GTFO and go to Disney — WITHOUT the Kids

Almost every post I read about Disney before I headed there was written by a Mom or someone who was obviously geared towards kids. Completely understandable. But, let’s face it, no adult really wants to ride Winnie the Pooh again. So, here are my suggestions on what to hit at Disney if you are an adult, broken down by the following categories: Drinking, Food, Rides, Resorts.

Drinking

Probably the most important section of this post. Unsurprisingly, Disney is not traditionally known for it’s drinking selection, but they have really upped their game in the last few years. It’s now a popular pastime to“drink around Epcot” by getting a drink in each of the countries they have. Whether it’s getting a tequila shot in Mexico, wine in Italy or a pint of beer at the Rose & Crown in London, you can find a good drink no matter where you go. Each beer is at least $8.50 though, so it does add up. You may not be able to find an alcoholic beverage easily walking around other parks yet, like the Magic Kingdom, but Animal Kingdom does have some selections, along with their own “Safari Amber,” and all of the restaurants do have a selection of tasty beverages. Jiko, also at Animal Kingdom, has a great selection of South African wines. Beauty and the Beast Castle in the Magic Kingdom offers a selection of French wines and beer. You may have to seek it out, but you can definitely get your drink on at Disney now.

Food.

Probably the second most important section of this post! Who doesn’t want to eat while drinking? The good thing is that there is no shortage of good food at Disney. All of the resorts have key restaurants now and each park has “must try” food and restaurants. Jiko at Animal Kingdom is top notch. It is NOT the most kid friendly place (and for this post, that’s a good thing) but they have an amazing menu. I had the lamb shank and it literally fell off the bone. Delicious. If you are going for the “Disney” atmosphere AND good food, try the Beauty and the Beast Castle at Magic Kingdom. You literally walk into a castle, the Beast walks around while you are eating, and — importantly— they have amazing food. At Animal Kingdom, you can find curry and sausages on the quick and easy at any time but, for breakfast, I would recommend the buffet at Tusker House. For some yummy treats, I would suggest the school bread in Norway at Epcot or the Pineapple Dole Whip in Magic Kingdom. Enjoy!

Rides

We already decided that we needed to skip Winnie the Pooh. If you HAVE to hit Peter Pan and It’s a Small World, make sure you do it first thing in the morning and then quickly walk past them the rest of the day when you are with your kids and distract them with the yummy food you just bought at the places mentioned above. Then immediately get them to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It’s a decent roller coaster ride that even your six year old can enjoy. Then you’re on your way to the Haunted Mansion, followed by Pirates of the Caribbean, Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Splash Mountain. Afterwards, head over to Tomorrow Land. Ride Space Mountain as many times as you can. Hit the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and then you can peace out of Magic Kingdom and head over to Epcot. As an adult at Epcot, there is actually a lot of fun, nerdy things you can do. It’s all about what interests you. For exciting rides though, make sure you hit the Test Track(going 70 mph in an open car is pretty cool) and Space Mission (do the intense version unless you are a real wuss). Finally, get over to Animal Kingdom. Definitely do the Safari. It’s a 22 minute ride around their animal preserve there and you’ll be impressed with all they do. Then GTFO of Africa and head to Asia to ride Expedition Everest. Great ride. Then circle back to the tree of life and do the It’s Tough to be a Bug 4D show. One of the best 4D shows I’ve seen. If you also want to work in a show, go see the Lion King. It’s the best of all the shows throughout Disney. For pretty much any other ride, make sure you hit all my suggestions under the “Drinking” section first.

Resorts

There are a plethora of places to stay at Disney and different places will work for different people. It all depends on what you want. If you want upscale and close to the parks, stay at Disney’s Beach Club Resort (and make sure to get their seafood buffet while you are there). It’s a nice place and just a couple of minute walk to Epcot. If you want peace and relaxation,Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge is amazing. It’s a bit of a longer commute to the parks, but nothing beats waking up to the peace and quiet of animals roaming around outside your hotel room. For a mix of both (outdoors and closer to the parks), try the Wilderness Lodge. TheContemporary Resort, the hotel the monorail runs through, is always a good option. You can’t go wrong with any of the Disney resorts but those are my favorites.

No matter what age you are, and whether or not you have kids with you, you can never go wrong at Disney. It’s always a great time for all ages but, hopefully, this helps you figure out how to enjoy Disney no matter what age you are. Enjoy!

Suggestions in List Form

because who doesn’t like a good list?

Drinking

• “Drink around Epcot”
• Safari Amber — Animal Kingdom
• South African Wines — Jiko, Animal Kingdom
• French wines & beers — Beauty and the Beast Castle

Food

• Lamb shank — Jiko, Animal Kingdom
• “Disney” atmosphere + good food — Beauty and the Beast Castle at Magic Kingdom.
• Curry and sausages — Animal Kingdom
• Breakfast buffet — Tusker House, Animal Kingdom
• School bread in Norway — Epcot
• Pineapple Dole Whip — Magic Kingdom

Rides

Magic Kingdom

• Haunted Mansion
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Splash Mountain
• Space Mountain (as many times as you can!)
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

Epcot

• Test Track
• Mission Space

Animal Kingdom

• Safari
• Expedition Everest
• “It’s Tough to be a Bug” 4D show
• Lion King show

Resorts

• Disney’s Beach Club Resort — upscale and close to the parks
• Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge — peace and relaxation
• Wilderness Lodge — a mix of both outdoors and closer to the parks
• The Contemporary Resort — the hotel the monorail runs through

Tennyson Blackwood has also written about where to kind-of sort-of escape from NYC, and Hong Kong. LOTS on Hong Kong.