Jen & Jeni
Things to Do
Get the My Disney Experience App
If you've never been to Walt Disney World (or its been awhile) and you want to have an awesome winter vacation before or after our wedding, you should take a few minutes to look at the official website and download the app for your smart phone. Disney is huge and can be a little overwhelming but it doesn't have to be! After you book your stay at a Disney resort, make sure you make arrangements for Magical Express to pick you up at the airport (and grab your bags for you). Next, you'll want to download My Disney Experience app for your smart phone and sign up for an account if you don't have one. This app will let you book dining reservations, fast passes so you can skip the lines for rides, and give you a GPS to help you navigate! You can also use it to help you plan some of your must dos!
Make Some Plans -- or Don't!
Some of the very best restaurants will require that you book reservations as far out as possible (and you can do that through your My Disney Experience App or online). Don't be discouraged if you can't get the reservations you want, though. There are so many great quick service restaurants and kiosks to try. If you are going to spend time in the theme parks, you might want to reserve fast passes for popular rides so that you can skip the lines and go back at a predetermined time. You'll be able to book fast passes 60 days ahead of time. Not all rides will require fast passes, however, and there's plenty to do without booking them. There are also shows, character photo ops, and plenty of shopping to keep you occupied.
Magic Kingdom
Disney's Magic Kingdom is where the iconic Cinderella's Castle is. You can meet Mickey, his friends, and many of the princesses there! It might seem like a place geared for children, but adults can have fun there too (especially since the park is no longer "dry"). If you like coasters, try to get fast passes for Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, & 7 Dwarves Mine Train. Tamer classics include Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. Buzz Lightyear's Ranger Spin is also great! For sit down restaurants, you can have dinner with the Beast at Be Our Guest (in Beast's castle) or visit the Jungle Cruise's restaurant (Skipper's Canteen). We love quick service restaurants like Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrow Land, which serves food at a counter and has an awesome food and condiment bar. Gaston's Tavern in Fantasy Land has cinnamon rolls as big as your head and delicious LaFou's Brew.
Epcot
Epcot is two parks in one. Arriving from the buses or the monorail, you'll enter Future World and gaze up Space Ship Earth. Unfortunately, this ride is under refurbishment, but snag a picture in front of it anyway. In Future World, get fast passes for Soarin or Test Track and take a nibble at the new Space 220 restaurant, "orbiting 220 miles above the Earth"! Next, head down to World Showcase. You can get a Drink Around The World Passport (adults only) or visit Anna and Elsa in Norway. You'll want to try to book fast passes for the Frozen Ride. It's a must do! We'll be at Disney World at the tail end of the Festival of the Arts, so make sure you stop to taste some culinary delights, catch shows featuring Broadway actors, and watch artists create sidewalk chalk images along the walkways. Epcot also has a brand new firework show around the Lagoon. Many of the restaurants have amazing views of the show, so be sure to get reservations.
Animal Kingdom
This theme park is a real, live animal preserve! Make sure you go on the Kilimanjaro Safari. You can also see amazing shows like Up! (hosted by Russell and Doug), Festival of the Lion King and the Nemo Musical. If you're more interested in otherworldly encounters, head down to Pandora, a land taken straight out of the movie Avatar. You can actually ride a Banshee at Flight of Passage (but you should try to get fast passes, lines can be several hours long). There's so many good restaurants and kiosks here, but we recommend checking out Tusker House for a character buffet experience with African and Asian inspired foods, and Nomad's Lounge for a cocktail. If you stay until nightfall, you can watch the Tree of Life, with all of its animal carvings, at the center of the park come to life. It's truly amazing to watch and happens several times until the park closes. There are no fireworks at Animal Kingdom and you won't find a lot of plastics either so be prepared!
Hollywood Studios
Formerly MGM Studios, this park has changed and expanded in recent years. Last year, Toy Story Land opened, allowing you to shrink to the size of Andy's toys and enjoy a roller coaster ride on Slinky Dog or get scrambled with the Pizza Planet aliens (both of these are fastpass worthy). Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge has also just opened, letting you visit an outpost in the Star Wars universe! Hollywood Studios is also the home of the Tower of Terror and has two nighttime shows. Woody's Lunchbox at Toy Story Land for breakfast has homemade "poptarts" and Olga's Canteen at Galaxy's Edge serves sodas in Droids and Blue Milk!
Checklist for Guests Staying on Disney Property
1. Call Disney to book your room using our room block rates. 2. Book your flights 3. RSVP by November 1st for the Luau and the reception. 4. Download the My Disney Experience App and decide what you might like to do during your vacation! 5. Make reservations for must do restaurants (only table service restaurants require reservations. Lounges, snack kiosks and quick service restaurants do not). You can do this on the app, on the website, or 6. Call Disney with your flight information to book your free ride to and from your hotel on the Magical Express. You can also purchase discounted tickets through our wedding event too. 7. 60 days before your arrival, you can make fastpass reservations, allowing you to cut the line for some of the most popular rides. 8. Sit back, relax, and let Disney do the rest!