First time trip help!

[RCSim]

Hello all! I could sure use some trip planning help! =) Firstly let me say I live in Florida so I've been to Disney more than I can count. I have some friends from Canada (4 adults, 40's and 50's) who've never been to Disney, or a theme park for that matter, so I've been given the task of creating the most magical vacation possible for them! Trip would be about 9 days and the budget is deluxe/villa. Now, I've narrowed down what I think would be the best time of the year to visit, either the first two weeks of December 2022 (they're big fans of Christmas), or the last two weeks of January 2023 for the milder crowds and cooler weather. So my first real question is which time of those two would be best to visit.

Now as far as the resorts, that's another struggle. Do I put them somewhere like Animal Kingdom lodge for a truly unique experience, or somewhere like Boardwalk or Beach club where so much is outside their door. I don't personally think the MK resorts would be a good choice as they have always have a more hectic/kid feel than the other resorts mentioned. I could be wrong though! I'm fairly certain I'd like to book them villas and not standard hotel rooms or club level rooms.

I know your the right group to help with this, I've got one chance to really wow them, so I'd love to hear all thoughts and opinions! Thanks so much! =)

 

[Marthasor]

I'll give you my two cents!

First, I would book the first two weeks of December 2022. If they are big Christmas fans, WDW decorated for the holidays should knock their socks off. The parks and resorts are just gorgeous and, typically, pre-covid, there are a ton of holiday things to see and do as well.


Second, in terms of resorts, I probably wouldn't put them at AKL/AKV for a first stay. It's so off the beaten track and a bit isolated, IMHO. By putting them in the MK or EP resort area, they will truly have so much to do right at their doorstep. If you wanted to put them in the MK resort area, I would recommend VGF, if you can find an available villa. GF, in general, I think has a more adult vibe and the VGF building is quieter than the main areas, IMHO. There are some great restaurants and a lounge there, plus the monorail and path to MK. For a first trip, I always think having a view of the iconic castle from your resort is kind of cool. If you would rather put them in the EP area (which, I agree, has a less hectic feel than the MK area), I would highly recommend Beach Club Villas. This is where I took my BFF and her DS11 on their first WDW trip! You simply cannot beat the location of BCV - it's right next to EP and the Skyliner, super close to the BC lobby and QS and the resort bus stop. Walking around the Boardwalk is wonderful and having all of the EP resort area restaurants within walking distance is a huge plus. BWV is nice, too, but I definitely prefer BCV as, walking onto the Boardwalk to try to access the resort QS and TS gets a little old after a while. I think my overall vote would be BCV with VGF coming in second. Will you be reserving a 2-bedroom villa? They are fantastic!

 

[RCSim]

Thank you for the response! I think you're right on all counts! I think I'd be booking them two, one bedroom villas to give each couple more of their own space. =)

 

[Chami]

My husband and I went on our first trip a couple of years ago. We did a split stay. Half of our trip was at Animal Kingdom, and half was spent at the Boardwalk. We found that the Boardwalk appealed to us the most. It's conveniently located, and absolutely relaxing. I would lean towards a reservation at one of the Epcot resorts.

 

[CynBeth]

I agree about December and a MK resort for the theme park view with the monorail and electrical water pageant at night. Would not do a split stay first time.

 

[Eastern]

Epcot resort, December so they can see the decorations.

 

[_19disnA]

I would explain to your friends the different aspects of the various resorts and let them make their own decisions/reservations. What people like and where they stay is largely a matter of budget and personal preference. Someone who has never been to Disney will likely have their own ideas of what they enjoy after their first visit.

 

[chasgeese]

I would explain to your friends the different aspects of the various resorts and let them make their own decisions/reservations. What people like and where they stay is largely a matter of budget and personal preference. Someone who has never been to Disney will likely have their own ideas of what they enjoy after their first visit.

Fully agree with this. When I help Disney newbies out, I try as much as I can to present things as a series of options rather than making decisions for them. I think you know the pros and cons (in terms of location/transportation/price/theme/holiday decorations) of most options for resorts so maybe present a curated list of what you think are the best choices (aka one or two of each of the Epcot/MK resorts, AKL, WL, and a couple DVC options) and let them pick while offering more help with their choice if asked.

Also, although they are budgeting for deluxe/DVC, make sure they are aware of the pricing for everything and to adjust their expectations. A lot of first timers don’t realize that despite the high prices that would suggest the Deluxes are top of the line luxury hotels are partially due to Disney being able to charge a big premium for location and transportation. It’s not that the Deluxes aren’t nice hotels, but I have had friends go for the first time who were disappointed because they were expecting Four Seasons quality for what they were paying and that is not what anyone should expect.

 

[RCSim]

Thanks so much! A few things, I'm footing a majority of the bill, meaning I'll be buying the rooms, meal plans, and tickets. I've also presented them all the different resort options and areas to see if they steer into a certain direction and they want me to decide since I've been to all of them. Lol

 

[Ricguz]

Christmas decorations start going up around the first week of November until the first week of January. They start with the MK then to other parks and then the resorts. I agree with the other posts that you can book from Mid November thru December. Remember Christmas week and the week after crowds can be brutal. I have usually booked around mid November to early December and it’s been pretty great to see. Hopefully everything is back to normal and all the activities are open. I always like the Epcot resorts since they are closer to two parks plus the boardwalk. Good luck!

