastest, most ef cient, and 3. FOOD COSTS free breakfast (now prepackaged), ranging from fruit and pastries most exible way to get around is usually a car. If you’re at EPCOT, to microwavable wafes, pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Disney hotels for example, and you want to take your cranky kids back to Disney’s don’t. Depending on how hungry your family is in the morning, eating Contemporary Resort for a nap, forget the monorail. You’ll get back breakfast at your off-site hotel can save you a minimum of $5–$15 per much faster by car. person per day versus breakfast in the parks. A Raynham, Massachusetts, reader who stayed at Caribbean Beach Beyond breakfast, if you have a large family that chows down like Resort writes: cattle on a nishing lot, you may likewise do better staying outside the Even though the resort is on the Disney bus line, I recommend rent- World, where food is a lot less expensive. ing a car if it fits your budget. The buses don’t go directly to many Although the hassle of commuting to most non- destinations, and often you have to switch buses. Getting a bus back 4. YOUNG CHILDREN to the hotel after a hard day can mean a long wait in line. World hotels is only slightly (if at all) greater than that of commuting to Disney hotels, a de nite peace of mind results from staying in the Readers complain about problems with the Disney transportation World. Regardless of where you stay, make sure you get your young system more than most topics. The following comments from a from children back to the hotel for a nap each day. Columbus, Ohio, reader are typical: 5. SPLITTING UP If you’re in a party that will probably split up to Sometimes it felt like we were visiting Mass Transit World instead tour (as frequently happens in families with teens or children of widely of Walt Disney World. More and more of our energy was devoted varying ages), staying in the World offers more transportation options to planning for getting from point A to point B than there had been and, thus, more independence. Mom and Dad can take the car and in the past. I’ve never rented a car on-property, but after this trip I return to the hotel for a relaxed dinner and early bedtime while the might have to consider it. teens remain in the park for extra rides. Although it’s exclusively for the use and bene t of Walt Disney 6. VISITING OTHER ORLANDO-AREA ATTRACTIONS If you also plan World guests, the Disney transportation system is nonetheless pub- to visit Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Kennedy Space Center, or other lic, and users must expect inconveniences: conveyances that arrive area attractions, it may be more convenient to stay outside of Walt and depart on their schedule, not yours; the occasional need to Disney World. transfer; multiple stops; time lost loading and unloading passengers; and, generally, the challenges of using and managing a large, complex transportation network. The DISNEY RESORTS If you plan to have a car, consider this: Disney World is so large that some destinations within the World can be reached more quickly from DISNEY RESORTS 101 off-property hotels than from Disney hotels. For example, lodgings on BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY DECISIONS, understand these basics US 192 (near the so-called Walt Disney World Maingate) are closer to regarding Disney resorts. THE DISNEY RESORTS 91

Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Blizzard Beach water park than many hotels inside Disney World. Traf c on I-4 is the largest potential problem with staying at an off-site hotel, especially if you’re coming or going during rush hours. Thus, the closer your off-site hotel is to Disney property, the less risk there is in being stuck in I-4 traf c. Secondary roads, such as Turkey Lake Road, Palm Parkway, International Drive, and Universal Boule- vard, can help get you around that traf c; look for shortcuts in Part Nine, “Arriving and Getting Around.” A Kentucky dad overruled his family about staying at a Disney resort and is glad he did: My wife read in another guidebook that it can take 2 hours to commute to the parks if you stay outside Walt Disney World. I guess it could take 2 hours if you stayed in Tampa, but from our hotel on US 192, we could commute to any of the parks except the Magic Kingdom and have at least one ride under our belt in about an hour. For commuting times from speci c non-Disney hotels, see our Hotel Information Chart on pages 254–264. 3. FOOD COSTS Many off-site hotels’ prices include some sort of free breakfast (now prepackaged), ranging from fruit and pastries to microwavable wafes, pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Disney hotels don’t. Depending on how hungry your family is in the morning, eating breakfast at your off-site hotel can save you a minimum of $5–$15 per person per day versus breakfast in the parks. Beyond breakfast, if you have a large family that chows down like cattle on a nishing lot, you may likewise do better staying outside the World, where food is a lot less expensive. 4. YOUNG CHILDREN Although the hassle of commuting to most non- World hotels is only slightly (if at all) greater than that of commuting to Disney hotels, a de nite peace of mind results from staying in the World. Regardless of where you stay, make sure you get your young children back to the hotel for a nap each day. 5. SPLITTING UP If you’re in a party that will probably split up to tour (as frequently happens in families with teens or children of widely varying ages), staying in the World offers more transportation options and, thus, more independence. Mom and Dad can take the car and return to the hotel for a relaxed dinner and early bedtime while the teens remain in the park for extra rides. 6. VISITING OTHER ORLANDO-AREA ATTRACTIONS If you also plan to visit Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Kennedy Space Center, or other area attractions, it may be more convenient to stay outside of Walt Disney World.

The DISNEY RESORTS DISNEY RESORTS 101 BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY DECISIONS, understand these basics regarding Disney resorts. 92 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

Disney groups its resorts into four main categories: Value, Moder- ate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villa. It’s a handy system that we’ll use in dis- cussing both Disney and off-site hotels. unofficial TIP Value resorts have the lowest rates of any Understand that Disney Disney-owned hotels, along with the smallest Reservation Center and rooms and most limited amenities. Walt Disney Travel Com- Moderate resorts are a step up from the pany representatives don’t Values in guest-room quality, amenities, and have detailed personal cost. Disney also counts The Cabins at Fort knowledge of the resorts. Wilderness Resort as a Moderate resort. (The campsites there are classi ed as a Campground.) Deluxe resorts are Disney’s top-of-the-line hotels, boasting extensive theming, luxurious rooms, and superior on-site dining, recreation, and services. Disney Deluxe Villa (DDV) resorts, also known as Disney Vacation Club (DVC) resorts, offer suites, some with full kitchens. DDV/DVC resorts, several of which are attached to Deluxe resorts, equal or sur- pass Deluxe resorts in quality. They can also be a better value. 2. MAKING RESERVATIONS Whether you book via Disney, a travel agent, online, a tour operator, or an organization like AAA, you can frequently save by booking the room exclusive of any vacation package. This is called a room-only reservation. Though later in this chapter (see page 206) we’ll scrutinize the advantages and disadvantages of buying a package, we’ll tell you now that Walt Disney World packages at list price rarely save you any money (though they can certainly be convenient). We recommend that you book your trip at the Walt Disney World website (disneyworld.com) instead of calling the Disney Reservation Center (DRC) at ☎ 407-W-DISNEY (934-7639). Not only is booking online much faster than booking by phone, but DRC reservationists are also focused on selling you a Walt Disney Travel Company package. Even if you insist that all you want is the room, they’ll try to persuade you to bundle it with some small extra, like a minigolf pass, so that your purchase can be counted as a package—this lets Disney apply various restrictions and cancellation policies that you wouldn’t be saddled with if you bought just a room by itself. CANCELLATION POLICIES Regarding cancellation, know that there are some trade-offs. If you book a package and cancel 2–29 days before arrival, you lose your $200 deposit. If you cancel a day or less before arrival, you lose the entire package cost, including your airfare and insurance. If you reserve only a room and cancel fewer than ve days before arrival (six days if you booked through unofficial TIP Disney’s website), you lose your deposit of If you must book by phone, one night’s room charge, which can easily be call before 11 a.m. or after more than $200 if you booked at a Moder- 3 p.m. Eastern. ate, Deluxe, or DDV resort. Further, Disney imposes a $50 fee (plus $15 processing fee) for changing your package’s details, including adjusting travel dates, moving to a cheaper resort, or adding a discount code, 30 days or fewer before your trip. If you have to book by phone rather than online, tell the agent up front what you want in terms of lodging, and make sure to get a room- only rate quote. Then tell the agent what you’re looking for in terms THE DISNEY RESORTS 93 of park admissions. When you’ve pinned down your room selection and lodging costs, ask the agent if he or she can offer you any deals that beat the à la carte prices. But don’t be swayed by little sweeteners included in a package unless they have real value for you. If the rst agent you speak to isn’t accommodating, hang up and call back—DRC has hundreds of agents, some more helpful than others. When dealing with Disney reservations, a careful shopper from West Lafayette, Indiana, advises both wariness and toughness: Making reservations through ☎ 407-W-DISNEY is like buying a car: You need to know the sales tricks, have a firm idea of what you want, and be prepared to walk away if you don’t get it at a price you’re willing to pay. If you need speci c information, call the resort directly, ask for the front desk, and pose your question before phoning the DRC (the person who answers your call almost certainly won’t be at the hotel’s front desk, but they’ll know who to ask). If your desired dates aren’t available, keep calling back or checking online. Something might open up. 3. YOUR HOTEL-ROOM VIEW Rates at Disney hotels vary from season to season (see pages 96–97) and from room to room according to view. Further, each Disney resort has its own seasonal calendar that varies depending on the resort instead of that tired old 12-months- of-the-year thing that the rest of us use. But as confusing as Dis- ney seasons are, they’re logic personi ed compared to the panoply of guest-room views the resorts offer. Depending on the resort, you can choose standard views, courtyard views, water views, pool views, lagoon views, nature views, garden views, theme park views, or savanna views, among others. Standard view, the most ambiguous category, crops up at about three-fourths of Disney resorts. It’s usually interpreted as a view of infrastructure or unremarkable scenery. At Animal Kingdom Lodge, for example, you have savanna views, pool views, and standard views. Savanna views overlook the replicated African veldt, pool views overlook the swimming pool, and value and standard views offer stunning vistas of . . . rooftops and parking lots. With a standard view, however, you can at least pinpoint what you won’t be seeing. Every resort de nes views of water differently. At the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, for example, rooms with views of Seven Seas Lagoon are sensibly called lagoon-view rooms, while those with views of the marina or pools are enigmatically called garden-view rooms. Zip over to the Yacht Club Resort, another Deluxe property. Like the Grand Floridian, the Yacht Club is on a lake and has a pool and a marina. Views of all three are lumped into one big “water” category— anything wet counts! But wait, what’s the view of the lake, pool, or waterfall called at the Wilderness Lodge? You guessed it: “courtyard.” Our favorite water views are at the Contemporary Resort’s South Garden Wing, which extends toward Bay Lake to the east of the giant A-frame. Rooms in this three-story structure, such as room 6109, afford some of the best lake vistas in Disney World (see tinyurl.com /contemporary6109 for a view from one of these rooms). Many rooms 94 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

are so near the water, in fact, that you could spit a prune pit into the lake from your window. And their category? Garden views. For many readers, a good view is essential to enjoying their hotel room. Getting the view you want, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have the experience you want, as a Rochester, New York, couple points out: We stayed in the Conch Key building at the Grand Floridian. The view was lovely, but we could hear the boat’s horn blasting every 20 minutes, 7 a.m.–midnight. It was obnoxious and kept us up. It’s worth noting that scoring a Grand Floridian room with a view of the Magic Kingdom can require painfully speci c verbiage, as a mom from Pontefract, England, attests: We stayed at the Grand Floridian and paid extra for a Magic Kingdom view. I was soooo disappointed when all I could see from the balcony was Space Mountain. I was so looking forward to sitting on the balcony with a glass of wine and watching the fireworks. Next time I’ll ask for a view of Cinderella Castle—not just a Magic Kingdom view. We could go on and on, but pinning Disney down on precisely what will be outside your window is the point. In our discussion of individual resorts later in this chapter, we’ll tell you which rooms have the best views. Our website’s Hotel Room Views project uses more than 35,000 photos to show the view you get from every hotel room in Walt Disney World, plus instructions on how to request each speci c room. It uses interactive maps for every building in every resort, so you can search for rooms by cost, view, walking distance, noise, handicap accessibility, and more. As you read this chapter, visit touringplans.com/walt -disney -world/hotels to see photos of the rooms we recommend.

4. HOW TO GET THE ROOM YOU WANT Disney won’t guarantee a speci c room when you book but will post your request on your reservation record. The easiest way to make a request unofficial TIP is to use our Hotel Room Views tool, described Disney will guarantee above. Select the room you want, and we’ll connecting rooms if your automatically email your request to Disney 30 party includes more chil- days before you arrive. dren than adults. (In Disney Our experience indicates that making a terms, adjoining rooms are request with just a single room number con- next to each other and fuses Disney’s reservationists; as a result, connecting rooms have a they’re unsure where to place you if the room door between them.) you’ve asked for is unavailable. To increase your odds of getting the room you want, tell the reservationist (or your travel agent) to the letter what characteristics and amenities you desire. Be politely assertive when speaking to the Disney agent. At Port Orleans Riverside, for example, rooms with king beds have options for standard-, garden-, pool-, preferred-, and river-view rooms. If you want to overlook the river, say so; likewise, if you want a pool view, speak up. Similarly, state clearly such preferences as a particular oor, a room near restaurants, or a room away from elevators and ice machines. If you have a long list of preferences, type it in order of THE DISNEY RESORTS 95 importance and email, fax, or snail-mail it to the hotel. Include your contact information and your reservation-con rmation number. Be brief, though: We’re told that Disney’s reservation system has a limited amount of space to store what you write. It will be someone from Disney’s Central- unofficial TIP ized Inventory Management team, or the resort Three to four days before itself, who actually assigns your room. Call you arrive, call your resort’s back in a few days to make sure your prefer- front desk. Call late in the ences were posted to your record. evening when they’re not We’ll provide the information needed for so busy, and reconﬁrm each resort to frame your requests, including a the requests that by now resort map and our recommendations for spe- should be appearing in ci c rooms or buildings. A dash (–) indicates a their computers. range of rooms. Readers say our hotel-request service works about two out of three times. Disney’s room assigners tell us that the most common reasons for not getting the exact room requested are as follows: • Someone is already in the requested room. This is common during holidays and other busy times. It helps to list several alternatives. • Asking to get into your room early (before 3 or 4 p.m.). Unless you say otherwise, the front desk will assume that any room currently available overrides your earlier requests. • Listing only rooms that are more expensive than the one you paid for. It doesn’t hurt to ask for an upgrade, but make sure you’ve given the room assigners a fallback option based on what you’ve bought. • Unclear requests. We’ve read multipage requests with sentences about room preferences embedded in paragraphs relating the life stories of everyone in the group, and requests with enough picky stuff to rule out every room in the hotel. Make sure that your requests are succinct and realistic.

HOW TO GET DISCOUNTS ON LODGING THERE ARE SO MANY GUEST ROOMS in and around Disney World that competition is brisk, and everyone, including Disney, wheels and deals to fill them. Disney, however, has its own atypical way of managing its room inventory. To uphold the brand integrity of its hotels, Dis- ney prefers to use inducements rather than discounts per se. For example, Disney has included free dining if you reserve a certain number of nights at rack rate, or offered special deals only by email to returning guests. Consequently, many of the strategies for obtaining discounted rates in most cities and destinations don’t work well for Disney hotels. We’ll explore these strategies in-depth when we discuss booking non-Disney hotels near Walt Disney World; for the moment, though, here are some tips for getting price breaks at Disney properties. One of our major research projects for this edition was to identify sellers with the steepest discounts on Disney hotel rooms. Those

WHAT IT COSTS TO STAY IN THE DISNEY SPRINGS RESORT AREA B Resort & Spa $120–$243 DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando $123–$313 Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista $114–$338 $159–$282 Holiday Inn Orlando–Disney Springs Area Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista $128–$253 $114–$259 96 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

COSTS PER NIGHT OF DISNEY HOTEL ROOMS, 2020 (rack rate) Rates are for standard rooms except as noted. ALL-STAR RESORTS $121–$241 ALL-STAR MUSIC RESORT FAMILY SUITES $302–$547 ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE $431–$705 ANIMAL KINGDOM VILLAS (studio, Jambo/Kidani) $472–$864 ART OF ANIMATION FAMILY SUITES $441–$750 ART OF ANIMATION RESORT $195–$330 BAY LAKE TOWER AT CONTEMPORARY RESORT (studio) $591–$963 BEACH CLUB RESORT $487–$846 BEACH CLUB VILLAS (studio) $542–$898 BOARDWALK INN $540–$890 BOARDWALK VILLAS (studio) $542–$898 BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS (studio) $506–$776 CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT $230–$400 CONTEMPORARY RESORT (Garden Wing) $501–$829 COPPER CREEK VILLAS & CASCADE CABINS (studio) $524–$806 CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT $223–$372 DOLPHIN (Sheraton) $325–$431 FORT WILDERNESS RESORT & CAMPGROUND (cabins) $400–$737 GRAN DESTINO TOWER $263–$440 GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA $724–$957 GRAND FLORIDIAN VILLAS (studio) $665–$1,084 OLD KEY WEST RESORT (studio) $418–$663 POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT $552–$861 POLYNESIAN VILLAS & BUNGALOWS (studio) $629–$1,029 POP CENTURY RESORT $166–$304 PORT ORLEANS RESORT (French Quarter & Riverside) $256–$392 RIVIERA RESORT (studio) $415–$790 SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT & SPA (studio) $418–$663 SWAN (Westin) $325–$431 SWAN RESERVE (Autograph Collection) $344–$364 TREEHOUSE VILLAS $1,016–$1,798 WILDERNESS LODGE $413–$760 YACHT CLUB RESORT $487–$846

best discounts are almost certainly found through sites that offer last- minute, one- to four-night DVC deals—where last-minute typically means within 90 days. If you’re willing to stay at any Disney hotel as long as it’s a great deal, see “Rent Disney Vacation Club Points” on page 98 for the details. Note: Discounts may be limited to a certain number of rooms and/ or for certain dates. Rooms at deep discounts tend to get snatched up quickly, so don’t take too long to decide what you want to do. 1. LOOK FOR SEASONAL SAVINGS Save 15%–35% per night or more on a Disney hotel room by visiting during the slower times of year. However, THE DISNEY RESORTS 97

Disney has so many seasons in its calendar that it’s hard to keep up; plus, the dates for each “season” vary among resorts. Disney also changes the price of its hotel rooms with the day of the week, charging more for the same room on Friday and Saturday nights. The rate hikes can range from $36 to more than $100 or more per room, per night. 2. ASK ABOUT SPECIALS If you’re booking online, Disney’s website will display discounts available to the general public for your dates. Look for the words “special offer” near the top of the page, in the section that asks whether you’re booking a room-only or package deal. You must click on the particular special to get the discount; otherwise you may be charged the full rack rate. If you’re booking by phone, ask the reservationist what special deals or discounts are available at Disney hotels during the time of your visit. Being speci c and assertive paid off for a Warren Township, New Jersey, dad: Your tip on asking Disney employees about discounts was invaluable. They will not volunteer this information, but by asking, we saved almost $500 on our hotel room. A family from West Spring eld, Massachusetts, discovered that if you keep on shopping even after you’ve booked, your efforts can really pay off: I booked our trip online with Disney using a special-offer discount we had received in the mail. Two months before our trip, and after I had already paid in full, Disney ran a special that was even better than the one I had booked. I gave them a call, and they politely, quickly, and efficiently credited the difference. Be aware that specials can include discounts on vacation packages in addition to discounts on rooms. Discounts on park admission or dining packages (see “Keep an Eye Out for Free Dining” in “Disney Lodging for Less,” page 209) can be substantial, depending on the number of people in your traveling party or where you’re staying. Finally, see our coverage of Magical Vacations Travel discounts, starting on page 102. 3. CHECK MOUSESAVERS.COM This awesome Disney-travel website maintains an updated list of discounts and reservation codes for Disney resorts. The codes are separated into categories such as “for anyone,” “for residents of certain states,” and “for Annual Pass holders.” Anyone calling ☎ 407-W-DISNEY (934-7639) can use a current code and get the discounted rate. Discounts for the general public will also appear on Disney’s website (see “Ask About Specials,” above), but MouseSavers shows you targeted discounts that Disney’s website may not. MouseSavers also maintains an informative historical list of when past discounts were released and what they encompassed at mouse savers.com/historical wdw discounts.html. You can also sign up for the Mouse Savers newsletter, with discount announcements, Disney news, and exclusive offers not available to the general public. 4. INVESTIGATE INTERNET SELLERS The online travel sellers Expedia (expedia.com), Hotwire (hotwire.com), Priceline (priceline.com), and Travelocity (travelocity.com) offer discounted rooms at Disney hotels, 98 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

but usually at a price approximating the going rate obtainable from the Walt Disney Travel Company or Walt Disney World Central Res- ervations. Most breaks are in the 7%–25% range. In early 2021, Hotwire was offering Pop Century rooms at $126 per night with tax versus $203 on Disney’s website, and Yacht Club rooms at $370 per night versus $462 on Disney’s website. Another good website to check is Priceline’s Express Deals. Always check these websites’ prices against Disney’s. See tinyurl.com/ugpricelinetips for the latest on these deals. 5. RENT DISNEY VACATION CLUB POINTS The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is Disney’s time-share program. DVC members buy a number of “points” annually that they use to pay for their Disney accommodations. Sometimes members elect to “rent” (sell) their points instead of using them in a given year. Though Disney is not involved in the transaction, it allows DVC members to make these points available to the general public. The going rental rate for points is $10–$18 per point, depending on the resort and time of year, when you deal with members directly; third-party brokers charge $18–$20 per point for hosting the buying- and-selling market, and offering credit card payments. Renting a studio for six nights during summer season at Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas currently costs $3,158 with tax if paying cash. The same room costs a DVC member 88 points. If you rented those points at $17 per point, that studio would cost you $1,496—a savings of more than $1,650. We think renting a one-bedroom villa is a good alternative for families looking for extra space, at not much more cost than a regular hotel room. For example, a 344-square-foot standard room at the Animal Kingdom Lodge costs around $2,880 for six nights during summer 2020. It consists of one main room for everyone and a bathroom. However, a one-bedroom villa at Animal Kingdom Lodge is around 629 square feet, with a full kitchen and separate bedroom, living room, and bath. It rents for 174 points per week, or $2,958 at $17 per point. That is, an extra $13 per night gets you 80% more space with a private bedroom, two bathrooms, and a full kitchen. Likewise, if your family consists of six people or more, a two- bedroom villa at Animal Kingdom Lodge sleeps eight. While it costs around $551 per night (at $17 per point), a family suite at Art of Animation costs $572 (without discounts), and the Animal Kingdom rooms are much larger and come with better amenities. As mentioned previously, you have two options when renting points: Go through a third-party broker or deal directly with a DVC member. For a xed rate of around $19 per point, David’s Vacation Club Rentals (dvcrequest.com) will match your request for a speci c resort and dates to its available supply. Its per-point rate is higher than if you did the legwork yourself, but it takes requests months in advance and noti es you as soon as something becomes available; plus, it takes credit cards. We’ve used David’s for huge New Year’s Eve events and last-minute trips, and it’s tops. In addition to David’s, some readers, like this one from St. Louis, have had good results with The DVC Rental Store (dvcrentalstore.com): THE DISNEY RESORTS 99

We rented DVC points for this trip through the DVC Rental Store, and we had a wonderful experience. Unlike David’s, it doesn’t make you pay the entire cost upon booking. For our stay at Boulder Ridge Villas, we paid just over half what we were planning to pay for the Wilderness Lodge.

LAST-MINUTE DVC DEALS DVCReservations.com emails a newsletter roughly every week with steeply discounted DVC rooms available within the next 90 days. These discounts are, by a wide margin, the best generally available deals you can nd on Disney hotel rooms: typically 35%–60% off Disney’s rates. For example, we’ve seen $251 per night for a 465-square-foot studio villa at Polynesian Village Resort, while Disney’s website quoted $711. For reference, that $251 per night was only $50 more than Disney was charging for a 260-square- foot room at its Pop Century Value resort the same nights. The best last-minute discounts are on one- and two-bedroom villas at Old Key West and Saratoga Springs Resorts: as low as $310 per night for a 714-square-foot one-bedroom and $520 per night for 1,075-square-foot two-bedrooms. Those are better rates than Disney was offering for a standard room at its Moderate and Deluxe resorts, which have less than half the space of the DVC units. You’re most likely to nd these last-minute rentals for stays of one to four nights. If you’re willing to switch resorts every couple of nights, though, you can easily make a week of it. When you deal directly with the selling DVC member, you pay him or her directly, such as by certi ed check (few members take credit cards). The DVC member makes a reservation in your name and pays Disney the requisite number of points. Arrangements vary, but again, the going rate is around $10–$18 per point. Trust is required from both parties. Usually your reservation is documented by a con rmation sent from Disney to the owner and then passed along to you. Though the deal you cut is strictly up to you and the owner, you should always insist on receiving the aforementioned con rmation before making more than a one-night deposit. We suggest checking online at one of the various Disney discussion boards (such as mouseowners.com or disboards.com) if you’re not picky about where you stay and when you go and you’re willing to put in the effort to ask around. If you’re trying to book a particular resort, especially during a busy time of year, there’s something to be said for the low-hassle approach of a points broker. When you’re looking at these sites, keep in mind that Disney World has 12 DVC resorts, also known as Disney Deluxe Villas (DDV): Ani- mal Kingdom Villas, Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort, Beach Club Villas, BoardWalk Villas, Boulder Ridge Villas, Copper Creek Vil- las & Cascade Cabins, Grand Floridian Villas, Old Key West Resort, Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, Riviera Resort, Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs. Construction on a 13th, Reflections—A Disney Lakeside Lodge, started before being suspended during the pandemic. 6. CRACK THE (PIN) CODE Disney maintains a list of recent Walt Dis- ney World visitors as well as those who have inquired about a Disney 100 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

World vacation. During slow times of the year, Disney will send these folks direct mail and emails with personalized discounts. Each offer is uniquely identi ed by a long string of letters and unofficial TIP numbers called a PIN code. This code is required To enhance your chances to get the discount—thus, it can’t be shared—and of receiving a PIN-code Disney will verify that the street or email address o¨er, you need to get that the code was sent to is yours. your name and street or To get your name into the Disney system email address into the for a PIN code, call 407-W-DISNEY (934- Disney system. ☎ 7639) and request written info. If you’ve been to Disney World before, your name and address will of course already be on record, but you won’t be as likely to receive a PIN-code offer as you would by calling and requesting that information be mailed to you. Or go to disneyworld.com and sign up to automatically be sent offers and news at your email address. You might also consider getting a Dis- ney Rewards Visa Card, which entitles you to around two days’ advance notice when a discount is released (visit disney.go.com/visa for details). 7. DISNEY-SPECIALIST TRAVEL AGENTS Disney vacations are so popular that entire travel agencies specialize in just Disney theme park and cruise trips. Even large, general-travel agencies such as AAA often have dedicated agents with special, up-to-date knowledge of what’s going on at the parks. Three obvious situations where it makes sense to engage a travel agent are as follows: 1. This is one of your first trips to Walt Disney World and you’d like to talk to someone objective in person. 2. You’re looking to save time in evaluating several different what-if scenarios, such as which of two discounts saves the most money. 3. You want someone else to keep checking if a better deal than what you already have comes along. We can’t emphasize enough how much time (and money) a travel agent will save you in those last two scenarios. If you’re trying to compare, say, the cost difference between a Value and a Moderate resort with a particular discount that may not be available at all resorts on all dates, you could easily spend an hour working through different combinations to nd the best deal. We think most people give up far before nishing, potentially wasting a lot of money. Good travel agents will do this for you, at no charge (because they’ll earn a com- mission from Disney when you book through them). Travel agents save so much time in these scenarios that we use them ourselves. Even if the agent can’t beat a deal we’ve found on our own, we let him or her book it anyway if it’s commissionable, to nurture the relationship. So which are the best Disney-specialist travel agents? Each year we ask our readers to rate the travel agents who helped them plan their Disney vacations. Our survey asks two questions: 1. Is this agent an expert on Walt Disney World? 2. Would you use this agent again? For this edition we received surveys on more than 1,700 agents. THE DISNEY RESORTS 101

The top 13 agents for 2021 are as follows. More than half of them work for Magical Vacations Travel (see page 102):

• Sue Pisaturo of Small World Vacations ([email protected]) is our Empress of Travel and a longtime contributor to this guide. • Alissa Almeida-Yngve ([email protected]), Dawn Speno (dawn@small worldvacations.com), Jane Gargett ([email protected]), Jessica Fox (jessica@ magicalvacationstravel.com), Kim Monitzer ([email protected]), and Sharon Iocono ([email protected]) all made the list for the first time. • Holly Biss ([email protected]) makes her second appearance on the list. • Being recognized for the third consecutive year are Samantha Loureiro (samantha @ magicalvacationstravel.com), Wendy Ott ([email protected]), and Darcy Phelps (darcy@magicalvacations travel.com). • Mike Rahlmann ([email protected]) appears on the list for the fifth straight time. • Darren Wittko ([email protected]) made our readers’ list for the seventh year in a row. Our reader-survey results indicate that for Walt Disney World, you’ll be much more satis ed using a travel agent who specializes in Disney and much more likely to recommend those agents to a friend. While the agents listed above are among the ones most consistently recommended in our surveys, you’ll nd good Disney specialists throughout the country if you prefer to work with someone close to home. We suggest asking your travel agency if they have agents who specialize in Disney vacations. 8. ORGANIZATIONS AND AUTO CLUBS Disney has developed time- limited programs with some auto clubs and organizations. AAA, for example, can often offer discounts on hotels and packages comparable to those that Disney offers its annual pass holders. Such deals come and go, but the market suggests there will be more. If you’re a member of AARP, AAA, or any travel or auto club, ask whether the group has a program before shopping elsewhere. 9. ROOM UPGRADES Sometimes a room upgrade is as good as a discount. If you’re visiting Disney World during a slower time, book the least-expensive room your discounts will allow. Checking in, ask very politely about being upgraded to a water-view or pool-view room. A fair percentage of the time, you’ll get one at no additional charge or at a deep discount. Understand, however, that a room upgrade should be considered a favor. Hotels are under no obligation to upgrade you, so if your request is not met, accept the decision graciously. Also, note that suites at Deluxe resorts are exempt from discount offers. 10. MILITARY DISCOUNTS The Shades of Green Armed Forces Recre- ation Center, near the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, offers luxury accommodations at rates based on a service member’s rank, as well as attraction tickets to the theme parks. For rates and other information, call ☎ 888-593-2242 or see shadesofgreen .org. 11. YEAR-ROUND DISCOUNTS AT THE SWAN AND DOLPHIN RESORTS Government workers, teachers, nurses, military, and AAA and Enter- tainment Coupon Book members can save on rooms at the Dolphin or Swan (when space is available, of course). Call ☎ 888-828-8850 or visit swandolphin.com and click on “Special Offers.” 102 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

Our Favorite Money-Saving Find: Magical Vacations Travel In August 2018 we paid $300 per night, including tax, for a room at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Walt Disney World’s flagship resort. That’s more than 50% off the $669 rack rate Disney was asking for similar rooms, and about the same price that Disney was charging for the Grand Floridian in 2003. Even better, we didn’t have to listen to a time-share presentation or be a personal friend of Disney chief Bob Chapek to do it. We’d been seeing a lot of talk in our Lines Chat forum about a company called Magical Vacations Travel (MVT), whose Disney World room offers were far below the prices we were seeing everywhere else. MVT has committed to selling a certain number of rooms (for example, 10 rooms at three nights each) during a certain time period, and it can’t return any unsold rooms. It also lets clients cancel, with refunds, using Disney’s standard cancellation policy (that is, up to 5 or 6 days in advance), not the 30-day policy it’s being held to in its contract. That’s part of the risk that MVT accepts in return for being able to offer less expensive rooms. If you can work with the available dates, the savings can be amazing. At the time of this writing, MVT’s rates seem to be at least 10% lower than the cheapest discounted rate Disney is offering to the general public. Finally, a disclaimer: We have no business relationship of any kind with MVT. Rather, we just think it’s an interesting, innovative business model. If you try it, let us know how it worked for you.

CHOOSING A WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL IF YOU WANT TO STAY IN THE WORLD but you don’t know which hotel to choose, the most important factors to consider are as follows:

1. Room quality (below) 5. Location/distance from parks (page 109) 2. Transportation (page 105) 6. Theme (page 110) 3. Cost (page 106) 7. Dining options (page 112) 4. Pools and amenities 8. The size of your room vs. the size of your (page 108) group (page 113)

1. ROOM QUALITY Many Disney hotel rooms are among the best designed and appointed anywhere. Plus, they’re maintained much better than the average hotel room in Orlando. All rooms, for instance, have free Wi-Fi and in-room mini-refrigerators, plus coffee makers in the DVC units. Disney is in the middle of a refurbishment project that is not only updating its hotel rooms but also reexamining how modern families use these spaces. As a simple example, new hotel rooms have between 5 and 10 built-in USB charging ports to account for everyone’s cell phones and tablets. Other changes are much more substantial. Not surprisingly, many readers rate Disney’s Deluxe and DVC rooms highest for quality, but some Value and Moderate rooms rate even higher than some Deluxe and DVC rooms. The text that follows provides context for these room-quality ratings. In addition, the chart on the opposite page shows how current Walt Disney World hotels stack up for quality. Note that many hotels were THE DISNEY RESORTS 103

HOTEL | ROOM-QUALITY RATING

RIVIERA RESORT | 95 DOLPHIN | 87 GRAND FLORIDIAN VILLAS | 93 POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT | 87 GRAND FLORIDIAN PORT ORLEANS RESORT— RESORT & SPA | 92 FRENCH QUARTER | 87 BAY LAKE TOWER | 91 ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE | 86 BOARDWALK INN | 91 ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE– CONTEMPORARY RESORT | 91 JAMBO HOUSE (studio) | 86 GRAN DESTINO TOWER | 91 BEACH CLUB VILLAS (studio) | 86 OLD KEY WEST RESORT | 91 WILDERNESS LODGE | 86 SHADES OF GREEN | 91 BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS YACHT CLUB RESORT | 91 (studio) | 84 ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE– KIDANI VILLAGE (studios) | 90 SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT & SPA (studio) | 84 COPPER CREEK VILLAS & CASCADE CABINS | 90 PORT ORLEANS RESORT—RIVERSIDE | 83 FORT WILDERNESS CABINS | 90 TREEHOUSE VILLAS | 90 ALL-STAR MOVIES RESORT | 80 BEACH CLUB RESORT | 89 ART OF ANIMATION RESORT (standard room) | 80 BOARDWALK VILLAS (studio) | 89 SWAN | 89 CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT | 80 CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT | 88 POP CENTURY RESORT | 80 POLYNESIAN VILLAS & BUNGALOWS ALL-STAR MUSIC AND (studio) | 88 ALL-STAR SPORTS RESORTS | 73 Note: The Swan Reserve was not open at press time. undergoing refurbishment in 2019, and all of Walt Disney World was closed for several months in 2020, so our survey results may reect ratings for the old and the new rooms combined. VALUE RESORTS Room quality is highest at Pop Century and All-Star Movies, where the entire room con guration has changed recently. Carpet has been replaced with vinyl “hardwood” ooring. Queen beds are now standard, and king beds are still available. More interesting is that in rooms with two queen beds, one bed folds into the wall during the day, exposing a desk. That frees up around 36 square feet of space in these 260-square-foot rooms—around 14% in all. In addition, bathrooms at Pop and Movies are brighter and more open, and more storage is available in the living areas. Art of Animation’s room quality is in the middle of the pack for Dis- ney’s Value resorts. Rooms are clean and functional, but because the resort opened in 2012, they’re not yet old enough to need the updates that Pop and Music have gotten. All-Star Music and All-Star Sports have the oldest room designs in the Value category. These rooms are also the cheapest, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing: We think the mattresses, pillows, and bathrooms here are of much better quality than the average Orlando budget hotel’s—just not as good as the ones at Movies or Pop. MODERATE RESORTS Readers rate the rooms at The Cabins at Fort Wil- derness Resort the highest of any Moderate resort. They’re more like small mobile homes, with a separate living room, kitchen, and bedroom. 104 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

Readers rate rooms at Coronado Springs and Port Orleans French Quarter next highest in this category. Rooms at Coronado have been modernized with vinyl “hardwood” oors, plenty of desk space, excellent lighting, and doors separating the bathroom area from the main living space. Rooms at French Quarter have similar ooring but don’t have the newest storage or bathroom makeovers. We think French Quarter’s rooms are rated highly because this resort is the smallest and most intimate of the Moderates, and that atmosphere carries over into the room ratings. Port Orleans Riverside and Caribbean Beach have the lowest-rated Moderate rooms. All rooms in Riverside have new ooring. One section, Alligator Bayou, has a new bathroom design and a new drop-down twin bed that ts a fth child. However, the furniture design in these rooms is rustic (to t the theming) and lacks the modern conveniences found in the new Value resorts. The same can be said for Caribbean Beach’s rooms—while they’ve undergone recent updates (vinyl oors, new furniture), the bathroom layout and storage options feel dated. Disney’s newest addition to the Moderate category is Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, which offers some of the best-designed bathrooms in this category. Even better—the Gran Destino’s club- level rooms, with access to the private, fabulous Chronos lounge, are the cheapest club-level rooms on property. If you’re looking to try a club-level room, Gran Destino is a great place to start. DELUXE RESORTS Rooms at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa are rated the highest in this category. These are among the largest and well appointed anywhere on Disney property. Rooms include textured car- peting along with plenty of storage, desk, and bathroom space. Other above-average Deluxe rooms are found at the Contemporary and Yacht Club Resorts and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Those at the Beach Club Resort and the Swan are rated average. Below-average rooms are found at the Polynesian Village and the Dolphin. The lowest-rated Deluxe rooms are found at Animal Kingdom Lodge–Jambo House and Wilderness Lodge. These rooms are the smallest in the Deluxe category, and we think that’s the most signi cant factor here. Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas, BoardWalk Inn, and Wilderness Lodge, along with the Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Polynesian Village, and Yacht & Beach Club Resorts and Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, boast Club Level (concierge) oors. Bene ts include personalized trip planning and a lounge (closed at press time) stocked with small bites to graze on. This Basking Ridge, New Jersey, reader, however, found the snacks on the skimpy side: We found the club-level food offerings limited and carefully metered out. Tiny plates were replenished slowly. Given that club level is a sig- nificant extra expense, we didn’t appreciate being told how much we could eat and when.

DVC RESORTS Disney’s highest-rated rooms are found at its time-share resorts. At the top of this list are the rooms at Riviera Resort and The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Setting aside the Victo- rian decor, these are the most luxurious rooms in any Disney-owned hotel on-site. Ranked just below the Grand Flo Villas is Old Key West THE DISNEY RESORTS 105

Resort. Its rooms are large, very functional, and quiet, plus they’ve been updated recently. Almost all other DVC resorts have rooms rated above average: Bay Lake Tower, Animal Kingdom Lodge–Kidani Village, Copper Creek Vil- las & Cascade Cabins at Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs, and BoardWalk Villas. Readers rated the rooms at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge as below average. We agree that they’re not as good as rooms at other DVC resorts—in particular, the room layout, decor, and furnishings at Boulder Ridge suffer compared with the other DVC complexes at Wilderness Lodge, the Copper Creek Villas and Cascade Cabins. These are still nice rooms, however, relative to what you’ll nd in the Orlando area in general. Disney’s newest DVC resort, the Riviera, opened in late 2019. With large stylish rooms, above-average on-site dining, and Skyliner access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, the Riviera is a positive (if pricey) addition to Disney’s resort lineup. 2. TRANSPORTATION If you’re going to be driving, your Disney hotel’s transportation isn’t especially important unless you plan to spend most of your time at the Magic Kingdom. (Disney transportation is usually more ef cient than your car in this case because it bypasses the Transportation and Ticket Center, the Magic Kingdom’s transportation hub, and deposits you at the theme park entrance.) If you haven’t decided whether you want a car for your Disney vacation, see “How to Travel Around the World” (page 432). The hotels that readers rate highest for Disney transportation are the Polynesian Village, Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Pop Century. The Polyne- sian, Grand Floridian, and Contemporary are connected to the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT by monorail; the Contemporary is a short walk from the Magic Kingdom too. These resorts use buses to get to other destinations on property. Likewise, the Swan is connected to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios by boat and walking path, and by bus to everything else. The Swan’s inclusion on this list is unusual in that its neighbor resorts are also served by the same boat, bus, and walking path network, but are rated as average. unofficial TIP Port Orleans French Quarter’s transpor- If you plan to use Disney tation is by bus to almost every location in transportation to visit all four Walt Disney World. We think it’s on this list major parks and one or both because it’s the smallest of Disney’s Moder- of the water parks, book a ate resorts, and those buses may not be as centrally located resort that crowded as those for other resorts. has good transportation con- Pop Century’s transportation is primarily nections. The EPCOT resorts bus service to most destinations on property. and the Polynesian Village, The Skyliner connects Pop with the Caribbean Caribbean Beach, Art of Anima- Beach and Rivi era Resorts, Disney’s Holly- tion, Pop Century, and Port wood Studios, and EPCOT. Orleans Resorts ﬁll the bill. Readers rated the following resorts as below average for transportation: Coronado Springs, Old Key West, Port Orleans Riverside, Saratoga Springs/Treehouse Villas, Animal Kingdom 106 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

Lodge, and Caribbean Beach. The bus service at Coronado, Old Key West, Saratoga, and Caribbean Beach makes multiple internal stops at these resorts, which increases the time it takes to get where you’re going. Animal Kingdom Lodge is among the most remote resorts in Walt Dis- ney World. We expect Caribbean Beach’s survey results to improve as more guests use the Skyliner system. 3. COST Hotel rooms start as low as $121 a night at the All-Star Resorts and top out above $2,100 at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The table on page 96 shows the cost per night for various Disney hotel rooms. Disney’s Value resorts are the least-expensive on-site hotels. Because they’re popular, they have four separate, unof cial price categories: • The All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resorts are Disney’s oldest and least- expensive Value resorts. Non-discounted rates for standard rooms here are $121–$241 per night. • Pop Century Resort sits in the middle of the Value price range—about $45 per night more than the All-Stars. Pop Century is the most popular Disney World resort among Unofficial Guide readers. • Art of Animation Resort has the largest rooms, best food court, and best pools in this category. Standard rooms here cost about $70–$90 per night more than those at the All-Stars. • Two-room Family Suites are available at the All-Star Music and Art of Animation Resorts, from around $300–$750 per night with tax. While All-Star Movies and Pop Century are older and less expensive than Art of Animation, they’ve had extensive room renovations that make them among the most attractive and functional on property. In terms of room quality, they’re better and cheaper than Art of Animation’s standard rooms. The next most expensive tier includes Disney’s Moderate resorts. Like the Values, these have different price points: • Caribbean Beach Resort was the first Moderate resort when it opened in 1988. Prices here range from $230 to $407 per night. Coronado Springs Resort is priced about $10 less per night. • Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter Resorts are the most popular in this category. Standard rooms cost $256–$392 per night. • Gran Destino Tower is the newest entry in the Moderates category. Located on the grounds of Coronado Springs Resort, this 15-story tower has standard rooms starting at $320–$390 per night. • The Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort are unique in the Moderate category. These small mobile homes sleep up to six people and include a small kitchen. Rates range from $400 to $737 per night.

