My favorite lands (spots) in WDW

This week’s Destination Disney topic is to share our 8 Favorite “Lands”.  It’s so easy to say that we love ALL of Walt Disney World.  But, everyone has their favorite areas of the parks – areas that have a special place in their heart due to a favorite attraction that is there, or a favorite memory. 

Here are mine (in no particular order)---

1 ~ Main Street, U.S.A. (Magic Kingdom)

Because I can’t imagine a trip to Walt Disney World without going to the Magic Kingdom and strolling down Main Street.  I mean, the first thing that pops into a person’s head when you mention Walt Disney World is Cinderella’s Castle, right?  And in order to get to the castle, you have to walk down Main Street!  And, for me, a trip wouldn’t be complete without browsing all the shops along the street, and stopping to get our picture taken (several times) by the Photopass photographers.  Main Street – it’s so iconic for so many reasons – and I just love it!

2 ~ Adventureland (Magic Kingdom)

Since I discovered the Dole Whip Float in 2009, I have not made a trip to the World without indulging in at least one.  In addition to this most yummiest of snacks (thank God you can buy them with a snack credit), we also are quite taken with Pirates of the Caribbean (gotta love Captain Jack!), the Jungle Cruise (a trip wouldn’t be complete without those cheesy jokes!), and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin (I know I’m probably risking Disney anarchy here – but I like it better than Dumbo – probably because the lines are always shorter here). 

3 ~ The Land Pavilion (Epcot – Future World)

Living with the Land has been one of my favorite attractions since my very first visit to Epcot in 1988.  I used to think other people found this ride boring – but in my journeys through the Disney blogging community, I’ve found a lot of other friends who like it too.  And, with the addition of Soarin’ . . . well, The Land Pavilion really is my favorite place in Future World.  We enjoyed supper at The Garden Grill last spring – the food probably wasn’t my favorite in the Disney parks (but I did love the sweet potato fries on the kids’ platter!) 

4 ~ Sunset Boulevard Area (Hollywood Studios)

With my absolute love for the Tower of Terror, how could I not list Sunset Boulevard among my favorites?!  I mean, really – if there were no Sunset Boulevard, where would they have put ToT?  Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is a favorite with my family too (though I can take it or leave it).  And while we haven’t watched it for a few years now, we all adore the Beauty & the Beast LIVE show.  Oh, and we’ve found some wonderful treasures in some of the shops along this street as well. 

 

5 ~ Asia (Animal Kingdom)

On our last few trips to the World, we didn’t have much time to visit Animal Kingdom – so we fixed that this last time.  We spent a full day there, and I was wishing for a few more days!  We took our time and just meandered through the park – skipping the things that aren’t our favorites, but savoring the rest.  Having 2 children who are of Asian decent, the Asia part of the park has great appeal to me.  (Brian and I spent 2 weeks in Vietnam in 2000 being transported around in a xich-lo very similar to the one in this photo.)  I love the Maharajah Jungle Trek and standing and watching the monkeys in the trees.  I wish we had hours upon hours to spend in just this portion of the park (maybe I’ll get my change in September!)

6 ~ Africa (Animal Kingdom)

Even on those trips when we didn’t have time to spend at AK, we would hop over just to ride Kilimanjaro Safaris.  To me, it’s the attraction that really makes Animal Kingdom live up to its name.  On this last trip, we had breakfast at Tusker House and it made me love Africa all the more.  Watching the Gorillas on the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and all the realistic buildings, etc. --- well, just put it all together and I just absolutely love this part of the park. Oh, I even love walking across the bridge INTO Africa – where you can look over to the right and see Expedition Everest (in Asia).  Such a great view!

7 ~ Mexico Pavilion (Epcot – Future World)

I’d love to just “cheat” here and pick all of World Showcase because I truly do love it all.  But, there’s always been something special to me about Mexico – I think because when you tour the World in a clockwise direction, you get to Mexico first.  And I suddenly feel like I am “home” again – touring a part of Walt Disney World that is among my absolute favorites!  Last time, we took a friend’s suggestion and tried the churros – ummm . . . in a word --- YUM!  We’ll definitely be getting those again.

8 ~ Norway Pavilion (Epcot – World Showcase)

Is Norway on my list because it’s the second country you come to?  I don’t know.  Maybe.  Or maybe it’s because we love eating breakfast with the princesses in Akershus.  It’s one of our all-time favorite character meals, for sure.  The food is delicious (we all love it) and the character interaction is top-notch. After breakfast, we like hitting up the shops, doing a little sword-fighting, and visiting with the grumpy trolls. 

So, there you have it – my 8 Favorites “Lands” in the Walt Disney World parks.  To read what other people put on their lists, or to link up a list of your own, please click here.