Let’s All Go to Disney — My Favorite Disney Day
Okay, we’ve spent a lot of virtual time at Disney parks in recent weeks. We’ve visited Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disneyland, and even theme parks around the world.
However, we still have several places to visit. Before we get to them, I’d like to take a different approach today. I’m going to recreate my favorite Disney day, and you’re my invited guest!
Let’s all go spend the perfect day at Walt Disney World!
An Early Start
Everyone takes a different approach to a park day. My family prefers to maximize our Disney vacations.
So, we embrace what many would consider a brutal pace. We start early and end late. We park hop a lot, too.
For starters, we frequently begin the day with breakfast. And the place I booked the most recently is the Bon Voyage Breakfast at Trattoria al Forno.
This character meal joins royalty from Tangled and The Little Mermaid. Oh, and the food is remarkably good, too.
After we’re done, we’ll Rope Drop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I’m picking it over EPCOT because we want a Boarding Group for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Since this is make-believe, we can assume that we got it, too! Let’s take a spin on Disney’s ultimate attraction:
While we’re there, we might as well wreck the Millennium Falcon.
I must admit that I’m different than most people, though. I’m more interested in the stuff at Toy Story Land because I’m certainly a sucker for Toy Story Mania!
I’m also one of the people who adore Alien Swirling Saucers:
Let’s be real, though. We’re all here for Slinky Dog Dash:
After we’re done, we do one of our beloved double-headers at Walt Disney World. I’m speaking of Twilight Zone Tower of Terror:
and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith:
Once that’s done, I’m ready to switch to a new park.
Lunch and More at EPCOT
Every meal at EPCOT is a joy. However, when we’re sitting at home, we can’t taste the flavors. So, the ambiance becomes more important.
When I think about wonderful places to dine at EPCOT, two spring to mind, at least with regards to the setting. My preferred spot is Coral Reef.
I recognize that some Disney fans aren’t crazy about the cuisine here. Still, even the harshest critics must acknowledge that it’s a dynamic meal setting.
My wife and I get a kick out of the friendly manta ray who sits by our table each visit. I can’t really explain why, but a ray has joined us each of the last four times we’ve sat by the window.
I like to think of this creature as a friend. At the very least, I’ve convinced myself that he/she recognizes us and wants to hang out. It’s part of the magic of Disney!
Plus, once we’re done, I can easily visit several attractions I adore. We will start with Nemo!
Then, there’s Living with the Land, a great choice while we let our meal digest.
And while we’re at The Land pavilion, we really should do Soarin’, right?
Finally, let’s circle back to the front of the park for the Disney ride I love the most, Spaceship Earth:
If you prefer someplace with better food, there’s always San Angel Inn.
If we presume that we’re starting here, we should visit the neighboring boat ride:
Before we leave EPCOT, let’s knock out the other two beloved attractions here, starting with Test Track:
Then, we will finish with Frozen Ever After:
I love that ride so much, but I miss Maelstrom, too.
The Imaginary Animal Kingdom Visit
I have done a four-park day a couple of times over the past few years. However, I haven’t done it lately.
Since I won’t get exhausted walking everywhere, I’ll throw in a quick stop at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
I have three must-do attractions and one that has grown on me in recent years.
The first automatic is Kilimanjaro Safaris.
The next one is the less favored attraction at Pandora – The World of Avatar. You may love Avatar Flight of Passage, but I’m all about Na’Vi River Journey.
And I’m fanatical about DINOSAUR, too.
The ride that I’ve come to appreciate more is Kali River Rapids. For whatever reason, it’s been less crowded during recent visits, which helps with my perception of it.
Ending the Day at Magic Kingdom
Whenever we don’t pick Magic Kingdom as our first park of the day, we almost always finish there. Of course, we frequently stop for dinner at a monorail resort first.
We love several places like 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian Café, Chef Mickey’s, and ‘Ohana. However, the one I love the most is Kona Café:
I do wish they’d bring back the old steak recipe from a couple of years ago, though. And taking the Kona Kone off the menu is a personal affront. I…have strong feelings about Kona Café.
Anyway, once we’re through with dinner, we hop on the monorail and head over to Magic Kingdom. And my wife insists that we go straight to Haunted Mansion.
Oddly, that’s the only must for us. We’ve visited Magic Kingdom so many times over the years that we’re no longer picky. Anything with a short line or a FastPass works for us.
Since this is a perfect day scenario, I will pick another of my favorite ride combos. I start with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train:
and then walk to the nearby Peter Pan’s Flight:
When there’s time, I stop at Mickey’s PhilharMagic, too.
From there, we usually visit Tomorrowland, where we start with Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin:
Then, we ride the PeopleMover, often more than once.
When the parks aren’t as crowded, we take a couple of boat rides. One of them goes through the Jungle:
And the other transports us to the Caribbean:
Then, we visit our other beloved one-two combo, Splash Mountain:
and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:
Sadly, every park day must come to an end, though. So, we watch Happily Ever After and then do some light shopping as we head to the exits.
In days of old, I’d get to watch Wishes, though. It will always remind me of warm summer nights gazing up at the sky. And that’s the ideal way to end a perfect park day, right?