Downtown Disney Tips
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a college student who wanted to go play for a semester. That college student was very fortunate to get to go play at Disney World for an entire semester as she participated in Disney's College Program. It was a chance to get paid a WHOPPING $5.35 per hour while paying $65 per week for rent at a Disney-owned condo and if you haven't figured it out by now, I do believe I'm still paying on the credit card debt from that little excursion.
It was worth it, though.
I got to attend classes at Disney University as I worked at Disney's highest volume store--Mickey's Character Shop. Now that same store exists in the wondrous place called Downtown Disney and is called World of Disney.
Which is all to say, I love Downtown Disney. It feels like home to me.
In short, Downtown Disney is a bunch of stores and restaurants and entertainment attractions located together, outside of the parks. It's free to go there (even the parking is free) and it's a great place to spend a few hours if you're doing the Disney vacation thing.
Here's some things worth knowing:
DD Tip #1: Parking tends to be much tighter at one end than the other. Look for the giant white tent (Cirque du Soleil) and park near-ish it for your best chance at a decent spot.
DD Tip #2: There is a (free) water taxi that stops along three points of Downtown Disney. In other words, no, you don't HAVE to walk the entire length of the place.
DD Tip #3: There isn't a single bad restaurant in the place. Not. A. One.
WAIT. I take that back. I love the Rainforest Cafe for everything except food. The food there blows.
Anyway, if you're trying to eat at Downtown Disney, make sure to get your reservation or seat before Cirque du Soleil lets out. Wait times can triple once that show is finished.
DD Tip #4: It is far less crowded in the morning than it is the evening.
DD Tip #5: If you can buy it in a Disney park, there's a good chance you can buy it at Downtown Disney. The exception is that you won't find things that are very specific to an attraction there (e.g. an Indiana Jones hat, a Splash Mountain t-shirt, etc.). You will find hard-to-find things there, though. Team Mickey Athletic Club, for example, has lots of Disney-themed sports items that I don't often see anywhere else.
DD Tip #6: The World of Disney is the most ginormous Disney store in all the land. It's so ginormous that it's pretty much overwhelming, but you can find every little souvenir your heart desires there. It's a good idea to pick out a meet-up location in case your group gets separated. Under the spitting Stitch is my favorite.
DD Tip #7: Disney's Days of Christmas was built for me. Don't try to tell me it wasn't. It's where you can buy pretty much every Disney Christmas ornament under the sun. Personalization is also available, but be aware that sometimes items aren't ready until the next day. Plan accordingly.
DD Tip #8: There are plenty of entertainment options at Downtown Disney. Each will cost you some cash, though. There's Cirque du Soleil (we haven't seen it), Disney Quest (we've never done it), a movie theater (LOVE it, but we don't really go to Orlando to watch movies), and this thing:
The weather and various mood finally came together this year so I could ride Characters in Flight. It was less expensive than a typical hot air balloon ride because it didn't go anywhere. Just straight up and back down again. Still, I thought it was pretty fun and worth it for the view.
DD Tip #9: The Ghiradelli shop hands out free samples. You're welcome.
DD Tip #10: There is a fun little magical fountain next to Once Upon a Toy that can keep a hot kid busy for a long time. Extra clothes are a must. When you're done there, go into the Lego store and you won't see your kid for quite a while, even without spending a penny.
If there is anything you want to add, y'all know what to do!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Reader Comments (8)
I worked there the summer of 2006, so some things have changed, but Disney Quest is actually pretty fun. I worked there under merchandise and got to try out some of the stuff, like making my own roller coaster ride, making my own toys, and learning to draw disney characters. If you can't afford the parks, it's a good 2nd best I suppose.
Don't forget the water taxi to the french quarters... it's a fun little trip across the water. :)
Speaking from experience...
