With the sheer number of restaurants at WDW, there are bound to be some stinkers in the lot. For the most part, the food is very good, if not great at a few of the upper end places. The 10 listed below, however, are the bottom 10. Many of the counter service places received a pass from me, they are what they are, fast food, and shouldn’t be rated poorly. The ones listed below are just not up to what they should be, and are to be avoided at all costs.
#10: Liberty Inn – Epcot – Ha, fast food! While Liberty Inn is servicable as counter service restaurants, and is actually very nice inside with great seating areas, it still make the list. Granted, when people from around the world think of America, they think fast food, McDonalds, hamburgers, fatties. Does Disney really need to enforce that stereotype? Build a dang nice table service restaurant, it will be packed.
#9: Planet Hollywood – Downtown Disney – Overpriced food surrounded by memorabilia from people no one cares about makes for a bad meal. Despite offering coupons to just about every Disney World visitor, Planet Hollywood is almost always dead, and I foresee a “for rent” sign on the big round eyesore of Downtown Disney.
#8: Rainforest Cafe – Downtown Disney & Animal Kingdom Park – Rainforest is another themed chain with locations at WDW. While the restaurants are busy, the food is expensive and not all that good. The question is, do I really want to eat at a place while at WDW that I can visit at my local mall? I dig the waterfall at the Animal Kingdom location, but there are much better options within a few feet at either location.
#7: California Grill – Contemporary Resort – Long touted as the “crown jewel” of Disney World restaurants, all I hear lately is complaints about the service and food. Granted, the view is to die for, especially during fireworks. Everything else, blah! I have eaten here three times in the last year or so, each visit has either had horrible food or horrible service, or both. Very expensive, but remember, you are paying for the view, don’t expect much else.
#6: Pizzafari – Animal Kingdom Park – Nothing says Africa like Pizza. Rarely open, and that is a good thing. The cool building doesn’t even come close to making up for the poor food. Much better options throughout the park.
#5: Sci-Fi Dine In – Hollywood Studios Park – Where to start. Counter service food (at best) at table service prices. Looping movie that is technically trailers of bad 50′s monster movies that loops every 40 minutes or so, so you get to see it 2 or 3 times during your meal. Just imagine if you worked there and had to see the loop 15 times each shift, I would pull out my hair. Really fun concept (the cars are cool), just poorly done. Stop by for a shake and fried in the afternoon, you will thank me.
#4: Coral Reef – Epcot Park – So much promise, such bad food. The wall looking onto the giant aquarium is cool, but this is the one place that epitomizes the down side of the dining plan. An expensive restaurant, always crowded with dining plan users, why both service good food? They don’t bother.
#3: Tony’s Town Square Restaurant – Magic Kingdom Park – A stretch to call this place Italian. Poor decor, overly loud, it feels like you are eating in an elementary school lunchatorium. I could get by all of this if it weren’t for the food, which is disastrous, to be nice. Strait from the can spaghettios would be more Italian, and better tasting. Eating here, you just get the feeling they are trying to feed you as cheaply and quickly as possible.
#2: Comtempo Cafe – Contemporary Resort – Ok, so a few counter service places made the list. Located right under the monorail (loud) and next to Chef Mickey’s (even louder), this poor excuse from a restaurant offers appalling food, obviously made off site and trucked in, along with no atmosphere and plenty of noise.
#1: San Angel Inn – Epcot Park – Without a doubt, one of the best located restaurants, especially if you can get a table along the waterway of the Grand Fiesta Tour. Romantic as you can imagine. And dark, which is a good thing, as you can’t see the food. San Angel Inn has nothing on Taco Bell when it comes to bland, Americanized Mexican food. Now, I am from the West, where good Mexican restaurants are a dime a dozen, and maybe in Orlando, that might not be the case, but that doesn’t mean you have to consume their poor excuse for food and accept it as “authentic”. With all the wonderful options in the World Showcase, go somewhere else, and stop by La Cava del Tequilla for a better experience.
