DL Vet Planning First Trip to WDW

[HydroGuy]

Hi, I am very active over on the DLR forum, but this is my first post here. Is this the best DISboard forum for WDW? If so, can anyone help me with a few preliminary items? If there are recent relevant threads please just give me the link (I couldn't find any).

The plan: This trip is not meant to be a "take all the family and see all of WDW" trip. We just did one of those at DLR in August for four days. I will be on business in Florida and want to take my two youngest sons (9 and 11) for a 2-3 day trip to WDW.

1. What book or books would you recommend that can give me a rundown of the parks and tips on rides, special priviliges (e.g., Extra Magic Hours), hotels, etc.?

2. If we want to go sometime during the week of Feb. 27-Mar 3, how far in advance will I need to make hotel reservations?

3. Any special tips on buying tickets? At DLR you can get parkhopper tickets and move back and forth at will, but it seems WDW is more restrictive.

4. Anything special about late Feb or early March of which I should be aware vis-a-vis weather or special events or promotions?

Thanks. I'm sure I will have a lot more questions.

 

[jennymouse]

1. The Unoffical Guide to WDW is the one I like.

2. ASAP

3. You can get park hoppers for WDW too!

4. February is a great time to go!

Here's another site with lots of WDW info. Even menus for the restaurants and prices of the passes, etc. www.allearsnet.com

Have fun planning!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hey HydroGuy, just had to say hi! And you were giving me grief about taking a second trip to Disneyland the other day! As somebody who does both DL and WDW here is my .02:

Stay onsite if you can. That time of year you could get a great rate at a value and your kids would love it. Way more important to stay onsite at WDW if possible. Free transportation, EMH hours and so much fun. They have so many options at WDW. Last January into late February I was able to get $49 a night at Pop Century.

You can add the park hopping option to the Magic Your Way base ticket. I really recommend it. While it is not as easy to park hop at WDW, it is worth doing. Especially if you plan on doing Animal Kingdom, which is not usually open late and has no nighttime entertainment.

We have been in February and it was colder in Florida than anything we experienced in Disneyland the February before. Take layers of clothes. It is a great time to go.

I agree with the Unofficial Guide as being a great book for WDW.

Have fun planning, and by the way, your fastpass stategies for Disneyland that you posted on the other side are about the same for WDW. Get there early (really tough for our Colorado timed bodies I know) and you can get so much done.

 

[Anomalied]

If you're planning on staying 3 days, I'd recommend staying onsite and heading out to one park in the morning, coming back to the hotel in the afternoon to rest, swim, and eat, and then heading back out at night to see another park. Our family implemented that strategy on our last trip and we found things to be much more enjoyable and a lot less tiring. Be sure to book hotel and dinner reservations as soon as you can. There's plenty of dining options at all the parks, so do your research to see what would suit your family the best.

As far as the parks go, don't worry about seeing everything. It's almost impossible to do in one trip. There's plenty of things to see and do that you can't find in Disneyland. Just relax and have fun!

 

[mckymama]

One other piece of advice: Read these boards as often as possible. This place is greater than any planning book (although I'm not telling you not to buy the UG). We just returned from our 6th trip to WDW, and it was the best trip ever! One reason - the DISers. I cannot believe how many important tips I picked up here. These people are great! Have a wonderful time.

 

[SarahandPaul]

Try renting someones DVC points. It might be cheaper then going through Disney. Plus you get to help out some who need to unload a few points for the year.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks to all for the good feedback. I just ordered the Unofficial Guide from Amazon and will read it when it arrives.

I was surprised when I looked at hotels thru the All Ears site. They have mid-Feb to April as high season, with rates that reflect it. The lowest rate I saw at the economy "All Star" hotels was about $115 per night for 2 double beds.

After I read thru the book, hopefully I will be able to ask more intelligent questions.

 

[HydroGuy]

Hey HydroGuy, just had to say hi! And you were giving me grief about taking a second trip to Disneyland the other day! As somebody who does both DL and WDW here is my .02:

Stay onsite if you can. That time of year you could get a great rate at a value and your kids would love it. Way more important to stay onsite at WDW if possible. Free transportation, EMH hours and so much fun. They have so many options at WDW. Last January into late February I was able to get $49 a night at Pop Century.

