When planning a trip to Disney World in Florida, you probably plan on doing a few classic things. You want to get a picture with Mickey Mouse, ride Space Mountain, and maybe even share breakfast with some costumed characters. As you plan your Disney trip, think about some of the more unusual things you can do in the park.
Take the Wonders of the Lodge Tour
Walt Disney was a smart man and learned from his past mistakes. When building Disney World, he bought land surrounding the park to make room for the park's expansion, which he neglected to do with Disneyland. That gave his descendants room to build new hotels, resorts, and even additional parks. You can now tour the Wilderness Lodge, which is one of the newer resorts at Disney World. This detailed tour spends one hour showing you everything about the lodge and how it connects back to the Disney brand.
Fireworks Dessert Buffet
You already know that you want to see the fireworks while at the park, so why not make things a little more exciting and have some dessert with the show? The Tommorowland Terrace hosts a Fireworks Dessert Buffet every night of the week. While you do need to make reservations in advance and the buffet costs extra, the terrace offers an amazing view of the fireworks bursting in the sky. You can even make dinner reservations at the restaurant and enjoy a leisurely dinner before the buffet comes out and the show starts. Treat yourself to cake, chocolate dipped strawberries, brownies, and dozens of other sweets.
Harmony Barber Shop
While most shops and attractions at Disney are open until closing or near closing every night, the Harmony Barber Shop is only open until five pm every day. If you get there before closing, you can treat yourself to a hair cut and get a little pixie dust at the same time. Stylists have pixie dust on hand in different colors that they can add to your new look. You'll also want to stop by when you bring your baby in for his or her first hair cut. The shop gives you a customized pair of mouse ears, a hair clipping and a certificate with your child's name on it.
Art of Animation Resort
If your kids love drawing their own characters, plan a stop by the Art of Animation Resort. Even if you aren't a guest of the resort, you and your kids can sign up for an animation class and learn from real professional artists. The classes let you try your hand at recreating all your favorite Disney characters.***
***When the Art of Animation resort first opened they offered drawing classes taught by a Disney animation artist three times during the day near front desk, but I have heard this has been discontinued. If you or your child likes to draw, I would check out the drawing class “Animation Academy” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where they offer the free drawing classes during the day for guests.
Find Hidden Mickeys
As you wander your way around the park, keep your eyes open for the dozens of hidden Mickeys in the park. Disney World added Mickey Mouse figures and images to nearly every ride and building, but you'll also find the mice hiding in fountains and on the ground. There are even hidden images of other popular characters, including Donald Duck, Goofy, and Minnie Mouse. While you can find lists of hidden Mickeys online, finding them yourself is even more fun.
When you book a room or a vacation home from Bluegreen Resorts and other top companies in the Orlando area, make sure you keep a list of all the fun things there are to do in Disney World.
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Thanks so much for the suggestions about the class at the Art of Animation. We are heading to Disney in April for our daughters Make A Wish trip. Is this class free? And how far in advance do I need to reserve?
When the Art of Animation resort first opened they offered drawing classes taught by a Disney animation artist three times during the day near front desk, but I have heard this has been discontinued. If you or your child likes to draw, I would check out the drawing class “Animation Academy” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where they offer the free drawing classes during the day for guests.
Thanks for the great informative post. we are planning to go to a disney vacation. this would be very useful.