Things to Do in Disney World

Anyone visiting one of the Magic Kingdom area resorts after dark may be able to experience the little-known electrical water pageant. Most evenings, weather permitting, this parade of lights passes each of the Magic Kingdom resorts and displays a 10-minute show featuring creatures from the deep, King Triton and a tribute to America. Barges sporting 25-foot-high walls of lights and an 800-watt sound system are towed from resort to resort each evening. Official show times can be provided by the front desk of any Disney hotel. The show occasionally may be canceled due to poor weather.

To some, fishing is all that is required to make a vacation perfect. Walt Disney World offers many opportunities to fish while visiting the resort. All fishing at Walt Disney World is on a catch-and-release program, keeping the lakes and bays continuously stocked. The BoardWalk Resort, the Grand Floridian Resort and the Old Key West Resort are just a few of the Disney hotels that offer guests a chance to charter a private-guided fishing boat. These tours include all the equipment you'll need, along with a guide, nonalcoholic beverages, and a membership to BASS, the largest fishing organization in the world. For those not wishing to charter a boat, the Port Orleans Riverside Resort offers cane-pole fishing from the dock. A family of up to six people can fish there for reasonable rates that include the poles and the worms.

Open to anyone visiting Walt Disney World is the campfire and accompanying movie at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. This is a free activity, and it includes a campfire with sing along and a Disney feature film on a makeshift big screen. The time the campfire begins will differ depending on the season and how long it takes to get dark, but any Walt Disney World Resort hotel front desk will be able to not only tell you when it starts, but also tell you what movie will be shown that night. Folks who think ahead can bring their own marshmallows to roast, and the campground sells a handy s'more kit for a small fee to those who wish to purchase one at the event. The campfire is held nightly, weather permitting, near the Meadow Trading Post at Fort Wilderness.

While character dining is a very popular dinner destination for many guests, there are other places to get dinner and see a show. At Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, the Hoop-dee-Doo Musical Revue has been entertaining audiences since 1971, and at Disney's Polynesian Resort the Spirit of Aloha dinner show entertains guests twice nightly. The Spirit of Aloha show runs each evening as well as the Hoop-dee-Doo. Reservations are highly recommended.