Adventures of a Disney Dad: A Walt Disney World Trip Planning Podcast

Our Favorite Things at Walt Disney World! Episode 100!

September 18, 2026·50 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

We just hit 100 episodes! To celebrate, we're sharing our favorite things at Walt Disney World! We start by ranking all four parks, and Chip and I don't agree. Then we share our top three hotels, plus the budget resorts we'd pick in each category. From there we get into the best ride queues, the resort smells we can't forget, our go-to Disney Springs stops, and the quick service meals we'd eat today if we could. We keep it honest, because a favorite isn't always the right pick for every family. My favorite resort is Riviera, but it's not where I usually stay with my kids, and I explain why. You'll also hear which queue we'd skip every time and the resort scents we can't stop thinking about. We wrap up with a Santa dinner at The Cake Bake Shop that costs a family of four over $900, plus our favorite character meals and the surprise character meets we love most. Chapters 01:15  Looking back at 100 episodes and our guests 02:07  How a paralyzed vocal cord almost stopped the show 04:35  Why these are our favorites, not your rankings 05:03  Ranking the four Walt Disney World parks 06:54  The Animal Kingdom coffee that almost made me miss my flight 09:01  Chip's top three favorite hotels 11:25  My top three favorite hotels 14:50  Our favorite hotels on a budget 16:50  How I pick budget resorts for clients 19:00  Top three ride queues and the worst queue at Disney World 22:36  Tower of Terror, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates queues 24:11  Honorable mentions: Tiana's and Tron 25:12  Our favorite Walt Disney World smells 29:33  Top three Disney Springs stops 34:51  Top three quick service meals 37:15  The most overrated snacks and meals 41:10  Hyped up things that are worth it 44:39  The $900 Santa dinner at The Cake Bake Shop 45:33  Favorite character meets and meals 49:20  Thank you for 100 episodes   👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you. 📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote ⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us. Have a question? Email us: matt@adventuresofadisneydad.com ☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur 📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.

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