First time to Disneyworld...Help?(PLEASE READ 21, MY PLAN AND ADVISE!)

[Chumpson]

So, I have done DL many times, our family has gone 3 times in the past 6 years for multiple days and done just about everything there. We will be going to DW for our first time ever this summer. My questions are many, but I have a plan and would like suggestions...Kids 16, 14, 11.

We are staying off site and at DL we always took breaks in the middle of the day due to being up at rope drop and wanting to stay late. Our plan is to do the same routine at DW to avoid long lines and heat in mid day. My question is
#1 with parks and #2 with FP+.

#1 since we have done so much DL I am thinking of focusing on 2 days at EPCOT, 1 day DHS and 1 day Animal Kingdom. (We will also be doing 2 days at Universal) Would it be a major mistake to skip MK? I don't know that there is much that we need to see there due to our DL experiences.

#2 For FP+ my plan was to get all the FPs after our return from lunch/naps/pool time. Early and later evening FPs. The thought is the morning will be walk on and then when we notice the heat and lines we just head out and know we have FPs later.

Thoughts?

 

[kbonner]

Never been to DL, but from I understand the MK is fairly different. It also has the SDMT opening at the end of May. It's up to you if you want to skip it, I for one would not. Off sites are also a decent distance from the parks unlike DL. You can book the later FP+ if the time and attractions are available.

 

[JaymeC]

I would say spend at least a half day at MK. You'll want to ride Splash there because it is a better ride. And there is *nothing* like the castle at MK. My husband grew up going to DL and the first time I took him to WDW he stopped in his tracks when he saw the castle and told me he understood now why I teased him about DL's There will be the Mine Train as well, different shows, the chance to see the Electrical Parade on Main Street. While the parks are very similar, they each have their uniqueness. In fact, when you enter MK you'll be slightly off balance because it will be just similar enough to DL to throw you off.

FP's oh FP's... My advice here is to sit and watch. Depending on when you're going this summer you may have better data on when to FP things and when not to. Especially now that you can add on FPs and do park hopping with them and the like. But overall, its a good approach

One thing I want to prepare you for is that WDW is huge. I mean HUGE. It is a LOT more walking than DL and going back to your resort will be much more challenging, even onsite. I would highly recommend onsite as opposed to off unless you're already planning a rental car. But yeah, all those little lines are not walking paths they are roads and it is literally miles to get to places.

 

[TuneTownMagic]

First of all, have a magical first trip to the World!

#1- I have a friend who recently went to Disneyland after many trips to Disney World and she mentioned that the theming and architecture was somewhat different between DLR and the MK....so it might be interesting to see what is unique about each place. There are some rides that different between the parks too. Also, it is just such an iconic part of WDW and the castle and fireworks really are something special there. I don't know if it will be still happening when you go, but they have been doing amazing projections on the castle surface that are really unforgettable. That being said, it sounds like your itinerary has a good variety and you will see a lot, so it would not be a big mistake to skip MK.

#2- I used FP+ for the first time late last year and I don't know how much it's changed because I think that was when it was first being rolled out; what I noticed was that even though you can stagger your FP reservations for different times throughout the day, you are only able to select certain combinations of FP+ attractions and certain timing combinations too. So it wasn't exactly like you could select the exact schedule of rides and timings and parks that you desire. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[wareagle57]

I just went to DL for the first time this year. I think it would be a big mistake to miss the MK. They are very similar but also very different. It was fun for me just to look for the differences. There are also a few rides that DL doesn't have. If you're skipping MK, it would make just as much sense to skip HS. It's pretty similar to CA. I also don't really consider Epcot to be worth 2 days out of 4. They only have 2 MAJOR rides that will take up time waiting for, and one of those is Soarin' which you have at CA. The other is Test Track which is just like the Cars ride, but not as fun.

 

[rymahoney]

#1 don't skip MK #2 try and change and stay on site if you want to take mid day break. If this is a once in a lifetime type trip you will want to stay in the Disney bubble that I understand disneyland does not have. Our kids are way different ages so this might not help but for us hs and ak are rope drop till about 2 we take a break and go to mk those evenings. Also I'm sure you know the weather in orlando will be way different than southern cal. Hot and humid which adds to the importance of mid day breaks and staying on site. At your kids age going around the world at Epcot will be pretty neat for them and may require a day and half maybe two days.