You can add the park hopping option to the Magic Your Way base ticket. I really recommend it. While it is not as easy to park hop at WDW, it is worth doing. Especially if you plan on doing Animal Kingdom, which is not usually open late and has no nighttime entertainment.

We have been in February and it was colder in Florida than anything we experienced in Disneyland the February before. Take layers of clothes. It is a great time to go.

I agree with the Unofficial Guide as being a great book for WDW.

Have fun planning, and by the way, your fastpass stategies for Disneyland that you posted on the other side are about the same for WDW. Get there early (really tough for our Colorado timed bodies I know) and you can get so much done.

OK, you caught me! I think we will stay onsite as everyone recommends. And I just ordered the book.

I have yet to find any insider info on FastPass at WDW. I know the basics. But DLR has so many loopholes of which one can take advantage. I would like to know how liberal WDW is about taking late FastPasses on the same day. The CM's at DLR are directed by management to accept them. And I would like to know if all the FastPass rides are connected within each park, or are some disconnected like at DLR so you can secretly double up? If anyone knows, please advise.

 

[tinkermell]

Hydo Guy, I am also a DL veteran and doing our first trip this Dec with my family of 10. This site has been the best source, plus the Unofficial Guide. You know quite a bit of info about DL and fastpasses that most people don't know about. Have you done Ride Max by any chance????

 

[Amy&Dan]

OK, you caught me! I think we will stay onsite as everyone recommends. And I just ordered the book.

I have yet to find any insider info on FastPass at WDW. I know the basics. But DLR has so many loopholes of which one can take advantage. I would like to know how liberal WDW is about taking late FastPasses on the same day. The CM's at DLR are directed by management to accept them. And I would like to know if all the FastPass rides are connected within each park, or are some disconnected like at DLR so you can secretly double up? If anyone knows, please advise.

I know they take late fastpasses because we do that all the time. I have even heard of people using them on subsequent days but I have never done that. I am not too sure about if there are any unconnected fastpass machines. That time of year, after President's week but before Spring breaks you might not need them like you did for your summer Disneyland visit. And unlike Disneyland, WDW doesn't seem to have the HUGE local base of people who visit. I have been to Disneyland during some incredibly slow times of the year only to have Friday afternoon through Sunday night be a crowded nightmare. Because there are four parks to spread out in, the crowds don't seem as stifling as they can at Disneyland which is also geographically smaller than the WDW parks. If you want, pm me what parks you are thinking etc and I can give you some more specifics about what is different at MK vs. Disneyland and some of our touring plans of action that have worked pretty well for us. Not as scientific as your incredible fastpass link but it might help you out! I think you will be surprised at how much mileage you will get out of your Disneyland knowledge.

I think you will be glad you stayed onsite. The only problem is that if you have more than two kids you might have to get two rooms at a value or stay at a Deluxe that takes families that large. Sorry, I don't remember how many kids you have! Even two rooms at a value is still cheaper than one night at the Disneyland Hotel however.

Have fun with your planning, that's as much fun to me as the actual trip (almost)!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks to all for the good feedback. I just ordered the Unofficial Guide from Amazon and will read it when it arrives.

I was surprised when I looked at hotels thru the All Ears site. They have mid-Feb to April as high season, with rates that reflect it. The lowest rate I saw at the economy "All Star" hotels was about $115 per night for 2 double beds.

After I read thru the book, hopefully I will be able to ask more intelligent questions.

Wow, that surprises me too, I would have thought that was a cheaper time to go. I looked in my DVC vacation planner which has all the seasons and that is "Magic" season, the second highest season cost-wise right behind "Premier". My other advice is to use a WDW travel specialist like Dreams Unlimited or Small World. I have used both and get the best deals through them. They keep an eye out for special deals and rate codes so you don't have to. This is where WDW is so much more complicated than Disneyland. I have never used a TA for DL but have every single visit for WDW. Also, if you have AAA that can save you some too, Dreams and Small World can book reservations using your AAA discount.

 

[HydroGuy]

I think you will be glad you stayed onsite. The only problem is that if you have more than two kids you might have to get two rooms at a value or stay at a Deluxe that takes families that large. Sorry, I don't remember how many kids you have! Even two rooms at a value is still cheaper than one night at the Disneyland Hotel however.

