1st solo trip on a whim, questions.

[Monoxide]

I decided yesterday to book a 5 day vacation. Leave in just 8 short days.
I have never done anything solo, also this will be my first time flying. This is something way outside my comfort zone. I however am determined to have a good time.
Will have 2 maybe 3 days in the parks.
Fly out Monday am and arrive early afternoon. Flight is direct so no connecting flights.
Fly back home Friday early AM, not ideal but the price is right.
Staying offsite right outside Disney Springs. Like across the road from it.
Will have rental car to get around.


Questions I have:
1: Do I buy tickets online(E-ticket) or just buy at Disney Springs the day I arrive? I have an old magic band from my trip last year that I can have the tickets added to.

2: I know I need at least two days, but I don't know and won't know if I need the 3rd day, can I upgrade to the 3rd day in the park before I leave if I decide that I want another day? Not sure if I can do/see all I want in Epcot in a single day or not.

3: Since I am flying, and I do want to do some shopping. What is the best way to get the purchases back home? Is there a place close to Disney Springs that I could ship the stuff back home from? This way I can also avoid the airport security check fun. Will be buying stuff from Basin and really don't want TSA to confiscate or deny anything.

4: The resort does offer a shuttle to the parks, anyone ever use a offsite shuttle? Where do non Disney buses drop off and pick up from? I plan on going to Hollywood Studio's and Epcot. For my resort hopping I plan on just catching the Disney bus from Disney Springs.

5: Since the return flight is early am IE 6AM out of Sandford do I really need to be there 2 hours early to make it through security?

 

[superlarz]

1 I would buy tickets in advance from a reputable discount site.
2 You can add days, you pay the difference between whatever you pay for the pass and what the going rate is for the pass you want
3 Most of the Disney stores will ship your purchases back to your home, im not sure if all of the stores in Disney Springs have a blanket policy on this. Shipping depends on price paid for the items.

 

[kwdw]

I'd just buy your ticket from Disney online today and link it to your old magicband. Wouldn't bother with a discount ticket vendor for such a short trip for one. Maybe you'd get a dollar or two off. Yes, on the second day, before you leave the park, you can decide later to add a third day at guest relations in the park. I'd buy now because FP selections will be better today than even in a day or two.

Most Disney stores offer shipping. It's not cheap. Checking a bag for room to bring things home might be cheaper. Given you will have car, I'm sure you could find a shipping store to drive to as another option.

Given you are renting a car, drive to do your resort hopping unless you are talking about the monorail loop. Much faster than the bus!

I think off site bus drop off at the TTC a and you can catch Disney transport from there. Parking is $20 a day and you only have to pay once per day if you keep your receipt. You might consider driving to the parks unless you want to save that $20 each day.

 

[Monoxide]

Thanks for the info.


I have gone ahead and just purchased a 2 day ticket direct from Disney, I will upgrade if needed at the end the 2nd day.
All fastpass's I wanted I got even with the short notice.
I believe I will just suck it up and drive to the parks and pay the parking.

So far the plan is:

Monday:
Tour the resorts then check into the hotel.
Walk over and visit Disney Springs and do some shopping.

Tuesday:
Hollywood Studio's
Hit Toy Story at rope drop then head over to Rocking Roller Coaster.
Then depending on time hit up Beauty And The Beast or possibly ToT.
That leaves the rest of the day to see Launch bay and Star Tours.
Other 2 things I plan on seeing are Osborne Lights and Fantasmic.
Anything else is just a added bonus.

Wednesday:
Epcot
Hit Soarin at rope drop.
Work my way back over to Test Track hitting The Land and Spaceship Earth on the way.
After that work my way back to World Showcase for some Story Tellers that I misses last year.
Just kinda take it easy and browse as many of the shops that tickle my fancy.

Working on an Excel spreadsheet with times and this to see and in what order, last year I used touring plans and it was awesome.
This year though gonna just do a manual plan as I don't have as many things that are must see/do.
Much more laid back.

Thursday:
Well lets see how things go and maybe do some more resort hopping or possibly go back to Epcot depending on what the body say it can take.

 

[bryanb]

You might have does this, but don't forget to pre-book your FastPass+ selections each day! When you register your valid theme park tickets on MyDisneyExperience.com, you can reserve up to three rides, shows, or other experiences in advance. Just choose the park you're visiting each day, find the three experiences you'd like to have, and you can reserve an appointment time for each. You'll bypass the standby line, so you can board more quickly and get more done in the parks.

Once you've use up all three FP+ reservations for the day, you can even request more. Just ask a Cast Member for details. There's much more information about Fast Pass+ on these message boards. Have fun!!


EDIT: one more important point. Buying your tickets from Disney was a great start. If you haven't already done so, go to MyDisneyExperience.com and make sure your tickets are linked to your account. Make your selections as soon as possible, because appointment times are limited for very popular attractions!

 

[emhaile42]

I'm almost in the same boat as you! I got a surprise 4-day weekend right before my birthday, so I decided to head down for a couple days. It's my first time flying and doing anything solo too. I'm leaving next Tuesday morning and spending Tues/Wed in the parks. I'll probably hit Springs for a bit Thurs before I head back.

Hope you have a blast!