Must-Do Attractions at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is an amazing park to visit during your Disney World vacation. Often a hit with younger families because of the animals, it shouldn’t be overlooked by other visitors as it has a lot to offer! Full of amazing shows, interactive attractions and a bunch of wild animals, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a day we always look forward to.
While this park isn’t necessarily smaller than the others, it does have fewer thrill attractions and often has reduced hours (closing between 5pm and 7pm compared to Magic Kingdom staying open until midnight or 1am). For us, Animal Kingdom is often a more low-key day but is still filled with fun & excitement!
Below you’ll find what we consider to be must-do attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and other’s that are noteworthy. We’ll look at the various sections of the park – Oasis, Discovery Island, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Asia, and DinoLand U.S.A. - and all that there is to do in each!
When you first arrive at the Animal Kingdom, whether via car or Disney’s bus transportation, you’ll enter through the same main entrance. The first section of the park you’ll enter is Oasis. While we’ve yet to visit the main attraction here, The Oasis Exhibits are a collection of gardens and pathways with tropical plants and wildlife. It’s a self-guided tour that gives you a glimpse into some of the animals that live at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
From Oasis, you’ll cross a bridge to enter all of the other sections of the park. Directly in front of the bridge is:
1. Discovery Island – To get to this section of the park, you’ll walk from Oasis and cross a bridge which will put you directly in front of Discovery Island.
Major Attractions & Must Dos:
- It’s Tough to be a Bug! – Inside the Tree of Life, this 3D show features a variety of characters of the Bug’s Life movie. The characters are funny and interactive and with your 3D glasses on, you’ll experience everything close-up (and a few other fun surprises).
Secondary Attractions:
- Discovery Island Trails – Situated around the outside of the Tree of Life, you can see a variety of animals including porcupines, lemurs, and tortoises and get a closer look at the tree itself.
TIPS: At all sit-down and theatre-style shows, like It’s Tough to be a Bug!, we try to get seats along the outer edges. We try to be the first few in the theatre and then move all the way to the other end of the aisle or choose an aisle in the back of the theatre that other's don't want to sit in. This allows us to get out of the theatre quickly once the show is over & move on to the next attraction!
 |
| It's Tough to be a Bug! We're ready for the show with our 3D bug glasses! |
2. Camp Minnie-Mickey – When facing the tree of life after just coming off the bridge, turn left and then turn again at the first left you come across.
Major Attractions & Must Dos:
- Festival of the Lion King – This is one of our favourite attractions at the Animal Kingdom - and certainly our favourite show. It’s a live performance with amazing performers – acrobatic performers, singing performers, dancing performers – everything! I don’t have any words to describe how great this show is – it gives me chills every time I see it!
TIPS: Be sure to get in line for the Festival of the Lion King early! Although the shows are on a set schedule, the lines often fill up well before start time
 |
| Festival of the Lion King - this picture does no justice to amazing performance! |
3. Africa – To get to this area of the park take your first left when facing Discovery Island & the Tree of Life and head straight back.
Major Attractions & Must Dos:
- Kilimanjaro Safaris – hop in a safari truck and explore the African-style savanna. You may see giraffes, lions, hippos & rhinos to name a few!
Secondary Attractions:
- Panjani Forest Exploration Trail – While we have yet to explore this part of the park, this walking tour boasts the opportunity to discover birds, gorillas and even more views of the hippos!
TIPS: It’s often advised to visit the Kilimanjaro Safari first thing in the morning. The lines will be drastically shorter and you’re more likely to see the animals in an active state as the weather tends to be cooler in the early mornings.
 |
| The giraffes are friendly and often come close to the truck |
4. Rafiki’s Planet Watch – While in Africa, head to over to the Wildlife Express Train. This train, which runs non-stop all day, will take you up to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Although Rafiki’s Planet Watch isn’t on our overall must-do list at Animal Kingdom, when we decide to go up, there are a few places we make sure we visit.
Major Attractions & Must Dos:
- Wildlife Express Train – the train that takes you from Africa to Rafiki’s Planet Watch is a relaxing and fun way to get to your next attraction. It’s easy to navigate and departs every 5 minutes or so!
