What to Do
There's much more to a Disney vacation than classic attractions and magical parades! Plan a behind-the-scenes tour at your favorite park, a special nighttime cruise during the fireworks shows, or enjoy a leisurely snorkel trail at Disney's own private island, Castaway Cay. Walt Disney World's newest attraction "The American Idol Experience," which opened in February at Disney's Hollywood Studios, is designed to immerse park guests in the authentic feel of a “live” television production. Don't miss it!
WHAT TO DO
Magic Kingdom Park is divided into seven themed “lands,” all featuring attractions, entertainment, restaurants and shops. The park is entered through Main Street, U.S.A., a representation of a typical late 19th-century boulevard complete with cafes, shops and horse-drawn streetcars.
As your boat peacefully glides along the canal, you'll be entertained by hundreds of international dolls singing and dancing to the popular "It's a Small World" song. The major themes include: United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, Central/South America, and South Pacific Islands. After it's over, you will be singing this tune for the rest of the day!
Take a water adventure intermingled with a classic tale. Splash Mountain's theme is based on the antics of Brer Fox and Bref Bear doing their best to catch Brer Rabbit as he goes off in search of his laughing place. It's from the old movie "Song of the South". Hop a hollowed-out log to follow Brer Rabbits mischievous escapeades as he tries to flee the clutches of Brer Fox and Brer Bear through the twists and turns of a swamp and the bayou. Go through a series of three small hills and drops until you plunge five stories off Chickapin Hill. What a thrill!
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park features real and imaginary animals as well as attractions and live shows.
Entering through The Oasis, a lush area of streams, gardens and waterfalls, visitors can go back in time to encounter dinosaurs, take an African safari amid free-roaming animals, be transported to southeast Asia and come face-to-face with Disney characters in entertaining settings.
This one you can't miss! Open-air vehicles transport adventurers on a 20 minute Kilimanjaro Safari during which zebras, giraffe, hippos, elephants, rhinos and lions can be spotted. Since animals have minds of their own, no two safaries are ever the same. You may even catch a glimpse of one of the many baby animals that were recently born. Fun for the entire family!
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park is a mix of Florida sun and alpine snow. “Snow”-capped Mt. Gushmore is where you'll find side-by-side racing waterslides and Summit Plummet, where those who dare can plunge down a 90-foot drop at 55 mph. Tamer offerings include a family raft ride down Teamboat Springs, “icy” bobsled runs, an inner tube run, a chair lift ride, flumes, a wave pool and a children's area.
Food is available.
• Slush Gusher: Cool off while you're swooshing down the mountain in this speed slide to the base of the snowy Mount Gushmore.
• Cross Country Creek: Get lazy! Put your feet up and unwind in an inner tube on a continuous flowing creek that surrounds the entire park.
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park featuring attractions, Broadway-style shows and live entertainment, all centered around popular films, television, music and animation.
The centerpiece of the park is the 122-foot Sorcerer's Hat, designed to resemble the pointed hat worn by Mickey Mouse in Disney's animated film “Fantasia.” Walt Disney World's newest attraction "The American Idol Experience," which opened in February at Disney's Hollywood Studios, is designed to immerse park guests in the authentic feel of a “live” television production.
One of the most thrilling rides of all is The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Overlooking Sunset Boulevard is a 13-story structure that was once the Hollywood Tower Hotel, now deserted. Board a phantom elebator, shoot up 13 stories, and brace yourself for a thrilling plummet. Before you can catch your breath you shoot quickly up, down, up, and down all over again. It's a different thrill every time.
If you've ever dreamed of becoming part of the "American Idol*" phenomenon, then welcome to Disney's Hollywood Studios! Because now you can live the dream during The American Idol Experience*. This exhilirating, new attraction will feature the glitz and glamour of the hit television series' stunning set, and will give Guests an opportunity to experience the thrill as if really at the show.
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park re-creates a tropical village that has just experienced a great storm.
An adventure awaits thrill-seekers on Crush 'n' Gusher, a white-knuckle coaster-style water ride featuring gravity-defying uphill climbs, hairpin turns and sudden drops.
Also featured are a children's water playground and one of the world's largest wave pools.
Food is available.
