Disney World Planning for a Disneyland Expert

[monkeypat83]

I am also posing these questions in the Disneyworld forum but figured you all might have some insight too as Disneyland experts:

Lots of questions here because I can plan a Disneyland trip in my sleep but have not been to Disneyworld since BC (also know as Before kids and before Covid since they both happened about the same time ) and have never taken toddlers. I have been 4 or 5 times but most recent trip was in 2018 and no one else in my party has ever been.

We are in Tampa for a wedding so figured since we had already flown across the country with 3 kids 5 and under we might as well do Disneyworld while we were there. My kids will be 5 1/2, 3 1/2 and 17 months. My husband and our Brazilian Au Pair will also be there so we will be a party of 6.

We will be there for 5 nights with 3 days in the parks and one pool/rest/hotel character dining meal day. We are skipping Animal Kingdom this time.

I am kind of thinking we will stay at Caribbean Beach because I really like the idea of not having to fold up my stroller on the Skyliner to be able to get to 2 of the 3 parks we are doing. When going to Disneyland I make a point of staying close enough to walk to the parks so I don't have to fold my stroller. My other option is to stay off site at either the Hilton Buena Vista Palace or the Doubletree near Disney Springs and take busses for all the parks. Thoughts?

I have had an annual pass to Disneyland off and on for most of my adult life and now we live about an hour or so flight away so my older 2 kids have been to Disneyland multiple times with my 5 year old almost an expert in her own right at this point as she had an annual pass from the time she was 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 (before I had my most recent baby). When I take the kids I usually get lightning lane multipass for the days that are full days in the park so I am thinking we will probably do that for Disneyworld too but I know it works differently and you pick 3 rides in advance.

For someone who doesn't need to ride the rides that Disneyland has necessarily how would you prioritize which rides to schedule for each of the 3 parks we are going to and would you skip the multipass for any of the parks. Both my 5 and 3 year old are over 40 inches with my 5 year old hoping that she will hit 44 inches with shoes by the time we go in August. My 5 year old will ride any rides she is tall enough for except Tower of Terror (She has done Guardians at DCA and is like nope). Suggestions on this?

We tend to do 1 table service per day at Disneyland usually for lunch and then head back for a nap/rest. Does this make sense at Disneyworld still? Even though I know it takes forever to get back to the hotel at Disneyworld I do think my kids are going to need that downtime/air conditioning each day.

Any other tips or things I have not thought of as a Disneyland expert going to Disneyworld? This is not a once in a lifetime trip since my SIL lives in Tampa and we will be back but more like a once every 5 years or so trip so I do want to make the most of it.

I am sure I will have more questions but if you got this far Thank you!

 

[LKing]

@OlliePop27 recently visited with young kids.

My thoughts. If you not folding the stroller is attractive to you, staying on-site will be much easier than staying off-site.

We did LLMP at all four parks. Depending on when you are going and what attractions are important to you, you probably don't need it at Animal Kingdom. Edit: just saw that you are skipping AK.

We found this site helpful. You can toggle "show return times" to see how fast certain attractions book for LL. We had a difficult time modifying or adjusting times once we were in the parks. https://www.thrill-data.com/lightning-lane

 

[crystal1313]

I haven’t been to WDW since they changed to booking 3 LL ahead of time, but I found ear scouts on YouTube to be super helpful for me.

At MK, we like to leave the park and go to one of the monorail hotels and have a table service reservation. Only because none of the table service restaurants appeal to us at MK. We would just find a shady or AC spot in the parks to rest. The upper floor of Columbia harbor house (MK) was fantastic when we all got overheated one day. I think next time we will take a break At the hotel so we can go back in the evening hours. Last trip, we never stayed in the parks until dark because we were so hot and over it.

For what it’s worth, my youngest is 15 and will not ride guardians (he’s tried it many times and it’s just not his thing), but loves tower or terror at HS.

Have a fun trip!

 

[LKing]

The upper floor of Columbia harbor house (MK) was fantastic when we all got overheated one day.

It is where the Keys to the Kingdom tours eat. The last five-hour tour starts at 9:30 am and I think lunch is around 3.5 hours. Not sure what time it is open to the public.

 

[irlandaise]

@BrianL has a great comparison of DL vs WDW rides. Brian, am I linking to the most recent version? I sure wish we could get this information pinned.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/ride-differences-between-dl-and-wdw.3942831/#post-65398814

 

[LKing]

@BrianL has a great comparison of DL vs WDW rides. Brian, am I linking to the most recent version? I sure wish we could get this information pinned.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/ride-differences-between-dl-and-wdw.3942831/#post-65398814

On page three he has the list in the opposite direction. WDW attractions compared to DL.

Edit to ask: Why do my links show previews of the thread but @irlandaise links do not?

