Steven M. Barrett - The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation

The Hassle-Free
Walt Disney
World Vacation

Steven M. Barrett

The Hassle-Free
Walt Disney World Vacation

Published by

The Intrepid Traveler

P.O. Box 531

Branford, CT 06405

http://www.intrepidtraveler.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Copyright 2011 by Steven M. Barrett

Tenth Edition

Printed in the U.S.A.

Cover design by Foster & Foster

Maps designed by Evora Taylor

ISBN: 978-1-937011-00-0

Trademarks, Etc.

This book makes reference to various Disney copyrighted characters, trademarks, marks and registered marks owned by The Walt Disney Company and Disney Enterprises, Inc.

All references to these properties, and to The Twilight Zone, a registered trademark of CBS, Inc., are made solely for editorial purposes. Neither the author nor the publisher makes any commercial claim to their use, and neither is affiliated with either The Walt Disney Company or CBS, Inc. in any way.

Photo Credits

All photos Steven M. Barrett. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Author Steven M. Barrett paid his first visit to Walt Disney World in the late 1980s, after attending a medical conference in Orlando. He immediately fell under its spell, visiting it twice yearly with family and friends for the next several years, offering touring advice to the less initiated, and reading almost everything written about the WDW theme parks. When a job in his field of emergency medicine opened up not far from WDW in 1998, Barrett, a Texas native, Air Force veteran, and former Oklahoma City medical professor, relocated to the Orlando area from Houston, Texas. He began visiting the WDW parks every chance he got to enjoy the attractions, sample the restaurants, and escort visiting friends and relatives. Eventually, their feedback made him realize he had better advice on touring the parks than they could get anywhere else, so he decided to write this book. He followed it up with Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney Worlds Best Kept Secrets , a guide in scavenger-hunt format to over 800 hidden Mickeys in the WDW theme parks, resorts, and other areas. Barrett continues to visit WDW almost every week, finding the parks and other attractions every bit as magical as they appeared to him on his first visit over 20 years ago.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my wife Vickie and son Steven, who willingly accompanied me on countless research visits to Walt Disney World and added invaluable insight to the advice in this book.

I am grateful to friends and family who have helped me over the years to field test the touring plans in this book.

Also by Steven M. Barrett

Hidden Mickeys:
A Field Guide to Walt Disney Worlds Best Kept Secrets

Disneylands Hidden Mickeys:
A Field Guide to Disneyland Resorts Best Kept Secrets

Hidden Mickeys Go to Sea:
A Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Lines Best Kept Secrets

Table of Contents

Introduction

No doubt about it, Walt Disney World is one of the most entertaining places anywhere. Yes, I admit it, Im a rabid WDW aficionado. I have yet to find a ride or attraction at WDW that I didnt enjoy, and Ive experienced all of them many times. I began trekking to this mecca of tourism years ago on vacations once or twice yearly. Now I live nearby and can explore the wonders of Walt Disney World Resort whenever I have the time (that is, as often as I can manage it).

Early on, I noticed an anomaly as I wandered the parks. Despite the worldwide appeal of WDW, some visitors werent enjoying themselves! Many of these folks had planned their monster vacation months ahead of time and weathered their kids salivating impatience for weeks, only to arrive at WDW and quickly wither in the crowds, the heat, and the ubiquitous long lines. On a boat ride from the Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness, a man uttered a complaint that Ive often heard at WDW: This is supposed to be a vacation? Ive been here five days, and Im more tired than when I left home. I dont feel like Ive had a vacation at all!

I wondered: What could people do to enhance their WDW experience? Some of the answers are obvious and have been mentioned in other guidebooks. Some of the advice is not so obvious and is mentioned only in this book. What Ive tried to accomplish in these pages is to give both first-time visitors and seasoned WDW pros the nuts and bolts tips and information for a hassle-free Walt Disney World vacation.

This new 2011 edition contains updated touring plans, descriptions and ratings of new and established attractions, and a general update on Walt Disney World Resort that is current as we go to press.

If you follow my recommendations and touring plans, you will be as prepared as possible for a successful voyage to WDW.

Enjoy!

Steven M. Barrett

Planning
Your
WDW Vacation

A few miles southwest of Orlando, Florida, lies one of the most popular spots on earth, Walt Disney World Resort (WDW). This huge complex (twice the size of Manhattan Island), which celebrates its 40thanniversary in October 2011, contains four separate theme parks, more than two dozen hotels, scores of restaurants, a campground, water parks, golf courses, miniature golf courses, two evening entertainment areas, a shopping and daytime entertainment district, and a sports complex.

Whew! WDW is magical and a wonderful place to visit, but its also complicated and often crowded as well. The unprepared visitor can easily be overwhelmed and left with less than magical memories of long lines, heat and sunburn, exhaustion, expensive food, crying kids, and frazzled nerves.

Dont let that happen to you! With proper planning, any WDW visit can be fun from beginning to end.

This book is dedicated to giving you the insider tips, practical advice, and customized flexible touring plans you need to have one of the best vacations of your life. So take a quick breath and jump right in.

When to Go

You can have fun any time of the year at WDW. In terms of crowds, however, the best time to go is the period from after the Thanksgiving weekend until the week before Christmas (the last days of November and the first two and one-half weeks of December), when the parks are least crowded. The next best times to visit are September through the weekend preceding Thanksgiving, January 4 through the middle of February, and the week after Easter through early June (except for the always-busy Memorial Day weekend).

The most crowded times to come are Christmas Day through New Years Day, Thanksgiving weekend, the week of Presidents Day, spring break for colleges, the two weeks around Easter, Memorial Day weekend, mid June through late August, and Labor Day weekend. If you visit during these ultra-busy times of the year, you can expect to pay more for your hotel room and you wont be able to experience as many attractions because long lines build early in the day. However, theme park hours are longer during the busiest seasons and theres more live entertainment on offer.