• Shark Reef: Immerse yourself in this snorkeling saltwater experience, swimming with sharks and colorful tropical fish.
• Gang Plank Falls: Have the whole family hop aboard for a four person raft ride that is dripping with fun.
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex is a state-of-the-art sports venue where amateur and professional athletes hone their skills and compete in their particular sport. The complex is the spring-training home of the Atlanta Braves and the summer training camp for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Admissions:For guests who are not athletes or coaches participating in an event, an admission fee is required for entrance into Disney's Wide World of Sports® Complex
General Disney's Wide World of Sports® Complex admission prices:
Adults (ages 10+): $12.75
Downtown Disney Area is a waterfront shopping, themed dining and entertainment complex. The area is a showplace of celebrity restaurants, a 24-screen movie theater and specialty shops.
This incredible indoor interactive theme park is packed with loads of fun. Uncover five floors of cutting edge technology. Here is a taste of what you will find:
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold takes a crew of four into a 3-D world of plundered towns, fortress islands and erupting volcanoes for an action-packed, five-minutes of fun.
Epcot encompasses Future World and World Showcase—two major areas designed to combine Disney fun and imagination with the wonders of the real world.
Attractions in Future World include the park's symbol, Spaceship Earth, where mankind's innovations from Earth's earliest days to the present are explored in a time travel adventure, and Innoventions, which lets guests discover the world's latest technology in a constantly changing, hands-on showcase.
Take a free-flying voyage across the natural wonders of California aboard this thrilling Disney Adventure. Riders will want to keep their eyes wide open for Soarin's airborne journey. The adventure begins with a swoop above San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Then it's a float over a river alongside some majestic California redwoods. Other flyovers include a Sierras' ski resort, Yosemite Falls, the Anzo-Borrega Desert, and the California coast.
Disney's California Adventure is a theme park based on the fun, golden dreams and adventures of California. Guests enter the park through Sunshine Plaza, where a 50-foot-tall glistening sun tops a fountain, and proceed under a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge, which also is used to transport the resort monorail overhead. The park has four themed lands: Paradise Pier, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, the Golden State and “A Bug's Land.”
Disneyland park encompasses more than 60 major attractions, 50 shops and 30 restaurants divided among eight themed lands. Entering Disneyland through a 19th-century railroad station, guests can board one of four trains of the Disneyland Railroad and circle the park, passing the 1890s Main Street, U.S.A., and seven other theme areas: Tomorrowland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Critter Country, Mickey's Toontown and New Orleans Square.
Created for Disneyland's 50th anniversary, the "Remember…Dreams Come True" fireworks show is one of the best in the park's history. Each segment represents one of the "lands" and the rides in it. Pay attention to the music and use your imagination and you can make out the stretching room, watch a Pirates of the Caribbean cannon battle, see a bouncing Tigger and a Mickey Mouse head.
Take a free-flying voyage across the natural wonders of California aboard this thrilling Disney Adventure. Riders will want to keep their eyes wide open for Soarin's airborne journey. The adventure begins with a swoop above San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Then it's a float over a river alongside some majestic California redwoods. Other flyovers include a Sierras' ski resort, Yosemite Falls, the Anzo-Borrega Desert, and the California coast.
Downtown Disney, in the heart of the Disneyland Resort, is a 20-acre shopping, dining and entertainment district within walking distance of both theme parks. A spot to relax in during the day, this garden esplanade turns into a nighttime entertainment complex with theaters, dining, shops, nightlife and live entertainment. Features include a 12-plex theater; the House of Blues; ESPN Zone, a sports-themed restaurant and club; and an expansive World of Disney store.
This is a 3-D show, with the goofy glasses to wear and the usual 3-D effects. The storyline is the Innovator of the Year Awards, where inventor Wayne Szalinski (the wacky scientist from the films) is supposed to be the recipient. As you might expect, if you've seen the films, things go awry and the audience ends up getting shrunk this time.
Can’t miss this ride! This roller coaster pulls you up eight stories high before sending you flying down to earth past mountains scenes and the elusive Abominable Snowman.
A quiet bayou boat ride suddenly ends up in the middle of a pirate raid, complete with cannons blasting and fires blazing. It was refurbished in 2006, with new characters, sound, original movie props and a new "Treasure Cache," with more than 400,000 gold coins and set pieces.
