10 Things We’ll Never Do Again at Disney World
Every Walt Disney World fan has a bucket list, but the smart ones also have lists of things we’ll never do again. This isn’t like our list of easy first-timer mistakes. Rather, these are things we’ve done and said to one another: “Wow, that was a stupid move on our part. Let’s avoid that at all costs in the future.” (Updated December 10, 2023.)
Truthfully, there are very few things at Walt Disney World that we’d never do again. Our bucket lists far longer than our “never again” lists, because most things at Walt Disney World are worth of a second chance. Menus at restaurants change, hotels are overhauled, and attractions are tweaked or re-imagined over time.
In fact, since we originally published this a few years ago, a lot has changed. Perhaps we should take the immortal words of celebrated thinker Justin Bieber to heart and “never say never.” Thankfully, Walt Disney World tends to listen to guest feedback and correct mistakes and experiences that score poorly on guest satisfaction surveys. Over the years, we’ve had to remove several things from this list because we’ve done them again (sometimes inadvertently or not by choice) and had dramatically different–and better–experiences…
To that point, we’ve removed different entries from the list:
- Dinner at Chef Mickey’s – We have a daughter now. There isn’t a single character meal at Walt Disney World that we won’t be doing in the near future. And you know what? I’m looking forward to (over)paying ~$150 for the three of us to do dinner at Chef Mickey’s again!
- Pay to Stay at Grand Floridian – The price is still absurd, so it’s likely we won’t be doing this much (especially given that we can use DVC points instead). With that said, our reason for not paying to stay at Grand Floridian was the mid-tier Marriott caliber rooms. Those are currently in the process of being transformed into something far, far nicer.
- Genie+ at EPCOT – The addition of Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to the Genie+ service, plus better availability for other attractions and a lower price at EPCOT takes this off the list. We still favor Early Entry or Extended Evening Hours, but we’re no longer as ardently anti-Genie+ at EPCOT.
- New Year’s Eve at Magic Kingdom – The last two times we did NYE or December 30 (basically the same) at Magic Kingdom, it went far better than expected. Of course, reservations are going away in 2024, so this could change again for the worse, but we wouldn’t hesitate to do it again…for now.
- Busy Buses at Coronado Springs – This was a huge problem in 2020-2022, due to a mixture of staffing shortages, reduced capacity on transportation, and Gran Destino Tower adding a ton of rooms to the resort. Thankfully, we didn’t experience the issue this year, presumably because pent-up demand is exhausted and resort occupancy is down. It could still be a problem from time-to-time, but not enough of one to make this list.
Another thing to note is that this list only covers things that are within our control to never do again at Walt Disney World. Over the years, the company has made the “choice” for us, by eliminating a lot of things that we’d otherwise love to do again. For example, we’d love to see a night parade or winter icicle lights on Cinderella Castle, but it seems that Disney might deny us the opportunity. We’ve also now taken our final ride on Disney’s Magical Express and redeemed our last FastPass.
Those are things we will technically never do again at Walt Disney World, but are very much not in the spirit of this list, which is more like “NEVER AGAIN!” What won’t we do again at Walt Disney World? Here are the top 10 things…
BONUS: All Stars During Youth Events – This is one we’d still strongly recommend that you avoid, so we’re not fully removing it from the list. However, in the last year-plus, I’ve stayed at All Star Sports during two youth events (couldn’t pass up the price, even if I knew I was playing with fire) and it honestly wasn’t that bad.
Part of this is probably that the worst youth event, the Pop Warner Championship, is no longer hosted at Walt Disney World. Another component is that we’ve heard Disney has become more ‘diligent’ about communicating to chaperones that groups need to be quiet after a certain hour. Maybe another is that the kids these days are better behaved??? (Nah.)
In any case, this becomes a ‘do as we say, not as we do’ entry on the list. If there’s a major youth sporting event at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, you should probably avoid all of the All Stars, but Sports at the very least. Basically, if you’re thinking of booking a Value Resort between February and May, consult this calendar–it can be a planner’s best friend and help “save your sleep schedule.”
Assembling this many under-supervised teens in one location is like feeding a Gremlin after midnight. There’s some sort of chemical or hormonal “thing” that happens, and then all hell breaks loose. Due to the reputation and complaints over the years, Disney security has done a better job in dealing with the teens in recent years (impromptu midnight practices are quickly broken up so I no longer have the need to literally yell “get off my lawn” to the kids), but this is still a scene to be avoided.
10. Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along – This is a tricky one. We came of age during the Disney Renaissance and are huge fans of Beauty and the Beast as a result. On top of that, we’re new parents who cannot wait to share the movie with our daughter. However, we also hate the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns. I’ll spare you that rant again, but there’s a reason the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along made our list of Things We Skip at EPCOT and is dead last on our rankings of all 91 attractions at Walt Disney World.
So this is a delicate needle to thread–making Megatron a big fan of Beauty and the Beast, while preventing her from ever learning of this atrocious show’s existence. One of my big fears is that we will suceed at the first, but fail at the second…which is a recipe for disaster. Instead of never doing this show again, we will do it every single time we visit EPCOT. It’ll become the attraction we do more than anything else at Walt Disney World. Our frequent viewership alone will single-handedly prop up guest utilization numbers and inadvertently help keep this show around. We will become the villains.
Here’s hoping that Walt Disney World has the good sense to retire this abomination before Megatron is of age to become “addicted” to entertainment and starts calling the shots, forcing us to see this sing-along endlessly. In the meantime, other parents, you’ve been warned: avoid Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along at all costs. It’s worse than the worst direct-to-video sequel, and even the authors of bad fanfic could’ve penned a better script.
9. Magic Kingdom on Monday During Party Season – This actually isn’t only Monday, that’s just the most succinct way of wording this. Magic Kingdom crowd dynamics during Party Season have been one of the key discussion points of our August through December crowd calendars for several years.
We’ve been strongly recommending that readers visit Magic Kingdom during the day on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nights, and then bouncing to another park at around 4 pm. Conversely, we’ve recommended avoiding Magic Kingdom on non-party days. The rationale for all of this is laid out in Least Crowded Days at Magic Kingdom, we aren’t going to belabor that point yet again.
One point we haven’t made nearly as much is the “danger” of visiting Magic Kingdom on a Monday (the busiest day of the week) at points during Party Season when it’s the only day during a 3-4 day stretch without MNSSHP or MVMCP. This is a double-whammy. Not only are the crowds consolidated away from the party-shortened days, but it’s also what’s regularly the busiest day of the week at Magic Kingdom. (See Best & Worst Days of the Week for Each Park at Walt Disney World.)
This happened on the Monday of Thanksgiving week, and it was an absolute nightmare. But we actually experienced it earlier during the Party Season on a Wednesday, which was the only day in a 5 day stretch without an event. Same can happen on select Saturdays. All of those days are absolutely brutal, and should be avoided.
If you do make the mistake of going–perhaps even on purpose as you want to see Magic Kingdom at night and it’s your only option–at least heed this one piece of advice: stay far away from Main Street before, during, and after the fireworks! It’s the only opportunity in a several day stretch to watch Happily Ever After, meaning that about 10x the number of guests who can safely fit on Main Street for the fireworks will want to watch from there. Seriously. It can get downright uncomfortable and feel unsafe. Watch from behind Cinderella Castle instead.
8. Genie+ at Animal Kingdom – This replaces Genie+ at EPCOT on this list, which I still wouldn’t purchase or recommend to the vast majority of guests due to the ridiculous amount of backtracking it requires (and among attractions that are incredibly spread out). However, the inclusion of Frozen Ever After or Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure does remove it from ‘worst things you can do at Walt Disney World’ status.
Genie+ has become more popular at Animal Kingdom in the second half of 2023 due to the introduction of per-park pricing. Consequently, Animal Kingdom is now the “cheapest” park and many guests view it as a “good deal” as a result. We beg of you: do not be fooled by this.
Even on busier days, you do not need Genie+ at Animal Kingdom with even a scintilla of strategizing. Regular readers of this site know this, as we’ve hammered home time and time again that Genie+ is a waste of money at Animal Kingdom. This is discussed in countless posts, including in our Best Time-Saving Strategies for Walt Disney World, which says all you need to know for DAK is “don’t go during the middle of the day and stand in long lines.”
Seriously, that’s about it. Arriving early or staying late work perfectly fine for beating the crowds because most guests still treat it like a half-day park and attendance is significantly lower at Animal Kingdom than any other park at Walt Disney World. As a result, a lower advertised base price for Genie+ by virtue of Animal Kingdom is almost meaningless. This is especially true on days when Animal Kingdom is under $20–crowd levels are never bad enough on those dates to justify Genie+ in the first place!
