ISA President's Meeting Orlando 2006

ISA President's Spring Meeting
Orlando, April 22-26, 2006

Walt Disney World: Best Things to Do at the Parks

By Mike Huereca, President ISA Tampa Bay Section, District 3 Officer
Dated: April 2006.

Area map of Walt Disney World #1
Area map of Walt Disney World #2
Area map of Walt Disney World #3

Maps for indivual parks:: -Magic Kingdom Map
-MGM Map
-Epcot Map
-Animal Kingdom Map

As an experienced Disney World tourist and local, this is how I would have visitors and family cover the "must do" things. I advise people to spend at least five days here. I have been to Disney World about 100 times in the past five years. You will find this information to be great for both adults and teenagers.
I always recommend staying at the Disney resort since you get extra benefits. For example, you can take a Disney bus to your onsite resort hotel and take a break in the afternoon, which I recommend doing.
You also get Extra Magic Hours: Click here

Best advice I can give you is get there before they open and be the last to leave.
You can ride the major rides several times in that first 30 minutes and in the last hour of each day.

Buy a Park Hopper Ticket; you can then go to several parks during the day. Take the Disney Bus or leave the rental car at the first park you start at. Other wise it is $9 each time you park the car.
A word about Fast Passes at Disney, once you get one, you cannot get another for two hours, so if the line is short, do the ride and if the line is long, get a Fast Pass.
I once spent 19 days at Walt Disney World and saw 90% of it.
Link for main Walt Disney World internet page: Click here
Hours for each park at this link: Click here

Spring break is still going strong the week before our meeting, so it's more crowded, but has longer hours.
The week following will be much less crowded, but with shorter hours of opening.

1. Start at Animal Kingdom. Arrive about 15 minutes before opening, which is normally 8am. Go to the right side of park and get a fast pass ticket for Expedition Everest, this is a brand new ride and very popular. Be sure to pay attention to the time window to ride.
Now go the back of the park and do Kilimanjaro Safari.
While waiting for any of the rides, go to The Tree of Life and see It's Tough to be a Bug. It's my favorite thing at this park. Also get a fast pass for Dinosaur ride. You should be done by approx. noon.
Also this park closes at 8pm before our ISA meeting and 5pm, the following week.
Animal Kingdom Link: Click Here

2. Catch Disney bus to MGM Studios. Get fast pass for Rock n Roller Coaster. Ride it during your time window and get another fast pass. Teenagers really like this ride. Get in line and ride Tower of Terror; this ride is just fine for older adults also. It's my favorite ride at Disney World. Catch the Muppet Vision 3-D Show and then see the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. Be sure to Ride Star Tours as well. If you are there late at night, watch the Fantasmic! show. Get there a minimum of 30 minutes early. If there is a second show, go to that one as it will be much less crowded.

2nd level attractions if you want to spend more time at MGM:
Who wants to be a Millionaire
Magic of Disney Animation
Indian Jones Stunt Show
Studios Backlot Tour
Backstage Pass
The Great Movie Ride
MGM Link: Click here

3. Catch Disney bus to Epcot
Get a fast pass for Test Track, or you can also get into the singles line for faster entry. Also get a fast pass for Mission: SPACE. Then see Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, which is my second favorite thing at Disney World. Be sure to ride Soarin' which is in the Land Pavilion. Also ride Body Wars which is great for teenagers.

See The American Adventure, far end of the lake.
Watch Rock n' Roll oldies band at British Area.
Also explore each of the 11 countries around the World Showcase. Each country offers authentic dining, shopping, entertainment, and architecture of its homeland, and even the hosts and hostesses of each showcase are nationals of that particular country.
See Fireworks at end of day, spectacular! My favorite thing.

"LOVE", this year's Flower & Garden Festival!
From April 21 - June 11, romance blooms at the 13th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, from love-struck Disney character topiaries to Flower Power Concerts under the stars.

2nd level attractions if you want to spend more time at Epcot.
Spaceship Earth
Universe of Energy
The Living Seas and The Land pavilions are indoors and relaxing
If you have time to kill:
Check out video games in Inoventions.
Epcot Link: Click here.

4. Catch Disney bus or the monorail to Magic Kingdom.
Must see Mickey's PhilhaMagic
Ride Space Mountain. Then ride Splash Mountain, adults can handle this. My favorite ride at this park.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
The Haunted House
Magic Kingdom Link: Click here.

5. Pleasure Island, located in Downtown Disney is a great nightclub spot. Tickets required to enter into the clubs. Be sure to see the first show at the Comedy Warehouse, it gets more crowed later in the evening. Good clean fun for the family. If you love music and dancing, they have clubs for all types of music including 70's, Top 40, Techno, etc. Pleasure Island is the place to be.

6. Typhoon Lagoon is a great water park. Very popular. Best snorkeling I have every done is in their shark reef pool. Arrive as soon as it opens and do your snorkeling the first hour and the last hour. Very crowed during the middle of the day as everyone else discovers it. The six-foot wave pool is great. Stay closer to the wall and bob up with the wave. Stay away from the middle as the wave breaks and really has a lot of force. Blizzard Beach is the other water park and is more like a Wet & Wild place, but better if you like that kind of water park.