Balanced approach for first-timer WDW vets?

[Mome Rath]

Ok folks, Lord willing and the creek don't rise, my mother and I are going to DL for the first time this July. What advice I'm seeking is for those like us that are not interested in running ourselves ragged trying to ride every single thing, but rather have a balanced approach with people watching thrown in and time to just soak up DL while riding all the oldies but goodies...

We are staying at GCH, and have 3 full days with park hoppers. We are morning people, but can also stay out late, esp. since we are staying so close. We know we want to eat at Blue Bayou. Beyond that, we are open to any and all suggestions for a trip that takes in the must eats, must do's, and also to people watch and chill in neat places... any advice or tips for something that general?

Our full days will be Monday, Tues, Wed. Since our first day is on Monday, would it be crazy to do something like open DCA early, ride RSR, and then head to DL? Or would that be a waste of an early morning? DL is the focus for us, and it is a special trip, perhaps once in a lifetime so I thought it would be neat to start the trip in DL...

Would anyone recommend taking Monday to not rush and dash here and there, but instead to take in DL at a slower pace, scout out DCA and then dash on Tues and Wed? Or would you flip it and "run" on Monday/Tues and slow down on Wed? We are WDW vets and have toured all kinds of ways in WDW in all kinds of crowds, so we're pretty open. We do have a guidebook for DL, and obviously we read here too, but I'm just looking for advice for nervous/excited DL newbies specifically for that medium pace.

 

[fly girl]

First, what time zone do you live? We are normally not rope drop at WDW but we live on EST so we easily make it for DLR. Unless a lot has changed since last August, we always took advantage of rope drop for RSR. Wait is maybe 10 minutes. Highly recommend!

World of Color! Can't see it at WDW. Haven't done the dessert party, but going to in June. That's the only place you can sit and watch. I'm IN!

The nice thing is that DLR isn't the extensive planning like WDW. If you want a F! dinner package at Blue Bayou or the WOC dessert party, yes book those when you can. But they won't be full at 180 days out like WDW.

Since your staying at GC, have 3 day hoppers you don't need any plans of attack, lol.

Oh, and get a churro - idk why but they are 1000 times better DL.

 

[Mome Rath]

We're Central, but we rope drop WDW every day I'm there, so I know it will be relatively easy to get up whenever we need to in Cali! And, yes, the planning thing is so different I'm trying to make sure I'm planning enough but not trying to make it into WDW. lol I've heard about the churro's and the corn dogs. Is it true that the counter service in DL is better than the counter service in WDW? If so we thought about just doing TS at Blue Bayou, and then counter service the rest of the time. Opinions?

 

[natfrac]

DH and I tour DL very differently than WDW. We take advantage of the Magic Mornings and get as many rides as we can done in the early morning. Then, about 10:30-11, we change the pace. We'll stop to have a nice leisurely breakfast at Carnation Cafe and go on rides that do not have long lines. In the afternoon, we may wander DTD or go to the Tiki bar at the DLH. We'll head back to a park in the evening for dinner and more rides. Aside from Blue Bayou, we also really like the Jazz Kitchen in DTD--fun band and the food is really good.

 

[Mome Rath]

Yes, natfrac, that sounds good. I do think that would work for us, and maybe having another Table service like Jazz Kitchen would help it feel more leisurely as well.

 

[DisTXMom]

The early hours in both parks were great- got a lot done. Fantasyland in DL gets crowded, so having 1 morning to knock all of those out would be nice. Woc is an amazing show- don't miss. If F! Is running again when you're there, consider the blue bayou F! Dining package- we did it in 2015 and it was a great way to do the show.

We often park hopper right after the other park opened- we'd wait until then because we didn't want to get stuck in their rope drop crowd.

Meals- we loved wine country trattoria and did the WOC package. Also loved Plaza in DL- really good counter service fried chicken lunch and dinner (it's a character meal at breakfast and its the best character meal in DL imo if you wanted any of those). Trader Sam's at DL Hotel is really good also, as is the Ralph Brennan's kitchen in downtown Disney.

DL is a great "take it at your own pace" trip. We did 2 trips there. Headed back to WDW in late 2017 and the planning is already wearing me out! Have fun.

