Yes, you heard that correctly, Walt Disney World. It is indeed a far stretch from the ethos of Backyard Road trips where we usually search for hidden gems such as nature preserves, craft breweries, or restaurants. Instead, we’re headed to the busiest place on earth. How can this be, you may ask? The truth is, I have kids (not that I’ve hidden that fact very well in previous posts) and the idea of Disney World is simply a dream. Just like every family with young kids, we promised Disney and then Covid hit. We finally made it there recently. This is a Backyard Road Trips guide to a weekend in Disney World from a very non-Disney person.
I tout the idea of traveling in one’s own backyard and typically, not needing to spend a whole lotta money to have fun. Disney World is not in my backyard and costs a lot and I mean a lot. There are also so many bells and whistles in planning a Disney vacation that a travel agent makes sense. I am not a Disney travel agent by any means, but I do want to share advice that made our trip special for the kids but also successful for the adults.
Trip Logistics
Of course, I wanted to take my kids there but I couldn’t help to simply see dollar signs as we were booking every aspect of it. We traveled during April school vacation which meant the flights were even more expensive. We traveled JetBlue, of course, booking before the whole staffing issue they were having, instead of a budget airline such as Spirit or Frontier. For amenities, we decided to stay on the park grounds although it costs more money. The parks, the flight, and the hotels automatically cost a ton. But added to it are transportation, Genie Plus ride fast pass, buffet dinners, and of course copious numbers of souvenirs. (and full disclosure: the trip was actually five days, not only a weekend)
For those of you hesitating, just know money will be spent and at least in my experience, try not to cut corners. My family will never be Disney-maniacs, but our visit ended up being excellent. I did have to put my frugality and personal feelings on the shelf to simply embrace the visit (and try to forget that a trip to Italy would cost the same amount). This doesn’t mean that I will be joining the vacation club any time soon but that even this somewhat curmudgeonly backyard road tripper can have a blast in the home of what Charles Bukowski called, the “three-fingered SOB.”
Many thanks to the brains behind many an article, Mike Landolfi for his Disney guidance!
Planning the trip
Before kids, my wife and I visited Disney World while visiting her brother in Florida. We stayed out of the park and relied on bus transportation to take us in. This time we stayed at the Dolphin Hotel. Even though built in the early 90s, this hotel still has a sheen of newness and modern grandeur to it. Bathed in hues of orange and turquoise, it screams Florida. Between the Dolphin and its sister hotel, the Swan, which is connected via an esplanade, it has a resort feel that staying outside the park simply does not capture. Also cool is that accessing Hollywood Studios and Epcot, which are certainly walkable, can be by boat in the waterways outside the hotel. It’s a relaxing trip over the water to reach the parks. There are many restaurants located inside, as well as a store, a spa, and an expansive resort area with multiple pools, a cabana bar, a beach, hot tubs, and more.
The Dolphin is in a superb location for Epcot and Hollywood Studios. It’s further for Magic Kingdom, but we’ll get to that in a bit. Right across from the Dolphin is an entrance to Disney’s Boardwalk.
Magic Kingdom
On the first full day, we visited Magic Kingdom. We took the bus from the Dolphin. It took a while since it only comes every twenty minutes or so. Also, it drops you off at the main entrance, meaning there are lines of security, and a boat or monorail is needed to reach the front gate. Although this experience sounds “magical,” being crammed into transportation is less glamorous than it may sound. On the way in, I saw a Disney bus to the Boardwalk Hotel which is only a five-minute walk from the Dolphin, so on the way home, we opted for that. It was perfect. It drops you off at that hotel, take an elevator to the ground level and walk through the Boardwalk back to the Dolphin.
The Magic Kingdom was simply fantastic for the kids. Danny got his share of thrill rides with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. (Thankfully some of the other bigger rides like Space Mountain and Splash Mountain were temporarily closed so I did not have to face my fears!) We spent a good twelve hours at the park and certainly did not see everything. We had an early reservation at the Crystal Palace at 4 pm which provided a respite between ride sessions. It’s a buffet with prime rib and other hearty options in an attractive atrium setting. Other favorites for the kids included Pirates of the Caribbean, the Little Mermaid ride, and the Tomorrowland People Mover. Using the Genie +, we booked Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, so Danny and I were able to waltz right in. Going to Pirates first, the line was not long. The longest line we waited in was thirty minutes for the Barnstormer roller coaster which was a bit of a disappointment since it was such a short ride.
The kids also enjoyed classics such as the teacups and the Dumbo ride. The lines were way too long for Jungle Cruise and the Haunted Mansion.
