The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World: 2012

Description

This best selling and definitive guide to Disney World is bigger and better than ever! Exhaustively researched and packed with insider advice that will save you both time and money* Tried and tested touring plans that save as much as four hours of standing in line in a single day* Tips, advice, and opinions from hundreds of Walt Disney World guests in their own words* Almost 250 hotels rated and ranked for quality and value, including the top non-Disney hotels for families* A complete Dining Guide with ratings and reviews of all Walt Disney World restaurants, plus extensive alternatives for dining deals outside the World* Every attraction rated and ranked for each age group. * Coverage of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter including best times to beat the crowds, the best places to buy Butterbeer, and the scoop on all the shops in the village of Hogsmeade.* Walt Disney World Resort theme parks are rated best in the world. earning high marks for things outside of the traditional theme park experience. Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival, which takes place for six weeks every fall and showcases food from twenty-five countries, was rated by Forbes Traveler as one of the Best U.S. Food and Wine Festivals.* In 2011, Disney not only launched its new cruise ship, the Disney Dream, it also announced plans of a complete overhaul of Pleasure Island set to begin construction and reopen as Hyperion Wharf

Table of contents

List of Maps & Diagrams ix Introduction 1 Why "Unofficial"? 1 Walt Disney World: An Overview 14 PART ONE Planning Before You Leave Home 22 Gathering Information 22 IMPORTANT WALT DISNEY WORLD ADDRESSES 25 WALT DISNEY WORLD PHONE NUMBERS 26-27 When to Go to Walt Disney World 30 PART TWO Making the Most of Your Time and Money 44 Allocating Money 44 Allocating Time 54 Understanding Walt Disney World Attractions 83 PART THREE Accommodations 96 The Basic Considerations 96 The Disney Resorts 100 Walt Disney World Hotel Profiles 133 How to Evaluate a Walt Disney World Travel Package 204 DISNEY LODGING FOR LESS 206-207 Hotels outside Walt Disney World 218 Hotels and Motels: Rated and Ranked 245 THE TOP 30 BEST DEALS 249 HOW THE HOTELS COMPARE 251-256 HOTEL INFORMATION CHART 257-274 PART FOUR Serenity Now! A Look at Disney-area Spas 275 Spa Profiles 276 PART FIVE The Disney Cruise Line 281 The Mouse at Sea 281 The Ships 284 Services and Amenities 286 Castaway Cay 291 Disney Cruise Line and the Economy 292 A Few Tips 294 PART SIX Walt Disney World with Kids 295 The Ecstasy and the Agony 295 Lost Children 314 Disney, Kids, and Scary Stuff 317 SMALL-CHILD FRIGHT-POTENTIAL CHART 318-323 ATTRACTION AND RIDE RESTRICTIONS 327 Waiting-line Strategies for Adults with Young Children 328 The Disney Characters 332 Character Dining 338 CHARACTER-MEAL HIT PARADE 340 Babysitting 345 Special Programs for Children 346 Birthdays and Special Occasions 348 PART SEVEN Special Tips for Special People 349 Walt Disney World for Singles 349 Walt Disney World for Couples 349 TIPS FOR GOING SOLO 350-351 Walt Disney World "At Large" 352 Walt Disney World for Expectant Mothers 353 Walt Disney World for Seniors 355 Walt Disney World for Guests with Disabilities 357 PART EIGHT Arriving and Getting Around 363 Getting There 363 RENT AT THE AIRPORT OR OFF-SITE? 374-375 Getting Oriented 376 How to Travel around the World (or The Real Mr. Toad's Wild Ride) 377 DOOR-TO-DOOR COMMUTING TIMES TO AND FROM THE DISNEY RESORTS AND PARKS 388-389 PART NINE Bare Necessities 396 Credit Cards and Money 