6. Pandora or Star Wars Lands Midday – There are a few components to this. First is crowds, which are always chaotic and take away from enjoying the details that define both Pandora – World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. These two lands absolutely beg to be explored, and stressed out crowds and people going in every which way impede anyone’s ability to truly soak up these lands. The environments and layers of lived-in detail and storytelling are so key for appreciating both.
Plus, the long lines during the middle of the day certainly don’t help. This isn’t just triple-digit waits for the attractions, either. Walkways and shops become congested, and it’s more difficult to see everything as a result. At Galaxy’s Edge, good luck meeting the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda if you’re trying to do so midday!
Second, you’re running a risk if rain is in the forecast. Both lands are huge, but also have few indoor areas that are large and easily accessible if the weather takes a turn for the worse. Adding insult to injury, they are a bit isolated from the rest of their respective parks (or in the case of Galaxy’s Edge, right next door to another popular land with very little covered space). In short, if it starts raining in either and you’re not already inside, you will get wet. Your options for quickly ducking indoors are limited if not nonexistent.
Finally, there’s the simple reality that Pandora and Galaxy’s Edge are best at the beginning and end of the day. The morning light flitters through the trees, kisses the mountains, and gives greater depth and dimension to the rockwork. It’s like going from standard television to high definition, as all of the details are clearer and stand out.
Both lands also take on new dimension once the sun goes down. Pandora’s bioluminescence and organic life comes alive in the evening, and it truly feels like another planet. The setting is enchanted, and evokes what I can only imagine an alien forest is like. At night, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has a spooky and serene sense to it, except in the marketplace where a variety of beautiful light fixtures give added texture and depth to everything.
This might seem like an exaggeration, but you truly have not experienced Pandora or Galaxy’s Edge if you’ve never done them at night. It’s not just like standard to high def–it’s more like going from listening to the radio to watching in IMAX.
BONUS: Midday Standby at Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – Similar idea as the above, but the problem here is unique enough to warrant its own (bonus) entry. Wait time inflation at Walt Disney World is a real thing, and we think it has gotten worse with the launch of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. Whether that has nefarious motivations or not is a different debate for another day. (See Why Certain Walt Disney World Rides Can Have WORSE Actual Wait Times Than Posted.)
We can safely say that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is notorious for having the least-accurate wait times in all of Walt Disney World. Quite often, especially around park opening and late in the day, the wait times are significantly inflated. We’ve experienced posted wait times that are more than double the actual wait times we’ve experienced. (There have been instances of triple posted vs. actual wait times!) However, that is not always the case.
One thing we’ve learned is that doing Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance via standby during the middle of the day is playing with fire. This is especially true when the posted wait time is over 120 minutes, we’ve found. The reason for this is because the Galaxy’s Edge headliner–and #1 attraction in all of Walt Disney World–is still prone to breakdowns. The longer the line, the higher the likelihood of a ride breakdown.
But that isn’t the only issue. After all, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has been unreliable since opening, so you’d think that Walt Disney World could build a ‘cushion’ into posted wait times to account for the downtime to some degree, right? (They do. That’s precisely why the wait times are often significantly inflated!)
The real problem is that Disney sells Individual Lightning Lane access to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and that does not take downtime into account. Meaning that when the ride reopens, there is a huge backlog of guests who have paid $20+ per person to skip the line at the attraction. And guess what? They are still entitled to that, resulting in a Lightning Lane to standby ratio that is way more skewed to Lightning Lane than normal. This causes the actual standby wait time to skyrocket…and that’s on top of whatever downtime you might’ve endured.
There are two takeaways here. First, don’t do Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance during the middle of the day when wait times are the highest as you’re betting big when it comes to ride breakdowns. Second, if the ride does go down while you’re in the standby line, get out unless you’re very close to the front of the line (you’ve already spent at least 30 minutes in the caves). Don’t make yourself a victim of the sunk-cost fallacy! For more advice to doing the attraction with lower wait times, see our Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Ride Guide.
