The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2010 (Unofficial Guides)

• In 2008, combined Walt Disney World Resort© theme park attendance reached over 51 million, with the Magic Kingdom alone drawing over 17 million visitors. Food and Wine Festivals.

earning high marks for things outside of the traditional theme park experience. (Orlando Convention and Visitor Bureau)

Plan these to follow unusually long and arduous days.

/> 3. Order drinks. Study the menu while you sip, then order appetizers. Tell the waiter you need more time to decide among entrees. The park is far less crowded during the off season, but be advised that the parks often open late and close early during that time. Dawdle over dessert. Two: If you’re dining in a theme park and cost is an issue, make lunch your main meal. Also, because DHS is smaller, you won’t walk as much or stay as long. You can find detailed charts and info on the best times to visit in The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.

/> 2. Every Disney World vacation itinerary should include days when you don’t go to a theme park and days when you sleep in and take the morning off. One: Theme-park restaurants rush their customers in order to make room for the next group of diners. Like Epcot, it’s educational, but its live animals provide a change of pace. Shape up: Visiting Disney World requires levels of industry and stamina more often associated with running marathons. As you plan your time at Disney World, consider your physical limitations. See examples of touring plans (and create your own) in The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.

/> 5. MINOR ATTRACTIONS are midway-type rides, small “dark” rides (cars on a track, zigzagging through the dark) and walk-through attractions—which can be a lot of fun, without the long wait. Test Your Disney Smarts! Amazon-exclusive quiz from author Bob Sehlinger

/> 1. Which restaurant has the best view at Walt Disney World? A. LakeView Restaurant, B. The California Grill, C. Cindarella’s Royal Table

/> 2. Afternoon milkshakes for two kids will cost you: A. $5.72, B. $8.38, C. $12.59

/> 3. Disney Kids’ Meals are available for children of what ages? A. 3-9, B. 3-11, C. Under 18

/> 4. When is the best time to take the kids on Dumbo the Flying Elephant? A. Before 10 a.m. Getting hungry?: There are three lessons to learn before you dine in the parks. We have developed a hierarchy of categories that will help you evaluate each ride and plan the best way to enjoy them all. Next, see Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which helps transition from the educational Epcot and Animal Kingdom to the fanciful Magic Kingdom. Order your main course only after appetizers have been served. Remember that bigger and more elaborate doesn’t always mean better. For example, SUPER-HEADLINERS are the best attractions the theme park has to offer – and they usually have the longest lines. Select the time of year for your visit: Walt Disney World is busiest Christmas Day through New Year’s Day. If you want to linger over your expensive meal, don’t order your entire dinner at once. See Animal Kingdom second. Three: Disney adds a surcharge of $4 per adult and $2 per child to certain popular restaurants during weeks of peak attendance, including Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and in 2009 every day from Memorial Day through July 4.

/> Formulate your park plan: First-time visitors should see Epcot first; you’ll be able to enjoy it without having been preconditioned to think of Disney entertainment as solely fantasy or adventure. or after 9 p.m., B. Immediately following lunch, C. At exactly 3:15 p.m.

/> 5. Which Disney theme park is five times the size as the Magic Kingdom? A. Disney’s Hollywood Studios, B. Epcot Center, C. Animal Kingdom

/> 6. The best time to visit Walt Disney World is: A. On your child’s birthday, B. The day of your child’s final exam in math class, C. During the period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

/> Answers: 1)B, 2)B, 3)A, 4)A, 5)C, 6)A

/> Five Unofficial Ways to Prepare For Your Trip to Walt Disney World Amazon-exclusive content from author Bob Sehlinger

/> 1. It’s exhausting to rise at dawn and run around a theme park for 8 to 12 hours day after day. Entrees are similar to those on the dinner menu, but prices are significantly lower. Save the Magic Kingdom for last; it’s the park that epitomizes Disney World for most visitors.

/> 4. Create your touring plan: Which rides and attractions appeal most to you? What are you willing to forgo? Planning your day in advance can save you up to four hours of waiting time in line. Thanksgiving weekend, the week of Washington’s birthday, the first full week of November, spring break for colleges, and the two weeks around Easter are also times when visitation can peak at 92,000 visitors in a single day.