Walt Disney World With Kids (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [113]
Wolfgang Puck Café
There are three parts to this restaurant: the ultracasual Express, which offers salads, sandwiches, and such; the inside restaurant, which provides Puck’s signature pastas and pizzas, as well as outstanding sushi; and, upstairs, the formal dining room, serving the best Puck has to offer. Needless to say, the first two locations work best for families, and the latter is best reserved for a parents’ night out. “The best meal we had during our entire time in Orlando was downstairs at Wolfgang Puck,” said one father of two. “The kiddie food was a cut above average, and the adults thought the sushi was great.” A father of three concurs that the inside restaurant is the perfect middle ground between the express and formal options and that, “the hoisin BBQ ribs are worth coming back for.”
Disney World After Dark with the Kids
Is there life in Disney World after 8 PM? Sure there is. The crowds thin, the temperature drops, and many attractions are especially dazzling in the dark. During peak seasons the major theme parks run extra-long hours, so it’s easy to have fun at night. But, needless to say, the particular kind of fun you’ll have depends on whether the kids are with you.
Evening Activities for the Whole Family
The Evening Parade in the Magic Kingdom
Disney’s ever-popular evening parades blend lasers, lights, and fireworks for a dazzling display. Tinker Bell’s Flight begins a few minutes before the fireworks, so be sure to look to the castle to watch her descent.
The parade runs every night during the on-season and twice a night on holidays and especially crowded days. In the off-season it runs only on selected evenings, so plan your schedule to ensure you’ll be in the Magic Kingdom on one of the nights it’s slated to run. If you miss the parade, you can still get to see the Wishes fireworks since it always closes the evening. Times and dates are listed on your entertainment schedule; you can get this information in advance by calling Guest Relations (a.k.a. Guest Services) at your hotel or visiting www.disneyworld.disney.go.com.
The Electrical Water Pageant
If you’re staying on-site, the Electrical Water Pageant may actually float by your hotel window, because it’s staged on the Seven Seas Lagoon, which connects the Polynesian, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, and Wilderness Lodge resorts. A much shorter and simpler production than the closing shows within the parks, the Electrical Water Pageant is a charming progression of moving multicolor sea images whose sparkling lights are reflected in the dark water.
Electrical Water Pageant times vary with the season, so contact Guest Relations for the exact time the parade is scheduled to float by your resort. If you’re not staying at a Magic Kingdom resort but would like to see the pageant, plan to have dinner at one of the resorts in question, then wander out to the beach area at showtime.
IllumiNations
IllumiNations is a musical, laser, special effects, and fireworks extravaganza that appeals to all ages. It can be viewed nightly from anywhere around the World Showcase Lagoon at 9 PM.
Fantasmic!
This nightly closing show at Hollywood is a must-see. The combination of fantastic music, live actors performing cool stunts, lasers, fireworks, water screens, and favorite Disney characters makes for one spine-tingling show. Showtimes vary so check your entertainment schedule.
Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney keeps hopping long after the theme parks shut down. Some families wait to shop and eat until late at night.
BoardWalk
Lively and gorgeous after dark, the BoardWalk is a hub of family-style activity. Eat dinner, then rent a surrey bike for a quick lap around the lagoon. There are also two clubs