Find news, deals, apps, and expert advice, plus connect with other travelers at Easy-to-read maps throughout • Exact prices, directions, opening hours, and other practical information • Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants, plus sights, shopping, and nightlife • Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas • Insider tips from local expert authors Explore the enchanting shops of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure. See chapter 6. $18.99 USA/$22.99 CAN/£14.99 UK Walt Disney World ® & Orlando 2012 Walt Disney World ® & Orlando 2012 Exit 67 Exit 65 Exit 64 417 417 535 4 4 535 192 192 Magic Kingdom Parking Pioneer Hall Pioneer Hall Epcot Parking Bus Transportation Hollywood Studios Parking Animal Kingdom Parking CELEBRATION M o n o r a i l M o n o r a i l To Tampa To Kissimmee To Orlando To Orlando Int’l Airport Magic Kingdom Main Entrance/Toll Plaza Security Booth Bus Transportation Ticket & Transportation Center Epcot Main Entrance/ Toll Plaza Toll Plaza Toll Plaza Studios Main Entrance / Toll Plaza Security Booth MAGIC KINGDOM Walt Disney World Speedway EPCOT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS ESPN Wide World of Sports Blizzard Beach (Water park) Winter Summerland (Miniature golf) Disney’s BoardWalk Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon (Water park) Fantasia Gardens (Miniature golf) DISNEY’S MAGNOLIA GOLF COURSE DISNEY’S OSPREY RIDGE GOLF COURSE DISNEY’S LAKE BUENA VISTA GOLF COURSE DISNEY’S PALM GOLF COURSE GRAND CYPRESS GOLF CLUB Vista Blvd. Bear Island Rd. Reams Rd. Seven Seas Dr. F l o r i d i a n W a y W o r l d D r . S a s s a g o u l a C i r . F o r t W i l d e r n e s s T r a i l dnaleniV-nedraG retniW Rd. B u e n a V i s t a D r . B u e n a V i s t a D r . E p c o t R e s o r t s B l v d . D i s n e y V a c a t i o n C l u b W a y B o n n e t C r e e k P k w y . E p c o t C e n t e r D r . B u e n a V i s t a D r . W e s t B u e n a V i s t a D r . C a y m a n W a y E p c o t C e n t e r D r . S e a B r e e z e D r . World Dr. Osceola Pkwy. V i c t o r y W a y Live Oak Ln. I n t e r n a t i o n a l D r i v e S o u t h C e n t u r y D r . W e s t e r n W a y C e l e b r a t i o n P l . C e l e b r a t i o n A v e . V i s t a B l v d . O s c e o l a P k w y . C e n t r a l F l o r i d a y G r e e n e w a y W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy. B i g P i n e D r . F r o n t i e r W a y Golf View Dr. Lake Mabel Lake Sheen Bay Lake South Lake Seven Seas Lagoon Little Fish Lake Lake Buena Vista Bonnet Creek Bonnet Creek DOWNTOWN DISNEY DOWNTOWN DISNEY Marketplace West Side Magic Kingdom Parking Pioneer Hall Pioneer Hall Epcot Parking Bus Transportation Hollywood Studios Parking Animal Kingdom Parking CELEBRATION M o n o r a i l M o n o r a i l To Tampa To Kissimmee To Orlando To Orlando Int’l Airport Magic Kingdom Main Entrance/Toll Plaza Security Booth Bus Transportation Ticket & Transportation Center Epcot Main Entrance/ Toll Plaza Toll Plaza Toll Plaza Studios Main Entrance/ Toll Plaza Security Booth MAGIC KINGDOM Walt Disney World Speedway EPCOT Marketplace Hyperion Wharf West Side DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS ESPN Wide World of Sports Blizzard Beach (Water park) Winter Summerland (Miniature golf) Disney’s BoardWalk Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon (Water park) Fantasia Gardens (Miniature golf) DOWNTOWN DISNEY DOWNTOWN DISNEY DISNEY’S MAGNOLIA GOLF COURSE DISNEY’S OSPREY RIDGE GOLF COURSE DISNEY’S LAKE BUENA VISTA GOLF COURSE DISNEY’S PALM GOLF COURSE GRAND CYPRESS GOLF CLUB Vista Blvd. Bear Island Rd. Reams Rd. Seven Seas Dr. F l o r i d i a n W a y W o r l d D r . S a s s a g o u l a C i r . F o r t W i l d e r n e s s T r a i l dnaleniV-nedraG retniW Rd. B u e n a V i s t a D r . B