Without Allie. Ha! We've been wanting to go for quite a while, but haven't gotten around to it yet! So, we figured, we might as well go now and enjoy it ourselves, then take Allie several years down the road when she can enjoy it. Personally, Disney world and an 8 month old just don't really go together that well. So, thanks to Jannie & Smokey and Mimi & Pop, we'll be leaving our little one behind, and enjoying 2 days of Disney, 1 day at Busch Gardens, and we may even squeeze in a beach day in a quick, 4 1/2 day trip!
Since, we're not doing the all-out-week-long-Disney-extravaganza or anything like that, I need help from you Disney experts to know how we can get the best possible Disney experience in two short, but wonderful days. What should our game plan be? Park Hopper for one or both days? What are the secret tips? What are the "can't miss" rides/shows/experiences?
Maybe it's because I haven't been to Disney since I was 10; Maybe it's because I haven't gone on a vacation in a year and a half (since vacationing didn't sound so appealing when I was miserably pregnant for 9 months), but I am super excited about this trip!
Your helpful hints would be greatly appreciated!
I have been to Disney World many times! If I were you and only doing 2 days with Disney, I would go to the Magic Kingdom one day and Disney Studios (which used to be MGM studios) the other day- but only if that ends up being cheaper than the park hoppers! They both have many rides and shows that are classic and fun! Epcot is very educational and is alright... if you were going to be there longer (I wouldn't personally waste precious time there if you didn't have a whole week). Also, Animal Kingdom is good and cool, but it only has fewer rides and more animal things that you could see at the Memphis zoo!
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me, but I went to high school with your sister. I've been to Disney a lot...my brother works there. I love the Magic Kingdom. If I were you I would do the Park Hopper pass and do Magic Kingdom one whole day and then hop to all the other parks in the other day. I really only say that because I'm a teacher and I love all of the educational things at Epcot and find all of the countries interesting. I love Soarin ride too. Plus there are a few rides at Animal Kingdom that are fun. I definitely think you could do the other 3 parks in one day. But that's just my two cents!
ReplyDeleteI agree with a whole day at Magic Kingdom and the Park Hopper for the other day. One thing you want to do, is go early to Hollywood Studios to get a fastpass for Toy Story Mania! It's a fantastic ride you don't want to miss. In Magic Kingdom make sure you do Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, & Monster's Inc Comedy Floor. For a delicious treat (if you like pineapples), stop by Adventureland at Magic Kingdom for Dole Whip (if you can't find the 1 place that sells it, just ask)
ReplyDeleteIf you want to visit a beach while you're in the area...I suggest Clearwater or St. Pete Beach. Both of these are about an hour away from Busch Gardens, and are beautiful beaches. St. Pete is my personal favorite since I got married there.
Hope this helps! Also, if you want info on fireworks, shows, etc. visit allears.net
Cary just whisked me away there in September, and it was a two day trip, so this is what we did. We got hoppers for both, but if you wanted to get hoppers for one day, that would be fine too. We went straight to Magic Kingdom - must see first thing. It's the best part of the park (hello, Cinderella's Castle?) There you should make sure and ride:
ReplyDelete-Splash Mountain (over and over again)
-Space Mountain (it was closed for renovations in Sept, hopefully it opened back up!)
-Teacups (classic)
-Make sure you go into the Confectionary and eat a huge Rice Krispie Treat. They are the best.
Then, hop over the the Hollywood studios. There you MUST ride:
-Rockin Roller Coaster (over and over again)
-Tower of Terror (as many times as you can!)
-If you eat lunch here, you should eat at the 50's TV diner. The waiters/waitresses treat you like family - tell you to mind your manners, keep you elbows off the table - it's funny.
-I know they have some kind of American Idol experience there too.
Then, hop over to Animal Kingdom. Must ride:
-Expedition Everest (rollercoaster)
Then, hop over to Epcot. Walk around the "countries", and must ride:
-Soarin
-Mission Space. This one was awesome, but it seriously made me feel sick. It was so awesome, though! I would do it again.
Then, make sure you end one day with hopping back over the the Magic Kingdom by 9pm to catch the nightly fireworks where you can see Tinkerbell fly, and the castle get all lit up.
One night, you need to go over to Downtown Disney. They have outdoor shows sometimes, and Rainforest Cafe (best ribs EVER - besides Rendezvous of course).
Have fun! I love Disney. Cary and I could go there all the time. You have to go and pretend you are 5 though. "Adults" really don't belong there ;)
-Amanda
one more thing Rachel...visit dreamcometruevacations.com for help planning your trip. they're a free website that can help you get GREAT rates for hotels, park hoppers, etc as well as answer ALL your questions. Andy and I have used them and they saved us lots of money.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the ideas!! Amanda, as far as I can tell, Space Mtn is back up and running! E will be highly disappointed if it's not, though!
ReplyDeleteRach ~ I was born in Tampa, and we're staying with family there! I LOVE Clearwater beach, but am not picky. As long as I can sink my toes into some white sand, I'll be happy!
From what I can tell there are a few MUST-DO things at animal kingdom & Epcot, so I'm thinking we'll end up getting a hopper for at least one day!