Things At Disney That Are Funner For Adults

Basically the Skyliner crawl, but instead of drinks, it’s food! The monorail stops at (in my opinion) the three best hotels on Disney property: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Contemporary, and Disney’s Grand Floridian. The “monorail dinner crawl” is basically grabbing a course at each. IMO, the best route would be clockwise starting at Citricos in the Grand Floridian for an appetizer, moving to Steakhouse 71 or California Grill at the Contemporary for dinner, and ending at the Dole Whip stand at the Polynesian for dessert.

There is truly nothing I love more than when two instruments duel. Dueling banjos? Excellent. Dueling violins? Yes, please. Jellyrolls, located at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn has live entertainment every night, and quite possibly my favorite dueling instrument, dueling pianos.

What? You wanted a recommendation for the Skyliner Bar Crawl? At the Boardwalk Inn, the Abracadabar is turn-of-the-century magic-themed, and their menu is a fun take on it, serving drinks like the Parlor Trick (Four Roses bourbon small-batch, simple syrup, and a splash of soda water) and Pepper’s Ghost (Ciroc pineapple vodka, and habanero lime). Staying vigilant at the bar pays off since some corners of the lounge, like the posters and the mirrors, are magic.

Suggested to me by several cast members, though not something I’ve tried myself, Disney’s Skyliner stops at the Art of Animation Resort, the Caribbean Beach Resort, the Riviera Resort, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. How fun does it sound to explore each of these resorts, grab a drink, and take to the skies for your next stop?

While kids would definitely enjoy Cirque du Soleil’s acrobatics in Drawn to Life at Disney Springs, there’s an added layer of thrill for adults who will grip onto their armrests when they notice the complete and total lack of safety harnesses the performers are wearing during their high-flying antics. The story behind it revolves around the value of family and, I’m not going to lie, makes you tear up just a little bit.

While there’s no doubt in my mind kiddos would love the Flower and Garden Festival, there’s something so nice about strolling leisurely, looking at all of the topiaries, and grabbing little bites from around the World Showcase. The pace is better with friends because they won’t make you wait in line for 90 minutes for the Frozen ride.

Epcot’s new space-themed restaurant, where you shuttle up 220 miles above Earth to dine amongst the stars is for people who are at least 20% an adventurous eater. The mixed drinks have futuristic touches, like Pop Rock floaters and cotton candy clouds, and the prix fixe meal isn’t for anyone that comes in just wanting chicken fingers. It’s best to visit with fellow foodies who don’t mind if you sneak a bite from their plate.

This is a five-hour walking tour that takes you all around Magic Kingdom, even to areas inaccessible to guests! Explore the Utilidors (the underground tunnels), learn Disney history, and get an ear full of fun facts about the classic Disney World attractions. It’s every Disney Adult’s dream. (And lunch is included in the price of the tour!).

The story goes that The Edison used to be an abandoned power plant that has long been turned into a restaurant full of inventive cocktails and an elevated American menu. Select nights after 10 p.m., The Edison turns to 21+ and has live entertainment like cabaret dancers, bands, aerialists, and DJs while diners enjoy their meals.

OK, hear me out…this is one of two Disney World water parks, and while it’s got coasters and slides, there’s something so tranquil about the lazy river. For kids, lazy rivers are boring and don’t have enough water features. With friends? Grab a chair and get to floatin’. It’s a perfect morning plan to rest your weary bones from a few full days at the theme parks.

Just like Space 220, this is not the place to go for picky eaters. Jaleo has a Spanish-style tapas menu with ingredients thoughtfully paired. You can tell the food is the focus here. Between the wait staff taking your order and sorting the dishes into courses that will complement each other to the chefs cheering when a fresh pan of paella is complete, this place is for anyone who loves food as much as Remy from Ratatouille does.

Located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Steakhouse 71 is inspired by the move that Disney made from California to Florida and features California flavors with a citrus twist. It also has a menu full of Disney Easter eggs and includes upscale versions of some ’70s dishes like ambrosia and Salisbury steak. Other parts of the menu are more connected to the Disney family’s history, like the glass of Silverado wine you can order, a wine company started by Walt’s wife and daughter, Lillian and Diane Disney.

To kids, the Carousel of Progress is a chance to get into the air conditioning for 20 minutes, but for adults, it’s a fun ride that makes you nostalgic. While the show isn’t anything to write home about, there’s something very cool about seeing an attraction that Walt Disney displayed at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. It really makes you feel like you’re on a piece of Disney history in a way that other older attractions don’t exactly achieve. It’s also pretty amazing to ride the Carousel of Progress and an attraction like The Seven Dwarves Mine Train to see just how far Disney’s animatronics have come.

This Indiana Jones-themed spot at Disney Springs is inspired by Jones’s pilot friend from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Lindsay has amassed a collection of several artifacts, and the bar is filled with fun Easter eggs from the movies and plenty of decor reminiscent of the Golden Age of Travel. Any ’80s kid who grew up with Dr. Jones will get sucked into the little details, and anyone who loves cheese (re: me) will get sucked into their kick-ass charcuterie board. Check out Jock’s lost and found by the bathrooms to catch a glimpse of the Headpiece of the Staff of Ra, the amulet used in Raiders of the Lost Ark to unveil the location of the Ark of Covenant.

They start at $79, and a Disney Photopass photographer will follow you around and take photos of you and your group for an hour at one of the four theme parks. With kids, you’d have to make sure everyone is smiling and looking at the camera while you secretly tickle them or have someone jingle their keys. When you do it with friends (it can be a group of up to eight people) or an S/O, all you have to focus on is adorable poses for the ‘gram.

This is in my top five favorite rides at Disney World and it’s at Epcot. I always have to BEG the kids in my traveling party to go on it because it’s “boring,” which is so not the case. For those not familiar, it’s a boat ride through Epcot’s greenhouse, explaining the human connection between the Earth and the cultivation of it. Sounds super boring, right? WRONG. The boat ride explains gardening techniques, farming, and sustainability. Riding through the greenhouse, you’ll definitely go, “Huh, I could grow cucumbers hydroponically like that. I could put them on the patio next to my monstera.” No thrills, and no IP (besides the occasional hidden Mickey made out of lettuce), but it’s a fascinating look into different ways to grow food, be good to the Earth, and even see fish! What’s even cooler is that the fruits and vegetables grown in Living with the Land are also used at Disney restaurants around Epcot. Sure kids will stay on it if you promise to take them to Soarin’ next, but with other adults, you’ll all be talking about just how big those squash were. And maybe it’s the coastal grandma in me, but I really want to do Living With the Land’s Behind the Seeds walking tour because my thumb is woefully not green.