Rates at Disney’s Deluxe resorts vary depending on room size and the hotel’s location relative to the theme parks: • The Walt Disney World Swan (Westin), Walt Disney World Dolphin (Sheraton), and Swan Reserve (Autograph Collection) are usually the least-expensive Deluxe hotel rooms on-property. They’re not owned by Disney, and they cater to convention traffic as much as families, giving them a different feel from the other hotels. These hotels are within walking distance of EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. • The smallest and least-expensive Disney-owned Deluxe hotel rooms are found at Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Both hotels have excellent theming; Animal Kingdom Lodge has excellent dining as well. THE DISNEY RESORTS 107

• The next tier of Deluxe prices applies to the EPCOT resorts: the Yacht Club, Beach Club, and BoardWalk Inn. These are arranged around Crescent Lake, with a short walk to EPCOT and a slightly longer walk to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. • Slightly more expensive are the Polynesian Village and Contemporary Resorts. Both opened in 1971 and are a short walk or monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. The Polynesian has excellent theming. Along with easy access to two theme parks, its location makes it easy to visit any hotel restaurant along the Magic Kingdom monorail loop. • Finally, Disney’s most expensive standard hotel rooms are found at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney World’s flagship hotel. IS IT MORE THAN A PLACE TO SLEEP? Many families headed to Walt Disney World opt for the Value resorts, not so much because of the lower cost but because, in their words, “it’s just a place to sleep.” But do those families feel the same way at the end of their trip? We put together an experiment to nd out. We surveyed more than 27,000 families about the brand of hotel they typically stay at when not vacationing at Walt Disney World. We categorized those hotels as follows: • Budget: Days Inn, Motel 6, Super 8, etc. • Moderate: Best Western, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, etc. • Upscale: Crowne Plaza, Radisson, SpringHill Suites, Wyndham, etc. • Luxury: Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, etc. We grouped Disney’s hotels into Disney’s own Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and DVC categories. Then we asked the families three questions, each on a ve-point scale: • How satisfied were you with your Disney hotel? • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? • Would you stay at this hotel again? Here’s how the results shook out among those families who were “very satis ed” with their Disney hotel, would recommend it to a friend, and would stay at that hotel again:

TYPE OF HOTEL DISNEY VALUE DISNEY MODERATE DISNEY DELUXE DVC/DDV TYPICALLY (% Positive (% Positive (% Positive (% Positive CHOSEN Responses) Responses) Responses) Responses) Budget 70% 63% 80% 78% Moderate 71% 62% 79% 78% Upscale 72% 50% 77% 77% Luxury 70% 60% 77% 78%

The takeaway? No matter what kind of hotel you stay at outside of Walt Disney World, you’ll probably be most satisfied at a Disney Deluxe or DVC resort. So even if you stay at a low-cost Microtel Inn on other trips, you’ll still be happier if you stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge instead of All-Star Music. After doing these surveys for 30 years, we’re convinced that most people add the words “for the money I paid” to the end of every question we ask. So when you read the survey results on pages 122–123, it’s safe to assume that they take into account the higher cost of the 108 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

hotel rooms. If you have the budget, we think you’ll have a better trip by booking a Deluxe hotel or DVC. 4. POOLS AND AMENITIES Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts have the highest-rated pool in Walt Disney World. Called Stormalong Bay, it includes a lazy river with sand bottom and an elaborate waterslide that begins from a pirate ship beached on Crescent Lake. Stormalong Bay is so popular that guests must show proof they’re staying at the resort before being admitted to the pool area. The Polynesian Village’s volcano-themed pool also gets top marks from readers. It’s large and attractive, with convenient food and bar options. At night, you can lounge in the pool with a tropical drink and watch the Magic Kingdom reworks (when they’re offered) too. The pools at Art of Animation are also rated above average. Like the Poly’s, Animation’s pools are well themed and have convenient bar and food options. The Big Blue Pool features music piped in under water too. Readers rate the pool options as below average at these resorts: BoardWalk, Contemporary, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, and the Swan. Of these, our opinion is that all but the BoardWalk have relatively generic pool offerings, and are often crowded. See the tables below and on the opposite page for speci c resort pool ratings and a summary of the amenities offered by each resort.

DISNEY RESORT POOL RATINGS ¹1. YACHT & BEACH CLUB RESORTS & BEACH CLUB VILLAS (shared complex) ¦★★★★★ ¹2. GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA, VILLAS ★★★★½ ¹3. ANIMAL KINGDOM VILLAS (Kidani Village) ★★★★½ ¹4. SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT & SPA/TREEHOUSE VILLAS ★★★★½ ¹5. WILDERNESS LODGE & BOULDER RIDGE/COPPER CREEK VILLAS ★★★★½ ¹6. ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE & VILLAS (Jambo House) ★★★★ ¹7. PORT ORLEANS RESORT ★★★★ ¹8. CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT/GRAN DESTINO TOWER ★★★★ ¹9. DOLPHIN ★★★★ 10. SWAN ★★★★ 11. POLYNESIAN VILLAGE, VILLAS, & BUNGALOWS ★★★★ 12. BAY LAKE TOWER ★★★★ 13. CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT ★★★★ 14. RIVIERA RESORT ★★★★ 15. BOARDWALK INN & VILLAS ★★★½ 16. CONTEMPORARY RESORT ★★★½ 17. ALL-STAR RESORTS ★★★ 18. ART OF ANIMATION RESORT ★★★ 19. OLD KEY WEST RESORT ★★★ 20. FORT WILDERNESS RESORT & CAMPGROUND ★★★ 21. POP CENTURY RESORT ★★★ 22. SHADES OF GREEN ★★★ Note: The Swan Reserve was not open at press time. THE DISNEY RESORTS 109

DISNEY RESORT AMENITIES CONCIERGE NUMBER ROOM FITNESS RESORT SUITES FLOOR OF ROOMS SERVICE (full) CENTER ALL-STAR RESORTS • — 5,406 — — ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE •• 972 •• ANIMAL KINGDOM VILLAS ••* 458 •• ART OF ANIMATION RESORT • — 1,984 — — BAY LAKE TOWER • — 295 •• BEACH CLUB VILLAS • — 282 •• BOARDWALK INN •• 378 •• BOARDWALK VILLAS • — 532 •• CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT —— 1,536 — — CONTEMPORARY RESORT •• 655 •• CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT •• 1,839 •• DOLPHIN • — 1,509 •• FORT WILDERNESS CABINS —— 409 — — GRAN DESTINO TOWER •• 545 • — GRAND FLORIDIAN 1,016 RESORT & SPA, VILLAS •• •• OLD KEY WEST RESORT • — 761 — • POLYNESIAN VILLAGE, VILLAS, 866 — & BUNGALOWS •• • POP CENTURY RESORT —— 2,880 — — PORT ORLEANS RESORT —— 3,056 — — RIVIERA RESORT —— 300 •• SARATOGA SPRINGS — 1,260 — RESORT & SPA • • SHADES OF GREEN • — 586 •• SWAN • — 758 •• SWAN RESERVE • — 349 •• TREEHOUSE VILLAS • — 60 — • WILDERNESS LODGE & BOULDER 889 RIDGE/COPPER CREEK VILLAS •• •• YACHT & BEACH CLUB RESORTS •• 1,211 •• *Jambo House only

5. LOCATION AND DISTANCE FROM THE THEME PARKS Once you determine your budget, think about what you want to do at Disney World. Will you go to all four theme parks or concentrate on one or two? The resorts closest to the Magic Kingdom include the Grand Floridian and its Villas; the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower; and the Polynesian Village, Villas, & Bungalows. All of these resorts are served by the Magic Kingdom monorail, so staying at one of these resorts also gets you access to more dining options, many of which are among Disney World’s best. Next closest to the Magic Kingdom, Wilderness Lodge & Boul- der Ridge/Copper Creek Villas, along with Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, are linked to the Magic Kingdom by boat and to everywhere else in the World by rather convoluted bus service. The most centrally located hotels in Walt Disney World are the EPCOT resorts—the BoardWalk Inn, BoardWalk Villas, Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, Beach Club Villas, Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve—and 110 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

Coronado Springs/Gran Destino Tower, near Disney’s Animal King- dom. The EPCOT resorts are within easy walking distance of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT’s International Gateway. Besides giving you easy theme park access, staying at one of these hotels gets you access to a wide variety of restaurants. EPCOT hotels are best for guests planning to spend most of their time at EPCOT or DHS. Coro- nado Springs is convenient for driving to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or Blizzard Beach water park. Caribbean Beach, Riviera, Pop Century, and Art of Animation Resorts are just south and east of EPCOT and DHS. All are connected to EPCOT and DHS by the Skyliner and to everything else by bus. The Disney resorts along Bonnet Creek, which offer quick access to Disney Springs and its top restaurants, include Old Key West Resort, Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and its Treehouse Villas, and the two Port Orleans Resorts. On an adjacent 70-acre parcel of non-Disney land called Bonnet Creek Resort are the Waldorf Astoria Orlando; the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek; and two Wyndham properties, Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek and its more luxurious sibling, the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek. The Bonnet Creek Resort occupies a sort of gray area between on- and off-property: The hotels are as close to the theme parks as Disney’s own hotels, offer transportation to the parks and Disney Springs, and are every bit as good as Disney’s best—often at around half the price. Further mud- dying the waters, guests of the Hilton and the Waldorf got Early Theme Park Entry and advance FastPass+ privileges (as did guests of the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, adjacent to Fort Wilderness Resort) when Dis- ney offered those perks. We pro le two of the four Bonnet Creek Resort properties in “Hotels Outside Walt Disney World” (pages 239 and 242). 6. THEME With a few exceptions, each Disney hotel is designed to make you feel that you’re in a special place or period of history. Some resorts carry off their theming better than others, and some themes are more exciting. See the table on page 111 for a summary of each resort’s theme. Readers rate the resorts in the next four paragraphs tops for theming: Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas replicates grand safari lodges of Kenya and Tanzania and overlooks its own African-style game preserve. By far the most exotic Disney resort, it’s made to order for couples on romantic getaways and for families with children. Wilderness Lodge & Boulder Ridge/Copper Creek Villas is visually extraordinary, reminiscent of a grand early-20th-century national park lodge. The lobby opens eight stories to a timbered ceiling supported by giant columns of bundled logs. One look eases you into the woodsy wilderness theme. Wilderness Lodge is a great choice for couples and seniors and is heaven for children. Likewise dramatic, the Polynesian Village, Villas, & Bungalows conveys the feeling of the Paci c Islands. It’s great for romantics and families. Many waterfront rooms on upper oors offer a perfect view of Cinderella Castle and the Magic Kingdom reworks across Seven Seas Lagoon. Port Orleans Resort–French Quarter does a good (albeit sanitized) job of capturing the architectural essence of its New Orleans inspira- tion. Port Orleans Resort–Riverside likewise succeeds with its plantation and bayou setting. THE DISNEY RESORTS 111

DISNEY HOTELS BY THEME ALL-STAR RESORTS Movies, music, and sports ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE & VILLAS African game preserve ART OF ANIMATION RESORT Disney’s animated films BAY LAKE TOWER Upscale, ultramodern urban hotel BEACH CLUB RESORT & VILLAS New England beach club of the 1870s BOARDWALK INN East Coast boardwalk hotel of the early 1900s BOARDWALK VILLAS East Coast beach cottage of the early 1900s CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT Caribbean islands CONTEMPORARY RESORT Future as perceived by past, present generations CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT Northern Mexico and the American Southwest DOLPHIN Modern Florida resort GRAN DESTINO TOWER Spanish/Moorish influences GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA, VILLAS Turn-of-the-20th-century luxury hotel OLD KEY WEST RESORT Key West POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT, VILLAS, & BUNGALOWS Hawaii–South Seas POP CENTURY RESORT Icons from various decades of the 20th century PORT ORLEANS RESORT–FRENCH QUARTER Turn-of-the-19th-century New Orleans PORT ORLEANS RESORT–RIVERSIDE Antebellum Louisiana plantation, bayou-side retreat RIVIERA RESORT Beach resort on the Mediterranean Sea in the South of France SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT & SPA 1880s Victorian lake SWAN Modern Florida resort SWAN RESERVE Modern Florida resort TREEHOUSE VILLAS Rustic vacation homes with modern amenities WILDERNESS LODGE & BOULDER RIDGE/COPPER CREEK VILLAS Grand national park lodge of the early 1900s YACHT CLUB RESORT New England seashore hotel of the 1880s

Unofficial Guide readers rate the following resorts as below average for theming: the All-Star Resorts, Pop Century, Saratoga Springs and Treehouse Villas, the Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower, and the Swan and Dolphin. The All-Star Resorts have 15 themed areas: 5 celebrate sports (surf- ing, basketball, tennis, football, and baseball), 5 recall Hollywood movies, and 5 have musical motifs. The resort’s design, with entrances shaped like giant Dalmatians, Coke cups, footballs, and the like, is pretty adolescent, sacri cing grace and beauty for energy and novelty. Guest-room decor is reminiscent of a teenage boy’s bedroom. Pop Century Resort is pretty much a clone of All-Star Resorts, only here the giant icons symbolize decades of the 20th century (Big Wheels, 45-rpm records, silhouettes of people doing period dances, and such), and period memorabilia decorates the rooms. Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, supposedly representative of an upstate New York country retreat, looks like what you’d get if you crossed the Beach Club with the Wilderness Lodge. When it comes to the resorts inspired by Northeastern hotels (including the Yacht and Beach Clubs), thematic distinctions are subtle and thus lost on many guests. The Contemporary, Bay Lake Tower, Swan, Swan Reserve, and Dol- phin are essentially themeless though architecturally interesting. The 112 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

original Contemporary Resort is a 15-story A-frame building with monorails running through the middle. The Swan and Dolphin are massive yet whimsical; designed by Michael Graves, they’re excellent examples of early-1990s “entertainment architecture,” but they lack any references to Disney theme parks, lms, or characters. 7. DINING OPTIONS The best resorts for dining quality are Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas and the Grand Floridian Resort & Villas. Three of Walt Disney World’s top 10 sit-down restaurants are found at Ani- mal Kingdom Lodge: Jiko— The Cooking Place, unofficial TIP Sanaa, and Boma—Flavors of Africa. The The best resort lounges Grand Floridian holds Walt Disney World’s are the DVC-only Top of the very best restaurant, Victoria & Albert’s, and World at Bay Lake Tower ve of its other restaurants all place within (make friends with an the top 23 of our reader surveys. (At press owner for access), Victoria time, Jiko, Boma, and Victoria & Albert’s are Falls at Animal Kingdom temporarily closed.) The Grand Floridian is Lodge, and Trader Sam’s at also a short monorail ride from the California the Polynesian. Honorable at the Contemporary Resort, another top mention goes to the Grill venue. If high-quality dining is a top priority Territory Lounge at Wilder- ness Lodge and Crew’s Cup for your Walt Disney World trip and these at the Yacht Club. two resorts t in your budget, we think they’re excellent choices. The best resorts for dining quality and selection are the EPCOT resorts: the Beach Club Villas, BoardWalk Inn & Villas, Dolphin, Swan, and Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. Each resort has good sit-down restaurants, and each is within easy walking distance of the others as well as the dining options available in EPCOT’s World Showcase section. However, on-site quick-service options are limited for all but the BoardWalk & Villas, and readers rate these hotels below average for quick-service options. If quick, simple unofficial TIP breakfasts and lunches are what you’re after, If you stay at an EPCOT stay elsewhere. resort, you have more The only other hotels in Disney World with than 30 restaurants within similar access to a concentrated area of good a 5- to 12-minute walk. restaurants comprise the Disney Springs Resort Area. In addition to restaurants in the hotels themselves, B Resort & Spa, DoubleTree Suites, Hilton Buena Vista Palace, Hilton Lake Buena Vista, Holiday Inn Orlando, Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and Wyn- dham Garden Lake Buena Vista are within walking distance of restaurants in Disney Springs. As with the EPCOT resorts, though, many readers complain about the dif culty in nding quick, tasty breakfast and lunch options at these hotels. Hotels rated as below average for dining include Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and Caribbean Beach Resort. Because Fort Wil- derness caters primarily to guests who are cooking for themselves, on-site dining options are limited, and not just in terms of the menu selections: The restaurants’ remote location, near the shore of Bay Lake, makes them a hassle to get to from most parts of the resort— unless you’ve brought a car or you’re renting a bike or golf cart, count THE DISNEY RESORTS 113 on a long walk or bus ride to get something to eat. And despite extensive efforts to upgrade its dining offerings, Caribbean Beach remains one of Walt Disney World’s lowest-rated resorts overall.

8. ROOM SIZE How much space you get inside a Disney hotel room almost always depends on how much you pay. The size of a standard (or studio) room at Disney’s resorts varies from 260 square feet at its Value resorts to 440 at the Deluxe Grand Floridian Resort to 460 for a studio at the Polynesian Villas DVC resort. The diagrams on pages 114– 119 show the size and layout of typical rooms at each Disney property. It’s no surprise that readers rate larger rooms better than smaller ones. At the top of this list are rooms at Old Key West, Disney’s rst DVC resort, which are larger than most. Also scoring well are the rooms at the Grand Floridian Villas—we’re not kidding when we say that the showers here are large enough that you can hear an echo. And although they don’t score well in most other categories, the rooms at the Fort Wilderness Cabins and Saratoga Springs’s Treehouse Villas are popular with readers in terms of sheer space. There are two exceptions to the “More Money, More Space” rule: Standard rooms in the main buildings of Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge are 344 square feet—the smallest of any Deluxe resort and closer in size to many Moderate resorts than Deluxes. Readers rate these among the lowest for space. The other rooms rated lowest for space are at Disney’s Value resorts. Standard rooms at Disney’s newest resort, the Riviera, include a two-person, 225-square-foot option that’s small enough to necessitate a fold-down bed. They’re almost certainly the worst rooms on Disney property, and we recommend against choosing them.

STANDARD ROOMS THAT SLEEP FIVE (plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib) are found at the following resorts: • DELUXE Beach Club, BoardWalk Inn, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Yacht Club • MODERATE Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside (Alligator Bayou only)

FAMILY SUITES sleep six people and are found exclusively at All-Star Music and Art of Animation Resorts. The All-Star versions are basically two Value rooms stuck together; those at Art of Animation, however, were designed from the ground up and are slightly larger (and nicer). Family Suites at both resorts have two bathrooms. The Fort Wilderness Cabins also sleep six, but they have just one bathroom.

HOW WE INSPECT HOTELS WE EVALUATE SEVERAL HUNDRED HOTELS in the Walt Disney World area to compile the Unofficial Guide’s list of lodging choices. If a hotel has been renovated or has refurbished its guest rooms, we reinspect it, along with any new hotels, for the next edition of the Guide. Hotels reporting no improvements are rechecked every two years. We inspect most Disney-owned hotels every 6–12 months, and no less than once every couple of years.

continued on page 118 114 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

DISNEY DELUXE RESORTS Contemporary Resort Polynesian Village Resort

CONTEMPORARYTypical room, RESORT 394 square feet POLYNESIANTypical room,VILLAGE 415 RESORT square feet Typical room, 394 sf*, accommodates Typical room, 415 sf, accommodates Rooms accommodate 5 guests, Rooms accommodate 5 guests, 5 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib 5 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib. plus 1 childBoardWalk under age Inn 3 in a crib. *squareGrand feet Floridian Resort & Spa

BOARDWALK INN Typical room, 371 square feet Typical room, 371 sf, accommodates GRAND TypicalFLORIDIAN room, RESORT 440 &square SPA feet Rooms accommodate 4 guests, Typical room, 440 sf, accommodates 5 guests plus 1 Yachtchild under Club ageResort 3 in a crib Rooms accommodate 5 guests, plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib. 5 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib plus 1 childBeach under Club age Resort 3 in a crib.

YACHTTypical CLUB RESORT room, 381 square feet Typical room, 381 sf, accommodates BEACHTypical CLUB RESORT room, 381 square feet Rooms accommodate 5 guests, Typical room, 381 sf, accommodates 5 guestsAnimal plus 1 child Kingdom under Lodge age 3 in a crib Rooms accommodate 5 guests, plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib. 5 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib plus 1Wilderness child under Lodge age 3 in a crib.

ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE Typical room, 344 square feet WILDERNESS LODGE Typical room, 344 sf, accommodates Typical room, 344 square feet 4 guestsRooms plus accommodate 1 child under 4 age guests, 3 in a crib Typical room, 344 sf, accommodates plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib. 4 guestsRooms plus accommodate 1 child under 4 age guests, 3 in a crib plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib.

COPPER CREEK VILLAS & CASCADE CABINS Studio (sleeps 4): (gray area) 345 sf 1-bedroom (sleeps 4): 761 sf 2-bedroom (sleeps 8): 1,105 sf Cabin (2 bedrooms; sleeps 8): 1,737 sf Grand Villa (3 bedrooms; sleeps 12): 3,204 sf THE DISNEY RESORTS: ROOM DIAGRAMS 115

DISNEY DELUXE VILLA RESORTSBay Lake Tower Old Key West Resort at Contemporary Resort

BAY LAKE TOWER AT CONTEMPORARY RESORT Studio (gray): 339 square feet Studio:One-bedroom: (gray area) 339 803 sf square feet 1-bedroom: 803 sf; 2-bedroom: 1,152 sf Two-bedroom:TrTreehouseeehouse VillasVillas 1,152 atat square feet Grand Villa: 2,044 sf SaratogaSaratogaGrand SpringsSprings Villa: 2,044 ResortResort square && SpaSpa feet

OLD KEY WEST RESORT mm Studio: (grayStudio area) (gray): 376 sf; 376 1-bedroom: square feet 942 sf 2-bedroom:One-bedroom: 1,333 sf; Grand 942 Villa: square 2,202 feet sf BoardWalk Villas Two-bedroom: 1,333 square feet Grand Villa: 2,202 square feet

TREEHOUSE VILLAS AT SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT & SPA 3-bedroom: 1,074 sf BOARDWALK VILLAS Studio:Studio (gray area)(gray): 412 412 sf; square1-bedroom: feet 814 sf One-bedroom: 814 square feet THE VILLAS AT 2-bedroom: 1,236 sf; Grand Villa: 2,491 sf GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA Two-bedroom: 1,236 square feet Studio: (gray area) 374 sf Grand Villa: 2,491 square feet 1-bedroom: 844 Thesf Villas at DDV GUEST-OCCUPANCY LIMITS 1,232 sf 2-bedroomGrand lock-off: Floridian Resort & Spa Studios: 4 at all but Boulder Ridge Villas (5), Grand Floridian (5), Polynesian (5), and Riviera (2 for Tower Studios, 5 for Deluxe Studios) 1-bedroom villas: 4 at Beach Club, Saratoga Springs, and Boulder Ridge; 4 or 5 at Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House); 5 everywhere else 2-bedroom villas and bungalows: 8 or 9 at Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House); 9 at Animal Kingdom Lodge (Kidani Village), Bay Lake Tower, BoardWalk, Old Key West, and Riviera; 9 or 10 at Grand Floridian; 8 everywhere else 3-bedroom and Grand Villas: 9 at Treehouse Villas; 12 everywhere else

Note: To all these limits you may add 1 child under age 3 in a crib.

Studio (gray): 374 square feet One-bedroom (white): 844 square feet Two-bedroom lock-off (gray and white): 1,232 square feet 116 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

DISNEY DELUXE VILLA RESORTS (continued)Animal Kingdom Villas Boulder Ridge (Jambo House & Kidani Village) Villas

BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS Studio (gray): 356 square feet Studio: (gray area) 356 sf One-bedroom: 727 square feet ANIMAL KINGDOM VILLAS: JAMBO HOUSE 1-bedroom: 727 sf; 2-bedroom: 1,080 sf Two-bedroom:Beach Club1,080 Villas square feet StudioStudio: (gray): (gray area) 316–365 316–365 square sf feet (Jambo House), 1-bedroom:366 629–710 square sf;feet 2-bedroom: (Kidani Village) 945–1,075 sf GrandOne-bedroom: Villa: 2,349 629–710 sf square feet (Jambo House), ANIMAL KINGDOM807 square VILLAS: feet KIDANI(Kidani VILLAGE Village) Studio:Two-bedroom: (gray area) 945–1,075 366 sf square feet (Jambo House), 1-bedroom:1,173 807 square sf; 2-bedroom: feet (Kidani 1,173 Village) sf GrandGrand Villa: Villa: 2,201Saratoga 2,349 sf square Springs feet (Jambo House), 2,201 squareResort feet & Spa (Kidani Village)

BEACH CLUBStudio VILLAS (gray): 356 square feet Studio: (gray area) 356 sf One-bedroom: 726 square feet 1-bedroom: 726 sf 2-bedroom:Two-bedroom: 1,083 sf 1,083 square feet Polynesian Village Villas

SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT & SPA Studio (gray): 355 square feet Studio: (gray area) 355 sf One-bedroom: 714 square feet 1-bedroom: 714 sf; 2-bedroom: 1,075 sf GrandTwo-bedroom: Villa: 2,113 sf 1,075 square feet Grand Villa: 2,113 square feet POLYNESIANStudio: VILLAGE 460 squareVILLAS feet 460 sf POLYNESIAN VILLAGE Polynesian Village BungalowsStudio: BUNGALOWS 1,650 sf

1,650 square feet THE DISNEY RESORTS: ROOM DIAGRAMS 117

DISNEY DELUXE VILLA RESORTS (continued)

DISNEY’S RIVIERA RESORT Deluxe Studio: (gray area) 423 sf 1-bedroom: 813 sf 2-bedroom lock-off: 1,246 sf 3-bedroom: 2,530 sf

DISNEY’S RIVIERA RESORT, TOWER STUDIO 225 sf, accommodates 2 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib

DISNEY MODERATE RESORTS Coronado Springs Resort Caribbean Beach Resort

CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT CORONADOTypical room, SPRINGS 314 squareRESORT feet Typical room, 314 square feet Typical room, 314 sf, accommodates 4 Typical room, 314 sf, accommodates 5 Rooms accommodate 4 guests, guestsRooms plus accommodate 1 child under 4age guests, 3 in a crib plusguests 1 child plus 1under child under age 3 age in a3 crib.in a crib Port Orleans Resort–French Quarter plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib. Port Orleans Resort–Riverside

PORT ORLEANS RESORT– Typical room, 314 square feet FRENCH QUARTER PORTTypical ORLEANS room, RESORT–RIVERSIDE314 square feet Rooms accommodate 4 guests, Typical room, 314 sf, accommodates 5 Typical room, 314 sf, accommodates 4 Rooms accommodate 4 guests, plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib. guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib; guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib. AlligatorAlligator Bayou Bayou hashas trundle bed bed for for child extra(54" child long) (54" at long) no extra at nocharge extra charge.

CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT, GRAN DESTINO TOWER Typical room, 375 sf, accommodates 4 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib 118 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

DISNEYArt of Animation VALUE Resort, RESORTS Little Mermaid Standard Room All-Star Resorts Family Suite

ART OF ANIMATION RESORT Typical room, 277 square feet Little Mermaid standard room Rooms accommodate 4 guests, Typical room, 277 sf, accommodates Artplus of 1 Animation child under Resort, age 3 in a crib. Refrig. 4 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib Finding Nemo Family Suite ALL-STAR RESORTS FAMILY SUITE Typical suite, 520 sf, accommodates 6 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib All-Star Resorts

ALL-STAR RESORTS (MUSIC, SPORTS) Typical room, 260 sf, accommodates 4 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib ART OF ANIMATION RESORT Typical room, 260 square feet TypicalFinding room, Nemo 565 Family square Suite feet Rooms accommodate 6 guests,Rooms accommodate 4 guests, Typical suite, 565 sf, accommodatesplus 1 6child under age 3 in a crib. plusguests 1 child plus under 1 child age under 3 in agea crib. 3 in a crib

POP CENTURY RESORT Typical room, 260 sf, accommodates 4 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib ALL-STAR MOVIES RESORT Typical room, 260 sf, accommodates 4 guests plus 1 child under age 3 in a crib

FORT WILDERNESS RESORT Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

FORT WILDERNESS Pullout sofa RESORT & CAMPGROUND Bunk beds Cabins, 504 sf,

Double bed Living room & accommodate 6 guests Dining room plus 1 child under age 3 Booth Table in a crib bench

Cabins, 504 square feet Cabins accommodate 6 guests, continued fromplus page 1 child 113 under age 3 in a crib.

Pipe Down Out There! The most common complaint that World-area hotel guests make regarding their rooms is excessive noise. A well-designed room blocks noise coming from both your neighbor’s television and the pool across the resort. Hotels with the best exterior soundproo ng are Saratoga Springs, the Riviera, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Gran Destino Tower, and the Yacht Club. THE DISNEY RESORTS 119

QUIETEST ROOMS IN WALT DISNEY WORLD All-Star Music Buildings 5 and 6, rooms facing west All-Star Sports Building 3, rooms facing west; Building 2, rooms facing north Bay Lake Tower Any room is good here—rooms are the quietest in WDW Beach Club Easternmost hallways, rooms facing east Beach Club Villas Rooms facing southeast BoardWalk Inn All rooms facing courtyard, just east of main lobby Caribbean Beach Trinidad South, Buildings 35 and 38, rooms facing lake Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou, Buildings 26 and 28, rooms facing east; Acadian House, north wings, rooms facing west Port Orleans French Quarter Building 1, rooms facing water; Building 7, north wing, rooms facing water; Building 6, north wing, rooms facing water Treehouse Villas Any room is good Wilderness Lodge/Copper Creek Villas Middle of northernmost wing, rooms facing northwest (woods) Boulder Ridge Villas Southernmost part of the building, water-view rooms facing east

Hotels with the least exterior soundproo ng were Caribbean Beach, All-Star Movies, both Port Orleans Resorts, Art of Animation’s Little Mermaid rooms, and the Polynesian Village (not the Villas). The Riviera and Gran Destino Tower are new, and unofficial TIP it looks like Disney speci cally addressed sound- We’d like to hear your proo ng when installing those exterior doors. At thoughts about noise, lighting, bedding, and the other end of the list, the Polynesian Village and other aspects of rooms Port Orleans Resorts have performed consistently at Disney hotels. poorly in our tests throughout the years. Your best bet here might be to ask for a remote, corner room without a connecting interior door. Room soundproo ng, however, is only half of the story; the other half, as any good real estate agent knows, is location, particularly as it relates to guest traf c. A pool-view room at any resort, for instance, is likely to pick up a lot more noise than an upper-oor corner room. With all of these factors in mind, we set out to determine the amount of external noise affecting every single room at Walt Disney World. Taking into account factors including the oor level, pedestrian traf c, proximity to public spaces, and number of nearby hotel rooms. Take the northwest-facing rooms in Buildings 4 and 5 of Disney’s All-Star Music Resort: They overlook the extreme end of a parking lot, well away from most public spaces. There’s little pedestrian traf c here, and the rooms themselves are well soundproofed—a recipe for quiet, or so we thought. But as it turns out, the remoteness of this location isn’t lost on Disney: It’s where (before the pandemic) the diesel buses are warmed up in the morning before servicing the three All-Stars. Our research indicates that quiet rooms can be found in almost any resort, regardless of price point. Illustration: Chris Eliopoulos 120 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

For readers who put peace and quiet at the top of their lists, we’ve If your room is unavailable when you arrive, Disney will either give listed the 12 quietest spots among all WDW resorts in the table on you a phone num ber to call to check on the room or will offer to call page 119. or send a text message to your cell phone when it’s ready. At some resorts, checkout is a snap: Your bill will be prepared and Let There Be Light! emailed, af xed to your doorknob, or slipped under your door the In addition to sound, we measure the amount of light available in three night before you leave. If everything is in order, you have only to pack key areas of each hotel room: at the bathroom vanity or sink, at the desk up and depart. or work area, and in bed. If you have dark hair and tried to brush it in A Kutztown, Pennsylvania, reader jumped through the hoops, but a dimly lit bathroom, especially one with dark walls, you’ll understand to no avail: why this is important. The good news is that Disney has been steadily Did online check-in, but when we got to the resort, there was no sep- improving the lighting throughout most of its resorts. The Contempo- arate line for this—we had to stand in line with people doing regu- rary Resort sets the standard: Light at the desk measures well above the lar check-in. recommended level for of ce or school work. Light at the bathroom vanity is brighter than normal daylight. Other resorts with good lighting EARLY CHECK-IN Of cial check-in time is 3 p.m. at Disney hotels and 4 p.m. for DVC time-shares. Note that if you check in early and you include the Riviera, Wilderness Lodge, and All-Star Movies. Resorts that ask for a room that’s ready, that request will cancel out any previous don’t do well in our lighting test include the Polynesian Village, Board- one you’ve made. Walk Villas, and Port Orleans Riverside. If you think you’ll need to get work done while at Walt Disney World, consider staying at a hotel with HOUSEKEEPING SERVICE As of early 2021, Disney’s housekeeping good lighting. service visits rooms every other day. OVERNIGHT PARKING FEES Disney charges resort guests a fee to park Check-in and Checkout overnight. Each resort category has a different pricing structure: Up to 60 days before you arrive, you can log on to mydisneyreservation • Value: $15 per night .com to complete the check-in process, make room requests and dining • Moderate: $20 per night reservations, and note events such as birthdays and anniversaries you’re • Deluxe and DVC (for non-DVC members): $25 per night celebrating during your trip. Depending on how much information you provide to the site before your trip, your resort check-in can be elimi- Guests staying at the campground section of Disney’s Fort Wilder- nated or streamlined considerably in a variety of ways. ness Resort still get free standard parking, with each campsite providing a parking space for one vehicle. If you provide the website with a credit DIRECT-TO-ROOM CHECK-IN members aren’t charged for overnight park- card number, a PIN for purchases, and your arrival and departure Disney Vacation Club ing if they’re staying at a DVC property. Members also get to park free times, Disney will send you an email or text con rmation that your when they use vacation points to stay at a non-DVC Disney resort hotel. check-in is complete. Next, Disney will email or text you with your Day guests who visit the Disney resorts to eat, shop, use recreational room number a few hours before you arrive at your resort, allowing facilities, and the like can still park free (again, valet parking costs you to go straight to your room without stopping at the front desk. extra). Day parking in the theme parks also remains free for guests ONLINE CHECK-IN If you’ve checked in online but you haven’t added staying on property. a credit card or PIN to your account, you’ll still be able to bypass the Complimentary overnight self-parking is available for regular check-in desk and head for the Online • Guests with disabilities unofficial TIP Check-In Desk to nish the check-in process. Cast members staying as guests Check the My Disney Expe- Note: Online check-in should be completed at • rience app before you get least 24 hours before you arrive. • Guests traveling as part of some groups or conventions in a long check-in line— AT THE FRONT DESK At the Value resorts, sometimes the app will be such as All-Star Sports, which get lots of tour updated with your room READERS’ RESORT number even if you didn’t and sports-team traf c, Disney has separate get a text or email alert. check-in areas for those groups, leaving the huge main check-in desk free for regular trav- REPORT CARD elers. A cast member also roams the lobby and can issue an “all hands EACH YEAR, SEVERAL THOUSAND READERS send in responses on deck” alert when lines develop. to our surveys. The Resort Report Card on the next page documents The arrival of a busload of guests can sometimes overwhelm the their opinions of the Walt Disney World resorts as well as the Swan, front desk of Deluxe resorts, which have smaller front desks and fewer the Dolphin, and Shades of Green. Room Quality reects readers’ satis- agents, but this is the exception rather than the rule. faction with their rooms, while Check-In Efficiency rates the speed and ease of check-in. Quietness of Room measures how well, in the guests’ READERS’ RESORT REPORT CARD 121

If your room is unavailable when you arrive, Disney will either give you a phone num ber to call to check on the room or will offer to call or send a text message to your cell phone when it’s ready. At some resorts, checkout is a snap: Your bill will be prepared and emailed, af xed to your doorknob, or slipped under your door the night before you leave. If everything is in order, you have only to pack up and depart. A Kutztown, Pennsylvania, reader jumped through the hoops, but to no avail: Did online check-in, but when we got to the resort, there was no separate line for this—we had to stand in line with people doing regular check-in.

EARLY CHECK-IN Of cial check-in time is 3 p.m. at Disney hotels and 4 p.m. for DVC time-shares. Note that if you check in early and you ask for a room that’s ready, that request will cancel out any previous one you’ve made. HOUSEKEEPING SERVICE As of early 2021, Disney’s housekeeping service visits rooms every other day.

