More Than Disney, The Stops We’ll Make Along the Way – Philadelphia

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this in the past, but Allison and I are planning to drive to Florida and back as part of our Epic Disney Adventure.  We figure that getting to Disney and back has to be as epic as the visit to Disney itself.  For the next few post I’m going to talk about some of the stops we plan on making on our way to and from Walt Disney World.  Most of these “plans” are works in progress, and we’re constantly changing our minds as we go.  Some stops will be long, others only a few hours, but we want to taste a little bit of the USA before we go visit the House of Mouse.

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Our plans for Philadelphia at this point are very quick.  We have a friend in Philly that might help us out because we don't have more than a quick afternoon, and we want to do three things:  We want to eat a Philly cheese steak, we want to climb the stairs from Rocky, and we want to see the Liberty Bell.  The Philly cheese steak seems like the best thing one could eat if you only have one meal in Philadelphia, at least from a nostalgia stand point.  I'm sure there's better restaurants, and maybe we're missing something really tasty, but it just seems wrong to miss this sandwich.  The stairs from Rocky are really just a photo op, actually I haven't seen the movie Rocky in so long, I think you could probably show me any stairs in Philadelphia and I'd believe that they were the stairs from Rocky.

The Liberty Bell on the other hand actually has some connection to our trip.  While reading about Disney, I learned an interesting little fact about Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom.  In the center of Liberty Square is a copy of the Liberty Bell, in fact, this copy is one of the best copies every made.  At one point they made 50 copies of the Liberty Bell to be distributed to every state, cast directly off of the original.  The thing is, Pennsylvanian already had a Liberty Bell, the real one, so they didn't need a copy.  Walt Disney decided that this copy would be perfect for his all American theme park and bought it for Disney World.  So I'd like to see the original Liberty Bell, and see the copy, to see how similar they actually are.

Buses, Monorails, or Car?

One of the biggest problems Allison and I are having when planning our epic Disney World trip is deciding which hotel we should stay at.  We keep saying that we’ve made up our mind, but at least once a week we investigate another option.  Right now we’re in a really big debate about Port Orleans French Quarter and the Yacht and Beach Club resorts.  There are two factors that are really making this decision difficult, price and location.

While price is a fairly easy term to figure out, paying less money is always better, location is really much more complicated.  The biggest problem we have with location is wondering if the location of our hotel can really make a difference towards improving our visit.  Disney has many different transportation options to choose from, from buses, to monorails, to highways.  You can pretty much get anywhere you’ll need to go from any hotel.  The problem is how convenient are al of these transportation methods.

The Monorails seem like they’re pretty efficient, they run on time, they’re fast, and they seem like they’re big enough to handle some big loads.  The problem with the monorails is the limited places that it goes.  Park wise you basically have Epcot and the Magic Kingdom, hotel wise there’s only 3 directly on the Monorail line.  The buses go everywhere, but I’m told that they can be very crowded.  They also don’t go from one resort to another, only from the resorts to the parks.  So if you want to travel to a resort for a meal, you’ll be transferring.

The other option is our car.  Since we’re driving all the way down from Canada, we’ll have our car with us.  Each of the parks offers free parking for all guests staying on site.  The resorts all offer free parking as well.  With the car we’ll have the flexibility to travel where we want, when we want.  The problem is gas prices, having to walk through crowded parking lots, and the general inconvenience of having a car.

This is why we’re having such a hard time picking a hotel.  Is it worth getting a hotel that’s a little closer to the action, and relying on Disney transportation?  Or is it better to stay in a cheaper hotel and just drive to the parks and resorts.  Just because we’re staying closer to the action, does that mean we won’t be driving at all, or are there still a few things we’ll want to drive to?

Visiting Every Attraction

When you first start planning an "epic" Disney vacation, the thought that goes through your mind is how to arrange visiting every single attraction in all of the parks.  Then you start to go through the list of attractions and find some that just aren't your cup of tea. In my case the Teacups because they make me barf.  At this point, with about 80% of the rides on your mind, you start to think about strategies, what routes to take, what fast passes to pick up when, and how busy it might be.  Then doubt starts to sink in, like what to do if it rains one day, or what happens if a particular ride is closed for repairs while you're there.  This spirals into panic, and all of a sudden your fun Disney World vacation is just nerve wracking.