5. Summit Plummet – Despite my claim for years that I’m good on this, when we visited Blizzard Beach this year, I did Summit Plummet again. Almost as soon as it began, the realization washed over me like water that I had made a terrible mistake. To borrow the immortal words of Roger Murtaugh: I’m too old for this slide.
This is the only attraction on this list, and the reason for that is that we think people should judge attractions for themselves, because everyone has different preferences. (For example, there are probably a few of you who don’t like Country Bear Jamboree. That’s fine–some people don’t like masterpieces like The Godfather and Citizen Kane, either.)
For me, Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach water park is something that’s moderately enjoyable and I’m glad it exists, because it looks really cool and is a great water slide concept…but once was enough. From the insanely long line to the feeling of pure terror to the crazy wedgie, I’m good on it for one lifetime. Actually, I’ll probably do it when I’m 65, against my better judgment once more, just to feel young and reckless again. 😉
4. “Improperly Pack” – This is somewhat of a blanket statement because it’s a mistake I’ve made repeatedly in different ways. Basically, I have a propensity to simultaneously under and over-pack, and bring clothing for the weather I want rather than the weather that’s actually forecast.
For example, I have a tendency to pack shorts and polos for winter trips–a mistake I’ve made as recently as last year, even despite having written our Winter Packing Tips for Disney. For early fall trips, I’ve been known to bring jeans and button-downs, even when the weather is still sweltering. Beyond that, I leave behind practical items I end up missing to avoid overpacking, while bringing pointless stuff “just in case” that I never use.
Unfortunately, I don’t have an elephant-caliber memory…or I try to convince myself that “it’ll be different this time” (for reasons unknown), only to have history repeat itself. In other words, I say this is a mistake I’ll never make again…but I almost certainly will. Fortunately, there’s now a UNIQLO at Disney Springs, and that store has bailed me out many times!
3. Food & Wine Festival on a Weekend – We want to start out by saying that we really enjoy Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival…but we don’t love it on weekends. Ever been to a UCF frat party? Well, if you answered “no”, it’s not too late!
Weekend evenings are prime time for college students with disposable incomes to descend upon the Festival to get sloshed. For them, it sure beats drinking Old Style in a dank basement (like we did in college), but that atmosphere plus the huge crowds can make this the least pleasant time to be at Food & Wine Festival.
Weekdays during the festival are far more enjoyable. It’s also far more enjoyable to attend Food & Wine in mid-November when the temperatures and humidity are more bearable, but we invariably attend in September because that’s usually when we visit for Halloween.
BONUS: Italy Booth – If not “required” for the sake of research, we’d never do the Italy booth at any festival ever again. The kiosk is notorious for high prices, elementary school cafeteria-inspired cuisine, and just a startling lack of ambition. If you enjoy paying $10 for a sample-sized version of microwaved TV dinners, Italy is a great option. If not, stay far away.
2. Rainforest Cafe – How this restaurant still has multiple locations around the United States, much less multiple locations in Walt Disney World, defies logic. The food is awful, and the ambiance reminds me of 1980s-relic ShowBiz Pizza Place, but “modernized” for the 1990s and devoid of character/charm.
The dark cloud that hangs over Rainforest Cafe almost extended to cast a shadow over T-Rex Cafe for me. Fortunately, I gave that a chance because dinosaurs, and was pleasantly surprised. If you are thinking, “but our kids love Rainforest Cafe!” consider taking them to T-Rex instead.
1. Leave Early – Nighttime is when the parks come alive with beautiful lighting and enchanting ambiance. It’s also when the weather starts to cool and lines start to die down. From a practical perspective, nights are now more advantageous than mornings, with lower wait times in the last couple of hours of the night than in the first couple hours after rope drop.
On top of that, one of my favorite “attractions” is strolling through World Showcase after Epcot’s fireworks end, just soaking up the ambiance, listening to the music, and seeing the stunning architecture. I’d rather do this for an hour than spend 8 daylight hours in the park. Same goes for wandering along the Rivers of America in Magic Kingdom or being bathed in the neon glow of Tomorrowland.
BONUS: Sleep In – We stress this so much on the blog that it’s probably becoming cliche. However, it’s good advice–especially if you’re staying on-site and are eligible for Early Entry. There’s no better way to beat the crowds at most parks (see our Top Time-Saving Strategies for Walt Disney World for a rundown of the best & worst ways to avoid long lines.) Basically, we would never not be tired at Walt Disney World again. Well, that’s not true–midday naps are a game-changer if you can manage them.