OVERNIGHT PARKING FEES Disney charges resort guests a fee to park overnight. Each resort category has a different pricing structure: • Value: $15 per night • Moderate: $20 per night • Deluxe and DVC (for non-DVC members): $25 per night

Guests staying at the campground section of Disney’s Fort Wilder- ness Resort still get free standard parking, with each campsite providing a parking space for one vehicle. Disney Vacation Club members aren’t charged for overnight parking if they’re staying at a DVC property. Members also get to park free when they use vacation points to stay at a non-DVC Disney resort hotel. Day guests who visit the Disney resorts to eat, shop, use recreational facilities, and the like can still park free (again, valet parking costs extra). Day parking in the theme parks also remains free for guests staying on property. Complimentary overnight self-parking is available for • Guests with disabilities • Cast members staying as guests • Guests traveling as part of some groups or conventions

READERS’ RESORT REPORT CARD EACH YEAR, SEVERAL THOUSAND READERS send in responses to our surveys. The Resort Report Card on the next page documents their opinions of the Walt Disney World resorts as well as the Swan, the Dolphin, and Shades of Green. Room Quality reects readers’ satisfaction with their rooms, while Check-In Efficiency rates the speed and ease of check-in. Quietness of Room measures how well, in the guests’ 122 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

READERS’ 2020 DISNEY RESORT REPORT CARD ROOM CHECK-IN QUIETNESS SHUTTLE FOOD RESORT OVERALL QUALITY EFFICIENCY OF ROOM SERVICE POOL STAFF COURT ALL-STAR MOVIES B B B C C BBC ALL-STAR MUSIC B– B– B B C B– A– C ALL-STAR SPORTS C C B C B– BB C– ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE–JAMBO HOUSE B B+ B B C BA B– ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE–KIDANI VILLAGE B B+ B A– C BA C– ART OF ANIMATION RESORT B B B B– B B B+ C BAY LAKE TOWER B B+ B A C B B+ C– BEACH CLUB RESORT B B+ B+ B C+ A– A– D BEACH CLUB VILLAS B B B B C A– A– D+ BOARDWALK INN B A A– B C BAD BOARDWALK VILLAS — (not enough responses to rate) BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS B B B+ B B B+ A– B CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT B B A– B C B A– C CONTEMPORARY RESORT B A– A– B B BAC COPPER CREEK VILLAS & CASCADE CABINS B A– A B C BA na CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT B A– B B C BBC DOLPHIN B– B B B– B BBC FORT WILDERNESS CABINS B B B A C C+ BC GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA B A A B B BAC GRAND FLORIDIAN VILLAS B+ A A A B BAC OLD KEY WEST RESORT B A B+ B C B A– D POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT B B B B B B A– C POLYNESIAN VILLAS & BUNGALOWS B B A– C+ B B B+ C POP CENTURY RESORT B– B B C B– BB C– PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER B B B+ B B– B A– C PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE B B B B C BBC RIVIERA RESORT B A B B B A– A C+ SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT & SPA B B A– A– C B A– C SHADES OF GREEN B A B+ B C+ B A– C SWAN B B B B– B BBC TREEHOUSE VILLAS B– A– B A F BAC WILDERNESS LODGE B B A B– B– BA C+ YACHT CLUB RESORT B A– B B– C A– BD Average for Disney Hotels B B B B C B B+ C Average for Off-Site Hotels B B B B FBBD Note: The Swan Reserve was not open at press time.

perception, their rooms are insulated from external noise. Shuttle Ser- vice rates Disney bus, boat, and/or monorail service to and from the hotels. Pool reects readers’ satisfaction with the resorts’ swimming pools. Staff measures the friendliness and helpfulness of the resort’s employees, and Dining rates the overall food quality and value. Readers have ranked Disney resorts about the same over the past six years, with most properties receiving an overall B rating. Also for READERS’ RESORT REPORT CARD 123

a sixth consecutive year, bus transportation and dining options are the areas where Disney scores lowest. Check-in processing is an area where they do better than most. Off-site hotels are, on average, rated slightly lower than Disney hotels, with problems noted in food courts and transportation. As noted earlier in this chapter, we think these ratings justify the premium that Disney charges at many of its hotels. 124 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

UNOFFICIAL PICKS FOR DISNEY ON-SITE RESORTS • ADULTS Value: Pop Century For the nostalgic decor and new room designs Moderate: Port Orleans French Quarter For its theming and small, intimate size Deluxe: Grand Floridian For excellent service and access to good sit-down restaurants • GROUPS OF FIVE OR MORE Value: Art of Animation Newest suites with two baths Moderate: Port Orleans Riverside One or two connecting rooms in Alligator Bayou Deluxe: Old Key West Two-bedroom villa (booked with DVC rental points) • FAMILIES WITH YOUNG KIDS Value: Art of Animation Kids will delight in the architecture and themed pools. Moderate: Port Orleans French Quarter Kid-friendly, smaller-scale resort Deluxe: Animal Kingdom Lodge Fantastic interactive and educational programs. • FAMILIES WITH OLDER KIDS Value: Pop Century A lively pool scene means meeting new friends. Very teen-friendly food court, with Art of Animation’s within walking distance. Moderate: Fort Wilderness There’s plenty of opportunity for independent exploration of this massive resort, and having a kitchen means you don’t have to take out a second mortgage to feed the bottomless pits that are teen stomachs. Deluxe: Yacht & Beach Clubs For Stormalong Bay and easy access to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Putting It All Together: Reader Picks for Best and Worst Resorts For the sixth year in a row, The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort took the top spot in our reader survey, and it was followed closely by the non-DVC part of the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Readers give both resorts high marks for Room Quality, Check-In Efficiency, and Staff. Also doing well were another trio of Magic Kingdom resorts: Bay Lake Tower and the Contemporary, plus Shades of Green. Other hotels didn’t fare as well with our readers. These include all three All-Star Resorts; Caribbean Beach Resort; and the Dolphin, which got low ratings for its quick-service dining and check-in system. Six of the top nine properties in the survey are DVC time-share resorts; Shades of Green is open only to active US military families; and the Grand Floridian is the most expensive Disney World resort. If you’d like to stay at one of these top-rated hotels, then, your options are: (1) join the Army, (2) pay through the nose, or (3) see our advice on page 98 about renting DVC points. Once again, the highest-rated Moderate resort was Port Orleans Resort–French Quarter, which ended up rated higher than 13 other Deluxe or DVC resorts. French Quarter earned this through its ratings in the Check-In Ef ciency, Shuttle Service, and Food Court categories. A close second were The Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort, on the strength of its Check-In, Room Quietness, and Staff ratings. These results are interesting to us, because French Quarter is the smallest Moderate on Disney property and the cabins the most remote. At the bottom of the list—again—are the three All-Star Resorts, the least expensive and most in need of refurbishment on property. (All- Star Movies has completed its renovation, and the other renovations are on hold inde nitely.) They’re not bad—they’re clean, functional, basic (for Disney) accommodations—but we think readers paying $200 and up per night to stay here seek more value for their money. READERS’ RESORT REPORT CARD 125

The other Disney hotel that rates much worse than average is the Dolphin, a Sheraton. Like the All-Stars, the Dolphin is not objectively a bad hotel. It is, however, geared to business and convention traf c in terms of style, dining, and prices. In addition to the report card, we list in the table below the percentage of readers responding “De nitely” to the questions “Would you stay at this hotel again?” and “Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?” Percentages of 97 or above in response to the rst question and 94 or above in response to the second are considered Above Aver- age, while percentages of 82 or below in response to the rst question and 79 or below in response to the second are considered Below Average.

WOULD YOU STAY AT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL AGAIN? THIS HOTEL TO A FRIEND? RESORT % would definitely stay again RESORT % would definitely recommend Shades of Green 98%+ BoardWalk Inn 94%+ Bay Lake Tower 97%+ Boulder Ridge Villas 94%+ Copper Creek Villas & Cabins 97%+ Port Orleans French Quarter 94%+ Grand Floridian Villas 97%+ Bay Lake Tower 93% Swan 97%+ Polynesian Villas & Bungalows 93% Beach Club Villas 96% Wilderness Lodge 93% BoardWalk Villas 96% Beach Club Resort 92% Port Orleans French Quarter 96% Beach Club Villas 92% Beach Club Resort 95% Shades of Green 92% Boulder Ridge Villas 95% Polynesian Village Resort 91% Polynesian Villas & Bungalows 95% Yacht Club Resort 91% Wilderness Lodge 95% BoardWalk Villas 90% BoardWalk Inn 94% Copper Creek Villas & Cabins 90% Dolphin 93% Grand Floridian Villas 90% Yacht Club Resort 93% Old Key West Resort 90% Grand Floridian Resort 92% Contemporary Resort 89% Old Key West Resort 92% Art of Animation Resort 88% Pop Century Resort 92% Fort Wilderness Cabins 88% Polynesian Village Resort 91% Grand Floridian Resort 88% Animal Kingdom Lodge–Jambo 90% Pop Century Resort 88% Animal Kingdom Lodge–Kidani 89% Animal Kingdom Lodge–Jambo 87% Fort Wilderness Cabins 89% Port Orleans Riverside 86% Contemporary Resort 88% Swan 86% Saratoga Springs Resort 88% Animal Kingdom Lodge–Kidani 85% Art of Animation Resort 87% Coronado Springs Resort 84% Coronado Springs Resort 87% Dolphin 83% All-Star Movies Resort 86% Riviera Resort 83% All-Star Music Resort 86% All-Star Movies Resort 81% Riviera Resort 86% All-Star Music Resort 80%– All-Star Sports Resort 83%– Caribbean Beach Resort 80%– Caribbean Beach Resort 83%– Saratoga Springs Resort 79%– Port Orleans Riverside 83%– All-Star Sports Resort 76%– Treehouse Villas NA Treehouse Villas NA Average for WDW hotels 89.5% Average for WDW hotels 87% Average for off-site hotels 80.5% Average for off-site hotels 85.8% – = Much lower-than-average percentage + = Much higher-than-average percentage Note: The Swan Reserve was not open at press time. 126 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

For each hotel pro led in the following pages, we include these two percentages, plus the overall reader ratings expressed as letter grades.

WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES FOR MORE INFORMATION on the Disney resorts, including photos and videos, check out our website, TouringPlans.com. Disney’s implementation of social-distancing measures has reduced the capacity of its transportation network, including buses, monorails, boats, and the Skyliner. While fewer people are at each resort, there’s still enough demand around park opening and park closing to result in longer-than-usual waits—Disney owns only so many boats and buses, and Skyliner capacity is xed. The simplest way to reduce your transportation wait is to walk— for example, from the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, or Contemporary to the Magic Kingdom, or from any EPCOT resort to EPCOT or Dis- ney’s Hollywood Studios. The next best alternative is to get a taxi or ride-hailing service to drop you off at the closest resort to the park you’re visiting and walk over. Driving your own car or taking a Dis- ney bus is the next best option. Boats and the Skyliner may take the longest to get you to park opening. Likewise, the pandemic and resulting economic downturn forced Disney to close many resort restaurants. Check Part Six, “Dining,” for the operating status of speci c restaurants and lounges.

THE MAGIC KINGDOM RESORTS Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (See map on page 127.) (See tinyurl.com/ug-grandfloridian for extended coverage.)

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES • High staff-to-guest ratio • Most expensive WDW resort • Excellent dining options for adults • Self-parking is $25/night and across • Large rooms with daybeds the street • Very good on-site spa • Public areas often blocked by • Fantastic kids’ Alice in Wonderland– wedding parties themed splash area • Noise from Magic Kingdom, boat horns, • Boat and monorail transportation to the and whistles Magic Kingdom, plus a pedestrian walkway • Bus transportation to DHS, Animal • Diverse recreational options Kingdom, water parks, and Disney • Close to Palm, Magnolia, and Oak Trail Springs is shared by the other Golf Courses monorail resorts

QUICK TAKE: The Grand Floridian Resort, its Villas in particular, is one of the highest-rated resorts in Walt Disney World. It also has many sit-down restaurants rated in the top 20 of our reader surveys. If the villas are within your budget, your only big decision is whether to stay there or at Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas (see page 178). WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES 127

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Grand Floridian Villas Seven Seas Lagoon Resort boatBoat Transportationtransportation

Monorail Conch Sago Key Grand Floridian KeyCay Narcoossee’s Convention Center

Convention Sugar Loaf Key Parking Concierge Main Buildingsbuildings Boca Courtyard Chica Pool

Valet Parking Monorail station Big Pine Key Summer House Self covered Parking walkway Splash Area

The Villas Senses at Disney’s Grand Floridian Spa Resort & Spa Health Club

Disney’s Wedding Pavilion Franck’sFranck’s SStudiotudio

Unofficial Guide Reader-Survey Results Percentage of readers who’d stay here again 92% (Average) Percentage of readers who’d recommend this resort to a friend 88% (Average) Overall reader rating B+ WALT DISNEY WORLD’S FLAGSHIP HOTEL was inspired by grand Victo- rian resorts such as the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego and Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire. A complex of four- and five-story white-frame buildings, the Grand Floridian integrates verandas, intricate latticework, dormers, and turrets beneath a red-shingle roof to capture the most distinctive elements of 19th-century ocean-resort architecture. Covering 40 acres along Seven Seas Lagoon, the Grand Floridian offers lovely pools, white-sand beaches, and a marina. The 867 guest rooms, with wood trim and soft goods (curtains, lin- ens, towels, and the like) in tones of deep red, gold, and tan, are luxurious, though we think the mocha-colored walls are a little dreary at night. The woodwork, marble-topped sinks, and ceiling fans amplify the Victorian theme. Large by any standard, the typical room is 440 128 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

square feet (dormer rooms are smaller) and furnished with two queen beds, a daybed, and a small desk with chair. Many rooms have a balcony. All rooms have a Keurig coffee maker, a large dresser with minifridge, and a wall-mounted TV. Bathrooms are large, with plenty of counter space and uffy towels. Two shelves under the sink provide a small amount of storage. A 1,500-watt, wall-mounted hair dryer is provided, but it’s not very powerful; bring your own if you have lots of hair. Water pressure in the shower is probably less than what you get at home but still enough to rinse out shampoo. A separate dressing area next to the bathroom includes two sinks and enough counter space to t most of your toi- letries. Combined with the bathroom, this allows three people to get dressed at the same time. With a high ratio of staff to guests, service is outstanding. The hotel is connected directly to the Magic Kingdom by monorail, boat, and a pedestrian walkway, and to other Disney World destinations by bus. Walking time to the monorail-, boat-, and bus-loading areas from the most remote guest rooms is about 7–10 minutes. It takes about 15−20 minutes on the pedestrian walkway to get to the Magic Kingdom turnstiles from the farthest points of the Grand Floridian. The resort has several full-service restaurants, though only two were open as we went to press; others are a short monorail ride or walk away. The Grand Floridian’s Senses Spa, modeled after the spas on Disney Cruise Line’s ships, is one of the best in the Orlando area, but it’s still closed as we went to press. The resort’s pools are among the nicest on Disney property. The Courtyard Pool, large enough that local waterfowl mistake it for a lake, has a zero-entry ramp for small children to splash in. Cabanas are available to rent here too. An Alice in Wonderland– themed splash area sits between the main building and the Villas. If your kids like water, this is the place to be. The rest of the Grand Floridian’s grounds are maintained to a very high standard. It’s a lovely place to walk around during the evening, with romantic light levels and charming background music. A stroll from the marina, past the resort’s main buildings, and over to the Poly- nesian for a nightcap is a nice way to end the evening. Most reader comments concerning the Grand Floridian are positive. First, from a Durham, North Carolina, mother of two preschoolers: The Grand Floridian pool with the waterslide was a big hit with our kids. They also loved taking the boat across the lagoon to return from the Magic Kingdom. Speaking of pools, a father of two from Minneapolis had this speci c concern: The concrete surrounding the Grand Floridian’s beach pool gets very hot. Walking from pool chair to pool was a very painful experience and one that could have been avoided with proper materials [for example, heat-reducing concrete].

GOOD (AND NOT-SO-GOOD) ROOMS AT THE GRAND FLORIDIAN (See tinyurl.com/gfroomviews for photos.) The resort is spread over a penin- sula jutting into Seven Seas Lagoon. In addition to the main building, WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES 129 there are ve dispersed rectangular buildings. Most of the rooms have a balcony, and most balconies are enclosed by a rail that affords good visibility. Dormer rooms, just beneath the roof in each building, have smaller enclosed balconies that limit visibility when you’re seated. Most dormer rooms, however, have vaulted ceilings and a coziness that com- pensates for the less-desirable balconies. The main building used to be a hub of activity well into the night, hosting everything from jazz bands to life-size gingerbread houses at Christmas. All of that has been suspended during the pandemic, which makes the main building much quieter. If you want to be near the bus and monorail, most of the restaurants, and shopping, ask for a room in the main building (all concierge rooms). The best rooms are 4322–4329 and 4422–4429, which have full balconies and overlook the lagoon in the direction of the beach and the Polynesian Village. Other excellent main-building rooms are 4401–4409, with full balconies overlooking the marina and an unob- structed view of Cinderella Castle across the lagoon. Prior to the pandemic, nightly entertainment that took place in the hotel lobby could be heard from some rooms—possibly to the detri- ment of your sleep: The Grand Floridian has a six-person band that plays every night until almost 10 p.m. Our room faced the lobby, and the music kept us up when we tried to go to bed.

Of the ve lodges, three—Conch Key, Boca Chica, and Big Pine Key—have one long side facing the lagoon and the other facing inner courtyards and swimming pools. At Conch Key, full-balcony rooms 7229–7231, 7328, 7329, 7331, 7425–7429, and 7431 offer vistas across the lagoon to the Magic Kingdom and castle. Room 7427 is just about perfect. Less-expensive rooms in the same building that offer good marina views are 7212, 7312, 7412–7415, 7417, 7419, 7421, 7513–7515, and 7517. (Grand Floridian room numbers are coded. Take room 7213: 7 is the building number, 2 is the oor, and 13 is the room number.) In Boca Chica and Big Pine Key, ask for a lagoon-view room on the rst, second, or third oor. Many garden-view rooms in Big Pine Key, and a few in Boca Chica, have views obstructed by a poolside building. These are the worst views from any Grand Floridian room. The two remaining buildings, Sugar Loaf Key (club level) and Sago Key, face each other across the marina. The opposite side of Sugar Loaf Key faces a courtyard, while the other side of Sago Key faces a nger of the lagoon and a forested area. These views are pleasant but not in the same league as those from the rooms listed previously. Exceptions are end rooms in Sago Key that have a view of the lagoon and Cinderella Castle (rooms 5139, 5144, 5145, 5242–5245, and 5342–5345). THE VILLAS AT DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA (See tinyurl.com/ug-gfvillas for extended coverage.) Unofficial Guide Reader-Survey Results Percentage of readers who’d stay here again 97% (Average) Percentage of readers who’d recommend this resort to a friend 90% (Average) Overall reader rating B+ 130 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

THIS DISNEY DELUXE VILLA PROPERTY opened in fall 2013. Readers rated it the best Disney World resort six years in a row before the Riviera opened. If the Average designation for the Villas’ would-stay-again and would-recommend- to-a-friend survey results seems to contradict the high percentages, but that’s because we receive relatively few surveys about this resort compared with others. Thus, the margin of error for the Villas’ survey results is slightly higher than for other properties. Put another way: We’re pretty sure that readers think the Villas are fantastic—we just don’t have enough surveys to prove it with math. Decorated in neutral tones with mostly green and red accent colors, rooms are the nicest of any DDV property. Most have vaulted living-room ceilings and faux-wood balconies or porches. Those balconies stretch the entire length of the room, giving everyone enough space for a good view. Studios have a kitchenette with minifridge, sink, and drip coffee maker, while the larger rooms have full kitchens. Those feature a stainless-steel oven range, with the dishwasher and refrigerator tucked behind white wood panels that match the glass-door cabinets. Other amenities in the full kitchens include a full-size drip coffee maker, a toaster, frying pans, and the usual set of plates, glasses, cups, and cutlery. Also in the kitchen are a banquette seat and a table with room for six. The living room has a sofa that seats three comfortably; an uphol- stered chair and ottoman; a coffee table; and a large, at-panel TV. The sofa converts into a bed that sleeps two; a cabinet below the TV hides a small pull-down bed. We’d use these for kids, not adults. Studio rooms have a queen bed in addition to the folding options listed above. One-bedroom villas have a king bed plus the folding options; two-bedroom villas have a king bed in one room and two queen beds in the other, plus the folding options; the Grand Villa’s third bedroom has an additional two queen beds. The one- and two-bedroom units and the Grand Villa bedrooms include a large writing desk, a at-panel TV with DVD player, two nightstands with convenient electric plugs, and a side chair. They also have large walk-in closets. Bathrooms are large, with marble tile and at-panel TVs built into the mirrors. Studio bathrooms have a separate toilet and shower area; in the one-bedroom con guration, a tub and dressing area sit adjacent to the bedroom. The bathroom and shower are connected by a pocket door, allowing two groups of people to get dressed at the same time. The tiled shower looks as if it could comfortably hold eight people should the need arise. It also has a rain showerhead mounted in the ceiling in addition to a wall-mounted faucet. The villas have their own parking lot next to the building but no on-site dining. Within walking distance, however, are the restaurants of both the main Grand Floridian and the Polynesian Village, giving you a bit more variety than other Magic Kingdom resorts. Room service is available from the Grand Floridian’s in-room dining menu. Rates are high, as you might expect, but renting DVC points helps in that regard. GOOD (AND NOT-SO-GOOD) ROOMS AT THE GRAND FLORIDIAN VILLAS (See tinyurl.com/gfvillaviews for photos.) Rooms 1X14, 1X16, and 1X18 face the Magic Kingdom and have views of Space Mountain and the WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES 131 castle; 1X14 has probably the best views of any room in all of the Vil- las. (X indicates a oor number.) Even-numbered rooms 1X02–1X12 face west, toward the Polynesian Village and Seven Seas Lagoon, and have a good view of the nightly water pageant as it oats by. Rooms 1X15, 1X17, 1X19–1X22, 1X24, 1X26, and 1X28 face Disney’s Wedding Pavilion, the parking lot, the monorail, and landscaping. Odd-numbered rooms 1X03–1X13 and 1X25, 1X27, and 1X29 look out onto the pool facilities and landscaping. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Villas & Bungalows (resort closed until summer 2021; villas and bungalows open) (See map on page 132.) (See tinyurl.com/ug-poly for extended coverage.)

STRENGTHS • Close to Palm, Magnolia, and Oak Trail • Most family-friendly dining on the Golf Courses monorail loop • Fun South Seas theme WEAKNESSES • Boat and monorail transportation to • No spa or exercise facilities (guests must the Magic Kingdom use those at the Grand Floridian) • Walking distance to EPCOT monorail • Noise from boat horns and whistles (closed indefinitely) • $25/night self-parking (except DVC areas) • Among the best club levels of the • Bus transportation to DHS, Animal Deluxe resorts Kingdom, water parks, and Disney Springs

Unofficial Guide Reader-Survey Results Percentage of readers who’d stay here again 91% (Average) Percentage of readers who’d recommend this resort to a friend 91% (Average) Overall reader rating B

SOUTH PACIFIC TROPICS ARE RE-CREATED at this Deluxe resort, which consists of two- and three-story Hawaiian longhouses situated around the four-story Great Ceremonial House (closed through July 2021), which contains restaurants, shops, and an atrium lobby with slate floors and many species of tropical plants. Buildings feature wood tones, including exposed roof beams and tribal-inspired geometric inlays in the cornices. Spread across 39 acres along Seven Seas Lagoon, the resort, which has fewer than 500 standard hotel rooms, has three white-sand beaches, some with volleyball courts. Its pool complex likewise captures the South Paci c theme. There is no dedicated tness center, but guests are welcome to use the Grand Floridian’s facilities, just a 0.25-mile walk or 2-minute monorail ride away. Landscaping is superb—garden-view rooms are generally superior to equivalent rooms at other resorts. The Polynesian Village’s Moorea, Pago Pago, and Tokelau buildings are part of Disney’s time-share program (described in the next section). Except for the aforementioned Moorea, Pago Pago, and Tokelau, the resort opened with the Magic Kingdom in 1971. Periodic refurbishments keep the Poly generally well maintained, although a Clay- ton, Ohio, family found instances of room for improvement: The Polynesian Village is showing its age. We had problems with the ice maker, security door, and elevator. Walls and trim are torn up and gouged from scooters in the hallways. 132 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

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Most rooms have two queen beds, a sofa, a reading chair, a large dresser with plenty of shelf space, and a wall-mounted TV. A minifridge and coffee maker sit between two large closets near the doorway and WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES 133 opposite the bathroom area. The closets are spacious and light. Light- ing throughout the room, including that for the desk and beds, is below average for Walt Disney World hotel rooms. Seafoam-colored walls are offset by the dark wood of the desk and beds and by lighter woods used as accents on the remaining furniture. The color scheme is brightened with white bed comforters. Straw headboards and carved-wood tikis provide texture. Some rooms in Fiji, Rarotonga, and Samoa have king beds. These can be booked directly through Disney’s website or by phone. All are categorized as garden-view rooms. The Poly’s bathrooms are among our favorites in the World, even if they’re on the small side. Two large sinks offer plenty of counter space. A spacious bath and shower (with curved shower rod) have excellent water pressure, and the cool tile oor feels great on your feet after a long day in the parks. The sink and shower share a door that separates them from the rest of the room. On one hand that makes the bathroom area feel larger, but on the other it means that only two people can get ready at the same time. The Polynesian Village’s on-site monorail station is closed until summer 2021, but all rooms are within easy walking distance of the monorail station at the Transportation and Ticket Center. Easily accessible by monorail are full-service restaurants at the Grand Floridian and Contemporary Resorts, as well as restaurants in the Magic King- dom. Bus service is available to other Disney destinations, and boat service takes you to the Magic Kingdom. Walking time to the bus and on-site monorail stations from the most remote rooms is 8–11 minutes. The pedestrian walkway between the Poly and Grand Floridian continues to the Magic Kingdom—it’s about 1.5 miles from the farthest point at the Poly to the Magic Kingdom turnstiles. The Poly’s transportation options are a major draw for some readers: We stay at the Polynesian Village because it offers the best transportation. You can walk to a direct monorail to both the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, the water taxi can be a fast option, and the bus service to other parks is fairly direct. A Maryland family found the room soundproo ng lacking, con- rming our own research: We took towels from the pool and stuffed them under the door to deaden the noise coming from the connecting room. Unofficial Guide correspondents Dawn and Taylor gave us this scoop about self-parking: The parking situation here was INSANE! People were circling like vultures, like what you’d see at a mall on Black Friday.

The Polynesian Village has two lounges, with Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto being the more themed. Modeled after the famed bar of the same name at the Disneyland Hotel, Trader Sam’s serves whimsical (and potent) cocktails and tasty appetizers, along with interactive art and “artifacts” stuffed into every available inch of space. We love it, although in this Hartford, Wisconsin, reader’s eyes, it’s not special enough to warrant a stay at the resort: 134 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

After I stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge in a savanna-view room, the Polynesian Village was a letdown. The proximity to the Magic King- dom is nice, and Trader Sam’s was awesome, but otherwise it was nothing extraordinary. They need to step it up for what they charge.

GOOD (AND NOT-SO-GOOD) ROOMS AT THE POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT (See tinyurl.com/polyroomviews for photos.) The Polynesian Village’s 11 guest-room buildings, called longhouses, are spread over a long strip of land bordered by the monorail on one side and Seven Seas Lagoon on the other. All buildings have rst-oor patios and third-oor balconies. The older buildings, comprising more than half the resort’s rooms, have faux balconies on their second oors. (The newer buildings offer full balconies on both the second and third oors, and patios on the rst.) A small number of patios in the rst-oor rooms have views blocked by mature vegetation, but these patios provide more room than do the balconies on the third oor. If view is important and you’re staying in one of the eight older longhouses, ask for a third-oor room. The Great Ceremonial House contains most of the restaurants and shops, as well as the resort lobby, guest services, and bus and monorail stations. The longhouses most convenient to the Great Ceremo- nial House—Fiji, the Tonga suites, Rarotonga, Niue, and Samoa—offer views of the swimming complex, a small marina, or inner gardens (possibly with the monorail). There are no lagoon views except for oblique views from the upper oors of Fiji, Samoa, and Tuvalu; Aotearoa; and a tunnel view from Tonga. Samoa, however, by virtue of its proximity to the main swimming complex, is a good choice for families who plan to spend time at the pool. If your children are under age 8, request a rst-oor room on the volcano pool side of Samoa. You can speci cally request a lagoon- or Magic Kingdom–view room at the Polynesian Village, if you’re willing to pay extra. The best of these rooms are on the third oor in Tuvalu and, if you’re staying in a club-level (concierge) room, the third oor in Hawaii. In addition to second-oor rooms in the older buildings (the ones with fake balconies), also avoid the monorail-side (south-facing) rooms in Rarotonga and Aotearoa. Garden-view rooms here are especially nice, but the monorail, though quiet, runs within spitting distance. Many rst-oor rooms in Hawaii (1501–1518) are garden- or lagoon- view rooms; their scenery is blocked by the over-the-water bungalows. These rooms still offer a chance to see the evening reworks, however, and are a little less expensive than similar rooms on higher oors. Tuvalu, Fiji, and Aotearoa are the most distant accommodations from the bus stop. For large strollers or wheelchair access, take the ferry to the Magic Kingdom.

POLYNESIAN VILLAS & BUNGALOWS Unofficial Guide Reader-Survey Results Percentage of readers who’d stay here again 95% (Average) Percentage of readers who’d recommend this resort to a friend 93% (Average) Overall reader rating B THE TOKELAU, MOOREA, AND PAGO PAGO longhouses hold DVC studio rooms that sleep five and are the largest studios in Walt Disney WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES 135

World’s DVC inventory. They also have two bathrooms: The smaller bath has a small sink and step-in shower; the larger has a toilet, sink, and bath–shower combination. This allows three people to get ready simultaneously. The studios also include kitchenettes. While these studios are otherwise similar to the Poly’s standard rooms, they have enough small touches to make them different, including recessed ceilings, more stone and tile work in the baths, and a slightly darker color scheme. The Polynesian’s 20 over-the-water Bora Bora Bungalows sit in front of Hawaii, Tokelau, and Moorea. Connected to land by a wood walkway, the two-bedroom bungalows offer stunning views of the Magic Kingdom reworks and of Seven Seas Lagoon and its nightly Electrical Water Pageant. Not surprisingly, those stunning views come with stunning prices: up to $5,260 per night. Let’s start with the positives: The bungalows are well built, with top- notch design elements from top to bottom. The bedrooms are spacious, the beds are the best on Disney property, the bathrooms are gorgeous, and the showers make you feel as happy as anything nonsentient can. The open kitchen design works wonderfully, and you could easily host a good-size party inside. The oors are spotlessly clean, with interesting slate and rug textures, so you’ll want to run around barefoot. Hell, the doorbell plays a different chime every time you ring it. And yeah, the views are spectacular. The bungalows’ two fatal aws: price and location. First of all, 160 DVC points for a one-night stay is equivalent (at this writing) to about $2,700 in cash. Check-in is at 4 p.m. and checkout at 11 a.m., so a 19-hour stay costs about $143 an hour. Problem was, we couldn’t check in at 4—we never got our room assignment by text, email, or phone. It wasn’t until we walked back to the front desk at 5 p.m. that we nally got our bungalow. The 75 minutes we couldn’t use it amounted to about $150 in lost time—almost enough to pay for an entire night at Saratoga Springs. And nobody said a word about it. The rst “Are you out of the room yet?” knock on our door came before 9 a.m. We’re not kidding. Then there’s the ferry horn. We were in 7019, the second-closest bungalow to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) ferry dock. A ferry leaves here about every 12 minutes, from about 30–45 minutes before the park opens until an hour after closing. Every time a ferry departs, it has to sound a warning horn so that nearby craft know it’s coming. The sound of the horn is akin to an air-raid siren: loud enough to stop indoor conversation in its tracks. Reading, watching TV, getting a baby to nap? Forget it. You simply can’t hear or think above the noise. If the bungalows were on the other side of the Poly’s marina, we could almost justify selling a gently used organ to stay here again, but between the stratospheric prices and that infernal horn, we just can’t. If you’re determined to stay here anyway, shoot for one of bungalows 7001–7005, which are farthest from the TTC. The Polynesian Villas have a separate parking lot close to their longhouses. Dining and transportation are shared with the main resort. 136 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

GOOD (AND NOT-SO-GOOD) ROOMS AT THE POLYNESIAN VILLAS Because there are some quirks in the way Disney categorizes room views here, it’s possible to snag a Magic Kingdom view from a garden-view room. Second- and third-oor rooms in Tokelau (2901–2928, 2939– 2948, 3901–3928, and 3939–3948) offer the best shot at side views of Cinderella Castle and the reworks, though readers report that palm trees may block some second-oor views. First-oor rooms (1901–1913 and 1939–1948) may also have landscaping blocking some views; on the upside, the patios provide room to move to nd a better spot. The second and third oors in Moorea have lagoon- and Magic Kingdom–view rooms; those that face north see the Magic Kingdom. Avoid Pago Pago’s southeast-facing rooms (1X01–1X12)—these look onto the parking lot and monorail. If you plan to spend a lot of time at EPCOT, Moorea and Pago Pago are within easy walking distance of the TTC and the EPCOT monorail (not running at press time). Even if you’re going to the Magic King- dom, it’s a shorter walk from Moorea and Pago Pago to the TTC and Magic Kingdom monorail than to the monorail station at the Great Ceremonial House. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Boulder Ridge Villas, and Copper Creek Villas & Cascade Cabins (See map on page xref) (See tinyurl.com/ug-wlodge for extended coverage.)

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES • National park lodge theme is a favorite • Transportation to Magic Kingdom is by of kids and adults alike bus or boat only • Along with Animal Kingdom Lodge, it’s • $25/night self-parking (except DVC areas) the least-expensive Disney Deluxe resort • Noise from main building’s lobby can be • Excellent lounge for adults heard inside nearby rooms • Close to recreational options at • Bus transportation to Magic Kingdom Fort Wilderness sometimes shared with Fort Wilderness • Great views from guest rooms • Smallest rooms and baths of Disney’s • Rooms with bunk beds available Deluxe resorts • Exceptionally peaceful location and public areas (Villas)

Unofficial Guide Reader-Survey Results Percentage of readers who’d stay here again 95% (Average) Percentage of readers who’d recommend this resort to a friend 93% (Average) Overall reader rating B

QUICK TAKE: Hotel rooms at the lodge, DVC rooms at Boulder Ridge Villas, and (if it’s in your budget) Cascade Cabins are our picks.

THIS DELUXE RESORT is inspired by grand, rustic Arts and Crafts lodges of the early 20th century—think the Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park and the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. Situated on the shore of Bay Lake, the lodge consists of an eight-story central building augmented by two seven-story guest wings, a wing of studio and one- and two-bedroom condominiums, and 26 lakeside cabins. The hotel features exposed timber columns, log cabin–style WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES 137

Wilderness Lodge & Boulder Ridge/Copper Creek Villas Bay Lake Cascade Cabins Bar & Grill Geyser Point Copper Creek Villas Boulder Ridge Villas

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facades, and dormer windows, along with an 82-foot-tall stone replace in the lobby. Outside, there’s a beach and a delightful pool modeled on a mountain stream. We use the admittedly clumsy “Wilderness Lodge & Boulder Ridge/ Copper Creek Villas” to refer to the entire complex, including its time- share units, which are available to the general public when not being used by DVC members. (In reality, the full name would be something 138 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

like “Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Boulder Ridge Villas, and Copper Creek Villas & Cascade Cabins”—but that’s what happens when you pay a marketing team by the pound.) Here’s what the various names mean: • Disney’s Wilderness Lodge refers to the hotel (that is, non-time-share) component of the main building (the lodge), which opened in 1994. • Boulder Ridge Villas (Boulder Ridge for short) refers to time-share rooms in an adjacent building that opened in 2000. • Copper Creek Villas & Cascade Cabins (Copper Creek for short) refers to DVC time-share rooms in the main building (Copper Creek Villas) and the lakeside Cascade Cabins, both opened in 2017. At press time, the DVC rooms were available for booking, and non-DVC rooms should be available beginning June 6, 2021. The lodge’s guest rooms were last refurbished in 2012. Darkly stained Mission-style furniture is complemented by soft goods in burnt umber and blue, accented with American Indian–inspired patterns. Carved-wood headboards, rough-hewn armoires, and rustic light xtures create a log cabin atmosphere. Typical rooms have two queen-size beds; some rooms have one queen plus bunk beds or two queens plus a queen sleeper sofa. Rooms with a single king-size bed are also available. All rooms have a table and chairs, a dresser, a TV, a two-sink vanity just outside the bathroom, a minifridge, and a coffee maker. Rooms on the ground oor have patios; rooms above have balconies. The pool area features a children’s water-play area and a pool bar. Dining choices encompass two full-service restaurants plus the outdoor Geyser Point bar and restaurant. More dining options are available via a short boat ride to the Contemporary or Fort Wilderness. The resort is connected to the Magic Kingdom by boat and to other parks by bus. Boat service may be suspended during storms, so if it’s raining or rain looks likely, Disney will provide buses. Walking time to buses and boats from the remotest rooms is 5–8 minutes. Social-distancing measures have signi cantly reduced the seating capacity of boats between the Magic Kingdom and Wilderness Lodge, and thus have increased transportation times. Disney has responded by running larger boats, but there’s still only so many watercraft in the eet. Your best bet for catching the rst boat is to send someone out to the boat dock about 90 minutes before the Magic Kingdom’s of cial opening time. If a line has started to form but isn’t more than 30 people, get in line. If the line is longer than that, consider taking a bus or ride-hailing service to the park. A Boone County, Indiana, reader thinks transportation is a weak spot: To paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors that Wilderness Lodge’s transportation problems have been resolved are greatly exaggerated—it’s an easy boat ride to the Magic Kingdom, but bus trips to the Studios and Animal Kingdom take nearly an hour, which is just inexcusable. A mom from Oklahoma City concurs: During our most recent stay, transportation from Wilderness Lodge to the parks was the worst we have ever experienced in all our trips to WDW. We waited more than an hour for a boat to the Magic Kingdom; then, after it finally showed up and loaded, we made an unexplained WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES 139

trip to Fort Wilderness and loaded 26 more people. It took 90 minutes to get to the Magic Kingdom! The bus system wasn’t much better—it’s nearly impossible to get to the parks before opening.

GOOD (AND NOT-SO-GOOD) ROOMS AT WILDERNESS LODGE (See tinyurl.com/wlroomviews for photos.) The lodge is shaped like a very blocky letter V. The main entrance and lobby are at the closed end of the V. Next are middle wings that connect the lobby to the parallel end sections, which extend to the open part of the V. The V’s open end anks pools and gardens and overlooks Bay Lake directly or obliquely. Avoid rooms on the fourth, fth, and sixth oors numbered 67–99; these overlook the main lobby and pick up every whoop, hol- ler, and shout from the boisterous Whispering Canyon Cafe down- stairs. The noise makes it dif cult to get to sleep before Whispering Canyon closes, usually at 10 p.m. The better rooms are on oors four, ve, and six, toward the V’s open end. On the very end of the northernmost V, rooms 4000–4003, 5000–5003, and 6000–6003 offer a direct frontal view of Bay Lake through some tall trees. Toward the end of the V on the parallel wings but facing inward, odd-numbered rooms 4005–4023, 5005–5023, and 6005–6023 face the courtyard but have excellent oblique lake views. Even-numbered rooms 5004–5034 and 6004–6034 face the Cascade Cabins, woodlands northwest of the lodge, and, beyond the woodlands, the Magic Kingdom. Odd-numbered rooms 5035–5041 and 6035–6041, on the lake end of the parallel middle wings, offer a direct but distant view of the lake, with pools and gardens in the foreground. Standard-view rooms X042–X066 are some of the cheapest in the main building, with views of parking lots, service areas, and such, and the Cascade Cabins in the foreground. These rooms on the fth and sixth oors, however, afford views of the Magic Kingdom reworks. (Seventh-oor rooms are club level—that is, expensive.) The rooms listed previously afford the most desirable views, but if you can’t score one, you’re pretty much assured of a woodland view or a room fronting the faux rocks and creek in the V’s inner courtyard. Concierge rooms on the seventh oor aren’t recommended: Only those facing the Magic Kingdom have nice views, and even those have a service area in the foreground. Almost all rooms at the lodge have balconies. Avoid 1538, 1540, 1542, and 1544, which face a giant green electrical transformer. COPPER CREEK VILLAS & CASCADE CABINS Unofficial Guide Reader-Survey Results Percentage of readers who’d stay here again 97% (Average) Percentage of readers who’d recommend this resort to a friend 90% (Average) Overall reader rating B

SOME ROOMS IN THE LODGE’S MAIN BUILDING are DVC units—Disney calls these Copper Creek Villas. Options include studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas. The studios have kitchenettes, while most one- and two-bedroom villas have full kitchens (the one-bedroom we stayed in had a galley kitchen). All rooms have vinyl “hardwood” floors, 140 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

modern furniture including a table and chairs, a coffee maker, and a microwave. Bathrooms are spacious, although sink space is limited; storage is plentiful otherwise. Copper Creek rooms have less theming than those in the rest of the lodge—with another color of paint and different knickknacks, they could be rooms at Saratoga Springs or Animal Kingdom Lodge. Nonetheless, readers give these rooms an A for quality. In fact, they’re so well appointed and comfortable that they highlight the need for refurbishments at the older Boulder Ridge Villas. We’ve also stayed at the lakeside Cascade Cabins. Their oor plan is similar to that of the Bora Bora Bungalows at Polynesian Village (see page 116). Room quality and views are excellent—and they’d better be at these prices: more than $4,200 per night in peak season. We prefer the cabins over the bungalows, as does this Iowa City, Iowa, reader: Loved the cabin at Copper Creek—better value than the Polynesian bungalows. Quiet and well arranged, but close to everything.

GOOD (AND NOT-SO-GOOD) ROOMS AT COPPER CREEK VILLAS These rooms are in the main building’s southeast wing. Avoid rooms X100– X106, which overlook the lobby. Odd-numbered rooms X107–X133 face the interior courtyard and pool. Studios X119 have a nice view of the lake in the distance. Even-numbered rooms X108–X134 face the Boulder Ridge Villas, a garden area, and woods. Rooms on the sixth oor are high enough for you to see the lake past Boulder Ridge and the Cascade Cabins in the foreground. GOOD (AND NOT-SO-GOOD) ROOMS AT CASCADE CABINS Guests in cabins 8001–8006 get to watch boats glide to the Magic Kingdom; cabins 8023–8026 offer excellent reworks views (when they’re offered).

BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS Unofficial Guide Reader-Survey Results Percentage of readers who’d stay here again 95% (Average) Percentage of readers who’d recommend this resort to a friend 94% (Average) Overall reader rating B+ ALSO PART OF THE DVC TIME-SHARE PROGRAM, the 136 Boulder Ridge Villas are studio and one- and two-bedroom units in a free-standing building to the right of the lodge. Studios have kitchenettes; one- and two-bedroom villas have full kitchens. The rustic decor features pine furniture, textured rugs, curtains, and woodland creatures from Disney’s Bambi decorating the pillows and bedding. Boulder Ridge has its own pool but shares restaurants and other amenities with the main lodge. The villas’ studios have fold-down sleeper sofas. All villas have armoires and at-panel TVs, and one- and two-bedroom units have stainless-steel kitchen appliances. We think more updates are needed. This reader from Buffalo, New York, agrees: Absolutely hated the room at Boulder Ridge—any Hampton Inn I’ve ever stayed at for half the price had better rooms. The furniture was mismatched and outdated, the rugs were worn, and the pullout sofa bed was worse than the one we owned in the 1970s! Most upsetting, WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES 141

there were no grab bars in the showers—a hotel-industry safety standard. Perhaps because the bathroom was so small, Disney figured we could just hold on to the walls? A Plymouth, Massachusetts, family found a way to make the room more comfortable: The sofa bed was improved greatly after we requested an additional mattress for it. We couldn’t use the sofa, but it made for a much better night’s sleep.