Disagree with my list, or have others you would add? Let me know below:
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Disney Top 10 WDW Stores and Shops
Filed under: Walt Disney WorldAlmost every person that walks thru the gates of a Disney World park ends up walking out with a Disney World shopping bag in their hands. I would even figure that a large portion of Disney World revenues are generated out of the multiple store and shops on property. For Disneyana fans, this is a fact that they can live with! Here is a list of the best WDW stores and shops, from a Disney collector’s point of view (of course your list may differ):
#10: Stores in Germany Pavilion – Epcot – Out of all the counties in Epcot’s World Showcase, the stores in Germany are chalk full of eye candy! Besides carrying many famous German brands, such as Goebel Hummels and Steiff bears, there are also some great Disneyana collectibles to purchase from those same companies mentioned.
#9: Pirate’s Bazaar – Magic Kingdom – Now we all know that Disney is great at placing stores right outside of attraction exits. Pirates of the Caribbean is no exception. Besides being the place to purchase all of your pirate needs, the fantastic theming and story from the attraction carry right into the Bazaar. Oh, and don’t forget to get your picture taken beside the lovely fountain in the middle.
#8: Tower Hotel Gifts – Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Another great attraction shop with great theming throughout. Look for great glasswear in this store.
#7: Sid Cahuennga’s – Disney’s Hollywood Studios – It would only make sense to have a store with movie memorabilia in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is a great place to find movie and TV props, some signed sports collectibles and tons of autographed pictures. Don’t forget to check out the great vintage Disney movie posters on the front porch of the building.
#6: Uptown Jewlers – Magic Kingdom – Located in the heart of Main St. USA, Uptown Jewelers is the place in the Magic Kingdom to find the perfect watch for every Disney lover. Peruse the many jewellery cases but remember to head to the back of the store for one the best Pin selections in all of Disney World.
#5: Pin stores – Various locations – If you are looking to start a Disney collection, pins should be your first consideration. To help you start, Disney World has a great number of pins shops and carts throughout the entire resort. The best locations to view a wide variety of pins are Disney’s Pin Traders in Downtown Disney and Pin Central in Epcot.
#4: Disney’s Days of Christmas – Downtown Disney – It’s July 4th and you can’t get your mind off Christmas. You need a fix! Head to Disney’s Days of Christmas and you will be set until December 25th. You’ll be able to fill your entire tree (and maybe 9 more) with fantastic Disney themed Christmas decorations and personalized gifts.
#3: Emporium – Magic Kingdom – All Disney parks have one central major store where you can find all types of Disney merchandise. The one that stands out as the best is the Emporium in the Magic Kingdom. Where else can you shop while watching a parade thru the store doorways?!? And when you shop around the store, you can feel the magic just oozing from the walls.
#2: World of Disney – Downtown Disney – All Disney World Fanatics know that this is the place to pick up Disney World merchandise. Without a doubt, it is the largest store in all of Disney World. Here you can pick up that favorite Disney t-shirt with a matching hat, your new coffee mug, a pin or two and Timmy or Sally’s first plush Mickey. Better yet, you don’t need park admission to get into this store!
#1: Art of Disney – Various locations – For the diehard Disney collector with a vault full of money, the Art of Disney stores are the place to shop. Stores located in Downtown Disney, Animal Kingdom and Epcot go by the Art of Disney name. The location in Magic Kingdom is known as the Main St. Gallery and the Disney’s Hollywood Studio’s shop is known as the Animation Gallery. Here you can find limited edition art prints, cels, posters and fantastic figurines, including the Walt Disney Classics Collection line. If your budget doesn’t allow you to purchase one of the wonderful items in these stores, make sure you check them out anyway. You don’t want to miss some of the great original artwork on display.
Big Thanks to James for writing this great Disney Top 10 post, he knows his stuff. You can follow James on Twitter at (@DisneyNorth) for great Disney info with a Canadian twist.
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The Walt Disney World dining plans have been a huge hit since their introduction in 2006. A huge percentage of Disney Resort guests are using one of the dining plans. They allow you to eat in the theme parks for a reduced price, and have your dining budgeted out before you ever leave home. Obviously, the dining plan becomes a better deal if you eat at more expensive restaurants. Below are the 10 best table service restaurants for use with the Disney Dining plan:
The dining plan includes one entree, one dessert and one non-alcoholic drink per person. The prices are based on the total value of the most expensive total of the three items at each restaurant. The 2009 cost for the Disney Dining plan is $39.99 per adult per night of your stay.