Beyond a couple of other restaurants that are blacklisted (for now), attractions we avoid for personal reasons, and lands that are dead to me *cough*Dino-Rama*cough* that’s about it. Hopefully you can learn from some of our mistakes…or find solace in knowing that we have made these same mistakes as you. Think of this as a support group for those who have been awoken at 2 a.m. at All Star Sports by a cheer practice or who have dropped $200 on a family “dinner” at Rainforest Cafe. Share your own “NEVER AGAIN!” items in the comments–venting can be therapeutic!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What things at Walt Disney World would you never do again? Is any restaurant, resort, or ride beyond redemption for you? Any time of year you’d never visit? Do you agree or disagree with our list? Would you do any of these things again? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We were there last July, and it was awful! There was some sort of sweet 15 birthday thing going on, and there were thousands upon thousands of 15 year old girls there. I asked one of the security guards what in the world is going on here, and he said it is half of Argentina and Brazil girls 15th birthday. These little kids were so rude and arrogant. They stayed in groups out in the courtyards, and each group had a portable Bluetooth speaker, and they played their music as loud as it would go. I wanted to have my kids stay at a value resort (bad idea) And see Woody and buzz lightyear extra huge. Plus i was being a bit on the cheap side! our next trip will be at a moderate, but the same guard told me they were there too and at most all resorts. When it came time to eat with our dining plan, they filled the entire place! If we got up to refill a drink or get ketchup, they would steal your chair. I have a 3 year old and a 6 year old, both of which they walked right into and over, knocking both on the ground on a few separate occasions. I live in a suburb of Rochester ny, not a huge place but a city none the less, and leaving our room after midnight seemed like walking through the city at night. The only thing missing was steam coming from the sewers and trash everywhere, it was just like a ghetto. My wife and kids didn’t even want to go out there or walk to the room late at night after a day at the parks. It was the most awful trip to Disney and $5k I’ve ever spent. Our last trip before that in November 2015 was beautiful, Thanksgiving week. Partum was beautiful, crowds were ehh.. But not like July.
Agree with the Mission Space comment. Never again. FP+ for Illuminations. It’s so loud that you can’t enjoy the show. Waste of fastpass. (For the record, I only got it as it was an evening at Epcot after Sea World and all other Tier 1’s were gone. Would never hold one all day and certainly won’t book this one again!)
Tom you scared me with that picture of Country Bears at the top. As for overpaying and the linked post, I have read that Target no longer allows the purchase of any gift cards with Target gift cards. Can you or anyone verify the truth. Thanks!
I tried it just the other day, and I can confirm that Target DOES NOT allow you to purchase Disney Gift Cards using Target Gift Cards any longer (at least not from their websit). 🙁 I tried, and an error message popped up saying you cannot use a gift card to purchase a gift card.
I was able to save almost 15% off my vacation two years ago using this method, but not this year. You can however use a Target Red Card to purchase Disney Gift Cards and save 5%.
It’s true, you cannot buy a Disney card with a Target GC online but you still can in the store (although some store managers say no). They had a glitch in their system a couple months ago that was not allowing it but that has been fixed. I know several people, myself included, that take the applicable Target company policies with them to the store. It states that the only cards that can’t be purchased with a Target GC are other Target cards & Visa/Master card type cards. Just thought I’d put that out there. There are several saving at Disney type facebook groups that discuss this and more. I love a good way to save! (Sidenote- as of mid-May 2018, Best Buy no longer allows you to use a BB GC to buy Disney ones.)
The luau at The Polynesian. Absolutely horrendous. There’s not one good thing I can say about it.
Also, the Saturday night Epcot frat party isn’t reserved for the Food & Wine Festival. It’s basically every Saturday, thanks to the promotion of drinking around the world. I refuse to go there after 2 pm now. I feel bad for parents who don’t know any better and have to explain to their children why someone’s puking on the train set in Germany. Not very Disney.
How many days around pop Warner weekend should be avoided?
Dino-Rama at Animal Kingdom ! Never again … such a misfit. What were they thinking???
Honestly, I’ve really come to dislike Disney Springs ( Downtown Disney ). They have taken all the Disney out of it and replaced it with overpriced stores. These same stores whose outlets are really not that far away. The parking garages are a great addition but otherwise disappointing.
