MORNING: EPCOT
First stop, Future World, on the other side of Epcot. Epcot's main entrance often opens ahead of the stated hour, so try to get there early. Now's the time to try to beat the long lines at Spaceship Earth, where you can take a 14-minute tram ride inside the 180-foot-tall geosphere, and have a quick breakfast before the rest of the park officially opens.Once the rest of the park opens, hoof it to Test Track, Disney most technologically impressive attraction. Riders over 40 inches tall get the chance to test GM-inspired Disney test cars. Next, head for "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" in the Journey Into Imagination pavilion. (If your kids are too young for Test Track, go to "Honey" first.) Lots of attractions claim to be popular with all ages, but this 3-D show truly is.
My kids and I also like the Wonders of Life pavilion, which contains the stomach-lurching, motion-simulation ride Body Wars. Leigh won't touch that one, so she heads for the funny film CRANIUM COMMAND, which chronicles a day in the life of a 12-year-old boy. At Coach's Corner, you can have your tennis or golf swing videotaped, played back in slow motion and analyzed by videotaped experts like Chris Evert and Nancy Lopez.
Another Epcot must-see is Innoventions, an arcade containing virtual-reality video games. The lines can be long, and you get just three minutes on some of the machines, but I must confess that even a Sega-dunce like me got hooked on the billiard game. It's easy to kill a couple of hours here, so don't go until you've been to a few of the large pavilions.
AFTERNOON AND EVENING: MGM
MGM has lots of shows, ergo, lots of chances to sit, so my crew can handle going directly there from Epcot. (Younger kids, however, may be ready for a nap.) Exit Epcot via the World Showcase back door, walk to the dock at the Yacht Club Resort, and take the water taxi to MGM.Once through MGM's gates, we like to have an early dinner at the Prime Time '50s Café (meals are reasonably priced), which puts you smack in the middle of a '50s sitcom set. Classic TV clips play in the background while you sit at Formica tables, eating meat loaf and other comfort food served up by your waitress-mom. It's a hoot to click through the dessert menu on a View-Master. The s'mores are a must.
Afterward, take in a few rides and shows. At this time of day, the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" Stage Show are easier to get into, and you may be able to slip into the last seating of "Beauty and the Beast."
The Tower of Terror is especially fun to ride at night. Disney technology allows the long-deceased Rod Serling to narrate the preshow, which takes you into a segment of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. The brief ride through the Hollywood Tower hotel is spooky, but the real killer is the 13-story plunge down an elevator shaft at the end.
All prices shown are without tax.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated June 2005.
