A Look at Some of the Often Missed Attractions
Walt Disney World is full of world-class attractions. Among these super-headliners are a collection of lesser-known att
It’s easy to notice people rushing from attraction to attraction at Walt Disney World, especially when trying to cram in as many rides and shows as they can during the less busy morning period. What may not be so noticeable is the number of great attractions and distractions that can be missed when running from one headliner to another. Here’s a list of must-see but often missed attractions at Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream
This tribute to the man himself Walt Disney is one of the easiest to miss attractions at Walt Disney World. Located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, behind The Great Movie Ride, many park visitors often miss this attraction when hurrying to the ever-popular Toy Story Midway Mania in Pixar Place. Whilst its location makes it easy to miss its contents makes it an amazing experience for anybody with an interest in Disney Parks & Resorts and the Walt Disney Company as a whole.
The first section of the attraction is a walkthrough area, with a host of exhibits all related to something Walt Disney has inspired. Highlights include models of various Disney Park attractions from around the world and a scale model of Walt’s original office. The second part of the attraction is a movie dedicated to the life of Walt and the legacy he left. Whilst the movie is long by theme park standards it offers a great chance for guests to get out of the midday heat and appreciate the life works of the man who inspired the parks and movies millions enjoy around the world.
As Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream never has a wait it can fit easily into anyone’s plans for the day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s worth noting, however, that during quieter times of the year the attraction operates seasonal opening times, meaning it will only be open for a few hours a day.
Club Cool
Situated near Innoventions West at Epcot Club Cool is often missed by park guests heading for Test Track, Mission: Space, and Soarin’ but it’s a great place to stop and take a rest with a refreshing beverage of your choice. Club Cool is less of an attraction and more of a distraction, aimed at promoting soft drinks from various countries around the world.
Club Cool, sponsored by Coca-Cola, offers park guests the chance to try a refreshing beverage (non-alcoholic) from around the world. Best of all these tasters are all free, meaning visitors can get a refreshing soda without having to fork out the price of a Coke or similar soft drink.
It has to be noted that some of the beverages on offer at Club Cool aren’t the greatest tasting and may leave some guests searching frantically for something to wash away the taste with. That said there is a handful of drinks on offer that are both tasty and refreshing, making Club Cool a cheaper alternative to paying full-price at one of the various soft-drink vendors around the Innoventions West area.
Kim Possible – World Showcase Adventure
Whilst advertised in the Epcot park map many guests never experience this great activity which children of all ages seem to love. Signs located around the park lead visitors to Kim Possible Agents who explain the challenge, swipe guest admission tickets and provide the party experiencing the challenge with a Kim Possible Fast Pass, stating where and when the challenge will begin.
Once at the location participants will be given a Kimmunicator which dictates instructions to help those taking part in the challenge try and find clues located around one of the World Showcase countries where the activity is held. Each mission usually lasts around half an hour.
One of the great things about this activity, as with Club Cool, is that it’s free and requires no deposit on the mobile device (Kimmunicator). Guests can do as many of the missions as they want but can only do one at a time. Possibly the best part of this activity, at least for adults, is that it makes the World Showcase interesting for children, something which can be really helpful for parents trying to browse the various stores and exhibits located within the eleven countries that make up this area of the park.
Electric Water Pageant
The Electric Water Pageant is a nightly show that takes place on Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake which features a collection of barges lit up to show images of various sea creatures and Disney characters all orchestrated to a number of songs including some from Disney movies. The finale is a tribute to the United States of America with the centerpiece being a huge American flag made of lights.
Whilst this certainly isn’t hard to miss if you’re staying at one of the Magic Kingdom Resorts the Water Pageant is missed by many visitors to Walt Disney World as it doesn’t take place inside any of the parks. The barges go past the Polynesian at 9.00PM, the Grand Floridian at 9.15PM, Wilderness Lodge at 9.35PM, Fort Wilderness at 9.45PM and the Contemporary Resort at 10.05PM. Depending upon Magic Kingdom operational hours the Pageant can be seen from the entrance to the park at 10.25PM on select nights.
This can be a great way to end the day at Magic Kingdom, especially for visitors who have seen Magic Kingdom’s evening show Wishes already. Getting the monorail from outside of The Magic Kingdom is the quickest way to reach most of the resorts the Electric Water Pageant passes although guests wishing to view the show from the Contemporary may wish to walk from The Magic Kingdom as this can be quicker than catching the monorail.
All of these attractions and distractions may be common knowledge to veteran visitors to Walt Disney World, but they’re often missed by first-time guests to Central Florida. Whilst they’re not as impressive as the headliner attractions in the four Walt Disney World parks they are still worth a visit when waiting for a Fastpass return time or when avoiding the midday lines.