u e n a V i s t a D r . E p c o t R e s o r t s B l v d . D i s n e y V a c a t i o n C l u b W a y B o n n e t C r e e k P k w y . E p c o t C e n t e r D r . B u e n a V i s t a D r . W e s t B u e n a V i s t a D r . C a y m a n W a y E p c o t C e n t e r D r . S e a B r e e z e D r . World Dr. World Dr. Osceola Pkwy. V i c t o r y W a y Live Oak Ln. I n t e r n a t i o n a l D r i v e S o u t h C e n t u r y D r . West e r n W a y C e l e b r a t i o n P l . C e l e b r a t i o n A v e . V i s t a B l v d . O s c e o l a P k w y . C e n t r a l F l o r i d a y G r e e n e w a y W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy. B i g P i n e D r . F r o n t i e r W a y Golf View Dr. Lake Mabel Lake Sheen Bay Lake South Lake Seven Seas Lagoon Little Fish Lake Lake Buena Vista Bonnet Creek Bonnet Creek Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Disney’s Polynesian Resort Shades of Green Resort Disney’s Fort Wildernesss Resort & Campground Disney’s Old Key West Resort Disney’s Port Orleans Resort Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Disney’s Contemporary Resort Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Disney’s Pop Century Resort Walt Disney World Swan Disney’s Beach Club Resort Disney’s Yacht Club Resort Walt Disney World Dolphin Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort Disney’s All-Star Music Resort Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort N 0.5 km0 01/2 mi Walt Disney World Parks & Attractions Walt Disney World Parks & Attractions 15 50 46 46 46 50 4 4 4 4 4 441 441 441 192 192 192 417 528 408 429 429 426 436 436 434 434 408 528 417 417 424 17 92 17 92 17 17 92 416 438 435 482 439 439 441 50 527 528A 551 527A 527 15 530 535 S e m o r a n B l v d . C e n t r a l F l o r i d a G r e e n e w a y Orlando Sanford Int’l Airport Lake Mary Blvd. WALT DISNEY WORLD LAKE BUENA VISTA Irlo Bronso n M e m . H w y . Lake Apopka Lake Monroe East Lake To hopekaliga Lake To hopekaliga C e n t r a l F l o r i d a G r e e n e w a y F l o r i d a ’ s T u r n p i k e F l o r i d a ’ s T u r n p i k e O r a n g e B l o s s o m T r a i l Orange Blossom Trail I n t er n a t i o n a l D r . W o r l d D r . E a s t - W e s t E x p w y . S e m o r a n B l v d. C e n t r a l F l o r i d a G r e e n e w a y C e n t r a l F l o r i d a G r e e n e w a y Lake Mary Blvd. E a s t - W e s t E x p w y . Irlo Bronso n M e m . H w y . B e a c h l i ne Exp w y . W e s t e r n B e l t w a y Wekiwa Springs State Park O RLANDO WALT DISNEY WORLD Orlando International Airport Orlando Sanford Int’l Airport LAKE BUENA VISTA INTERNATIONAL DRIVE AREA St. Cloud KISSIMMEE Intercession City CELEBRATION Ocoee Windermere Winter Garden Apopka Winter Springs Sanford Maitland Casselberry Altamonte Springs Winter Park Conway Mount Plymouth Epcot Disney’s Hollywood Studios Magic Kingdom Disney’s Animal Kingdom Downtown Disney Gatorland SeaWorld, Discovery Cove & Aquatica Universal Orlando Citrus Bowl Orlando Museum of Art Lake Apopka Lake Monroe Lake Jessup East Lake To hopekaliga Lake Butler Lake Tibet Lake Conway Lake To hopekaliga 5 mi0 05 km N S E W Walt Disney World® & Orlando 2012 by Laura Miller ABOUT THE AUTHOR Laura Miller is a freelance writer based out of Orchard Park, New York. She’s spent countless hours scouring Central Florida’s various theme parks, hotels, resorts, and restaurants over the years (too many to count)—both with and without her five children. A family-travel expert who religiously travels to the Land the Mouse Built several times a year, she also operates mouseearsandmore.com, a website dedi- cated to Central Florida and the art of family travel. Published by: JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publi- cation may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec- tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978/750-8400, fax 