I Planned a Disney World Trip for Adults That Even Disney Haters Loved

When I travel to Disney World for work, I’m always on the go, chasing stories and trying to cram in as many experiences as possible. That means my meals are usually quick Dole Whips and pretzels while standing in line.

However, to win Trent over, I decided to slow down and indulge in some of Disney World’s best dining.

We visited at least one sit-down restaurant a day and stayed far away from character dining and buffets, where the food is usually an afterthought.

One of our favorite meals was at Sanaa, where we got the world-famous bread service and then watched animals roaming the safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

We also got a fancy dinner at Toledo, a steakhouse at the top of Gran Destino Tower, and a massive brunch at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’.

Disney offers a lot of cool backstage tours, but one of the nerdiest (and cheapest at under $50 a person) is the Behind the Seeds Tour at Epcot’s Land Pavilion.

For about an hour, a knowledgeable scientist took us on a small group tour of all the greenhouses, and we learned about the innovative ways Disney grows food and manages pests.

Although the tour isn’t adults-only, the subject matter might be a little dry for little ones — and we didn’t see many kids here when we went.

If you’re on an adults-only trip, this tour could be a great way to get a break from the screaming toddlers around the parks.

It’s no secret that World Showcase is the best place for 21-and-over fun at Disney World, and Trent and I definitely ordered a few drinks from the different pavilions.

However, as history buffs, we also enjoyed touring World Showcase beyond the food and drinks.

We stopped by each country pavilion’s museum and enjoyed live entertainment from the Voices of Liberty at the American Adventure Pavilion and the taiko drummers at the Japan Pavilion.

When I do Disney alone, I’m a rope-drop-to-kiss-goodnight kinda guy, with no breaks in between. I love being at the parks from open to close, but I knew Trent would get burned out if we attempted that.

So I followed the advice I usually give parents with little kids: Take a midday break back at the hotel.

We’d nap, grab drinks at the pool bar, and even read in a hammock. Then, refreshed, we’d head back to the parks in the evening.

Coronado Springs Resort has a sangria class on weekends where you get to sample different types of sangria and concoct your own. This was a huge hit with Trent.

We also bar-hopped around Disney Springs with friends and went to the BoardWalk area’s dueling piano bar, Jellyrolls, with some of my coworkers. (Jellyrolls is set to close later this month, unfortunately).

I get overwhelmed by large groups and loud noises, so I have a few favorite spots around the parks where I go to cool off and decompress.

I really liked sharing my favorite secret spots in Disney with Trent, who also doesn’t do well in crowds. My favorite is Tom Sawyer Island, which is unfortunately set to be replaced with “Cars” attractions this year.

I also took him to the koi pond in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion to decompress, the patio of BaseLine Tap House to people watch with beers, and the Discovery Island Trail at Animal Kingdom to go on a quiet walk.

Having some spaces all to ourselves at Disney World made the experience more magical.

Because Trent experiences severe motion sickness, we couldn’t do too many rides. Haunted Mansion and Spaceship Earth were OK, but even something like Soarin’ or Rise of the Resistance would’ve been too much for him.

Fortunately, this meant we weren’t stressed about waiting in long lines to get on rides or managing Lightning Lane passes to try to skip them. Instead, we simply walked around and enjoyed the theming of each park.

We also spent a lot of time watching shows — and there are a lot of good ones at Disney. Our favorites included the “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular,” “Festival of the Lion King,” and, of course, “Fantasmic.”