Frommer's Walt Disney World and Orlando 2012

419 Pages·2011·36.96 MB·English

by  Laura Lea Miller

Walt Disney World®

& Orlando
2012
Explore the enchanting shops of the Wizarding World of Harry W
Potter at Islands of Adventure. See chapter 6.
a
l
t
Easy-to-read maps throughout
D
•
i
s
n
Exact prices, directions, opening hours,
e
and other practical information y

• W
Candid reviews of hotels and restaurants, o
r
plus sights, shopping, and nightlife l
d
•
®
&
Itineraries, walking tours, and trip-planning ideas
O
•
r
l
a
Insider tips from local expert authors
n
d
o

2
0
$18.99 USA/$22.99 CAN/£14.99 UK
Find news, deals, apps, and expert advice, 1
2
plus connect with other travelers at
LLaakkee MMoonnrrooee
N LLaakkee MMaabbeell LLaakkee SShheeeenn 441 46 Mount Plymouth 46 4 46 Sanford
SSeeBBccuuoorrooiitttthhyy RReeaammss RRdd.. WWaalltt DDiissnneeyy WWoorrlldd 0 5 mi N
OOrrllaannddoo SSaannffoorrdd
PPaarrkkss && AA535ttttrraaccttiioonnss 0 5 km W E IInntt’’ll AAiirrppoorrtt
LLaakkee MMaarryy BBllvvdd..
S
Wekiwa 17
MMAAGGIICC 0 1/2 mi
GraDMGDMGSoRDAKDAKnDDDA A IIOOTTAAhfGGeSS Rd IILLooGGIIinnNNININaOOsGBBSSPPseFF eellNNNNiiSSEEoNNdLLFaanllaamm rsrr IICCYYOOFF EErrreeMMPPIIleNNoGG’’OOMMss tokkaaYYLLllSSooCCsellyaarIIaaiiUU’’llrAAOOSSnnnnEE nnntDD’AAzziRRKKdds ggdUUPPaaooSSYYRRiiLOORRAAnnirrLEEPdd..aSSaaLLgg’’WWDoMMnEEMMFFiiSSSSRddlllooKKlliy eerrsoo eeeiiSS LLddnnssmmIIvvsiieeaattMMaaNNeeeeonneevvggysnn aarrrWWeeGGiootnn’gg aWSWSnnsSSPPMMooaa iiDDppnWWcc yyaaEEnn aaeeaaee SS rrKKOOnnllaaggaaeettkkeettii ssyyddiiiiMMDDnnaarrccnn wwaaB((Bggss iiggDSKKWWssTCTCnnWW ddaaCllnnDDp iiiicc..iiiDeerryyooWDDccnnSseezzoaa ReeeeBBddrronnWWllrrmmkkooggniyypsstttt..zzr// sttuuereeaee BBddoeTTreeaaDMnWWtuussttseelrrioosnnyoonrrt rr eaanW(W( oi u&&TT pp oommsMM’llddVVaMMiiRygDllsrooWDCRssrrs nrr aattnndDMtTT ’aaPP iillseiiiaaooiBBsAMMoeerrdd innnncsrrrronnllFFisaskkaaoaaaaDDsysn iineeiilttaassnoDllaaR))lrraalv nnzzon’ee..tppteii-aae ttsraann eissDWLnneierSoouurrytDse ccypptsomA ytt((trrinrr sSShh’ioosoiWWWaMMaatteed’ssll eooaansprruurrldRrllr ssddng-ii yttgg DDttteoonnrrmmiieA..SaaeiieWe’ooaaoooryiilrrsttrdst yaalDlllrnnaii .nmm’ laoffdooGGtt sY-HHr))WeruuSrnn yaeeaaDtsrrOOtLLceeorrDDsrraBBSSoDhllddMM LLraarRaaggTTIIlFFiltaaRpeeLLSSaasdkkoonn eOOrrUUyCnhiieynnooYYNN llsnnddeeSffnnEEDDssesilsso ))WWttnuEEiiwEEccoeeyppTTrrrIISMTSMTbnnee YYr’tooOOccasoottOO PHPHPHPHtWWttaaooVVoolluun’’ rrWWlllliiiiSSiiaaaaiiF&SSooll EEoooollttaaOOddnnFF PPssaa llllii1PPooonnnnnnpp llllttffii RR 9ddrrBB llC aa ooDtt EED EEllaaWW eeee ccraaccPPDRBB2SSaaee eessnntyyuuazzeeiieeeeoollSSzzii