- Affection Section – this is an area where you can interact with and pet various animals. When we visited in 2014, we met some very cute and very patient goats.
Secondary Attractions:
- Habitat Habit! – This is an outdoor discovery tail that offers educational tips on how we can better share the world with animals.
- Conservation Station – There’s often a live demonstration here with cast members bringing out various animals. There’s also a lot of information about how Disney cares for its animals.
 |
| On the Wildlife Express Train |
 |
| Enjoying the ride |
5. Asia – To get to this area of the park, you can either head over to the left from Africa or, if coming in from the main entrance, you’ll want to head to your right when facing the Tree of Life.
Major Attractions & Must Dos:
- Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain – this is a roller-coaster style train that takes you up, around and inside a mountain that is home to a yeti! It’s full of sharp turns, dark tunnels and unexpected twists.
- Kali River Rapids – prepare to get wet! In a river raft with others, you’ll make your way down the river with deep drops and overhead water spouts that will be sure to leave you feeling refreshed.
Secondary Attractions:
- Flights of Wonder – this is a theatre-style show full of various types of birds in an action-packed and educational performance. If you’re in the area close to show time, you may see a cast member calling a group of birds over to get people’s attention. We saw a flock of parrots come flying towards us unison – it was really cool!
- Maharajah Jungle Trek – Another self-guided walking tour, you’ll see various birds, bats, tigers and komodo dragons!
TIPS: Expedition Everest is one of the more popular rides at Animal Kingdom, especially in Asia so it’s good to have a FastPass or visit early on in the day. As mentioned above, you’re almost guaranteed to get a bit wet, if not soaked, on the Kali River Rapids. If you want to avoid this, bring a water-proof poncho with you or dress accordingly.
 |
| What a view! |
 |
| Heading over to Expedition Everest! |
 |
| A little blurry, but this is us (3rd row) on Expedition Everest |
 |
| Part of the Flights of Wonder show, these birds came flying in overhead |
6. DinoLand U.S.A. – To get to this area of the park, you can leave Asia and make a left and walk straight past Expedition Everest or cut across the bridge that connects Asia and Discover Island. If coming in from the main entrance, you’ll want to take your first right after you enter Discovery Island and then make another right to cross over another bridge.
Major Attractions & Must Dos:
- DINOSAUR – this is Ellen’s favourite ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! In a jeep-like vehicle, you’ll be on an indoor track that has you looking for dinosaurs in the dark (not completely dark). It’s a bumpy ride with twist and turns that is sure to keep you excited the whole way through!
- Finding Nemo: The Musical- This is an excellent 40 minute stage show in which all your favorite Finding Nemo characters come to life in puppet form and are manipulated by actors in full black suits who blend into the background while operating them.
Secondary Attractions:
- Primeval Whirl - This is a small carnival style roller coaster that spins 360 degrees. It is a short ride and reminded us of a ride you would find at any country fair.
- Tricera Top Spin – This is a dinosaur themed version of Dumbo and Aladdin’s Magic Carpet ride in Magic Kingdom. We haven't done this ride for that reason and feel it’s best to leave for the kiddos.
TIPS: Because Animal Kingdom is limited in its overall thrill attractions, DINOSAUR can see long lines so you may want to consider a FastPass to avoid long wait times.
 |
| DINOSAUR! |
Animal Kingdom is an exciting and educational part of any trip. It has something for everyone from animal encounters and sightings to thrill rides and outstanding performances. While we consider it to be one of our more low-key days, it offers no shortage of excitement and fun that everyone will enjoy.
 |
| See ya next time, Animal Kingdom! |
Be Our Guest Restaurant at Disney's Magic Kingdom
As we mentioned in some of our previous posts, when it comes to dining at Disney World we usually always opt for a quick service meals; partly because we enjoy that type of food and partly because it's fast which means more time for the attractions! With the opening of the Be Our Guest Restaurant in the New Fantasyland however, we knew we wanted to take the opportunity to eat here. Who wouldn't want to get lost inside the world of one of Disney's greatest films of all times - Beauty and the Beast!