I've consulted a few websites and guidebooks on this subject, and you really start to get mixed messages.  Most sites and guidebooks recommend highly against trying to do everything in every park.  They all recommend taking it easy, and taking breaks at some point every day.  They call running non-stop "going commando", a poor term considering its other meaning.  Then, these same books and websites will give you a list of attractions you "can't miss".  This list is long, and often the rides listed are the most popular.  So what I get from these guidebooks and websites is, take it easy, it's your vacation, but you'd be a fool to miss (insert the name of just about half of the attractions in all of the parks).

Allison and I are then left with a decision, do we go breakneck or go slow.  The leaning is to slow down, since it's our vacation, but use the time wisely.  In other words, check out as many cool attractions as possible, but know that we won't do everything.  Plan enough to know where everything can be found, but don't plan a route till the day comes.  Know that we're going to visit each and every park, but don't choose which days we're going until we get there.  Enjoy more than just the attractions; enjoy the environment, the people around us, and the whole Disney vibe.

Kids and Bully Parents

I'm about to explain the one part of Disney World where I'm going to come off as a jerk.  I'm going to explain to you the part of this epic trip that I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like.  There's no guarantee that this is going to happen, but I'm pretty sure it will.  I'm talking about parents and their children.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that all kids and parents get on my nerves, I'm just saying that I'm expecting many kids and parents on this trip to get on my nerves.

Here's my problem, I know that you and your children have been planning your trip to Disney World for a long while, I know that it's not a cheap place to visit, and I know that you're trying to bond as a family.  The thing is, so are we, the only difference is, we don't feel that we have any entitlement over you.  Allison and I love having fun at theme parks, we like riding kiddie rides, and we love to get involved in the story.  We'll happily wait in line to ride It's a Small World, and you better believe we're going to be singing along.

I just don't think that because you have children that you deserve anything extra.  You don't deserve not to wait in line; your kids don't deserve to meet Mickey first because they're kids.  We're all here to have fun, and parents should know this.  This is our trip too; so don't go bullying your way around because your kid wants to shake Goofy's hand.

Basically I hate parents that have this sense that their kid deserves more than me because they're a kid.  Guess what?  We all paid to be in here, and we all want a good time, just because your kid has no patience doesn't mean my trip should suffer.  I don't really hate kids, I just hate parents that let their kids go crazy at places like Disney World and expect us to be OK with it.

I'll be honest, if the kids aren't related to me, or related to friends of mine, I'm not that interested in them.  To me they’re just little adults, and therefore deserve nothing extra.  There, I’ve said it, and I might be a jerk for saying it.

Animal Kingdom - Allison's View

OK, so, let me get this straight.  This is a Disney theme park, and it has real animals too?  This is waaay too good to be true!  Chris is the biggest zoo nerd I know (he's the most fun animal enyclopaedia you'll ever encounter) - add that to how much we both love Disney parks, plus Disney's ability to do things right, and this just might add up to the best Disney day ever.

We are definitely going to take one of the special tours here. I was torn between the "Sunrise Safari" and "Wild Africa Trek".  Early morning is the best time to see animals in action, but the behind-the-scenes look you get on the "Trek" seems really cool.  I mean, who wouldn't want to cross a rope bridge over a wild animal enclosure!  I know I'm totally game for that!  However, Disney has made the decision for us, since the Sunrise Safari is only available to Kilimanjaro Club Level guests.  We're having a hard enough time hemming and hawing over Port Orleans vs. Yacht Club - we don't need that in the mix!

And then, if I may turn to one of my favourite subjects - meat.  I have seen pictures of the pulled pork and the BBQed chicken and ribs at Flame Tree, and I'm wondering just how much I can eat, since I totally want to try all three!  Ever since my sister lived in Alabama, I have been addicted to southern BBQ.  My mouth is watering already... Chris can have his Zebra Cupcake at Kusafiri Bakery; I'll be at Flame Tree gnawing on a rib!

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom, the newest park in Walt Disney World, is more than just a bunch of rides with cool themes.  Animal Kingdom is also a zoo.  Disney themselves have been trying to encourage people not to refer to it as a zoo, but I think it's because people somehow associate zoos with boredom.  Personally the idea of Disney building a zoo sounds fantastic.  Since it is Disney you can only assume that it's not just going to be a traditional zoo.  You know it's going to be something pretty awesome.

