The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2015

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Compiled and written by a team of experienced researchers whose work has been cited by such diverse sources as USA Today and Operations Research Forum, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World digs deeper and offers more than any other guide. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World explains how Disney World works and how to use that knowledge to make every minute and every dollar of your vacation count. With advice that is direct, prescriptive, and detailed, it takes the guesswork out of travel by unambiguously rating and ranking everything from hotels, restaurants, and attractions to rental car companies. With an Unofficial Guide in hand, and authors Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa as guides, find out what’s available in every category, from best to worst, and use step-by-step detailed plans to help make the most of time at Walt Disney World.

Bob Sehlinger, a Lowell Thomas Award-winning journalist, is best known as the creator and producer of The Unofficial Guide series.

He is credited with being the first to apply research techniques from the fields of operations research and statistics to travel guides. Among other projects, he was able to develop mathematical models that could save theme park patrons more than three hours of standing in queue in a single day.

Bob Sehlinger is founder and co-owner of Keen Communications, a book publishing company that includes Menasha Ridge Press, Clerisy Press, and Wilderness Press. The author of 27 books, Sehlinger is a past president of the Publishers Association of the South, and has served at the invitation of the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Information Service on educational missions for publishers in Hungary, Romania, and Russia.

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A lifelong Disney theme park fan, Len Testa co-authors The Unofficial Guides to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Britain’s Best Days Out. In grad school, Len’s master’s thesis described new computer techniques for generating efficient theme park touring plans, for which Len was awarded a U.S. patent.

These days, Len leads the team at TouringPlans.com, the website and research arm of The Unofficial Guides. Len has stayed at every Disney hotel, experienced every Disney ride, and eaten at every Disney restaurant and food cart in the U.S. When he’s not at a Disney theme park, Len lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, in a mid-century modern house whose kitchen was custom-built after one of Space Mountain’s post-show scenes.

Introduction
Why “Unofficial”?
Walt Disney World: An Overview

PART ONE Planning Before You Leave Home
Gathering Information
When to Go to Walt Disney World

PART TWO Making the Most of Your Time and Money
Allocating Money
Allocating Time
Understanding Walt Disney World Attractions

PART THREE Accommodations

The Basic Considerations
The Disney Resorts
Walt Disney World Hotel Profiles
How to Evaluate a Walt Disney World Travel Package
Hotels outside Walt Disney World
Hotels and Motels: Rated and Ranked
HOW THE HOTELS COMPARE
HOTEL INFORMATION CHART

PART FOUR Serenity Now! A Look at Disney-Area Spas

PART FIVE The Disney Cruise Line
The Mouse at Sea
The Ships
Services and Amenities
Castaway Cay
Disney Cruise Line and the Economy
A Few Tips

PART SIX Walt Disney World with Kids
The Ecstasy and the Agony
Lost Children
Disney, Kids, and Scary Stuff
SMALL-CHILD FRIGHT-POTENTIAL CHART
ATTRACTION AND RIDE RESTRICTIONS
Waiting-Line Strategies for Adults with Young Children
The Disney Characters
Character Dining
CHARACTER-MEAL HIT PARADE
Babysitting
Special Programs for Children
Birthdays and Special Occasions

PART SEVEN Special Tips for Special People
Walt Disney World for Singles
Walt Disney World for Couples
TIPS FOR GOING SOLO
Walt Disney World for Expectant Mothers
Walt Disney World for Seniors
Walt Disney World for Guests with Special Needs

PART EIGHT Arriving and Getting Around
Getting There
RENT AT THE AIRPORT OR OFF-SITE?
Getting Oriented
How to Travel around the World (or, The Real Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride)
DOOR-TO-DOOR COMMUTING TIMES TO AND FROM THE DISNEY RESORTS AND PARKS

PART NINE Bare Necessities
Money, Etc.
Problems and Unusual Situations
Services

PART TEN Dining in and around Walt Disney World
Dining outside Walt Disney World
WHERE TO EAT OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD
Dining in Walt Disney World
Disney Dining 101
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS: THE OFFICIAL LINE
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS: THE UNOFFICIAL SCOOP
WALT DISNEY WORLD BUFFETS AND FAMILY-STYLE RESTAURANTS
Disney Dining Suggestions
Counter-Service Restaurant Mini-Profiles
Walt Disney World Restaurants: Rated and Ranked
Full-Service Restaurant Profiles
WALT DISNEY WORLD RESTAURANTS BY CUISINE

PART ELEVEN The Magic Kingdom
Arriving
Getting Oriented
Starting the Tour
Main Street, U.S.A.
Adventureland
Frontierland
Liberty Square
Fantasyland
Tomorrowland
Live Entertainment in the Magic Kingdom
Parades
Traffic Patterns in the Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Touring Plans

PART TWELVE Epcot

Arriving
Getting Oriented
Future World
World Showcase
Live Entertainment in Epcot
Traffic Patterns in Epcot
Epcot Touring Plans

PART THIRTEEN Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Arriving
Getting Oriented
The Oasis
Discovery Island
Camp Minnie-Mickey
Africa
Asia
DinoLand U.S.A.
Live Entertainment in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Traffic Patterns in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Touring Plan

PART FOURTEEN Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The End of the MGM Connection
What’s Offered at the Studios Today
How Much Time to Allocate
Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the Evening
Arriving at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Getting Oriented at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Dining in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Attractions
Live Entertainment at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Touring Plan

PART FIFTEEN Universal Orlando
A Universal Primer
Universal on the Web
Cost
A Word about Crowds
How Much Time to Allocate
Lodging at Universal Orlando
Arriving at Universal Orlando
Universal Express
Singles Lines
Lockers
Universal, Kids, and Scary Stuff
Quitting Time
Impact Wrestling and Blue Man Group

PART SIXTEEN Universal Studios Florida

Universal Studios Florida Attractions
Live Entertainment at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida Touring Plan
Buying Admission to Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida One-Day Touring Plan

PART SEVENTEEN Universal’s Islands of Adventure

Getting Oriented at Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Universal’s Islands of Adventure Attractions
Universal’s Islands of Adventure Touring Plan

PART EIGHTEEN SeaWorld Orlando

Discovery Cove

PART NINETEEN Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney World

Multipark Tours
Behind the Scenes at the Magic Kingdom
Behind the Scenes at Epcot
Behind the Scenes at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

PART TWENTY The Water Parks

You’re Soaking in It!
Blizzard Beach
Typhoon Lagoon
Typhoon Lagoon versus Blizzard Beach
When to Go
Planning Your Day at Disney Water Parks
Water-Park Touring Plans
Wet ’n Wild
Aquatica by SeaWorld

PART TWENTY-ONE Beyond the Parks

Downtown Disney
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
The Disney Wilderness Preserve
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Recreation
Walt Disney World Golf
Golf beyond Walt Disney World
Miniature Golf

PART TWENTY-TWO Shopping in and out of Walt Disney World

Hey, Big Spender
Shopping in Walt Disney World
Disney Outlet Stores
Shopping beyond Walt Disney World

PART TWENTY-THREE Nightlife in and out of Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World at Night
In the Theme Parks
At the Hotels
At Downtown Disney
Walt Disney World Dinner Theaters
Universal CityWalk

Appendix, Indexes, Touring Plans, and Reader Surveys

Readers’ Questions to the Author
Readers’ Comments
Accommodations Index
Restaurant Index
Subject Index
Touring Plans
Clip-Out Touring Plan Companions
Unofficial Guide Reader Survey
Walt Disney World Restaurant Survey