Off the beaten path

I definitely recommend doing a tour. Last year we did the Wild Africa Trek in the middle of an AK day and loved it. We also did the Backstage Magic tour which was the only thing we did that day. We thought that was great also. I think if you look at what is offered you will find something of interest that would fit in your schedule.

I also would recommend the Wild African Trek a lot of fun with great pics and a nice snack. Cali brunch is awesome. How about a carriage ride at POFQ never done that one myself but is sounds very nice.

Yes, at assigned tables outdoor. Great view of the fireworks.

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My husband and I are headed to WDW for our first adults-only trip this summer and I am so excited! I don’t know if these things are necessarily off the beaten path, but they are things that we haven’t typically been able to do with three kids in tow:

  • Actually explore each land in the World Showcase included watching the movies, making a touring plan that will allow us to see the performances, and trying a variety of yummy snack and meal options.

  • Spend an afternoon/evening (or both!) at Disney Springs. I am really looking forward to checking out the shops and the entertainment in DS. We are going to eat at Raglan Road and I may try to book an ADR for Boathouse so we can try the Baked Alaska (although I feel guilty about just ordering dessert here for an ADR).

  • Experience attractions that aren’t as interesting to young children. I’m looking at you Hall of Presidents, American Adventure, Carousel of Progress, etc.

  • Experience Disney without a dining plan. We have always had the dining plan in part because of the value of the refillable mugs and snack credits. When we go to Disney with the kids, it is like they turn into snack monsters and want to eat all the time! So, I have always felt like it was a good deal for us. However, since we won’t have the snack monsters with us, we are going to try Disney without the dining plan and see how we end up financially. Feels a bit risky, but I’m hoping we will come out okay in the end.

  • Take time to stop and smell the roses. In the past we are either rushing to and fro between the resort, a park, attractions, the pool, etc. For this trip, we are really taking it easy and trying to enjoy the little moments that a Disney trip can bring.

I hope you have a fabulous time and that you share your adventure in a trip report!

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Here is a list of my (and my parents) favorite outside the park activities:

  • Horseback trail ride or wagon ride at Fort Wilderness (or just visiting FW)
  • Surfing lesson at Typhoon Lagoon - my mother (she’s 60) did this last June and loved it. She has no surfing experience and she said it was a blast and wants to do it again. She has always wanted to learn to surf.
  • The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains tour - if your interested in steam trains and/or Disney history this is a great tour. You get to visit the roundhouse and see the trains being powered up. Plus you get to see an empty Main Street. Our tour started around 7:30 am on a 9 am opening day.
  • Wild Africa Trek tour - great if you want an up close and personal safari.

My dad and I also did the Epcot Seas Adventure back in 2007 which was comprised of a backstage tour and a (sort-of) scuba diving experience. The tour did not require scuba certification. It was training equipment that had a flotation device on it so you weren’t able to go more than a foot below the surface. However, being in the Seas pavilion tank was awesome! It looks like the scuba part now uses snorkel equipment.

I’ve also heard good things about the Behind the Seeds tour at the Land pavilion.

For restaurants:
Geyser Point Bar and Grill at the Wilderness Lodge is very serene. It is technically counter service, but I think they bring out the hot dishes to you (we just ordered snacks while we were visiting WL). We visited it on an afternoon in June and it was not busy. There is seating outside along Bay Lake. It would be a great place to take a lunch break from the Magic Kingdom.

A lot of great suggestions, folks! Thanks for all the input thus far.

My wife and I talked a bit over this, and we think perhaps what we’ll do is forego the room overlooking MK and instead go with a room overlooking Bay Lake. This saves enough money that we could then afford to do the FEA Dessert Party, the HEA Garden Dessert Party, and the HS Dessert party. We also want to do the Mickey’s Christmas Party. (We’ll be all sugared up for sure!)

But, I was wondering if it is possible to all the parties. What I mean is, does WDW have a limit on the number of of these you can schedule? And is it common for the parties to fill up before you can add them to your reservations?

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You can buy as many parties as you can afford to book! Have at it!

It’s “visible”, but it’s a tiny little thing that looks to be about an inch tall; other than general color changes, you will see none of the projections. Also, you will be viewing it from an angle, so the FW do not look as though they are “over” the castle; they’re kind of to the side and well behind. It would be cool to be able to watch FW from the room, but if you really want to experience HEA as it was intended to be seen, you pretty much have to be in the park, preferably on Main Street.

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We love to stay at the Contemporary and/or BLT, but nothing beats being in the park for Happily Ever After. My husband didn’t believe me until I made him do it. If you don’t want to fight the crowd, book the garden dessert party as people suggest. Hang out a bit and let the crowds disperse afterwards. The park is gorgeous at night. We haven’t done Illuminations, but everything I’ve read said you can easily get a spot without doing the dessert party there. However, reserving a boat for Illuminations is something that is supposedly amazing. Again, I’ve only read about it. A simple google search should pull up some info for you.

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The Bay Lake view is also gorgeous. Honestly though, we probably wouldn’t do the Christmas Party if it were just the two of us. All the Christmas stuff was really crowded. We did see the parade right at the beginning in Frontierland. The parade is something to see (and smell). Outside of that, we let our daughter ride rides because those were less packed. We rode Thunder Mountain 4 times in a row with no wait. It was amazing!!! The “treats” they hand out were just too packed to bother with. We didn’t get cookies, hot chocolate or anything. It was just too crowded. We opted to pay for regular snacks. We were glad we went because we enjoyed other areas of the park. BTW - we were there Nov. 30, 2017. I had in my head something completely different of what the night was going to be like. It was still wonderful, but it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. LOL! So… I wanted to give you a heads up. Some Christmas party nights may be less crowded though. I do feel like overall the crowds were pretty mild the week we were there. That said, Disney World is really something to see at Christmas. Talk about magical.

I think the MVMCP is a wonderful event! I have done it with adults only and had a great time!

I agree that is it was wonderful. It was just a lot more crowded than I expected. Since crowds weren’t his thing, I wanted to mention our experience so he wouldn’t be disappointed in any way. That said, you can go to MVMCP several every time it is held in one week and have a different experience probably. That’s the great thing about Disney World!

You have hit the nail right on the head … slow down, relax, and take in all the details you have missed in the past. Sit down for a few minutes, watch all the people rushing around and stressing out, and say to yourself, “did we really to that”.

This may seem counterintuitive but dropping the Dining Plan may not be the thing to do. Many of the restaurants that would offer you a more relaxed setting are considered “Signature” restaurants and will consume 2 dining credits (if you are on a plan) or otherwise have a higher out of pocket cost. There are a number of sources that can give you the approximate meal costs. Then you can weight the expected spend vs. purchasing one of the dining plans. The Unofficial Guide covers this rather well.

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We just went after 28 years of taking our kids and I can’t say enough about the tours. We took the Backstage Magic tour and loved it. Since it consumes a full day, we opted out of having park admission for that day to help defray the cost of the tour. FYI … if you have (or get) a Disney Visa card, you get a hefty discount when you book the tour.