If you haven’t been following along, here’s where you can find the previous posts in this series:
Our plans prior to leaving can be found here!
Day 1 can be found here!
Day 2 can be found here!
And day 3 can be found here!
Let’s get on with the day! It’s another early day…
Jambo!
Our first stop of the day was Animal Kingdom! We wanted to rope drop Na’vi River Journey, but we didn’t get in the park until 9:20ish and we had FastPass+ reservations that we needed to make. Our first FastPass+ was for Kilimanjaro Safaris! When trying to describe this one to Disneyland locals, I describe it as a much better version of the tram ride at the San Diego Safari Park. Kilimanjaro Safaris absolutely immerses you in theming and takes you out of Central Florida. I recommend riding this one earlier in the day, as the animals are more active then! It’s also a pretty long experience, so if you’re hungry, grab a snack beforehand, and use the restroom before getting in line.
Next, it was time for my favorite attraction in this park… Expedition Everest! A lot of people compare this one to Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland, and to be honest, I’m not really sure why – maybe because on the exterior they look similar? In any case, this attraction is a thrilling adventure into the Nepalese mountains in search of the yeti! With surprising twists and turns, it’s my favorite of the mountains at Walt Disney World! When I first went on it in 2014, I was nervous about getting sick. I have a sensitive stomach, and don’t handle intense rides well, but I did fine on this one. My dad and mother in law cannot handle this one. Proceed at your own risk!
We had lunch reservations at Tiffins, so on our way over there we meandered through the tiger trail and visited the otters. I hadn’t actually seen the otters before, and I’m glad we stopped by. They were super cute and playful.
Tiffins
Tiffins is another one of those restaurants that I feel is overlooked in favor of character dining or other more popular restaurants. Tiffins is fantastic. If you’re looking to try a new place, I can’t recommend Tiffins enough. I’ve eaten here maybe four or five times, and it’s a “must do” for me every time. First off, it’s quiet, especially if you’re like us and eat early on in the lunch hour (I cannot speak for the dinner hour, though). Secondly, the service is top-notch. Third, the food is unique but not unapproachable. Sometimes fancy restaurants feel a bit too wild in terms of their menu items – this isn’t the case for Tiffins. Exploratory but not too crazy. Finally, if you’re a fan of Joe Rohde, you’ll love the theming in here.
We sat down and were the first party in the dining room, and by the end of lunch there were maybe only 4 or 5 parties seated in the same room. It was tranquil: a relaxing respite from a busy theme park. I ordered the shrimp & grits – the waiter gave me the choice between spicy and something else (I don’t remember what the other choice was, but I went with spicy!). Katie ordered a vegan option off the kids menu (she didn’t have a big appetite that day), I don’t remember what James ordered, and my husband ordered a lunch special that came with an entree and either an appetizer or two mini desserts – he chose the mini desserts of course! We also started off with the complimentary bread, which is different than standard bread & butter at most restaurants. I think our waiter said it has something like 12 different seasonings in it, and it’s served with a sweet-ish olive oil. It’s hard to describe, exactly, because the flavors are very complex. It’s good! They do have a bread service, like Sanaa, but I haven’t ordered that here. Honestly, the complimentary bread was good enough that I’m not sure I want to try something different!
The shrimp & grits was my favorite meal of the whole trip! The shrimp were plump and juicy, and just enough spice to not overpower the flavor of the fish, but add enough flavor to the grits. It was accompanied by roasted tomatoes. Yum! I didn’t have enough room for dessert but I stole a bite of my husband’s and it was very chocolatey. We will definitely be back here again on future visits. What I like about this restaurant is that the menu changes every now and then with new items, so there’s always something new to try. I’ve also heard great things about Nomad Lounge, right next door, and while the lounges on property are all kid-friendly, I feel a bit weird about bringing my son to one. Maybe when he’s older and a bit less toddler-y!
And, uh, Fly!
Next up was our FastPass+ for Flight of Passage! FastPass+ is pretty much a necessity on this attraction. The only other way to experience this with a short wait is to either rope drop it and be at the front of the crowd, or attend one of the after hours events. When people ask me what’s the best tip about visiting Walt Disney World, it’s get those FastPass+ reservations 60 days in advance! This is one where you definitely want that FastPass+. With the FastPass+ we waited maybe about 20 minutes, including the pre-show. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this is a fantastic attraction. I’m not sure what I enjoy better, Rise of the Resistance or Flight of Passage. They are both so good, so immersive, and push the limits of what Imagineering is capable of. Highly recommend experiencing this one.