 

[pblack]

We're Central, but we rope drop WDW every day I'm there, so I know it will be relatively easy to get up whenever we need to in Cali! And, yes, the planning thing is so different I'm trying to make sure I'm planning enough but not trying to make it into WDW. lol I've heard about the churro's and the corn dogs. Is it true that the counter service in DL is better than the counter service in WDW? If so we thought about just doing TS at Blue Bayou, and then counter service the rest of the time. Opinions?

I've only been to WDW once when I was little, so I don't remember any of it. But I think counter service at DL is good. I recommend the French Market Cafe, in New Orleans square. Really good food, decently priced for theme park food, and big portions. Plus I love the ambiance of New Orleans square. On a hot day, the soft serve cones in DCA are great. They're just regular old soft serve (chocolate, vanilla, swirl, and in March they had a orange flavor which was really tart) but they are so good on a hot day. If you're beer drinkers, there's also plenty of places to get local craft beer around DCA.

Since it's your first time to DL/DCA I also recommend sourdough bread from Boudin in DCA. It's a complete staple of CA in my personal opinion. You could choose to get it as a bread bowl with clam chowder (traditional) or my favorite of buying a loaf and eating it with butter (or even just on it's own.)

Park hopping is so easy with DL and DCA and you might find that you want to spend more time enjoying both parks.

 

[fly girl]

We're Central, but we rope drop WDW every day I'm there, so I know it will be relatively easy to get up whenever we need to in Cali! And, yes, the planning thing is so different I'm trying to make sure I'm planning enough but not trying to make it into WDW. lol I've heard about the churro's and the corn dogs. Is it true that the counter service in DL is better than the counter service in WDW? If so we thought about just doing TS at Blue Bayou, and then counter service the rest of the time. Opinions?

I understand 100%. It's so odd not to plan when you're a WDW vet. You have that feeling that you're not prepared, and yet you are!

We really like having a table service meal at least once a day. Looking back, most of our table service meals have been lunch. It's nice to get a midday break and slow the pace for a bit.

Blue Bayou is my choice for DL which you are doing!

Carthay Circle gets my first vote for DCA. Not too far behind is Wine Country Trattoria.

 

[Mome Rath]

The early hours in both parks were great- got a lot done. Fantasyland in DL gets crowded, so having 1 morning to knock all of those out would be nice. Woc is an amazing show- don't miss. If F! Is running again when you're there, consider the blue bayou F! Dining package- we did it in 2015 and it was a great way to do the show.

We often park hopper right after the other park opened- we'd wait until then because we didn't want to get stuck in their rope drop crowd.

Meals- we loved wine country trattoria and did the WOC package. Also loved Plaza in DL- really good counter service fried chicken lunch and dinner (it's a character meal at breakfast and its the best character meal in DL imo if you wanted any of those). Trader Sam's at DL Hotel is really good also, as is the Ralph Brennan's kitchen in downtown Disney.

DL is a great "take it at your own pace" trip. We did 2 trips there. Headed back to WDW in late 2017 and the planning is already wearing me out! Have fun.

Thank you! That's what I was wondering about exactly; if park hopping after the other park opens would work ok. It's hard realizing how close the parks are when you are used to WDW and the time it takes to go anywhere.

I've only been to WDW once when I was little, so I don't remember any of it. But I think counter service at DL is good. I recommend the French Market Cafe, in New Orleans square. Really good food, decently priced for theme park food, and big portions. Plus I love the ambiance of New Orleans square. On a hot day, the soft serve cones in DCA are great. They're just regular old soft serve (chocolate, vanilla, swirl, and in March they had a orange flavor which was really tart) but they are so good on a hot day. If you're beer drinkers, there's also plenty of places to get local craft beer around DCA.

Since it's your first time to DL/DCA I also recommend sourdough bread from Boudin in DCA. It's a complete staple of CA in my personal opinion. You could choose to get it as a bread bowl with clam chowder (traditional) or my favorite of buying a loaf and eating it with butter (or even just on it's own.)

Park hopping is so easy with DL and DCA and you might find that you want to spend more time enjoying both parks.

I'm a total bread aholic, so the sourdough sounds amazing!

I understand 100%. It's so odd not to plan when you're a WDW vet. You have that feeling that you're not prepared, and yet you are!

We really like having a table service meal at least once a day. Looking back, most of our table service meals have been lunch. It's nice to get a midday break and slow the pace for a bit.

Blue Bayou is my choice for DL which you are doing!

