Forever Fun
Walt Disney World isn't just for kids...it brings joy to young and old alike.
By Donna Budjenska

You may have seen her on television, the nervous little girl on stage during a spelling bee. Asked to spell "microphone," she begins: M-I-C. She only gets that far, though, because a dad in the audience belts out his own ending: K-E-Y. Next thing you know, the adults in the crowd are carrying on: M-O-U-S-E! The adults are delighted, the children confused, and the poor speller at a complete loss.

This commercial for Walt Disney World Resort sends the message that you don't have to be a child to enjoy a Disney vacation. Disney World is reaching out to kids of all ages, letting them know there's plenty of fun to be had at its resorts - and bringing children is optional.

"We grew up on Disney," says Sue Lindsay, who visited Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., with her husband, Maj. Edward Lindsay, USA-Ret. They'd been there before, bringing their two daughters when the girls were teens. But now, traveling as a twosome, they say they're enjoying the place more than ever.

"We enjoy the ambience," Edward Lindsay explains, which is why he and Sue purchased a time-share in Orlando. "I enjoy meeting people."

With reviews like this, Disney World remains a top vacation destination more than 30 years after its 1971 opening. It's a well-ordered universe, one with Walt E. Disney himself as the godhead, the process of his deification furthered with the "100 Years of Magic" celebration surrounding his 100th birthday (Dec. 5, 2001). Special parades, shows, and themed events compete with the park's other attractions and performances to keep guests happy.

Disney World offers so much, even travelers with disparate interests likely can find something to enjoy: golf, fishing (no license required), tennis, dancing, shows, thrill rides, gardens, educational venues, gourmet dining, and more - much more.

Imagineering your entertainment

Disney World truly does strive to offer something for everyone. Its 47-square-mile property is packed with adventures to spare:

• four theme parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Disney-mgm Studios;
• three water parks - Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and River Country;
• five 18-hole championship golf courses and one nine-hole family-play course;
• two full-service spas offering everything from facials and massages to herbal wraps and aromatherapy;
• the Disney Institute, where business professionals attend classes on such topics as management, creativity, and loyalty;
• Disney's Wide World of Sports, a 200-acre complex that includes a 7,500-seat baseball stadium and a 5,000-seat field house and is the training site of the Atlanta Braves and the Harlem Globetrotters;
• Disney's Wedding Pavilion, where more than 15,000 couples have tied the knot or renewed their vows;
• Downtown Disney, a shopping-dining-entertainment complex featuring Pleasure Island, a 6-acre nightclub theme park; Marketplace, a shopping village; and West Side, a dining and entertainment district with restaurants, clubs, a 24-screen theater, and Cirque du Soleil; and
• nearly 30,000 rooms in 30 resort hotels, including themed resorts such as Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, and Shades of Green on Walt Disney World Resort, a U.S. Armed Forces Recreation Center for vacationing servicemembers (see "Shades of Green," page 70). More resorts are under construction.

Behind-the-scenes programs geared to grown-up guests' interests in animation, art, gardening, and more make up Disney's Adult Discoveries. "Inside Animation," "Hidden Treasures," "Backstage Magic," "Gardens of the World," and "Yuletide Fantasy" allow those enrolled to explore Disney World's parks and productions from the perspective of its animators, horticulturalists, and "Imagineers." These in-depth tours and hands-on activities are available throughout the week and can last from three to seven hours.

An offshoot of Disney World is the Disney Cruise Line. Its two ships set sail from Port Canaveral, Fla., to Nassau, the Bahamas, and Disney's private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay.

Shades of Green After Shades of Green on Walt Disney World Resort (SOG) opened in February 1994, it didn't take long for those it caters to (active and retired military personnel and Department of Defense civilians) to discover its benefits: location, price, guest services - and even a swimming pool with the familiar rounded dimensions of Mickey Mouse's head. About 10 years ago, Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) officials realized a need for a presence in the continental United States. AFRC already sponsored sites in Hawaii, Germany, and South Korea, and it found through servicemember surveys that the southeast corridor of the United States would be a good target location. After considering many properties, AFRC decided on a hotel on Walt Disney World property, within sight of the Magic Kingdom. Because of the hotel's popularity, it has at times been difficult to book a room, according to James McCrindle, SOG general manager. The constant demand has led to an ambitious expansion to be completed in November 2003. The expansion will double the number of rooms from the current 287 and add a parking garage and more restaurants and shops, which will allow for functions such as receptions and reunions. While construction is under way, the SOG hotel is closed. However, SOG has worked out an agreement with Disney's Contemporary Resort and other hotels, both on and off Disney property. All SOG guests pay the same room rates as they would at SOG (based on rank, $66 to $99 a night for two people); the only difference is guests must pay an 11 percent room tax. During the SOG closure, Walt Disney World still will operate the two PGA championship 18-hole golf courses that surround SOG, but SOG has negotiated greatly reduced greens fees for hotel guests and all military personnel. In fact, reduced rates are seen by some as one of SOG's biggest perks. The hotel's Guest Services office, operating out of the Contemporary Resort during the expansion, offers special ticket packages and, in addition to SOG souvenirs, even sells gift items from AFRC's overseas resorts. Once the hotel expansion is complete, the savings will only get better, because when you're on the property, you're actually on the Orlando Military Installation, McCrindle explains. That means everything is tax-free: rooms, restaurants, the AAFES shop, attraction tickets - everything. McCrindle advises travelers to use SOG's Web site, available via the MOAA links page (www.moaa.org/magazine/links.asp), to book reservations. Guests can find information on rates, ticket packages, and even book holidays at AFRCs in Germany, Hawaii, and South Korea. For reservations, call toll-free, (888) 593-2242.