#10 - Captain’s Grill (Yacht Club) -
- Snow Crab Legs – $29.99
- Hazelnut Gianduja Chocolate Mousse – $5.99
- Soft Drink – $2.99
- Grand Total - $38.97
#9 – Raglan Road (Downtown Disney) -
- Mighty Mixed Grill – $28.50
- Dunbrody Kiss – $8.99
- Soft Drink – $2,99
- Grand Total - $40.48
#8 - Coral Reef (Epcot) -
- Grilled New York Strip Steak – $30.99
- The Chocolate Wave – $7.99
- Soft Drink – $2,99
- Grand Total - $41.97
#7 - San Angel Inn (Epcot) -
- Filete a los Tres Chiles – $34
- Flan de Vainilla – $5.75
- Soft Drink – $2.75
- Grand Total - $42.50
#6 - Wolfgang Puck Cafe (Downtown Disney) -
- Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Maytag Blue Cheese Butter – $28.95
- Ice Cream “Cone-a-Copia” – $11.95
- Soft Drink – $2.95
- Grand Total - $43.85
#5 - Maya Grill (Coronado Springs) -
- Seafood Risotto – $34
- Chambord Chocolate Cake – $6.99
- Soft Drink – $2.99
- Grand Total - $43.98
#4 - Chefs de France (Epcot) -
- Filet de boeuf grille, sauce au poivre noir Gratin Dauphinois et haricots verts – $34.95
- Creme Brulee – $7.25
- Soft Drink – $2.95
- Grand Total: $45.15
#3 - Restaurant Marrakesh (Epcot) -
- Mediterranean Seafood Platter – $36.95
- Moroccan Symphony – $5.95
- Soft Drink – $2,95
- Grand Total - $45.85
#2 - Le Cellier (Epcot) -
- Veal T-Bone – $36.99
- Chocolate on Chocolate Whiskey Cake – $7.99
- Soft Drink – $2.99
- Grand Total - $47.97
#1 - Tutto Italia (Epcot) -
- Tagliata di Manzo – $36
- Copetta Sotto Bosco – $14
- Soft Drink – $3
- Grand Total - $53
The first thing you can see is what a great deal the Disney dining plan is, you are getting $40+ in just one meal for $40, plus the addition of a counter service meal and a snack makes for one awesome deal.
Two notes. Many restaurants include other drinks as part of the plan, such as milk-shakes. I opted to keep all restaurants with soft drinks to keep thing simple. Also, make sure you check out all the menus, just because the restaurant might be the best “deal”, it might not be the best option for your family. Whether you are getting $50 worth of food, or $40, it is irrelevant, as you are paying the same cost. It just depends on which restaurant you will enjoy more.
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Disney Top 10 WDW mistakes
Filed under: Walt Disney World
Each year, millions of people visit Walt Disney World. While Disney makes it easy to have a great vacation, people still make mistakes while planning and visiting the parks. You can still have a fantastic time, even with making many of the mistakes below, but why not avoid them, and assure yourself of a trip of a lifetime.
#10: Underestimate the size of WDW – Remember, Disney World is twice the size of the island of Manhattan. For the most part, you cannot walk anywhere, and when you can, it is a LONG walk. I hear people all the time who think Epcot and the Magic Kingdom are next to each other, that all the Disney hotels are within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom or that the monorail goes to all the parks and hotels. It takes time to go anywhere at WDW. Plan on at least 30 minutes to get from your hotel to the parks. Plan on everything taking twice as long as you think it will. Don’t assume this is Disneyland where everything is on one city block.
#9: Trying to do too much – Our typical trip to WDW is 10 – 14 nights. I see families who plan on staying 4 nights, but try to do more than we have planned in 14 nights. Their days are so packed and scheduled, they end up running their kids into the ground, they have no time to enjoy all the options Disney has to offer that you can’t schedule. Go with a plan, but make sure your plan leaves plenty of wiggle room for unexpected changes.
One related item, don’t force character meals on the kids. Plan one or two during your stay, your kids will get bored pretty quickly with them, if you do any more than that. You will be surprised how much they enjoy a nice dinner in the parks, without characters.
#8: Extra Magic Hours/Park Hours - I see so many families who show up to the parks at noon, having slept in. By far the least crowded time in the parks is the first few hours, show up when the park opens, it is the best time to be in the parks. If you need to take a nap, do so after lunch, when the parks are the most crowded, and then come back a bit later. Also, I see families who have no idea what Extra Magic Hours are. Make use of them, especially the night time ones, where the parks are open three hours later to Disney resort guests. While not all the rides are open, most are, and it is great to be in the parks at night when it is not crowded, they are beautiful. For the record, I avoid morning EMHs, they just seem to make that park extra crowded, and I usually show up at the night time EMH just before the park closes to the public, one of the benefits of park hopping.
