DL vet requesting first WDW trip ride advice.

MK: 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain, Peter Pan

EP: Spaceship Earth, Soarin, Test Track

HS: Tower of Terror, Star Tours, RnRC

AK: Safari, Everest, Nemo
 
WDW is an entirely different experience. I am afraid, from a ride perspective, you might be a little disappointed. DL basically has all the rides concentrated into 2 parks, that are really more the size of 1 park in WDW. You will spend a lot of your day at WDW getting around from place to place. Each park has a couple of headliner rides, and then a bunch of smaller ones (and each park in general has fewer rides overall). WDW has a lot of educational exhibits and other side things that are not really part of the DL experience (mostly due to lack of space). For strictly a ride experience, I like DL better. The mindset is different in WDW. Think of it more as a large resort rather than an amusement park. Restaurants, scenery, the monorail, the onsite resorts, are all part of the experience at WDW and what make the difference between it and DL. Resorts have their own set of activities that can round out a vacation.

Like it's been said above, there are a few rides unique to WDW, but most of the better ones have been made into counterparts at DL or vice versa. Check out touringplans and easywdw if you want a rundown of the rides and where they are located and in which park. But PLEASE don't stop at the rides. You will notice that here on the forums, there are entire areas dedicated to restaurants and food, and that is a big part of a WDW vacation. They may not all be Michelin starred, but the theming Disney brings to the eating experience is as great as the rides, and much more enjoyable than standing in a line to see it. Eating in the castle will give you an average banquet quality meal, but the experience is awesome- from the decor to the princesses (and I have a son- they get a sword ;)! Eating in the Beast's castle is fun as well. There is a reason why you have to sit at your computer 180 days out to make dining reservations. People really like the Disney dining experience.

Epcot is set up like a World's fair, so it has some fun rides, and the lines get long, but they also have a lot of exhibits and entertainment. I know some DL vets that love it because it's so different and some others that think it's boring. It's really personal taste.

You can do extra activities like the Behind the Seeds Tour, or scuba diving in their tank, which I've heard is an awesome experience. Yes, they add to the cost, but they also give you something unique to do. There are all sorts of extra tours that are really cool and can add a lot to your vacation- from morning surf lessons in their wave pool to safaris if you stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, to Segway Tours and Behind the Scenes Tours. You can also do standard resort activities like boating, parasailing, fishing, etc. WDW often gets really crowded in the afternoons, so escaping to a more relaxing activity can be really nice.

Staying at a great onsite resort really adds to the experience as well. Disney has some beautiful and impressive hotels. My personal favorites are the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Polynesian Resort. Staying onsite gets you nice perks, and decent transportation options (depending on the resort- I use a car when staying at AKL so I don't have to wait for buses or stand in a long line waiting for a bus at the end of a long day). Beach Club is also nice if you think you will be spending a lot of time in Epcot. Also, remember that Florida is HUMID - which often means musty in some hotels. I have not had an issue with mustiness in an onsite hotel, but I have had a lot of problems with it in offsite hotels and condos. They save money by keeping the air off if a room isn't occupied, and offsite hotels have a much greater variation in occupancy than onsite hotels (which is kept above 80%). Even 4 star hotels from well known brands can have these issues in Florida, so just check out Tripadvisor, etc. before your stay if you stay offsite.

My last advice is get used to walking, because you will be walking a LOT! A lot more than DL. But it means you don't have to feel guilty for all of the yummy food indulgences! Use a touringplan or easywdw recommendation for rides and ride times to save you a bunch of time. It really does, and it's important because they balance standing in line with walking across the park. Sometimes it makes sense to walk across the park to another major ride early in the morning so you stand on your feet for less time overall. Do your feet a favor and heed the advice of some ride experts.

This wasn't really about the rides, but at WDW the rides are only a small part of the experience.
 
wdw's haunted mansion, carousel of progress, and people mover are our favs in magic kingdom. splash is also a must do because it's just so much better than DL's. i'd be remiss is i didn't say you should see the main street electrical parade as well. epcot is just awesome all around. hollywood studios is ok... the fantasmic is very different. just sitting in the theater style seating is very unusual feeling. tot is a must do as well. rockin roller coaster is hilarious if you're really familiar with the l.a. area. animal kingdom: Everest, safari, and dinosaur.

wdw is way more laid back and has a bubble that DL just won't ever have. being able to stay on property for a reasonable cost is amazing. the dining options are amazing. once you go, you're going to be hooked. just be prepared for how big it all is and all the extra time required to get around. i'll never forget how i couldn't believe how long we kept driving after leaving POR on the ME back to MCO. it seemed like forever... and THEN we went under the sign saying you were leaving the property.
 
WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone!!!!!!!!!! Thank you SO MUCH for your great responses!!!!!!!! You have given my wife and I some great info to help us start our planning (truly-so much fun! And we haven't even been to the parks yet!). Best wishes to you and yours! Thank you!
 

Here are next month's FP for my family:

Magic Kingdom Park
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park
DINOSAUR, Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safaris
Epcot
Spaceship Earth, Mission: SPACE, Frozen Ever After
Magic Kingdom Park
Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Toy Story Mania!, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue,Indiana Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Epcot
Test Track, Turtle Talk With Crush, Mission: SPACE
Magic Kingdom Park
Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Haunted Mansion
Epcot
Soarin' ,Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival. Mission: SPACE

Other than our arrival and departure days, we book FPs from about 11- 2. We're at the parks at rope drop, seeing all those headliners we didn't FP (so even though Space Mountain is only there once, my daughter will ride it multiple times.) We leave the parks at about 1:30 or so, head back to the resort to swim/nap, and return for our dinner ADR at about 6.

Our ADR's: Chef Mickeys, Crystal Palace breakfast, BOG, Le Cellier, Coral Reef, Cape May, Tusker House breakfast (Jungle Book show package),
 
Last edited:
Wait....we've all forgotten the 1 key difference between WDW and DL: hotel proximity.

Offsite at DL means a 5 minute shuttle ride to the Disneyland gates.

Offsite at WDW means a 20 minute drive onto Disney property, another 5 to get to the MK parking lot, 5 to get the tram to the TTC, and 10 to board and ride the boat or monorail to MK.

So 5 minutes from offsite hotel to DL, but 40 from offsite hotel to MK
 
Wait....we've all forgotten the 1 key difference between WDW and DL: hotel proximity.

Offsite at DL means a 5 minute shuttle ride to the Disneyland gates.

Offsite at WDW means a 20 minute drive onto Disney property, another 5 to get to the MK parking lot, 5 to get the tram to the TTC, and 10 to board and ride the boat or monorail to MK.

So 5 minutes from offsite hotel to DL, but 40 from offsite hotel to MK
The OP posted another thread last week and will be staying at YC for their 2017 trip. They have plans for Food & Wine and are just inquiring as to which rides are recommended. I don't think the OP noted that in his initial post in this specific thread.
 














Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!

Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
CLICK HERE













DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest

Back
Top