Be Our Guest offers both lunch and dinner options that will fit anyone's budget and taste. Their lunch menu includes everything from sandwiches and salads to desserts at reasonable prices averaging $13.00 per meal. The dinner menu has a more upscale feel to it with prices to match. Entrees include Roast Chicken, Shrimp, Scallops, Steak and Rack of Lamb to name a few at an average price of $23.00 per meal. Children's menu options are also available during both dinner and lunch for the youngsters.
Be Our Guest offers both lunch and dinner options that will fit anyone's budget and taste. Their lunch menu includes everything from sandwiches and salads to desserts at reasonable prices averaging $13.00 per meal. The dinner menu has a more upscale feel to it with prices to match. Entrees include Roast Chicken, Shrimp, Scallops, Steak and Rack of Lamb to name a few at an average price of $23.00 per meal. Children's menu options are also available during both dinner and lunch for the youngsters.
 |
| The walkway entrance to Be Our Guest Restaurant |
We felt that the lunch menu offered the best selections for what we like to eat and would be a good way to break up the day and give our feet a rest from the mornings' attractions. In order to ensure that we would be able to get into the restaurant without waiting in the long lines, we were able to book a special FastPass+ reservation for lunch because we were staying on resort. This allowed us to bypass the line with a specific time reservation (much like a regular FastPass+).
 |
| Beauty and the Beast statue in the Ballroom |
We did a lot of research prior to fully understanding how to go about getting our FastPass for BOG. After multiple attempts and a few calls to Disney we were able to find our 12 digit reservation number. Although there is no guarantee that a Fast Pass will be available during your trip, it's definitely worth a shot to avoid the lines. Here a few tips to help you:
- First, log-in to your account at: https://beourguestlunch.disney.go.com/ using your My Disney Experience log-in and password. At this point you will be asked to provide your 12 digit reservation number. To find out what this number is log-in to your My Disney Experience Account and go to the "Magic Bands and Cards" tab. Here you'll see "My Magic Band Order" "Resort Reservation" and "Customize By..." Under "Resort Reservation" you'll see a 12 digit confirmation number. Use this to log-in to the link posted above.
- **Be sure to remember that you can only book a FastPass reservation for BOG 60 days in advance - if you're trying to book earlier, it probably won't grant you access to even look at availability.
- If there are any openings available, you'll be able to select your reservation preference. The FastPass reservations are generally in 1 hour time blocks. For example, like a normal FastPass, your BOG FastPass reservation state "arrive between 12:00pm and 1:00pm". If there are no FastPasses available, it will clearly state that there are no reservations available for the day you selected.
- If successful, you'll have the option of pre-ordering your meal. You have two options for pre-ordering:
- FastPass+ Direct To Table: With this option you select your arrival time and entire meal and pre-pay for it. When you arrive at BOG, you'll check in where you'll be given a rose that tracks your location and order. You'll then be instructed to find a seat in one of the three dining rooms - the Rose Gallery, the Grand Ballroom or the West Wing. Once you pick a room and a table, you wait at your table and your order will be brought to you (drinks can be filled at a self-serve station in your dining hall).
- FastPass+ Expedited Arrival: With this option, you'll only choose your arrival time. Once you arrive at BOG, you'll bypass the line but will still need to order and pay at the restaurant.
- We chose to go with the Direct to Table and pre-ordered. Once we got to BOG, there was a slight glitch and we had to reiterate our meal selections to a cast member at a computer but our reservation was still there. They were pretty good about it and assured us it was a glitch on their end, not ours.
Once we figured out how to navigate the FastPass booking system it was time for the fun part...choosing our meals! After going over the entire menu we knew we were going to pass on an appetizer and on dessert. Although there were great choices in each category, we didn't want to be too full knowing we would be heading back out to do rides afterwards.
It was almost a no-brainer for both of us which meals we were going to have. We both love sandwiches and there were some great looking ones on the menu. Originally both of us chose the Croque Monsieur sandwich with fries. This is an upgraded ham and cheese sandwich that also has a delicious bechamel sauce. It is very tasty, rich and quite filling.
