cmeyer54

This will be quick with just some new insights if there is such a thing about the orlando area as I'm sure many fodor-ites have been there, done that before. First off - we found that going to the world showcase at epcot first, hoping to circle back to "soaring' later in the day when the crowds should have been sparse up there didn't work. By 5pm, all the fastpass tickets had been printed for the day and the standby wait was over 70 minutes. We passed on that one. Next - the traffic flow in and out of Fantasmic show at MGM Studios is horrendous - we took in the 7:30 pm show and by the time it was over and we'd been able to exit the theater(from the SRO section mind you...) all the nicer restaurants had stopped serving and only counter service/fast food was available. Lesson learned: eat before the show or head towards the hotel/condo and stop on the way back. Third - do see the Lion King show at Animal Kingdom even if you're on the dark side of 50. It is a great show, air conditioned and has a sort of cirque du soleil character to it. We were able to book last minute reservations in epcot for dinner and had our choice of several places...and I mean last minute as in we'll be there in 30 minutes or less. Finally - if you go to the Johnson Space Center and arrive after 11am, don't bother with the maximum access pass. By the time you take the tour and perhaps one or two exhibits, every thing else is done or the last show for the day has already started. While the NASA upclose tour was worth it, we missed the IMAX Tom Hanks presentation as well as a couple of other starting times by a few minutes. Also - buy your tickets online - the lines at the center move very very slowly which also contributes to having less time to see everything you'd like. that's all for this short go-round. As two adults without kids for the first time in orlando, we had a great time - wine and food festival, leisurely pace and nice dinners.

schmerl

WDW used to offer a Fantasmic dinner package. You had a choice of three different restaurants for dinner and they gave you a special pass. You then could enter the Fantasmic show through a special entrance and had RESERVED SEATNG in one section. Leaving was a lot easier through that section also.

cmeyer54

they still have the package but the entry is still just one way and that path is cut in half by folks waiting for the next show. all in all, it was not 'disney-like' to have the log jam

wanderluster

Cmeyer thanks for posting.
We;re thinking of a similar trip next spring when we'll be kidless for a
long weekend.
We love WDW but haven't been
without the youngins
RE Fantasmic, never thought it was
worth it either IMO.
Thanks for the feedback and tips.

cmeyer54

Wanderluster - we spent an entire leisurely day at Epcot - strolled, sat, drank....went over to the boardwalk and browsed. Very relaxing and not like taking kids at any ages, even with squeezing in MGM at the end of the day. The second day was animal kingdom for the lion king and safari - again, more walking and just hanging out. we really saw a lot but in a relaxed manner. we did the week long deal when our kids were small - it was not a vacation...it was a trip!

wanderluster

cmeyer, lol, we always call our WDW trips
*Survival of the Fittest*, as it is Work.
But great fun too and wonderful memories.
Looking forward to some R and R siimilar to your
trip.
In fact, you've inspired me to do just that, thank you!
Mickey, here we come (again!)