 

[Shellyred8]

Another vote for the December trip. I love WDW at Christmas time!
Since it's a fairly long trip, you might want to see if they would be interested in doing a split stay. 4 nights at a MK resort and 5 nights at an EP resort. If you plan their park days to be close to the resort they are staying at, it will minimize the amount of time they have to spend with the busses and maximize the amount of time in the parks.

Moving is easy-peasy. On the morning of the move, they bring their luggage to Bell Services and ask them to move it to the new resort. We usually make move day our AK day and make it a full day. Then, by the time we are done at the park, our new room is usually ready and the luggage has made it to the new resort. They just have to stop at bell services and pick it up. Note: Bell Services will pick up and drop off luggage to their room, but they need to be in the room for that. Depending on how busy Bell Services is, this could take awhile. We find it more efficient to drop-off and pick-up ourselves.

Happy planning!!

 

[Blondie58]

Hello all! I could sure use some trip planning help! =) Firstly let me say I live in Florida so I've been to Disney more than I can count. I have some friends from Canada (4 adults, 40's and 50's) who've never been to Disney, or a theme park for that matter, so I've been given the task of creating the most magical vacation possible for them! Trip would be about 9 days and the budget is deluxe/villa. Now, I've narrowed down what I think would be the best time of the year to visit, either the first two weeks of December 2022 (they're big fans of Christmas), or the last two weeks of January 2023 for the milder crowds and cooler weather. So my first real question is which time of those two would be best to visit.

Now as far as the resorts, that's another struggle. Do I put them somewhere like Animal Kingdom lodge for a truly unique experience, or somewhere like Boardwalk or Beach club where so much is outside their door. I don't personally think the MK resorts would be a good choice as they have always have a more hectic/kid feel than the other resorts mentioned. I could be wrong though! I'm fairly certain I'd like to book them villas and not standard hotel rooms or club level rooms.

I know your the right group to help with this, I've got one chance to really wow them, so I'd love to hear all thoughts and opinions! Thanks so much! =)

We have been at both times of year you mention. If they have never been and love Christmas, I would book December since you are asking. Our favorite is club level at GF or floor 14 at the Contemporary. This is closely followed by the villas at GF where we own. (We do split stays between the Club floors and GF villas.) Neither GF or 14th floor CR is hectic. We like being on the monorail. However, your group may like being at the back entrance to Epcot.

 

[NickC]

I haven't been either of those dates, but one of our best WDW experiences was during MVMCP at night with the 'snow' on Main Street. I'm not sure how they are handling parties now, or if they are even doing them, but it was pretty incredible.
As for resorts, we liked staying in the Epcot area so we could walk over to WS for dinner each night. There are a lot of great places to eat there, and walking through WS at night is fantastic.

 

[kda]

Early December is one of the very busiest times for DVC villas because of the low cost and how beautiful Disney is at that time of year. Just be aware that you'll need to book ASAP to secure a villa at that time of the year (and Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge are very popular because of how beautifully they're decorated).

 

[terri33inne]

December for dates. For resorts what appeals to them? I agree with others not to do AKL for a first trip. IMO GF can’t be beat at Christmas... but I know others will say WL is their fave for Christmas which is why I say what’s their style? I’m not outdoorsy so WL does not appeal to me for a stay... nice place to visit. Also staying at an MK resort they can visit the other MK resorts to see the decor. My second choice would be BW... I love the little cottages for an adult trip. Being able to walk to EP & HS can’t be beat.

 

[jimmymc]

I would recommend December 2022. Crowds die down after Thanksgiving for 2 to 3 weeks, and right in that time is when I would stay.

Yacht Club is a beautiful property that probably has the lowest amount of kids of any resort. One bedroom villas are great for families, but you end up with 2 people sleeping on a pull out couch because there is only one real bed. As adults coming for their first trip, I would stay in one of the boardwalk area resorts or Grand Floridian, for the theming and proximity to parks.

 

[MomOTwins]

I would go with one of the boardwalk area resorts (YC/BC/BW), and do Dec 2022 for sure.

End of January was low crowds this year, but in the couple of years before Covid, that was one of the worst times. People on here were posting long rants about how the wait times were worse at end of January than at Christmas and they felt misled . And temps can also get so cold in January--they are coming from Canada to Florida and will most likely be expecting the "sunshine state"--so better for them come at a time when it will be warm enough to swim and not risk have 30 degree days.

Thank you for the response! I think you're right on all counts! I think I'd be booking them two, one bedroom villas to give each couple more of their own space. =)

This seems a bit odd to me. I don't think a couple would get much benefit from having a 1-bedroom all to themselves as compared to a studio. The real benefit to 1-bedrooms is if you have a family or a groups sharing the room, you get separate sleep spaces. Also when you have kids can be nice to have the in-room laundry since kids generate soooo much laundry. As a adults couple, those benefits are not really applicable, and we've always found studios more than enough space for adults. So I would say save the money and book two studios or regular hotel rooms, and use the surplus for some nice signature meals out or some other splurge (e.g., maybe fireworks will be back then and you can book a fireworks party).