978/646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201/748-6011, fax 201/748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/ permissions. Wiley and the Wiley logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN 978-1-118-02750-9 (paper); ISBN 978-1-118-16803-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-16804-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-16805-9 (ebk) Editor: Leslie Shen, with Naomi P. Kraus Production Editor: Katie Robinson Cartographer: Roberta Stockwell Photo Editor: Richard Fox Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services Front cover photo: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom; ©Gary Bogdon Photography. Back cover photo: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Islands of Adventure. © 2010 Universal Orlando Resort. All rights reserved. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. (s10) For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877/762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317/572-3993 or fax 317/572-4002. 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Manufactured in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 3 WHERE TO STAY 42 The Best Hotel Bets 42 WHAT YOU’LL REALLY PAY 44 In & Around Walt Disney World 45 THE PERKS OF STAYING WITH MICKEY 48 “Official” Hotels in Lake Buena Vista 64 Around Lake Buena Vista 69 A MARRIOTT MONTAGE 71 YOURS, MINE & OURS . . . 74 In the Kissimmee Area 77 HOMES AWAY FROM HOME 83 In the International Drive Area 84 In Downtown Orlando 94 Orlando Bed & Breakfasts 95 Practical Information 96 CONTENTS List of Maps vi 1 THE BEST OF WALT DISNEY WORLD & ORLANDO 1 2 WALT DISNEY WORLD & ORLANDO IN DEPTH 14 The Best Orlando Experiences 3 The Best Thrill Rides 7 The Best Water Rides 8 ORLANDO’S BEST WEBSITES 9 The Best Romantic Hideaways 10 The Best Luxury Resorts 10 The Best Moderately Priced Accommodations 11 The Best Theme Restaurants 12 The Best Places for Adults 12 Orlando 101: What Happened When the Mouse Moved In 15 DATELINE 16 Recommended Reading 23 When to Go 25 ORLANDO AREA CALENDAR OF EVENTS 27 Responsible Travel 31 "GREEN" HOTELS 33 Orientation 34 ORLANDO NEIGHBORHOODS IN BRIEF 36 Vacation & Cruise Packages 37 A MICKEY MOUSE AFFAIR: GETTING MARRIED AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 38 4 WHERE TO EAT 100 The Best Dining Bets 105 In Walt Disney World 107 THE BEST TABLES IN THE WORLD 126 PINT-SIZE PORTIONS 130 In Lake Buena Vista 131 In Universal Orlando 137 In the International Drive Area 141 DINING ON RESTAURANT ROW 142 Elsewhere in Orlando 147 GET THE POINTE? 148 Only in Orlando: Dining with Disney Characters 153 NOT JUST FRIES ANYMORE 153 OTHER CASTS OF CHARACTERS 156 Restaurants by Cuisine 156 7 SHOPPING 306 The Shopping Scene 306 A DISNEY BARGAIN? THE WORLD’S BEST- KEPT SECRET 311 Orlando Area Outlets & Malls 312 Other Shopping in Orlando 314 5 EXPLORING WALT DISNEY WORLD 160 Essentials 161 Making Your Visit More Enjoyable 165 FASTPASS 167 SUGGESTED ITINERARIES 168 The Magic Kingdom 174 FROMMER’S RATES THE RIDES 178 A (BAKER’S) DOZEN SUGGESTIONS FOR FEWER HEADACHES 182 A SWISH OF THE WAND & A SWOOSH OF THE SWORD 187 PLAYING THE PART 189 EXTRA MAGIC—EXTRA TIME 192 Epcot 197 TOP 10 ORLANDO-AREA ACTIVITIES FOR GROWN-UPS 200 BEHIND THE SCENES: SPECIAL TOURS IN WALT DISNEY WORLD 204 GREAT THINGS TO BUY AT EPCOT 210 Disney’s Hollywood Studios 214 FIND THE HIDDEN MICKEYS 220 Animal Kingdom 226 ANIMAL KINGDOM TIP SHEET 230 Disney Water Parks 236 WATER PARK DOS & DON’TS 238 DID YOU KNOW? 239 Other WDW Attractions 240 DISNEYQUEST 241 6 EXPLORING BEYOND DISNEY: UNIVERSAL ORLANDO, SEAWORLD & OTHER ATTRACTIONS 243 Universal Studios Florida 246 FROMMER’S RATES THE RIDES 254 