Kids ages 3-7 will find new friends and fun in this Disney Cruise Line program. Run by trained counselors, kids will enjoy tons of adventures the way only Disney can do it:
Mouseketeers In Training: learn to be a Mouseketeer and get a special inspection from Mickey Mouse himself
Pooh Stretches: go to the Hundred Acre Woods and bounce like Tigger, hop like Roo, and stretch like Pooh
Kids ages 8-12 can learn, play, and explore a world beyond their imagination in this program. With arts and crafts, an opportunity to meet the captain of the ship, karaoke, ghost stories, and pool parties, you'll have a hard time getting your kids to leave!
Nautical Mystery Challenge: explore the ship for clues and solve this mystery at sea
Radio Waves: use your voice and our equipment to produce you own crazy radio commercials
This family club looks like a TV soundstage! Get up on stage, or sit back and enjoy the activities!
The ultimate hang-out for teens ages 13-17 where they can hang out with their friends, listen to music, watch a movie, sing and dance, or talk and play. Furnished with big-screen plasma TVs, video games, a lounge, and Internet cafe, the cool counselors will make sure that all teens find someone awesome to hang out with. Aloft on the Disney Magic and The Stack on the Disney Wonder.
H2O Splashdown: exclusive teen pool party with poolside games and rockin' music
Kid's Nite Out caregivers can provide one-on-one in-room childcare in the comfort of a Walt Disney World® Resort room. The professional staff of Kid's Nite Out gives the child individual attention by playing a variety of fun-filled activities with him/her including reading books, coloring, or playing "I Spy" games. They can also provide a fun, well-trained sitter to just hang out with the family if they need a father's/mother's helper.
Kid's Nite Out also plans and works children's parties, camps, and children's theme conventions.
Kid's Nite Out caregivers can provide one-on-one in-room childcare in the comfort of a Walt Disney World® Resort room. The professional staff of Kid's Nite Out gives the child individual attention by playing a variety of fun-filled activities with him/her including reading books, coloring, or playing "I Spy" games. They can also provide a fun, well-trained sitter to just hang out with the family if they need a father's/mother's helper.
Kid's Nite Out also plans and works children's parties, camps, and children's theme conventions.
FEATURED DISNEY SPECIALS
Walt Disney World
Visit Disney for FREE on Your Birthday 7 Nights for the Price of 4Disney Cruise Line
Kids Sail Free on Disney CruisesCONTACT AAA TRAVEL
(888) 320-3163
Travel Consultants E-mail
Travel Support
(888) 320-3163
Travel Consultants E-mail
Adventures by Disney
Adventures by Disney provides planned and guided family vacations with numerous itineraries, for vacations with kids or without, to dynamic destinations all over the globe.
Learn More
Disney Club of the Year AAA Western & Central New York
AAA Western and Central New York was named as the winner of the prestigious 2008 “Disney Club of the Year Award” Learn More
Book Disney with AAA and Receive Great Member Benefits
Members can save up to 10%, 15%, 20%, or 35% on the non-discounted rate of the room portion of these vacation packages. Learn MoreTRAVEL AGENT ATTRACTIONS SUGGESTIONS
DISNEY WORLD
Mary Lenhardt"If you are staying on property, take advantage of the extra magic mornings and evenings. Work your way around the park clockwise, instead of counterclockwise, to avoid some of the crowds."
Coleen Romanowski"Take advantage of Disney’s Fast Pass. You will save a ton of time in line. If you are traveling with young kids or babies who don’t meet the age or height restrictions, ask about the rider switch/child swap policy. One parent waits nearby with the child while the other goes on the ride. When the first parent comes off the ride, the second parent can go right on."
Sara Christensen"Use Park Hoppers! They give you the freedom to go to whatever park you want, whenever you want. Even in the same day!"
Lynn Richau"Always plan some down time with kids. Go back to the hotel, swim, relax, and go back to the parks later then it’s cooler and less crowded."
Jennifer Sanborn"If at all possible, visit the Magic Kingdom on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. The weekends are always busy with local Floridians visiting the most popular of Disney’s theme parks, and Mondays and Fridays are steady because of people extending their weekends."




