First time going ... please help!

[shell8558]

Our favorite table service places to eat are Ohanas , whispering canyon, and crystal palace breakfast . We have tried chef mickeys (3 times ) and were disappointed with the food each time. Our favorite quick service are Wolfgang puck express , Casey's , Captain Cooks at the poly, Earl of sandwich and The Mexican pavillion in Epcot.
* Must have things to bring - 1.) over the door shoe hanger , awesome for your make up , sunscreen , brushes , medicines , etc. 2.) medicines , like aspirin , pepto , bandaids , neosporin, etc. 3.) ziplock bags to store wet ponchos. 4.) misting fans - Walmart had them for like 8.00. 5.) tide to go pens- you will be taking like 400 photos 6.) I bring extra plastic hangers from home to hang up my clothes and wet swimsuits. 7.) tide sink packs - to wash my bras , etc after sweating all day. 8.) we also like to bring pump hand soap for the bathroom , hate bar soap to wash hands !

 

[Love4Travel]

I'll definitely bring the surge protector, that's a great idea, thank you. We don't have kids so we're not having to plan ways to entertain them. I'm the same way about the pump soap, I really dislike bar soap. We're stopping by Target on the way in to pick up breakfast items and snacks, i.e. Peanut Butter, Crackers, Cereal, Milk, etc. I actually think we have an extra toaster laying around, so I may bring that, we're driving so I don't have to worry about packing all this into a carry on & 1 suitcase. I'm hoping to spending less than $365 for food, but we'll see, hopefully so since we keep getting told how expensive food is down there. I actually bought our tickets on UT, so we saved a little bit of money on that. I've made reservations at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney for our friend's birthday (any good??) and breakfast at Kona Cafe on the day we are leaving. How long does check in and check out usually take? Thank you all so much for y'alls help planning this. The more tips I receive the better I feel!

 

[ThatBrunette]

Overplanners Unite!

I have a packing list that has over 400 items so, your request sounds perfectly normal. You are bringing your car so you can over pack a little.

WDW is huge! You will be on your feet for most of the day.

All of the recommendations for footwear are good. Think about what you would need for your own heavy walking needs. I only use one pair of sneakers and then use the Crocs for walking within the resort.

I like to have a pocket sized sunscreen for reapplication. I also carry baby powder. Hats, rain ponchos, lip balm and post card stamps go in my park bag. What? I like to send post cards.

It is hot an moist in FL. I'm originally from NY so, anything over 70 deg is a heatwave. It is still very warm in September and slightly more humid than NC. Pack for the heat. Don't think relaxing beach day think ten mile hike.

The Biergarten in Epcot is great for groups. It is a buffet with an oompah band. The 50s Prime Time is cute. If you get a good server, it can be a lot of fun. We enjoyed the Sci-Fi but, our family likes sci-fi stuff. I was happy to eat a burger and watch old movie clips.

What do you want out of your dining experience? Fun, casual, romantic or character encounter.

 

[ZoZo]

Hello, and welcome to the DIS! My best tip is to buy the Unofficial Guide (or borrow it from the library). It has tons of great info about everything WDW, including how to use fast pass, info about the different restaurants, etc.

BTW, I think if you already bought your tickets from Undercover Tourist you won't be eligible for free dining. I think to get free dining, you have to book a room/ticket package with at leeast two days of park tickets. So if you already have your tickets, I don't think you can get free dining. Can someone else confirm this?

Bring at least two or three different options for shoes. You'll be walking several miles per day, and it's easy to get blisters. Bring moleskin to prevent blisters, and also get some bodyglide for blister prevention. I do a combo of sneakers and flip flops.

Regarding sunscreen, I like Neutrogena the best. I do a combo of lotions and sprays (sprays are great for touch-ups during the day). Neutrogena "Dry Touch" lotion sunscreen works really well and isn't sticky at all.

Some stuff to pack: Power strip, a good poncho, sunscreen, swimsuit, visor or hat, moleskin, bodyglide, sunglasses, backpack or messenger bag, ziploc bags in different sizes, chargers for phone/camera/ipad, refillable water bottle.