GOOD (AND NOT-SO-GOOD) ROOMS AT BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS Except for a few rooms overlooking the pool, these rooms offer woodland views. The best are odd-numbered rooms X531–X563 on oors three through ve, which open to the lake (northeast) side of the resort (you usually can’t see the lake, though). Rooms on the opposite side of the same wing offer similar views, but with some roads and parking lots visible, and with traf c noise.

Disney’s Contemporary Resort & Bay Lake Tower (See map on next page.) (See tinyurl.com/ug-contemporary for extended coverage.)

STRENGTHS • Boat service to Fort Wilderness Resort & • Iconic architecture; the only hotel that Campground the monorail goes through • Large, very attractive guest rooms with WEAKNESSES nice views of Bay Lake • “Magic Kingdom view” rooms mostly look • Easy walk to the Magic Kingdom out at parking lots and are overpriced • Rooms in the Garden Wing can be • $25/night self-parking (except DVC areas) a relatively good value • Very small studios in Bay Lake Tower sleep • Excellent staff/service no more than 2 people comfortably • Convenient parking • Hallway decor at Bay Lake Tower can feel institutional • Best lounge at Walt Disney World (Top of the World, Bay Lake Tower) • Bus transportation to DHS, Animal Kingdom, water parks, and Disney Springs • Recreation options on Bay Lake is shared with the other monorail resorts

Unofficial Guide Reader-Survey Results Percentage of readers who’d stay here again 88% (Average) Percentage of readers who’d recommend this resort to a friend 89% (Average) Overall reader rating B

NOTE: The Contemporary’s main tower rooms will be closed through September 2021 for remodeling (we hear that they will be incredible).

THIS 655-ROOM DELUXE RESORT ON BAY LAKE is unique in that its A-frame design permits the Magic Kingdom monorail to pass through the structure’s cavernous atrium. A 90-foot mosaic depicts American Indian children and nature. The off-white central tower is augmented by a three-story Garden Wing fronting Bay Lake to the south and by Bay Lake Tower, a 295-room, 15-story Disney Deluxe Villa develop- ment, to the north. Standard rooms in the A-frame afford fantastic views of Bay Lake or the Magic Kingdom, and all have balconies. At 394 square feet each, they’re only slightly smaller than equivalent rooms at the Grand Floridian Resort. 142 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

Contemporary Resort & Bay Lake Tower

Bay Lake

South BaBayy Lake Tower Garden Wing

parking Contemporary parking Tower parking parking

Convention Center parking parking

The Contemporary’s rooms are, in our opinion, among the nicest of any Disney resort. Amenities include at-panel LCD TVs, built- in closets, stylish soft goods, a Keurig coffee maker, and comfortable beds. Wood accents in warm tones are a welcome relief from the bland beige that dominates so many hotel palettes; green and yellow accent pieces add just the right splash of color. The TV is surrounded by a modern interpretation of the traditional family hearth: Two expansive curved shelves (perfect for storing small items) serve as the mantel, while a colorful tiled display underneath simulates the replace. It’s functional, attractive, and clever. A lot of thought went into the bathroom design too. You enter through a sliding pocket door instead of a traditional hinged model. A curved shower-curtain rod provides extra room. Combined with the pocket door, the curtain rod makes the bathroom feel much bigger than it is. Another thoughtful touch: A small motion sensor detects when you’re up and moving at night, and it triggers a dimmed bathroom light to help you nd your way. Bathroom sinks have an avant-garde at-bottom design; if you can name a single Belgian architect or you own a pair of shoes made in Scandinavia, you’ll probably love them. When brushing your teeth, spit directly over the drain; otherwise, the toothpaste glob doesn’t move. One minor gripe: You have to scoot around one of the sinks to get in the shower. The work area has ample surface space provided by an L-shaped, glass-topped desk; it looks high-tech, but rounded corners perfectly soften the piece. Lighting is superb, with top scores in the bathroom grooming, reading, and work areas. Small, stylish overhead lights are more than ample for reading in bed. WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES 143

The Contemporary’s beds are topped with high-thread-count sheets and down- lled pillows. The air-conditioning system is a little louder than most. If you like to sleep with a bit of white noise in the background, however, you’ll be in heaven. Speaking of noise, readers rate the Contemporary’s rooms as among the quietest on property. Dining options abound. On the rst oor is The Wave . . . of Ameri- can Flavors, a 220-seat restaurant that focuses on organic and health- conscious foods. Contempo Cafe, a counter-service restaurant on the fourth oor’s Grand Canyon Concourse, serves upscale sandwiches, salads, and atbread pizzas. Chef Mickey’s, also on the fourth oor, hosts a popular character buffet at breakfast. On the 15th oor, the award-winning California Grill serves contemporary American cuisine. The pool has slides for kids and cabanas for rent. The resort also has a few shops. The Contemporary is within easy walking distance of the Magic Kingdom; monorail transportation is available to both the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT (the EPCOT monorail wasn’t running at press time). Other destinations can be accessed by bus or boat. Walk- ing time to transportation loading areas from the most remote rooms is 6–9 minutes. GOOD (AND NOT-SO-GOOD) ROOMS AT THE CONTEMPORARY RESORT (See tinyurl.com/crroomviews for photos.) The Contemporary has two hotel buildings: the A-frame tower and the Garden Wing. Rooms in the A-frame overlook either Bay Lake and the marina and swimming complex on one side or the parking lot with Seven Seas Lagoon and the Magic Kingdom in the background on the other. Except for most second- and third-oor rooms in the Garden Wing, each room has a balcony with two chairs and a table. If you stay on the Magic King- dom side of the A-frame, ask for a room on the ninth oor or higher. The parking lot and connecting roads are less distracting there (see tinyurl .com/cr-room4848 as an example). On the Bay Lake side, the view is ne from all oors, though higher oors are preferable. In the Garden Wing, all ground-oor rooms have patios. Only end rooms on the second and third oors facing Bay Lake have full balconies; all other rooms have balconies only a foot deep. Also, note that the Garden Wing is a fair walk from the restaurants, shops, front desk, guest services, and monorail station in the A-frame. There’s a lot of boat traf c in the lake and canal alongside the Garden Wing. Nearest the lake and quietest are rooms 6116–6123, 6216–6223, and 6316–6323. At the water’s edge but noisier are rooms 6107–6115, 6207–6215, and 6307–6315. Flanking the canal connecting Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon are rooms 5128–5151, 5228–5251, and 5328–5351. All of these have nice canal and lake views, which subject them to some daytime noise from passing watercraft, but the whole area is exceptionally quiet at night. The Garden Wing also has rooms facing the marina, pool, and playground; these work well for families with kids. The view doesn’t compare with views from the rooms previously listed, but ground- oor rooms 5105–5127 and 6124–6130 provide easy access to the pool. In addition to offering some of the most scenic and tranquil guest rooms in Disney World, the Garden Wing likewise contains some of 144 PART 5 ACCOMMODATIONS

the most undesirable ones. Avoid rooms ending with numbers 52–70— almost all of these look directly onto a parking lot. BAY LAKE TOWER AT DISNEY’S CONTEMPORARY RESORT (See tinyurl.com/ug-blt for extended coverage.) Unofficial Guide Reader-Survey Results Percentage of readers who’d stay here again 97% (Average) Percentage of readers who’d recommend this resort to a friend 93% (Average) Overall reader rating B

OPENED IN 2009, BAY LAKE TOWER boasts the highest percentage of readers who would stay at a particular Disney resort again. This 15-story, 295-unit DDV resort consists of studios and one- and two- bedroom villas as well as two-story, three-bedroom Grand Villas with views of Bay Lake and the Magic Kingdom. Laid out in a semicircle, Bay Lake Tower is connected to the Contemporary by an elevated, covered outdoor walkway and shares the main resort’s monorail service. Rooms are well appointed, with at-panel TVs, DVD players, mini- fridges, microwaves, and coffee makers. Brightly colored accessories, paintings, and accent walls complement an otherwise-neutral color scheme. Wood tables and granite countertops add a natural touch. Each room has a private balcony or patio. The rooms we’ve stayed in tested as the quietest on Disney property. Studios sleep up to four people and include one queen-size bed and one double sleeper sofa. The part of the studio with the bed, sofa, and TV measures about 170 square feet and feels small with just two people; four would be an adventure. One-bedroom villas sleep ve (the living room’s chair and sofa fold out to sleep three people) and provide a formal kitchen, a second bathroom, and a living room in addition to the studio bedroom. The two-bedroom villas—our pick for the best of the standard rooms—sleep nine and include all of the kitchen amenities found in a one-bedroom, plus an extra bathroom. One of the baths is attached to a second bedroom with two queen beds or a queen plus a sleeper- size sofa. As with the one-bedrooms, a sofa bed and sleeper chair in the living room provide extra places to snooze, though they’re best suited for small children. Bathrooms in the two-bedroom villas are a bit more spacious than those in the one-bedrooms. One odd feature in the baths (also found at other DVC resorts) is a folding door separating the tub from the master bedroom. The two-story Grand Villas sleep 12 and include four bathrooms, the same master-bedroom layout, and two bedrooms with two queen beds apiece. An upstairs seating area overlooking the main oor provides a sleeper sofa and chair. Two-story windows offer unparalleled views of Bay Lake or the Magic Kingdom—with unparalleled prices to match. Bay Lake Tower has its own check-in desk as well as its own private pool and pool bar, plus a small re pit on the beach. Its Top of the World Lounge is the best bar on Disney property but, alas, admits only DVC owners and their guests. If need be, offer to buy an owner a round of drinks in exchange for an invite. WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL PROFILES 145

A 1-mile jogging path loops around Bay Lake Tower and the Con- temporary’s Garden Wing. Dining, transportation, and other recreational activities are shared with the Contemporary Resort. Besides room quietness, readers give Bay Lake an A rating for room quality and staff service. This Minnesota family of four loved it: We had a studio with a Magic Kingdom view. The balcony was a private oasis where my husband and I would relax and watch the fireworks together after the kids were asleep. On our second night he looked at me and said, “We’re always going to stay here.”

GOOD (AND NOT-SO-GOOD) ROOMS AT BAY LAKE TOWER (See tinyurl .com/blt-roomviews for photos.) If you’re paying for a Magic Kingdom view, request a room on an upper level—above the seventh oor, at least—if you don’t want to look out on the parking lot. Even-numbered rooms XX06–XX16 have the best viewing angle of the park. Rooms XX24–XX30 may technically be described as having Magic Kingdom views, but they’re oriented toward the Contemporary, and you have to turn the other way to see the park. Shades of Green (See map on next page.) (See tinyurl.com/ug-shades for extended coverage.)

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES • Large guest rooms • No theme to speak of • Discount tickets for military personnel with ID • Limited on-site dining • Quiet setting • Limited bus service • Views of golf course from guest rooms • Daily parking fee ($11) • Convenient self-parking • No free parking at theme parks • Swimming complex, fitness center • On-site car rental (Alamo)

Unofficial Guide Reader-Survey Results Percentage of readers who’d stay here again 98% (Average) Percentage of readers who’d recommend this resort to a friend 92% (Average) Overall reader rating B

OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE U.S. ARMED FORCES, this resort is open to active and retired military (including reservists) and their families, among other qualifying groups. Civilians may accompany eligible personnel as their guests. (For details, see shades ofgreen.org/accommo dations/eligibility.) If you’re planning a holiday visit or a long weekend here, book as early as possible—up to seven months in advance. Shades of Green consists of one three-story and one ve-story building nestled among three golf courses that are open to Disney guests. At 455 square feet each, the 586 guest rooms at Shades of Green are larger than those at the Grand Floridian. On its FAQ page, the website states that “Shades of Green would be comparable to the Disney Deluxe Resorts.” While the rooms are certainly large, nicely appointed, and immaculately maintained, not to mention a great value for those who qualify to stay here, they’re indis- tinguishable from the rooms at any number of decent midpriced hotels. There’s no discernible theming or wow factor. The dining options are APPENDIX A: READERS’ QUESTIONS and COMMENTS

READERS’ QUESTIONS to the AUTHORS FOLLOWING ARE SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED questions and com ments from Unofficial Guide readers.

QUESTION: When you do your research, are you admitted to the parks for free? Do the Disney people know you’re there?

ANSWER: We pay regular admission; usually Disney doesn’t know we’re on-site. We pay for our own meals and lodging, both in and out of Walt Disney World.

QUESTION: How often is the Unofficial Guide revised? ANSWER: We publish a new edition in hard copy and e-book formats once a year, with at least one reprint/e-update to account for changes at the theme parks. (Take it from us: The only constant at Walt Disney World is change.)

QUESTION: Where can I find information about what’s changed at Walt Disney World in between published editions of the Unofficial Guide? ANSWER: We post important information online at TouringPlans.com.

QUESTION: Do you write each new edition from scratch? ANSWER: Nope. When it comes to a destination the size of Walt Disney World, it’s hard enough to keep up with what’s new. Moreover, we put a lot of effort into communicating the most useful information in the clearest possible language. If an attraction or hotel hasn’t changed, we try not to tinker with its coverage for the sake of freshening the prose.

QUESTION: I’ve never read any other Unofficial Guides. Are they all as critical as The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World?

ANSWER: What some readers perceive as critical we see as objective and constructive. Our job is to prepare you for both the best and worst of Walt Disney World. As it happens, some folks are very passionate about 678 APPENDIX A: READERS’ QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

what one reader calls “the inherent goodness of Disney.” These readers might be more comfortable with press releases or the Official Guide than with the strong consumer viewpoint represented in our guide. That said, some readers take us to task for being overly positive.

QUESTION: How many people have you surveyed for your age-group ratings regarding the attractions?

ANSWER: Since the first Unofficial Guide was published in 1985, we’ve interviewed or surveyed more than 700,000 Walt Disney World patrons.

QUESTION: Do you stay in Walt Disney World? If not, where? ANSWER: We stay at Walt Disney World lodging properties quite often. Since we began writing about Walt Disney World in 1982, we’ve stayed at all the Disney resorts and more than 100 different properties in various locations around Orlando, Lake Buena Vista, and Kissimmee.

QUESTION: Bob, what’s your favorite Florida attraction? ANSWER: What attracts me (as opposed to my favorite attraction) is Juniper Springs, a stunningly beautiful stream about 1½ hours north of Orlando in the Ocala National Forest. Originating in a limestone aquifer, the crystal-clear water erupts from the ground and begins a 10-mile journey to the creek’s mouth at Lake George. Winding through palm, cypress, and live oak, the stream is more exotic than the Jungle Cruise, and alive with birds, turtles, and alligators. Put in at the Juniper Springs Recreation Area on FL 40, 36 miles east of Ocala. The 7-mile trip to the FL 19 bridge takes about 4½ hours. Canoe rentals and shuttle service are available at the recreation area. Call ☎ 352-625-3147 for more information. READERS’ COMMENTS A WOMAN FROM SUWANEE, GEORGIA, offers a suggestion for the perfect Disney vacation: Your book made our trip a much more successful one. It also frus- trated our male adults, who erroneously believed this was a trip for their enjoyment. We followed your advice to get up early and see as much as possible before an early lunch. But the men refused to go back to the hotel for a nap and a meal outside the park, so we fought the crowds until 3 or 4 p.m., by which time everyone was exhausted and cranky. My mother and I decided our next trip will include your guidebook and the children—but no men! A Midwestern mom loved getting in the game, writing: It was a thrill for me to [be at the official] park opening—to hear the music and announcements, then hurry with the throngs to the first ride. It was so exciting! My husband teased me for days about running over old ladies and little children—I didn’t run! I was speed-walking! A woman from Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania, had some questions about theme park attire: I don’t believe there was a section that addressed whether or not you could wear dresses on the rides. Quite a few amusement parks have READERS’ COMMENTS 679

security straps or bars that come up between one’s knees, making it very difficult and immodest to wear dresses or skirts. Many women want to wear dresses for convenience, comfort, or cultural/religious convictions. I was concerned as I was packing whether this would limit any rides I could get on. I was quite pleased that it did not. An Atlanta reader relates the story of a dirty bird and a solicitous cast member: While riding Splash Mountain, a teenage boy in our boat had brought a poncho (smart move), and he took it off before we got out of the boat . . . just in time for a bird to poop on him. He went to buy a shirt in the gift shop, and when the cast member found out what had happened, he gave the kid a free shirt. I thought that was very nice! A Columbia, Missouri, woman offers advice for wives with anx- ious husbands: A smartphone is the best thing in the world for keeping your husband busy in line. As long as mine had that phone, he could check email, check dinner plans, and take and send pictures of the kids to family back home. He never complained about waiting in line, ever. A Denver reader bursts our bubble (hey, we thought we were Dis- ney’s favorites): WDW cast members have an interesting reaction to the Guide. With the book in hand, we got an almost vampire-vs.-holy-water reaction from one cast member (who then asked if he could take a quick peek). From an exhausted mother: Make sure moms are prepared for the fact that their kids will throw tantrums . . . and so will their husbands. Disney is a magical, wonderful thing, but it was also the most exhausting thing I have ever done. It required more patience than I’ve needed so far as a parent. From an opinionated Georgia family of four: My 13-year-old son’s one-word description of Space Mountain: “Awe- some.” My husband’s one-word description: “Hell.” My 10-year-old’s best comment: “Here’s a Disney motto no one talks about: ‘Bleed ’em dry.’ ” My 13-year-old’s best comment, as I was trying to get everyone to stop and pose in front of the topiaries: “Keep movin’, Mom! There’s no time for memories!” A Somerville, Alabama, woman is succinct if nothing else: Everything, other than my husband, was perfect. The weather is always, um, a hot topic with Unofficial Guide readers. First from a Poulsbo, Washington, reader: Holy hell, the Florida humidity is NO JOKE! From a woman who is more receptive after a couple of drinks: We found (as an adult couple) that arriving early and leaving the parks for an afternoon drink or three in the monorail resorts was our saving grace! It also allowed my husband to convince me to go on more of the roller coasters! And so it goes. . . . APPENDIX B: PART NUMBER UNDERSTANDING and DISNEYPART NAME WORLD ATTRACTIONSPART NAME

CUT YOUR TIME IN LINE by UNDERSTANDING the RIDES WALT DISNEY WORLD HAS MANY TYPES OF RIDES. Some, such as Pirates of the Caribbean at the Magic Kingdom, can carry more than 3,000 people an hour. At the other extreme, TriceraTop Spin at Animal Kingdom can handle only around 500 people an hour. Most rides fall somewhere in between. Many factors figure into how long you’ll wait to experience a ride: its popularity; how it loads and unloads; how many persons can ride at once; how many units (cars, rockets, boats, flying elephants, and the like) are in service at a time; and how many cast members are available to operate the ride. To develop an efcient touring plan, it’s necessary to understand how rides and shows are designed and function. Let’s examine both.

1. How Popular Is the Ride? Newer rides, such as the two new attractions at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, attract a lot of people, as do such longtime favorites as Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest. If a ride is popular, you need to know how it operates in order to determine the best time to ride. But a ride need not be especially popular to generate long lines; in some cases, such lines are due not to a ride’s popularity but to poor traffic engineering. This is the case at the Mad Tea Party and The Barn- stormer (among others) in Fantasyland. Both rides serve only a small percentage of any day’s attendance at the Magic Kingdom, yet because they take so long to load and unload, long lines form regardless.

2. How Does the Ride Load and Unload? Some rides never stop—they’re like conveyor belts that go around and around. These are continuous loaders. Examples include The Haunted Mansion and Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid at the Magic Kingdom, along with Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. The number of people who can be moved through in an hour depends on how many cars— “doom buggies” or whatever—are on the conveyor. The Haunted APPENDIX B: UNDERSTANDING WDW ATTRACTIONS 681

Man sion and Spaceship Earth have lots of cars on the conveyor, and each consequently can move more than 2,000 people an hour. Other rides are interval loaders. Cars are unloaded, loaded, and dispatched at set intervals (sometimes controlled manually, sometimes by computer). Space Mountain in Tomorrowland is an interval loader: It has two tracks (the ride has been duplicated in the same facility). Each track can run as many as 14 space capsules, released at 36-, 26-, or 21- second intervals. (The bigger the crowd, the shorter the interval.) In one kind of interval loader, empty cars, as in Space Mountain’s space capsules, return to where they reload. In a second kind, such as Splash Mountain, one group of riders enters the vehicle while the previous group departs. Rides of the latter type are referred to as in-and- out interval loaders. As a boat docks, those who have just completed their ride exit to the left; at almost the same time, those waiting to ride enter the boat from the right. The reloaded boat is released to the dispatch point a few yards down the line, where it’s launched according to the interval being used. Interval loaders of both types can be very efcient people-movers if (1) the dispatch (launch) interval is relatively short and (2) the ride can accommodate many vehicles at one time. Because many boats can oat through Pirates of the Caribbean at one time, and the dispatch interval is short, almost 3,000 people can see this attraction each hour. The least efcient rides, in terms of trafc engineering, are cycle rides, also called stop-and-go rides. Those waiting to ride exchange places with those who have just ridden. Unlike in-and-out interval rides, cycle rides shut down during loading and unloading. While one boat is loading and unloading in It’s a Small World (an interval loader), many other boats are advancing through the ride. But when Dumbo touches down, the whole ride is at a standstill until the next ight launches (ditto Prince Charming Regal Carrousel and the Mad Tea Party). With cycle rides, the time in motion is ride time, and the time the ride idles while loading and unloading is load time. Load time plus ride time equals cycle time, or the time from the start of one run of the ride until the start of the next. The only cycle rides in Disney World are in the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

3. How Many People Can Ride at One Time? This figure expresses system capacity, or the number of people who can ride at one time. The greater the carrying capacity of a ride (all other things being equal), the more visitors it can accommodate per hour. Some rides can add extra units (cars, boats, and such) as crowds build, to increase capacity; others, such as the Astro Orbiter in Tomorrowland, have a fixed capacity (it’s impossible to add more rockets).

4. How Many Units Are in Service at a Given Time? Unit is our term for the vehicle in which you ride. At the Mad Tea Party, the unit is a teacup; at Peter Pan’s Flight, a pirate ship. On some rides (mostly cycle rides), the number of units operating at one time is fixed. There are always 32 flying elephants at Dumbo and 90 horses on Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. There’s no way to increase the capacity of such rides by adding units. On a busy day, the only way to carry more 682 APPENDIX B: UNDERSTANDING WDW ATTRACTIONS

people each hour on a fixed-unit cycle ride is to shorten the loading time or decrease the ride time. The bottom line: On a busy day for a cycle ride, you’ll wait longer and possibly be rewarded with a shorter ride. This is why we steer you away from cycle rides unless you’re willing to ride them early in the morning or late at night. These are the cycle rides: • THE MAGIC KINGDOM Astro Orbiter, The Barnstormer, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Tea Party, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel • DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM TriceraTop Spin Many other rides throughout Walt Disney World can increase their capacity by adding units as crowds build. For example, if attendance is light, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland can start the day by running only one of its five mine trains from one of two available loading platforms. If lines build, the other platform is opened and more mine trains are placed into operation. At capacity, the five trains can carry about 2,400 persons an hour. Likewise, Star Tours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios can increase its capacity by using all its simulators, and the Gran Fiesta Tour boat ride at Mexico in EPCOT can add more boats. Sometimes a long queue will disappear almost instantly when new units are brought online. When an interval loader places more units into operation, it usually shortens the dispatch intervals, allowing more units to be dispatched more often.

5. How Many Cast Members Are Available to Operate the Ride? Adding cast members to a ride can allow more units to operate or additional loading or holding areas to open. In the Magic Kingdom, Pirates of the Caribbean and It’s a Small World can run two waiting lines and loading zones. The Haunted Mansion has a 1½-minute preshow staged in a “stretch room.” On busy days, a second stretch room can be activated, permitting a more continuous flow of visitors to the actual loading area. Additional staff makes a world of difference to some cycle rides. Often, the Mad Tea Party has only one attendant. This person alone must clear visitors from the ride just completed, admit and seat visitors for the upcoming ride, check that each teacup is secured, return to the control panel, issue instructions to the riders, and nally activate the ride (whew!). A second attendant divides these responsibilities and cuts loading time by 25%–50%.

CUT YOUR TIME IN LINE by UNDERSTANDING the SHOWS THE FEATURED ATTRACTIONS at Walt Disney World also include theater presentations. While they aren’t as complex as rides, understanding them from a traffic-engineering standpoint may save you touring time as well. Most theater attractions operate in three phases: 1. Guests are in the theater viewing the presentation. CUT YOUR TIME IN LINE BY UNDERSTANDING THE SHOWS 683

2. Guests who have passed through the turnstile wait in a holding area or lobby. They will be admitted to the theater as soon as the show in progress concludes. Several attractions offer a preshow in their lobby to entertain guests until they’re admitted to the main show. Examples include Enchanted Tiki Room in the Magic Kingdom and Muppet-Vision 3-D at DHS. 3. A line waits outside. Guests in line enter the lobby when there’s room and will ultimately move into the theater. The theater’s capacity, the presentation’s popularity, and park atten dance all determine how long the lines will be at a show. Except for holidays and other days of heavy attendance, the longest wait for a show usually doesn’t exceed the length of a single performance. Because almost all theater attractions run continuously, stopping only long enough for the previous audience to leave and the waiting audience to enter, a performance will be in progress when you arrive. For example, the Canada Far and Wide movie at EPCOT’s Canada Pavilion in World Showcase lasts 12 minutes; your longest wait under normal circumstances is about 12 minutes if you arrive just after the show has begun. ACCOMMODATIONS INDEX

Note: Page numbers in bold indicate a resort’s main entry. Airbnb, 224 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, 110, Alligator Bayou. See Port Orleans Resort French 195 Quarter & Riverside compared, 252, 255 All-Star Resorts (Music, Sports, Movie), 186–91 contact information, 46 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, costs, 89–90, 96, 106 188, 190–91 dining, 270 compared, 252, 253, 254, 255 dog policies, 459 contact information, 46 location, 194 costs, 96, 106 map, 20–21 dining, 188, 270 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 195–96 location, 17 recommended for, 376 map, 20–21, 187 room diagram, 118 noise, 119, 190 room quality/type, 103, 194–95, 196 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 189–90, room size, 113 191 theme, 111, 194, 195 recommended for, 376 transportation to/from, 433, 436–37, 440, 441, remodeling/refurbishments, 87 443, 541 room diagram, 118 Aventura Hotel, 236–37, 252, 263, 603, 604, room quality/type, 103, 113, 120, 188–89, 190–91 607, 657 room size, 113 theme, 111, 186–88 Bay Lake Tower. See Contemporary Resort & transportation to/from, 17, 433, 436–37, 548 Bay Lake Tower Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas, 178–82 Beach Club Resort & Villas, 148–53 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, amenities/services and recreation, 109, 150 179–82 compared, 251, 255, 256 compared, 250, 251, 254, 255 contact information, 46 contact information, 46 costs, 96, 99, 107 costs, 96, 99, 106 dining, 112, 150, 283, 310, 311, 315, 320 dining, 112, 180–81, 268, 269, 277, 310, 311, 312, location, 16–17 313, 318–19, 333–34, 347–48 map, 20–21, 149 location, 17, 179 noise, 119 map, 20–21, 179 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 152 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 180–82 recommended for, 376, 415 recommended for, 376, 415, 421 room diagram, 114, 116 room diagram, 114, 116 room quality/type, 103, 148–52 room quality/type, 103, 104, 105, 179–80, 181–82 theme, 111 room size, 113 transportation to/from, 150, 436–37, 440 theme, 110, 111, 180 Berkley Orlando, The, 248, 251, 254 transportation to/from, 17, 105–6, 181, 182, 433, Best Western Plus Universal Inn, 248, 252, 255 436–37, 548 BoardWalk Inn & Villas, 153–56 Animal Kingdom resorts, 178–96. See also amenities/services and recreation, 107, 108, 109 All-Star Resorts (Music, Sports, Movie); compared, 251, 256 Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas; Art of contact information, 46 Animation Resort; Coronado Springs costs, 96, 99, 107 Resort; Pop Century Resort dining, 112, 277, 283, 311, 312, 313, 317, 325, 326, Art of Animation Resort, 194–96 357

See also the Restaurant Index on pages 688–691 and the Subject Index on pages 692–711. ACCOMMODATIONS INDEX 685

location, 16–17, 22, 153 Coronado Springs Resort, 182–86 map, 20–21, 154 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109–10, noise, 119, 155–56 183 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 155 compared, 251, 257 recommended for, 376, 415, 421 contact information, 46 room diagram, 114, 115 costs, 96 room quality/type, 103, 104, 120, 153–56 dining, 184, 270, 277, 310, 311, 313, 338, 352–53, theme, 111, 153–54 354–55 transportation to/from, 155, 415, 433, 436–37, location, 17, 24 440, 541 map, 20–21, 183 Bonnet Creek resorts, 110, 165–78, 277. See also reader comments/report card, 122–25, 185 Old Key West Resort; Port Orleans Resort room diagram, 117 French Quarter & Riverside; Saratoga room quality/type, 103, 104, 183–84, 185–86 Springs Resort & Spa; Treehouse Villas at theme, 111, 182–83 Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa transportation to/from, 17, 105–6, 184–85, 433, Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge. See 436–37, 548 Wilderness Lodge & Boulder Ridge Villas/ Courtyard Orlando Lake Buena Vista at Vista Copper Creek Villas & Cascade Cabins Centre, 248, 250, 254 B Resort & Spa, 20–21, 95, 112, 196–98, 199, Cypress Pointe Resort, 248, 250, 254 245–46, 252, 254. See also Disney Springs Resort Area (DSRA) Delta Hotels by Marriott Lake Buena Vista, 25, 252 Disney Deluxe Villa (DDV) resorts. See Disney Cabana Bay Beach Resort, 237–38, 252, 263, Vacation Club (DVC) resorts 602, 607, 657 Disney Riviera Resort. See Riviera Resort camping. See Fort Wilderness Resort & Camp- Disney’s Flamingo Crossings, 244 ground Disney Springs Resort Area (DSRA), 196–201. Caribbean Beach Resort, 161–65 See also B Resort & Spa; DoubleTree amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109–10 Suites by Hilton Orlando; Hilton Orlando compared, 252, 257 Buena Vista Palace; Hilton Orlando Lake contact information, 46 Buena Vista; Holiday Inn Orlando; Wynd- costs, 96, 106, 197 ham Garden Lake Buena Vista dining, 112, 161, 270, 313, 349 amenities/services and recreation, 88, 196–97 map, 20–21, 162 contact information, 46 noise, 119, 164 costs, 197–98 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 161–63 dining and reservations, 112, 268, 269, 272, 275, room diagram, 117 277, 310, 311, 312, 313, 317–18, 321, 324–25, room quality/type, 103, 104, 161, 163–64 327–28, 332–33, 334–35, 337–38, 339, theme, 111, 161 342–46, 350–51, 352, 357, 361–62 transportation to/from, 105, 162, 433, 436–37, transportation to/from, 434, 436–37, 663 440, 441, 541 Disney Vacation Club (DVC) resorts, 88, 91–92, Clarion Inn & Suites Universal, 252, 254 98–100, 121. See also specific resorts Clarion Suites Maingate, 245–46, 248, 253, 254 Dolphin, 156–61 Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek, 110, 250, 254 amenities/services and recreation, 88, 108, 109, Comfort Suites Maingate East, 253, 255 158 Comfort Suites Universal, 253, 255 compared, 251, 263 condominiums, vacation rental, 226–31 contact information, 47, 101 Contemporary Resort & Bay Lake Tower, 141–45 costs, 96, 101, 106, 158 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, dining and reservations, 112, 159, 277, 311, 313, 143, 144–45 326–27, 349, 353–54 compared, 250, 254, 257 location, 16–17 contact information, 46 map, 20–21, 157 costs, 96, 99, 107 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 159 dining, 143, 269, 275, 276, 277, 310, 311, 319–20, room quality/type, 103, 104, 158, 159–61 321–22, 360 theme, 111, 157–58 map, 20–21, 142 transportation to/from, 158, 415, 433, 440, 513, noise, 118, 119 537, 541, 576 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 145 DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando, 95, 112, recommended for, 376, 421 196–98, 199–200, 248, 251, 253, 257. See room diagram, 114, 115 also Disney Springs Resort Area (DSRA) room quality/type, 103, 104–5, 120, 141–45 DoubleTree Universal, 256 theme, 111 Drury Inn & Suites Orlando, 248, 251, 256 transportation to/from, 16, 105, 223, 415, 433, Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista South, 251, 256 436–37, 440, 443, 461, 464 Endless Summer Resort, 238, 252, 262, 603, 607 Copper Creek Villas & Cascade Cabins. See Wil- EPCOT resorts, 148–65. See also Beach Club derness Lodge & Boulder Ridge Villas/ Resort; BoardWalk Inn & Villas; Dolphin; Copper Creek Villas & Cascade Cabins Swan; Yacht Club Resort

See also the Restaurant Index on pages 688–691 and the Subject Index on pages 692–711. 686 ACCOMMODATIONS INDEX

Extended Stay America Convention Center/ Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Lake Buena Westwood, 248, 251, 257 Vista, 248, 251, 258 High Point World Resort, 253, 258 Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando-Kissimmee/ Hilton Grand Vacations at SeaWorld, 233, 251, 259 Celebration, 252, 257 Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Tuscany Village, Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando–SeaWorld, 252, 257 251, 259 Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando–Universal, 252, 258 Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, 88, 110, 239–40, Flamingo Crossings, 244 251, 258 Florida Dream Homes, 230 Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, 95, 112, 196, Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, 96, 201–6 198, 200, 253, 258. See also Disney amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, Springs Resort Area (DSRA) 201–5 Hilton Orlando (International Drive resort area), campsites, 201–2 252, 259 compared, 250 Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, 95, 112, 196, construction, 205 198, 200, 251, 258. See also Disney contact information, 46 Springs Resort Area (DSRA) costs, 106, 201–2 Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake, 243, dining, 112, 204, 270, 272, 311, 312, 356 248, 250, 259 dog policies, 459 Holiday Inn Express & Suites Orlando at Sea- map, 20–21, 202–3 World, 248, 252, 259 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 205–6 Holiday Inn Express & Suites/South Lake Buena recommended for, 376, 415 Vista, 252, 258 room diagram, 118 Holiday Inn Orlando, 95, 112, 196–98, 200–201, room quality/type, 103 252, 253, 258. See also Disney Springs room size, 113 Resort Area (DSRA) transportation to/from, 16, 204, 206, 434, Holiday Inn Orlando SW–Celebration Area, 248, 436–37, 440, 461 252, 258 Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney Holiday Inn Resort Orlando–Lake Buena Vista, World Resort, 88, 90, 110, 239, 250, 258, 277 248, 252, 259 French Quarter, Port Orleans Resort. See Port Holiday Inn & Suites–Universal, 248, 259 Orleans Resort French Quarter & Riverside Homewood Suites, 248, 251, 252, 259, 260 Hyatt Place Orlando/Lake Buena Vista, 252, 260 Galleria Palms Kissimmee Hotel, 252, 258 Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, 250, 261 Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, 242–43, 250, 259 I-4 Corridor and Lake Buena Vista resort area, Gran Destino Tower 220, 221, 239–42. See also specific resorts amenities/services and recreation, 109–10 International Drive (I-Drive) resort area, 217–19, costs, 96, 106 232–38. See also specific resorts noise, 118, 119 Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway (US 192) resort room diagram, 117 area, 220, 222, 242–44 room quality/type, 103, 104 theme, 110 Jambo House. See Animal Kingdom Lodge & Grande Vista by Marriott, 248 Villas Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Villas, 126–29 amenities/services and recreation, 24, 108, 109, Kidani Village. See Animal Kingdom Lodge & 128, 129 Villas compared, 250, 256, 263 Kissimmee resort area, 222 contact information, 47 costs, 90, 96, 99 Lake Buena Vista and I-4 Corridor resort area, dining, 112, 130, 268, 269, 272, 276, 277, 283, 311, 220, 221, 239–42. See also specific resorts 312, 323, 330, 339–41, 359–60 La Quinta Inn & Suites Orlando Universal, 253, 261 map, 20–21, 127 Last Minute Villas, 230 noise, 118 Liki Tiki Village, 251, 261 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 128, 129 Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, 233–34, 250, 260, recommended for, 376, 415, 421 602, 607 room diagram, 114, 115 Loews Royal Pacific Resort, 234–35, 250, 260, room quality/type, 103, 104, 126–29 602, 607 room size, 113 Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, 235, 251, 260, 602, theme, 111 607 transportation to/from, 16, 105, 415, 433, 436–37, 440, 461, 464 Magic Kingdom resorts, 126–47. See also Con- temporary Resort & Bay Lake Tower; Grand Hampton Inn Orlando/Lake Buena Vista, 252, 259 Floridian Resort & Spa and Villas; Polyne- Hampton Inn Universal, 253, 259 sian Village Resort, Villas, & Bungalows Harbour Lake, 240–41 Marriott Harbour Lake, 69, 240–41, 251, 261 Hard Rock Hotel, 232–33, 250, 258, 602, 607 Marriott’s Grande Vista, 248, 250, 261

See also the Restaurant Index on pages 688–691 and the Subject Index on pages 692–711. ACCOMMODATIONS INDEX 687

Meliá Orlando Suite Hotel at Celebration, 252, 261 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, 110 Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club, 250, 260 compared, 251, 252, 256, 257 contact information, 47 Old Key West Resort, 170–73 costs, 96, 106 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, dining, 174, 270, 310, 312, 318 110, 172 dog policies, 459 compared, 250, 256 map, 20–21, 174, 177 contact information, 47 noise, 119, 178 costs, 96, 99 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 174, 176 dining, 310, 342 recommended for, 376, 421 map, 20–21, 171 room diagram, 117 noise, 172–73 room quality/type, 103, 104, 120, 174–78 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 171–72 theme, 110, 173–76 remodeling/refurbishments, 172 transportation to/from, 105–6, 174, 433, 436–37, room diagram, 115 438, 440 room quality/type, 103, 104–5, 170–73 room size, 113 Quality Suites Turkey Lake, 248, 252, 260 theme, 111 transportation to/from, 105–6, 172, 433, 436–37, Radisson Hotel Orlando–Lake Buena Vista, 248, 440 260 Omni Orlando Resort at Champions Gate, 248, Ramada by Wyndham Kissimmee Gateway, 253, 250, 260 260 Orlando World Center Marriott Resort, 250, 260 Reflections—A Disney Lakeside Lodge, 99, 205 rental homes and condominiums, 226–31 Parc Corniche Resort, 248, 250, 261 Residence Inn–Universal, 252, 261 Parkway International Resort, 252, 261 Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, 250, 261 Polynesian Isles Resort by Diamond, 243–44, Riverside, Port Orleans Resort. See Port Orleans 252, 261 Resort French Quarter & Riverside Polynesian Village Resort, Villas, & Bungalows, Riviera Resort, 24, 99, 103, 104, 164–65 99, 131–36 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109 amenities/services and recreation, 24, 108, 109 compared, 250, 256 compared, 251, 256, 257 costs, 96, 99 contact information, 47 dining, 312, 355–67 costs, 96, 107 map, 162 dining, 133, 134, 269, 272, 283, 313, 336, 341–42, noise, 118, 119 356 reader comments/report card, 122–25 map, 20–21, 132 recommended for, 415, 421 noise, 135 room diagram, 117 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 131, 133–34 room quality/type, 105, 120 recommended for, 376, 415, 421 room size, 113 remodeling/refurbishments, 131 theme, 110 room diagram, 114, 116 transportation to/from, 440, 441, 541 room quality/type, 103, 104, 120, 131–36 Rodeway Inn Maingate, 248, 253, 261 room size, 113 Rosen Centre Hotel, 250, 262 theme, 110 Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando, 248, 251, 262 transportation to/from, 16, 105, 133, 135, 136, Rosen Plaza Hotel, 250, 262 415, 433, 436–37, 440, 461 Rosen Shingle Creek, 251, 263 Pop Century Resort, 191–94 Royal Pacific Resort, 234–35, 250, 260, 602, 607 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, Sapphire Falls Resort, 235, 251, 260, 602, 607 110, 192 Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, 165–70 compared, 252, 257 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, 110, contact information, 47 167–68 costs, 89, 96, 106, 197 compared, 250, 251, 256, 263 dining, 270 contact information, 47 map, 20–21, 191 costs, 96, 99 noise, 196 dining, 112, 268, 269, 311, 357–58 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 193–94 map, 20–21, 166 remodeling/refurbishments, 87, 192 noise, 118 room diagram, 118 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 167–69 room quality/type, 103, 192, 194 recommended for, 415 theme, 110, 192 room diagram, 115, 116 transportation to/from, 105, 193, 433, 436–37, room quality/type, 103, 165–67, 169–74 440, 441, 443, 541 theme, 110, 165–66 Portofino Bay Hotel, 233–34, 250, 260, 602, 607 transportation to/from, 105–6, 433, 436–37, Port Orleans Resort French Quarter & Riverside, 440, 663 173–78 Shades of Green, 145–47