#7: Disney Transportation - I guess I should say not making use of Disney transportation, but that was too long. Disney provides extensive transportation options, from buses, monorails and boats from your Disney resort to all parts of the parks. Disney also provides the fantastic Magical Express airport transportation. I am always shocked when I see someone rent a car, drive it from the airport to WDW, and then drive it to the parks. Learn and use the Disney transportation system, it will make your vacation much more simple and enjoyable.
#6: Booking directly with Disney – There was a study done last year by Disney, concerning booking habits and the relative success of the resulting vacation by Disney World guests. Not surprisingly, those who booked directly with Disney through the Disney World website had the worst vacations, followed by those who called Disney directly to book, with the best results coming from those who booked with a travel agent. Say it with me, “I will not book my family’s vacation directly with Disney“. There, you are one step closer to a fantastic Disney vacation. Travel agents, specifically Disney specialists, have gone through this many times before with their own families, and help thousands of families each year get to Disney successfully, they can answer your questions, help you with problems, make suggestions on restaurants and resorts and get you the best price possible. It is a win/win relationship, you get a better trip, your travel agent makes a little money. It won’t cost you any money, or take any more time, so why wouldn’t you use a travel agent?
#5: Planning last minute – Nothing says bad vacation like last minute travel. Disney does not ever have any great last minute deals, in fact, it is usually more expensive to book last minute as you pay full rate. You will also be limited on resort choices, as your preferred resort may be sold out. Also, waiting to the last minute will keep you from being able to make decent dining reservations. Plan ahead! I usually suggest to book at least three, if not six months or more in advance. Do your research, get the thing booked and let your travel agent worry about getting you any discounts that show up, there isn’t any reason to wait.
#4: Not using Fast Passes – I cannot count how many times I have been walking through the Fast Pass line (it seems like it is always on Space Mountain), and I get jeers or comments about “butting in line”. My guess is less than 20% of park guests make use of the Fast Pass system, or even know what it is. Use it, it will save you time like you can’t believe. Fast Pass is free, simple to use, and even on days when the parks are empty, you should use it. Head on over to Fast Pass Information, and learn what the Fast Pass is, where you can use it, and the process, it will be worth the 5 minutes of your time.
#3: Don’t do research – This is the one that really drives me crazy, and is basically a guarantee that you will have a horrible time. With the internet, and the number of Disney fan sites and information Disney provides, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to do a bit of research into resort, rides and restaurants, not to mention all those special things Disney does each and every day. If you are just starting your planning, here is what you need to do:
- Buy a decent guide book (I prefer the The Unofficial Guide to WDW
), then read it
- Find an online Disney forum and sign up so you can ask questions that you may have
- Find a decent Disney travel agent to help book your trip
- Find out park hours, Extra Magic Hours schedules and rehab closures while you are there, as well as any special events made available during your stay.
- Make dining reservations to fit with your park plans (more on this below)
- Re-read your Disney guide book
Now, you have to remember not to over plan as well (see #9 above). I typically have a calendar listing where we are going each day, the park hours, Extra Magic Hours and our dining reservation shown for each day, and I take it with us to the parks, the rest is open to what we feel like doing that day. Granted, I have been there a ton, you may want to add in notes on things to do, rides not to miss, etc.
#2: No dining reservations – Since the introduction of the popular dining plans at Walt Disney World, all of the restaurants, both in the parks and resorts, have become extremely crowded. Our last trip, earlier this year was during a very slow time, and every single restaurant was completely full, and they were not allowing walk ups. If you show up at Disney without dining reservations, plan on eating counter service meals every meal, as that will be your only options. In addition to simply making your dining reservations, you must make them as early as possible. As soon as you know you are going, get them booked and set, you can always try to make changes later.
#1: Staying off Disney property – I can see, back in the day before the value resorts were built, there may have been reasons to stay off property. Today, I can’t think of one. It isn’t any cheaper to stay off property, it takes longer to get to the parks, and you miss out on all the great perks Disney throws your way for staying in a Disney resort:
- Disney’s Magical Express
- Disney Transportation
- Extra Magic Hours
- Disney Dining Plans
- Free parking
- Disney service 24/7
If you want to assure yourself of a poor Disney vacation, choose to stay in some non-Disney resort, rent a car, and spend all day driving back and forth between your hotel room and the Disney parks. Uggh, pure torture.