I totally agree!! We’ve been coming every year since 1990 and that used to be our favorite place! We would make sure we went every day no matter what else we did… now it really is catered to high end stores and no family atmosphere at all. I’m so disappointed as well and the last two times we went I kept trying t Like it to no avail.. bring family fun back to Disney Springs
As for #4 Chef Mickey’s, yes only go there for breakfast. We went 2 years ago for breakfast and both the kids and us really loved it. The food was great and the characters were great. We are going again in December and booked breakfast again.
Tom, I read various different “Disney” blogs, but yours is bar far my favorite. Your writing is authentic and hilarious. I so appreciate the angle you come from with your mad love of Disney coupled with realistic views and expectations. I have yet to find that on another blog. Thanks for always making me laugh! Keep up the great work ☺ï¸
YES! Took the words right out of my mouth!
Ditto!
Primeval Hurl…I was never so happy to get off a ride! I don’t do spinning rides and wasn’t paying close enough attention when I got on it.
My mom’s is missions space orange – after we landed on Mars a few choice adjectives were muttered and hoping to god we don’t have to fly home. The new Green version is lame so that is now a never again.
Great article. I agree with everything but Epcot on NYE. We have done this 3 times and love it. It’s really crowded (surprise) but we eat a late dinner and then find a place to stand and wait for the NYE fireworks.
We LOVED Hollywood Studios on New Years Eve 2017! We were planning to go to Epcot that day but for various reasons decided against it. We arrived around 10:30 that day and the crowds were relatively low until mid-afternoon. We got to see/do everything we wanted. We avoided places with extremely loud dance music but got a great views of the countdown and fireworks about 20 minutes till midnight. Even near midnight crowds were manageable and no one seemed out-of-their-minds drunk. BUT, not sure how 2018 will be….
I will never, ever attend Epcot’’s Food and Wine Festival again. Unfortunately I can’t remember if it was a weekenbut touring around Epcot with throngs of drunks, standing in outrageously long food lines, and putting up with terrible drunken behavior on the rides is not my thing, especially at DIsney prices. We were so concerned about tangling with drunks in the parking lot, we left before fireworks. And we are not teetotallers either
This won’t be popular but we won’t do the Hoop De Doo Review again… the food was ok as was the entertainment but the main reason why we won’t do it again is the time commitment. For someone who doesn’t go to the parks that often – time is a very precious commodity and having to take the boat from MK to get there, being there at least an hour early to check-in, dinner and then waiting for a bus to get out of there takes up a TON of time…
I agree w/ Chef Mickey’s… it was a good character spot but my kids are older and are less interested in doing that.
“…the main reason why we won’t do it again is the time commitment.”
I was getting ready to disagree vehemently, but I really can’t argue with this. If you’re not staying at Fort Wilderness or Wilderness Lodge (or otherwise wanting to visit), it’s a huge time drain. That’s a very fair point!
I know you are not a fan of July for Disney but having kids leaves us with little choice around summer break. An asterisk to pop Warner nationals would also be AAU basketball nationals – happens the third week in July and coincides with the international tourist crowd weeks. AAU is much larger the Pop Warner and spans thousands of teams ages 6-17 years old. weekend in July is painful!
Go for a walk in Westside Disney Springs. It ruins the Disney bubble for me with the loud pop music and non-Disney stores.
Hi, you have Rainforest Cafe mentioned, but a photo of T-REX. We LOVE T-Rex, best half rotisserie chicken I have every had at the parks. Expensive, yes, but worth it. The atmosphere is crazy, but the food is GREAT! : )
We make sure to go to T-Rex every time we visit. LOVE LOVE LOVE
Honestly, the only “NEVER” I have that I can think of is “It’s Tough To Be A Bug.” I hate the 4D kind of attractions, if that’s what they’re called. Interactive seats are NOT OKAY. “Honey I Shrunk the Audience” and “Stitch’s Great Escape” are gone, otherwise they would be on the list for me as well. Did them all once. NEVER again. I even tried Mission: Space again after they changed it and can now go on that. I can ride pretty much anything. But not this. I actually hate it.
Yes! Hate hate hate It’s Tough to be a Bug. It traumatizes kids and creeps out adults. I have never heard anyone say they like that show.
