Anyone have WDW questions???
 

I am a self-professed WDW guru so I was just wanting to put my knowledge out there. Does anybody have a question about WDW. If I don't know the answer off the top of my head, but I will be SURE to find an answer for you.

BDK

OK. Here's my latest musing after reading Drince's "looking forward to" post. Everyone makes PS ressies in advanced. Is that REALLY a necessity or just a way to get a sure thing? Or, maybe it's just summer and Christmas that makes a difference.

I'd like to know where you think are the swankiest places in WDW to get a drink, have a meal, or just hang out?

Will the good folks at WDW still honor my River Country/Discovery Island combo ticket from 1988 :confused:










;)

PS's are a good idea and i'll tell you why. Younever knopw when a restaurant will be eat up with ppl. Take Ohana for example, When I went in May of 2004 there was very little wait time for ppl that didnt have a ps, BUT when I went this past May it was covered up as soon as it opened. This is why to get a ps. To make sure that you don't have a long wait. Other than that. Its useless, BUT its free! So why not go for it!

Also, I would suggest making your ps's for dinner around five. Thats when most of the restaurants start serving dinner. That means that most of the restaurants are closed. If you get there at 4:50 they will take you straight back and there will be no wait. This works especially well for Ohana and Chef Mickey's

The ps ressie # is:

407-WDW-DINE

Hope this helps you out NA!

BDK

No, sorry :( :D

It does! Thanks BDK. I just hate being regimented and having structured plans while on vacation. Hell, I hate it at home! I'm very much a go with the flow type of person most of the time. I found that having to make such plans for eating when I was really there to experience the Parks was a bid too much - although we did have PS for both California Grill and Boma.

OK, how about this one:

By and large you are talking to the uber-geeks of Disneyland here. (note: I do not dare to include myself in that elite group). We are talking folks that run through a mouse adventure faster than the average tourist can get a decent meal. People that not only notice but feel compled to comment anytime a new construction fence goes up. Folks who are on a first name basis with Jingles.

What would you say are the top five things a Disneyland aficionado extream would have to see while visiting WDW?

Note: If you say “Our larger castle” ya better duck!

Favorite Place to get a drink: I have to say that this would be the World Showcase at EPCOT. Wines and beers from around the world! I also recommend Ghirhadelli (spl.) at DTD for a great coffee.

Meals: I am all about Ohana. I love the Polynesian atmosphere and the great choice of meats and polynesian style vegatables. I also LOVE the banana and coconut bread! I also really enjoy Wolfgang Puck's place at DTD. If you want a real swanky, hep place to eat then here it is! and man its GOOD!!! I also recommend Fulton's Crab House and Brown Derby for uber swankiness!

To hang out: Go for Pleasure Island, and DON'T go for the clubs. My fav thing to do is to walk up and down that strip and just chill. There are also places to sit all through there and shops and things that are free to go in. They have now made Pleasure Island to where you can go walking down thru it and you don't have to pay unless you go into the premium clubs. I also enjoy chilling out at Casey's Corner in MK. Its right at the end of Main street and MAN I love to listen to the fellas that play the ragtime music.

Hope this helps you out!

BDK

HEY! Who said you could call him Jingles? ;)

Please note that I VERY CAREFULLY excluded my oh so undeserving self from inclusion in my original post. I would never take on such airs as to include myself in such things.

;) back at ya.

OK, remeber that these are my picks and in no way may be yours once you visit them. These are the things that I LOVE about WDW

#5: Leave a Legacy- I love this thing at EPCOT! I have spent two hrs, there just looking at all the different faces. I have even bought one with my friend Adam for our senior trip. I'll post a pic later.

#4: Hall of Presidents- I love this because of the realness of it. It makes you think that all of the presidents are really there. When the attraction first opened, Ppl actually believed that CM were up there in costumes and they were playing the parts of the presidents!

