You’re Skipping the Best Parts of Walt Disney World

With four theme parks, more than 20 hotels, and over 200 dining locations, there’s a whole lot to explore in Disney World.

But many people breeze right past the best parts because they’re too focused on riding the popular rides or eating the popular snacks. So today we’re covering all the underrated parts of Disney World that most people skip — but shouldn’t!

These are the best parts of Disney World that you SHOULDN’T skip!

Walking Trails in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom can often get labeled as a “half-day park” with many guests thinking that there just isn’t enough to do there to fill a full day. But that’s probably because you’re missing entire portions of the parks if you don’t visit the walking trails!

The park has three walking trails where you can see TONS of animals up close in their habitats! There’s the Discovery Island Trail which is located near the Tree of Life and home to kangaroos, birds, and lemurs.

Over near the exit of Kilimanjaro Safaris is Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (formerly the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail) with gorillas, meerkats, okapi, a bird exhibit, AND an underwater viewing area with hippos.

And just past the entrance of Kali River Rapids, you’ll find animals that are native to Asia including tigers, bats, and birds on the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Don’t Miss These Five Underrated Attractions in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Rafiki’s Planet Watch

That’s not all of the animal explorations you can find in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! You can hop aboard the Wildlife Express Train over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch where you’ll find a petting zoo and Conservation Station. And if you’re lucky, you can actually watch as Cast Members take care of some of the animals in the treatment area!

Plus, the building also is home to The Animation Experience where you can learn to draw some of your favorite animated Disney animals.

Learn More About what you can see at Conservation Station here!

Disney World Water Parks

A lot of Disney guests also forget that Disney World is actually home to TWO water parks — Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park (though Typhoon Lagoon is temporarily closed).

Both parks have a lazy river, wave pool, and TONS of water slides making them a great place to visit on a hot day in Florida. The only thing you need to get in here is either a Park Hopper Plus Ticket or a Water Park Ticket (which is cheaper than a park ticket).

Here’s why you shouldn’t skip the water parks during your trip!

Disney’s BoardWalk

When you’re visiting EPCOT, you might pass by the second entrance/exit area, called International Gateway, located all the way in the back of World Showcase. This entrance is usually used by those staying at the resorts located on the Disney Skyliner or at Disney’s BoardWalk, but did you know you can actually explore the BoardWalk without being a guest at one of the area hotels?

It’s true! You can grab a drink (including a spiked Dole Whip) from AbracadaBar and BoardWalk Joe’s Marvelous Margaritas or rent a Surrey Bike and ride around Crescent Lake. There are also a few spots to grab a bite to eat including one of the best bakeries in Disney World (BoardWalk Bakery), Big River Grille & Brewing Works, ESPN Club, and Trattoria al Forno (which also has a pizza window).

Here’s why we think Disney’s BoardWalk is a great spot to start your day in Disney World!

Dining at Disney World Resort Hotels

If you’re only making your dining reservations or stopping for Quick Service food in the parks, then you’re missing out at Disney World! Some of the best restaurants are actually in Disney hotels including Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riviera Resort, Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

Plus, don’t forget that the hotels are open to all guests, not just those staying there, and they can be a lot of fun to explore. (You’ll need an Advance Dining Reservation or a Resort reservation or use Disney transportation to get into the Resorts right now, though.) The easiest ones to visit during your trip are the Monorail Resorts or the Skyliner Resorts because they’re all conveniently connected through Disney’s free transportation system.

Ranking the Top 10 Walt Disney World Resort Hotels by their Food Choices

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campgrounds

Speaking of Disney hotels, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campgrounds is one spot that many park-goers might skip if they’re not looking to do some camping (or “glamping”) in Disney World. But this resort is actually a lot more than just a hotel, and you may have never guessed all the activities you can find here!

You can actually sign up for archery lessons, look for gems at Assay Station, visit horses and even go horseback riding! Not something you thought you could do on your Disney trip, huh?

Ten Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do at Walt Disney World!

EPCOT Pavilion Shows and Exhibits

Over in EPCOT, a lot of guests breeze through the country pavilions around World Showcase, stopping only to grab a bite to eat or something to drink. But, you should actually go into the pavilions because they’ve got some pretty cool details!

You can find exhibits in the Morocco, Japan, Norway, and China Pavilions that feature both the history of the country and also some Disney history from time to time. Plus, the American Adventure pavilion currently has a huge exhibit called The Soul of Jazz inspired by Pixar’s Soul!

Some of the pavilions even have shows! Both the Canada and China pavilions have a short film that features amazing views of the cities and a look at the history, and over in the France Pavilion, you can sing along to music from Beauty and the Beast or catch Impressions de France!

The BEST Part of Every EPCOT World Showcase Pavilion

Aquarium at The Seas with Nemo and Friends

When visiting Future World at EPCOT, a lot of guests hop off The Seas with Nemo and Friends and head right out the door. But you’re actually missing a HUGE part of the park (literally!) if you do that because The Seas is also home to the second-largest aquarium in the country!

Here you can find about 2,000 different animals and watch as they’re being fed in the tank, learn more about manatees, play games with dolphins on the windows, and more!

Five Sea-crets You Didn’t Know About The Seas With Nemo and Friends at EPCOT

Walt Disney Presents in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is home to another attraction that most guests skip over on their busy day hopping between Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge called Walt Disney Presents.

This is a great spot for Disney history buffs, as you can walk through huge pieces of Disney park and animation history! You’ll find models that were used in the creation of many of the new lands at Disney World and Disneyland, plus there are even some original pieces from Walt Disney himself!

10 Super Cool Things in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Mini Golf Courses

Our last underrated activity that you shouldn’t skip on your next Disney World trip is mini-golfing!

Disney has two mini-golf courses including Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland (though this course hasn’t reopened just yet). Plus, it’s actually pretty affordable to tack onto your trip — it costs around $14 for adults and $12 for kids, or it’s included with the Park Hopper Plus ticket.

If you’re looking to level up your golf game, Disney World also has REAL golf courses for those who want to take on 18 holes while on vacation, too.

Learn more about mini-golfing at Disney World here!

The next time you’re visiting Disney World, stop into these locations and check them out! And once you’ve gotten through them all, give some of these underrated rides a try too!

 

Check out Seven Things to Do at Walt Disney World When the Lines Are WAY Too Long

Have you ever done any of these in Disney World? Let us know in the comments!

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