Carthay Circle gets my first vote for DCA. Not too far behind is Wine Country Trattoria.

Thanks for the restaurant recommends, there are so many to choose from that look good.

 

[Tattylou]

We loved RSR...it was our first priority every morning when we were there. I think this was especially bc we live in Massachusetts and are WDW vets, which made Carsland a novelty that we really enjoyed. It's much easier to take it slower at DL. We sort of went with the flow in a way that I don't think exists at WDW much anymore.

 

[Mome Rath]

We loved RSR...it was our first priority every morning when we were there. I think this was especially bc we live in Massachusetts and are WDW vets, which made Carsland a novelty that we really enjoyed. It's much easier to take it slower at DL. We sort of went with the flow in a way that I don't think exists at WDW much anymore.

Yes, it is going to be really neat to be in a section of the park that is so different, and I want to make sure we take the time to hang out there and have fun with it. I do think this trip will be more like the early days of WDW for us, back before ADR's and FP's of any kind... I hope so anyway! Thank you for your observations!

 

[Tattylou]

Yes, it is going to be really neat to be in a section of the park that is so different, and I want to make sure we take the time to hang out there and have fun with it. I do think this trip will be more like the early days of WDW for us, back before ADR's and FP's of any kind... I hope so anyway! Thank you for your observations!

Very true...it reminded me more of WDW back in the 80s and 90s when I went as a kid and teenager. My DH prefers DL bc it is easier in a lot of ways.

 

[Mome Rath]

I'm getting more excited! My earliest memories of 80's WDW are some of my fav's, it will be neat to see if the vibe of DL matches that a little more...

 

[abuck75]

It's interesting how the dynamic seems different. When I've been to 8:00AM opens at MK it's been almost dead to the point where getting to gate at 7:45 is ample time. It sounds like it's almost a necessity to take advantage of 7:00 AM magic mornings here. I wonder how much is the time zone factor, and the ease of getting from hotels to resort compared to WDW.

 

[Tattylou]

It's interesting how the dynamic seems different. When I've been to 8:00AM opens at MK it's been almost dead to the point where getting to gate at 7:45 is ample time. It sounds like it's almost a necessity to take advantage of 7:00 AM magic mornings here. I wonder how much is the time zone factor, and the ease of getting from hotels to resort compared to WDW.

We were fine in the mornings and we didn't even use magic morning. We went mid-April 2015 and literally walked onto BTMRR and pirates with 5-10 min waits even in the later morning. Can't remember the last time I did that at WDW.

 

[panthergirl]

Early mornings for us east coasters are a breeze. I usually wake up at 5:00 AM due to the time change so we take advantage of that for sure. My advice is to plan to have a light snack before you hit the parks, then real breakfast around 10:30 or so. We love Carnation Café, meeting Chef Oscar and watching the action on Main Street. In DCA, Flo's is fun for breakfast. You have a great view of RSR. Hope you have fun!

 

[Mome Rath]

Early mornings for us east coasters are a breeze. I usually wake up at 5:00 AM due to the time change so we take advantage of that for sure. My advice is to plan to have a light snack before you hit the parks, then real breakfast around 10:30 or so. We love Carnation Café, meeting Chef Oscar and watching the action on Main Street. In DCA, Flo's is fun for breakfast. You have a great view of RSR. Hope you have fun!

The timing you mention here is kind of what I had considered, esp. eating around 10:30 after opening a park. If we did that, I think we'd be fine until later afternoon to grab a small bite for supper.

 

[Aladora]

The timing you mention here is kind of what I had considered, esp. eating around 10:30 after opening a park. If we did that, I think we'd be fine until later afternoon to grab a small bite for supper.

We really like going to the Alfresco Tasting Terrace in DCA for a late afternoon light meal. It's rarely busy, has wine flights and enough small plates to tempt us. Another option for a light afternoon meal is the Carthay Circle Lounge. No reservations so if it is busy you will have to wait but the food and drinks are lovely and the AC is perfect on a hot afternoon!

If you are foodies, I recommend going to Napa Rose and if you can swing it, I would do the chef's counter there. We've done it twice and loved it both times. We just ate there in the regular dining room on our last trip and it was very nice.

 

[Mome Rath]

I'm seriously considering Napa Rose...

 

[Aladora]

I'm seriously considering Napa Rose...

This might help your make up your mind!

Our dinner at Napa Rose