See also the Restaurant Index on pages 688–691 and the Subject Index on pages 692–711. 688 ACCOMMODATIONS INDEX

Shades of Green (continued) Universal Orlando hotels, 220, 223–24, 232–38 amenities/services and recreation, 88, 108, 109, US 192 (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway) resort 147 area, 220, 222, 242–44 compared, 250, 263 contact information, 47, 101 vacation rental homes, 226–31 costs, 101 Vacation Rentals 411, 230 dining and reservations, 147 Vacation Rentals by Owner, 230 map, 146 Vacation Village at Parkway, 248, 250, 262 overall rating, 248 Villas at the Grand Floridian. See Grand Florid- reader comments/report card, 122–25, 147 ian Resort & Spa and Villas room quality/type, 103 Visit Orlando, 230 transportation to/from, 16, 17, 434, 436–37 Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas, 69, 236, Waldorf Astoria Orlando, 88, 110, 242, 250, 263, 241, 251, 262, 263 277 Sheraton Walt Disney World Dolphin. Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa, 248, 250, 264 See Dolphin Westgate Vacation Villas, 248, 250, 264 Silver Lake Resort, 253, 262 Westin. See Swan Sonesta ES Suites Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Wilderness Lodge & Boulder Ridge Villas/Copper 89–90, 241–42, 243, 248, 250, 263 Creek Villas & Cascade Cabins, 136–41 SpringHill Suites Orlando at Flamingo Crossings, amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, 138 244, 248, 251, 262 compared, 250, 251, 254, 255, 257 SpringHill Suites Orlando Lake Buena Vista contact information, 47 South, 251, 263 costs, 96, 99, 106 Star Island Resort & Club, 248, 252, 263 dining, 138, 283, 310, 329, 351, 360–61 Star Wars–themed hotel, 600 location, 24 Staybridge Suites Orlando at SeaWorld, 250, 262 map, 20–21, 137 Staybridge Suites Royale Parc, 252, 262 noise, 119, 139 Swan, 156–61 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 138–41 amenities/services and recreation, 88, 107, 108, recommended for, 376, 415, 421 109, 158 remodeling/refurbishments, 87, 138, 140–41 compared, 251, 264 room diagram, 114, 116 contact information, 47 room quality/type, 103, 104, 105, 120, 136–41 costs, 96, 101, 106, 158 room size, 113 dining and reservations, 112, 159, 277, 283, 284, theme, 110, 136–37 311, 312, 328–29, 332, 335–36 transportation to/from, 16, 105, 138, 436–37, location, 16–17 440, 461 map, 20–21, 157 Windsor Hills Resort, 231 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 159 Wingate by Wyndham Universal Studios, 252, 264 room quality/type, 103, 104, 158, 159–61 Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort, 254, 264 theme, 110, 112, 157–58 Wyndham Cypress Palms, 250, 255 transportation to/from, 105, 158, 415, 433, Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista, 95, 112, 436–37, 440, 513, 537, 541, 576 196–98, 201, 253, 264. See also Disney Swan Reserve, 159, 264, 415, 433, 513, 541 Springs Resort Area (DSRA) TownePlace Suites Orlando at Flamingo Cross- Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek, ings, 244, 252, 262 110, 251 Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Wyndham Orlando Resort I-Drive, 248, 251, 264 Resort & Spa, 169–70 Yacht Club Resort, 148–52 amenities/services and recreation, 109, 110 amenities/services and recreation, 108, 109, 150 compared, 250, 263 compared, 250, 257 contact information, 47 contact information, 47 costs, 96, 99, 170 costs, 96, 107 location, 169 dining, 112, 150, 310, 313, 314–15, 362 map, 20–21, 167 dog policies, 459 noise, 119 location, 16–17 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 170 map, 20–21, 149 room diagram, 115 noise, 118 room quality/type, 103, 105, 169–70 reader comments/report card, 122–25, 150–51, room size, 113 152 theme, 110 recommended for, 421 transportation to/from, 105–6, 436–37 room diagram, 114 room quality/type, 103, 104, 148–52 Universal’s Aventura Hotel, 236–37, 252, 263, theme, 110 603, 604, 607, 657 transportation to/from, 150, 415, 433, 436–37, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, 237–38, 440, 541 252, 263, 602, 607, 657 Universal’s Endless Summer Resort, 238, 252, 262, 603, 607

See also the Restaurant Index on pages 688–691 and the Subject Index on pages 692–711. SUBJECT INDEX 689

RESTAURANT INDEX

Note: Page numbers in bold indicate a restaurant’s main entry. Aashirwad Indian Cuisine, 369 BoardWalk Bakery, 154 ABC Commissary, 304, 574–75 Boathouse, The, 22, 269, 276, 277, 313, 317–18, Ahmed Indian Restaurant, 369 363, 664–65, 669 Akasaka, 365 Boatwright’s Dining Hall, 310, 312, 318 Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, 280, 282, 284, Bob Marley—A Tribute to Freedom, 367 287, 288, 311, 313, 314, 510–11 BoiBrazil Churrascaria, 369 Ale & Compass, 310, 314–15 Boma—Flavors of Africa, 112, 180, 268, 310, 311, Aloha Isle, 297, 462–63, 470 318–19 Amatista Cookhouse, 235 Bonefish Grill, 366 American Kitchen, 199 Boston Lobster Feast, 370 Amorette’s Patisserie, 307, 664–65, 667 Bread Box Handcrafted Sandwiches, 368 AmphiBar, 669 Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., 367 Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, 365 Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar-B-Que, 364 Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food, 367 Bula Bar & Grille, 235 L’Artisan des Glaces, 299–300, 510–11, 518 Bull & Bear Steakhouse, 277, 366 Artist Point, 283, 310, 351 Bumblebee Man’s Taco Truck, 626–27, 640 Avalunch, 650 Burger Digs, The, 612–13

Backlot Express, 304, 574–75 Cafe 4, 609, 612–13 Backstretch Pool Bar, 166 Cafe La Bamba, 639 Bahama Breeze, 364 Café Mineiro, 369 Bambu, 658, 660 Café Osceola, 370 Bar 17 Bistro, 237 California Grill, 112, 143, 269, 276, 277, 293, 310, Bar Riva, 165 319–20 BaseLine Tap House, 291 La Cantina de San Angel, 300, 363, 510–11, 539 Basket, The, 361 Capa, 239, 277 Be Our Guest Restaurant, 2, 24, 271, 274–75, 276, Cape May Café, 283, 310, 311, 320 286, 293, 297, 310, 312, 315–16, 462–63, Capital Grille, The, 363, 366 470, 482 Captain America Diner, 612–13 Beaches & Cream Soda Shop, 311, 315 Casey’s Corner, 297, 462–63, 470, 502 Beatrix, 664–65 Catalina Eddie’s, 304, 574–75 Benihana, 200 La Cava del Tequila, 289, 531, 670 Beverly Sunset, 673 Celebration Town Tavern, 366 BiCE Orlando Ristorante, 234, 365 Le Cellier Steakhouse, 287, 313, 320–21, 510–11, Biergarten Restaurant, 270, 287, 292–93, 312, 538 316–17, 510–11, 534 Centertown Market, 270 Big River Grille & Brewing Works, 277, 311, 317 Central Park Crepes, 626–27 Big Top Treats, 670 Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, 22, 269, 275, 276, Bigfire, 367, 610 310, 321, 664–65 Bistro to Go, 147 Chef Mickey’s, 143, 275, 276, 280, 282, 284, 295, BK Whopper Bar, 368 311, 321–22 Black Angus, 363 Chefs de France, 287, 292, 312, 322, 510–11, 518 Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, 269, 307, 664–65 Chez Alcatraz, 626–27 Blondie’s, 612–13, 624 Chicken Guy, 307, 664–65

See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Subject Index on pages 693–711. 690 RESTAURANT INDEX

Choza de Margarita, 289 Fire-Eater’s Grill, 612–13, 624 Cinderella’s Royal Table, 211, 274, 276, 280, 282, Flame Tree Barbecue, 290, 303, 546–47, 553 286, 293, 310, 322, 462–63, 470 Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour, 626–27, Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous,PART 612–13 NUMBER640 Cítricos, 277, 312, 323 Flying Fish, 277, 293, 313, 326 Citrus Blossom, 288 Fogo de Chão, 369 City Works Eatery and Pour House, 277, 310, Food Trucks at Exposition Park, 664–65 323,PART 664–65 NAMEFood & Wine Festival, 45,and 46–47, 287, 289, 530, Cletus’ Chicken Shack, 640 676 Columbia, 364 Fountain, The, 311, 326–27 Columbia HarbourPART House, 297, 316, 462–63, 470 NAMEFountain of Fair Fortune, 626–27 Comic Strip Cafe, 612–13 4 Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck, 664–65 Confisco Grille, 612–13, 624 4 Rivers Smokehouse, 364 Contempo Cafe, The, 143 Fresh Mediterranean Market, 311, 313, 327 Cookes of Dublin, 307, 664–65 Friar’s Nook, The, 298, 462–63, 470 Cooling Hut, 650 Frontera Cocina, 277, 313, 327–28, 664–65, 669 Coral Reef Restaurant, 287, 288, 292, 313, 323– Frostbite Freddy’s, 650 24, 510–11, 527 Frying Dutchman, The, 640 Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, 297–98, 410, 462–63, Fuel, 158 470 Fusion Bistro Sushi & Sake Bar, 368 Cowfish, The, 363, 367 Creature Comforts, 302, 546–47, 553 Galaxy Bowl, 237 La Crêperie de Paris, 287, 309, 510–11 Ganachery, The, 668 Crêpes des Chefs de France, 300, 510–11 Garden Gallery, The, 147 Crockett’s Tavern, 203 Garden Grill Restaurant, 273, 275, 280, 282, 284, Croissant Moon Bakery, 612–13 285, 287, 288, 310, 328, 510–11, 518 Crystal Palace, The, 280, 282, 295, 311, 324, Garden Grove, 277, 283, 311, 328–29 462–63, 470 Gaston’s Tavern, 298, 462–63, 470, 482 Cuba Libre, 364 Geyser Point Bar & Grill, 24, 138, 310, 329 Gideon’s Bakehouse, 664–65, 668 Dancing Dragons Boat Bar, 660 Golden Corral, 370 Denny’s, 363 Golden Oak Outpost, 298, 462–63 Dhrum Club Kantine, 235 Goofy’s Candy Co., 666 Diamond Horseshoe, The, 286, 298, 462–63 Grand Floridian Café, 269, 276, 311, 330 Disney Signature Restaurants, 211 Green Eggs and Ham Cafe, 612–13 Disney’s Candy Cauldron, 668 Groove, The, 611 D-Luxe Burger, 307–8, 664–65 Doc Sugrue’s Desert Kebab House, 612–13 La Hacienda de San Angel, 287, 313, 330, 363, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, 291, 305, 574–75, 510–11, 539 580, 599 Les Halles Boulangerie-Pâtisserie, 265, 288, Dockside Diner, 305, 574–75 300, 510–11, 518 Dockside Margaritas, 669 Hanamizuki, 365 Duff Brewery, 626–27, 640 Harambe Market, 290, 303, 546–47, 556 Hard Rock Cafe, 232, 367, 611 Earl of Sandwich, 269, 308, 664–65 Havana’s Café, 364 Edison, The, 266, 277, 310, 324–25, 664–65, 669 Hog’s Head Pub, 612–13, 622, 624 End Zone Food Court, 270 Hokkaido Chinese and Japanese Buffet, 369 Enzo’s Hideaway, 277, 664–65, 669 Hollywood Brown Derby, The, 291, 293, 310, 331, Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC, 410, 664–65 574–75, 580, 583 ESPN Club, 311, 325 Hollywood & Vine, 266, 273, 275, 280, 282, 291, Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew, 668 293, 295, 311, 330–31, 574–75, 583 EverGreen Cafe, 200 Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, 201, 202–3, 272, Evergreen’s Sports Bar & Grille, 146, 147 274, 294 Everything POP, 270 Hopping Pot, The, 626–27 Express Café, 147 Hot Dog Hall of Fame, 367 House of Blues Restaurant & Bar, 277, 310, 332, Fairfax Fare, 305, 574–75, 580 664–65, 669, 676 Fantasmic! Dining Package, 272, 274, 583 Fast Food Boulevard, 609, 626–27 Ichiban Buffet, 369 Fat Tuesday, 611 Il Mulino New York Trattoria, 277, 312, 332 Feasting Frog, The, 658, 660 El Inka Grill, 366 Ferrytale Fireworks: A Sparkling Dessert Cruise, Intermission Food Court, 270 498–99 Islands Dining Room, 235 Fife & Drum Tavern, 300, 510–11 50’s Prime Time Cafe, 291, 293, 310, 325–26, Jake’s American Bar, 235 574–75, 580 Jaleo by José Andrés, 269, 277, 313, 332–33, Finnegan’s Bar & Grill, 626–27, 640 664–65, 666, 669

See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Subject Index on pages 693–711. RESTAURANT INDEX 691

Java Café, 147 Nagoya Sushi, 365 Jellyrolls, 675 Narcoossee’s, 277, 293, 313, 339–40, 410 Jiko—The Cooking Place, 112, 268, 276, 277, 293, NBC Sports Grill & Brew, 367–68 310, 333–34 New Dutch Trading Co., 235 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, 367, 611 Nile Ethiopian Restaurant, 364 Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar, 312, 334–35, 664– Nine Dragons Restaurant, 287, 288, 312, 340, 65 510–11 Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company, 664–65, 668 1900 Park Fare, 269, 283, 311, 340–41 Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen, 24, Nomad Lounge, 24, 290, 553 286, 310, 335, 462–63, 470 Ocean Prime, 366 Karamell-Küche, 534, 671 Oga’s Cantina, 291, 305–6, 574–75, 599 Kat Saka’s Kettle, 291 ‘Ohana, 269, 283, 313, 341–42 Katsura Grill, 300–301, 510–11 Olive Garden, The, 363 KidZone Pizza Company, 626–27 Olivia’s Cafe, 310, 342 Kimonos, 312, 335–36 On the Rocks Pool Bar, 166 Kitchen, The, 232 Oreganatta Italian Buffet, 369 Knife, The, 369 Knife and Spoon, 365 Paddlefish, 24, 277, 311, 313, 342–43, 664–65 Kohola Reef Restaurant and Social Club, 658, 660 Paddock Grill, The, 166 Kona Cafe, 313, 336 Palm Breezes Restaurant and Bar, The, 201 Kringla Bakeri og Kafe, 301, 510–11, 518 Palm Restaurant, The, 232 Krusty Burger, 640 Panda Express, 368 Kunuku Boat Bar, 660–61 Paradiso 37, 277, 312, 343, 664–65 Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery, 303, 546–47 Pat O’Brien’s Orlando, 368, 611 El Patrón, 363, 365 Landscape of Flavors, 195 PB&G (Pool Bar & Grill), 239 Lard Lad Donuts, 640 Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, 286, 299, 316, Leaky Cauldron, 609, 626–27, 640 462–63, 470 Leaning Palms, 654 Pepe by José Andrés, 308, 664–65 Liberty Square Market, 298, 462–63, 470 Peperoncino Cucina, 365 Liberty Tree Tavern, 276, 286, 293, 310, 316, Le Petit Café, 165 336–37, 462–63, 470 Phins, 158 Lisa’s Teahouse of Horror, 640 Pinocchio Village Haus, 286, 299, 462–63, 470 Lombard’s Seafood Grille, 626–27, 640 Pizza Ponte, 308, 664–65 London Taxi Hut, 626–27 Pizza Predattoria, 612–13 Lottawatta Lodge, 650 Pizzafari, 303, 546–47 Lotus Blossom Café, 301, 510–11 PizzeRizzo, 266, 306, 574–75 Louie’s Italian Restaurant, 626–27 Plancha, 277 Lowtide Lou’s, 654 Planet Hollywood Observatory, 277, 343–44, Luigi’s Pizza, 640 664–65 Lunching Pad, The, 298–99, 462–63, 470 Plaza Restaurant, The, 275, 286, 311, 345, 462–63, 470, 471, 501 Main Street Bakery, The, 299, 316, 462–63, 465, Polar Pub, 650 470 Polite Pig, The, 269, 308, 664–65 Main Street Confectionery, 670 Ponderosa, 370 Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, 291, 312, Pongu Pongu Lounge, 290 337, 574–75, 580, 583 Primo Piatto, 165 Mangino’s Bistro, 147 Mara, The, 180 Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant, 275, 276, Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante, 24, 277, 312, 337–38, 277, 312, 344–45, 664–65, 669 664–65 Rainforest Cafe, 277, 290, 311, 345–46, 546–47, Maya Grill, 277, 311, 313, 338 553, 664–65 Mel’s Drive-In, 626–27, 639 Ravello, 239, 277 Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, 368 Ravenous Pig, The, 364 El Mercado Food Court, 270 Red Coconut Club,The, 611 Merguez, 365 Red Oven Pizza Bakery, 368 Mess Tent, The, 612–13 Refreshment Outpost, 301, 510–11 Milk Stand, 291, 305, 574–75, 599 Refreshment Port, 301, 518 Moe’s Southwest Grill, 368 Regal Eagle Smokehouse, 301, 510–11, 534 Moe’s Tavern, 626–27, 640 Restaurant Marrakesh, 287, 313, 346–47, 510–11 Monsieur Paul, 277, 287, 288, 312, 338, 510–11 Restaurantosaurus, 303, 546–47 Moose Juice, Goose Juice, 612–13 Richter’s Burger Co., 626–27 Morimoto Asia, 22, 277, 312, 313, 339, 363, River Roost, 675 664–65, 669 Riverside Mill Food Court, 270 Morimoto Asia Street Food, 664–65 Rix Sports Bar & Grill, 675 Mythos Restaurant, 612–13, 624 Ronto Roasters, 291, 306, 574–75, 580, 599

See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Subject Index on pages 693–711. 692 RESTAURANT INDEX

Rose & Crown Dining Room, 37, 276, 287, 288, Toledo—Tapas, Steak & Seafood, 184, 313, 354–55 293, 311, 510–11, 538 Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant, 299, 462–63, Rose & Crown Pub, 290, 301, 510–11, 538, 539 501 Rosie’s All-American Cafe, 306, 574–75 Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, 286, 312, 355, Roundup Rodeo BBQ, 580 462–63, 470, 471 Royal Anandapur Tea Company, 303–4, 546–47, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory 553 Feast Kitchen, 368, 610 Top of the World Lounge, 144, 675 sake bars, 289 Topolino’s Terrace–Flavors of the Riviera, 165, San Angel Inn Restaurante, 287, 288, 292, 313, 282, 285, 312, 355–56 348, 510–11, 670 Tortuga Tavern, 299, 462–63 San Francisco Pastry Company, 626–27 Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, 133, 313, 356, 675 Sanaa, 112, 180, 182, 268, 293, 310, 312, 347–48 Trail’s End Restaurant, 311, 312, 356 Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, 270 Trail’s End To-Go, 270 Satu’li Canteen, 290, 304, 546–47, 553 Trattoria al Forno, 276, 283, 312, 357 Scat Cat’s Club, 675 Traveler’s Café, 302, 510–11 Schwab’s Pharmacy, 626–27 T-REX Restaurant, 275, 310, 357, 664–65 Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, 291, 293, 311, Trolley Car Cafe, The, 291, 306, 574–75, 580 348–49, 574–75 Turf Club Bar & Grill, 311, 357–58 Seasons 52, 364 Turquaz Turkish Cuisine, 366 Sebastian’s Bistro, 161, 313, 349 Tusker House Restaurant, 283, 290, 310, 311, Selam Ethiopian & Eritrean Cuisine, 364 358, 546–47, 553 Shoney’s, 370 Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar, 287, 312, 358, 510–11, Shula’s Steak House, 277, 313, 349 518, 534 Slate, 364 Tutto Italia Ristorante, 287, 293, 312, 358–59, Sleepy Hollow, 500 510–11, 518 Smokehouse, The, 664–65 Typhoon Tilly’s, 654 Snack Shack, 654 Sofrito Latin Cafe, 365 Universal Studios’ Classic Monsters Cafe, 626–27 Sommerfest, 302, 510–11 Uzima Springs, 181 Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q, 371 Space 220, 287, 314, 510–11 Velvet Lounge, 232 Spice Road Table, 287, 288, 313, 349–50, 510–11, Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria, 265, 276, 287, 518, 539 288, 312, 359, 510–11, 518, 534 Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, 294 Victoria & Albert’s, 112, 269, 276, 277, 293, 312, Splitsville, 277, 311, 350, 669 359–60 Sprinkles, 664–65 Victoria Falls, 180 Starbucks, 237, 291, 308, 462–63, 465, 470, 547, Les Vins de Chefs de France, 290, 672 553, 574–75, 580, 664–65, 666 Vito’s Chop House, 366 STK Orlando, 277, 313, 350–51, 664–65, 669 Vivo Italian Kitchen, 368 Strong Water Tavern, 235, 368 Vivoli il Gelato, 664–65 Sunshine Seasons, 302, 510–11, 518 Voodoo Doughnut, 610 Swizzle Lounge, 237 Warming Hut, 650 Tabla Cuisine, 365 Wave . . . of American Flavors, The, 143, 311, 360 Tahitian Room, The, 609 Weinkeller, 289, 671 Takumi-Tei, 287, 312, 351–52, 510–11 Whakawaiwai Eats, 658, 660 Tangierine Café, 288, 302, 510–11, 518, 536 Whispering Canyon Cafe, 310, 360–61 Taverna Opa, 364 Wimpy’s, 612–13 Tea Caddy, The, 673 Wine Bar George, 22, 24, 269, 276, 277, 313, 361, El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant, 365 664–65, 669 Teppan Edo, 276, 287, 288, 293, 312, 352, 363, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, 277, 310, 361–62, 510–11, 518 664–65 Terralina Crafted Italian Restaurant, 24, 277, 312, Woodlands Pure Vegetarian Indian Cuisine, 369 352, 664–65 Woody’s Lunch Box, 306–7, 574–75, 580 Texas de Brazil, 366, 369 World Premier Food Court, 270 T.G.I. Friday’s, 363 Thai Silk, 366 Yachtsman Steakhouse, 277, 313, 362 Thai Thani, 366 Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes, 293, 304, 313, Three Bridges Bar & Grill, 184, 310, 313, 352–53 546–47 Three Broomsticks, 609, 612–13 Yak & Yeti Restaurant, 290, 362, 546–47, 553 Thunder Falls Terrace, 612–13, 624 Yorkshire County Fish Shop, 288, 302, 510–11, Tiffins, 24, 290, 310, 313, 353, 546–47, 553, 554 518, 538 Today Cafe, 626–27 Todd English’s bluezoo, 277, 313, 353–54, 369 Tokyo Dining, 287, 293, 312, 354, 363, 510–11

See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Subject Index on pages 693–711. SUBJECT INDEX 693

SUBJECT INDEX

Note: Attractions at non-Disney parks are labeled; those at Disney parks are unlabeled. accommodations, 91–255, 256–71. reservations for, 74 See also separate Accommodations Index savings in, 69, 73–74 Animal Kingdom, 109–10, 178–96 seasonal pricing of, 74–75 EPCOT, 109–10, 148–65 special passes, 81 Magic Kingdom, 109–10, 126–47 surcharges in, 74–75 Bonnet Creek, 165–78 with travel packages, 206–17 campgrounds, 201–6 unauthorized sellers, 79 contact information, 46–47, 230 United Kingdom, advance ticket purchase in, 81 COVID-19 and, 14, 87–88 Universal Orlando, 606–7 Disney Springs, 196–201 water parks, 75–77, 641–42, 645 information chart, 248 where to buy, 78–79 maps, 218, 219, 221, 222 wristbands for, 43, 82–83, 422–23, 454, 652 outside Disney World, 217–49 adult time, tips for, 420–21 privileges with, 88–91 advance reservations for restaurants, 37–38, 88, rating/ranking, 245–49 271–77, 514 reservations, 92–93 Advent Health Centra Care, 455 returning for midday break, 51–52 Adventureland, 473–76 for seniors, 414–15 for children, 392 Universal Orlando, 232–38, 602–3 Jungle Cruise, 463–64, 468–69, 473 views from, at TouringPlans.com, 28 Magic Carpets of Aladdin, The, 463–64, 473–74 in Walt Disney World, 86–249 not-to-be-missed attractions, 465 acronyms and abbreviations, 25–26 A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasure of the Seven active listening, 378–79 Seas, 463–64, 468–69 addresses, Walt Disney World, 48 Pirates of the Caribbean, 463–64, 468–69, admission, 68–83 474–75 add-ons, 75–76 Swiss Family Treehouse, 463–64, 475–76 advance purchase of, 79 Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, 463–64, Base Ticket add-ons, 76 476 biometric information for, 83 Adventurers Outpost, 546–47, 554 Blizzard Beach, 75–77 Aerophile, 664–65 Canadian residents, 80 Affection Section, 546–47 costs, 68–83 Africa, 546–47, 556–60 COVID-19 and, 74 Animation Experience at Conservation Station, date-based pricing and surcharges, 74–75 The, 559 discounts, 28, 80–81 for children, 393 early, 43–45, 89 Conservation Station, 546–47, 559–60 expiration dates for, 76–77 Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, 546–47, 557–58 Extra Magic Hours, 26 Kilimanjaro Safaris, 546–47, 558–59 Florida resident passes, 80, 81 not-to-be-missed attractions, 549 information on, 68–83 Rafiki’s Planet Watch, 546–47, 559–60 1-Day, 76–77 Wildlife Express Train, 546–47, 560 online purchase of, 36, 76–77 age, attraction suitability and, 373–74, 390–96 options for, 76–77 airports, 432 Park Hopper/Park Hopper Plus, 75–77 Akershus Castle, 532 purchase, 78–79 Aladdin, The Magic Carpets of, 463–64, 473–74 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. 694 SUBJECT INDEX

alcoholic beverages, 289–90, 460 lost persons at, 390, 548 Alcoholics Anonymous, 411–12 map, 546–47 Alert Program, 379 Oasis, The, 546–47, 552–53 Alex and Ani, 664–65 PART NUMBERopening procedures, 548–49 Alien Swirling Saucers, 574–75, 591 operating hours, 548–49 AllEars.net, 381 overview, 17, 544–45, 548 allergies, 381, 409–10 parking, 442–43 alligators,PART in water bodies, 383 NAMErestaurants, 290, 302–4, and 552 Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, The (IOA), services, 548 612–13, 614 shopping, 672 Amazon Pantry, 460PART NAMEstrollers in, 385, 548 AMC Disney Springs 24 Dine-In Theatres, 664–65 touring plans, 571–72 America Gardens Theatre, 510–11 traffic patterns, 570–71 American Adventure, The, 510–11, 534–35 transportation to/from, 548 American Heritage Gallery, 534 animal(s). See also Animal Kingdom American Threads, 664–65 pet accommodations, 459 Animal Actors on Location! (USF), 626–27, 628 in The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion, Animal Kingdom, 544–72 510–11, 528 accommodations in or near, 109–10, 178–96 Animation Courtyard, 592–94 Africa, 546–47, 556–60 Animation Experience at Conservation Station, After Hours events, 85 The, 559 arriving at, 548–49 annual passes, 78 Asia, 546–47, 560–64 Anthropologie, 664–65 attractions aquariums, 528 Animation Experience at Conservation arcades, shooting, 463–64, 478 Station, The, 559 Ariel’s Grotto, 462–63, 483 Avatar Flight of Passage, 546–47, 567–69 Arribas Brothers, 664–65 Awakenings, 555–56 arrival and departure days, managing, 52–53 behind-the-scenes tours, 11 Art Corner, The, 664–65 Boneyard, The, 546–47, 564–65 Art of Disney, The, 664–65, 670, 671 for children, 393 Art of Shaving, 664–65, 668 Dinosaur, 546–47, 565–66 Asia, 546–47, 560–64 Donald’s Dino-Bash!, 570 for children, 393 expectant mothers and, 417 Expedition Everest, 546–47, 560–61 Expedition Everest, 546–47, 560–61 Kali River Rapids, 546–47, 562–63 Festival of the Lion King, 546–47, 557 Maharajah Jungle Trek, 546–47, 563–64 Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, 546–47, 557–58 motion-sickness potential, 395 height restrictions, 396 not-to-be-missed attractions, 549 It’s Tough to Be a Bug!, 546–47, 553, 554 assistive-technology devices, 411 Kali River Rapids, 546–47, 562–63 Astro Orbiter, 462–63, 492 Kilimanjaro Safaris, 546–47, 558–59 Atlantic Dance Hall, 675 Maharajah Jungle Trek, 546–47, 563–64 ATMs, 452–53, 466, 514, 548, 578 motion-sickness potential, 395 attendance statistics Na’vi River Journey, 546–47, 569–70 early entry and, 44–45 Pandora—The World of Avatar, 546–47, 566–70 holidays, 42–43 switching off in lines, 397–98 off-season, 39–40 Tree of Life, The, 546–47, 553 summer, 41, 45–46 TriceraTop Spin, 546–47, 566 time of year, 41 Wilderness Explorers, 556 auto club discounts, 101 Wildlife Express Train, 546–47, 560 autographs, of Disney characters, 402 baby care in, 383 automated teller machines (ATMs), 452–53, cavalcades, 570 466, 514, 548, 578 commuting time to/from, 436–37 AutoSlash.com, 38 crowds, 570–71 Avatar (film), 566 DinoLand U.S.A., 546–47, 564–66 Avatar Flight of Passage, 546–47, 567–69 Discovery Island, 546–47, 553–56 Awakenings, 555–56 Disney characters in, 400 Awesome Planet (film), 510–11, 525–26 driving to, 442 babies. See children early admission, 43–45 Baby Center/Care/Services, 383–84 eating in, 290 Animal Kingdom, 548 entertainment, 570 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 577 FastPass+ at, 551–52 EPCOT, 514 first aid in, 383 Magic Kingdom, 466 GPS coordinates, 442 babysitting services, 403–4 Guest Relations, 453, 548 bands, for admission/identification information, 548 MagicBand, 43, 82–83, 422–23, 454, 652 lost and found in, 454 TapuTapu (Volcano Bay), 657–58 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. SUBJECT INDEX 695

banking services, 452–53, 466, 514, 548, 578 breakfast, 73, 370 Barnstormer, 462–63, 483–84 breastfeeding, 384 Basin, 664–65 Buena Vista Urgent Care, 455 Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon Electrical buffets, 270, 368–71 Water Pageant, 497 Build-A-Dino/Dino Store, 664–65 Bay Slides, 654, 655 buses, 435–39 Beachcomber Shacks, 648 commuting times on, 436–37 bears, at Country Bear Jamboree, 463–64, 477–78 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 576 Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage, 574–75, 581 Magical Express, 89, 422–24 Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along, 536–37 shuttle buses from hotels, 449 behind-the-scenes tours, COVID-19 and, 11 Butterbeer, 622 Behind the Seeds Tour (EPCOT), 526 Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, 462–63, Belle, Enchanted Tales with, 463–64, 485–86 492–93 Best Friends Pet Care, 459 beverages, 73, 289–90, 460 calendar, Disney, 45–47 Beverly Sunset, 673 Camera Center, 671 Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, 664–65, 666 cameras, memory cards and supplies, 548 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, 462–63, 468, camera supplies, 578 476–77 campgrounds, 201–6 Big Top Treats, 670 Camp Jurassic (IOA), 612–13, 617 Bijutsu-kan Gallery, 535 Canada Far and Wide (film), 538–39 birds Canada Pavilion, 510–11, 538, 673 Feathered Friends in Flight, 546–47, 561–62 Canadian resident tickets, 80 Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, 463–64, 476 Candy Cauldron, Disney’s, 664–65, 668 Winged Encounters—The Kingdom Takes Car Care Center, 443 Flight, 570 car chase, Fast & Furious: Supercharged (USF), birthday celebrations, 405 626–27, 630–31 Black History Month, 45 Caro-Seuss-el (IOA), 612–13, 623 Black Spire Outfitters (store), 673, 674 Carousel of Progress, Walt Disney’s, 463–64, 496 blisters, 382, 412, 455–56 carousel(s) Blizzard Beach, 646, 649–53 Caro-Seuss-el, 612–13, 623 admission, 75–77 Carousel of Progress, Walt Disney’s, 463–64, commuting time to/from, 435 496 COVID-19 and, 17 Prince Charming’s Regal, 463–64, 489 Disney characters in, 401 car(s). See also parking GPS coordinates, 442 electric-vehicle, 450–51 height restrictions, 396 lost, 454 vs. Typhoon Lagoon and Volcano Bay, 643–44 miniature, in Tomorrowland, 494–95 Blues Brothers Show, The (USF), 639 rental, 381, 424–27 boarding groups, 576 travel in BoardWalk, Disney’s, 22 commuting time for, 220–23, 436–37 Boardwalk Ticketing, 78 directions for, 428–31 boat rides vs. Disney Transportation System, 434–35 Frozen Ever After, 510–11, 532–33, 537–38 sneak routes, 444–48 Gran Fiesta Tour, 510–11, 531 to/from EPCOT, 513 It’s a Small World, 463–64, 486 to/from Universal Orlando, 603 Jungle Cruise, 463–64, 468–69, 473 trouble with, 443 Jurassic Park River Adventure, 612–13, 618 Casablanca Carpets, 671 Kali River Rapids, 546–47, 562–63 Casey Jr. Splash ’N’ Soak Station, 462–63, 484 Liberty Belle Riverboat, 463–64, 482 cash and cash machines, 452–53, 466, 514, 548, Living with the Land, 510–11, 526 578 Na’vi River Journey, 546–47 Castaway Creek, 654, 655 Pirates of the Caribbean, 463–64, 468–69, castle(s), Cinderella, 466 474–75 cast members, 23, 25 Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges, 612–13, 616 Cat in the Hat, The (IOA), 612–13, 623 rafts to/from Tom Sawyer Island, 463–64, 479–80 cavalcades. See also parades Splash Mountain, 463–64, 468, 478–79 Animal Kingdom, 570 boat transportation, 440, 576 Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS), 600–601 body slides. See water parks EPCOT, 539 Boneyard, The, 546–47, 564–65 Magic Kingdom, 497 Bonnet Creek resorts, 165–78 CBD products, 410–11 bottlenecks, avoiding, 32. See also crowd(s) Celebration Dental Group, 455 Bourne Stuntacular, The (USF), 626–27, 628–29 celebrations, tips for, 419–21 boutique hotels, 223–24 cell phones Box Office Gifts, 670 charging, 453, 514, 548, 578. See also services Braille guidebooks and menus, 411 for individual parks and lands Brass Bazaar, The, 671 reception problems with, 453 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. 696 SUBJECT INDEX

Central Plaza, 465 dining in, 363–68, 610 Chairlift, Mount Gushmore, 650, 651 entertainment in, 611 Chapeau, The, 670 civil service employees, admission, 81 Chapel Hats, 664–65 climate, Florida’s, 41 character greetings, 593 clinics, for medical care, 455 characters, Disney. See Disney characters closing time, 51 check-in and checkout services, Coach, 664–65 in accommodations, 120–21 Coca-Cola Store, 664–65, 667 Cherry Tree Lane (store), 667 cognitive disabilities, support for visitors with, 411 Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, 671 Columbia Sportswear, 664–65 child-care centers/clubs, 403–4. commuting time, 220–23, 436–37 See also Baby Center/Care/Services complaints, contacting Disney staff about, 456–57 children, 372–405 concerts, Blues Brothers Show, The (USF), 639 accommodations for, 91, 231–32, 376 condominiums, 226–31 active listening, 378–79 Conservation Station, 546–47, 559–60 attractions for conventions, 81 age for, 373–74, 390–96 corporate sponsors, admission discounts for, 81 Animal Kingdom, 393 costs Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 393–94 accommodations, 89–90, 106–8, 245–49 EPCOT, 392–93 admission, 68–83 Magic Kingdom, 392 daily, 80–81 suitability of, 390–96 grocery items, 460 Universal, 609–10 increases in, 81–82 autistic, 388 parking, 442 baby-care facilities for, 383–84, 466, 514, 548, 577 restaurants, 278, 310–13 babysitting services for, 403–4 special events, 84–85 birthday celebrations for, 405 travel packages, 206–17 consistency with, 378 vacation-home rental, 226–31 diaper-changing facilities for, 383–84, 466, 514, costumes, of characters, 402 548, 577 counter-service restaurants, 271, 279 discipline, 377–80 Animal Kingdom, 302–4 expectations, 373, 378 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 304–7 favorite activities, 380–81 Disney Springs, 307–8 feeling vocabulary, 378–79 EPCOT, 299–302 flexibility with, 377 Magic Kingdom, 297–99 frightening rides, 390–96 Country Bear Jamboree, 462–63, 477–78 health considerations for, 382–83 couples, activities for, 419–21 height requirements for, 395–96 coupons, for restaurants, 371 Kidcot Fun Stops for, 530, 531 COVID-19, 9–14 lost. See lost persons accommodations and, 14, 87–88 meeting Disney characters. See Disney characters admission and, 74 missing school, 40, 374–75 behind-the-scenes tours and, 11 naps for, 375–76 Blizzard Beach and, 17 negative behaviors, 379–80 Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) and, 573, 576 Passport Kits for, 529–30 FastPass+ and, 10–11, 63 planning recommendations for, 372–88 nightlife and, 11 restaurants for, 292–93 recreation and, 11 rest for, 375–76 reservations for theme parks due to, 10–11, 74 in restrooms, 389 restaurants and, 267 setting limits for, 377 rides and, 13–14 special kids’ programs, 404–5 safety and security and, 11–14 strollers for. See strollers shopping and, 11 switching off in lines, 397–98, 494, 610 spas and, 11 time of year to visit with, 40, 374–75 transportation and, 11 touring plans for, 381–82, 504–8 Walt Disney World and, 9–14 waiting-line strategies for, 397–99 water parks and, 11 China Pavilion, 510–11, 533, 670 Creature Stall (store), 674 Christmas credit cards, 452 events for, 47 Cross Country Creek, 650, 651, 653 Mickey Mouse’s party for, 47 Crowd Calendar, 28, 41–42 planning visit for, 43 crowd(s). See also touring plan(s); traffic patterns shopping for, 666 Animal Kingdom, 570–71 Cinderella Castle, 466 children lost in, 389–90 Cinematic Celebration (USF), 626–27, 639 EPCOT, 541–42 Cirque du Soleil, 22, 664–65, 666 Future World, 541–42 City Hall, 388, 465 live entertainment effects on, 500–502 CityWalk (USF) off-season, 39–40 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. SUBJECT INDEX 697

opening procedures and, 503 TriceraTop Spin, 546–47, 566 at parades, 500–502 Dinosaur, 546–47, 565–66 summer, 42–43, 45–46 Disability Access Service (DAS) card, 407–8 time of year for, 39–48 Disability Access Service, 407–8 traffic patterns and, 503–4 Disney resort amenities, 407–9 waiting-line strategies for, 397–99. guide for, 29 See also FastPass+ service animals, 407 water parks, 642–43 theme park booklets and support, 407 World Showcase, 541–42 visitors with disabilities, 407–9, 411 Crown & Crest, The, 672 wheelchairs and electric vehicles, 408–9, 465, Crush ’n’ Gusher, 653, 654, 655 514, 548, 577 Crush, Turtle Talk with, 510–11, 528–29 discipline, of children, 377–80 Curious George Goes to Town (USF), 626–27, 629 discounts currency exchange, 453 accommodations, 95–102, 208–9, 223–26 CVS pharmacy, 455 admission, 28, 80–81 outlet shopping, 674–75 Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle, 622 restaurants, 371 dark rides, 394 websites for, 381 Cat in the Hat, The, 612–13, 623 Discovery Island, 393, 546–47, 549, 553–56 Dinosaur, 546–47, 565–66 Discovery Trading Company, 671 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (IOA), discussion sites, 38, 99 612–13, 620–21 Disney Centerpiece (store), 667 Haunted Mansion, The, 463–64, 481–82 Disney characters, 399–403. See also meet and Men in Black Alien Attack (USF), 626–27, 632–33 greets; individual characters Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, 574–75, in Animal Kingdom, 400 584–85 autographs from, 402 Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, 510–11, 512, 537–38 in Blizzard Beach, 401 Revenge of the Mummy (USF), 626–27, 634 in cavalcades, 497 Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, dining with, 270, 280–85, 403 463–64, 491 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 401, 581 Spaceship Earth, 510–11, 515, 522 in EPCOT, 400 Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, 574–75, in Fantasmic!, 581–83 596–98 in Fantasyland, 487, 489, 497 Toy Story Mania!, 574–75, 592 For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing- Transformers: The Ride 3-D (USF), 626–27, 635 Along Celebration, 574–75, 587–88 Darkroom, The, 673 furry type, 402 DAS (Disability Access Service) card, 407–8 lost children and, 390 Das Kaufhaus, 670 in Magic Kingdom, 400, 463–64, 466, 471–72, David’s Vacation Club Rentals, 98 485–86, 489 Days of Christmas, Disney’s, 664–65, 666 in Main Street, 471 dehydration, 382 meeting, 390, 399–403 dental emergencies, 455 in shows, 497–503 Department of Defense (DOD) employees, touring plans and, 381 admission for, 81 in Typhoon Lagoon, 401 departure and arrival days, managing, 52–53 Disney Character Warehouse, 674–75 Der Teddybar, 671 Disney Cruise Line, 23 Dervish and Banges (IOA), 622 Disney Deluxe Dining Plan, 212–13 Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (USF), 626–27, Disney Dining Plan Plus, 212 629–30 Disney Dining Plans, 45, 210–17 DHS. See Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) Disney Information Bulletin Board (DIBB), 81 Diagon Alley, The Wizarding World of Harry Disney Junior Dance Party!/Disney Junior Play Potter (USF), 636–38 and Dance, 24, 574–75, 592–93 diaper-changing facilities, 383–84, 466, 514, Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, 510–11, 524 548, 577 Disney Platinum Pass, 78 dietary restrictions, 278, 409–10 Disney’s BoardWalk, 22 Die Weihnachts Ecke (store), 671 Disney’s Candy Cauldron, 664–65, 668 dining. See eating; restaurants; Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS), 573–601 separate Restaurant Index arriving, 576–77 dining plans, 210–17, 271 attractions dinner theaters, 294 Alien Swirling Saucers, 574–75, 591 DinoLand U.S.A. Animation Courtyard, 592–94 Boneyard, The, 546–47, 564–65 Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage, for children, 393 574–75, 581 Dinosaur, 546–47, 565–66 character greetings, 593 Donald’s Dino-Bash!, 570 for children, 393–94 motion-sickness potential, 395 Disney Junior Dance Party!/Disney Junior not-to-be-missed attractions, 549 Play and Dance, 24, 574–75, 592–93 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. 698 SUBJECT INDEX

Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) (continued) commuting time to/from, 436–37 expectant mothers and, 417 description, 662 Fantasmic!, 581–83 GPS coordinates, 442 height restrictions, 396 Guest Relations, 453 Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, height restrictions, 396 574–75, 588 Landing, The, 22, 666, 668 Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple, 574–75, nightlife, 668–69 588–89 overview, 22 Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, restaurants, 268–69, 307–8 574–75, 583–84 sneak routes to, 445–48 Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, 574–75, Town Center, 666, 668 584–85 transportation to/from, 662–63 Mickey and Minnie Starring in Red Carpet West Side, 666 Dreams, 574–75, 589 DisneyStyle, 664–65 Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, 574–75, Disney Tails (store), 667 595–96 Disney Transportation System, 433–41 motion-sickness potential, 395 Disney Vacation Club, 81, 98–99 Muppet-Vision 3-D, 574–75, 590 Disney, Walt, tribute to, 593–94 Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, 574–75, 585–86 Disney Youth Education Series, 81 Slinky Dog Dash, 574–75, 591 DOCS physicians, 455 Star Tours—The Adventures Continue, Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, 612–13, 615 574–75, 589–90 doctors, 455 Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. See Star Wars: Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities (store), 674 Galaxy’s Edge Donald’s Dino-Bash!, 570 Star Wars Launch Bay, 24, 574–75, 593 Downhill Double Dipper, 647, 650, 651, 652 Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, 574–75, Downtown Disney. See Disney Springs 596–98 dress recommendations switching off in lines, 397–98 Disney “uniform,” 388 Theater of the Stars, 581 restaurants, 277 time to allocate for, 577 water parks, 645 Toy Story Land, 24, 590–92 Drinking Around the World, 530 Toy Story Mania!, 574–75, 592 driving. See car(s) Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, The, 574–75, Droid Depot (store), 674 586–87 drug stores and prescriptions, 455 Walt Disney Presents, 574–75, 593–94 D-Tech on Demand (store), 667 baby care in, 383 Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls (IOA), 612–13, 616 behind-the-scenes tours, 11 Dumbo-or-Die Touring Plan for small children, boarding groups, 576 398–99 cavalcades, 600–601 Dumbo the Flying Elephant, 462–63, 484–85 commuting time to/from, 436–37 DVC Rental Store, the, 98–99 COVID-19 and, 573, 576 Disney characters in, 401, 581 early entry, 43–45, 89 eating in, 291–92, 580 Ears to the World, 416 Echo Lake, 587–90 Easter celebrations, 45 FastPass+ at, 578–80 eating. See also restaurants; first aid in, 383 separate Restaurant Index getting oriented, 577–80 allergy considerations, 278, 381 GPS coordinates, 442 in Animal Kingdom, 290, 302–4 Grand Avenue, 590 breakfast, 73, 370 Guest Relations, 453 bringing your own food, 279–80 Hollywood Boulevard, 577, 581 CityWalk, 363–68 live entertainment in, 600–601 at closing time, 443 lost and found in, 454 counter-service, 271, 279, 295–308 map, 574–75 dietary restrictions, 278, 409–10 opening procedures, 577 dining plans for, 210–17 overview, 17 with Disney characters, 270, 280–85, 403 parking, 442–43, 576 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 291–92, 304–7 Pixar Place, 590 in Disney Springs, 268–69, 307–8 restaurants, 291–92, 304–7, 580 in Disney World, 266–362 services, 577–78 in EPCOT, 286–90, 299–302, 518 shopping, 673 ethnic food, 286–90, 310–13, 364–66 strollers in, 385 fast food, 271 Sunset Boulevard, 577, 581–87 food courts, 270 touring plans for, 601 healthful food, 278 Disney’s Pirate Adventure, 404, 468–69 lunch, 650 Disney Springs in Magic Kingdom, 286, 297–99 accommodations in or near, 196–201 money-saving tips, 279–80 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. SUBJECT INDEX 699

outside Disney World, 363–71 restaurants, 286–90, 299–302 readers’ comments, 294–95 services, 514 reservations for, 37–38, 88, 271–77, 514 shopping, 669–74 for seniors, 415 strollers in, 385 time-saving tips, 279–80 touring plans for, 542–43 with travel packages, 206–17 traffic patterns, 542 vendor food, 271 transportation to/from, 512–13, 541 in water parks, 644, 650 EPCOT Festival of the Arts, 676 in World Showcase, 289–90 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, 24, 45 Eat to the Beat music, 676 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, 47 Echo Lake, 393, 395, 587–90 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, 45 ECV/ESV (Electric cart/vehicle) rentals, 408–9, EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, 46 465, 514, 578 Erwin Pearl, 664–65 Edward Beiner, 664–65 Escape from Gringotts, Harry Potter and the Eiffel Tower, 510–11, 536 (USF), 626–27, 637 elders. See seniors E.T. Adventure, 626–27, 630 electric carts/vehicles (ECVs), 408–9, 465, 514, 578 ethnic food, 286–90, 310–13, 364–66 electric vehicles, 450–51 Ever After Jewelry Co., 664–65 Emporium, The, 454–55, 670 Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew, 668 Enchanted Tales with Belle, 462–63, 485–86 Everything but Water, 664–65 entertainment. See films (shows); exercise. See recreation live entertainment; nightlife expectant mothers, activity guidelines for, 416–19 EPCOT, 509–43. See also Future World; World Expedia.com, 97, 223 Showcase Expedition Everest, 546–47, 560–61 accommodations in or near, 148–65 expiration, of tickets, 76–77 acronym meaning, 509 Extra Hands Vacation Services, 403 alcoholic beverages in, 289–90 attractions, 510–11. See also individual attractions face masks, 12 for children, 392–93 Fairytale Gardens, Meet Merida at, 463–64, 487 Frozen Ever After, 510–11, 532–33, 537–38 Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, 419 Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Family Magic Tour, 404 510–11, 519–20 family-style restaurants, 270 height restrictions, 396 Fantasmic!, 581–83 motion-sickness potential, 395 Fantasy Faire, 670 Odyssey Center, 510–11 Fantasyland, 463–64, 482–91 Outpost, 510–11 attractions Play Pavilion, 510–11, 512, 522 Ariel’s Grotto, 463–64, 483 switching off in lines, 397–98 Barnstormer, 463–64, 483–84 baby care in, 383 Casey Jr. Splash ’N’ Soak Station, 463–64, 484 behind the scenes tours, 11 for children, 392 closing time, 541 Dumbo, the Flying Elephant, 463–64, 484–85 commuting time to/from, 436–37 Enchanted Tales with Belle, 463–64, 485–86 crowds, 541–42 It’s a Small World, 486 Disney characters in, 400 Mad Tea Party, 463–64, 486–87 eating in, 286–90 Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The, expectant mothers, 417 463–64, 487 FastPass+ at, 65, 516–18 Meet Merida at Fairytale Gardens, 463–64, Festival of the Arts, 676 487 first aid in, 383 motion-sickness potential, 395 GPS coordinates, 442 not-to-be-missed, 465 Guest Relations, 453 Peter Pan’s Flight, 463–64, 467–68, 488 Harmonious, 512, 516–17, 539–40 Pete’s Silly Sideshow, 463–64, 488–89 information, 514 Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, 463–64, International Festival of the Arts, 24, 45 489 International Festival of the Holidays, 47 Princess Fairytale Hall, 463–64, 483, 489 International Flower & Garden Festival, 45 Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mer- International Food & Wine Festival, 46 maid, 463–64, 491 live entertainment, 539–41 Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, 463–64, 468, 490–91 lost and found in, 454 Walt Disney Railroad, 491 vs. Magic Kingdom, 509 live entertainment, 497–503 map, 510–11 fast-casual restaurants, 271 opening procedures, 513–14 Fast & Furious: Supercharged (USF), 626–27, operating hours, 513–14 630–31 overview, 16–17, 509–12, 513–14 FastPass+, 63–67 parades, 514 Animal Kingdom, 551–52 parking, 442–43, 513 COVID-19 and, 10–11, 63 remodeling, 519 DAS card use, 408 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. 700 SUBJECT INDEX

FastPass+ (continued) flume rides Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 578–80 Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, 612–13, 616 EPCOT, 516–18, 540–41 Splash Mountain, 463–64, 468, 478–79 Magic Kingdom, 467–70 food. See eating; restaurants obtaining, 63–64, 67 food courts, 270 priorities at each park, 66 Food & Wine Festival, EPCOT, 46 reservations for, 37, 63–65 foot care, 382, 455–56 rules for using, 64–66 Forbidden Journey, Harry Potter and the (IOA), vs. standby guests, 65 612–13, 620–21 tiers, 65 For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing- touring plans and, 28, 66 Along Celebration, 574–75, 587–88 waiting times with, 65–66 Fort Langhorn, 479–80 Fear Factor Live (USF), 626–27, 631 fountains Feathered Friends in Flight (show), 546–47, Lost Continent (IOA), 622–23 561–62 Universal Studios Florida, 639 feeling vocabulary, 378–79 France Pavilion, 510–11, 536–38, 672 ferry dock, 463–64 Francesca’s, 664–65 Ferrytale Fireworks: A Sparkling Dessert Cruise, Free People, 664–65 498–99 fright factors, 391–94, 609–10 Festival of Fantasy Parade, 400 Fright-Potential Chart, 392–94 Festival of the Arts, EPCOT, 24, 45, 676 Frog Choir, 622 Festival of the Holidays, EPCOT, 47 Frontierland, 462–63, 476–80 Festival of the Lion King, 546–47, 557 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, 463–64, 468, Fievel’s Playland (USF), 626–27, 631 476–77 Figment, 510–11, 524–25 for children, 392 films (shows) Country Bear Jamboree, 463–64, 477–78 Awakenings, 555–56 Fort Langhorn, 479–80 Awesome Planet, 510–11, 525–26 Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade, 462–63, 478 Canada Far and Wide, 538–39 Mickey’s PhilharMagic, 463–64, 487–88 Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, 510–11, 524 motion-sickness potential, 395 Impressions de France/Beauty and the Beast not-to-be-missed attractions, 465 Sing-Along, 510–11, 537 rafts to/from Tom Sawyer Island, 463–64, It’s Tough to Be a Bug!, 546–47, 553, 554 479–80 Mickey’s PhilharMagic, 463–64, 487–88 Splash Mountain, 463–64, 468, 478–79 Muppet-Vision 3-D, 574–75, 590 Tom Sawyer Island, 463–64, 479–80 Reflections of China, 510–11, 533 Walt Disney Railroad, 480 Shrek 4-D (USF), 626–27, 634 Frozen Ever After (ride), 24, 510–11, 532–33, Soarin’ Around the World, 510–11, 526–27, 538 537–38 Turtle Talk with Crush, 510–11, 528–29 Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, A (For the First Walt Disney Presents, 593–94 Time in Forever), 574–75, 587–88 fireworks Future World EPCOT, 539 attractions, 514 exit strategies after, 500–502 Awesome Planet, 510–11, 525–26 Magic Kingdom, 499–502 for children, 392–93 Universal Studios Florida, 639 Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, 510–11, 524 viewing, 499–500 Imagination! Pavilion, 510–11, 524–25 first aid, 383–84, 455 Journey into Imagination with Figment, 510– Animal Kingdom, 548 11, 524–25 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 578 Land Pavilion, The, 510–11, 525–27 EPCOT, 514 Living with the Land, 510–11, 526 Magic Kingdom, 466 Mission: Space, 510–11, 520–22 First Order Cargo (store), 674 motion-sickness potential, 395 Fit2Run (store), 664–65 not-to-be-missed, 514 Fjording, The, 670 Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion, The, Flamingo Crossings, accommodations, 244 510–11, 528 Flight of the Hippogriff (IOA), 612–13, 619 Soarin’ Around the World, 526–27, 538 flight-simulation rides Spaceship Earth, 510–11, 515, 522 Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, 574–75, Test Track, 510–11, 517, 522–24, 538 595–96 Turtle Talk with Crush, 510–11, 528–29 Mission: Space, 510–11, 520–22 crowds, 541–42 Soarin’ Around the World, 510–11, 526–27, 538 live entertainment, 539–41 Star Tours—The Adventures Continue, 574–75, map, 510–11 589–90 operating hours, 513–14 floating streams. See water parks remodeling, 519 Florida Mall, The, 674 services, 514 Florida resident passes, 80, 81 traffic patterns, 542 Flower & Garden Festival, EPCOT, 45 Galaxy’s Edge. See Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. SUBJECT INDEX 701

galleries, Bijutsu-kan Gallery, 535 special events during, 45–47 games, in waiting lines, 398 Hollywood Boulevard, 394, 577, 581 Ganachery, The, 664–65, 668 Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (USF), 626–27, 632 Gangplank Falls, 647, 649, 653, 654, 655 homes, rental, 226–31 Garden Gate Gifts, 385 honeymoon packages, 420 Garden Grocer, 460 Honu waterslide (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 Garden Rocks music festival, 676 Horror Make-Up Show (USF), 626–27, 636 Gay Days, 45–46 hotels. See accommodations; Germany Pavilion, 510–11, 534, 670–71 separate Accommodations Index Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop, Hotels.com, 223 664–65, 667 Hotwire, 223 Gideon’s Bakehouse, 668 hours of operation. See operating hours gift cards, Disney, 452 House of Blues, 664–65, 676 golf, 89 House of Good Fortune, 670 Goofy’s Candy Co., 664–65, 666 Humunga Kowabunga, 647, 648, 653, 654, 655 Google Maps, 441–42 Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, 546–47 ice, 421 GPS coordinates, 431, 442 If I Ran the Zoo (IOA), 612–13, 624 Grand Avenue, 394, 590 Ika Moana waterslide (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros, Il Bel Cristallo, 671 510–11, 531 ImageWorks, 671 Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, 577 Imagination! Pavilion, 510–11, 524–25 greeting, Disney characters. See meet and greets Impressions de France/Beauty and the Beast Grimmauld Place (USF), 636 Sing-Along, 510–11, 537 Gringotts, Escape from, 626–27, 637 Incredible Hulk Coaster, The (IOA), 612–13, 615 grocery stores, 460 Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, 574–75, 588 Groupon discounts, 223–24 infants. See children Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, 24, information, 465–66, 514 510–11, 519–20 accommodations, 96–97, 223–26 Guerlain (store), 672 admission, 68–83 Guest Communications, complaints to, 456–57 Animal Kingdom, 548 Guest Relations EPCOT, 514 Animal Kingdom, 453, 548 live entertainment, 466, 514 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 577 Magic Kingdom, 465–66 Disney Springs, 453 parades, 465 EPCOT, 453 Universal Orlando, 602–7 Hollywood Studios, 453 vacation-home rental, 226–31 Magic Kingdom, 453 water parks, 644 Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities, 29 Inside Track, 522–24 insurance, car-rental, 426–27 Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, International Drive area 611, 612–13, 619–20 accommodations in, 217–19, 232–38 Hall of Presidents, The, 462–63, 480–81 driving in, 448 Halloween parties, 46 International Gateway Island, 513 handicapped visitors. See disabled visitors international visitors, tips for, 415–16 Happily Ever After, 24, 498 internet Harambe, 556 information on, 35–38 Harmonious, 512, 516–17, 539–40 accommodations, 97–98, 223–26 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (IOA), admission tickets, 78–79 612–13, 620–21 best unofficial websites, 381 Haunted Mansion, The, 13, 462–63, 481–82 discussion boards, 38 Havaianas, 664–65 social media sources, 38–39 headache remedies, 454–55 TouringPlans.com, 27–29 health considerations, 382–83, 454–55 My Disney Experience, 35–38 healthful food, 278 Interstate 4, 220, 428–31, 447, 448 hearing-impaired guests, services for, 411 Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, 220, 444–45 height requirements, for attractions, 395–96 Island Mercantile, 671 High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!, The Islands of Adventure (IOA—Universal) (IOA), 612–13, 623–24 attractions Hippogriff ride (IOA), 612–13, 619 Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, The, Hog’s Head Pub, 622 612–13, 614 Hogsmeade, 612–13, 619–22 Camp Jurassic, 612–13, 617 Hogwarts Express train Caro-Seuss-el, 612–13, 623 IOA, 612–13, 621 Cat in the Hat, The, 612–13, 623 USF, 626–27, 637–38 Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, 612–13, 615 holiday(s) Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, 612–13, 616 attendance during, 42–43, 45–47 Flight of the Hippogriff, 612–13, 619 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. 702 SUBJECT INDEX

Islands of Adventure Keelhaul Falls, 649, 653, 654, 655 attractions (continued) kennels, 459 Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Ketchakiddee Creek, 649, 654, 655 Adventure, 612–13, 619–20 Keystone Clothiers, 673 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Keys to the (Magic) Kingdom tour, 11 612–13, 620–21 Key to the World Card, 82 High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!, Kidcot Fun Stops, 530, 531 The, 612–13, 623–24 kid(s). See children Hogwarts Express, 612–13, 621 Kid’s Nite Out, 403 If I Ran the Zoo, 612–13, 624 Kiehl’s, 664–65 Incredible Hulk Coaster, The, 612–13, 615 Kilimanjaro Safaris, 24, 546–47, 558–59 Jurassic Park Discovery Center, 612–13, 617–18 Kingdom Strollers, 387 Jurassic Park River Adventure, 612–13, 618 Kipling, 664–65 Jurassic World VelociCoaster, 612–13, 618 Kissimmee, accommodations in or near, 220 Me Ship, The Olive, 612–13, 616 Kolcraft Cloud, 385 Ollivanders, 612–13, 621–22 Ko’okiri Body Plunge (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Kopiko Wai Winding River (Volcano Bay), 658, 612–13, 624 659, 660 Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges, 612–13, 616 Krakatau Aqua Coaster (Volcano Bay), 658, 659, Poseidon’s Fury, 622–23 660 Pteranodon Flyers, 618–19 Kunstarbeit in Kristall, 671 Raptor Encounter, 619 Skull Island: Reign of Kong, 616–17 Lacoste, 664–65 Storm Force Accelatron, 615 Lake Buena Vista, accommodations in, 220, Wizarding World of Harry Potter– 239–42 Hogsmeade, The, 612–13, 619–22 Landing, The, in Disney Springs, 22, 666, 668 getting oriented, 614 Land Pavilion, The, 510–11, 525–27 Jurassic Park, 617–19 large persons, 412–13 Lost Continent, The, 622–23 Legends of Hollywood, 673 maps, 612–13 LEGO Store, 664–65, 666–67 Marvel Super Hero Island, 614–15 L’Esprit de la Provence, 672 not to be missed, 611 Let The Magic Begin show, 498 restrooms, 619 Levi’s, 664–65 services, 614 Liberty Belle Riverboat, 462–63, 482 Seuss Landing, 623–24 Liberty Square, 462–63, 480–82 Skull Island, 616–17 for children, 392 Toon Lagoon, 615–16 Hall of Presidents, The, 463–64, 480–81 touring plans, 624–25 Haunted Mansion, The, 463–64, 481–82 Wizarding World of Harry Potter, 619–22 Liberty Belle Riverboat, 463–64, 482 Italy Pavilion, 510–11, 534, 671 not-to-be-missed attractions, 465 It’s a Small World, 13, 462–63, 486 Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, 574–75, It’s a Wonderful Shop, 673 583–84 It’s Tough to Be a Bug! (film), 546–47, 553, 554 Lilly Pulitzer, 664–65, 667 lines. See also crowd(s); touring plan(s) JAMMitors, 519 games for, 398 Japan Pavilion, 510–11, 535, 671 single-rider lines, 67, 418, 608 Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple, 574–75, 588–89 virtual, 608 Jellyrolls, 675 waiting strategies in, 397–99. See also FastPass+ Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! (DHS), 601 Lines (app), 28–29 Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company (store), 668 Lion King, Festival of the, 546–47, 557 Johnny Was, 664–65 Little Mermaid, Under the Sea: Journey of, Johnston & Murphy, 664–65 463–64, 491 Journey into Imagination with Figment, 510–11, live entertainment. See also dinner theaters; Dis- 524–25 ney characters; shows, theater and stage Jungle Cruise, 462–63, 468–69, 473 Animal Kingdom, 570 Jurassic Park Discovery Center (IOA), 612–13, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 600–601 617–18 in EPCOT, 539–41 Jurassic Park (IOA), 611, 612–13, 617–19 fireworks, 499–502, 539, 639 Jurassic Park River Adventure (IOA), 612–13, 618 information on, 466, 514 Jurassic World VelociCoaster (IOA), 618, 640–41 in Magic Kingdom, 497–503 in Main Street, U.S.A., 497–503 Kala Body Slide (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 music, 497–503, 539–41 Kali River Rapids, 546–47, 562–63 parades. See parades Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ’n’ Hurl (USF), 626–27, 632 Universal Studios Florida, 638–39 Karamell-Küche, 671 Wizarding World of Harry Potter (USF), 638 Kate Spade New York, 664–65, 667 Living with the Land, 510–11, 526

See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. SUBJECT INDEX 703

L’Occitane en Provence, 664–65 opening procedures, 464–65, 503 lockers, 459–60 orientation, 465–70 Animal Kingdom, 548 overview, 16, 465–66 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 577 parking, 442–43, 464 Magic Kingdom, 465 restaurants, 286, 297–99, 470 Universal Orlando, 608–9 services, 465–66 water parks, 645 shopping, 670 lodging. See accommodations strollers in, 385 Lords and Ladies (store), 673 Tomorrowland, 462–63, 491–96 lost and found touring plans, 504–8 Animal Kingdom, 454 traffic patterns, 503–4 contact information, 47, 454 transportation to/from, 461, 464–65, 472 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 454, 577 Magic of Arts (show), 622 EPCOT, 454 Magic Strollers, 387 Magic Kingdom, 454 Maharajah Jungle Trek, 546–47, 563–64 Lost Continent, The (IOA), 622–23 mail order, for Disney shopping, 674 lost persons, 388–90 Main Street Confectionery, 670 Animal Kingdom, 548 Main Street Jewelers, 670 Disney characters and, 390 Main Street, U.S.A., 462–63, 471–72 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 577 attractions EPCOT, 514 Town Square Theater Meet and Greet, Magic Kingdom, 466 463–64, 471–72 water parks, 649 Walt Disney Railroad, 463–64, 472 lululemon, 664–65 cavalcades, 497 Luxury of Time, 664–65 City Hall, 465 Lyft service, 427 live entertainment, 497–503 services, 465–66 MAC, 664–65 transportation rides, 472 Mad Tea Party, 462–63, 486–87 make-up show (USF), 636 Magical Express, 89, 422–24 Maku Round Raft Ride (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 Magical Vacations Travel, 97, 101, 103 Mall at Millenia, The, 674 MagicBand wristbands, 43, 82–83, 422–23, 454, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The, 652 462–63, 487 Magic Carpets of Aladdin, The, 462–63, 473–74 maps Magic Kingdom, 461–508. See also specific “lands” accommodations, 218, 219, 221, 222 accommodations in or near, 109–10, 126–47 Animal Kingdom, 546–47 Adventureland, 462–63, 473–76 Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS), 574–75 After Hours events, 85, 502–3 EPCOT, 510–11 arrival at, 461, 464–65 Google Maps, 441–42 attendance statistics, 41 Islands of Adventure (IOA—Universal), 612–13 attractions, 462–63. See also individual Magic Kingdom, 462–63 attractions Pandora—The World of Avatar, 546–47 for children, 392 South Orlando, 18–19 expectant mothers and, 416–17 Universal Orlando, 604–5 height restrictions, 396 Universal Studios Florida (USF), 604–5, 626–27 motion-sickness potential, 395 Walt Disney World (WDW), 20–21 not-to-be-missed, 465 marathons, 45–47 baby care in, 383 Mardi Gras, 45 behind-the-scenes tours of, 11 marine animals, in The Seas with Nemo & cavalcades, 497 Friends Pavilion, 510–11, 528 commuting time to/from, 436–37 Marketplace Carousel, 664–65 crowds, 504–8 Marketplace Co-op, 664–65, 667 Disney characters in, 400 Marketplace, Disney Springs, 666–67 early entry to, 89 Marketplace Train Express, 664–65 eating in, 286 marriage license, 420 vs. EPCOT, 509 Marvel Super Hero Island (IOA), 614–15 Fantasyland, 462–63, 482–91 Mayday Falls, 653, 654, 655 FastPass+ at, 467–70 Mears Transportation Group, 428 first aid in, 383 Medical Concierge, 455 Frontierland, 462–63, 476–80 medical problems, 382–83, 454–55 GPS coordinates, 442 medications, 384, 410–11 Guest Relations, 453 meet and greets Liberty Square, 462–63, 480–82 Anna and Elsa, 510–11, 533 live entertainment, 497–503 Ariel’s Grotto, 463–64, 483 lost and found in, 454 Donald’s Dino-Bash!, 570 Main Street, U.S.A. See Main Street, U.S.A Enchanted Tales with Belle, 463–64, 485–86 map, 462–63 Meet Merida at Fairytale Gardens, 463–64, 487 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. 704 SUBJECT INDEX

meet and greets (continued) Simpsons Ride, The, 626–27, 635 Mickey and Minnie Starring in Red Carpet Soarin’ Around the World, 510–11, 526–27, 538 Dreams, 589 Star Tours—The Adventures Continue, 574–75, Princess Fairytale Hall, 463–64, 483, 489 589–90 Town Square Theater, 463–64, 471–72 Test Track, 510–11, 517, 522–24, 538 venues for, 400–403 MouseGear, 671 Meet Merida at Fairytale Gardens, 462–63, 487 MouseSavers, 38, 97, 208 Melissa Shoes, 664–65 movies. See films (shows) Melt-Away Bay, 650, 651, 653 Mount Gushmore Chairlift, 650, 651 Memory Maker service, 83, 457–59 Muppet-Vision 3-D (film), 574–75, 590 Men in Black Alien Attack (USF), 626–27, 632–33 music Mermaid School, 404–5 Blues Brothers Show, The, 639 merry-go-rounds in Magic Kingdom, 497–503 Caro-Seuss-el, 612–13, 623 My Disney Experience, 35–38, 435, 457–59 Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, 463–64, 489 My Disney Girl’s Perfectly Princess Tea Party, Me Ship, The Olive (IOA), 612–13, 616 405 Mexico Pavilion, 510–11, 531, 670 MyMagic +, 35 MGM Studios. See Disney’s Hollywood Studios Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, 574–75, Na Hoku, 664–65 584–85 nature centers, Jurassic Park Discovery Center, Mickey and Minnie Starring in Red Carpet 612–13, 617–18 Dreams, 574–75, 589 Na’vi River Journey, 546–47, 569–70 Mickey Mouse meet and greet, 471–72 NBA Experience, 666 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, 11, 46, 84 negative behaviors, 379–80 Mickey’s of Hollywood, 673 Nemo & Friends, 510–11, 528 Mickey’s Pantry, 664–65 New Trent, for cell phone charging, 453 Mickey’s PhilharMagic (film), 462–63, 487–88 New Year’s events, 43 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, 47, 84, 85 nightlife, 675–76 military personnel, discounts for, 80, 101 in accommodations, 675 Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, 574–75, 595– COVID-19 and, 11 96 dinner theaters, 294 miniature cars, 494–95 Disney Springs, 668–69 Minnie Van, 24, 427–28 Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle (show), 622 Miss Adventure Falls, 646, 649, 654, 655 noise Mission: Space, 510–11, 520–22 in accommodations, 118–20 Mitsukoshi Department Store, 535, 671 in restaurants, 284, 293 M&M Store, 664–65 Northwest Mercantile, 673 mobile payments, 452 Norway Pavilion, 510–11, 531–33, 670 Mombasa Marketplace, 671 not-to-be-missed attractions Mom’s Panel website, 381 Animal Kingdom, 549 moms-to-be, activity guidelines for, 416–19 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 577 money services EPCOT, 514 Animal Kingdom, 548 Islands of Adventure, 611 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 578 Magic Kingdom, 465 EPCOT, 514 Universal Studios Florida, 625 Magic Kingdom, 466 nursing infants, 384 monorail, 439–40, 463–64 Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, 462–63, 493 Oakley, 664–65 Mophie, for cell phone charging, 453 Oasis, The, 546–47, 552–53 Morocco Pavilion, 510–11, 535–36, 671 Odyssey Center, 510–11 motels. See accommodations; off-season touring, 39–41 separate Accommodations Index Ohno, Ohyah waterslides (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 motion sickness, on rides, 395 Oktoberfest Musikanten, 534 motion simulators Olde Christmas Shoppe, 670 Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, The Ollivanders (IOA), 612–13, 621–22 (IOA), 612–13, 614 Ollivanders (USF), 626–27, 638 Avatar Flight of Passage, 546–47, 567–69 Once Upon a Time, 498 Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (USF), 626–27, Once Upon a Toy (store), 664–65, 667 629–30 One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (IOA), Dinosaur, 546–47, 565–66 612–13, 624 Fast & Furious: Supercharged (USF), 626–27, One Travel, 97 630–31 online information. See internet Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (IOA), opening procedures 612–13, 620–21 Animal Kingdom, 548–49 Mission: Space, 510–11, 520–22 early entry and, 43–45, 89 Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, EPCOT, 513–14 626–27, 633–34 Magic Kingdom, 464–65, 503 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. SUBJECT INDEX 705 operating hours, 50–51 phone numbers, 46–47, 247. See also specific early entry and, 43–45, 89 service or attraction toll-free EPCOT, 513–14 phones. See cell phones Future World, 513–14 PhotoPass Studio, 457–59, 664–65 water parks, 644 photos, for souvenirs, 83, 457–59 World Showcase, 513–14 Physician Room Service, 455 Orbitz, 223 physicians, 455 Origins, 664–65 PIN codes, for discounts, 99–100 Orlando Harley Davidson, 664–65 Pin Traders, Disney’s, 664–65 Orlando International Airport, 422–23, 425, pirate activities 428 Disney’s Pirate Adventure cruises, 404 Orlando Official Visitors Guide, 29–30 A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Orlando Premium Outlets, 674 Seas, 462–63, 468–69, 474 Orlando Stroller Rentals, 387 Pirates of the Caribbean ride, 13, 462–63, Orlando, visitor center, 29–30. 468–69, 474–75 Oscar’s Super Service, 385 Pixar Place, 590 Outpost, 510–11, 671 planning, 27–48. See also touring plan(s) overheating, of children, 382 gathering information, 27–39 Owl Post (IOA), 622 My Disney Experience issues, 35–38 MyMagic+, 35 package handling, 460 timeline for, 30–35 pagoda, Japanese, 535 when to go, 39–48 Pandora, in Disney Springs, 667 playgrounds Pandora—The World of Avatar, 24, 566–70 Boneyard, The, 546–47, 564–65 for children, 393, 546–47 Camp Jurassic, 612–13, 617 map, 546–47, 664–65 Fievel’s Playland, 626–27, 631 motion-sickness potential, 395 If I Ran the Zoo, 612–13, 624 not-to-be-missed attractions, 546–47, 549 Me Ship, The Olive (IOA), 612–13, 616 overview, 17 Tom Sawyer Island, 463–64, 479–80 parades. See also cavalcades Play Pavilion, 510–11, 512, 522 Christmas, 47 Plaza de Los Amigos, 670 EPCOT, 514 Plaza Gardens East and West, 500 exit strategies after, 500–502 Plume et Palette, 672 lost children at, 389 Polar Patios, 648 Magic Kingdom ponchos, 73, 453–54 information on, 465 Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges (IOA), 612–13, leaving after, 500–502 616 traffic patterns and, 504 Port of Entry, 671 Universal Studios Florida, 639 Poseidon’s Fury (IOA), 622–23 viewing, 499–500 Potter, Harry. See Wizarding World of Harry Park Hopper/Park Hopper Plus, 75–77, 645 Potter, The park-hopping, 75, 80 Premium Annual Pass, 74 parking, 89, 442–43 prescriptions, 455 Animal Kingdom, 442–43 Presidents’ Day, 45 Blizzard Beach, 642 Presidents, The Hall of, 463–64, 480–81 costs, 442 Priceline, 97, 223 for disabled visitors, 408, 415 Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, 463–64, 489 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 442–43, 576 La Princesa de Cristal (shop), 670 EPCOT, 442–43, 513 princess(es). See individual princesses Magic Kingdom, 442–43, 464 Princess Fairytale Hall, 462–63, 489 Universal Studios Florida, 603 Pteranodon Flyers, 618–19 water parks, 642 Puihi Round Raft Ride (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 Park Ticket Calculator, 79–80 Puka Uli Lagoon (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 parties Punga Racers (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, 46, 84 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, 47, 84, 85 quarantine, 12 tea, 405 Queen’s Table, The, 673 passes. See admission queues. See lines Passport Kits, 529–30 Quick Service Dining Plan Pelé Soccer, 664–65 Walt Disney World, 211–12 PeopleMover, Tomorrowland Transit Authority, Universal Orlando, 609 463–64, 495 pet accommodations, 459 Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon Peter Pan’s Flight, 462–63, 467–68, 488 (USF), 626–27, 633–34 Pete’s Silly Sideshow, 462–63, 488–89 radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, 82– pharmacies, 455 83 PhilharMagic, Mickey’s, 463–64, 487–88 Rafiki’s Planet Watch, 546–47, 559–60 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. 706 SUBJECT INDEX

raft rides for children, 292–93 Kali River Rapids, 546–47, 562–63 cuisine types in, 310–13 Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges, 612–13, 616 profiles of (alphabetical), 309–62 Tom Sawyer Island, 463–64, 479–80 Islands of Adventure, 624 railroads. See also train(s) for large groups, 91 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, 463–64, 468, Magic Kingdom, 286, 297–99, 470 476–77 new, 309, 314 Walt Disney World Railroad, 463–64, 472, 480, outside Disney World, 363–71 491 ratings, 310–13 Rainforest Village (Volcano Bay), 659, 660 reservations for, 37–38, 271–77, 514 rain/raingear, 382, 453–54 for romantic meal, 293–94 Raptor Encounter (IOA), 619 seafood buffets, 369–70 reader comments, 4–5, 121–26 for seniors, 415 recreation Universal Orlando, 609 accommodations and, 89 Universal Studios Florida, 640 contact information, 46–47 restrooms, 389, 483, 619 COVID-19 and, 11 rest time during visit, 51–52 golf, 89 Revenge of the Mummy (USF), 626–27, 634 Reef, The (Volcano Bay), 658, 659, 660 RFID (radio frequency identification) chip, 82–83 Reflections of China (film), 510–11, 533 ride(s). See also individual lands and parks religious services, 459 boat rides. See boat rides Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, 24, 510–11, 512, for children, 390–96 537–38 COVID-19 and, 13–14 rentals dark. See dark rides car, 381, 424–27 frightening, 390–96 condominiums, 226–31 Frozen Ever After, 24 ECV/ESV, 408–9, 465, 514, 578 height requirements for, 395–96 lockers, 645 for large persons, 412 strollers, 384–88, 465, 514, 548, 577 last-minute cold feet, 398 vacation homes, 226–31 lost children at, 389 wheelchairs, 408–9, 465, 514, 548, 577 motion-sickness potential, 395 reservations reservations for. See FastPass+ accommodations, 92–93, 226–31 roller coasters. See roller coasters for admission, 74 simulators. See simulator rides contact information, 46–47 single-rider lines for, 67, 418, 608 online information on, 35–38 tracking wait times, 29 restaurants, 37–38, 271–77, 514 virtual lines, 608 rides. See FastPass+ visual impact, 391, 394 for theme parks due to COVID-19, 10–11, 74 waiting-line strategies for, 397–99 Resistance Supply (store), 674 Rider Switch pass, switching off in lines with, 397 restaurants, 265–371. riverboat, Liberty Belle, 482 See also separate Restaurant Index River Roost, 675 in accommodations, 112–13 River Village (Volcano Bay), 659 Advance Reservations, 37–38, 271–77, 514 Rix Sports Bar & Grill, 675 Animal Kingdom, 290, 302–4, 552 Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, 574–75, 585–86 buffet, 270, 368–71 roller coasters categories of, 269–71 Barnstormer, 463–64, 483–84 for children, 292–93 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, 463–64, 468, CityWalk, 363–68, 610 476–77 contact information, 47 Expedition Everest, 546–47, 560–61 costs, 278, 310–13 Flight of the Hippogriff, 612–13, 619 counter-service, 271, 279, 295–308 Guardians of the Galaxy, 510–11, 519–20 COVID-19 and, 267 Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adven- dietary restrictions and, 409–10 ture, 612–13, 619–20 dinner shows in, 294 Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, discounts, 371 626–27, 637 Disney characters in, 270, 280–85, 403 Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, 626–27, 632 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 291–92, 304–7, 580 Incredible Hulk Coaster, The, 612–13, 615 Disney Springs, 268–69, 307–8 Jurassic Park, 611 dress recommendations for, 277 Jurassic World VelociCoaster, 618, 640–41 EPCOT, 286–90, 299–302 Pteranodon Flyers, 618–19 ethnic food in, 310–13 Revenge of the Mummy (USF), 626–27, 634 family-style, 270 Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, 574–75, 585–86 Fantasmic! Dining Package, 583 Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, 463–64, 468, 490– fast casual, fast food, 271 91 full-service, 269 Slinky Dog Dash, 574–75, 591 Advance Reservations for, 271–77 Space Mountain, 463–64, 469, 493–94 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. SUBJECT INDEX 707