EPCOT
As a kid and an adult, EPCOT has been my absolute favorite park. The world showcase blew me away as a kid. Although my older son is very much into geography and traveling, being at an amusement park was more about thrill rides than informative programs to him. The Frozen Ever After (used to be Maelstrom) was a hit with both and they did enjoy the cultural elements, but altogether their favorite aspects of EPCOT were the rides and meeting the characters. The Three Caballeros ride in Mexico they both adored (I heard soon it will become Coco, unfortunately) and also really liked Spaceship Earth. They were able to see Goofy, Pluto, and Donald at various points in the park. We had dinner at La Hacienda de Angel, a Mexican restaurant located across the promenade from the Mexico pavilion. I enjoyed having a few cultural beers such as La Fin du Monde in Canada and Strongbow cider in the UK. The Werthers caramel popcorn in Germany was also fantastic. (It’s available in bags though, not part of the bucket refill series.) We did not spend time watching the films or presentations in each pavilion, much to my chagrin.
Hollywood Studios
Both for Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, we used boat transportation to and from our hotel. Our visit here was much more abbreviated than the other two. With almost twelve hours at Magic Kingdom and around ten at EPCOT, Hollywood Studios was only about four. Part of that was the fact that we were staying at this really nice hotel and had yet to enjoy the grounds since we were so exhausted after long days in the parks.
The balance had to be somewhere and it fell with Hollywood Studios. My kids are not into Star Wars (yet) so we were able to walk through the very impressive Star Wars land without waiting for hours in line. Danny and I did the Star Tours ride which predates the Star Wars land and is basically what used to be called a “turbo ride” or a MOM ride. The seats move along with the screen in front of you. We also did the Muppets theater and the Mickey and Minnie ride which replaced the Great Movie Ride.
If you haven’t been to Disney for years, this park has changed the most. What used to be the backlot tour with special effects explanations and replicas of city streets is now Star Wars land and Toy Story Land. I was a bit disappointed in Toy Story land because, unlike most Disney experiences, these seemed like regular rides just themed with Toy Story. A typical saucer ride is now the Pizza Planet ride, nothing spectacular about it. All in all, though, I do like Hollywood Studios a lot and it has a cool feel to it. We just wanted to spend some quality Dolphin time as the sands of our visit were running thin.
To the Dolphin
On the final night, we grabbed a pizza from a take-out window on the Boardwalk. This was perfect. Although the prices were steep at eight bucks a slice, a whole cheese pizza was seemingly a bargain at $22. We ate around a table while the kids ran around. On the first night, we also ate in this region at the Cape May Cafe in the Beach Club Resort. This buffet we booked many weeks in advance and I was happy since the specialty is seafood. I piled two plates high with clams and mussels, yum! Back at the hotel, we were able to spend some time in the pool. Well, Danny and Jackie did, I was with Tommy who was having an all-too-tired breakdown during this point and was inconsolably crying.
Altogether our Walt Disney World vacation was a complete success, albeit very different than a usual trip to Vermont or a Backyard Road Trip walkable from the house. I would definitely do Disney again but each time realizing new tips and tricks are needed to fully understand the ins and outs. I’ve also come to realize that the park has the ability to appeal to any age group which makes it the tourist destination that it is. See below for more Backyard Road Trips guide to Walt Disney World tips and tricks!
Tips and Tricks:
DO book your dinner reservations in advance. They can be booked up to 60 days in advance and restaurants fill up quickly. You can change for a different place up to a day in advance if something else opens up.
DO if staying at the Dolphin use the Disney transport buses to Magic Kingdom. Pick one up outside the Boardwalk Hotel, just a five-minute or so walk from the hotel. (The Dolphin shuttle only arrives every twenty minutes or so.)
DO buy refillable popcorn. And try different flavors such as the maple syrup popcorn in the Canada Pavilion at EPCOT
DO spend for the Genie +. This used to be a free feature called “Lightning Lane.” It cuts down the time on certain rides and can help plan the route of the day.
KNOW what rides you want to prioritize and understand you won’t be able to see it all in one day.
And one more tip for the road!
DO instead of buying everything through the hotel, try Instacart. We placed a food order for about $200 full of snacks. It’s a lot of money upfront but this way, other than popcorn and the occasional beer, we were able to take snacks along with us. We did end up not eating it all which doesn’t sit well with my Depression-era mind frame, but in this case oh well. Secondly, I placed an Instacart order with Total Wine. For a minimum order of $30 plus a five-dollar delivery charge, I stocked my fridge with more beer than I could drink for the week. I’m used to paying almost 40 bucks for two four-packs in some cases. For 35 I was able to order a six-pack of Bell’s Two Hearted and Champion Shower Beer and a four-pack of Boddington’s. Sipping a cold one on the porch that overlooked the lagoon from our hotel room was a nice way to unwind after a long day at the park. Even if I only drank about half of what I bought, it beats the $12 a beer price tag at the park or at the bar.