Post in thread 'Ride differences between DL and WDW'

Apr 21, 2024

Tagging onto this thread, @BrianL and others, do you have a list of rides and shows that are better, the same, or worse at WDW compared to DL? I asked on the WDW Tips forum, but didn't get an answer. A link to previous posts/threads would be okay as well.

Okay, let's go the opposite direction:

Magic Kingdom:
Swiss Family Treehouse - unchanged but very similar
Jungle Cruise - Slightly Longer with temple tunnel, which weas removed from the DL version
Magic Carpets of Aladdin - basic spinner (see Dumbo)
Enchanted Tiki Room - shorter show without fountain segment...

• BrianL

• 
• 

 

[BrianL]

@BrianL has a great comparison of DL vs WDW rides. Brian, am I linking to the most recent version? I sure wish we could get this information pinned.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/ride-differences-between-dl-and-wdw.3942831/#post-65398814

I know - I keep saying I will make a cleaner copy, but, you know....

 

[irlandaise]

I know - I keep saying I will make a cleaner copy, but, you know....

Oh, I wasn't referring to the formatting! That's fine. I just wasn't sure whether anything had changed in regards to the rides themselves. We all appreciate your list!

 

[BrianL]

Oh, I wasn't referring to the formatting! That's fine. I just wasn't sure whether anything had changed in regards to the rides themselves. We all appreciate your list!

No, I think it's still pretty accurate.

 

[disneychrista]

As for taking breaks at the hotel, figure in an hour travel time each direction if using WDW transportation. a 3 hours break will take about 5hours.

 

[BlueGreen5]

I am kind of thinking we will stay at Caribbean Beach because I really like the idea of not having to fold up my stroller on the Skyliner to be able to get to 2 of the 3 parks we are doing.

If it's a double-size stroller, you will likely need to fold it up still. Only single strollers fit in the aisle.

For someone who doesn't need to ride the rides that Disneyland has necessarily how would you prioritize which rides to schedule for each of the 3 parks we are going to and would you skip the multipass for any of the parks. Both my 5 and 3 year old are over 40 inches with my 5 year old hoping that she will hit 44 inches with shoes by the time we go in August. My 5 year old will ride any rides she is tall enough for except Tower of Terror (She has done Guardians at DCA and is like nope). Suggestions on this?

As long as you can rope drop with your kids at their age, I would not buy the multi pass for any park other than MK. I don't see the value in it in this situation. But, to each their own on this one. My advice would be to rope drop Slinky Dog (HS) and Remy's (EPCOT). RotR (and all of SWGE) is the exact same at DLR, so probably not worth an ILL; you'll wait a bit for anything at HS, but there's just not a lot there, especially relative to DLR/DCA standards, and especially not that is unique to WDW. Buy an ILL for GotG at EPCOT if that's important; you'll wait a bit for Frozen but probably not much else that will be open.

We tend to do 1 table service per day at Disneyland usually for lunch and then head back for a nap/rest. Does this make sense at Disneyworld still? Even though I know it takes forever to get back to the hotel at Disneyworld I do think my kids are going to need that downtime/air conditioning each day.

They will, and it will take forever from MK (if you are at CBR, it won't be too bad on your HS and EPCOT days). Plan and set your expectations accordingly. When our kids were that age, we would do lunch in the park followed by down time at the resort until dinner. We would eat dinner at the resort and then head back to the park. So, we were pretty consistent with rope drop until 12:30, back at resort until 6, back at park until 9-10.

Any other tips or things I have not thought of as a Disneyland expert going to Disneyworld? This is not a once in a lifetime trip since my SIL lives in Tampa and we will be back but more like a once every 5 years or so trip so I do want to make the most of it.

Don't underestimate the travel time with kids. We are the opposite of you: we are WDW pros who went to DLR this spring. DLR is WAY more convenient for families. For instance, if you leave your CBR room at 7:30, you probably will not be at Cinderella's castle until 9 or 9:15. It takes forever to get anywhere in WDW generally and then you layer kids on top of it and it feels especially slow.

When you get to security checkpoints, put EVERYTHING in your pockets and all backpacks/purses in the stroller. Have one person take the stroller through the stroller security line while the others go through the regular security line. Since you will have nothing on you, you shouldn't get flagged to be separately wanded (which is yet another line that can take an absurd amount of time) and, since the stroller is going to have to be separately screened anyways, having all your stuff in it won't slow that process down at all. It's the most efficient way to get a whole family through security.

