Let’s say you have just a day to spend in Orlando, Florida, and have the difficult decision of choosing one Walt Disney World park to visit. Let me help you out!
Animal Kingdom for the ride fanatics
Animal Kingdom is vast, and not your best choice if you’re looking for a leisurely day of drinking and dining. It requires quite a bit of walking! The rides are unparalleled, though. Their recently opened Pandora - The World of Avatar is magnificent, and its virtual reality Flight of Passage ride is ingenious. If you get easily motion sick, I recommend you be wary, though. It made me a bit ill—but I don’t regret it! Other amazing rides include Expedition Everest, a thrilling rollercoaster escape from the Yeti; Kilimanjaro Safaris, a savanna tour in which you can spot wild animals like elephants and lions; Dinosaur, a fast-paced trip back to the Cretaceous Era; and the Na’vi River Journey, a laidback indoor river cruise through Pandora. As I mentioned earlier, Animal Kingdom is not a major dining destination, but if you’re looking for a delicious sit-down option, I recommend Yak & Yeti, which has Himalayan theming and serves pan-Asian cuisine.
Epcot for the foodies and drink connoisseurs
Epcot is my favorite park, and its drinks and dining options are the best in Disney. There are two separate areas of the park, Future World and World Showcase. Future World, as you can guess, has a futuristic vibe, while World Showcase includes pavilions of countries from around the globe. Future World has a newly opened restaurant called Space 220, which imagines that you’re dining in a spaceship—the theming is sophisticated and the food is delicious. World Showcase, though, is where Disney dining and drinking really shines. Each pavilion (there are 11!) features at least one bar and restaurant (I’ll go into each pavilion in a separate post); my favorite is Mexico. The other countries include Canada, the UK, France, Morocco, Japan, the US, Italy, Germany, China, and Norway. There’s a popular drinking game in which folks attempt to sample one drink from each country. Do you think you’d be up to the task?
Magic Kingdom for the kids
Even for the adults, Magic Kingdom is pure escapism. You’ll be welcomed by the idyllic Main Street USA and Cinderella Castle as you enter the park, and from there, you can enjoy Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland, Liberty Square, Tomorrowland, and Mickey’s Toontown Fair (which is pretty much exclusively for the kiddos). The park has endless shows, fireworks, and character greetings for the whole family to enjoy, and even the most thrilling rides are pretty tame—appropriate for all ages.
Hollywood Studios for Star Wars and Toy Story buffs
I’ll be honest, Hollywood Studios is my least favorite park—although I love the Beauty & the Beast live show, Tower of Terror, and the Fantasmic! nighttime show. If you’re a Star Wars or Toy Story fan, though, this is the place for you. The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area of the park is completely immersive (especially at night!); I recommend checking out Oga’s Cantina for some very inventive drinks. Each time I’ve visited Toy Story Land, it’s been uncomfortably crowded, but I love the Toy Story Mania ride—a competitive 4D ride in which you get to play little games.
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