I did Disney Quest when I was at Disney in 2002. I don't remember much about it, other than we only went for 2 hours or so because it was in the evening... But I remember really enjoying myself. I remember they had an interactive Pirates of the Caribbean ride which I thought was cool, and I particularly remember the build-your-own-roller-coaster! Mainly, I remember that because I couldn't really figure out how to work it, and ended up making some terrifying coaster that was WAY too scary... But I remember having a ride attendant who could tell that I was scared silly, and helped me load a pre-loaded track that was much more my style. (I had a blast, if I can recall!)
That said... I saw Cirque du Soleil this past May when I was there - so I remember this quite clearly! It was SO AWESOME. Honestly, one of the best things our band did while we were there (outside of the parks themselves, the parade, and the backstage workshop at Epcot). I'm not as sure what younger kids would think (because I'm 19...although I'm a huge kid at heart, some things I might enjoy more now than I would have when I was 5!)...but at least for people my age and up, it is DEFINITELY worth it!
Another good DTD tip is to do the My Little Pony thing at Once Upon a Toy. For one price (about $20), you get a box and you can cram as much MLP stuff into it as you can. As long as one side closes, you're good. There are ponies, outfits (including all the princesses & Minnie), and accessories. Last time we went, Emily got one pony and every single outfit & accessory they had. I think they do something similar with Mr. Potato Head.
Another thing is build your own light saber. If your kids want to do this, but the line is crazy long at Tatooine Traders in MGM, you can do it at DTD, too.
If you have folks at home to buy for, but not a lot of money, Mickey's Mart is a tiny store where everything is $10 and under.
If you want a personalized Christmas ornament (which are awesome and worth every penny - they do a great job hand-painting names, years, etc), go early in your trip. They often have a backlog and if you go on your last day, you won't have time to have it finished before you leave. order it early in your trip and they can ship it to your resort for free when it's done (a good tip for anywhere in WDW - if you buy something you don't want to carry all day, have it shipped to your resort - or held at the front of the park if you are off-site - for free)
Did the menu at Rainforest change at some point over the last 10 years? Seriously? I remember kinda digging the food the first few times we ate at the chain in the late 90's but our most recent trips offered underwhelming menu options. The drinks are just all kinds of wrong.
I'm also a fan of "The Art of DIsney" store located near Rainforest, which features all kinds of theme-park books, videos, posters, and collectibles that can't easily be found elsewhere (expect for a similar themed store at The Disney Studios near the LIttle Mermaid show)
@Scott-I don't know if the menu has changed, but I've been dumb enough to try the same horrible pasta every time I've been there in the past fifteen or so years (also counting a few other locations). I don't know why I give it another try--it's always awful. Last year even Alexis' pizza was less than edible, which, WTH? How do you screw up a plain cheese pizza?
At least all of the animitronics are fun, though.
We were given tickets to Disney Quest, and put off going until we have a mere 1 hour left in our day. This is because we didn't know what it was. While I'm not a huge fan of arcade/video/sit and do nothing when you can be outside and MY WORD YOU'RE AT DISNEY, the kids loved it immensely. Even the daddy-kid. I even had fun. Five floors of fun. And we had a mere hour. Totally worth spending the money on if you've got a whole day to kill at Downtown Disney. Those not interested in shopping all day can go play for a while.
Totally agree on Rainforest food. We were there last week & the girls chose Rainforest over T-Rex but the food just wasn't good and the service was slow if you can believe it.
Love the Christmas store, we have to get an ornament every time & also the girls LOVED the pin trading store. My friend bought my kids their first pins and necklaces and the older one was so into it. We missed dessert Ghiradellis b/c of sheer exhaustion but didn't forget the free samples!
Looking forward to hitting the Lego store in June, I hear they are expanding it. :D I haven't tried the Character's in flight because it wasn't opened yet the last time we were there, Dec '08, but those views do look spectacular, so maybe while my wife and kids splurge on Ghiradelli, I'll go take a flight. ;) By the way, thanks for these tips, I have learned a thing or two from them.