I have four kids now 9, 11, 12 and 14. All boys. I went on a business trip in Sept. to Hawaii and took the 12 and 14 year olds. (My DW was able to let us go without her to Hawaii because we all went on a ten day trip there in 2002).

So now I am planning to take the 9 and 11 year olds to WDW. I have a business trip to FL in late Feb, and would have them fly down to meet me in Orlando when my meeting is over. So there would be three of us on this trip, and two double beds would be sufficient.

Originally I was thinking about 2-3 days at MK, MGM and Epcot. Now I would like to include AK. I need to read the Guide book and get a sense of the scope of each of the parks, and then spend some more time here. Again, it is not our intent to see everything and have a big family trip. It is just to spend a few days and have as much fun as we can.

 

[HydroGuy]

Hydo Guy, I am also a DL veteran and doing our first trip this Dec with my family of 10. This site has been the best source, plus the Unofficial Guide. You know quite a bit of info about DL and fastpasses that most people don't know about. Have you done Ride Max by any chance????

I have RideMax for DLR and used it during our trip in August. But after a few months they took the WDW version off the market because they need more data. I would use that if they had it available.

 

[HydroGuy]

Wow, that surprises me too, I would have thought that was a cheaper time to go. I looked in my DVC vacation planner which has all the seasons and that is "Magic" season, the second highest season cost-wise right behind "Premier". My other advice is to use a WDW travel specialist like Dreams Unlimited or Small World. I have used both and get the best deals through them. They keep an eye out for special deals and rate codes so you don't have to. This is where WDW is so much more complicated than Disneyland. I have never used a TA for DL but have every single visit for WDW. Also, if you have AAA that can save you some too, Dreams and Small World can book reservations using your AAA discount.

I will look into the travel agents before I book anything. I assume they are typically selling combo hotel/ticket packages. Can you get better deals when you also include air fare?

 

[Maridw]

Two double beds would work great for you. Another book to look at is the Passporter. They have alot of good information too. I have both books and if one doesn't have the information I am looking for, the other does.

I was a DL veteran prior to moving to FL. Lived 60 min from DL. Last trip was 04 and finally hit DCA. Even did CA Screamin. We now have Soarin here at WDW too. It is in Epcot. I loved getting back to see DL again, especially riding Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

As far as the resort, one other option would be to look at the prices for the DTD Hotels. They have some good rates there too. We stayed at the Grosvenor and it was quite nice. Walking distance to DTD.

Have fun on your trip.

 

[tinkermell]

I have RideMax for DLR and used it during our trip in August. But after a few months they took the WDW version off the market because they need more data. I would use that if they had it available.

Hi again. I thought so. I've done RideMax my last few trips and will use it from now on. I wish they did still have it for WDW. WDW has something called Tourguidemike, but I'm not too sure how that works. We will be going the week before Christmas, so I think I might give him a try. At least I can compare the two after we've tried them. Have a great time and I'm looking forward to the differences and so on too!

 

[tinkermell]

I know they take late fastpasses because we do that all the time. I have even heard of people using them on subsequent days but I have never done that. I am not too sure about if there are any unconnected fastpass machines. That time of year, after President's week but before Spring breaks you might not need them like you did for your summer Disneyland visit. And unlike Disneyland, WDW doesn't seem to have the HUGE local base of people who visit. I have been to Disneyland during some incredibly slow times of the year only to have Friday afternoon through Sunday night be a crowded nightmare. Because there are four parks to spread out in, the crowds don't seem as stifling as they can at Disneyland which is also geographically smaller than the WDW parks. If you want, pm me what parks you are thinking etc and I can give you some more specifics about what is different at MK vs. Disneyland and some of our touring plans of action that have worked pretty well for us. Not as scientific as your incredible fastpass link but it might help you out! I think you will be surprised at how much mileage you will get out of your Disneyland knowledge.

I think you will be glad you stayed onsite. The only problem is that if you have more than two kids you might have to get two rooms at a value or stay at a Deluxe that takes families that large. Sorry, I don't remember how many kids you have! Even two rooms at a value is still cheaper than one night at the Disneyland Hotel however.

Have fun with your planning, that's as much fun to me as the actual trip (almost)!

Hi Amy and Dan, I'm new to WDW also. I'm also a DL veteran. Can I have a few of your tips too????? Thanks!!!

