The World of Disney for the Adult

Yep, no kids in our party at Disney World, but was it odd?  Not really.

My girlfriend Kate swore, “There’s something magical about Disney, you’ll see,” she reassured me over our regular happy hour dates.  I had expressed my concerns about my seven days at Disney World.

The last time I was at Disney World I was around 10 or 11, my brother was 7.  The only thing I remember was that the big silver ball at Epcot Center was a ride, and it was my favorite and it was dark and had stars.  So revisiting it 20 years later I was happy to discover it all over again, as an adult.  Some of you may not have gone since you were a kid too, so let me tell you what the experience is like as an adult.

1. The food is awesome, but only if you go to the Signature Dining or table service.    

Favorites include: Yak & Yeti Restaurant, a pan-Asian restaurant at Animal Kingdom -and Jiko an African restaurant located in the Animal Kingdom Lodge – the lamb was amazing (below), you will most likely need to make reservations way ahead of time.  Duck and lamb, my two favorites.  Also if you can, go to the Beauty and the Beast’s Be Our Guest restaurant, it’s so uniquely fun, I loved it!

2. If you’re celebrating something, wear your button!

My parents were celebrating their anniversary and got about 6 free desserts!  You can get your free button at almost any store or information kiosk – just ask around.  You can get a First Time at Disney, a Birthday, whatever!  You never know what you might get but you’ll definitely be welcomed all through the park with a greeting, it’s so fun!

3. You should stay at a hotel in the Park.   So you can take the bus that comes every 15 minutes back and forth – for those naps, if you want to go back earlier, or sleep in, it’s so convenient. And you can also get shuttled from the Orlando airport straight to the resort, your entire traveling to and from is handled.

And if you do have kids, the hotels are crazy entertaining, look at our Cars themed hotel at the Art of Animation Park.  The inside was even more themed and so adorable.

I also loved the Animal Kingdom Lodge where you could wake up to a giraffe right outside your balcony.

4. The off season is winter. We went middle of January and lines were 10 minutes or less.  No bugs, too.

I asked an employee the best times and she said from Thanksgiving time through March is great, minus Christmas because that’s a popular time to attend.  I know that might not work with some of your kid’s school vacation schedule but if I were a parent, I’d pull them out for a week, plan their homework accordingly and go.  Unless you think it’s worth waiting 1.5 hours in line for a 1.5 minute ride.

5. Disney’s technology is incredible.  If you stay in the park, you get shuttled to the hotel from the airport on the Magical Express – bags included. You don’t even touch them.

And you get a wristband (you pick the color ahead of time) which is your key to your hotel, entrance to the hotel park (if you also have a car) and Disney Park pass, and fast pass.  You also get to head into the park and depart the park 1 hour earlier and later than everyone else.

6. You should plan your vacation using My Disney Experience, an App.

You can add people to it, make your dining reservations, fast passes including meeting the characters, and you can move them around just open up the App.  You can also use their free wi-fi to do this, it keeps you on schedule and you can plan out your days at the park.

There you go adults!

And then when you get bored at night, you walk around the Art of Animation Studios and you take pictures like so.

The above photo I just want to tell you Blake just kept telling me, “Lean more!” to which I replied that was not possible without me bending my knees.  In which he then said, “Lean like Michael Jackson!”  Oh, yeah that’ll do it.

And what do you buy at Disney World as an adult for a souvenir? A silhouette! I’m not going to lie when I tell you I had a fit when Mr. Wonderful wouldn’t do it at first because of his “hat hair” and to my frustration he then found another silhouette cutter the next day and was happy to do it.

These will be new return address stamp and stationery y’all.  I’ll show you tomorrow what they look like.

Equipment used: Sony NEX-5R (c/o), 50mm f1/.8, 16mm f/2.8 + 18-55mm (c/o).

Diana Elizabeth had an amazing time at Disney World, truly.  It is a magical place, and she had a great time with her family.