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS CUISINE 260 Islands of Adventure 260 SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR ISLAND ADVENTURERS 264 SeaWorld 277 GREAT BUYS AT ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE 277 DINING WITH THE WILDLIFE 282 Other Area Attractions 291 Staying Active 299 HITTING THE LINKS 300 Spectator Sports 304 8 WALT DISNEY WORLD & ORLANDO AFTER DARK 316 The Performing Arts 316 Dinner Theater 318 PRIME RIB & A SIDE OF MURDER 321 At Walt Disney World 322 NOT YOUR ORDINARY CIRCUS 324 At CityWalk 324 LOUNGING AROUND 327 Hot Spots in Orlando 328 Gay & Lesbian Nightspots 330 Sports Bars 331 OTHER PLACES TO PARTY 331 UNSPORTSMANLIKE OPTIONS 332 9 SIDE TRIPS FROM ORLANDO 333 Tampa 333 A Day Trip to the Space Coast 351 Getting There 357 Getting Around 361 Fast Facts: Orlando 367 MONEY-SAVING TIPS 382 Airline Websites 392 10 PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO WALT DISNEY WORLD & ORLANDO 357 Index 393 Accommodations Index 404 Restaurants Index 405 Orlando Theme Parks 4 Orlando Neighborhoods 35 Walt Disney World & Lake Buena Vista Hotels 46 Kissimmee Hotels 79 International Drive Area Hotels 85 Epcot Restaurants 109 Walt Disney World & Lake Buena Vista Restaurants 118 International Drive Area Restaurants 143 Hotels & Restaurants Elsewhere in Orlando 151 Walt Disney World Parks & Attractions 163 The Magic Kingdom 176 Epcot 199 Disney’s Hollywood Studios 215 Animal Kingdom 227 Universal Orlando 245 Universal Studios Florida 248 Islands of Adventure 263 SeaWorld 279 Orlando Area Attractions 293 Central Orlando 295 Shopping in Orlando 307 Downtown Disney 323 CityWalk 325 Downtown Orlando Nightlife 329 Tampa 334 Cape Canaveral 353 LIST OF MAPS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I’d like to thank Amy Voss at the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Dave Herbst and Michelle Baumann at Walt Disney World; Tom Schroder and Brittany Tollerton at Universal Orlando; and Dagmar Cardwell at SeaWorld, not to mention all the marketing and PR reps at the countless hotels and resorts, for all of their research assistance as well as their continued support during the many trips I made to the Orlando area while writing this book. Thanks to my family, especially my five kids—Ryan, Austin, Nicolas, Hailey, and Davis— and my sister Cindy. They all in some way, shape, or form played a part in this endeavor, whether it was spending endless hours touring the parks, hunting through the many hotels, helping to review the various restaurants, or simply making sure I was free to travel whenever necessary. Thank you to my agent, Julie Hill—your continued support and encouragement are invaluable. And a special thanks to Naomi Kraus and Leslie Shen, my editors, not only for the enormous amount of time and effort they put into helping me with this endeavor, but for their valuable input, helpful advice, guidance, and patience they offered along the way—all of which I so greatly appreciate. —Laura Miller HOW TO CONTACT US In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to: Frommer’s Walt Disney World® & Orlando 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 frommersfeedback@wiley.com ADVISORY & DISCLAIMER Travel information can change quickly and unexpectedly, and we strongly advise you to confirm important details locally before traveling, including information on visas, health and safety, traffic and transport, accommodations, shopping, and eating out. We also encourage you to stay alert while traveling and to remain aware of your surroundings. Avoid civil disturbances, and keep a close eye on cameras, purses, wallets, and other valuables. While we have endeavored to ensure that the information contained within this guide is accurate and up-to-date at the time of