How many days do you plan to be at WDW?
was thinking 4, now probably a solid 5. we land in anaheim on sept 4 and have to be in orlando to board the dream for our
dcl cruise on 15th. one day in between is set aside for flying lax - mco & checking into resort/exploring the resort etc. the other 10 full days are to be apportioned between DLR and WDW in an amount to be determined
I was just about to say the same thing! I just watched a bit of the HS version on youtube and thought ... this looks oddly familiar...then switched over to watch the MovieWorld version and what would you know the sets are even close to being the same. Sorry this post has no relevance to the tips though!
All I'm going to say is read trip reports! They are my best friend. Even though my trip I'm planning right now is 50/50 as to whether it'll happen or not, I've gained so much insight into WDW just through reading reports from times similar to when I want to go, so you can gain an insight into what is good to do during certain times, what to skip etc.
so totally agree with you here - have been reading TRs for a while now and hence all the questions and concerns -- so many TRs read 'we then left the resort (Pop) and went to the Boardwalk for our breakfast ADR, then hopped on a bus for our EMH in AK' -- from what i'm reading this sounds so simple, quick and easy, but in reality i fear that this would be a 2 hr + journey to get from pop to boardwalk, check in for ADR, eat breakfast, get to a bus/whatever transpo then get to AK in time for EMH... so confusing as no one really gives details
Alicia - Remember to have fun....during the planning and whilst you are there.
I think you've realised that there are quite a few of us on the ANZAC section of the boards that started out planning the "trip of a lifetime" to WDW. Most...all....after that first visit have planned a SECOND trip of a lifetime, usually within a year or two. And then a third, fourth etc.
Yes, WDW is large and you're unlikely to 'do it all'. More likely....you'll go back. Afterall, this is your second trip (that I know of) to the US, right? You'll go back again...like the rest of us.
In your place, I would make a list of your, and your fellow travellers, must-do Top 5 or 10 attractions at each park. That will at least give you a rough guide of how to attack the park and how to navigate your way around it.
In terms of your "pesky" vegetarian, I can only say that we managed to find lots of options for DH (who is a peskyvegetarian himself) to eat. Again, make a list of at least 2 or 3 of the QS places for each park that offer the pesce/vege option and check where they are located. I found that depending on where we were in the park at meal times, we would always be able to find something close'ish without having to traipse all over the other side of the park for meals.
Then have a look at the TS places and work out which ones are must do's. For those, book in ADRs. I normally check park hours and parade/show/firework times around my ADRs. Then I can pick which park on which day and factor in a TS meal accordingly.
And if you're there for F&W, most of the booths will offer a vegetarian option. In your place, I would plan to eat at Epcot more if you were there during F&W. So you might want to plan a couple of nights at Epcot, rather than a full day there.
The only other tip....it's nice to have a plan but don't be too fixed on it. I tend to plan like crazy before I leave and then just go with the flow when I'm there. Sometimes, I follow the plan to a "t"; other times, I just throw it out the window. You never really know how you'll feel when you get there, what the crowds are like, what the weather is doing and a whole host of other unknowns that might just provide you with other opportunities.
Enjoy!
awesome tips. i already have a list of CS and TS venues for each park. I was thinking of doing at least one TS per day, but thinking we might limit to one TS every 2 days.
F&W will not be on when we are there (
) but we are definitely going to
MNSSHP - it just seems like such a great experience and we definitely don't want to miss it. i also planned out our previous trip like crazy and then had a big fat spanner thrown in the works when a: my knee and foot swelled up like melons and i could barely walk for the first day and b: i got horridly sick for 2 full days (out of 3) and didn't leave the room at all in NYC and barely got to see anything
i intend to plan the hell out of this trip, but then be totally willing to throw it out the window if necessary and the members of the group are having a good time going with the flow. i am a big fan of plans cause even if you want to throw it out the window, it's always good to have a plan b or c just in case something goes awry.
i will make a list of our top attractions etc. thanks for the tips for the pesky vegetarian... very helpful to know someone else had a positive experience in the parks with this kind of dietary restriction
This is us exactly. Our trip last September was supposed to be "it" - but you do it, and you realise it was just way too good to be your one and only. It's not just the holiday of a lifetime, it's the experience (of any kind) of a lifetime, honestly. Best time of life EVER.
lol. at the end of our trip last year, we were planning a 2012 and a 2013 trip. our 2012 trip got canned, but we are definitely doing a 2013 and 2014 trip at least!!! we just hadn't seen the point of WDW before, but after doing a lot of research (TRs, guidebooks, the interwebs, the DIS etc) i can see why so many people love it as a true vacation destination, whereas DLR is more of a 'theme park' per se.
This is fantastic advice. This is exactly what I do. Plan my butt off before because I love to plan and because I like to have options and information. And then if we decide to throw that plan out the window on the day, that's fine too. I just like to have a plan in case i need it.
You are so right about how you never know how you will feel on any given day.
And I second what you said about Alicia probably heading back to the US and perhaps DLR and/or WDW another time. It's an addiction
.
lol. yes. i am addicted to plans, colour coding and all things disney now. i have to stop myself so many times from placing huge orders for stuff we don't even need just cause it has 'disney' labelled on it. lol. we will at least be doing a 2013 trip and a 2014 trip. after that, who knows?
You know you
will be back in Orlando for the Harry Potter expansion, so don't panic if you miss stuff, you
WILL be back.
AK is more than a half day park, and I think ALL of it is unique compare to DL, so it means you have to see every thing. I don't know why, but I LOVE the themeing in Dinoland, there is so much detail in so much of it! It doesn't look like there is much there, you need to slow down and look at the small stuff. It's really cute. It's also a good section to end up in in the middle of the day when all the other sections have one of their major features taking their midday/afternoon naps. Don't expect to see much activity from the animals in the afternoon. I don't think it is a full day park, but it is definitely more than a half day. If you can do early early AK and get EMH for HS the same evening, you could cover both parks, but if AK is 9am open and HS is an 8pm finish, it may not be enough (getting from AK to HS takes time!!!!)
Is MNSSHP on when you are there? If so, DO IT!!!!! Yes, it is an extra ticket, but you need to do it!!!!! (It does start in September....)
It might sounds like 'down time' going and visiting the resorts, but there are quite a few things to see, the savannah at Annimal Kingdom Lodge, you may end up closer to the animals than at AK park (again feeding time helps) Boardwalk, Beach Cub, Yatch Club, it's worth visiting, Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club with it's
Kitchen Sink is an experience, though I think it is only open during the day??? It's all walking distance from Epcot, so if you did do 2 days at Epcot, they could be lite-days allowing Boardwalk area exploration.
lol. yes. we will be back for the harry potter expansion, and there is no way we are going to orlando and not seeing either WDW or DLR along the way, probably both...
i've heard about this infamous kitchen sink at Beaches & Cream and my partner and sis have every plan on demolishing it together. they may enlist the help of his brother... maybe. too bad i can't enjoy it, but i will enjoy taking photos of the experience
thanks for the tips re parks and best way to split the visits... very helpful.
yes, we are definitely doing MNSSHP