Florida, here I (might) come

[umbreongirl]

This was actually suppose to be in the General Topics, but that's only for disney movies. Anyway, me and my best friend are going to Florida. I'm not REALLY sure if I'm going or not, but I probably will. We will take an RV (this is the info I have) and will be shovin off on the spring vacation in April. We will stop by Disney Land (world, not sure which one is there) and I wanted to ask what places we should visit in DL/DW or in Florida itself. Have a place there that's good or worth seeing?

[jambo*rafiki]

Lucky you! That sounds like fun. It's Disney World. I went there a really long time ago. I remember my favorite ride was Thunder Mountain Railroad, but I was little then. Make sure to check out MGM studios, it's a whole park that is often overlooked but still a lot of fun!

[umbreongirl]

Thunder Moutain Railroad....gotta remember that. I haven't been to DL/DW since I was 2-3. The only memory I have is biting Mickey Mouse and kicking Donald Duck. Hopefully, I'll acted better when I see them. MGM studios won't be over looked by me! I wanna take pictures of everything!

[MickeyMousePal]

You are so lucky.
I been to Disneyland so many times, but Disney World I've never been their.
So relax and spend your vacation peacefully.

[Disney Guru]

I have never been to Walt Disney World but I am planning on going also this summer! Have fun!

[Sekaino Jasmine]

The last time I went to DisneyWorld was when I was, like, seven. I remember hating the Tower of Terror ride(the beginning was cool, but the whole free-falling thing was...I just hate that kind of stuff). The roller coasters were really fun. "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" was kind of boring. I've done that one so many times though because the rest of my family loves it.

I've only been to Florida twice, so I don't know of many things to do there. Just be sure to ride Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain in DW. I personally hated Splash Mountain, but everyone else seems to love it, so I guess you should ride that one also. Oh, and the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean! Those were great!

[Mermaid Kelly]

LUCKY!!!!!!!!

I want to go SOOOO badly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's awful to have parents that don't travel

[Maerj]

Give yourself a good 4 or 5 days to see Walt Disney World. At least one day for each park would be good and Downtown Disney is fun to go to as well.

In Magic Kingdom be sure to see the classics such as Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Hall of Presidents, Enchanted Tiki Room, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Carousel of Progress. Carousel is normally closed, but should be open due to the Alien Encounter/Stitch's Great Escape rehab. Also check out the newest attraction in Magic Kingdom, Mickey's Philharmagic!

Also stay for the closing parade, SpectroMagic, and the closing show, Wishes. I haven't seen Wishes yet, but they say it's amazing.

Be sure to visit Epcot while you are there as well. The first thing I do when I visit is to go inside Spaceship Earth, the geodesic dome and symbol of Epcot. It sets the tone for the day.

You will probably enjoy Test Track and Disney's newest attraction there, Mission Space. I always enjoy going to the Land pavilion as well as Ellen's Energy Adventure. The Living Seas is undergoing a Finding Nemo rehab right now, but should be open for your visit. Later in the day wander into World Showcase and take your time exploring the different countries.

Stay for Illuminations, Epcot's closing show. Seriously, don't miss it!

What's a trip to WDW without visiting the Disney MGM Studios? I like to go on the Great Movie Ride first, to set the tone for the day. Check out the Rock and Rollercoaster staring Aerosmith and while you are there don't miss the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror! I also enjoy going to Star Tours and the Indiana Jones stunt show.

And whatever you do, don't leave without seeing Fantasmic! This is MGM's closing show and it has to be seen to be believed!

To round out your trip, you might consider a day at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. I like to go to the Tree of Life to start out my day there. Inside the tree you'll find the Bug's Life themed "It's tough to be a bug" show. Be sure not to miss Dinosaur and the safari trip. There are a couple of VERY popular shows in this park such as the Festival of the Lion King and Tarzan Rocks. I've never seen either show as the lines get VERY long. Use a Fastpass if you can! This park does NOT have a closing show at this time and closes at 5 PM daily.

Since it does close early, this might be a good time to visit Downtown Disney. There are a number of fun things to see and do here. You can see DisneyQuest, an indoor interactive theme park or visit Pleasure Island. It features dance clubs, a comedy club and a little place called the Adventurer's Club. You can also shop at the world's largest Disney store, Once Upon A Toy, or the Lego Store. There is also a Cirque Du Soleil show especially made for Downtown Disney, La Nouba.

There are also many other recreational activities available outside the theme parks. Whether you are into fishing, boating, horseback riding, or whatever. There is also the Disney Wide World of Sports complex and two water parks you could visit.

To make your vacation complete, be sure to stay at a Disney resort. There is one for every budget. Our newest resort, Disney's Pop Century resort is big on everything but price. Each resort also features free Disney Transportation and a number of amenities such as themed pool areas, food courts and more!

Make your plans and get more info at http://www.disneyworld.com

Have a great trip!

[umbreongirl]

Man, you type alot. Thank you for the info. I'm still not sure if I'll get to go, but I will make sure to see as much as I can and maybe if I take a digital camera, I'll post pictures here. Hopefully, I won't wonder off into my own little world and get left behind. My mom wants me to wear a leesh if I do go.