However a week after placing our orders online, Ryan decided to change what he was going to have so that we could try two different options. This was easy to do, we just logged back into our FastPass booking and were able to change Ryan's order without any issues or penalty. Ryan ended up opting for the Roast Turkey Sandwich instead and enjoyed it very much. Again, this sandwich was extremely good, flavorful, and filling.
You cannot go wrong with either one of these sandwiches for your meal...yum!
 |
| Croque Monsieur & Frites |
 |
| Croque Monsieur (Above) and Roast Turkey Sandwich (Below) |
For us, it was an obvious choice of which dining room we wanted to eat in - the West Wing! This is the smallest of the dining rooms and we read that it can often fill up quickly as a result. After we were checked in, we headed straight for the West Wing and found a few open tables - we managed to get the table closest to the rose. We were pretty excited about it but began to notice a lot of people walking around our table to take pictures of the torn picture of Adam/the Beast and the Rose. We didn't mind, but it's something to keep in mind if you plan on eating in this dining room. The area was also a little bit darker than the other rooms and simulated thunder goes off from time to time, so if you want more light while you eat you may not want to go to the West Wing.
The new Be Our Guest Restaurant does not disappoint! From the delicious food to the amazing themed rooms full of photo opts, this is a destination that will become a regular stop for us from here on out each time we go. The amount of work and detail that went into the design and set up of this restaurant will have you and your family feeling like you're being put right in the middle of Beauty and the Beast! Walt Disney World has once again out done itself and this will be a spot where magical memories will continue to be made for visitors for years to come!
 |
| The West Wing |
 |
| The Rose in the West Wing |
 |
| The Beast/Prince Adam Painting |
The new Be Our Guest Restaurant does not disappoint! From the delicious food to the amazing themed rooms full of photo opts, this is a destination that will become a regular stop for us from here on out each time we go. The amount of work and detail that went into the design and set up of this restaurant will have you and your family feeling like you're being put right in the middle of Beauty and the Beast! Walt Disney World has once again out done itself and this will be a spot where magical memories will continue to be made for visitors for years to come!
Must-Do Attractions at Magic Kingdom
Even if you don't plan to visit all four of Disney's theme parks during a Disney vacation, there is no doubt that you will want to head over to the Magic Kingdom and check out all that it has to offer including Cinderella's iconic castle acting as an amazing centerpiece when you first enter through the main gates!
 |
| Entrance to the Magic Kingdom |
Disney's Magic Kingdom has an excellent mix of rides for the young and young at heart, opportunities to meet all of your favorite Disney characters and witness one of the best fireworks displays put on by Disney's Imagineers - Wishes! With all that the Magic Kingdom has to offer don't be surprised to spend an entire day and night devoted to it!
During both of our trips to Disney World we have made it a priority to get to the Magic Kingdom before rope drop in the morning for two reasons. The first reason for this is the parks popularity and the fact that it can get busy quite fast. By getting there early we can be close to the main gate when it does open and beat the crowds a little bit. Secondly, the Magic Kingdom holds a welcome show every morning inviting all the guests to enter the park. Of course being Disney, it includes great songs to get you excited to start your day! You'll also see many of your favorite Disney Characters arriving on the Casey Junior Steam engine. The show ends with a countdown and then the gates open and the magic inside begins!
 |
| Opening Show at Magic Kingdom |
Once you enter the Magic Kingdom you will find yourself walking down the patriotic Main Street U.S.A where you can find great stores and souvenir shops. This is also where you might want to take your first picture with Cinderella's castle - there are a bunch of Cast Members available to take your photo. At the end of the night this may be your best location to watch the nights fireworks display or the Main Street Electrical Parade (the closer you are to the exit while watching the shows, the happier you'll be when leaving the park).
 |
| View of Castle from Main Street U.S.A. |
 |
| Main Street Electrical Parade |
Next you will need to decide which section of the park, or what ride you are heading for. In addition to Main Street U.S.A, other sections of the park include Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.
We've summarized the major attractions found within each section that we have done & love! Please note that we haven't included everything there is to do in each area.
