First time WDW vidit

[Gfjeanniemarie]

We have been avid Disneyland visitors for years, but in May we will be doing WDW for the first time. I’d like tips & tricks from all you experts. In our party we’ve got 6 adults & an almost 2 year old. We are staying at Animal Kingdom which I know is not central but we wanted that atmosphere for the grand daughter. We will ty for reservations at the beauty & beast restaurant but other than that nothing else is set in stone yet. We do have food allergies so that makes foodie stuff different for our group. Our flight arrives on a Wednesday at 6am & we fly out the following Wednesday. We do plan on taking a day to do Harry Potter.
So give me ideas on what parks need 2 days vs parks that can be ok with 1 day. Also what park would be best to do on our arrival day with some fatigue while we wait to be able to get into our room. Any other helpful info would be appreciated!
Thanks!!!

 

[Shellyred8]

If you really want to do a park on your arrival day, I would recommend AK since that is closest to where you are staying. However, you may want to look into what all is available at your resort. DH and I can waste 2-3 hours there just looking at the animals in all of the different viewing areas that they have (both Kidani and Jambo). Kidani has a great splash/play area for the little one. You can also spend a good amount of time just walking around the two buildings looking at everything. The adults might enjoy having a beverage in the lounge at Jambo. You can also grab a meal at one of the restaurants there.
Another option would be to pop over to Disney Springs. Wednesday morning/afternoon would probably be an excellent time to go if you are looking to avoid some crowds.

Tip 1: don't underestimate how long it takes to get places, especially if you are using WDW transportation. From AK you can plan to pop back to your resort pretty quickly for an afternoon break. But from the other parks, you will need to plan more time to get to and from your resort.

Tip 2: You won't be able to do everything WDW has to offer in this trip. Figure out what the really important things are for this trip for your party. Plan those important things out, but then leave some time to just enjoy your surroundings. Your little one will probably be on sensory overload and may get enchanted by some seemingly small thing. Let them have that experience and don't rush them through it. Enjoy it with them. They probably won't remember the experience, but you sure will.

Tip 3: WDW is EXCELLENT with food allergies. You just have to make sure to tell the restaurant you are at that you have them and they will work with you to find something that fits your needs.

Have a great trip and happy planning!

 

[TiggerBouncy]

EPCOT would normally be a 2 day park for adults; however the 2yo will get pretty bored with world showcase. They also won't understand things like Galaxy's Edge at HS. You may want 2 days for MK. That's most of the kid-centric rides. The rest you may be able to get away with 1 day.

Agree completely with Shelly - I would not do a park on arrival day unless you really feel you need to. PLENTY to do at AKL. They have one of the best kids play areas and watching the animals is a ton of fun - my son could watch them for a long time.

Food - try to get Chef Mickey's - it's a lot of fun for kids. The characters there do a great job at interacting.

I will try to update this post later. I have to run to a meeting.

 

[holden]

WDW is incredibly huge. Just to give you an idea, it's approximately 40 sq mi. WDW advises allowing up to 1.5hrs for transportation to/from parks, resorts, etc. Sometimes it does take that long. Sometimes not. Be sure to allow enough time to get from place to place.

I agree with PP that Epcot would be a 2 day park for adults, but the 2yo might become bored. You could do two days at MK. There's a lot to see and do there, and it will keep the 2yo occupied.

If you must do a park on arrival day, AK is probably a good bet. There aren't many attractions to ride, but there is a lot to see (walking trails, cool shops/architecture, shows, etc.). Remember that AK is the biggest park (540 acres, though not all of that is accessible to guests) and is very spread out. You will be tired, especially with jet lag.

If you become frustrated with the Disney buses, you can uber/lyft from place to place. Not sure if either of those have car seats, but wanted to mention it. We no longer use the Disney buses unless we approach the bus stop and the bus we want is there already. Uber/Lyft is much more efficient.

Have a great trip!

 

[CarolynFH]

If at all possible budget wise, consider booking the room reservation to start the day before you arrive. You can let the resort know you won't actually be there until early the next morning, but at least your room will be ready so you can deposit the luggage, freshen up, and have a place to crash in the afternoon if need be. Are you booking regular hotel rooms at AKL Jambo house, or DVC villas at Jambo or Kidani? The DVC villas aren't always ready at "checkin time" of 4 PM (I have not read that the hotel rooms have the same problem), so paying for the night before can really be a benefit.

