Walt Disney World for Dudes

Love food? What guy doesn't! There are plenty of culinary creations to enjoy throughout the parks and resorts. If you're like me and love a great steak, try the offerings at Le Cellier at Epcot's Canada Pavilion, Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club Resort, or my favorite, Shula's Steak House at the appropriately named Dolphin resort. If you're looking for more adventure, try "touring" Epcot's World Showcase by sampling libations from around the globe. Makes it sound fancier when I say libations, right? And if you're at Walt Disney World in the fall, be sure to visit the annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. A popular event with the local crowd, I strongly recommend going earlier in the day and avoiding weekends.

Now to work off all that food and drink! Walt Disney World is home to many outdoor activities. Learn to surf in the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon. If you're SCUBA-certified, schedule Epcot DiveQuest, which allows you to explore the giant saltwater tank at the Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion. Golf is also great at Walt Disney World, with your choice of four courses all offering club rentals. And of course, there's runDisney! Walt Disney World is home to many endurance races throughout the year including the Expedition Everest Challenge, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror nighttime ten-miler, and January's Marathon Weekend, which will soon be host to the inaugural Dopey Challenge. If you plan on running a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon consecutive days, you must be dopey!

Looking for a little less adventure? Book a guided fishing excursion featuring freshwater catch and release. Departures are available at Fort Wilderness, Caribbean Beach, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Old Key West, Polynesian, Port Orleans-Riverside, Wilderness Lodge, and Yacht Club Resorts. Dockside fishing is also available at Fort Wilderness and Port Orleans-Riverside where cane-pole fishing is highlighted. Uncover some of Imagineering's finer details by searching for Hidden Mickeys across the entire property. A fantastic source to aid you in your hunt is Steve Barrett's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets, now in its sixth edition. And if you're looking to one-up the next guy, attempt the Ultimate Touring Plan of Magic Kingdom. TouringPlans.com currently has the number of unique attractions visited in a regulation day as 75! Do you think you have what it takes!?

If you are anything like me, you like to know how things work and what's behind that wall. Walt Disney World offers many opportunities for you to quench your curiosity. Backstage Magic is an all-day adult-only tour that brings you all over property. Each of the four theme parks also have similar half-day experiences. Behind the Seeds is a family friendly tour through Epcot's The Land Pavilion. Train enthusiasts shouldn't miss Disney's The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains. In case you feel the need for speed, hop in one of your dream cars and take part in the Exotic Driving Experience located at the Walt Disney World Speedway.

Each February the Atlanta Braves make the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex their home away from home where guests can watch these Major League Baseball stars get ready for the upcoming season. And my personal favorite is a Segway tour at Fort Wilderness. The Wilderness Back Trail Adventure features off-road capable Segways that allow you to tour the resort's grounds. Epcot used to also feature a World Showcase experience that my wife and I took part in that his since been discontinued. It's a shame that they no longer offer this tour as it was a great way to see World Showcase before the general public was admitted, and to learn some little-known facts along the way.

As you can see, Walt Disney World isn't just for kids and families, there is truly something for everyone. Bart Scott's new book Ears of Steel: The Real Man's Guide to Walt Disney World does a great job covering the items I touched on above in more detail, as, of course, does PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook. So be it a reunion of college buddies at La Cava del Tequila at Epcot's Mexico Pavilion or a romantic dinner for you and your significant other at the Contemporary's recently redesigned California Grill, make some memories!

Port Orleans Riverside - Fishing
Fishing on Ol' Man Island.

About the Author: Steve Cantafio is a Travel Planner for MEI-Travel & Mouse Fan Travel. He is a two-time member of Team AllEars and recently completed the Half and the full Marathon during the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Steve's entire family participated in the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon events.