#3: Animal Kingdom: This is one of my favorite parks. The major reason being because it is a lazy park. With lots of shade and very few REAl things to do. Its a nice place to just take a leisurely walk and slow things down a bit. I suggest doing DAK on the middle day of your vacation. Its nice to get a good relax and take things slow day amongst all the chaos that is my WDW vacation. its lets you rest.

#2: The fairways Course at Fantasia Gardens- Are you ready for some uber hard putt-putt golf? This is the place for it. It actually has sandtraps, water hazards and it easy to put your ball in the rough. Its just like real golf, but its putt-putt. I love playing this course!

And finally...

#1: The World Showcase @ Epcot- Enough said here. I love checking this place out because I am a somewhat poor man. I may not even get to visit a foreign country and this place brings a little piece of thirteen countires right to my favorite place on Earth. I love to take my time and explore the different countries. But beware this is a major sunburn zone. No trees and not a lot of shady areas to sit and "smell the daisies."

Hope this helps you out!

BDK

Uhm, which bank should I rob to pay for our trip out there next year? I know, it depends on where we want to stay....We're leaning toward the Grand Floridian- so should I go after Wells Fargo, or our local credit union? They seem pretty flush these days.....;)

(Seriously, I will be asking questions about the resort as soon as we figure out our travel dates).

Sounds good. I would take Wells Fargo. The GF is pretty expensive but VERY, VERY nice!

We'll be there for a week+ at the end of August '06... hopefully we can arrange a meet (I mean, one year should be enough time to plan something like that...)

Yep, I don't live down there, but that is about the time that I take one of my trips every year. Hopefully we can get together. Maybe even do a mousepod from WDW. That would be great!

Your body must have built-in air conditioning if you think AK is shady and cool.


Things WestCoasters Shouldn't Miss: All of it. Things are different at WDW--why skip stuff just because it has the same name? Show up and experience it all.

Hear, hear!

Even when we lived in NY and made multiple multi-week trips every year we never crossed off every experience from our "to-do" list.

In my mind, I look at WDW like a favorite restaurant with a huge and fabulous ever-changing menu. I always go with anticipation for the favorites that I'll enjoy, I get to sample some new treats while I'm there, and I always leave sated.

Now that my visits have been averaging every 18 months, I find that I'm longing for the "little things" even more - like sitting in the bandshell savoring an early morning latte outside the WOD or lingering maybe a little too long around the naked mole rat colony at DAK. These are uniquely special experiences that I treasure and can't wait to share with my loved ones on our next visit.

Ok, here's a good one. How many days would it take to decently experience ALL of WDW? I'm not talking about a leisurely pace, but not a horrific rush either...

Hmmm...define "decently."

I'd say:

1 day for Animal Kingdom
1 day for the Studios
2+ for EPCOT
1-2 for Magic Kingdom

So that's about a week. And you could fit DTD and a little resort-hopping in there.

You'd have to add more days if you wanted to go to the water parks, miniature golf, regular golf, etc. And even more if you wanted to venture off-property (Universal, Sea World, Kennedy Space Center, beaches, etc.).

I wouldn't recommend you schedule a trip for fewer than 5 days. Stay more than a week (especially in the heat), and you'd want to move at a leisurely pace--that is, if you wanted to move at all. ;)

We are very lucky to have no less than 4 WDW experts on this board! Now, to plan another trip..........

Once again, I'm totally in agreement with Matterhorn Fan (how can one person be so cool?). Here's a bit of a conversation I just had with CP:

MousePod:
let's say, for example, you wanted to sample food at every official on-property WDW restaurant...

Cadaverous Pallor:
I don't have to eat everywhere.
I mean ride all the rides.

MousePod:
well, then I'd say 8 nights. That's how Heather and I do it.We set aside one full day for each theme park, giving ourselves time to be leisurely.

Cadaverous Pallor:
Ok, there we go.

