Buster and the Banshee thought that it would be interesting to walk through our trip planning process with our audience. As part of this series, we will address many of the aspects of WDW trip planning that all families go through.
In our last installment of this series, we talked about how we planned out our park reservations. Today, we will discuss a much more fun topic: what we are looking forward to doing on our next Walt Disney World trip.
Sometimes I feel like we can divide the year into two categories: the two weeks we go to WDW, and the remaining 50 weeks we think about going to WDW! While those 50 weeks of thinking about a trip to Central Florida aren’t as good as actually being there, it is pretty close! We probably spend way too much time watching YouTube videos about WDW, reading articles about WDW, stalking the Disney news sites to learn more about upcoming events and experiences at WDW. From that obsession, we put together a tentative list of all of the things we want to see and do (and taste) on our next trip. What you see below is our current short list of “must-do’s” for this trip, subject to change, of course.
Rides/Attractions
Tron Lightcycle Run
This is more for Banshee and Little Buster, as they are the daredevils of the family. This coaster has been in development seemingly forever, but Disney has finally announced that it is opening April 4th, 2023. That means that it will be up and running for our next trip. If it is anything close to Cosmic Rewind, the daredevil pair will LOVE it! Honestly, if I wasn’t such a weenie, I’d probably be excited to ride it, too. Instead, Little Banshee and I will be viewing the ride from the Peoplemover at a safe distance!
Rise of the Resistance
This isn’t a new experience for us, as we rode it multiple times when we were on our 2021 trip. However, due to technical difficulties, we weren’t able to ride it during our 2022 trip. Therefore, we really need to get our “Rise” fix this time around!
Rise of the Resistance is more than just a ride, it is a whole immersive experience. It showcases what Disney does best… storytelling. Even if you are just a casual Star Wars fan, you should ride it as many times as you can. Trust us!
Fourth of July Fireworks
This will be the first time we will be at WDW during the Fourth of July holiday. As any American knows, Fourth of July means fireworks. And as any Disney fan knows, nobody does fireworks like Disney. We mentioned in our article about park reservations we made sure that we could be in MK on July 3rd and Epcot on July 4th so that we can experience the special fireworks in both parks. I know that crowds are likely to be insane, but how can we turn down what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us?
The “Usual Suspects”
I’m sure we are no different from other frequent visiting families in that we have our traditional favorites that we need to do on every trip. Here are some of ours (in no particular order):
Magic Kingdom
- Space Mountain (Banshee and Little Buster)
- Peoplemover (Buster and Little Banshee)
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Enchanted Tiki Room
- Picture on Main Street USA in front of the Castle!
- Just walking around the Main Street USA shops
Epcot
- Cosmic Rewind (Banshee and Little Buster)
- Journey Into Imagination with Figment
- Soarin’
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
- Mitsokoshi (arguably not a ride or attraction, although Little Buster will debate you on that!)
- Just walking around the World Showcase
Animal Kingdom
- Expedition Everest (Banshee and Little Buster)
- Flight of Passage
- Navi River Journey
- Kilimanjaro Safari
- Just walking around and exploring
Hollywood Studios
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Muppetvision 3D
- Star Tours (last year, Little Banshee was the rebel spy!)
- Smuggler’s Run
- Rockin’ Rollercoaster (Banshee and Little Buster)
- Just walking around Batuu
As you can see, we like to do a lot of walking!
Food
One of the joys of Walt Disney World is experiencing all of the wonderful dining options. While we can’t always visit all of our favorites due to our budget (not to mention waste lines), here are the places that we have on our “must-do” list for 2023’s trip.
Skipper Cantina
This is a place that we have walked by many times, but have never eaten at. Honestly, it is quite shocking that it hasn’t been on our list until now, considering that we love the Jungle Cruise’s campy humor, Banshee and I have fond memories of the Adventurer’s Club at the old Pleasure Island, and the menu is right in our wheelhouse! Well, friends, this year, we have committed to rectifying this surprising oversight! I just hope when we get our water, it is from the backside and not the frontside.