Aiming to please

After being in business for more than three decades, Disney knows how to give people what they want, where they want, and when they want it. Giving guests a good experience - and keeping them coming back - is something Disney is known for. Disney anticipates the guests' every need.

Dying for a "Lion King" doodad after seeing the show? What luck! The exit doors direct you straight into the "Lion King" gift shop. Want to buy loads of souvenirs but don't want to lug them around the parks all day? No problem! Your purchases will be delivered for free from the shops to your on-site hotel, usually by the next day. Trying to find that perfect place to take your photos? Disney has thought of that, too! Kodak "Photo Spots" are well-marked (even on park maps) and plentiful.

You may hit a snag now and then. For all their competence and friendliness, Disney "cast members," as employees are called, are not automatons. Rides can close for refurbishing. Shuttle buses can run behind schedule. A meal might not taste as good as it looks. Other guests can be pushy and short-tempered. And even Walt Disney hasn't figured out how to control the weather (yet).

But the grounds are immaculate, cast members are trained to be patient and accommodating, and if you mind your manners, you're bound to have a wonderful experience.

Intimate it's not

If, in the midst of all this solicitude, you feel a need for solitude, you may need to strike out on your own. Quiet spots and empty benches can be found here and there, but Disney World doesn't market itself as a place to "find yourself." Even in the off-season, the parks draw in the numbers. Come prepared to deal with the crowds.

"Don't come rushed," Sue Lindsay advises. "Otherwise, everyone gets tired and cranky." Printed updates on each park's activities are available at resorts and at park entrances, so if you haven't already mapped out your strategy, each morning you can get a handle on what you want to see and when it's happening.

Edward Lindsay recommends studying one of the many available park guides to "know the layout before you get here." Recent editions of popular guides include Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Walt Disney World, 4th Edition, by Diane Bair and Pamela Wright (John Wiley & Sons, 2002), or Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Without Kids 2003, by Pamela S. Weiers and Jill Safro (editor) (Hyperion, 2002).

Recognizing that waiting in lines can sour the experience, Disney has instituted the free fastpass system, which allows guests to get a ticket with a designated one-hour window when they can return and experience the attraction without a long wait.

Negotiating the many attractions can be tricky, but Disney goes out of its way to make getting around manageable. On the property, an extensive shuttle-bus system augmented by trams and ferries gets people where they want to go.

Because each park is so vast, even with the park-to-park transportation system, visiting Disney World can be quite the excursion. Good, comfortable walking shoes are a must, and motorized, self-drive vehicles can be rented at all four theme parks. Disney also makes it easy for handicapped guests to get around. Many shuttle buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts, gates at park entrances are wide, and many of the rides offer special wheelchair access.

Fueling the fantasy

To help you keep your strength as you experience the adventures, Disney World's gustatory delights are plentiful. You can find the ubiquitous hamburgers and french fries, but if you want to expand your repertoire, you'll have the opportunity. Eating establishments at Epcot's World Showcase, for example, offer foods typifying the nations represented. Disney's many resort restaurants each produce their own specialties, as well.

The truly upscale-minded can take pleasure in Victoria and Albert's, a small (60-seat) dining room that has earned AAA's Five-Diamond Award. Located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, this formal restaurant serves only dinner and only to those who are appropriately attired (evening wear for women, jackets for men) and who've made reservations.

The West Side at Downtown Disney is the place to go if you're searching for funkier fare. Restaurants such as House of Blues, Wolfgang Puck Café, and Bongos Cuban Café offer interesting sit-down meals. If you really want to celebrate food and the wine that sets it off so well, consider timing your visit to coincide with the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival that takes place each autumn.

Timing isn't everything

When should you attempt a trip to Disney? Anytime of year you can find special shows, promotions, and ticket combinations that suit your interests and budget. If you're a Florida resident, however, you really luck out, as you're eligible for special passes and discounts year-round. Disney also offers several discount options to active duty servicemembers and their families. These programs vary throughout the year, so be sure to check what's currently available before you show up at Mickey's front door.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a travel agency that doesn't have information on Disney World, and there are dozens of books and Web sites sponsored by Disney World, reputable publishers, and self-styled experts. For general information on Disney World, call (407) 824-4321 or visit its Web site through the moaa links page, www.moaa.org/magazine/links.asp.

If you want to venture out past the resort's acreage, Orlando's many attractions (Sea World, Universal Studios, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and many others) are only about 40 minutes away.

All in all, Walt Disney World and its environs could be a seriously fun choice for your next stateside vacation. If you've hidden your Mickey Mouse ears in the back of your closet, it may just be time to dust them off and head to Florida. Be sure to send a postcard to the youngsters you didn't bring with you. Write on it: "Wish you were here" - even if you don't!