 

[mare1203]

#1: Don't skip MK. Although they seem similar, there are some big differences. the most obvious being Cinderella Castle which is absolutely stunning in comparison to Sleeping Beauty Castle. For me, that is worth it enough. As someone else stated, Splash Mountain is better in WDW, and I would also recommend WDW's Haunted Mansion. The other thing you don't want to miss at MK is the nighttime celebrations: Celebrate the Magic & Wishes.

As others have stated, WDW is huge in comparison to DL and it always takes longer than you anticipate to get places. Depending on where you are staying off-site it can take anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour (or longer) to get back to the room due to the time it will take just to get off property. It can take that long staying on property! All of Disneyland can fit into Magic Kingdom's parking lot alone.

The parks will be open later as it is summer, but even with that being said Epcot almost always closes at 9:00 and DAK usually stays open until just 8:00 in the summer. DHS will be probably be open until 10, so be aware that the other parks aren't open nearly as late as MK is.

 

[Kristina4109]

I visit both WDW and DL frequently. I sometimes stay offsite at Disneyland. I NEVER stay offsite at Walt Disney World. It's just too far away. You'd be much better off staying at a Disney Resort if you want to take breaks in the middle of the day.

Remember, there are rooms at Walt Disney World Resorts that are significantly cheaper than the onsite Disneyland Resort rooms. If budget is a concern check out the Disney Value resorts.

 

[TerryLP]

We live in Florida and have always gone to WDW. We have been taking our girls (twins) since they were two. Last summer we decided to take them to DL for their thirteenth birthday. Having done both, I feel that you would really be missing out if you do not see MK. If nothing else, the castles are so different.

You said that you are going during the summer. Your regular plan of being there at rope drop, leaving around the middle of the day, and returning at early evening is a good one. We almost always do the same thing. I do not know how locked in you are to staying off grounds, but if possible, I would urge you to reconsider and stay at one of the Disney resorts. You will find it much easier to get around. You will also be able to take advantage of EMHs. You will also get more done during that time than any other time during the day. Just something to think about.

 

[DoughR]

Being a DLR vet, on my first WDW trip, I found the most comfort in MK. Even now we typically plan more days at MK than the other parks. MK is not as dense as DL but you'll have a more enjoyable day being able to do more attractions at MK than any other park at WDW.

 

[PeterPanic]

#1 don't skip MK #2 try and change and stay on site if you want to take mid day break. If this is a once in a lifetime type trip you will want to stay in the Disney bubble that I understand disneyland does not have. Our kids are way different ages so this might not help but for us hs and ak are rope drop till about 2 we take a break and go to mk those evenings. Also I'm sure you know the weather in orlando will be way different than southern cal. Hot and humid which adds to the importance of mid day breaks and staying on site. At your kids age going around the world at Epcot will be pretty neat for them and may require a day and half maybe two days.

I visit both WDW and DL frequently. I sometimes stay offsite at Disneyland. I NEVER stay offsite at Walt Disney World. It's just too far away. You'd be much better off staying at a Disney Resort if you want to take breaks in the middle of the day.

Remember, there are rooms at Walt Disney World Resorts that are significantly cheaper than the onsite Disneyland Resort rooms. If budget is a concern check out the Disney Value resorts.

First of all, if WDW resort prices are less then DLR, I would probably die from sticker shock if I ever looked at the prices at DL.

Staying offsite depends a great deal on where you are staying. If you are on Rte. 192 near the main gate, it is just as fast to get to your hotel from WDW then staying onsite when you factor in waiting for buses, etc. I have done both and in many cases it is quicker to go offsite, not to mention cheaper both for meals and lodging. If you are way on the eastern end of 192 then it will take quite a while to get to the parks especially during high traffic times. Look at maps because sometimes the names of the hotels can be confusing. Many mention "main gate" but they are miles away. Kissimmee publishes some very detailed location maps that show just where you are in relation to WDW. Go by street addresses. Rte 192 is also known as Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway.

I have been going for 31 years now and have never had a problem with leaving, taking a break and not feeling like I missed out on anything, in fact the jingle of extra money in my pocket made me happy.

 

[luisov]

I personally wouldn't skip MK. It is very similar to DL, yes, but I feel like you are not in Disney if you don't visit the Magic Kingdom. At the end of the day there are some differences between both parks. And most of the attractios at WDW are concentrated at MK, anyway.

Also (and this is just personal opinion) Epcot is a one day park for me. If you really don't care about the MK, you can always consider a water park. Disney has two pretty cool ones

In regards of the mid-day breaks... Uh, it'll be more difficult at WDW than you think. In DL It's super easy, I know, but WDW is a little more complicated than that. The property is huge, so it would take quite a long time to go back to your hotel and then return later. If that is what works best for you and your family, then go for it.