I think I'm most interested in seeing how they deal with the animals at Animal Kingdom.  I've been told that it has some of the best animal enclosures in the world, and I can't imagine that they don't theme everything perfectly.  After the animals I think I'm most looking forward to Expedition Everest.  This ride is getting a lot of hype right now, and everything I've seen about it looks great.  I'm a little worried about getting woozy on it, but Disney's pretty good about making smooth rides that even I can generally handle.

Of the research I've been doing, it doesn't really seem like Animal Kingdom has the greatest food.  The only exception seems to be the Flame Tree Barbecue that serves up some awesome sounding meals that I think will make a perfect choice for lunch.  The Yak and Yeti might be an OK choice for dinner, or we may take this opportunity to leave the park and head over to Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The only show that I think is a must see at this point is It's Tough to Be a Bug, located in a theatre below the giant Tree of Life.  I've read that it's the only Disney show ever to have been released the same time as the movie.  If time permits, I may also be interested in seeing the Finding Nemo show as well, since it's a puppet show and puppet shows can be really fun.

Of all the parks in Disney World, Animal Kingdom is the only one that I've never visited before.  My last visit happened about year before the doors opened, so there was lots of speculation, but I couldn't see much. I do however remember visiting Blizzard Beach on my last visit and climbing to the top of Summit Plummet.  From that vantage point you could see them working on the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom.  It's been a few years since I've visited Disney World, so I'm looking forward to seeing this newest addition.

Hollywood Studios - Allison's View

Hollywood Studios is one of the two parks that I have barely an inkling about.  I've been to EPCOT before, and Tokyo Disneyland, which I imagine at least to be similar to the Magic Kingdom.  Also, of course, Tokyo Disney Sea.  I have no idea what to expect at Hollywood Studios - I hope it's kitschy-fun movie-star-themed almost ridiculousness!  I imagine cast members strutting about with feather boas and cigarette holders, with a lot of shiny things around.

I have to say I am very excited about the Rock'n'Roller Coaster!  I love thrill rides - the faster and twistier the better!  (My all-time favourite roller coaster is the head-first, flat-on-your-stomach Tomb Raider at Canada's Wonderland - am I allowed to say that here?)  My only fear on this roller coaster is that Chris might barf on me.  Do you think he'd be mad if I wanted to ride in separate cars?

I'm also really looking forward to the Tower of Terror.  We rode it at Tokyo Disney Sea in 2009 and it was terrifically terrifying.  I heard the one at Walt Disney World has even more tricks up its sleeve!  We rode it twice at Disney Sea, and if Hollywood Studios is indeed one of the least popular/smallest parks, perhaps we'll have a chance to do it twice, or even three times, here!

Hollywood Studios

I get the idea that among Disney purists, Hollywood Studios is the least favourite park.  Its creation is often described as a reaction to Universal Studios, and many say that it's really not well organized with any real theme.  When Epcot and Animal Kingdom were opened there was an instant sense of what was going on at these parks; Hollywood Studios has had to evolve a little bit, and it continues to do so.  Other parks seem to add attractions, while HS seems to change them.  It seems however that this park is starting to make a niche for itself as the thrill ride hub for the Disney parks.  I'm not sure how I feel about Hollywood Studios, but I am really excited to see how it's changed since my first visit.

The two attractions that I'm looking forward to most of all on this whole epic adventure are found at Hollywood Studios.  The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Star Tours are rides that I just don't want to miss.  The Tower of Terror I'm fairly familiar with, but Star Tours has recently updated itself and apparently it's a totally new ride.  Also at this park is one of the rides that I'm most undecided about, the Rockin' Roller Coaster.  It looks like a really great fun ride, but it also looks really intense, and I'm not sure how my stomach will take it.

Food wise I wouldn't be upset if I made another visit to the Sci-Fi Dine in Theatre Restaurant.  I went the last time I visit the Studios, and it was a really fun time with some great food.  I'd also be interested in trying the Cobb Salad at the Brown Derby as well, since it's a classic dish in the culinary world.  Other than that, the food at Hollywood Studios seems fine, but nothing really sticks out as a must try.

When it comes to the shows, a visit to the Muppet's Theatre is an absolute must.  I've seen the show before and it was one of my favourite shows in the whole park.  There are a few other shows at the park that I wouldn't mind seeing, like the Indiana Jones Stunt Show, and the Lights, Motors, Action show.