MousePod
At least 1/2 day for a water park, at least 1/2 day for shopping. 5 decent dinners (you'll skip lots of great restaurants, though - necessitating multiple visits); at least one night at Pleasure Island (expect to spend most of your time at the Adventurers Club);at least one good round of mini-golf

Cadaverous Pallor:
I enjoy a good meal but experiencing every restaurant is basically at the bottom of my list. All that other stuff sounds fantastic though.

MousePod:
...an evening to experience Fort Wilderness (one of my favorite "secrets");and at least 1/2 day to visit all of the resorts - to see the theming. Some people make a game of it, like: play a game of air hockey in each resort's gameroom, have a drink in each resort, use the bathroom in each resort...

Cadaverous Pallor:
Heh, you said that on the 'pod...

MousePod:
Yeah, one of my fave honeymoon memories is getting a 25th anniversary pressed quarter in each resort.
And of course, you have to make sure you chat with as many CMs as possible - they run the gamut from temp locals, to college hopefuls to retirees - tons of great stories. But like I said in my post, it's the little things that stick with you.

Cadaverous Pallor:
There's too much to do. It's very daunting. Part of the reason why we're going to Paris first...

MousePod:
I remember hanging around EPCOT - being thrilled to spot all of these tiny little lizards everywhere. Then we spent a half hour watching birds eat said lizards.
The one thing I love about being a hardcore Disney fan at WDW is the 'inversion' - by which I mean that the "major attractions" for most tourists become the wallpaper,
and the Disney atmosphere becomes the major attraction.

Cadaverous Pallor:
That happens for us at DL. you go for the atmosphere, the little things.

(thanks for letting me post this private conversation, CP. This converation belongs in this thread).

Aww, Mousepod was kind enough to take out the part where I so rudely said "well, duh." ;)

It IS the little things!

Two of my favorite memories of WDW are: feeding the turtles outside of that grill whose name I can't remember and talking with a VERY nice and knowledgable maintenance about birds; and sitting on a balcony at AKL after a fine meal at Boma, watching a terrific lightening storm in the distance in the company of wonderful friends .

Which is why I'm so happy about how the timing worked out for our Paris trip. Our plane lands at something like 8AM Paris time on the first day, giving us nearly a full day to start (I'm never one to get off a plane and go to sleep, no matter how long the plane ride...I'm always amped to go). Then 2 full days. Then on the 4th day, when we're moving to Paris, we don't have to be in the city until late afternoon, giving us the morning to say a lesirurely goodbye. So we really have 3+ days there which I hope will give us the luxury of doing a lot of lounging around and enjoying the atmosphere.

Week and a half to experience every ride show, etc.

It's a matter of mutal coolness. :cool:

Ohh, I just remembered one important question...

Do your teacups spin?

Certainly.

And they don't have to close down in the rain, either.

I'm guessing (since we're arriving the day after Thanksgiving - so not Christmas by any means) that we may not NEED to have PSs for anything except for the Candlelight dinner package. One person on another board tried to get LeCellier for a different night for 2, and they were sold out of the package (and they called the first day packages were available, but not first thing in the morning). As a group of 4 adults, though, we aren't too interested in character meals - and one seafood eating vegetarian makes 'Ohana a no-go (all she could eat would be the shrimp).

We're only making PSs for (goes to check the spreadsheet with the agenda) 3 dinners of the 8 nights we'll be there. If they do the 'free dining' thing while we're there, we may up that so we can eat at some other sit-down restaurants, because I think that will increase the people trying to eat at those places. From what I can surmise, even the $35 dining plan is causing restaurants to book up more (hmmm, I wonder if that's why Disney is doing it?)

CP - we like to do 8 nights as well - ESPECIALLY if you're coming from the West coast, you really lose that first day. My sisters are leaving Bakersfield and Portland at 6:40 and 6:25 am - and don't arrive in Orlando until 4:20. By the time you get baggage (if you don't carry on), get to the hotel, check in, and find your room - you really don't have time to go to the parks (unless you come during busy season when they're open late, and then you have a whole bigger issue with the crowds). You might be in better shape coming from LAX, since you might be able to get non-stops - but it's still 3 hours for time zones plus flight time.

