Magic Kingdom:
-Nostalgia, “classic” experience
-Holiday parties/theming
-least construction
-Queues upgraded — most fun/interactive.
-Extra Magic hours extend until midnight or 2am (latest option?)
-Character Dining: Be Our Guest, Crystal Palace, Castle.
-Dining tip: eggroll cart outside Jungle Cruise (Pirates?) filling and cheap.
-Starbucks on main street.
-Cons:
-difficult to get there!
-most expensive
-Additional experiences:
-Sorcerers
-Parades and fireworks daily (change depending on time of year)
-pin trading!
-meet and greet classics. Princesses rotate at royal banquet hall.
-”Walls” for photos.
-Underrated attraction: Swiss family tree house, astro orbiters for night time views.
-Beat the heat: Carousel of Progress
EPCOT:
-Dining/drinking around the world (most variety in cuisine, alcohol).
-World Showcase for photo opps.
-Mouse Gear for in-park shopping.
-80s vibes are on their way out (good/bad?).
-Low-key day — very few rides let alone thrill rides.
-Festivals available most times of the year, give the park even more snacking/dining options.
-Not super popular for kids
-Character dining: Akershus princess meal, Garden Grill with Chip and Dale and classic crew.
Dining tip: Starbucks in future world, has free water and you can fill up your bottles/cups without waiting in line.
-Cons:
-requires a lot of walking (world showcase).
-Not many rides until Guardians, no thrill options besides Test Track (arguable) and Mission to Mars.
-Additional Experiences:
-cooling station!
-Illuminations (Changing soon)
-DuckTales game
-Collect “stamps” in passport even if you aren’t a kid.
-Experiences change with festivals (egg hunt/bees/Remy scavenger hunt)
-Beat the heat: Nemo and Friends/sea pavilion. You could go to the Land, but seas has aquarium.
MGM (Hollywood Studios): reasons to go are depressingly anemic at the moment.
-Galaxy’s Edge will open soon, go now to beat the crowds.
-Tower of Terror is still Twilight Zone themed in Florida
-Rockin’ Rollercoaster a unique coaster because of the 0–60 launch.
-Themed projection show for the holidays on tower of terror.
-Pixar Place (Caitlin)
-Character dining: Minnie hosts brunch? Meet Imagineers at Brown Derby
-Dining tips: alcohol at lounges, beer at Backlot Express (updates?), alcoholic hot chocolate at Christmas.
-Starbucks on the main strip on your way into the park.
-Additional experiences: Live shows: Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Fantasmic, Indiana Jones (not the California counterpart, which is a RIDE). Fantasmic needs update (pirate battle?).
-Cons:
-Nothing is open. Star Wars expansion eliminated the cars show, the Backstage Tour (opened with the park) and “Streets of America” (one of the last vestiges of “working studio lot”). Chinese Theatre under construction.
-Toy Story land is not designed to hold the crowds it hosts — now the only way to get to Midway Mania. Tons of kids over there so avoid if that’s not your jam.
-Beat the heat: One Man’s Dream.
Animal Kingdom
-can usually cover in a half day
-least “Disney” of the parks
-Pandora is a big deal
-Character Dining: Tusker House
Dining tip: Starbucks?
-Additional Experiences: (whole park?)
-Rivers of light night show
-Cons:
-not a lot of cover from the sun
-least “Disney” of the parks
-Beat the Heat: Finding Nemo the musical