Le Cellier
This is another restaurant that we have never been to, but has always intrigued us. We’ve generally steered away from it because of the cost and the fact that dining reservations are known to be hard to get. However, after getting a taste of the filet and the cheddar cheese soup at the International Food and Wine Festival, we want to give it a shot. To try and keep the expense down, our plan is to each get an appetizer and then split one of the steaks four ways. We’ll see how that goes!
Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater
Banshee and I ate here long ago prior to the appearance of our children. Honestly, I don’t remember much about the food, but I do remember sitting in one of those replica drive-in car, watching campy movies. We’ve always wanted to try it again with the family, but we have always underestimated how difficult it is to get reservations here. I know that the food reviews aren’t that great, but it’s all about the ambience, baby!
Anyway, this year, I am planning to logon right when reservations open and snag one for us.
Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’
Art Smith’s is an old favorite of ours. How can you beat elevated Southern comfort food? Answer: you can’t. Besides, anyone who can come up with “Chicken and Donuts” deserves our business.
Last year, we weren’t able to fit this favorite into our trip, so this year it is back on our must-do list. I don’t think Little Banshee can go another year without some of Art’s biscuits!
Salt & Straw
We’ve been hearing a lot of good things about this relatively new ice cream shop at Disney Springs. With eclectic flavors and dairy-free options, call us intrigued. Besides, who doesn’t like ice cream on a hot summer day?!
Gideon’s
As you already know, this bakery is among Banshee’s favorite sweet treats at WDW. We will usually get a half dozen cookies near the start of the trip and we’ll nosh on them throughout our two week stay. Now you might think that six cookies isn’t enough to last two hours, let alone two weeks. However, they are just so rich and decadent and BIG that it is hard to eat more than a small piece in one sitting (unless you really want to spike your blood sugar!)
Ronto Roasters
Breakfast Ronto Wraps… enough said!
The Barbecue Trio
We make it a point to visit our three favorite on-property barbecue places on each visit. They are, in no particular order:
- Polite Pig (Disney Springs)
- Regal Eagle Smokehouse (Epcot)
- Flame Tree Barbecue (Animal Kingdom)
As a family, we love us some good barbecue, and all three places deliver. I myself am a big fan of smoked barbecue chicken,, but only when it is done right. And I am happy to report that all three places consistently do it right. Pink, moist, flavorful. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Other Must-Do’s
In addition to the WDW attractions and the food, there are two other things which are on our family’s must-do list for our Summer 2023 trip.
Sea World
Banshee has been lobbying for a day trip over to Sea World for the last few years, so this is the year that we actually are going to make it happen. While we have never been there, it appears to have something for everyone in the family. It has the thrill rides for Banshee and Little Buster. It has a Sesame Street Land for Little Banshee (the girl LOVES her Elmo). It has animal encounters for all of us. Plus, Sea World is a Certified Autism Center which shows their commitment to providing an inclusive experience for people with different abilities.
Shopping
Banshee loves her shopping! And I am also on the lookout for a great deal. That means that all of our trips MUST include a trip to the shops at Disney Springs. There is so much merch available – both Disney IP-based and general merchandise. Unfortunately, unless you really seek out the discount racks, there usually aren’t that many great deals to be found.
That brings us to our second must-do shopping location… Orlando International Premium Outlets!
The must visit here is the Disney Character Warehouse. This is where Disney souvenirs go when they need to be cleared out from park gift shops to make room for something new. You can stock up on some great stuff for a deep discount over what you would pay in the parks.
In addition to the Disney outlet, they have outlet stores for most of your favorite brands. So if you are looking to do some bargain hunting, this is a good place to visit. Just be aware that it gets crowded, especially on weekends. If you don’t want to be circling the parking lot for hours waiting for a spot to open up, you might want to consider getting there early. Besides, this is a outdoor mall, so going early will keep you out of the heat of the day.
So that wraps up our must-do’s for our upcoming trip, as of today. Of course, this list is subject to change based upon what is opened, what we can get a reservation for, and our general whims. Hopefully, this will give you some ideas for when you construct your own list of must-do’s!
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