There are no Sloppy Joes to be found anywhere at Disneyland(although, I once saw a Maid Rite).............is this also true of WDW?

I believe so, but I couldn't be for sure on that. I haven't went around looking for one.

If you want to check out the food offerings at WDW, there's no better site than allearsnet. In addition to being a generally terrific WDW general planning site, there's a constantly updated feature listing all of the menus for all of the restaurants in the resort at http://allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm

If you know that you only have a couple of nights to splurge on fancy meals, Deb's site is the best way to narrow down your selections.

magicalmountain.net is good too!

Signature meals: Jiko or the place with the fish in Epcot?

Are you talking about the Coral Reef restaurant?

I'll tell you in Early December!
(We're eating at Jiko on our arrival day, ate at Coral Reef a couple years back) -- if you're talking about the newish restaurant in the Swan or Dolphin, I won't be able to answer.

Or are you talking about the Nowegian Restaurant - Akershaus - in Epcot?

I didn't eat at Jiko, but at Boma and, MAN was that great! My favorite restaurant was the California Grill at the Contemporary.

Jiko is great! The wines were wonderful. (This reminds me that I have to finish my WDW report.)

Frankly, I would like to know more about the Sloppy Joe issue. I would love to see them sold at WDW. Not that I would order one. Hell no! Much too sloppy for my tastes. But it would be nice to know that door was always open for me should I change my mind. Not that I ever would.

If Disney could only design a Sloppy Joe without the Sloppy part then everything would be fine. Certainly, the technology exists. I think even GD would agree with me on that point and that guy is all about technology (and fiber). Let's get the WED boys on it! I am thinking of something like a Mildly Disheveled Joe, or a Inconsiderate Joe -- the latter being particularly desirable because it would still be "sloppy" though only in its manners. So what do you think?

Here is a recipe for an Inconsiderate Joe:

2 lb. hamburger
1 sm. onion
1 jar of not holding the door.
1 can of not calling when you stay out late.
Brown hamburger and onion. Drain. Add soup and sloppy joe mix. Simmer 1 hour. Serves two when there are four at the table.

For the record, I was bored and started going through the menus ... and I found a Sloppy Joe at the Pop Century Resort at WDW for $5.99!

menu here

And here, I was thinking that someone would have to settle for the Meatloaf at the Prime Time Diner!

Oh, beware of the croutons there - they use the multi-colored bread, and there's just something about eating blue and purple bread products, that just doesn't seem 'right'.

A Maid-Rite at Disneyland?! They aren't still available there, are they?

re: Anyone have WDW questions???
 

Nope

Yet, they're still around ... http://www.maid-rite.com/ ... I wish I could have gone to Maid Rite University. I would have a bun major with a minor in loose meat.

I have tried to explain the loose meat sandwhich to unbelievers. They were not convinced.

Yes! We will be staying at AKL, but will have a nearly 3 year old and a six month old with us.

I'm still trying to figure out what this has to do with my post?!? :D

I think there's a WDW question over in the Trivia Thread that needs some attention from the Experts.

Keep trying.

Does this belong in the gay day thread?

Now that is rermarkably similar to the reaction of the last person I attempted to talk to about that particular food item.

Here's my question, BDK:

Al Lutz's most recent article says that the name of Disney's California Adventure will be changed by the end of the decade. The Company doesn't like it for two reasons: 1) It's got the worst brand identity since New Coke; and 2) it's a clunky name that NO ONE uses. Rather, everyone on earth calls the place "DCA."

So I was wondering if there are any theme parks at Walt Disney World that are generally not called by their proper names, or part of their proper names. (I've often heard The Disney-MGM Studio Park referred to as "MGM," but that IS part of the actual name.)

So the only candidate I can think of is Animal Kingdom. Do people generally call it Animal Kingdom, or is it most often referred to as "DAK?"


This inquiring mind wants to know.

