I’d like to think that my parents brought me up the right way. They always stressed the fact that rules were made for a reason and I was supposed to follow them. I was never the kid who would cut in line at school or disobey a teacher’s order. Rules were rules, and I have always been a rule-follower (and maybe a bit of a nerd, I’ll admit it!) As an adult and as a parent myself now, however, I don’t always stress that my kids follow ALL of the rules, especially on a vacation in Walt Disney World. Sometimes it’s fun (and even encouraged) to break some rules just to see what will happen. The beauty of a vacation to a Disney destination is that it’s an escape from the everyday issues and rules of the real world. Here are the Rules You SHOULD Break in Walt Disney World.
Don’t Pull The Rope – Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Right outside the queue to the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (which is still a really great show and if you haven’t seen it in a while, go!) is an archaeological dig site with a rope coming out of it. That rope is attached to a pulley and next to it is a sign that reads “Warning: Do Not Pull Rope”. But, as you can see in the picture above, the word “Not” is crossed out. You SHOULD absolutely pull this rope, especially if you have young kids who will think you’re really breaking the rules. I’m not going to spoil it for you and tell you what happens, but it’s a really fun gag that the Disney Imagineers have thrown in for guests to discover on their own. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done it with other people around who think I’m really breaking the rules when I pull that rope! Next time you’re at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, live a little bit, pull that rope!
Eat Your Vegetables – 50’s Prime Time Cafe – Hollywood Studios – You won’t have to travel too far from the Indiana Jones queue to get to the 50’s Prime Time Cafe restaurant. This is a fantastic place to get some good old-fashioned “home cooking” in the Disney Parks. Your “mom” will be in the kitchen cooking your meals while your “cousin, aunt or uncle” will be serving you. Even if you absolutely LOVE your vegetables (unlike my kids!) you should hold off on eating them until the end. Some “cousins” will make you stand in the corner if you don’t eat them, some will make you sing a song in front of the restaurant, and then others will make you do something REALLY embarrassing! You can also try placing your elbows on the table if you really want to bother your “family member” serving you. It’s all in good fun and the food is really excellent and different from your standard theme park food, so make sure you stop by Prime Time and break some rules next time you’re in WDW.
You Can’t Use A Restroom in Liberty Square – Magic Kingdom – This is kind of a fun one. Did you know that there are technically NO restrooms located in Liberty Square? The reason for this is due to Disney’s incredible theming. Disney Imagineers wanted to make Liberty Square as authentic to the time period as possible and since there was no indoor plumbing in Colonial America, there are no restrooms located in this land in the Magic Kingdom. Did you ever notice the brownish line that runs through the center of the walkways in Liberty Square? In colonial times, residents would throw their sewage out into the middle of the street to dispose of it, and that’s what the brownish line is supposed to represent (lovely, right?) So you might be asking yourself, “Wait, this is about BREAKING rules; how can I actually use a restroom in Liberty Square?” Well, technically, you can use the restroom in the counter service restaurant, the Columbia Harbor House, but those restrooms are actually located in Fantasyland!
Listen To Your Elders – Gaston at Magic Kingdom – If you’re like me, you always encourage your children to listen to adults and authority figures and to do what they tell you. That’s not the case with Gaston in New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom. As a matter of fact, I’d recommend letting him have it! This is one of the rare experiences you or your kids will get to really lay into a villain in the Disney parks. So go tell him that he’s not as good-looking as he thinks he is (even though that’s a lie; I’m comfortable enough in my own skin to admit he’s a handsome dude!) Let him know that you’re not happy with the way he treated Belle and Maurice and tell him he’s not welcome in the Most Magical Place On Earth! But before you do, make sure you have your smart phone camera rolling, because Gaston isn’t a guy who will hold back either!
Look, we need rules to survive as a functioning society. If we didn’t have them in Walt Disney World we would have all kind of problems: people would be cutting in line constantly, there would be crying children everywhere, we would have “dogs and cats living together…mass hysteria!” (please tell me you get that quote!) But even in a perfect WDW, there are still some instances where it’s okay or even encouraged to do a little bit of rule-breaking. So the next time you’re at Walt Disney World with your kids, live a little, let them eat a Dole Whip for dinner (it’s healthy, there’s pineapple!), and don’t worry about it. Life is short and you’re in Walt Disney World!
Thanks, as always, for reading! Which “rules” do YOU like to break while on vacation in Walt Disney World? I’d love to hear your responses, so please comment with your answers here on this page, write on my Facebook wall HERE, tweet me HERE or email me at phil@eartotheretravel.com. Thanks again, and please enjoy the rest of your stay here at Ear To There Travel!
If you’re thinking about taking a Disney vacation soon, whether it’s Walt Disney World, Disneyland, the Disney Cruise Line, Aulani in Hawaii or Adventures By Disney, I can help! I offer concierge level service and will take care of any and all planning for you, and I will do that 100% FREE OF CHARGE!