[wwwjim]

I take the family down to WDW every year -- my personal list of the top five do not miss attractions would be Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Test Track, and the whole World Showcase at Epcot. If you can only hit one park, I'd say Magic Kingdom -- Epcot would be number two.

Of course everyone likes different things, so I would highly recommend reading a copy of the Passporter Disney Guide available at Amazon.com

Have fun!

[Rob B 922]

You MUST see the fireworkd at epcot!! Best I've every seen!!!

Rob B.

[umbreongirl]

*cough* My friend's dad has delayed the trip until Summer. The reason:

Our weather is really weird. Sunny one day, snowy the next. Plus, my mom wants to take the cruise. So....I guess I have to wait until summer. Oh well, but thank you for the info on some places. Atleast we won't go there confused on where to go.

I think I shouldv'e posted this when I was SURE I was going. Sorry. >.<;

[AwallaceUNC]

The delay sucks, but at least it's only a few months.

I love Disney movies, but I'm obsessed with Walt Disney World. I'll be going for my 7th time this summer (it would be more if I lived closer, which I will when I do an internship there!), and I read the Unofficial Guide to WDW every year, cover to cover, each edition . lol. I even plan out vacation schedules based on various potential scenarios... for fun! I know, sad. Anyways, I'll be happy to help and if you have any questions, just ask here or PM me or whatever. You would enjoy it so much more now that you're older. I'm 18 and went last year with my best friend and our girlfriends for senior week and it came away with the greatest appreciation level of WDW of all my trips .

-Aaron

[wwwjim]

I read the Unofficial Guide to WDW every year, cover to cover, each edition

Hey, Aaron -- ever checked out the Passporter Guide? If not I'd recommend picking up a copy -- it's not as extensive as the Unofficial Guide, but I absolutely love the way in which they organize their information. The pockets I think are handy for miscellaneous items, too.

Geesh! I sounld like a commercial for the book. Seriously though, it's my favorite guidebook.

[MickeyMousePal]

umbreongirl Wrote

*cough* My friend's dad has delayed the trip until Summer. The reason:

Our weather is really weird. Sunny one day, snowy the next. Plus, my mom wants to take the cruise. So....I guess I have to wait until summer. Oh well, but thank you for the info on some places. Atleast we won't go there confused on where to go.

I think I shouldv'e posted this when I was SURE I was going. Sorry. >.<;

I'm very sorry to hear that I've never been to Disney World before so that's on my do list too.

[Maerj]

I love Disney movies, but I'm obsessed with Walt Disney World. I'll be going for my 7th time this summer (it would be more if I lived closer, which I will when I do an internship there!)

-Aaron

I am with you on this one! I am super obsessed with WDW! You won't regret interning there, they say its a great thing to do. Best of all, you may eventually get hired into the company.

[Just Myself]

If you come to FL(and if you're filthy rich), you should give Universal Studios and SeaWorld/Busch Gardens a look too. Avoid Gatorland at all costs, it's really boring.

[wwwjim]

Avoid Gatorland at all costs, it's really boring.

Heh -- I remember my first trip to Disneyworld back in 1984 when I was 12. My mom wanted to stop at Gatorland on the way out of town. I agree with Secret Disney Man -- after several days at Disney, Gatorland definitely didn't live up to the Disney experience. Just tons and tons of alligators with demonstrations of their feeding habits. If alligators interst you, however, I imagine this might be the places for you. I haven't bothered going back personally, if that tells you anything...

Of course it was 20 years ago that I visited, so for all I know it might be a lot cooler now.

[Just Myself]

Avoid Gatorland at all costs, it's really boring.

Heh -- I remember my first trip to Disneyworld back in 1984 when I was 12. My mom wanted to stop at Gatorland on the way out of town. I agree with Secret Disney Man -- after several days at Disney, Gatorland definitely didn't live up to the Disney experience. Just tons and tons of alligators with demonstrations of their feeding habits. If alligators interst you, however, I imagine this might be the places for you. I haven't bothered going back personally, if that tells you anything...

Of course it was 20 years ago that I visited, so for all I know it might be a lot cooler now.

Trust me, I live here it is NO cooler.

[hokeyboy]

My oh my, you're gonna have fun. Although the summers are absolutely mobbed at WDW, you should still have a blast. Pack a poncho and comfortable shoes, you'll need both.

And make every opportunity to visit Epcot. The "Future World" section is fun (I personally have to go to Spaceship Earth, Universe of Energy, Test Track, and Journey into Imagination or I won't be happy!) but the World Showcase is critical. There's so much to see, do, and experience there. I really love shopping in Japan, eating in Morocco, taking the boat rides in Mexico and Norway, watching "The American Adventure", listening to "The British Invasion" Beatle band in England, getting fudge and beer in Germany, enjoying coffee in Italy, watching the film about France, and avoiding the restaurant in China.

It's tons more spread out than any of the other parks, so it's much more relaxing and leisurely.

This is why I can never leave Florida. We go to WDW 3-4x a year. It takes about 3 hrs to get there, and we spend the entire drive listening to Disney songs on the CD player and "getting into character".

But it's a long, sad drive home...