And be aware that you can get free cups of ice water at any quick service restaurant, even if you don't buy any food. It's important to stay hydrated, and the water is free (no need to pay for bottled water!).

And some of my favorite restaurants are: Crystal Palace breakfast, Kona Cafe. Columbia Harbor House, Sunshine Seasons, Yorkshire County Fish and Chips, Flame Tree Barbecue, Earl of Sandwich, and Wolfgang Puck Express.

Have a great time!

 

[Love4Travel]

BTW, I think if you already bought your tickets from Undercover Tourist you won't be eligible for free dining.

Yes, to get free dining you have to book a room package with tickets but we're not worried about free dining. We thought going the 30% off the room was a better deal for us.

For the dining, we probably won't be doing anything too romantic because we are going with 4 other people, though if we do get a night to go out by ourselves, what are some restaurants that are good for 2? Just not V&A. We're also planning on going to the Movie Dine-In when we arrive that night.

 

[Pooh2]

I do not know if we just hit it right but we got right into Beaches and Cream without a wait about 4:30 in the afternoon. Our group shared the Kitchen Sink sundae for dessert, very fun!
50s Prime time is also a fun pick.
Hoop 'dee doo and Kona are among some of our favorites as well.
We found that by eating a bit earlier and later than the usual crowd, we did not have much trouble getting all the restaurants we wanted.

 

[DisneySJB]

I would say the best advice I received when visiting for the first time was to take a break mid day. Go to the parks in the morning, go back to the hotel to rest/have pool time, then go back in the evening for the rest of the night. Also... you will not see everything in one trip. Figure out your "must haves" and enjoy yourself.

 

[DisneyWorld2015]

Wow! How exciting! You're gonna have a blast.
I also recommend getting a guide book!
But my packing suggestion list would include:
-Good shoes
-Disinfectant wipes, Lysol, hand sanitizer, etc.
-Ziploc bags
-Ponchos
-Power strip
-I read on another thread to bring take-out cup lids to put on the sticks of ice cream or popsicle bars to catch messy drips!

My favorite rides in each park:
-Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, The Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World
-Hollywood Studios: Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller coaster, Toy Story Mania
-EPCOT: Test Track & Soarin'
-Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids & the Kilimanjaro Safari!

I personally love to eat at EPCOT & experience the different foods of the world! My favorites in EPCOT are the Nine Dragons (Chinese), Restaurant Marrakesh (Moroccan) & the Le Cellier Steakhouse (Canadian)

Happy travels

 

[Ashlie in Wonderland]

HELLO and welcome to the DIS. I am new here myself but have taken several Disney trips.

I know there are a lot of opinions regarding the dining plan, and mine is if it's free it's a must. I love the idea of an "all inclusive" style vacations and the dining plan does that for me. Wilderness Lodge is an AWESOME resort, I have had lunch there and the themeing is amazing. You would never guess you are in central FL. (That's the great thing about Disney!)

Speaking from experience a good pair of shoes is essential. I had blisters so bad from our last trip, I could barely walk and spent a lot of time in 1st aid.

Like everyone has mentioned reservations are a must and I find that calling the dining line (401-WDW-DINE) gives me more options then trying to make them online, especially this close to your trip. Some of my favorite restaurants are the Crystal Palace (the breakfast buffet is delicious), it is a character dining and I know that seems childish but it really isn't. We also love The Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club resort. A little tip, Yacht Club is a very short walk from the back entrance of EPCOT in World Showcase. You could have a drink at one of the countries before heading over for dinner. Plus you can make it back in time for Illuminations.

I hope this helps, happy trip planning and have a good time!

 

[Love4Travel]

We had been planning on taking a break, my friends who have been before are planning on staying in the parks all day, but me and fiance where planning on spending the morning there and then coming back to the hotel and then going back that night. We'll definitely try hitting B&C at 4:30, because that's the place I really have been dying to try since I heard about it. All of these tips are wonderful, thank y'all so much! I've been wondering, how much do you tip room service? Some people have told me they don't need a tip and others have told me anywhere from $2-$5 a day, what's your opinion on it? I'm trying to figure out how much to put in the tip envelope that I'm bringing with us.