When I visited Hollywood Studios in the past, I remember it as being full of fun rides, but also full of empty spaces.  I always thought of this park as being very big with small attractions.  I also remember the general theme of the place to be a little scattered, but it didn't really bother me that much.  Some people call this a half-day park, but I think it deserves a full day, maybe even two.

EPCOT - Allison's View

Ah, EPCOT, the one DisneyWorld park I actually experienced!  It was the day after my sister's Disney-rific wedding, and so she gave her "Slave of Honour" a half day off to enjoy some Disney good times!  I went with one of my sister's friends, and my cousin.  We rode rides, we danced with Moroccan dancers, we learned about the insides of our bodies, and we ate Mexican food.  That's all I remember.

So now, I'm totally looking forward to a long, leisurely day (or two, even!) at EPCOT!  There's so much more there than I got to see before.  And it will be nice to do it without the jet lag (I'd come straight from living in Japan only five days or so beforehand).

Secretly, the nerd in me is really excited about the "Behind the Seeds" special tour.  I'm not much of a gardener, which is why I think the science of gardening is so fascinating for me.  It's like this mysterious world that I catch a glimpse into once in a while, and now it'll be time to take a Disney-style glimpse!

Chris is right about me not wanting to go to EPCOT first.  I have this travel philosophy that I don't like to go back to places I've been before, as there are so many other places I could be visiting that I've never seen!  The rule is not set in stone - I've been some places multiple times, especially some do-overs with Chris - but the least I can do is give the philosophy a nod by not running straight to the only WDW park I've already experienced.  It's nice to do something - anything - else first!

Food-wise, I'm looking forward to the Norwegian bakery, the Japanese teppan-yaki place, and the French restaurant.  I have a feeling we're going to be visiting EPCOT for food a lot. :-)

Epcot

Epcot (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) is often referred to as the "educational theme park" of Disney World.  While it has a few fun rides, it does move at a much slower pace than the other parks.  It also does offer more in the area of learning than the other parks.  I wouldn't say that it forces education down your throat, but there's a good chance you might learn something while visiting Epcot.

Attraction wise I think Soarin' is something I really don't want to miss.  It's a hang gliding simulator that flies you over California with just about all of your senses being assaulted (in a good way). I'm a big fan of the flume ride at the Norway pavilion as well.  I'm also interested in seeing what they did to the Living Seas pavilion since I last visited.

Of all of the parks in Disney World, Epcot is the park I'm most looking forward to eating in.  With the world showcase we should be able to sample some foods from many different countries.  I'm most interested in the Moroccan pavilion since I can't honestly say that I've eaten Moroccan before.  Many of the other pavilions might be fun as well, particularly if it's a place we've visited.  We can compare and enjoy the memories of our visit to these countries.

The shows in Epcot aren't really the same as the shows at other parks.  They don't seem to really have any Broadway style theatrical performances, just small shows all over the park.  I like the idea of just walking around and bumping into entertainment, rather than having to wait in line to go into a theater.  I'm not sure if this counts as a "show" per se, but in the Japan pavilion they have a girl named Miyuki that makes awesome candy art that I'm really keen to watch her work.

I think this might be the park I've visited most of all.  This is also the only park that Allison has visited in Florida.  Because it's the only park she's been to, she's informed me that in no way are we visiting this park first.  Not that she doesn't like it; she just wants to be sure to see at least one other park on this adventure.  I seem to remember this park having a really nice relaxing vibe about it, so I think on a day where we want to walk around and not rush around too much, Epcot will be perfect.

The Magic Kingdom - Allison's View

Unlike Chris, the Magic Kingdom will not be an adventure in nostalgia for me... I've seen it, I've been close to it, but I've never actually been inside.  The closest I ever came was Tokyo Disneyland - with my friends Yuriko, Mikiko, Tsuyako, and Mami-chan.  What an amazing day of fun that was!  Perhaps the Magic Kingdom will stir up some fond memories of that day.

Without the nostalgia factor, I'm a total Magic Kingdom blank slate!  There are so many elements of it I'm familiar with, but it's still this exciting unknown to me.  I've been on Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain and even Splash Mountain in Tokyo, but the idea of experiencing these at Walt Disney World is so cool!