kkdde ssiBBppggaatt mrrrr// ttWeeseeaaoollWWPP rrwwsPPrroonaannnnvvHSPHSPrriionnpNNeetteeiennyyrr dd ttDBDBaassssaa looo or g.. rr.. DDssttduuc cyt..BBrr llTToorrssEEiirVVeellkkddllTTvve’rrssddyyll ..aaos ppiiaaVVooiiiiBTBT//ddiiiillr nnnnwwoo ccussnttrrllccBrruuggoollsseeaattoorrndd ooesseyyaaEEPPnnWW yyPPoodsttWW assllEEddWW’’ DDaasaaPPSSppCCcaass..ppEszzBBrryy eeoo rraaCh CC..eeaakkccxccoo rrD lleIIttnniioouuCkkooirraaOOnnOOniGGtttllrrttttsttloogg iiSSeeOOhhutiiTT6ttnooSSrreeBBPPDDu ee rryyaaeeLLb nne4RR IIzzFFr GVGVDDSSC BByCCEEy NNeeDCCiirrYYooa’ ee eeRrr..BOOEEsR DDirlloonnRRwwYYffs CCeUUieePttIIb’’rrnnnDDRRSSuus ee..asDDo berrGGSSssollcoyyeepEEooyEErrer hrDD..bbt ’annrrt.. syyaaCCrrmmn aaaa nn ttMMiiWWBBooaaoonnyyeeEnn nnOeettSSmm DCCx aarrreeBonnet CreekBonnet CreekPPeessiiSSlkkoo stLLePPllsskk.. noowwBBrra 6aaaayyii..uue naagguukk5yDDttslliiooeeee hhssCC’ DOR nnsuunnR EEeeeeHH eilllaaePppaasyydnnWWiinntteerr GGaarrddeenn--VViinneellaanns dd RR dd..LL ww snoccCCtt VVoAAVVoKiirrooerrBBr..GG yyKKraaaaiirtttyeoolltssOOEE..VVcct nniiDD’yCC ttaaLLssBBsnnFFttaatGGlltII FFaaee eeSSUUiiWBBlloo..vvoodd RR ttNNnnOOCCEE DDrr4GGCCiiAAnnOONNEEtteDT((DTOOddssNNrrrree YY AAUUWWee..saaCCccyyLLDDrr’’ ee0ii RRSSyytVV FFkkss ee ppDDlSSlaaCCD IInnGGCCooSSuuEEYYWWtthhrrrrBBuuiLLSTTeebbeeeelleennSSPP.. saaLL aaooAAUUee pRRrryynHiiVVeennWii WBB ooddEEvv rppeee’’ii IIssyaaSSissssnnee nnwwtteeaaynyy eettSS0ttWaarrp nnaarryy PP’gaaOO tt.LL s DD..kkrriie5kkoos Eh))aaaannww SrTT kaakkxllaRMMiggDDDD ayyoomo i..reoorLL DDOOOOtaanfKKasnn 4rroorr5DDDD6iitWWWWoii1..kkIIss3TTo7nnTTvvnn7rIIII5ssooee1oogSSSSeetttNNNNii9 mm ’’ttBB aNNNNOOll2OOSSTTTTpp LLAALLuVuVmmLLooEEEEFFrrOOOOrrlllliiiillaaeeaauuaaiiaaYYYYiirraaeettWWWWssnnssppcckkttknnkttnneetthhllhheeooddaaaaeeeeddeeNNNN rroooott 4129AA9W2KWWeLLppsitneooaaKrGAAMgDWppkk4niOWWandA iLLarskeekBairgognTTnnndaaeOOdmgiitle emcetWeoDDy wnRRBrma’laIIioslLL5nSSsyW4or0l s.rd DdDD3oNN8emDHSLBrEE4Ct oimaT3uus5EYY9lErkn3dtlaeLy5pleeiiErelL L woO4cy B B erVVBAA2so’LTocUU9sRIIIKKtoonSSaiEEAb4EEtdTTkeNNe3TeAAFeeDD9rAACtlIUocOAoiEirOesntipadwNynsirasvoselnrentISS’ntasaiepy-o ttptTnWrkoiIanusrdNoa4wtriaenonenT4lnpsal gE 10tPi9Dk s8Rr E.2DaeA4SDCAN xr3ReRoiqk45pA4sIa1EvIIuw4KVc64TrrW4e1Allao25IEooy3I O4t2v6&. oSi 8BBAceNrCSrraOrllBAoodtyiMIatSnno,LrMmupsswRuOrange Blossom Trailoosrso4M9lei1nnn72GnLu 4gMMEtamO4es1teeAE4r ommo8lar2Ffl..olN55n r iaHHdA22aCd’snww47 7TruaodDyyrtBnM4sE.. pes3iaka4ea4OLCesicl1 ttb7aho-lWPIeaWklnnCCiarnnC5etrwieee0rednOoyeAksnn5 a4tnErtr2ttei2y wSSTTnrrlx8reeE56mmra4aaAoop2paooaxrraa3llEEnn7WSn wyBBpot6hhllvv9FFA.d d. pdiwaa2llyrioooroonot.ssiy rrppnntiitt5.e5ddL ga ee35raaLL0s1lkka 1GGaakaa54rrkk3lleeeee4iiCCee nngeegeeJ4nnwwttaarre51aallaa 7 yy42sFFaallyy1wwoo81 5rrs5ii4ee7ddnn0aa eeuGGee0rr8p