 

[CynBeth]

I would look at the rides and attractions at the different parks to determine which you think you would enjoy and determine how many days you need.

I second about Disney being great with food allergies. I have family members with them and pretty much any TS is fine except for anything too exotic as they can’t have certain spices or dairy and need low to no salt. We can even eat at a buffet like Boma which is at your hotel we love breakfast and dinner there. Here are some other of our favorites you might enjoy:
MK - Be Our Guest, Tony’s, Liberty Tree Tavern.
Epcot - Space220, Coral Reef, Le Cellier, Tutto Italia, and Chefs de France.
AK - Rainforest Cafe. Pizzafari (Counter Service).
HS - 50’s Prime Time Cafe and Hollywood Brown Derby. PizzaRizzo (Counter Service).
WL - Whispering Canyon Cafe breakfast.
Yacht Club - Ale & Compass breakfast.
Disney Springs - The Boathouse.

 

[EGAlford]

We have been avid Disneyland visitors for years, but in May we will be doing WDW for the first time. I’d like tips & tricks from all you experts. In our party we’ve got 6 adults & an almost 2 year old. We are staying at Animal Kingdom which I know is not central but we wanted that atmosphere for the grand daughter. We will ty for reservations at the beauty & beast restaurant but other than that nothing else is set in stone yet. We do have food allergies so that makes foodie stuff different for our group. Our flight arrives on a Wednesday at 6am & we fly out the following Wednesday. We do plan on taking a day to do Harry Potter.
So give me ideas on what parks need 2 days vs parks that can be ok with 1 day. Also what park would be best to do on our arrival day with some fatigue while we wait to be able to get into our room. Any other helpful info would be appreciated!
Thanks!!!

First thing-- do not worry about getting reservations at Be Our Guest. While the inside of the restuarant is beautiful, the food is awful! It's really a cheap quick service at higher prices and the overall dining experience is hectic. I have been three times and twice some of my family got food poisoned and all three times at least one family member's order was wrong when it got to the table. For a good lunch or dinner, hop on the monorail and go to the Contemporary Resort and eat at Steakhoise 71. I haven't had a chance to eat there since the restaurant was called the Wave, but all reviews I have seen, including on DisUnplugged, it is still the same restaurant I came to love.
As for parks that need two days-- Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Animal Kingdom is so beautiful and you really want to take the time to soak in each part of the park. If you can manage rope drop, run to Flight of Passage. If the wait is simply too high during the day, get in line close to park close no matter what the wait time says and you will get on it-- honestly I would wait in line for two or three hours because it's next level in terms of 3d rides.
Magic Kingdom is usually better experienced over two days becuase it's the most popular, smaller than the other parks, and it has the most rides. This way, you won't pressure yourself into trying to get everything done. Trust me, you won't do everything or eat everything you plan to, but that's okay.
For arrival day, I would visit Disney Springs. There's plenty of Disney magic and tons to look at while you're waiting to check in to your resort.
Sometimes it's fun to find a nice place to sit, listen to whatever ambient music is playing, and enjoy the fact that you are in Disney World.
Hope this helps!

 

[CynBeth]

We have never had a bad experience at Be Our Guest for dinner. The service and food has been fantastic.

 

[Her Dotness]

At the risk of turning this into a "yes, it is/no, it isn't" on Be Our Guest, I agree with EGAlford above although not as strongly.

BOG had pretty good food for 2-3 years after it opened. Then, it became THE place everybody wanted and outstripped Cindy's Royal Table in impossible to get without a blast of pixie dust. I think they became overly ambitious trying to do all 3 meals and started slacking off or simply couldn't keep up with the extraordinary demand.

The last time we had breakfast, DH's open-faced steak and egg sandwich was as cold as if they'd cooked it and then set it in a freezer to chill thoroughly. I didn't believe him when he said it was that cold until I tried a bite. They comped his meal, but it was inexcusable that it was ever sent out.

We've had very mixed experiences at dinner there, food okay but nothing so good as the price charged.

So, go there if you absolutely must have the experience. The dining rooms are gorgeous. Too bad the food isn't.