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

I've found this site, mousesavers.com, allearsnet.com, and tourguidemike.com and the Unofficial Guide to give me every bit of information I needed to turn me into the go-to girl for WDW information, at least as far as my family and friends are concerned. I grew up in Southern California and love Disneyland and California Adventure, but with the exception of a few attractions, WDW is well worth the trip. I would get park-hoppers and sample each park if I were you, just so you know which ones you want to concentrate on when you come back, as I think you will - you won't be able to stop yourself. Disneyworld has that affect on people, at least DIS people. Hope you have a great time!!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I will look into the travel agents before I book anything. I assume they are typically selling combo hotel/ticket packages. Can you get better deals when you also include air fare?

When I have booked through Small World for example, I have done packages (for our first trip) but only for hotel and park tickets. Then we got AP's so she just booked our hotel for between 6-10 nights depending on the trip. Now we have DVC so I only need her to book room nights for Fri and Sat. nights when points are too high. She has always gotten me good deals regardless of how much she is handling. As for airfare, I know they can do that too but we are usually using ff miles so I don't know what the deals are. I have used Expedia for Disneyland packages before and that can be a good deal. In fact I just used Expedia for our June Disneyland trip and it saved me $400 over booking the hotel and airfare separately so I was pretty happy with that. I have never used Expedia for WDW however. I would get a couple of quotes and then price the components out myself and see what is the best deal. It sounds like a lot but its really not that much.

I think you are smart to include AK. You can hit the highlights of AK in a half day, which for your family would probably be Safari ride, Dinosaur and the Festival of the Lion King. Kali River Rapids is fun but you get soaked and that is a cold time of year! It is also not as good as Grizzly River Rapids in my opinion. Other things like Its Tough to be a Bug you have seen at DL so you might not want to waste your time. Epcot is very unique and really worth doing. Your boys would love the Future World Section. World Showcase is great but given your time constraints and the age of your kids you might not want to do much more than eat dinner and see Illuminations. MK has many of the same things as Disneyland but has some things you can't find in California. Namely Mickey's Philharmagic, Tomorrowland Transit Authority, Stitch's Great Escape (kind of a sorry attraction but if you have Stitch fans its worth doing if you have a fp or the lines aren't long). Other things like the Buzz Lightyear ride are very similar. Other things, such as Pirates of the Caribbean are much better at Disneyland. Wishes is a great fireworks show. If you have only two nights to see shows I would see Wishes and Illuminations. Fantasmic is great at MGM because unlike at DL it has a large amphitheater for seating so you aren't standing for two hours holding your spot. But the show is almost exactly the same as Disneyland's (they subsitute Pocahantas for the Peter Pan sequence and that's about the only difference).

You are smart to know you can't see it all! Check out the UG, pick your highlights and see what you can get done. Then, when you take the rest of the family (and you know you will) you will be expert guides and planners!

 

[bjakmom]

Hi HydroGuy - everyone on the DL forum has been so helpful to me in planning my DL trip - here's my 2 cents on WDW -
At that age my DS loved the Epcot area resorts - always something going on: boardwalk, ESPN arcade, watersprites, etc. You can also spare yourselves the buses when going back and forth from Epcot and MGM. We rented DVC points at BWV for 2 trips and fell in love with the place (be careful, that's how we ended up becoming members! ). You could rent a studio (with a mini-kitchenette, sink, micro and fridge) for 11 pts std or 14 pts pref (per night) if you are going during the week (sun - thurs) - many people rent their pts for $10ea and that includes all room taxes, etc. If you're staying over the weekend the pts are too high IMHO to be worth it - you could also check out the Swan/Dolphin - they are beautiful hotels with the same great location - comfiest beds I've ever slept on in a hotel - if you are a govt employee, teacher, nurse, etc they have some great rates for a deluxe hotel https://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/dreamsres/sd.cfm#sd-main-special-book- their pool is also excellent ! Just a few more options for you to consider and price out against the values. Definitely check out Mousesavers.com for $$ saving info.

At the ages of your boys, I think that the highlights at both AK and MGM (and probably Epcot unless they want to visit all the "countries") can each be done from early AM to late lunch - especially with your knowledge of FP - and I find we 'travel' through the parks much faster when I'm just with 1 or 2 older kids. And then there's the awesome waterparks !! . . . but we could easily overwhelm you!