TToo4 TTaammppaa CCEE4LL17EEBBRRAATTIICCOOeelleeNNbbrraattiioonn AAvvee.. 17 92 L L TTaakkoohheeooppeekkaalliiggaa St.1 9C2lou44d1
17
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 [phone]. 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 [phone], 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.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may
not be available in electronic formats.
Manufactured in the United States of America
5  4  3  2  1
CONTENTS
List of Maps vi
1
 THE BEST OF WALT DISNEY
WORLD & ORLANDO 1
The Best Orlando Experiences 3 The Best Luxury Resorts 10
The Best Thrill Rides 7 The Best Moderately Priced
The Best Water Rides 8 Accommodations 11
ORLANDO’S BEST WEBSITES 9 The Best Theme Restaurants 12
The Best Romantic Hideaways 10 The Best Places for Adults 12
2
WALT DISNEY WORLD
& ORLANDO IN DEPTH 14
Orlando 101: What Happened When "GREEN" HOTELS 33
the Mouse Moved In 15 Orientation 34
DATELINE 16 ORLANDO NEIGHBORHOODS IN BRIEF 36
Recommended Reading 23 Vacation & Cruise Packages 37
When to Go 25 A MICKEY MOUSE AFFAIR: GETTING
ORLANDO AREA CALENDAR OF EVENTS 27 MARRIED AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 38
Responsible Travel 31
3
WHERE TO STAY 42
The Best Hotel Bets 42 YOURS, MINE & OURS . . . 74
WHAT YOU’LL REALLY PAY 44 In the Kissimmee Area 77
In & Around Walt HOMES AWAY FROM HOME 83
Disney World 45 In the International
THE PERKS OF STAYING WITH MICKEY 48 Drive Area 84
“Official” Hotels in Lake Buena In Downtown Orlando 94
Vista 64 Orlando Bed & Breakfasts 95
Around Lake Buena Vista 69 Practical Information 96
A MARRIOTT MONTAGE 71
4
WHERE TO EAT 100
The Best Dining Bets 105 DINING ON RESTAURANT ROW 142
In Walt Disney World 107 Elsewhere in Orlando 147
THE BEST TABLES IN THE WORLD 126 GET THE POINTE? 148
PINT-SIZE PORTIONS 130 Only in Orlando: Dining with Disney
In Lake Buena Vista 131 Characters 153
In Universal Orlando 137 NOT JUST FRIES ANYMORE 153
OTHER CASTS OF CHARACTERS 156
In the International
Drive Area 141 Restaurants by Cuisine 156
5
EXPLORING WALT DISNEY WORLD 160
Essentials 161 TOP 10 ORLANDO-AREA ACTIVITIES
FOR GROWN-UPS 200
Making Your Visit More
Enjoyable 165 BEHIND THE SCENES: SPECIAL TOURS
IN WALT DISNEY WORLD 204
FASTPASS 167
GREAT THINGS TO BUY AT EPCOT 210
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES 168
Disney’s Hollywood Studios 214
The Magic Kingdom 174
FIND THE HIDDEN MICKEYS 220