publication, we make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. We accept no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or errors or omissions, or for any inconvenience, loss, damage, costs, or expenses of any nature whatsoever incurred or suffered by anyone as a result of any advice or information contained in this guide. The inclusion of a company, organization, or website in this guide as a service provider and/or potential source of further information does not mean that we endorse them or the information they provide. Be aware that information provided through some websites may be unreliable and can change without notice. 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Vista BUENA e a l Blvd rlando WA LT Dr orld & O W Magic Kingdom Main Entrance/Toll Plaza Walt Disney World Speedway mP kw 4 y 535 International GUEST PARKING ld Wor isney W an W ay Driv e Lake Willis alt D il 192 417 To Orlando Int’l Airport KISSIMMEE of W ora r est i rid Flo Mon d dR lan ne Vi T he B Disney s Palm Golf Course 1 5 The Best of Walt Disney World & Orlando The Best Orlando Experiences 1... Resort & Spa 10 of W alt D isney W orld & O rlando The Best Moderately Priced Accommodations (Lake Buena Vista; & 407/934-7639 or 407/9345000): Here’s a good value by Disney standards It has dual Southern charm in its French Quarter and Riverside areas, and the pool has a water slide curving from the mouth of a colorful dragon See p. 60 W Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort (Lake Buena Vista; & 407/827-4000):... restrictions apply) See p. 242 Experience 13 2 I WALT DISNEY WORLD & ORLANDO IN DEPTH t’s hard to believe that Walt Disney World first opened its gates some 40 years ago After the Magic Kingdom’s unveiling back in 1971, an incredible upsurge in develop- ment immediately followed, bringing not only additional theme parks, but also a slew of smaller attractions, world- class hotels, top-notch restaurants, and... reopens at Disney s Hollywood Studios, taking guests on an updated 3-D adventure across the galaxy Halfway around 20 the world, Aulani, Disney s newest Vacation Club Resort & Spa, opens in Hawaii The Disney Cruise Line adds three new ports (New York, Seattle, and Galveston), 2-night cruises, and a slew of new itineraries Disney breaks ground on the Shanghai Disney Resort 2 W alt D isney W orld & O rlando... visitors with four 1 The Best of Walt Disney World & Orlando Introduction 1 2 By the Numbers While attendance levels continue to remain relatively steady at Disney, and attendance at Universal Orlando has increased exponentially (thanks to the addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter), SeaWorld hasn’t been so lucky Across the board, Orlando’s theme parks (including Disney, and even Universal to... Walt Disney World & Orlando 1 Orlando Theme Parks Pine Dr Big ss rne ort Wild e F Tr r ie nt F ro er n 192 Blizzard Beach To LEGOLAND GUEST PARKING ESPN Wide World of Sports West Side 4 r leb Ce a ti Exit 65 CELEBRATION ebr Cel a t io n Pl 417 W Irlo Bronson Exit 64 Osce o la P arkway Toll Plaza Exit 62 Exit 62 World Dr DISNEY S ANIMAL KINGDOM Disney s Boardwalk r aD Vist Buena EPCOT 535 Marketplace Disney s . Club Resort Walt Disney World Dolphin Disney s Coronado Springs Resort Disney s All-Star Sports Resort Disney s All-Star Music Resort Disney s All-Star Movies Resort N 0.5 km0 01/2 mi Walt Disney World Parks. Resort Disney s Wilderness Lodge Disney s Contemporary Resort Disney s Saratoga Springs Resort Disney s Caribbean Beach Resort Disney s Pop Century Resort Walt Disney World Swan Disney s Beach Club Resort Disney s. of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure. See chapter 6. $18.99 USA/$22.99 CAN/£14.99 UK Walt Disney World ® & Orlando 2012 Walt Disney World ® & Orlando 2012 Exit