Some people wait their entire lives to visit Walt Disney World just one time — cramming as much into a week or a few days as possible. Others go every year, forming family traditions along the way.
Some even get to go a few times a year, or live nearby and can go whenever they want. But even those fortunate few haven’t seen and done everything at Walt Disney World. It’s not even possible to do.
You see, the Vacation Kingdom isn’t just great because of the awesome experiences it offers up — it’s also great because of just how many of those experiences there are in the first place. Even if you went every year for 100 years, you couldn’t see and do everything.
Here’s just a taste of things you might not have done yet, even if you go all the time.
Visit the Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
Millions of visitors will head to Walt Disney World this year, and only a fraction of those visitors will stop by Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground — an absolutely beautiful and picturesque plot of land near the Magic Kingdom. Those that do stop by might enjoy the Hoop-De-Doo Revue or a fun dinner at Trail’s End and then grab a boat back to the Magic Kingdom.
A select few, however, will pay a visit to the front of Disney’s Fort Wilderness — and check out the Tri-Circle-D Ranch.
Disneyland itself had a ranch inside, owing to Walt Disney’s obsession with the American heartland. When the company moved east, it knew it needed to bring that feature to the planned campground on property. Thus, the Tri-Circle-D Ranch was born, offering horse and pony rides to guests in a setting that is so rustic, it’s almost hard to believe it’s at Walt Disney World.
But it is, and it’s worth a visit if you’ve never been.
SCUBA dive at The Seas with Nemo and Friends
When The Seas with Nemo and Friends first opened, it came with a much more present theme — Seabase Alpha. In the world of the attraction, guests would sit through a brief pre-show and then board “hydrolators” that would transport them down to the ocean floor below. There, they would board “sea taxis” that would take them along the ocean floor and to Seabase Alpha’s main exhibition area.
Obviously, this was all a show: Seabase Alpha was merely a well-themed acquarium, but the effect was astonishing to witness. Themed air locks and massive picture windows truly gave the space a sense of place — one which it still has in some sense, but is downplayed by the Finding Nemo theme.
The most exciting feature of the pavilion, however, was always the ability to SCUBA dive in the tank itself. Throughout the pavilion’s history, this has been possible — for a fee, of course — so long as you were a certified diver. You still see guests in the tanks with instructors and crew, swimming with the sea life that has made The Seas so popular.
If you want to do it, hey — there’s always time to get dive certified before your next trip!
Sing karaoke at Kimonos Lounge
That’s right: There is a karaoke bar on Walt Disney World property! Located at the Walt Disney World Swan, this sushi bar has become rather infamous as a conventioneer’s after-work hangout — but that only livens up a space that truly bears festive atmosphere.
The sushi is excellent, but the karaoke is definitely the main attraction.
Unlike many bars that offer karaoke nights, Kimonos performance spots are nightly — meaning you don’t have to worry about missing out on your moment in the spotlight even if your trip is rather short.
However, its location in the Swan — a generally overlooked restaurant — tends to make it a somewhat hidden gem of Walt Disney World restaurants. With places like Beaches and Cream, The Yachtsman, the Cape May Cafe, the Crew’s Cup Lounge, the Ale and Compass Lounge, Il Mulino, Bluezoo, and tons of other restaurants in the same general area, usually Kimonos doesn’t get a shout. But if you’re looking for karaoke, it’s the spot for you.
Set foot in the Atlantic Dance Hall
When Disney’s Boardwalk Resort opened in 1996, the company envisioned it as a kind of supplementary nightlife district that could work in concert with the then-Downtown Disney nearby. As such, they loaded it full of entertainment options — from restaurants and party games to piano bars and ESPN-themed clubs.
Of course, the late 1980s and early 1990s saw a dance club boom — and so, Disney felt a need to get in on the craze themselves. In addition to the Pleasure Island section of Downtown Disney attracting the party crowd, Disney’s Boardwalk would get the Atlantic Dance Hall — a nightclub of its very own.
It opened along with the rest of the resort in 1996. In the ensuing 20-plus years, I have never once set foot in the establishment. I’d be willing to bet most of you haven’t either.
It has become, for all intents and purposes, an event space designed to be rented out for parties and promotions. They do still have DJs perform, but the crowds are scarce. Jellyrolls, the dueling piano bar across the boardwalk, has seen itself become a kind of cult hit among the Disney faithful. Atlantic Dance Hall, on the other hand, has essentially become wasted space.
Dine at Olivia’s at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Walt Disney World has so many incredible restaurants, it’s hard to know where to start planning your trip. From the California Grill to Narcoossee’s and everywhere in between, Disney cuisine is top notch — and new restaurants in Disney Springs and some resort expansions have made that decision tougher than ever.
So, sometimes, mitigating factors wind up making that decision for you. Perhaps you don’t want to go too far from a park, or you aren’t willing to try an unusual cruising — as such, restaurants quickly get scratched off the list for somewhat arbitrary reasons.
One restaurant that seems to always meet this fate is the perpetually underrated Olivia’s at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. Themed to the food of the so-called Conch Republic, there’s a Floridian-Southern style that is both wonderfully relaxing and incredibly delicious. Reservations are nearly always available, parking isn’t an issue, and it’s easily accessible via boat from Disney Springs (and bus, of course, from other points).
Something about it makes it seem forgettable — a kind of “out of sight, out of mind” effect. Even if you’ve been to the Vacation Kingdom dozens of times, you’ve probably never tried it. Although, to be honest, I can’t judge — Jiko is too good to eat anywhere else.
Ride the Main Street Vehicles
It may seem counter intuitive, but one of the very first attractions guests encounter when they enter the most-visited theme park on planet earth also tends to be one people basically never ride.
The Main Street Vehicles are legitimate transportation options that, to be fair, aren’t particularly useful. They only take you on a one-way trip to the end of Main Street, whereupon you must disembark and enjoy the rest of your day. Still, the charm is undeniable — and every time you see one cruising down Main Street USA, it’s hard not to be a bit jealous.
Now, sure, lots of people enjoy this attraction, and for some, it’s a must do. But I know you’re out there — you’ve been to the Magic Kingdom every year, but you still haven’t done this. “I’ll get to it someday!” you might say.
Hey, there’s no time like the present!