396 Problems and Unusual Situations 397 Services 402 PART TEN Dining in and around Walt Disney World 406 Dining outside Walt Disney World 406 WHERE TO EAT OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD 408-411 Dining in Walt Disney World 414 Disney Dining 101 415 ADVANCE RESERVATIONS: THE OFFICIAL LINE 416 ADVANCE RESERVATIONS: THE UNOFFICIAL SCOOP 417 WALT DISNEY WORLD BUFFETS AND FAMILY-STYLE RESTAURANTS 424 Disney Dining Suggestions 431 Counter-service Restaurant Mini-profiles 442 Walt Disney World Restaurants: Rated and Ranked 451 Full-service Restaurant Profiles 452 WALT DISNEY WORLD RESTAURANTS BY CUISINE 454-457 PART ELEVEN The Magic Kingdom 499 Arriving 499 Getting Oriented 502 Starting the Tour 503 Main Street, U.S.A. 504 Adventureland 505 Frontierland 508 Liberty Square 513 Fantasyland 516 Tomorrowland 524 Live Entertainment in the Magic Kingdom 531 Parades 534 Traffic Patterns in the Magic Kingdom 539 Magic Kingdom Touring Plans 541 PART TWELVE Epcot 547 Arriving 550 Getting Oriented 550 Future World 551 World Showcase 565 Live Entertainment in Epcot 575 Traffic Patterns in Epcot 580 Epcot Touring Plans 581 PART THIRTEEN Disney's Animal Kingdom 584 Arriving 589 Getting Oriented 590 The Oasis 591 Discovery Island 591 Camp Minnie-Mickey 593 Africa 595 Asia 599 DinoLand U.S.A. 604 Live Entertainment in Disney's Animal Kingdom 609 Traffic Patterns in Disney's Animal Kingdom 610 Disney's Animal Kingdom Touring Plan 611 PART FOURTEEN Disney's Hollywood Studios, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld 613 Disney's Hollywood Studios versus Universal Studios Florida 613 Disney's Hollywood Studios 618 Disney's Hollywood Studios Attractions 620 Live Entertainment at Disney's Hollywood Studios 640 Disney's Hollywood Studios Touring Plan 641 Universal Orlando 642 Universal Studios Florida 651 Universal Studios Florida Attractions 655 Live Entertainment at Universal Studios Florida 669 Universal Studios Florida Touring Plan 670 Universal's Islands of Adventure 670 Getting Oriented at Universal's Islands of Adventure 674 Universal's Islands of Adventure Attractions 675 Universal's Islands of Adventure Touring Plan 696 SeaWorld 698 PART FIFTEEN Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney World 702 Multipark Tours 702 Behind the Scenes at the Magic Kingdom 703 Behind the Scenes at Epcot 703 Behind the Scenes at Disney's Animal Kingdom 706 PART SIXTEEN The Water Parks 707 You're Soaking in It! 707 Blizzard Beach 708 Typhoon Lagoon 710 Wet 'n Wild 714 Aquatica by SeaWorld 717 Typhoon Lagoon versus Blizzard Beach 719 When to Go 720 Planning Your Day at Disney Water Parks 721 Water-park Touring Plans 725 PART SEVENTEEN Beyond the Parks 726 Downtown Disney 726 ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex 730 Walt Disney World Speedway 730 Walt Disney World Golf 731 Golf beyond Walt Disney World 734 Miniature Golf 743 PART EIGHTEEN Shopping in and out of Walt Disney World 744 Hey, Big Spender 744 Shopping in Walt Disney World 748 Disney Outlet Stores 760 Shopping beyond Walt Disney World 760 PART NINETEEN Nightlife in and out of Walt Disney World 764 Walt Disney World at Night 764 Universal CityWalk 771 Appendix, Indexes, Touring Plans, and Reader Surveys 772 Readers' Questions to the Author 772 Readers' Comments 774 Accommodations Index 776 Restaurant Index 783 Subject Index 787 Touring Plans 814 TYPICAL WDW STANDBY WAIT TIMES 834-835 TYPICAL FASTPASS DISTRIBUTION TIMES 836-837 TYPICAL UNIVERSAL STANDBY WAIT TIMES 838-839 Clip-out Touring Plan Companions 841 2012 Unofficial Guide Reader Survey 849 Walt Disney World Restaurant Survey 851