1. Adventureland - To get to this section of the park take your first left once you have walked through Main Street U.S.A.
Major Attractions & Must Dos:
- Jungle Cruise - a slow moving outdoor boat ride with great animatronic animals and witty tour guides
- Pirates of the Caribbean - a slow moving indoor boat ride starring Captain Jack Sparrow
Secondary Attractions:
- Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room - a theater type show with animatronic singing birds and flowers
- Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride - a slow spinning ride aboard magic carpets
TIPS: We have noticed that Adventureland is often a less crowded section of the park. Although the Jungle Cruise can get busy later in the day,we generally experience a 5-15 minute wait when planned just right. We don't think a Fastpass is absolutely necessary for this area and is better used in other, more popular, areas of the park. We also find the Pirates ride and the Enchanted Tiki room to be nice, air conditioned, options when it gets hot out!
 |
| Entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean |
 |
| Outside of the Enchanted Tiki Room |
2. Frontierland- To get to this section of the park you can cut through Adventureland as they are side by side or take your second left after walking through Main Street U.S.A. and stay to the left side, which will have you closer to the castle before you veer off.
Major Attractions and our Must Dos:
- Splash Mountain - a Brer Rabbitt themed flume ride into a brier patch
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - a medium/fast-paced train style roller coaster
Secondary Attractions:
- Walt Disney Railroad - this is more transport than a ride, but you can take a ride on a steam engine to shuttle you to different areas within the park
- Country Bear Jamboree - theater type country singing show with animatronic bears
TIPS: Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Railroad are great thrill rides and can get quite busy so a Fastpass selection for either may be a good/necessary choice here. Also prepare to get a little wet on Splash Mountain... or a lot wet if you are in the front. Country Bear Jamboree is like the Enchanted Tiki room and is great for getting out of the heat. However, depending on the age of people in your group it may not be a crowd favorite but it does have an appeal being a classic/traditional Disney attraction.
 |
| Locked up in Frontierland |
 |
| First run down Splash Mountain in 2012 |
3. Liberty Square: To get to this section you take the same second left you would for Frontierland, but rather than staying to the left you are going to stay to the right side. Liberty Square is a smaller section of the park and can kind of blend in a little bit with Frontierland and Fantasyland.
Major Attractions and our Must Dos:
- Haunted Mansion - a slow moving roller coaster through a Haunted Mansion; this is Ryan's favorite ride!
Secondary Attractions:
- Hall of Presidents - a theater style show of animatronic Presidents from George Washington to Barack Obama
TIPS: The Haunted Mansion is an amazing ride for all those who love Halloween! This is a family friendly ride that plays to all your senses and is an absolute must do (or in Ryan's case a must do at least 4 times each time were there). If you are a little scared of enclosed, dark spaces there is a portion of this attraction in which riders are closed off into a small room prior to getting on the slow moving coaster that may make you feel a little claustrophobic. The Hall of Presidents is a very patriotic show and the animatronics are pretty impressive, but it is a 25 minute show and you may find that too long to take out of your day if your strapped for time, especially if you end up adding the additional wait time that you may have for a show to start if one is already in progress and needs to clear out.
 |
| Some headstones outside of The Haunted Mansion |
 |
| More outside the Haunted Mansion |
4. Fantasyland: This section is found directly behind Cinderella's castle and is most often the busiest section of the park due to the New Fantasyland expansion that has recently opened .
Major Attractions and our Must Dos:
- It's a Small World - a classic slow moving boat ride through a culturally diverse world of animatronic singing kids
- Prince Charming Regal Carousel - a carousel ride full of fairy tale style horses - can you find Cinderella's horse??