I agree with It’s Tough to be a Bug. Never again. My usually fearless 25-year-old niece actually jumped out of her seat and crouched on the floor in fear during the climax. Who wants to be frightened to death at Walt Disney World?
I like the show
Love love love the show!
I enjoyed it. Not everyhting in life is cupcakes, princesses and Pooh bear (which I also enjoy) but I love the attratcions that have a bit of an edge to them:
Dinosaur Ride
Tower of Terror
and this show all come to mind
Geeze. Amen. We got intoBug not knowing anything about it with 5 and 9 year olds. As my daughter said “only 9:30 and we already traumatized both kids.”
Were you joking about sleeping in? Our family can’t seem to make rope drops to save our life. (Okay, we made it to one for Pandora.) Personally, I’d love to see a post about any strategy instead of the almighty “rope-drop.” But I’m guessing by your tired at Disney comment, you were recommending rope drop & park close with the equally popular recommended mid-day break and nap. Always wonder if adults really nap mid-day? We can’t imagine it & really like 8 hours of sleep on our “vacation.” I know we are crazy, right?
When my husband & I go to Disney World with or without our kids, we almost always take a mid-day nap at our hotel. But then, I’m usually so excited I can’t sleep in to save my life when we’re at WDW. I love rope drop and after dark, but I’m happy to skip the mid-day heat and crowds.
DON’T DO IT TOM! Stay away from breakfast at Chef Mickeys. Unless you like waiting an hour at 7am past your reservation time, eating undercooked scrambled eggs and cold burnt waffes because all the other food plated at the buffet are empty and have not been refilled, and characters rushing through so fast you don’t even have time to unlock your phone for a picture before they are waving and walking away. Just don’t.
Never say never. Specifically, Chef Mickey’s. We have very personal reasons for loving Chef Mickey’s. My wife and I first went in 2001…with my parents, my middle brother, his wife and their 3 children, 2 girls who were at the single-digit autograph-mad stage, and my 7-month old nephew, who gaped in wonder at the ongoings. As we left, we took what would be the best family picture of our lives. There we all are, happily smiling (nephew behaving), but what makes it special are my Mom and Dad. Dad has a mischevious grin on his face while my Mom has an expression of surprised outrage: Dad made bunny ears on her while the photo was taken, and as the picture shows, complete with visible bunny ears, they were the only two who knew what Dad was up to. It was the most popular picture at both of their funerals, as it totally captured the loving dynamic between them,
Our child’s first visit was at age 6, and he loved it, and we went for a 4th time last week, at which point he was far more interested in inhaling the buffet than in the characters. My wife loves the characters and so she had a blast, but the interaction with the characters helped put the kid, as he put it, into a more proper Disney mood for a middle-years teenager. Plus we had to get the usual family portrait; no bunny ears, but a growth chart of the boy for a decade.
While we were there, a family of passholders came in. Their son was just over 1, and his reactions with the characters, especially Donald and Minnie, were utterly priceless, and hysterical. That child (who goes to Chef Mickey’s several times a month), will never remember these early encounters, but his parents will.
Chef Mickey’s is an event for the family. It is not so much about the food, but about the atmosphere and the sheer fun of it all, especially for the kids, who can make their own soft-serve desserts with any number of toppings. But it’s also for the parents who can see the joy and awe their kids are experiencing, and will treasure those memories for the rest of their lives.
Having said that, I have to say that the food last week was better than I remembered from my previous visit. The salmon was delicious (the salmon everywhere we went was the best I’ve ever had at Disney), and there were a number of very tasty desserts, aside from the soft-serve. The cheeses were also very good. It was a solid dinner. Not great, but far from the epicurean disaster as it is often described. And being from New Orleans (despite being aware of your being one of the tiny minority of those who’ve never discovered the magic that is New Orleans…face it, it takes zero ability to find the issues of New Orleans), I KNOW food. So much so that my greatest fear on visiting Disney is that during Turtle Talk I’ll ask Crush which is better: turtle soup with or without sherry? (The correct answer, of course: With).
Chef Mickey’s is not for a couple looking for a romantic dinner. Just wait till kid(s) come your way. But as of late May, early June, 2018, dinners there are not culinary catastrophes, but are actually solidly pleasant meals. Commander’s Palace it’s not, but then, that’s not what it’s meant to be. However, for the intended audience, it is a James Beard award-winner.