Tron, 492, 495–96 wedding, 419–20 Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster wheelchairs, 465, 514, 548, 578 (USF), 626–27, 636 Seuss Landing (IOA), 623–24 romantic getaways, 293–94, 421 Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, 462–63, 468, 490–91 Ron Jon Surf Shop, 664–65 shooting gallery, 463–64, 478 Royal Sommerhus meet and greet, 510–11, 533 shopping Runamukka Reef (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 in Animal Kingdom, 672 Runoff Rapids, 646, 650, 651, 652 COVID-19 and, 11 Rustic Cuff, 664–65 discounts for, 674–75 Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS), 598–99, 673 safaris. See Animal Kingdom in Disney Springs, 666–68 safety and security in EPCOT, 669–74 for admission passes, 83 grocery stores, 460 contact information, 47 Magic Kingdom, 670 COVID-19 and, 11–14 in malls, 674 Orlando International Airport, 450 Ollivanders (IOA), 612–13, 621–22 for single travelers, 419 Ollivanders (USF), 626–27, 638 with strollers, 387–88 in outlet stores, 674–75 on waterslides, 648 pharmacies, 455 SafetyTat, 388 souvenirs, 74, 83, 457–59, 674 Sanford International Airport, 432 in World Showcase, 669–74 sanitization, 13–14 Shore, 664–65 Sanuk, 664–65 shows, theater and stage. See also dinner the- Savannah Bee Company, 664–65 aters; films (shows); live entertainment Savi’s Workshop (store), 598, 674 American Adventure, The, 510–11, 534–35 scams, accommodations, 225–26 Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage, Scat Cat’s Club, 675 574–75, 581 scavenger hunts, Wilderness Explorers, 546–47, Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along, 536–37 556 Blues Brothers Show, The (USF), 639 school, children missing, 40 Bourne Stuntacular, The (USF), 626–27, 628–29 scooters, electric, 408–9 Disney Junior Dance Party!/Disney Junior Play SeaBase, 510–11, 527–28 and Dance, 24, 574–75, 592–93 seasons to visit, 39–41, 374–75 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 600–601 Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion, The, 510–11, 528 Fear Factor Live, 626–27, 631 security. See safety and security Feathered Friends in Flight, 546–47, 561–62 seniors, 413–15 Festival of the Lion King, 546–47, 557 Sephora, 664–65 For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing- service animals, 407 Along Celebration, 574–75, 587–88 services, 457–60 Hall of the Presidents, The, 463–64, 480–81 Animal Kingdom, 548 Happily Ever After, 498 baby-care, 383–84, 466, 514, 548, 578 Harmonious, 512, 516–17, 539–40, 614 babysitting, 403–4 Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM, 601 banking, 452–53, 514, 548, 578 Let The Magic Begin, 498 camera memory cards and supplies, 548 lost children at, 389 camera supplies, 578 Muppet-Vision 3-D, 574–75, 590 car trouble, 443 Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle, 622 cash and cash machines, 452–53, 466, 548, 578 Once Upon a Time, 498 cell phone charging, 453, 548, 578 Poseidon’s Fury, 622–23 currency exchange, 453 Shrek 4-D (USF), 626–27, 634 for disabled visitors, 29, 407–9, 411, 466, 514, traffic patterns and, 504 548, 578 Universal’s Cinematic Celebration, 626–27, 639 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 578 Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, 463–64, 489 first aid, 383–84, 455, 466, 514, 548, 578 Winged Encounters: The Kingdom Takes Future World, 514 Flight, 570 grocery delivery, 460 Shrek 4-D (USF) (film), 626–27, 634 for hearing-impaired guests, 411 shuttle service information. See information from accommodations, 434–35, 449 Islands of Adventure, 614 from airport, 428 lockers, 459–60, 465, 548, 578, 608–9 La Signature (shop), 672 lost and found, 454, 466, 514, 548, 578 sign-language interpretations, 411 lost persons. See lost persons Simpsons Ride, The (USF), 626–27, 635 Magic Kingdom, 465 simulator rides money, 514, 548, 578 Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, The Package Pick-Up, 460 (IOA), 612–13 reservations. See reservations Avatar Flight of Passage, 546–47, 567–69 strollers. See strollers Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (USF), 626–27, for visually-impaired guests, 411 629–30 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. 708 SUBJECT INDEX

simulator rides (continued) store, 673–74 Dinosaur, 546–47, 565–66 Star Wars Launch Bay, 24, 574–75, 593 Fast & Furious: Supercharged (USF), 626–27, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, 574–75, 596–98 630–31 Star Wars Trading Post, 664–65 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (IOA), storage lockers. See lockers 612–13, 620–21 Storm Force Accelatron (IOA), 615 Mission: Space, 510–11, 520–22 Storm Slides, 653, 654, 655 Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fal- strollers, 73, 384–88 lon, 626–27, 633–34 Animal Kingdom, 548 Simpsons Ride, The, 626–27, 635 banned from rides, 382 Soarin’ Around the World, 510–11, 526–27, 538 Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 577 Star Tours—The Adventures Continue, 574–75, EPCOT, 514 589–90 looking out for, 414 Test Track, 510–11, 517, 522–24, 538 Magic Kingdom, 465 sing-along shows at parades, 502 Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along, 536–37 Studios. See Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS); For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing- Universal Studios Florida Along Celebration, 574–75, 587–88 stunt shows single-rider lines, 67, 418, 608 Bourne Stuntacular, The (USF), 626–27, 628–29 singles activities, 418–19 Fear Factor Live, 626–27, 631 Ski Patrol Training Camp, 650, 651, 653 Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, 574–75, Skull Island: Reign of Kong (IOA), 616–17 588 Skyliner, 576 Sugarboo, 664–65 slides, water. See water parks Summit Plummet, 646, 648, 650, 651 Slinky Dog Dash, 574–75, 591 sunburn, 382 Slush Gusher, 648, 650, 651, 652 sundries, 664–65 Small World, It’s A, 463–64, 486 sunglasses, 382 Small World Vacations, 217 Sunglass Icon, 664–65 smoking prohibition, 421 Sunset Boulevard, 393, 395, 577, 581–87 snacks, 73, 377 Superdry store, 664–65, 668 sneak routes, for driving, 444–48 Super Hero Headquarters, 664–65 Snow Stormers, 647, 650, 651, 652 Superstar Parade (USF), 639 Snow White, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and, surcharges, admission, 74–75 463–64, 490–91 swimming, 108–9. See also water parks Soarin’ Around the World, 510–11, 526–27, 538 Swiss Family Treehouse, 462–63, 475–76 social distancing, 13, 67 switching off in lines, 397–98, 494, 516, 610 social media, 38–39 Something Silver (store), 664–65 Tangier Traders, 671 Sosa Family Cigars, 664–65, 668 Tangled-themed restrooms, 483 South Orlando map, 18–19 Taniwha Tubes (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 souvenirs, 74, 673 tantrums, 380 Souvenirs de France, 672 Ta Nui Body Slide (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 Space Mountain, 463–64, 469, 493–94 TapuTapu wristband (Volcano Bay), 657–58 Space Mountain Gift Shop, 670 tattoos, temporary, 388 Spaceship Earth, 510–11, 515, 522 taxes, accommodations, 89 spas, COVID-19 and, 11 taxis, 428 special events, 45–47, 84–85. TD Collectibles, 675 See also live entertainment Tea Caddy, The, 673 special kids’ programs, 404–5 teacup ride, 486–87 special needs visitors, 406–12 Teamboat Springs, 647, 650, 651, 652 speeding, 443–44 tea party, 405 Speedway, Tomorrowland, 463–64, 494–95 TeAwa the Fearless River (Volcano Bay), 658, Sperry, 664–65 659, 660 Spice & Tea Exchange, The (store), 664–65, 667 telephones. See cell phones; phone numbers Spider-Man, The Amazing Adventures of (IOA), temperature checks, 12 612–13 Temple of Heaven, 533 Splash Mountain, 462–63, 468, 478–79 temporary tattoos, 388 Splitsville Luxury Lanes, 664–65 Tesla Superchargers, 451 Sportsman’s Shoppe, 673 Test Track, 510–11, 517, 522–24, 538 stage shows. See shows, theater and stage Theater of the Stars, 581 Stance, 664–65 theater shows. See shows, theater and stage Star Tours—The Adventures Continue, 574–75, theme resort hotels, 111–12. 589–90 See also separate Accommodations Index Star Wars Galactic Outpost, 664–65, 668 TheUnofficialGuides.com, 23, 29–30 Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, 24, 394, 594–600 3-D glasses, 14 age group, 578 Three Caballeros, 510–11, 531 motion-sickness potential, 395 Ticket Calculator, 79–80 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. SUBJECT INDEX 709 ticket(s). See admission EPCOT, 542 Tike’s Peak, 650, 651, 653 Future World, 542 time and timing Magic Kingdom, 503–4 allocating time at WDW, 49–67 World Showcase, 542 when to visit, 39–48, 414, 418 train(s). See also railroads Tinker Bell and Friends meet and greet, 471–72 Hogwarts Express, 612–13, 621, 626–27, 637–38 Tinker Bell’s Flight, 498 Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, 463–64, 468, 490–91 Toboggan Racers, 647, 650, 651, 652 Wildlife Express, 546–47, 560 toll fees, 427, 431 Transformers: The Ride 3-D (USF), 626–27, 635 Tommy Bahama, 664–65, 668 Transit Authority, Tomorrowland, 463–64, 495 Tomorrowland, 462–63, 491–96 translation services, 416 attractions transportation. See also buses Astro Orbiter, 463–64, 492 accommodations, 105–6 Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, 463–64, boat, 440, 576 492–93 COVID-19 and, 11 Carousel of Progress, 463–64, 496 for disabled visitors, 408–9 for children, 392 Disney World, 422–32 Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, 463–64, 493 High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!, The, motion-sickness potential, 395 612–13, 623–24 not-to-be-missed, 465 Hogwarts Express, 612–13, 621, 626–27, 637–38 Space Mountain, 463–64, 469, 493–94 Magical Express, 89, 422–24 Tomorrowland Speedway, 463–64, 494–95 on Main Street, 463–64 Tomorrowland Transit Authority People- Minnie Van vehicles, 24 Mover, 463–64, 495 monorail, 439–40, 463–64 Tron Lightcycle/Run, 463–64, 492, 495–96 public, 463–64 Tomorrowland Speedway, 462–63, 494–95 for seniors, 415 Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, for single travelers, 418 462–63, 495 Skyliner, 440–41, 576 Tom Sawyer Island and Fort Langhorn, 462–63, to/from accommodations, 90–91, 436–37 479–80 to/from airport, 422–32 TomTom GPS, 441 to/from Animal Kingdom, 548 Top of the World, 675 to/from Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 576 Tot Tiki Reef (Volcano Bay), 658, 659 to/from Disney Springs, 662–63 touring plan(s) to/from Magic Kingdom, 461, 464–65, 471 Animal Kingdom, 571–72 to/from Tom Sawyer Island, 463–64, 479–80 bouncing around in, 61–62 Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, for children, 381–82, 399, 504–8 463–64, 495 customized, 28, 60–61 Universal Orlando, 603 Disney characters’ effect on, 381 Walt Disney World Railroad, 463–64, 472, 480, Dumbo-or-Die, for small children, 506 491 Early Entry and, 63 Wildlife Express Train, 546–47, 560 EPCOT, 542–43 Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), 461, 464 FastPass+ and. See FastPass+ travel agents, 100–101 Islands of Adventure, 624–25 travel-club discounts, 101 Magic Kingdom, 504–8 Travelocity, 97, 223 online sources for, 27–30 travel packages, 206–17, 420 rejecting the plan, consequences of, 62–63 treasure hunts Universal Studios Florida, 640 Disney’s Pirate Adventure, 404, 468–69 variables affecting, 58–59 A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasure of the Seven videos, 29 Seas, 468–69, 474 as waiting-in-line strategy, 56–63 Treehouse, Swiss Family, 463–64, 475–76 water parks, 644–45, 649 Tree of Life, The, 546–47, 553 TouringPlans.com, 27–29 Tren-D, 664–65, 667 tour(s), behind-the-scenes, 11 tributes, to Walt Disney, 593–94 Tower of Terror, Twilight Zone, The, 574–75, TriceraTop Spin, 546–47, 566 586–87 Tripster, 78 Town Center, in Disney Springs, 22, 666, 668 Triwizard Spirit Rally, 622 Town Square Theater Meet and Greets, 463–64, trolleys, High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train 471–72 Ride!, The, 612–13, 623–24 Toydarian Toymaker (store), 674 Tron Lightcycle/Run, 463–64, 492, 495–96 Toy Soldier, The, 672 TTC (Transportation and Ticket Center), 461, Toy Story Land, 17, 24, 394, 590–92 464 Toy Story Mania!, 574–75, 592 tubes, in water parks, 646 Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, 675 TUMI, 664–65 traffic (car), 220–23 Turner Drugs, 455 traffic patterns, in parks Turtle Talk with Crush (film), 510–11, 528–29 Animal Kingdom, 570–71 Twenty Eight & Main (store), 667 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. 710 SUBJECT INDEX

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, The, 13, 574–75, Shrek 4-D, 626–27, 634 586–87 Simpsons Ride, The, 626–27, 635 Typhoon Lagoon, 653–56 Transformers: The Ride 3-D, 626–27, 635 admission, 75–77 Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show, vs. Blizzard Beach and Volcano Bay, 643–44 626–27, 636 commuting time to/from, 435 Universal’s Cinematic Celebration, 626–27, crowds, 642–43 639 Disney characters in, 401 Wizarding World of Harry Potter–Diagon GPS coordinates, 442 Alley, The, 636–38 height restrictions, 396 Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster Surf Pool, 654, 655–56 and Curious George Goes to Town, 626–27, 629, 636 Uber service, 427 children and scary stuff, 609–10 UberTaxi, 428 live entertainment, 638–39 Ugg, 664–65 map, 604–5, 626–27 Ultimate Tickets, 81 parades, 639 Under Armour, 664–65 parking, 603 Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, restaurants, 640 462–63, 491 time to allocate for, 628 Uniqlo, 664–65, 668 touring plans, 640 United Kingdom Pavilion, 510–11, 538, 672–73 UNOde50, 664–65 United Kingdom, ticket purchase in, 81 upgrades, for accommodations, 101 United States Pavilion, 510–11, 534–35 US 192, accommodations, 242–44 Universal Express, 607–8 USF. See Universal Studios Florida Universal Orlando, 602–40. See also Islands of Adventure; Universal Studios Florida vacation homes, rental, 226–31 accommodations in or near, 220, 232–38, 602–3 Valley of Mo’ara, 566 admission, 603, 606–7 vendor food, 271 arriving, 603–7 Vera Bradley (store), 664–65, 668 children and scary stuff, 609–10 Very Merry Christmas Party, Mickey’s, 47, 84, 85 CityWalk, 610–11. See also CityWalk views, from accommodations, 93–94 dining programs, 609 Village Traders, 670 lockers, 608–9 Vintage Amphicar & Italian Water Taxi Tours, lodging, 602–3 664–65 map, 604–5 virtual lines, 608 overview, 25 Visit Orlando Official Visitors Center, 29–30 restaurants, 609 Visit Orlando (website), 230 singles lines, 608 visually-impaired guests, 411 transportation, 602–7 Voices of Liberty, 534 Universal Express, 607–8 Volcano Bay (Universal Orlando), 657–61 virtual lines, 608 admission, 657–58 Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show attractions, 659 (USF), 626–27, 636 vs. Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, Universal’s Cinematic Celebration (USF), 643–44 626–27, 639 dining, 660 Universal’s Superstar Parade, 639 at a glance, 660–61 Universal Studios Florida (USF), 628–36 height restrictions, 659 areas of, 628 TapuTapu wristbands, 657–58 attractions virtual lines, 657–58 Animal Actors on Location!, 626–27, 628 Volcom, 664–65 Blues Brothers Show, The, 639 Volkskunst (store), 670–71 Escape from Gringotts, Harry Potter and the, Vol’s Caverns (Volcano Bay), 658 626–27, 637 E.T. Adventure, 626–27, 630 waiting-line strategies, 53–67. See also FastPass+ Fast & Furious: Supercharged, 626–27, for rides, 54, 397–99 630–31 for shows, 59 Fear Factor Live, 626–27, 631 touring plan strategy, 56–63 Fievel’s Playland, 626–27, 631 waiting times Hogwarts Express, 626–27, 637–38 Crowd Calendar and, 41–42 Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, 626–27, 632 Lines app for tracking, 28–29 Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ’n’ Hurl, 626–27, 632 Walgreens pharmacy, 455 Men in Black Alien Attack, 626–27, 632–33 Walt Disney Presents (film), 574–75, 593–94 not-to-be-missed, 625 Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, 462–63, 496 Ollivanders, 626–27, 638 Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, 462–63, 476 Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fal- Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, 45 lon, 626–27, 633–34 Walt Disney World Railroad, 462–63, 472, 480, Revenge of the Mummy, 626–27, 634 491 See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. SUBJECT INDEX 711

Walt Disney World (WDW) Windtraders, 671 acronyms and abbreviations, 25–26 Wine & Dine Half-Marathon Weekend, 46–47 COVID-19 and, 9–14 Winged Encounters–The Kingdom Takes Flight electric-vehicle charging in, 450 (show), 570 lexicon, 26 Winnie the Pooh, The Many Adventures of, maps, 20–21 463–64, 487 overview, 15–26 Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The size of, 15–16 Diagon Alley (USF), 636–38 special events, 45–47 Hogsmeade (IOA), 611–13, 619–22 what’s new, 23, 24 live entertainment (IOA), 622 Wandering Reindeer, The, 670, 671 Wonderful World of Memories, Disney’s, 664–65 water-flume rides WonderGround Gallery (store), 667 Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, 612–13, 616 Wonderland Tea Party, 405 Splash Mountain, 463–64, 468, 478–79 Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster and water parks, 641–61. See also Blizzard Beach; Curious George Goes to Town (USF), Typhoon Lagoon; Volcano Bay 626–27, 629, 636 admission to, 75–77, 641–42, 645 World of Disney (superstore), 664–65, 667 attire for, 645 World Showcase, 510–11, 512, 530–38 Casey Jr. Splash ’N’ Soak Station, 463–64, 484 attractions, 531–38, 669–74 COVID-19 and, 11 American Adventure, The, 510–11, 534–35 eating at, 650 Bijutsu-kan Gallery, 535 expectant mothers, 417 Canada Pavilion, 510–11, 538, 673 height restrictions, 396 for children, 393 lazy rivers, 648 China Pavilion, 510–11, 533, 670 lockers at, 645 France Pavilion, 510–11, 536–38, 672 operating hours, 644 Germany Pavilion, 510–11, 534, 670–71 overview, 17, 22 Italy Pavilion, 510–11, 534, 671 parking, 642 Japan Pavilion, 510–11, 535, 671 slides, 648 Mexico Pavilion, 510–11, 531, 670 tubes, 646 Morocco Pavilion, 510–11, 535–36, 671 weather conditions, 642 Norway Pavilion, 510–11, 531–33, 670 Water Parks Annual Pass, 78 Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, 510–11, 512, waterslides. See water parks 537–38 water taxis, 663 United Kingdom Pavilion, 510–11, 538, Waturi Beach (Volcano Bay), 658, 659, 660 672–73 wave riding, 654, 655–56 United States Pavilion, 534–35 Wave Village (Volcano Bay), 659, 660 crowds, 541–42 Waze, 441 Drinking Around the World, 530 WDWMagic.com, 38 Kidcot Fun Stops, 530, 531 weather in Florida, planning for, 40–41 live entertainment, 531–38 climate data, 41 maps, 510–11 Fantasmic! cancellation and, 582 operating hours, 513–14 rain/raingear, 453–54 Passport Kits for, 529–30 water-park use and, 642, 648–49 restaurants, 510–11, 518 websites. See internet shopping, 669–74 weddings, commitment ceremonies, vow traffic patterns, 542 renewals, 419–20 World Showcase Lagoon, 510–11 Weinkeller, 671 wristbands, for identification, 43, 83, 422–23, West Side, Disney Springs, 22 454, 657–58 wheelchairs, 408–9, 465, 514, 548, 577 Wyndham’s Theater (USF), 636 whitewater raft rides Kali River Rapids, 546–47, 562–63 Youth Education Series, 81 Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges (IOA), 612–13, 616 Zara, 664–65 Wilderness Explorers, 546–47 zoos. See Animal Kingdom Wildlife Express Train, 546–47, 560 Zurf’s Sweets Shop, 671 wildlife, in water bodies, 383

See also the Accommodations Index on pages 684–688 and the Restaurant Index on pages 689–692. TOURING PLANS

“Not a Touring Plan” TOURING PLANS FOR ALL PLANS, make park reservations as soon as you know your travel dates.

MAGIC KINGDOM FOR ALL GUESTS USING EARLY ENTRY Arrive at the park entrance 40 minutes–1 hour before official opening. FOR ALL OFF-SITE GUESTS ARRIVING AT OFFICIAL PARK OPENING Arrive at the park entrance 30–60 minutes before official opening. FOR ALL GUESTS If FastPass+ is available, make reservations for attractions using this prioritized list: Tron Lightcycle/Run (if open), Peter Pan’s Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and then anything else of interest. FOR PARENTS WITH ONE DAY TO TOUR AND USING EARLY ENTRY See Fantasyland first, starting with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and then Peter Pan’s Flight. See Frontierland and then Adventureland. Consider a midday break if the park is open past 8 p.m. Then tour Tomorrowland and Liberty Square. FOR PARENTS WITH ONE DAY TO TOUR AND ARRIVING AT OFFICIAL OPENING Begin a clockwise tour of the park in Fantasyland, except for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight. After Fantasyland, tour Tomorrowland, then Adventureland. Experience Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight in the late afternoon or evening. FOR ADULTS WITH ONE DAY TO TOUR AND USING EARLY ENTRY See Fantasyland first, starting with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and then Peter Pan’s Flight. Tour the headliner attractions of Adventureland next, then Frontierland. Save shows for the middle of the day. Tour Liberty Square around dinner and visit Tomorrowland after. FOR ADULTS WITH ONE DAY TO TOUR AND ARRIVING AT OFFICIAL OPENING Start touring in Tomorrowland, then visit Fantasyland. Tour Liberty Square next. Last, visit Frontierland and Adventureland in any order. FOR PARENTS AND ADULTS WITH TWO DAYS TO TOUR AND USING EARLY ENTRY On Day One, tour Fantasyland’s headliner rides first, starting with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Tour Frontierland next, then Liberty Square. Finish up with Fantasyland’s secondary rides. Start Day Two in Tomorrowland, then tour Adventureland and Liberty Square. “NOT A TOURING PLAN” TOURING PLANS 713

FOR PARENTS AND ADULTS WITH TWO DAYS TO TOUR ARRIVING AT OFFICIAL OPENING On Day One, tour Frontierland first, then Liberty Square. Finish up with Peter Pan’s Flight and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasyland. Start Day Two in Adventureland, then tour Tomorrowland. FOR PARENTS AND ADULTS WITH AN AFTERNOON AND A FULL DAY For the afternoon, tour Frontierland and Adventureland. On your full day of touring, see Fantasyland, Liberty Square, and Tomorrowland.

EPCOT FOR ALL GUESTS USING EARLY ENTRY Enter EPCOT at the International Gateway entrance and see Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France as soon as the park opens. Head to Future World East and tour those attractions, then visit Future World West. Begin a counterclockwise tour of World Showcase at Canada. For dinner, snack at the food booths in World Showcase. Finish the day with a viewing of Harmonious. FOR ALL GUESTS ARRIVING AT OFFICIAL PARK OPENING Enter EPCOT at the main entrance and head for Soarin’ in Future World West. Tour the rest of Future World West, and then head for Future World East. Begin a clockwise tour of World Showcase at Mexico. For dinner, snack at the food booths in World Showcase. Finish the day with a ride on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France and a viewing of Harmonious. FOR ALL GUESTS USING EARLY ENTRY WITH REMY’S AND GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY OPEN Enter EPCOT at the main entrance and ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind as soon as the park opens. Tour Future World East, then Future World West. Tour World Showcase clockwise starting with Mexico. For dinner, snack at the food booths in World Showcase. Finish the day with a ride on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France and a viewing of Harmonious. FOR ALL GUESTS ARRIVING AT OFFICIAL PARK OPENING WITH REMY’S AND GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY OPEN Enter EPCOT at the International Gateway entrance and see Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France as soon as you’re admitted to the park. Head to Future World West and tour those attractions, then visit Future World East. Begin a counterclockwise tour of World Showcase at Mexico. For dinner, snack at the food booths in World Showcase, and finish the day with a viewing of Harmonious.

DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM FOR PARENTS AND ADULTS USING EARLY ENTRY Begin a land-by-land, counterclockwise tour of the park, starting at Dinosaur in DinoLand. Work in shows like Feathered Friends in Flight as you near them. If the park is open past dark, eat dinner and end the night with Awakenings at the Tree of Life and a tour of the Valley of Mo’ara in Pandora. FOR PARENTS AND ADULTS ARRIVING AT OFFICIAL PARK OPENING Begin a land-by-land, counterclockwise tour of the park starting at Kilimanjaro Safaris in Africa. Work in shows like Feathered Friends in Flight as you near them. Save the attractions in Pandora for last. If the park is open past dark, eat dinner and end the night with Awakenings at the Tree of Life and a tour of the Valley of Mo’ara in Pandora. 714 TOURING PLANS

FOR PARENTS AND ADULTS ARRIVING LATE MORNING Begin a clockwise tour of the park, starting in Africa and saving Pandora for last. If the park is open past dark, eat dinner and end the night with Awakenings at the Tree of Life and a tour of the Valley of Mo’ara in Pandora.

DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS FOR GROUPS WITH OLDER CHILDREN, TEENS, AND ADULTS USING EARLY ENTRY Obtain a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance at exactly 7 a.m. on the day of your visit, or try again at 1 p.m. Begin a clockwise tour of the park in Toy Story Land, and then head to Galaxy’s Edge. Try the attractions on Sunset Boulevard after lunch. Ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway later in the day, when crowds have started to thin. FOR ADULTS ARRIVING AROUND LUNCHTIME Make park reservations for the Studios as soon as you know your travel dates. Obtain a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance at exactly 7 a.m. on the day of your visit, or try again at 1 p.m. Begin a clockwise tour of the park in Galaxy’s Edge, and then visit the attractions on Sunset Boulevard. Ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway midafternoon, and save Toy Story Land for last, when crowds have started to thin. CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 715 The Magic Kingdom

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MAGIC KINGDOM EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR ADULTS Make park reservations for the Magic Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates.

1. Arrive at the Magic Kingdom entrance 40 10. Take the It’s a Small World boat ride. minutes before official opening on days of 11. Tour The Haunted Mansion around the corner normal attendance, and 1 hour before official in Liberty Square. opening during holidays and busy times. Get 12. See the Country Bear Jamboree in guide maps and the Times Guide while wait- Frontierland. ing to enter the park. 13. Experience Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki 2. As soon as the park opens, ride Seven Dwarfs Room around the corner in Adventureland. Mine Train in Fantasyland. 14. Tour the Swiss Family Treehouse. 3. Take Peter Pan’s Flight in Fantasyland. 15. See Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland. 4. In Adventureland, take the Jungle Cruise. 16. Ride Under the Sea: Journey of the Little 5. Experience Pirates of the Caribbean. Mermaid. If you’re staying in the park for 6. Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad dinner, order dinner using mobile ordering. in Frontierland. 17. Ride Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. 7. Ride Splash Mountain. While you’re in line for 18. Ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Splash Mountain, use mobile ordering to order PeopleMover. lunch. The best spot nearby is Pecos Bill Tall 19. Try Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Tale Inn & Cafe, also in Frontierland. 20. If time permits, see Walt Disney’s Carousel of 8. Eat lunch. Progress. 9. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie 21. If time permits, revisit favorite attractions, try the Pooh. new ones, or tour the park. If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: 9:30 a.m.; The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: noon; Haunted Mansion: 1 p.m. Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: Space Mountain: 5 p.m.; Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 6 p.m. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 716 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS

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MAGIC KINGDOM NON–EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR ADULTS Make park reservations for the Magic Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates.

1. Arrive at the Magic Kingdom entrance 30 10. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie minutes before official opening on days of the Pooh. normal attendance, and 1 hour before official 11. See Mickey’s PhilharMagic. opening during holidays and busy times. Get Take the It’s a Small World boat ride. guide maps and the Times Guide while wait- 12. ing to enter the park. 13. Take Peter Pan’s Flight in Fantasyland. While you’re in line, order dinner using mobile order- 2. As soon as you’re admitted to the park, tour The Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square. ing. The best nearby spot is Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, in Frontierland. 3. Ride Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. 1 4. Eat dinner. 4. Try Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. 1 5. See the Country Bear Jamboree 5. Ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority in Frontierland. PeopleMover. 1 6. In Adventureland, take the Jungle Cruise. 6. See Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. While you’re in line, use mobile ordering to 17. If time permits, experience Walt Disney’s order lunch. The best spot nearby is Cosmic Enchanted Tiki Room. Ray’s Starlight Cafe, also in Tomorrowland. 18. Ride Splash Mountain in Frontierland. 7. Eat lunch. 19. Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. 8. In Fantasyland, ride Under the Sea: Journey of 20. Experience Pirates of the Caribbean. the Little Mermaid. 21. If time permits, revisit favorite attractions, try 9. Ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. new ones, or tour the park.

If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: Space Mountain: 9:30 a.m.; Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: 1 p.m.; Peter Pan’s Flight: 4 p.m. Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 6 p.m.; Jungle Cruise: 7 p.m. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 717

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MAGIC KINGDOM EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN Review the Small-Child Fright-Potential Table on pages 392–394. Make park reservations for the Magic Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates. Interrupt the plan for meals, rest, and a cocktail or two.

1. Arrive at the Magic Kingdom entrance 40 7. Try the It’s a Small World boat ride. Use minutes before official opening on days of mobile ordering to order lunch while in line. normal attendance, and 1 hour before official The best nearby dining location is Pecos Bill opening during holidays and busy times. Get Tall Tale Inn & Cafe in Frontierland. guide maps and the Times Guide while wait- 8. Eat lunch. ing to enter the park. 9. Ride the Magic Carpets of Aladdin in 2. As soon as the park opens, head toward the Adventureland. right-hand side of Cinderella Castle and follow 10. Take a spin on the Tomorrowland Speedway. the path to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in 11. Ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant in Fantasyland. Ride. Fantasyland. 3. Take Peter Pan’s Flight. 12. Try The Barnstormer. 4. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie 13. Give the Mad Tea Party a whirl. the Pooh. 1 4. Ride Under the Sea: Journey of the 5. Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Little Mermaid. in Tomorrowland. 1 5. See Mickey’s PhilharMagic. 6. In Fantasyland, ride Prince Charming 1 6. If time permits, revisit favorite attractions, try Regal Carrousel. new ones, or tour the park.

If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: It’s a Small World: 10:30 a.m.; Tomorrowland Speedway: 1 p.m.; Mickey’s PhilharMagic: 3 p.m.; Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: Anything available. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 718 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS

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MAGIC KINGDOM NON–EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN Review the Small-Child Fright-Potential Table on pages 392–394. Make park reservations for the Magic Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates. Interrupt the plan for meals, rest, and a cocktail or two.

1. Arrive at the Magic Kingdom entrance 30 mobile ordering to order lunch while in line. minutes before official opening on days of The best nearby dining location is Pecos Bill normal attendance, and 1 hour before official Tall Tale Inn & Cafe in Frontierland. opening during holidays and busy times. Get 8. Eat lunch. guide maps and the Times Guide while wait- 9. Ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasyland. ing to enter the park. 10. Take a spin on the Tomorrowland Speedway. 2. As soon as the park opens, head to 11. Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in Fantasyland and ride The Many Adventures Tomorrowland. of Winnie the Pooh. 12. See Mickey’s PhilharMagic. Give the Mad Tea Party a whirl. 3. 13. Take Peter Pan’s Flight. 4. Try The Barnstormer. 1 4. In Fantasyland, ride Prince Charming Regal 5. Ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant in Carrousel. Fantasyland. 1 5. Ride the Magic Carpets of Aladdin in 6. Ride Under the Sea: Journey of the Adventureland. Little Mermaid. 1 6. If time permits, revisit favorite attractions, try 7. Try the It’s a Small World boat ride. Use new ones, or tour the park.

If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: noon; Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 1 p.m.; Peter Pan’s Flight: 3 p.m. Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: Anything available. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park.¹ CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 719

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MAGIC KINGDOM EARLY ENTRY DUMBO-OR-DIE-IN-A-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN Review the Small-Child Fright-Potential Table on pages 392–394. Make park reservations for the Magic Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates.

1. Arrive at the Magic Kingdom entrance 40 11. See the Country Bear Jamboree. minutes before official opening on days of 12. See Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland. normal attendance, and 1 hour before official opening during holidays and busy times. Get 13. Ride Under the Sea: Journey of the guide maps and the Times Guide while wait- Little Mermaid. ing to enter the park. 1 4. Try The Barnstormer. 2. As soon as the park opens, ride Seven Dwarfs 1 5. Ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant twice. Mine Train in Fantasyland. 16. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. 3. Take Peter Pan’s Flight. 17. Try Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in 4. Tour The Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square. Tomorrowland. While you’re in line, use 5. Ride the Magic Carpets of Aladdin in mobile ordering to order dinner. The closest Adventureland. spot is Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. 6. Ride the Jungle Cruise. 18. If time permits, ride the Tomorrowland Transit 7. Experience Pirates of the Caribbean. Authority PeopleMover. 8. Take the It’s a Small World boat ride. While 19. Take a spin on the Tomorrowland Speedway. you’re in line, use mobile ordering to order 20. If time permits, see Walt Disney’s Enchanted lunch. The closest good spot is Pecos Bill Tall Tiki Room in Adventureland. Tale Inn & Cafe in Frontierland. 21. Circle back to any skipped attractions, or 9. Eat lunch. revisit favorites. 10. Take the raft over to Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland. If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: It’s a Small World: 10:30 a.m.; The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: 3:30 p.m.; Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 4:30 p.m. Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: Anything available. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 720 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS

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MAGIC KINGDOM NON–EARLY ENTRY DUMBO-OR-DIE-IN-A-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN Review the Small-Child Fright-Potential Table on pages 392–394. Make park reservations for the Magic Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates.

1. Arrive at the Magic Kingdom entrance 30 11. Ride the Magic Carpets of Aladdin minutes before official opening on days of in Adventureland. normal attendance, and 1 hour before official 12. If time permits, see Walt Disney’s Enchanted opening during holidays and busy times. Get Tiki Room. guide maps and the Times Guide while waiting to enter the park. 13. Ride the Jungle Cruise. Experience Pirates of the Caribbean. While 2. As soon as you’re admitted to the park, try 1 4. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in you’re in line, use mobile ordering to order Tomorrowland. dinner ahead of time. 3. Tour The Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square. 1 5. Eat dinner. 4. Take the It’s a Small World boat ride. 1 6. If time permits, ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. 5. Ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasy- land. While in line, use mobile ordering to 1 7. Take a spin on the Tomorrowland Speedway. order lunch. The best spot nearby is Pecos 1 8. Try The Barnstormer. Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe in Frontierland. 1 9. Ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant twice. 6. Eat lunch. 20. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie 7. See Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland. the Pooh. 8. Take Peter Pan’s Flight. 21. Ride Under the Sea: Journey of the 9. See the Country Bear Jamboree. Little Mermaid. 10. Take the raft over to Tom Sawyer Island 22. Circle back to any skipped attractions, or in Frontierland. revisit favorites.

If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: 10:30 a.m.; Peter Pan’s Flight: 1 p.m.; Jungle Cruise: 3 p.m. Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: 7 p.m. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park.¹ CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 721

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MAGIC KINGDOM EARLY ENTRY TWO-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR ADULTS: DAY ONE Make park reservations for the Magic Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates.

1. Arrive at the Magic Kingdom entrance 40 6. In Liberty Square, ride The Haunted Mansion. minutes before official opening on days of 7. See The Hall of Presidents. Order lunch normal attendance, and 1 hour before offi- using mobile ordering. The best nearby cial opening during holidays and busy spot is Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe in times. Get guide maps and the Times Guide Frontierland. while waiting to enter the park. 8. Eat lunch. 2. As soon as the park opens, ride Seven 9. Explore Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland. Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasyland. 10. Work in a viewing of Country Bear 3. Ride Peter Pan’s Flight. Jamboree in Frontierland. 4. In Frontierland, ride Big Thunder 11. Ride It’s a Small World in Fantasyland. Mountain Railroad. 1 2. See Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland. 5. Experience Splash Mountain if temperatures permit. 1 3. Revisit any favorite attractions or ones that were skipped. (continued on next page)

If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: Haunted Mansion: 10 a.m.; It’s a Small World: 2 p.m. You’ll have one extra FastPass+ reservation to use on anything that interests you. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 722 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS

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MAGIC KINGDOM EARLY ENTRY TWO-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR ADULTS: DAY TWO Make park reservations for the Magic Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates.

1. Arrive at the Magic Kingdom entrance 40 6. See Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. minutes before official opening on days of Use mobile ordering to order lunch ahead normal attendance, and 1 hour before offi- of time. cial opening during holidays and busy 7. Eat lunch. times. Get guide maps and the Times Guide while waiting to enter the park. 8. Tour the Swiss Family Treehouse. 2. As soon as the park opens, head to 9. Ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Tomorrowland and ride Space Mountain. PeopleMover. 3. Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. 10. See Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. 4. In Adventureland, take the Jungle Cruise. 11. Revisit any favorite attractions or tour the 5. Ride Pirates of the Caribbean. rest of the park.

If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: Pirates of the Caribbean: 9:30 a.m. You’ll have two extra FastPass+ reservations to use on anything that interests you. Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: Anything available. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park.¹ CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 723

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MAGIC KINGDOM NON–EARLY ENTRY TWO-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR ADULTS: DAY ONE Make park reservations for the Magic Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates.

1. Arrive at the Magic Kingdom entrance 30 6. See The Hall of Presidents. Order lunch minutes before official opening on days of using mobile ordering. The best nearby normal attendance, and 50 minutes before spot is Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe in official opening during holidays and busy Frontierland. times. Get guide maps and the Times Guide 7. Eat lunch. while waiting to enter the park. 8. Work in a viewing of Country Bear 2. As soon as you’re admitted to the Jamboree in Frontierland. park, ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 9. Explore Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland. in Frontierland. 10. See Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland. 3. Experience Splash Mountain if temperatures permit. 11. Try Peter Pan’s Flight. 4. In Liberty Square, ride The Haunted 12. Ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Mansion. 13. Revisit any favorite attractions or ones that 5. Ride It’s a Small World in Fantasyland. were skipped. (continued on next page)

If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: Haunted Mansion: 10 a.m.; Peter Pan’s Flight: 2 p.m. You’ll have one extra FastPass+ reservation to use on anything that interests you. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 724 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS

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MAGIC KINGDOM NON–EARLY ENTRY TWO-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR ADULTS: DAY TWO Make park reservations for the Magic Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates.

1. Arrive at the Magic Kingdom entrance 30 5. See Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. minutes before official opening on days of Use mobile ordering to order lunch. normal attendance, and 50 minutes before 6. Eat lunch. official opening during holidays and busy 7. Ride Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. times. Get guide maps and the Times Guide 8. Ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority while waiting to enter the park. PeopleMover. 2. As soon as you’re admitted to the park, 9. See Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. take the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. 10. Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. 3. Ride Pirates of the Caribbean. 11. Revisit any favorite attractions or tour the 4. Tour the Swiss Family Treehouse. rest of the park.

If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: Pirates of the Caribbean: 9:30 a.m.; Space Mountain: 12:30 p.m.; Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 2 p.m. Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: Anything available. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park.¹ CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 725

EPCOT EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN (Assumes Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is open) Make park reservations as soon as you know your travel dates. If EPCOT opens at 11 a.m., eat a late breakfast before arriving, so you don’t have to stop for lunch as soon as the park opens.

1. Arrive at EPCOT’s International Gateway World Showcase. entrance 50 minutes before official opening 10. In France, watch Impressions de France if (70 minutes on busy days and holidays). Get it’s offered. Skip the Beauty and the Beast guide maps and the Times Guide. film if that’s the one shown, and consider ice 2. As soon as the park opens, ride Remy’s cream at L’Artisan des Glaces instead. Ratatouille Adventure in France. 11. Tour the Morocco Pavilion and exhibits. 3. Ride Soarin’ at The Land Pavilion in Future 12. Tour the Japan Pavilion and exhibits. World West. 13. See The American Adventure. 4. Ask a cast member if Test Track is operating. 14. Tour the Italy Pavilion. If yes, ride Test Track in Future World East. Use the single-rider line if it’s open and your 15. Check out the Germany Pavilion. group is willing. 16. See the China Pavilion and its film. 5. Ride Mission: Space in Future World East if 17. Tour the Norway Pavilion and ride Frozen time permits and your group is interested. Ever After if time permits. 6. Ride Spaceship Earth. 18. See the Mexico Pavilion and ride the Gran 7. Eat a light, late lunch. Sunshine Seasons in Fiesta Tour if time permits. The Land is the closest, best option. 19. See Harmonious if it’s being shown. Good 8. Tour The Seas main tank and exhibits. viewing locations should be available around the Mexico Pavilion, in front of World 9. Begin a tour of World Showcase at the Showcase where it meets Future World, and Canada Pavilion and see Canada Far and between Canada and France. Wide. A good strategy for dinner is to stop at any of the food booths around If FastPass+ is offered, try obtaining these FastPasses at the times shown: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure: anytime; Mission: Space: noon; Spaceship Earth: 1 p.m. If FastPass is available but these attractions or times aren’t, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 1 2 10 3 11 9 12 8 6 19 13 14 18 4 5 15 17 16 Epcot 726 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS

EPCOT NON–EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN (Assumes Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is open) Make park reservations as soon as you know your travel dates. If EPCOT opens at 11 a.m., eat a late breakfast before arriving, so you don’t have to stop for lunch as soon as the park opens.

1. Arrive at EPCOT’s main entrance 30 minutes 9. In France, watch Impressions de France if it’s before official opening (50 minutes on busy offered. Skip the Beauty and the Beast film if days and holidays). Get guide maps and the that’s the one shown, and consider ice cream Times Guide. at L’Artisan des Glaces instead. 2. Ride Soarin’ at The Land Pavilion in Future 10. Ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France. World West. 11. Tour the Morocco Pavilion and exhibits. 3. Ask a cast member if Test Track is operating. 12. Tour the Japan Pavilion and exhibits. If yes, ride Test Track in Future World East. 13. See The American Adventure. Use the single-rider line if it’s open and your group is willing. 14. Tour the Italy Pavilion. 4. Ride Mission: Space in Future World East if 15. Check out the Germany Pavilion. time permits and your group is interested. 16. See the China Pavilion and its film. 5. Ride Spaceship Earth. 17. Tour the Norway Pavilion and ride Frozen 6. Eat a light, late lunch. Sunshine Seasons in Ever After if time permits. The Land is the closest, best option. 18. See the Mexico Pavilion and ride the Gran 7. Tour The Seas main tank and exhibits. Fiesta Tour if time permits. 8. Begin a tour of World Showcase at the 19. See Harmonious if it’s being shown. Good Canada Pavilion and see Canada Far and viewing locations should be available around Wide. A good strategy for dinner is to stop at the Mexico Pavilion, in front of World any of the booths around World Showcase. Showcase where it meets Future World, and between Canada and France.