Consider watching HEA from one of the nearby resorts or the TTC ferry dock. They pipe in the music and the crowds are much less intense, which is a big factor when you have young kids. The Polynesian and Grand Floridian have fantastic spots to watch the show and, even as a non-guest, you are welcome to be there (though I'm not sure if you are allowed to go up to the new Polynesian Island Tower terraces unless you are a guest there). The beach at Polynesian, or outside Narccoossee's or Gasparilla at Grand Floridian, are open and you might even get lucky enough to find a seat. Grab a glass of wine or soda or some dessert and take a deep breath, knowing that your kids can see great and are not going to be bothered by the fact that they cannot see the bottom of the projections on the castle.

Know that Fantasmic at HS is LOUD; noticeably louder than at DLR in my opinion. WDW's dragon still breathes fire and you can feel the heat in the back row when the water is lit up (same as it is at DLR). Depending on your kids' sensitivities, it could be a lot at their ages.

Do a grocery delivery service for the kids' snacks/food. There is nothing worse than paying $4 for an apple in the park just to watch the kid take one bite out of it. As with DLR, you can bring any food and non-alcholic beverages into the park. No reason to pay park prices for the kids' staples.

We did four or five trips with kids at your kids' ages so if you have any other questions, let me know!

 

[bakofarmgirl]

can you buy ILL in advance? or just the 3?

 

[LKing]

can you buy ILL in advance? or just the 3?

You can (and should) buy them in advance.

Also, if you want to ride Rise at DHS, they have a single rider line. I assume your spouse and you will split up or the Au Pair will watch the kids. If you don't mind missing the pre-show, the single rider line is very efficient. I shared some photos here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/dlr-vet-wdw-review.3965908/post-66109243

 

[bakofarmgirl]

okay thanks! our trip is in 2 weeks and were staying onsite so trying to get ready for that early wake up to book our stuff

 

[LKing]

okay thanks! our trip is in 2 weeks and were staying onsite so trying to get ready for that early wake up to book our stuff

The night before, take a look at Thrill Data and see what times are available for LL. That way you can plan out what time you want to go on the different attractions.

A week in advance you can book one Tier 1 attraction and two Tier 2 attractions at each park. Once you tap onto the first ride in the morning, you are no longer limited to how many Tier 1 or 2 you can book. Because of that, many suggest booking an attraction as close to the time of park opening as possible. That will be your starting point so make sure it isn't on the far end of the park. Once you tap into that ride, you can book another attraction in either tier. We found that most rides had two tap points - you tap to get in line and then tap again where LL merges with the regular line. If that is the case, you can't book your next attraction until after the 2nd tap.

Remys also had a very efficient single rider line. We waited less time in single rider than we did in the LL line.

 

[bakofarmgirl]

The night before, take a look at Thrill Data and see what times are available for LL. That way you can plan out what time you want to go on the different attractions.

A week in advance you can book one Tier 1 attraction and two Tier 2 attractions at each park. Once you tap onto the first ride in the morning, you are no longer limited to how many Tier 1 or 2 you can book. Because of that, many suggest booking an attraction as close to the time of park opening as possible. That will be your starting point so make sure it isn't on the far end of the park. Once you tap into that ride, you can book another attraction in either tier. We found that most rides had two tap points - you tap to get in line and then tap again where LL merges with the regular line. If that is the case, you can't book your next attraction until after the 2nd tap.

Remys also had a very efficient single rider line. We waited less time in single rider than we did in the LL line.

okay this is super helpful! thank you so much! im always the dland one in charge which is no problem but with dworld i want to be on my a game ready to go although we only have wdw 2 days and are mostly going for a cruise on the treasure

 

[LKing]

okay this is super helpful! thank you so much! im always the dland one in charge which is no problem but with dworld i want to be on my a game ready to go although we only have wdw 2 days and are mostly going for a cruise on the treasure

The Treasure! How exciting!

I mistyped. It should have read "Once you tap onto the first ride in the morning, you are no longer limited to whether you are booking Tier 1 or 2."

You are limited to 3 LL throughout the day but after you tap into the first attraction, you can book all Tier 1 if you want.

 

[PinkPaper]

Is the Brazilian Au Pair ok with all of you sharing 1 small room? (As a professional, I would want my own space.). A suite or two rooms might be a better choice.

 

[bakofarmgirl]

The Treasure! How exciting!

I mistyped. It should have read "Once you tap onto the first ride in the morning, you are no longer limited to whether you are booking Tier 1 or 2."

You are limited to 3 LL throughout the day but after you tap into the first attraction, you can book all Tier 1 if you want.

thank you for the help! super excited!

 

[juxtapose]

I'd stay on a Skyliner resort and get park hoppers and what we do/did when our kids need a break is do MK in the morning, go back to rest and then do a Skyliner park for significantly less travel time. Then another day do a Skyliner park in the morning, then MK in the afternoon/evening. Sometimes we just rope drop and power through until they can't anymore and head back at that time (usually around 4pm) and don't go back, we do this for HS as none of the night stuff there was worth going back to for us.