 I want to try all of the rides (except the teacups - without Chris, what's the fun in riding a ride that's meant for spinning your friends around?) - everything from Space Mountain to the Carousel of Progress.  The best part, though, I think will just be the experience of it all - the parades, the atmosphere, Cinderella's castle, the other people there to have fun, and a whole bunch of Cast Members who are there to help us have fun.  And they speak English!  That is going to be a real treat!

Speaking of treats, that turkey leg sounds unbelievable.  In my imagination, it has become gigantic.  I can't wait to finally try one!

The Magic Kingdom

The magic kingdom is really the flagship park in the Disney World complex. It was the first park to open, and it contains the most pure Disney character based attractions. If you can only visit one park in all of Disney World, this is the one. But you wouldn't be alone, because according to many statistics I’ve read, the Magic Kingdom is the busiest theme park in the world.

The attractions at the magic kingdom are the classic Disney rides you know and love. When I visit the Magic Kingdom I'm interested in nostalgic rides more than thrills. I'm also interested in some of the updates that have happened since I last visited. Since I've been there the Haunted Mansion and Fantasyland have both had some major upgrades (the Fantasyland upgrades aren't even finished yet). I'm also looking forward to some of the classic rides, like the three Disney mountains (Big Thunder, Space, and Splash), and my childhood favourite it's a small world.

Much like the rides at the magic kingdom, the food options I'm most looking forward to are the ones that give me a sense of nostalgia. I'm certainly not looking for fine dining at the Magic Kingdom; instead I'm more focused on a Mickey Mouse ice cream treat. Allison's focus at the magic kingdom food wise is their famous turkey drumsticks, something I'm probably going to sample (from hers) but I don't think I can handle one on my own.

As far as shows go at the Magic Kingdom, I'm not really too excited about anything in particular. The only exception is probably the classic Electro Land  light Parade, mostly because it is a classic piece of nostalgia. I'm also looking forward to the light and fireworks shows in the evenings, only because the innovation they put into these shows is always legendary.

The magic kingdom holds a certain place in my heart because it was the first Disney park I'd ever visited. I was about 8 years old, and it followed my first ever plane ride. I have only a few memories of this visit, some good, like meeting characters, others not so good, like riding the tea cups. I've been back a few times since, and each time I've come home with a smile on my face.

Feeding Ourselves

It used to be that Disney was simply filled with food stands selling standard carnival/Americana type foods.  The quality was there, but the variety was lacking.  Today Disney world has become well known for the variety of restaurants available, and even boasts some world-class eateries.  Best of all they managed to do this without simply eliminating the classic treats you’d expect.  Needless to say the challenge of Disney World is not finding a place to eat, instead it's trying to pick which place you want to eat.

After reading several websites dedicated to the food at Disney World you start to find some meals and treats you don't want to miss.  So the first goal is to list some of theses treats and keep track of where to find them. The intended plan is to pick up all the meals and treats as we visit each park, but that's not really that simple.

The first problem about trying every restaurant and snack item at each park that we want is all the parks are not equal. Some parks have great snacks, but not so many meal options; other parks may have many lunch choices, but almost no dinner options. So you may find yourself in a park stuck with a dinner that's OK, but at another park there's a million dinner options.  The best example of this difference is between Epcot and Hollywood Studios.  While Hollywood Studios has a couple of OK meal selections, for the most part it's just a lot of the standard American food.  Epcot on the other hand has such a huge selection of food options that it holds an annual food and drink show.

So even if we manage to pick out nice meals at all of the parks, we can't forget the resorts.  So many of the resorts have amazing restaurants in them, which are exclusive and found nowhere else in Disney World.  So if you want to sample something from a resort, you may have to leave a park for lunch and come back. I'm not too sure if we'll have time for many of these adventures without missing out on park attractions.

While the first two problems aren't really that big a deal, making sure we have reservations is.  I've read that some of the more popular restaurants can be filled up 180 days in advance.  Since neither Allison nor I are experts on all of the restaurants, we're never really sure where to book something.  All the advice we have is from Disney food websites, and that can be difficult.  Some food writers have different tastes than Allison and myself, and it's not like we have any range of comparison since most of these writers only write about Disney food.

I think our plan so far is to pick a few of the popular restaurants and make a reservation.  We most certainly want at least one character dinning experience as well.  Other than that we'll hunt and peck, and hope that we have some great meals.