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train- the newest ride added, this is a Snow White & the Seven Dwarf inspired roller coaster
- Mad Tea Party - colourful spinning tea cups
Secondary Attractions:
- Goofy's Barnstormer - a smaller wooden style roller coaster
- Peter Pan's Flight - a slow moving story ride of Peter Pan and Captain Hook
- Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - a slow moving story ride featuring Winnie the Pooh & friends
TIPS: It's a Small World, Mad Tea Party and Price Charming's Carousel rides often have short lines and are great for resting your feet or to try out when other lines are too long. Seven Dwarfs Mine train is the newest roller coaster at Magic Kingdom so don't be surprised to see a 90 minute or more wait for this. A Fastpass is a must but may be hard to get due to its popularity right now. In our opinion it didn't necessarily live up to the hype that surrounded it when we were there. Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh also tend to have long lines because it is a good ride for younger kids, so if you really want to do these rides it may mean you want to pick up a Fastpass for them to optimize your time.
 |
| Prince Charming's Carousel Ride upon Cinderella's Horse |
 |
| Outside Gaston's Tavern |
 |
| Inside It's a Small World |
5. Tomorrowland: To get to this section of the park take your first or second right coming off of Main Street U.S.A.
Major Attractions and our Must Dos:
- Space Mountain - an indoor roller coaster in the dark; One of Ellen's favorite rides at the Magic Kindom!
- Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin - an interactive slow moving ride where you shoot at targets; Ellen's perfect high score has earned her the title "Galactic Hero"
Secondary Attractions:
- Carousel of Progress - a slow moving ride demonstrating various inventions over time
- Stitch's Great Escape - a theater style show where an alien (Stitch) tries to escape capture
- Astro Orbiter - an outdoor slow spinning rocket ride
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover - a slow moving transportation ride where you can get a birds eye view of Tomorrowland
- Tomorrowland Speedway - a go-kart ride
TIPS: Space Mountain is a very popular ride so if you want to avoid long lines, you should go to it first thing in the morning. Alternatively, it is defiantly worth the use of a Fastpass. Buzz Lightyear can be be busy at times but we have never used a Fastpass for it and, at most, have only experienced 30 minute wait times - which is pretty good.
 |
| Outside Space Mountain |
 |
| Riding Space Mountain |
 |
| Inside Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin |
There is no doubt that the Magic Kingdom is a truly magical place to be both during the day and at night. There is so much to do and see throughout the park you will not leave disappointed. We hope that our overview, comments and tips are helpful for you in your planning and preparing for your next trip to the Magic Kingdom and gave you a peek into how amazing this park is from our point of view!
Be sure to check back regularly for additional reviews of the Magic Kingdom & all of the other Disney Parks - we'll be looking at dining options, shows, shopping & more!
 |
| Rapunzel's Tower |
 |
| Cinderella's Castle at Night |
The Benefits of Staying On-Resort
Although we both stayed off-resort when we went with our families as kids, we made the decision to stay on-resort as adults on both our 2012 and 2014 trips; on both trips we stayed at Disney’s All Star Resorts. Through our own research and experiences, we've realized many benefits of staying on-resort and have found some great tips & tricks that we wanted to share!
1. One of the first perks of staying on resort you’ll need to know is that you can schedule your Fast Passes up to 60 days in advance of your arrival through the My Disney Experience App/Website. Fast Passes allow you to go into an express line for certain attractions and shows and bypass the regular line. If you decide to stay off resort you still have the benefit of using the Fast Pass system and My Disney Experience App but are able to book your Fast Passes only 30 days in advance. While this may work great for some, you run the risk of having a limited choice of Fast Passes available for the more popular attractions as only a limited number are made available for each time period throughout the day. We’ll have a more in-depth post on Fast Passes soon! We discussed which attractions we wanted a Fast Pass for at each park (you’re entitled to pre-book 3 Fast Passes per day) and when we hit the 60 day mark we booked our Fast Passes for the preferred window of time for each day of our trip – we even managed to get a Fast Pass for the brand new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom!
 |
| Booking Fast Passes through My Disney Experience |
2. The next major benefit you’ll have by staying on-resort is access to Disney’s Magical Express. Disney offers its on-resort guests free transportation both to and from the Orlando International Airport to your resort. Quick Tip: if you’re booking through a travel agent, be sure to check with your agent that you are reserved on the Magical Express as you aren't automatically reserved.