FROMMER’S RATES THE RIDES 178
Animal Kingdom 226
A (BAKER’S) DOZEN SUGGESTIONS
FOR FEWER HEADACHES 182 ANIMAL KINGDOM TIP SHEET 230
A SWISH OF THE WAND & Disney Water Parks 236
A SWOOSH OF THE SWORD 187 WATER PARK DOS & DON’TS 238
PLAYING THE PART 189 DID YOU KNOW? 239
EXTRA MAGIC—EXTRA TIME 192 Other WDW Attractions 240
Epcot 197 DISNEYQUEST 241
6
EXPLORING BEYOND DISNEY:
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO, SEAWORLD
& OTHER ATTRACTIONS 243
Universal Studios Florida 246 GREAT BUYS AT ISLANDS OF
ADVENTURE 277
FROMMER’S RATES THE RIDES 254
DINING WITH THE WILDLIFE 282
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS CUISINE 260
Other Area Attractions 291
Islands of Adventure 260
Staying Active 299
SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR
ISLAND ADVENTURERS 264 HITTING THE LINKS 300
SeaWorld 277 Spectator Sports 304
7
SHOPPING 306
The Shopping Scene 306 Orlando Area Outlets & Malls 312
A DISNEY BARGAIN? THE WORLD’S BEST- Other Shopping in Orlando 314
KEPT SECRET 311
8
WALT DISNEY WORLD & ORLANDO
AFTER DARK 316
The Performing Arts 316 LOUNGING AROUND 327
Dinner Theater 318 Hot Spots in Orlando 328
PRIME RIB & A SIDE OF MURDER 321 Gay & Lesbian Nightspots 330
At Walt Disney World 322 Sports Bars 331
NOT YOUR ORDINARY CIRCUS 324 OTHER PLACES TO PARTY 331
At CityWalk 324 UNSPORTSMANLIKE OPTIONS 332
9
SIDE TRIPS FROM ORLANDO 333
Tampa 333 A Day Trip to the Space Coast 351
10
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO WALT
DISNEY WORLD & ORLANDO 357
Getting There 357 MONEY-SAVING TIPS 382
Getting Around 361 Airline Websites 392
Fast Facts: Orlando 367
Index 393
Accommodations Index 404 Restaurants Index 405
LIST OF MAPS
Orlando Theme Parks 4 Disney’s Hollywood Studios 215
Orlando Neighborhoods 35 Animal Kingdom 227
Walt Disney World & Lake Buena Vista Universal Orlando 245
Hotels 46 Universal Studios Florida 248
Kissimmee Hotels 79 Islands of Adventure 263
International Drive Area Hotels 85 SeaWorld 279
Epcot Restaurants 109 Orlando Area Attractions 293
Walt Disney World & Lake Buena Vista Central Orlando 295
Restaurants 118
Shopping in Orlando 307
International Drive Area Restaurants 143
Downtown Disney 323
Hotels & Restaurants Elsewhere in
CityWalk 325
Orlando 151
Downtown Orlando Nightlife 329
Walt Disney World Parks &
Attractions 163 Tampa 334
The Magic Kingdom 176 Cape Canaveral 353
Epcot 199
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
[email protected]
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. Neither the publisher nor author shall be
liable for any damages arising herefrom.