I've never called it anything but Animal Kingdom, and if people called it D-A-K, I'd have to think really hard about what they were saying. (I'm assuming you're asking if they call it by those three letters, not a word that sounds like a cat with a hairball.)

One thing with WDW vs DL - because such a large percentage of the guest population at WDW is there on vacation - and didn't spend the previous night in their own beds, I don't think it's as inclined to get the acronym/other shorthand experience as DL.

I've always heard ppl refer to the Animal Kingdom as DAK. I hate how Disney just loves to tack on the Disney name whereever they can. I think its gawdy on most things...I don't understand why in the world that Disney couldn't have just called it The Animal Kingdom instead of Disney getting cocky and naming it DAK. I also hate the slogan Nahtasu. cause by God its a freakin' zoo! Its actually a hybrid of a zoo/theme park park. I call it a Zheme Park? :D

Anyways...I think that DAK is clearly our faultering park There are only two good rides and a great show. But the scenery is AMAZING. Thats the only reason I use a day of my vacation to go there.

Also, Disney/MGM Studios often gets to referred to as MGM just because its a quick way to say it. Ppl will have to stop referring to it like that soon though. Disney has already taken the name out of the DVD planning video, and the MGM part of it will soon become obsolete when the contract runs out.

I wonder if Disney will try to sign with a different movie company? Who knows?

Hope this helps you out iSm!

BDK

Thats a great place to eat, but if you want to make the kids very happy you would take them to Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary. Its a character dining experience that is wonderful! I would make PS's as soon as you get into the 2 month range though. Those PS's run out pretty fast and it is hard to get a table if you walk in.

I was amused by these sequential posts. Reminds me of when I insisted that there were no Black-Tie weddings in Southern California :D

Hmmm...we plan on doing the pooh character breakfast (wherever it is). My original question was meant as a food comparison. I should phrase it better. I love African food, but Indi would love the fish at Coral Reef. Is the food any good there? I don't want to waste two meal credits (which I thinkis a crock anyways, btw) on a meal that is gross just to see fish. On the other hand, if Jiko is really upscale, then maybe it isn't the best place for a toddler and a baby.

My .02 on these restaurants: Jiko is a wonderful place for grown-ups, but will probably not be as much fun for the kids (to be honest, we prefer Boma most of the time too).

The food at Coral Reef is nowhere near as great seafood-wise as, say, Flying Fish (on the Boardwalk), but it is much more of an "event" meal - so the kids will have fun.

And finally, I want to put a plug in for my absolute favorite Character Meal - Donald's Breakfastosaurus at the Animal Kingdom. We always make the earliest possible reservation - the first seating is before park opening. It's buffet-style, so everyone gets what they want, and you get to meet Mickey, Donald, Pluto and Goofy. Once you've eaten, you're in the park at prime time, when many of the (real) animals are up and about.

Bingo!


Regarding Coral Reef - I wasn't OVERLY impressed with it food-wise. It was good, but I'm not sure it's worth 2 credits, but it was quite a while ago. I won't qualify it as 'gross' by any stretch, though, either. Looking at the 2 credit restaurants, it's probably your best bet for the two little ones.

I would eat at the coral reef. I have never eaten there before, but I have heard no complaints come from there.

The people I know don't ever say D-A-K.

I wouldn't take children to Jiko. Not with Boma right there. Heck, I've never been to Jiko (mostly since Boma's right there).

Mmmm. . . . Boma . . .

What is the best park to ride out a hurricane in?

The weather system or the drink?

I think that would depend upon the other people in the park during the hurricane.

That poses an interesting variation - best park to ride out a hurricane, while sipping a hurricane? Would that eliminate the Magic Kingdom - or does that park have some sort of club 33 equivalent hidden-alcohol-serving club?

Hmmm can you even get one in any of the parks, seems you need a New Orleans Square for such a beverage?

Goodness now I have even more questions about WDW

I've actually talked to HTH while in a park, riding out a hurricane. I'll go with Great Movie Ride at WD Studios for 1000 safe days.