Let’s Go Get That Dino! And That Slinky Dog!
We scored a FastPass+ for Dinosaur, so we headed on over to Dinoland USA to visit Dr. Seeker and go get our dino! If you’re familiar with Disneyland, this ride has the exact same track layout & vehicle as Indiana Jones Adventure. Yep, exactly the same! I think Indiana Jones is better-themed, although I do enjoy how cheesy this one is!
As soon as we had scanned in for this FastPass+ we hopped on the app and started checking for a FastPass+ for Slinky Dog. We had made dining reservations for Rose & Crown at Epcot, but we knew that with the Skyliner and the boats between Hollywood Studios and Epcot we could always hop back and forth pretty easily between the two parks. I kept checking and checking on the app the whole time when we were in line, and when we were on the way to the bus to Epcot. Finally, as we were approaching the bus stop for Epcot, BOOM! There it was. The Slinky Dog Dash FastPass+! And it was at just the right time where we could have dinner at Rose & Crown then head over! Perfect.
An Evening at Epcot
When we arrived at Epcot we decided to check out The Sea with Nemo & Friends. If you’re familiar with Disneyland, this ride is kind of like a mix between the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Little Mermaid Undersea Adventure, and a live aquarium. It’s really cute and hardly ever has a wait (I wouldn’t use a FastPass+ on this one). We walked right on! Unfortunately I wasn’t feeling all that great afterwards, so while everyone else enjoyed the dolphins and manatees in the aquarium, I took it easy and relaxed for a bit.
Finally, it was time for dinner at Rose & Crown! This is in the UK pavilion at Epcot, and it’s one of our old favorites as well. The atmosphere here isn’t necessarily peaceful like Tiffins, unless you’re sitting outside on the water. The inside has an English pub/tavern-style atmosphere, and it can get loud, especially if you’re sitting close to the actual pub portion (close to the World Showcase street). It’s quieter if you’re dining during off-hours or at the beginning of lunch or dinner service. One other thing to note is that outside dining is especially popular later during dinner service for the fantastic view of the nighttime show in World Showcase Lagoon.
We were quickly seated on the upper level of the patio overlooking the water. It was a bit chilly, but we enjoyed the view over the water. My husband and I ordered iced tea, as we love their iced tea, and we looked over the menus. I wasn’t feeling that great so I requested a kids menu, which our waitress was more than happy to provide. I ended up getting just plain spaghetti noodles with meatballs and fruit. My husband ordered the bangers and mash, and our friends ordered fish & chips. Katie got the vegetarian version while James got the normal version. The vegetarian version wasn’t listed on the menu, our waitress suggested it – I am also not sure if this is vegan, or just vegetarian! All in all, a solid menu with a fun atmosphere.
Hooray for Hollywood (Studios)!
We decided to take the Friendship Boats to Hollywood Studios because I hadn’t been feeling well and didn’t want to be trapped on the Skyliner in case it were to break down. Unfortunately we had just barely missed the boat, so we started walking towards the Boardwalk area to catch up at the next dock. Along the way, we made a quick stop at Abracadabar to check out the truly reflective mirror – one of our favorite fun stops in Walt Disney World! We then caught the boat at Boardwalk Inn and enjoyed the rest of the trip to Hollywood Studios.
We walked right up to Slinky Dog Dash and didn’t have to wait long to board. This is a super cute ride and fun for the whole family. I highly recommend having FastPass+ for this one, or experiencing it through an extra ticketed event, as the line is really long (even at rope drop!). It’s just thrilling enough for little ones but not unapproachable – the fun, over the top characters and theming probably won’t scare away the younger crowd. For keen eyes, there are lots of details to look out for on this one, too!
Highlights of the Day
- Kilimanjaro Safaris is always a treat. We love seeing the animals in a somewhat natural habitat!
- Tiffins was delicious and relaxing.
- Scoring a FastPass+ for Slinky Dog Dash was awesome!
Letdowns of the Day
- Not feeling well was a bit of a bummer, towards the end of the day. I wish I had felt well enough to order an item off the adult menu, but that’s okay. I’ll be back!
Next Up…
Some new experiences at Magic Kingdom!