 

[SuperRob]

Just went to Disneyland for the first time this past September. Do NOT miss the Magic Kingdom. Yes, it's very similar to Disneyland, but larger, and with more immersion. Some of the rides are the same with slight variation, but there are a lot of different rides as well. And has been mentioned, Cinderella's Castle is breathtaking, compared to the quaint Sleeping Beauty castle. Celebrate the Magic (a projection show on the Castle before the fireworks) is absolutely not to be missed.

Regarding FastPasses, you can book them in advance, but yes, you could plan them for early afternoon or later.

 

[SALee76]

We are DL passholders and go often, we went to WDW for the 1st time early last month and MK was absolutely my favorite of all the parks. It is similar to DL but different enough to warrant a visit. We are actually planning 2 days at MK for our trip next April. My kids are 4 and 12. I found Epcot to be geared much more towards adults and thus not quite as fun for the kiddos. I hope you have an amazing trip, we sure did and are counting the days until we can head back.

 

[Safari Queen]

I agree with OPs that you should spend at least some time at MK. Skip WDW for HM, POC, and fireworks (better at DL) but do see the attractions that are unique to FL. The castle is very impressive compared to CA and the sheer size of the park is worth seeing.

 

[d1gitman]

I would definitely change to staying onsite if possible. Having done Walt Disney World and Disney Land / California Adventure many times, its a world if difference between the two locations. At Disney Land / California Adventure the main advantage to staying onsite is MMs. At Walt Disney World its an immersion thing as PPs have mentioned. Also, its hard to grasp the scale of the Property at Walt Disney World vs Disney Land / California Adventure. Park hopping at Disney Land / California Adventure is a short jaunt across the plaza. Park hopping at Walt Disney World is like visiting the next town over. I wouldn't skip any parks and would even consider a waterpark day

 

[sb682]

Personally, my family always stays offsite, and no one feels like they're missing out. We generally stay either near the Sherbeth Rd entrance off 192 or the Crossroads area in Lake Buena Vista. It takes about 45 minutes from the MK turnstiles and 20-25 from the other parks.

At your kids' ages, I could definitely see spending 2 days at Epcot, and 1 each at MK, AK and HS. Epcot is huge and half the appeal is walking around and seeing everything. I would at least plan 1.5 days there, since it's amazing at night. As you can see, everyone has wildly different opinions, so you should probably sit down with your kids and talk about it with the whole family. I think your FP+ strategy sounds good.

 

[Stinasmom]

Big DL fan here as a west coast resident... it's definitely better overall than MK. We'll be at WDW this JUNE and are not skipping MK, but will likely tour it differently...
skip Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, or Small World if lines are too long.
We plan to rope drop to get on 7Dwarves MT, leave the park for lunch, come back later for the Electric parade. And overall just enjoy the atmosphere.

I agree with 1 day at HS, 1 day at AK -- but if you have park hopper passes your AK day can include an evening somewhere else. And 2 days at Epcot.

It's a bit pretentious of everyone to tell you to change your plans to stay onsite. Sure, it's nice and all, but offsite can offer much larger accommodations at a more reasonable price -especially for a family of 5.

AND - makes more sense if you're spending 2 days at Universal!
Your kids will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Universal!
Last time we went there we splurged on a single night hotel room at Royal Pacific even though we had offsite condos, for the "Front of the Line" passes.

So, have fun! Good luck fitting it all in! Get some rest when you get home!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I visit both WDW and DL frequently. I sometimes stay offsite at Disneyland. I NEVER stay offsite at Walt Disney World. It's just too far away. You'd be much better off staying at a Disney Resort if you want to take breaks in the middle of the day.

Remember, there are rooms at Walt Disney World Resorts that are significantly cheaper than the onsite Disneyland Resort rooms. If budget is a concern check out the Disney Value resorts.

Actually, there are numerous offsite locations that are WAY closer to the parks than the "value" resorts. The only hiccup we had was with the trams running a single tram mid day and waiting a LONG time for guests to get on. We eventually found it faster to just walk to our car. Once in our car, 8-15 minutes to our room, depending on park.

 

[jmulvaney]

Look at the Swan and Dolphin-- they are onsite, but not owned by WDW. Better prices, still can use EMH, In park transportation, and 60 days FP+. Really MDE and charging to your room are only things you can't do. They are also within walking distance of both EP and HS! Wonderful for going back to resort for breaks.