 |
| Ryan & Ellen on Disney's Magical Express 2012 |
3. Another great feature of staying on-resort is access to Disney’s transportation system. Their transportation system makes getting from your Walt Disney Resort to each of the four parks, water parks and Downtown Disney a breeze! While we've read a lot of negative comments online about the transportation system, we've never had a bad experience with the buses (we haven’t had the need to take boat or monorail transportation yet)! The buses depart approximately every 15 to 20 minutes, although we only wait 5 or 10 minutes the majority of the time. Because you’re staying on-resort, you’re never too far from any of the parks so a quick hop on the bus and you’re at the park before you know it – hassle free! You can go back and forth from the parks to your hotel and visc-versa as often as you like. Having this system available to guests allows a worry free day at the park. You won’t have the fear of losing your keys and can enjoy an adult beverage (or two) if you so choose!
 |
| A worry-free ride on a Disney's Transportation Bus |
4. The benefits of staying on resort aren't just limited to transportation. All Disney resort hotels have amazing amenities. So far, we've stayed at the All Star Movies and All Star Sports resorts. Both are value resorts but offer everything we need! Both have 2 pools - one larger pool near the front of the resort and another smaller pool towards the back of the resort. Both pools are in-theme with each resort. There are always pool activities with a cast member leading fun games and activities for kids. Quick Tip: we found the smaller pool at the back of the resorts to generally be less crowded. Although it’s smaller and further away from the main lobby, it feels more relaxing and secluded.
 |
| Enjoying a quiet swim in the smaller pool at Disney's All Star Sports Resort |
5. Disney’s All Star Movies Resort & All Star Sports Resort are great for photo opps! Disney goes all out with their themes and includes many larger-than-life decorative characters throughout the property. While Movies has more character and film based photo opps with large replicas from features such as Toy Story, Herbie Fully Loaded and Fantasia, Sports has larger than life sports equipment which also makes for a great photo. While some people enjoy the more refined style of Disney’s moderate and deluxe resorts, we really enjoy the fun and playful design of the value resorts.
 |
| So many photo opps at Disney's All Star Movies Resort! |
6. Every Disney resort offers dining options within the resort. While the value resorts have quick-service options (burgers, salads, pastas, etc.) the moderate and deluxe resorts have a wide variety of quick service and table service dining options that relate to each resorts theme. While you can have a pizza ordered to any old hotel room, there’s nothing quite as fun as having a Disney pizza delivered to your room after a long day at the park!
 |
| Disney pizza delivered straight to your room! |
7. Another great feature of staying on-resort is having the ability to interact with Disney cast members outside the parks. On our most recent trip to the All Star Sports resort, our concierge cast members was so friendly & helpful! They printed off our boarding passes for our flight the day before we left and assisted us with booking transportation off-property to Universal Studios.
8. If and when you purchase a souvenir at any of the Disney parks or Downtown Disney, you have the option of having it sent back to your resort gift shop at no additional cost so that you don’t have to carry it around the park all day! Quick Tip: be aware that gifts sent from the park to your resort gift shop usually arrive the next day after purchase, so we don't advise using this feature on your last day!
9. Speaking of resort gift shops, the gift shops at the resorts are jam-packed with all things Disney! Many items are things you can find in the Disney parks and at specialty stores like The World of Disney and Mouse Gears, while other items, such as sports memorabilia, are specific to each resort shop. While you can find the majority of items found in the resort gift shops at the park, staying on-resort allows you the luxury of picking up a last minute item before you leave or... more impulse shopping!
10. Maybe saving the best for last, a major benefit of staying on-resort at Walt Disney World is access to Extra Magic Hours! Guests staying on-resort are able to enjoy the parks past regular hours when the park closes to all other guests. You can find a schedule of Extra Magic Hours at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/calendars/ & plan accordingly. Animal Kingdom almost always has Extra Magic Hours in the morning which is great for an early morning ride on the Safari.
Even if you decide to go to Walt Disney World and stay off-resort, there is no doubt you will still have a GREAT vacation that will create lasting memories. Staying on Disney property just works best for us and gives us the options that we want for our own Disney experience. In our opinion, the more Disney magic, the better!
No comments:
Post a Comment