If FastPass+ is offered, try obtaining these FastPasses at the times shown: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure: anytime; Mission: Space: noon; Spaceship Earth: 1 p.m. If FastPass is available but these attractions or times aren’t, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 10 9 2 11 8 7 12 1 5 19 13 14 18 3 4 15 17 16 Epcot CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 727

EPCOT EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN (Assumes Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind are open) Make park reservations as soon as you know your travel dates. If EPCOT opens at 11 a.m., eat a late breakfast before arriving, so you don’t have to stop for lunch as soon as the park opens.

1. Arrive at EPCOT’s main entrance 50 minutes 10. Begin a tour of World Showcase at the before official opening (70 minutes on busy Mexico Pavilion. Skip the boat ride to days and holidays). Get guide maps and the save time. Times Guide. 11. Tour the Norway Pavilion and ride Frozen 2. As soon as the park opens, ride Guardians Ever After. of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in Future 12. See the China Pavilion. Skip the film—it’s not World East. rated highly by any age group. 3. Ride Soarin’ at The Land Pavilion in Future 13. Check out the Germany Pavilion. World West. 1 4. Tour the Italy Pavilion. 4. Ask a cast member if Test Track is operating. If yes, ride Test Track in Future World East. 1 5. See The American Adventure. Use the single-rider line if it’s open and your 1 6. Tour the Japan Pavilion and exhibits. group is willing. 17. Tour the Morocco Pavilion and exhibits. 5. If your group includes teens, ride Mission: 18. In France, ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Space in Future World East and skip Living To save time, skip either film being shown. with the Land in Step 7. 19. Tour the Canada Pavilion and see Canada 6. Ride Spaceship Earth. Far and Wide. 7. Ride Living with the Land in the Land 20. See Harmonious. Good viewing locations Pavilion. Skip if you have teens, to save time. should be available around the Mexico 8. Eat a light, late lunch. Sunshine Seasons in Pavilion, in front of World Showcase where it The Land is the closest, best option. meets Future World, and between Canada 9. Tour The Seas main tank and exhibits. and France.

If FastPass+ is offered, try obtaining these FastPasses at the times shown: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: anytime; Mission: Space: 2 p.m.; Spaceship Earth: 3 p.m. If FastPass is available but these attractions or times aren’t, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 18 7 3 17 19 16 9 1 6 20 15 2 14 10 4 13 5 11 12 Epcot 728 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS

EPCOT NON-EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN (Assumes Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind are open) Make park reservations as soon as you know your travel dates. If EPCOT opens at 11 a.m., eat a late breakfast before arriving, so you don’t have to stop for lunch as soon as the park opens.

1. Arrive at EPCOT’s main entrance 30 minutes 10. Tour the Norway Pavilion and ride Frozen before official opening (50 minutes on busy Ever After. days and holidays). Get guide maps and the 11. See the China Pavilion. Skip the film—it’s not Times Guide. rated highly by any age group. 2. As soon as the park opens, ride Soarin’ at 12. Check out the Germany Pavilion. The Land Pavilion in Future World West. 13. Tour the Italy Pavilion. 3. Ask a cast member if Test Track is operating. 14. See The American Adventure. If yes, ride Test Track in Future World East. Use the single-rider line if it’s open and your 15. Tour the Japan Pavilion and exhibits. group is willing. 16. Tour the Morocco Pavilion and exhibits. 4. If your group includes teens, ride Mission: 17. In France, ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Space in Future World East and skip Living To save time, skip either film being shown. with the Land in Step 6. 18. If you have more than 2 hours before the 5. Ride Spaceship Earth. park closes, tour the Canada Pavilion and see 6. Ride Living with the Land in the Land Canada Far and Wide. Otherwise, skip Pavilion. Skip if you have teens, to save time. Canada and ride Guardians of the Galaxy. 7. Eat a light, late lunch. Sunshine Seasons in 19. Return to Future World East and ride The Land is the closest, best option. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. 8. Tour The Seas main tank and exhibits. 20. See Harmonious. Good viewing locations should be available around the Mexico 9. Begin a tour of World Showcase at the Pavilion, in front of World Showcase where it Mexico Pavilion. Skip the boat ride to meets Future World, and between Canada save time. and France. If FastPass+ is offered, try obtaining these FastPasses at the times shown: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: anytime; Mission: Space: 2 p.m.; Spaceship Earth: 3 p.m. If FastPass is available but these attractions or times aren’t, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 17 6 2 16 18 8 15 1 5 20 14 13 19 3 9 4 12 10 11 Epcot CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 729

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

8 6

11 12 10 4 13,15

16 2a 2b 1 5

ANIMAL KINGDOM EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN Make park reservations for the Animal Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates.

1. Arrive at the Animal Kingdom main entrance 7. Eat lunch. 50 minutes before official opening on days of 8. Take the Kilimanjaro Safaris tour in Africa. If normal attendance, and 70 minutes before FastPasses are offered, check after the Safari official opening during holidays and busy for day-of FastPasses for Kali River Rapids, if times. Follow cast member instructions to line the weather is warm enough. up for Flight of Passage. Get guide maps and 9. Walk the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. the Times Guide while waiting to enter. 10. See Festival of the Lion King if open. 2. Ride Avatar Flight of Passage (2a), then Na’vi River Journey (2b) in Pandora. 11. See Feathered Friends in Flight in Asia. 3. Sign up for Wilderness Explorers on the 12. Get wet on Kali River Rapids in Asia, if tem- bridge from Discovery Island to The Oasis, on peratures permit. your way to Asia. Play a few games as you 13. Tour the Discovery Island Trails and any other tour the park. animal exhibits that interest you. Ride Expedition Everest in Asia. 4. If the park is open past dark: Ride Dinosaur in Dinoland U.S.A. 5. 14. Eat dinner in the park. Walk the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Use mobile 6. 15. See Awakenings at the Tree of Life. Check the ordering to order lunch in advance. The best Times Guide for start time. restaurants in the park are Satu’li Canteen in Pandora and Flame Tree Barbecue on 16. Tour the Valley of Mo’ara in Pandora. Discovery Island.

If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: Avatar Flight of Passage: 9 a.m.; Expedition Everest: 10 a.m.; Kilimanjaro Safaris: 2 p.m. Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: After using your Kilimanjaro Safaris FastPass+, make a FastPass+ reservation for Kali River Rapids, if it’s warm enough to ride. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 730 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

2 7

3 10 4 11,15 13

16 12 13 1 5

ANIMAL KINGDOM NON–EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN Make park reservations for the Animal Kingdom as soon as you know your travel dates.

1. Arrive at the Animal Kingdom main entrance 6. Eat lunch. On your way to lunch, sign up for 30 minutes before official opening on days Wilderness Explorers on the bridge from of normal attendance, and 50 minutes before Discovery Island to The Oasis. Play a few official opening during holidays and busy games as you tour the rest of the park. times. Follow cast member instructions to 7. Walk the Maharajah Jungle Trek. line up for Flight of Passage. Get guide maps 8. See Feathered Friends in Flight in Asia. and the Times Guide while you’re waiting to 9. Walk the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. enter the park. 10. See Festival of the Lion King if open. 2. As soon as you’re admitted into the park, 11. Tour the Discovery Island Trails and any take the Kilimanjaro Safaris tour in Africa. other animal exhibits that interest you. 3. Get wet on Kali River Rapids in Asia if 12. Ride Avatar Flight of Passage in Pandora. temperatures permit. 1 3. Take the Na’vi River Journey boat ride. 4. Ride Expedition Everest. 5. Ride Dinosaur in Dinoland U.S.A. Use mobile If the park is open past dark: ordering to order lunch in advance. The best 1 4. Eat dinner in the park. restaurants in the park are Satu’li Canteen in 1 5. See Awakenings at the Tree of Life. Check Pandora and Flame Tree Barbecue on the Times Guide for start time. Discovery Island. 1 6. Tour the Valley of Mo’ara in Pandora.

If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations and start times: Expedition Everest, 10 a.m.; Avatar Flight of Passage, 2 p.m. You’ll have one extra FastPass+ reservation to use on anything that interests you. Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: If the morning is cool and the afternoon is warm, try for an afternoon Kali River Rapids reservation. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 731 Disney’s Hollywood Studios

13 9 3 10

14 2 5

DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN Make park reservations for the Studios as soon as you know your travel dates. Obtain a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance at exactly 7 a.m. on the day of your visit, or try again at 1 p.m. Make reservations 60 days in advance for Savi’s Workshop, the Droid Depot, and Oga’s Cantina. Check tinyurl.com/dhs-swge before your trip to get the latest information. 1. Check official park hours the night before 8. Use mobile ordering to order lunch. The your visit, and plan to arrive 50 minutes best nearby spot is Docking Bay 7 in before official opening on non-peak days, Galaxy’s Edge. and 70 minutes before official opening 9. Try Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway on during holidays and other busy times. Hollywood Boulevard. 2. If you obtained a boarding group for Rise of 10. Work in a showing of For the First Time in the Resistance, pause touring to ride it when Forever around the next few steps. your boarding group is called. Resume the 11. Ride the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster on Sunset plan when done. Boulevard. 3. As soon as the park opens, ride Slinky Dog 12. Experience the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Dash in Toy Story Land. 1 3. See Walt Disney Presents in Animation 4. Ride Toy Story Mania! Courtyard. 5. Ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in 14. Explore the rest of Galaxy’s Edge. Galaxy’s Edge. 15. Revisit any favorite attractions or tour the 6. See Muppet-Vision 3-D. rest of the park. 7. Experience Star Tours in Echo Lake. If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations for as early in the day as possible: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Slinky Dog Dash, or Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run as your Tier A choice, then any two of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Toy Story Mania! Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: Anything available. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. 732 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS Disney’s Hollywood Studios

10 14 6

9 2 3

DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS NON-EARLY ENTRY ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN Make park reservations for the Studios as soon as you know your travel dates. Obtain a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance at exactly 7 a.m. on the day of your visit, or try again at 1 p.m. Make reservations 60 days in advance for Savi’s Workshop, the Droid Depot, and Oga’s Cantina. Check tinyurl.com/dhs-swge before your trip to get the latest information. 1. Check official park hours the night before nearby spot is Docking Bay 7 in Galaxy’s your visit, and plan to arrive 50 minutes Edge. before official opening on non-peak days, 8. Ride Toy Story Mania! in Toy Story Land. and 70 minutes before official opening 9. Explore the rest of Galaxy’s Edge. during holidays and other busy times. 10. Try Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway on 2. If you obtained a boarding group for Rise of Hollywood Boulevard. the Resistance in Galaxy’s Edge, pause tour- 11. Ride the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster on ing to ride it when your boarding group is Sunset Boulevard. called. Resume the plan when done. 12. Experience the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. 3. Ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. 1 3. See Walt Disney Presents in Animation 4. See Muppet-Vision 3-D. Courtyard. 5. Experience Star Tours in Echo Lake. 1 4. Ride Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land. 6. Work in a showing of For the First Time in 1 5. Revisit any favorite attractions or tour the Forever around the next few steps. rest of the park. 7. Use mobile ordering to order lunch. The best If FastPass+ is offered, try to get these suggested FastPass+ reservations for as early in the day as possible: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Slinky Dog Dash, or Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run as your Tier A choice, then any two of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Toy Story Mania! Suggested day-of FastPass+ reservations: Anything available. If any of these FastPasses or times aren’t available, see tinyurl.com/free-tplans to customize the plan based on the FastPasses you were able to get, at no charge. You can also set your walking speed and get free real-time updates while you’re in the park. CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 733 Universal’s Islands of Adventure

The Lost Continent

11 20 19

3 29b 22 4a 21 16 13 12 23 28 24 15 Seuss 4b Landing 10 14 Port of 4 Entry 2 Jurassic 29a Park 17 5b 18 5a 27

9 25 Marvel Super Hero Island 6a Toon Lagoon 7 Skull Island 6b 8

UNIVERSAL’S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN 1. Buy admission in advance. Call ☎ 407- 10. Eat an early lunch. A good sit-down choice 363-8000 the day before for the official is Mythos. Make reservations at zomato.com. opening time. 11. Ride Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike 2. Arrive at IOA 90–120 minutes before the offi- Adventure in Hogsmeade. cial opening time if Early Park Admission is 12. See the wand ceremony at Ollivanders, and offered and you’re eligible, or 30–45 minutes buy a wand if you wish. before opening if you’re a day guest. Check 13. See the Frog Choir perform on the small Universal’s app for daily showtimes, and look stage outside Hogwarts Castle. for Virtual Line reservations for Hagrid’s 14. Ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure start- 15. See the Triwizard Spirit Rally on the stage ing 15–30 minutes before park opening; get outside Hogwarts Castle, time permitting. an early afternoon return time if available. 16. Ride Flight of the Hippogriff (if you haven’t 3. Early-entry guests should ride Hagrid’s already). Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. 17. Explore the Jurassic Park Discovery Center. 4. Ride Flight of the Hippogriff (4a), followed by 18. Meet Blue at the Raptor Encounter. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (4b), 19. In Lost Continent, see Poseidon’s Fury if at least 30 minutes remain in early entry. (open seasonally). 5. If time remains before official opening, ride 20. Chat with the Mystic Fountain. The Incredible Hulk Coaster (5a). Otherwise, 21. Experience The High in the Sky Seuss early-entry guests should enter Jurassic Park Trolley Train Ride! in Seuss Landing. as soon as allowed and ride the Jurassic 22. Ride One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. World VelociCoaster (5b; opening 2021). 23. Enjoy the Caro-Seuss-el. 6. Ride The Amazing Adventures of Spider- 24. Experience The Cat in the Hat. Man. Day guests start with Spider-Man (6a), 25. In Marvel Super Hero Island ride Doctor followed by Skull Island: Reign of Kong (6b). Doom’s Fearfall. Early-entry guests may ride Reign of Kong 26. Ride Storm Force Accelatron (seasonal). (6b) on their way to Spider-Man (6a) if 27. Ride The Incredible Hulk Coaster. walking from Jurassic Park. Both early-entry 28. Have dinner at Three Broomsticks in and day guests continue as follows. Hogsmeade. 7. Take the Jurassic Park River Adventure. Put Get in line for the Jurassic World your belongings in a pay locker here and 29. leave them through the next two rides. VelociCoaster (29a; opening 2021) or Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike 8. Ride Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls in Toon Lagoon. Adventure (29b) at least 1 hour before the park closes. Then watch the last Hogwarts 9. Ride Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges. Retrieve your property from Jurassic Park. Castle light show (if scheduled) before closing, or revisit any favorite attractions. 734 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS Universal Studios Florida

3b 23 Gringotts

3a 20 San New York Francisco 19 21 22 18

Producctiontion 7 Centraall 9 Worlldd EExpoxpo 15 8 Springﬁeld: Home of the 7th Ave. 11 Simpsons 25 13 5 6 10 14

4 17 16a 12 16b Woody Hollywood Woodpeckerr’s’s KidZoneKidZone 2 Main Entrance

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FLORIDA ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN 1. Buy admission in advance. Call ☎ 407-363- 14. Work inAnimal Actors on Location! around 8000 the day before for the official opening lunch, according to the daily entertainment time. schedule. 2. Arrive at USF 90–120 minutes before the 15. Experience Race Through New York official opening time if Early Park Admission Starring Jimmy Fallon according to the is offered and you’re eligible, or 30–45 min- Virtual Line reservation you made, if you utes before opening if you’re a day guest. didn’t ride earlier. Check Universal’s app for daily showtimes, 16. See Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up and look for Virtual Line reservations for Show (16a) and The Bourne Stuntacular select attractions starting 15–30 minutes (16b) according to the daily entertainment before park opening. schedule. 3. Early-entry guests should visit Ollivanders 17. See Shrek 4-D in Production Central. ( ) and ride Harry Potter and the Escape 3a Chat with the Knight Bus conductor and his from Gringotts (3b). If Gringotts isn’t operat- 18. ing, enjoy the rest of Diagon Alley but don’t shrunken head outside of Diagon Alley. Also get in line. look for Kreacher in the window of 12 Grimmauld Place, and dial MAGIC (62442) in 4. Before early entry ends, ride Despicable the red phone booth. Me Minion Mayhem. Day guests should 19. SeeCelestina Warbeck and the Banshees. begin their tour here. 20. See the wand ceremony at Ollivanders, 5. Ride Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. and buy a wand if you wish. 6. Experience Transformers: The Ride 3-D. 21. SeeTales of Beedle the Bard. 7. Ride Revenge of the Mummy in New York 22. Tour Diagon Alley. Browse the shops, explore (using Virtual Line if available). the dark recesses of Knockturn Alley, and 8. Ride Race Through New York Starring discover the interactive effects. If you’re hun- Jimmy Fallon, or get a Virtual Line return gry, try the Leaky Cauldron or Florean time for early afternoon if the standby Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour. entrance isn’t available. 23. Ride Harry Potter and the Escape from 9. Experience Men in Black Alien Attack in Gringotts. World Expo. 24. Revisit favorite attractions, if time permits. 10. Ride The Simpsons Ride in Springfield. 25. If it’s scheduled, watch Universal Orlando’s Try Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ’n’ Hurl (seasonal). Cinematic Celebration from Central Park 11. (between Hollywood and Woody 12. Ride E.T. Adventure in Woody Woodpecker’s Woodpecker’s KidZone). KidZone. 13. Eat lunch at Fast Food Boulevard. CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 735 Universal Studios Florida

The Wizarding World ooff Harry Potteer–r– Diagon Allleyey

2d 12 3b 29 22 Gringotts

San 3a 26 New York Francisco 25 27 28

Producctiontion 7 Centraall 9 Worlldd EExpoxpo Springﬁeld: 8 Home of the 7th Ave. Simpsons 30 6 5 10

4 23a 11 23b Woody Hollywood Woodpeckerr’s’s KidZoneKidZone 2 Main Entrance

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO HIGHLIGHTS ONE-DAY/ TWO-PARK TOURING PLAN: PART ONE (Assumes: 1-Day Park-to-Park Ticket)

1. Buy admission in advance. Call ☎ 407-363- 9. Ride Men in Black Alien Attack in World 8000 the day before for the official opening Expo. time. 10. Experience The Simpsons Ride in 2. Arrive at USF 90–120 minutes before the Springfield. official opening time if Early Park Admission 11. Ride E.T. Adventure in Woody is offered and you’re eligible, or 30–45 min- Woodpecker’s KidZone. utes before opening if you’re a day guest. Check Universal’s app for daily showtimes, 12. Ride Hogwarts Express to IOA. Have your and look for Virtual Line reservations for park-to-park ticket ready. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Tour Islands of Adventure using Part Two of this Adventure starting 15–30 minutes before plan (see next page); then return to USF and park opening; get an early afternoon return resume at step 23 below. time if available. Alternative: If only IOA is 23. See Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up open for Early Park Admission and you’re eli- Show (23a) and/or The Bourne Stuntacular gible, arrive at IOA 90–120 minutes before (23b) according to the daily entertainment official opening. Ride Hagrid’s Magical schedule. Creatures Motorbike Adventure (2a), Harry 24. Chat with the Knight Bus conductor outside Potter and the Forbidden Journey (2b), and of Diagon Alley. Also look for Kreacher in the Flight of the Hippogriff (2c). Then take the window of 12 Grimmauld Place and dial MAGIC first Hogwarts Express (2d) of the morning (62442) in the red phone booth. to USF, and continue at the next step. (See 25. SeeCelestina Warbeck and the Banshees the next page for the map of the previous four or Tales of Beedle the Bard in Diagon Alley. steps.) 26. See the wand ceremony at Ollivanders, and 3. Early-entry guests should head to Diagon buy a wand if you wish. Alley to visit Ollivanders (3a) and ride Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (3b). 27. Eat dinner at the Leaky Cauldron. If Gringotts isn’t operating, enjoy the rest of 28. Tour Diagon Alley. Browse the shops, explore Diagon Alley but don’t get in line. the dark recesses of Knockturn Alley, and 4. Return to the front of the park to ride discover the interactive effects. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. Day guests 29. Ride Harry Potter and the Escape from should begin here. Gringotts. 5. Ride Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. 30. If scheduled, watch Universal Orlando’s 6. Experience Transformers: The Ride 3-D in Cinematic Celebration from Central Park Production Central. (between Hollywood and Woody 7. Ride Revenge of the Mummy in New York. Woodpecker’s KidZone). 8. Ride Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon if the standby entrance is open.

(continued on next page) 736 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS

Universal’s Islands of Adventure

The Lost Continent 12 2d 22 2a 13 15 2c 17 Seuss Landing 2b 14 16a 16b Port of 4 Entry

Jurassic Park 21a 18

Marvel Super Hero Island 19 Toon Lagoon Skull 21b Island

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO HIGHLIGHTS ONE-DAY/TWO-PARK TOURING PLAN: PART TWO (continued from previous page)

13. Experience Hagrid’s Magical Creatures 19. Ride The Amazing Adventures of Spider- Motorbike Adventure using your Virtual Man. Line reservation (if available). 20. Ride Skull Island: Reign of Kong. 14. Ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden 21. Ride the Jurassic World VelociCoaster (21a; Journey. opening 2021) or take the Jurassic Park 15. Ride Flight of the Hippogriff if the wait River Adventure (21b). isn’t too long. 22. Return to USF via Hogwarts Express, or walk 16. Break for lunch. We suggest Green Eggs and back to the other park if the posted wait Ham Cafe in Seuss Landing (16a) for a exceeds 20 minutes. quicker meal or Mythos (16b) in Lost Continent for sit-down dining. Resume Part One starting with step 23 17. Ride The Cat in the Hat in Seuss Landing. (see previous page). 18. Ride The Incredible Hulk Coaster on Marvel Super Hero Island. CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS 737 Typhoon Lagoon

R R

8 7

6 2

R R

R 1

TYPHOON LAGOON ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN

1. Arrive at the park entrance 30 minutes 3. Ride Gangplank Falls as many times as you like. before opening. Take care of locker and 4. If your kids enjoyed Gangplank Falls, try towel rentals at Singapore Sal’s, to your right Keelhaul Falls if it seems appropriate. after you’ve walked along the winding 5. Enjoy the Ketchakiddee Creek kids’ play area. entrance path and emerged into the park. Find a spot to stow the remainder of your 6. Grab some tubes and ride Castaway Creek. A complete circuit takes 20–25 minutes. gear, noting any nearby landmarks to help you find your way back. 7. Swim in the Surf Pool as long as you like. 2. Ride Miss Adventure Falls as many times as 8. Ride the Bay Slides in the Surf Pool. you like. 9. Repeat your favorite attractions as desired. 738 CLIP-OUT TOURING PLANS

Blizzard Beach

4 5 8 R

9 R

2 7

R R R

BLIZZARD BEACH ONE-DAY TOURING PLAN FOR PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN

1. Arrive at the park entrance 30 minutes before 4. If your kids are up for it, try the opening. Take care of locker and towel rentals Toboggan Racers. at Lottawatta Lodge, to your left as you enter 5. If the kids enjoyed the Toboggan Racers, the park. Find a spot to stow the remainder of try the Snow Stormers next. your gear, noting any nearby landmarks to help you find your way back. 6. Visit the Ski Patrol Training Camp. 2. Take the chairlift up Mount Gushmore to the 7. Visit Tike’s Peak. Green Slope. Note: It might be faster—though 8. Grab some tubes and go floating in more tiring—to walk to the top. Cross Country Creek. 3. Raft down Teamboat Springs. Repeat as much 9. Swim in Melt-Away Bay’s Wave Pool for as you like while the park is still uncrowded. as long as you like. CLIP-OUT TOURING PLAN COMPANIONS 739

MAGIC KINGDOM Touring Plan Companion Attraction¢|¢Recommended Visitation Times¢|¢Authors’ Rating Ariel’s Grotto (FastPass+) | Before 10:30 a.m., in the 2 hours before closing, FastPass+ | ★★★ Astro Orbiter | Before 11 a.m., in the hour before closing | ★★ The Barnstormer (FastPass+) | Before 11 a.m., during parades, in the 2 hours before closing, FastPass+ | ★★ Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (FastPass+) | Before 10 a.m., in the hour before closing, FastPass+ | ★★★★ Comments 40" minimum height; expectant mothers should not ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (FastPass+) | First or last hour the park is open, FastPass+ | ★★★★ Casey Jr. Splash ’N’ Soak Station | When it’s hot | ★★★ Country Bear Jamboree | Anytime | ★★★½ Dumbo the Flying Elephant (FastPass+) | Before 11 a.m., after 6 p.m., FastPass+ | ★★★½ Enchanted Tales with Belle (FastPass+) | At opening, in the 2 hours before closing, FastPass+ | ★★★★ Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade | Anytime | ★½ The Hall of Presidents | Anytime | ★★★ The Haunted Mansion (FastPass+) | Before 11 a.m., in the 2 hours before closing | ★★★★½ Comment Fright potential It’s a Small World (FastPass+) | Before 11 a.m., during parades, after 7 p.m., FastPass+ | ★★★½ Jungle Cruise (FastPass+) | Before 10:30 a.m., in the 2 hours before closing, FastPass+ | ★★★½ Liberty Belle Riverboat | Anytime | ★★½ Mad Tea Party (FastPass+) | Before 11 a.m., after 5 p.m., FastPass+ | ★★ | Comments Expectant mothers should not ride; motion sickness potential The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (FastPass+) | Before 11 a.m., after 7 p.m. | ★★½ The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (FastPass+) | Before 10 a.m., in the hour before closing, FastPass+ ★★★½ Meet Merida at Fairytale Garden | Check Times Guide for schedule | ★★★½ Mickey’s PhilharMagic (FastPass+) | Anytime | ★★★★ Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor (FastPass+) | Before 11 a.m., after 4 p.m. | ★★★½ Peter Pan’s Flight (FastPass+) | First or last 30 minutes the park is open, FastPass+ | ★★★★ Pete’s Silly Sideshow (FastPass+) | Before 11 a.m., in the 2 hours before closing | ★★★½ A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas | Available noon–6 p.m. | ★★★½ Pirates of the Caribbean (FastPass+) | Before 11 a.m., after 7 p.m., FastPass+ | ★★★★ Prince Charming Regal Carrousel | Anytime | ★★★ Princess Fairytale Hall (FastPass+) | Before 10:30 a.m., after 4 p.m., FastPass+ | ★★★ Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (FastPass+) | At opening, FastPass+ | ★★★★ Space Mountain (FastPass+) | At opening, FastPass+ | ★★★★ | Comments 44" minimum height; expectant mothers should not ride Splash Mountain (FastPass+) | At opening, during parades, just before closing, FastPass+ | ★★★★★ Comments 40" minimum height; expectant mothers should not ride Swiss Family Treehouse | Anytime | ★★★ | Comment Fright potential due to height Tom Sawyer Island and Fort Langhorn | Midmorning–late afternoon | ★★★ Tomorrowland Speedway (FastPass+) | Before 10 a.m., in the 2 hours before closing, FastPass+ | ★★ Comment 54" minimum height requirement for kids to drive unassisted Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover | Anytime, but especially during hot, crowded times of day (11:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) | ★★★½ Town Square Theater Meet and Greets (FastPass+) | Before 10 a.m., after 4 p.m., FastPass+ | ★★★★ Tron Lightcycle/Run (FastPass+) (opens 2021/2022) | At opening, in the hour before closing, FastPass+ Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid (FastPass+) | Before 10:30 a.m., in the 2 hours before closing, FastPass+ ★★★½ Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress | Anytime | ★★★ Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room | Before 11 a.m., after 3:30 p.m. | ★★★ Walt Disney World Railroad | Anytime | ★★★ | Comment May be closed for construction

DINING INFORMATION—Full Service Restaurant¢|¢Meals Served¢|¢Location¢|¢Price¢|¢Quality¢|¢Value¢|¢Selections Be Our Guest Restaurant | L-D | Fantasyland | Expensive | ★★★★ | ★★ | Breakfast, when offered, is counter service. Lunch and dinner: Fixed-price menu: soups; pork tenderloin, filet, chicken, spiced vegetables, or scallops; for kids, grilled beef tenderloin, mac and cheese, or chicken; macaron, chocolate truffle, cake with lemon curd, or white chocolate “Chip” cup with “Grey Stuff” Cinderella’s Royal Table | L-D | Fantasyland | Expensive | ★★★ | ★★ | Kids’ menu; fish of the day, braised lamb shank with cannelloni beans, pan-seared chicken, beef tenderloin, chickpea panisse with carrots; cheesecake, chocolate mousse The Crystal Palace | L-D | Main Street, U.S.A. | Expensive | ★★★½ | ★★★ | Family-style platters of fried chicken, fried cauliflower, prime rib; seasonal salads Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen | L-D | Adventureland | Expensive | ★★★ | ★★★ | Shu mai, char siu pork, crispy Korean-style fried chicken, grilled steak with adobo, Thai noodles, curried vegetable stew; chocolate cake with caramelized bananas; kids’ menu Liberty Tree Tavern | L-D | Liberty Square | Expensive | ★★★ | ★★★ | All-you-can-eat family-style dining with turkey breast, pork roast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and mac and cheese The Plaza Restaurant | L-D | Main Street, U.S.A. | Moderate | ★★ | ★★ | Old-fashioned diner and ice cream shop fare: sandwiches, burgers, salads, sundaes, kids’ menu Tony’s Town Square Restaurant | L-D | Main Street, U.S.A. | Expensive | ★★★ | ★★ | Pasta (gluten-free and multigrain options), pizza, shrimp fettuccine Alfredo, chicken parmigiana Advance Reservations recommended for Magic Kingdom full-service restaurants; call ☎ 407-WDW-DINE (939-3463) or visit disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining.

GOOD REST AREAS IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM Back of Storybook Circus, between Big Top Treats and the train station | Fantasyland | Covered plush seating with electrical outlets and USB phone-charging stations Covered porch with rocking chairs on Tom Sawyer Island | Frontierland | Across the water from the Liberty Belle Riverboat dock; bring refreshments from Frontierland; closes at sunset Cul-de-sac | Main Street, U.S.A. | Between the china shop and Main Street’s Starbucks on right side of street as you face the castle; refreshments nearby Picnic tables | Fantasyland | Near the Tangled-themed restrooms, between Peter Pan’s Flight and The Haunted Mansion; outdoors but has phone-charging stations Quiet seating area | Tomorrowland | Near restrooms on the right as you approach Space Mountain—look for pay phones, and there’s a covered seating area farther back in that corridor; refreshments nearby Second floor of train station | Main Street, U.S.A. | Refreshments nearby; crowded during fireworks and parades Upstairs at Columbia Harbour House | Liberty Square | Grab a beverage and relax upstairs; restrooms available CLIP-OUT TOURING PLAN COMPANIONS 741

DINING INFORMATION—Full Service Restaurant¢|¢Meals Served¢|¢Location¢|¢Price¢|¢Quality¢|¢Value¢|¢Selections Akershus Royal Banquet Hall | B–L-D | Norway, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★ | ★★★★ | Breakfast: Dilled salmon, mackerel, goat cheese. Lunch and dinner: Smorgasbord of meats, cheeses, seafood, salads; roast chicken; stuffed pasta, grilled salmon, kjottkake (Norwegian meatballs); kids’ menu; full bar; character meals Biergarten Restaurant | L-D | Germany, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★ | ★★★★ | German family-style platters of schnitzel, sausages, spaetzle, roast chicken, sauerbraten; full bar Le Cellier Steakhouse | L-D | Canada, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★★½ | ★★★ | Canadian Cheddar cheese soup, steaks, seafood, full bar and Canadian wines Chefs de France | L-D | France, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★★ | ★★★ | Salmon, beef tenderloin, Boeuf Bourguignon, French onion soup, beer and wine Coral Reef Restaurant | L-D | The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Future World | Expensive | ★★ | ★★ | Lobster bisque, steak and seafood; kids’ menu; full bar La Crêperie de Paris (opens 2021) | B-L-D | France, World Showcase | Cuisine from the Brittany region of France Garden Grill Restaurant | B–L-D | The Land, Future World | Expensive | ★★★ | ★★★ | Beef filet, turkey with stuffing and gravy, salads; kids’ menu; partial bar service; character meals La Hacienda de San Angel | D | Mexico, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★★½ | ★★½ | Queso fundido, short ribs, flank steak fajitas, fried-shrimp tacos, full bar with specialty tequilas Monsieur Paul | D | France, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★★★½ | ★★★ | Black-truffle soup, black sea bass in potato “scales,” seared halibut, roasted duck breast, salt-crusted pork loin, full bar Nine Dragons Restaurant | L-D | China, World Showcase | Moderate | ★★ | ★★ | Braised pork belly steamed buns, ma la chicken, kung pao shrimp, roast duck salad, five-spiced fish, veggie stir-fry; banana–cheesecake egg rolls and ginger cake; full bar Restaurant Marrakesh | L-D | Morocco, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★½ | ★★ | Roast lamb shank, couscous, lemon chicken, fish tagine, beef and chicken kebabs; full bar Rose & Crown Dining Room | L-D | United Kingdom, World Showcase | Moderate | ★★★½ | ★★ | Fish-and-chips, bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, Welsh Pub Burger; full bar San Angel Inn Restaurante | L-D | Mexico, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★★ | ★★ | Mole poblano (chicken in chile-chocolate sauce), rib eye or veggie tacos, carne asada; cheesecake; full bar Space 220 (opens 2021) | L-D | Future World East | International space station theme with digital “windows” showing a view of Earth and stars Spice Road Table | L-D | Morocco, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★★★ | ★★★ | Mediterranean-style small plates; beef and chicken skewers; lamb sliders; chocolate mousse; full bar Takumi-Tei | D | Japan, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★★★★ | ★★★½ | Frequently changing menus showcas- ing traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine: crab appetizer, Wagyu beef, sushi, Japanese water cake for dessert Teppan Edo | L-D | Japan, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★★★ | ★★★ | Chicken, shrimp, beef, scallops, and veggies stir-fried on teppanyaki grill; full bar Tokyo Dining | L-D | Japan, World Showcase | Moderate | ★★★★ | ★★★ | Tempura, sushi, teriyaki, bento box with sliced steak; full bar Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar | L-D | Italy, World Showcase | Moderate | ★★★★ | ★★★ | Cheese plates, charcuterie, marinated vegetables; tiramisu, panna cotta, cannoli; wine flights Tutto Italia Ristorante | L-D | Italy, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★★★ | ★★ | Pasta, steak, chicken, fried calamari; panna cotta and gelato for dessert; beer and wine Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria | L-D | Italy, World Showcase | Expensive | ★★★½ | ★★★ | Wood-fired pizzas, pastas, salads; tiramisu, cannoli; beer and wine Advance Reservations recommended for Epcot full-service restaurants; call ☎ 407-WDW-DINE (939-3463) or visit disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining.

Good Rest Areas in Epcot Benches | Mexico, World Showcase | Inside the pavilion against the inside of the wall that forms the walking ramps to the retail space; air-conditioned Benches | The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Future World | Air-conditioned Japan gardens | Japan, World Showcase | To the left of Katsura Grill, a set of tables overlooking a lovely garden and koi pond; outdoors but shaded, with refreshments nearby Rotunda and lobby | United States, World Showcase | Ample room; air-conditioned; refreshments nearby; usually quiet UK Rose Garden benches | United Kingdom, World Showcase | A small town square and manicured gardens behind the pavilion CLIP-OUT TOURING PLAN COMPANIONS 743

GOOD REST AREAS IN DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM Gazebo behind Flame Tree Barbecue | Discovery Island | Follow the path toward the water, along the left side of Flame Tree Barbecue; gazebo has ceiling fans Outdoor covered benches near exit from Dinosaur | DinoLand U.S.A. | Gazebo-like structure with nearby water fountain Seating area adjacent to Dawa Bar | Africa | Refreshments nearby; outdoors and can be noisy from street performers Walkway between Africa and Asia | Plenty of shaded rest spots, some overlooking streams; refreshments nearby; a favorite of Unofficial Guide researchers CLIP-OUT TOURING PLAN COMPANIONS 745

DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS Touring Plan Companion Attraction¢|¢Recommended Visitation Times¢|¢Authors’ Rating Alien Swirling Saucers (FastPass+) | First hour the park is open, after 4 p.m. | ★★½ | Comment 32" minimum height Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage/Theater of the Stars (FastPass+) | Anytime | ★★★★ Disney Junior Dance Party!/Disney Junior Play and Dance (FastPass+) | Check Times Guide for schedule | ★★★ Fantasmic! (FastPass+) | Check Times Guide for schedule; if 2 shows are offered, 2nd show is less crowded. | ★★★★½ For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration (FastPass+) | Arrive 15 minutes before showtime | ★★★½ Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! (FastPass+) | First 2 shows or last show | ★★★½ Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple | First 2 shows | ★★★½ Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy | Anytime | ★★★½ Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (FastPass+) | At opening, in the last hour before closing, FastPass+ | ★★★★ Mickey and Minnie Starring in Red Carpet Dreams | First or last hour the park is open, during mealtimes | ★★★★ Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (FastPass+) | At opening, in the last hour before closing, FastPass+ | ★★★★ Comments 38" minimum height; expectant mothers should not ride Muppet-Vision 3-D (FastPass+) | Anytime | ★★★★ Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (FastPass+) | First 30 minutes the park is open, between 2 and 4 p.m., FastPass+ | ★★★★ | Comments 48" minimum height; expectant mothers should not ride Slinky Dog Dash (FastPass+) | At opening, just before closing, FastPass+ | ★★★★½ | Comment 38" minimum height Star Tours—The Adventures Continue (FastPass+) | Before 11 a.m., during lunch, after 3 p.m., FastPass+ | ★★★½ Comments Fright potential; 40" minimum height; expectant mothers should not ride; motion sickness potential Star Wars Launch Bay | Anytime | ★★★ Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance | Get a boarding group on the My Disney Experience app at exactly 7 a.m. or 1 p.m. on the day of your visit | ★★★★★ | Comments 40" minimum height; expectant mothers should not ride Toy Story Mania! (FastPass+) | At opening, after 4 p.m., FastPass+ | ★★★★½ The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (FastPass+) | First 30 minutes the park is open, after 4 p.m., FastPass+ ★★★★★ | Comments 40" minimum height; expectant mothers should not ride Walt Disney Presents | Anytime | ★★★

DINING INFORMATION—Full Service (continued) Hollywood & Vine | L-D | Echo Lake | Expensive | ★★★ | ★★★ | Salads, soups, fish of the day, carved meats, vegetables and pasta, fresh fruits and breads; soft-serve ice cream (menu changes often); character meals; full bar The Hollywood Brown Derby | L-D | Hollywood Boulevard | Expensive | ★★★★ | ★★★ | Cobb salad, salmon, filet, chicken breast, cioppino, Wagyu-beef burger; grapefruit cake; kids’ menu. Patio lounge serves cocktails and small plates. Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano | L-D | Grand Avenue | Moderate | ★★★ | ★★ | Pastas, pork saltimbocca, charred strip steak, polenta cake; tiramisu and cannoli; full bar Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant | L-D | Commissary Lane | Moderate | ★★½ | ★★ | Sandwiches, burgers (plant- based burger available), salads, shakes, pasta; sundaes and cheesecake; full bar Advance Reservations recommended for DHS full-service restaurants; call ☎ 407-WDW-DINE (939-3463) or visit disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining.

Good Rest Areas in Disney’s Hollywood Studios Animation Building | Animation Courtyard | Benches in and around Star Wars Launch Bay; refreshments nearby Benches along Echo Lake |Some are shaded; refreshments nearby Covered seating behind Sunshine Day Bar | Sunset Boulevard | Refreshments nearby; ample seating Tune-In Lounge | Echo Lake, next to 50’s Prime Time Cafe | Air-conditioned bar; nonalcoholic drinks and food from 50’s Prime Time Cafe also available (Thanks to Matt Hochberg of studioscentral.com for this tip.) “A Tourist’s Best Friend!” “Indispensable” —Chicago Sun-Times —The New York Times INCLUDES DISNEY PARK CHANGES FOR Six Great Features and Benefits COVID-19 offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide:

A look at Disney’s new rides: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Tron Lightcycle/Run

How to get access to Disney’s best new ride in years: Star Walt Disney Wars: Rise of the Resistance World

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Check out The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando, and supplement your valuable guidebook with tips, news, and deals by visiting our website, theunofficialguides.com. Walt Disney World ® 2021 • How to navigate Disney’s new park-reservation system

Cover photo: © Tom Bricker • Exclusive money-saving tips on Disney tickets and hotels • Ride ratings by age to help ﬁ nd your family’s favorites

Plan Your Trip Online at TouringPlans.com Bob Sehlinger & Len Testa