I hope this top 10 was helpful in your planning. Of course there are more than 10 WDW mistakes, feel free to comment below and add yours to the list to help others planning.
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Disney Top 10 Worst Disney World rides
Filed under: Walt Disney World
For the most part, Disney parks around the world have fantastic, creative and exciting rides. Every once and a while, whether due to lack of time or money, they put out a real stinker. I honestly had a very hard time coming up with this list, for most rides, there is something decent about them. It is possible your list might be completely different than mine, feel free to list it in the comments below.
#10: Magic Carpets of Aladdin – In an attempt to replicate the Dumbo magic, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin is another in the long line of 2-D spinning rides, they all go around in a circle, and the individual cars can go up and down. Any older than about 3 is bored to death in seconds. On its own, the ride is ok, but with a few others exactly like it in the parks, Disney should have passed on this one.
#9: Triceratops Spin – See #10. Another Dumbo wanna be, but when paired with the horrific Dinoland USA, Triceratops Spin beats out Aladdin for the spin rides.
#8: Tom Sawyer Island – What used to be a wonderland as a kid in the early 70′s, it has become a forgotten wasteland that most guests bypass (good for them). What could be a fantastic playland for kids and adults is in horrible need of updating, and honestly an alternative to get on and off the island, every time I go over, it takes an hour to wait through the line to get back.
#7: The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm – A rollercoaster for little kids, but the lines are always long, the ride is extremely short and there is no excitement at all. You never hear kids wanting to ride it again. While Disneyland has the Matterhorn where kids as little as 2 or 3 can ride, the Magic Kingdom has the Barnstormer. Ugg.
#6: The Enchanted Tiki Room, Under New Management – Please understand, the Tiki Room at Disneyland is one of my favorite attactions, just fantastic. Disney decided to mess with the formula, and totally ruined it. Now featuring Iago and Zazu, along with many of the original birds, it just has lost the magic of the original.
#5: Body Wars – OK, I know this ride is closed part time/permanently. It has to be included on the list though, it is/was horrific! A motion simulator similar to Star Tours, you entered the body as a miniature spaceship, and visited several parts of the body via the blood stream. Never a wait, even over Christmas, and nary a decent story line to be fine. It makes most people ill, and I have yet to meet a person who has rode this ride twice in one day.
#4: Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable – This movie is basically just Pumba and Timon from the Lion King added to remnants of Symbiosis, and Environmental film that opened in Epcot during 1982. It seems much older than 26 years, and Disney is missing a huge opportunity to teach and entertain the crowds coming to ride Soarin!
#3: Stitch’s Great Escape – A feeble attempt by Disney brass to turn the unpopular ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter in the Magic Kingdom into something more family friendly. The budget, no matter how much it was, wasn’t enough. This ride is neither entertaining, scary or funny.
#2: Journey Into Imagination – Another remake, this is a really, really bad ride. The original, while not great, was much beloved and miss. Dreamfinder and Figment are still found on t-shirts and stuffed animals throughout Epcot. While Figment has returned in this third itineration, his presence does not save this ride. No lines even during the busiest parts of the year, no interesting parts of the ride, the only reason to ride it is to get out of the heat.
#1: Conservation Station – I don’t know where to start. Who designs a ride that requires that you ride another ride to and from it in order to visit? The Wildlife Express Train that goes back and forth between the Animal Kingdom and Conservation Station is actually cool, you get to see cool backstage areas and who doesn’t love riding on a train? However, once there, they force you off the train, and to the back of the line to return back to the parks. There isn’t anything interesting at Conservation Station, but are often forced to stay there for long periods of time waiting for a return train. Please, never, ever, go to Conservation Station, you will thank me.
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About Disney Top 10
Welcome to Disney Top 10. We hope to provide you a list of the top 10 of everything Disney. We may start with Disney theme parks, rides and restaurants, but will surely cover such obscure top 10 lists as hidden mickeys, best desserts and Disney movies. Stop by from time to time and comment on the list, maybe even list your own top 10, everyone has a different opinion of Disney.
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