A week at a Disney resort is a week away from the ordinary, even if it is ‘part of the job.’ In this three-part series, blogger Tony Mayer, a travel counselor for AAA Washington, shares the knowledge gained after a familiarization trip to Disney World in Florida.

The second park I visited was Disney's Hollywood Studios, a slice of Tinseltown transplanted to the East Coast that opened in 1989 and was known as Disney-MGM Studios until 2008. The Studios and and Epcot are the two closest parks to each other geographically – only 2/3 mile apart via a deliberate, meandering, gosh-can-this-go-any-slower water taxi, or a 20-minute walk.

One aspect of Disney parks I truly enjoy is that people who can think ahead are directly rewarded with a better experience. For example, Fastpass is my friend. (read detailed blog on Fastpass here.) This strategy works best at Magic Kingdom – it has the most Fastpass rides. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is much trickier because it has more shows than actual rides. Some shows and tours (the hilarious Muppetvision 3-D, the Studio Backlot Tour, etc.) are continuous, but some of the best ones are on a set schedule.

Due to my compressed schedule with the group, I had time for one show. The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular was exactly as advertised – spectacular! We arrived 15 minutes early and the crew did a casting call for extras – I was so tempted to raise my hand to get on stage, but alas I chickened out. Ten other hearty souls (curiously, most of them were from Canada) were sent backstage for costumes, then movie magic took hold. Over 30 minutes, three iconic Indiana Jones scenes (complete with fireballs, sharp pointy objects, snake pits and hand-to-hand combat) played out in front of the assembled masses. In between scenes, the host interviewed cast and crew members to illuminate the different jobs needed to pull off a successful, safe and entertaining production. 

Hollywood Studios has a range of amusements for the entire family, from thrills (Tower of Terror, Star Tours and the Rock and Roller Coaster) to chills (Fantasmic fireworks and the Lights, Motors, Action vehicle stunt show). You can even be a reality star for a day at the American Idol Experience, if that’s your thing. The newest ride for fans of all ages is Toy Story Midway Mania, a “four-dimensional” midway game experience. That ride (deservedly) always has the longest lines, whether it’s the version here or at Disney’s Calfornia Adventure.

One of the best bits for grownups at this park is the homage to the golden era of animation and moviemaking in general. Several galleries and short films trace the art of filmmaking through Disney-colored lenses. Have you ever seen an Academy Award statuette up close before? How about a dozen of them? Make your way to the Animation Studio and Gallery and you’ll see 75-year-old shiny golden Oscars thisclose to you – quite the thrill to this film buff.


Nightlife at Walt Disney World is centered on two main drags. The Boardwalk, located between Epcot and Hollywood Studios, hosts a dance hall, a dueling piano bar and a number of restaurants. The hub of the after-hours scene is found at Downtown Disney, a sprawling, bayside district found a short expressway hop from Epcot. There, The Marketplace area is home to the spacious World of Disney store, the one-stop shop for all things mouse-ear’d, and well as one of two locations of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, the makeover haven for the 10-and-under set. In the  Pleasure Island area, you can dine on a replica riverboat at Fulton’s Crab House, or fuel your inner road hog at the Harley Davidson store.

No Downtown Disney experience is complete without visiting the West Side, home to a 24-screen movie megaplex, celebrity dining at Wolfgang Puck's Café and Gloria Estefan’s Bongos Cuban Café, plus music at the House of Blues. Next door is DisneyQuest, a 5-story interactive indoor theme park which is included with the Water Park & More option of WDW tickets. New to the West Side is Characters in Flight, a tethered hot-air balloon ride that allows guests to soar 400 feet above for spectacular 360-degree views of the entire resort.

The highlight of my entire trip was the West Side’s marquee attraction, Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba. Our group was lucky enough to score fourth-row seats just to the left of the stage. In return, the 70-odd performers put on a sumptuous 90-minute visual feast. From clowns and jugglers to BMX tricksters, trampoline impresarios, and physics-defying German wheel performers, this show had it all. I was most thrilled by the flying trapeze guys (who I had to peer through the safety net to see) doing double and triple flips directly above my head – absolutely incredible!

On a tight budget? The resort’s four Value-class hotels provide a fun, affordable place for families and folks who are going to spend most of their time inside the parks. Three of the four resorts share an All-Star theme (All-Star Music, All-Star Movies, All-Star Sports) – each has a long entry area with a cafeteria, a video arcade and a large Disney store. The outdoor pool is nearby and centrally located on the way to the rooms. Each resort has close to 2,000 rooms, so they’re sure to be teeming with activity most hours of the day (translation: noisy during peak periods).

The fourth Value property is my pick for a first-time stay – the Pop Century, Disney’s largest resort at 2,880 rooms. Larger-than-life icons of the 1950’s through the 1990’s are celebrated at every turn with forty-foot-tall and higher replica models – they’re ginormous! You just can’t stop smiling at Pop Century, and that’s kind of the idea, right? Everything is just so huge and wacky!

Room types at the Value resorts (all four are rated Two-Diamond by AAA) are mostly restricted to a king bed or 2 double beds. No frills here – the closest thing to room service is the pizza delivery guy. Keep in mind that the Value resorts are geographically farthest away from the theme parks (20-plus minutes to drive to the Magic Kingdom without traffic, likely much worse during peak visiting periods). Because these are the most popular places to stay on-property, Disney’s transit system runs more buses to these resorts during the day. Bus stop lines are long, especially at park open and close times, and the buses are packed to the gills with extra-giddy kids and extra-tired parents (or vice-versa, if you’re lucky). 

Advice: For those of you who may ponder public transportation to get to Universal Orlando, Sea World or other major sights in the area, think twice. I was considering a side trip en route to WDW on my first morning instead of taking the Magical Express, but it would have been 45 minutes to Sea World and 75 minutes to Universal one-way! Downtown Disney is a major hub for public transit (as is the Ticket and Transportation Center at the Magic Kingdom), but public bus trips are challenging at best, and an inefficient waste of precious vacation time at worst. You’re much better off using a rental car to explore the rest of Central Florida. Use a TripTik Travel Planner map of south Orlando to get an idea of the distance between attractions. 
 
Next: Disney’s Animal Kingdom, plus a peek at Disney’s Deluxe and Villa Resorts

Also in this series:
An Overview of Epcot  
Disney's Animal Kingdom and Deluxe Resorts

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