First timer!!!

[diznefreak]

My Husband and I will be heading to WDW the week of May 2-9. We are very excited! My question is we will have the 6 day park hopper plus tickets and will go to a waterslide park for the seventh day, so I was wondering what your suggestions were from you experts on how to see all the pars? All ideas are appreciated because we do not know where to begin.(We will spend our first three nights at AKL and the last four at the Poly)

 

[valeriekc]

Congratulations!
You are starting out right by planning and trying to learn about WDW before you go.
Our first time we went in the middle of a hot july day to Magic Kingdom and were overhwhelmed with the heat and the crowds and the park.
However you have picked a great time...we go quite frequently in early May and the crowds are very tolerable!
I would suggest that you work to go to parks when the crowds aren't.
MK not on a Monday or Saturday. Epcot can always handle big crowds but hit Test Track early with a fastpass or the singles line.
Arrive at parks at opening at hit all the attractions you can before they parks get crowded.
We like to hit the parks hard & early and then an early lunch and few more rides and then back to the pool...swim get cleaned up and return to the parks refreshed and ready as the worn crowds start to head out.
Use FASTPASS for the rides with longer than a 20 min wait.
If your not into the parades, hit the big rides then.
Go to the WDW website and familiarize yourselves with the parks layouts and show and parade times.
The Poly is great and the monorail access is very convenient. I would definately hit Epcot on your 1st Saturday and MK on the Sunday. then MGM on Monday and do AK when you are staying over there. If you like big slides I would suggest Blizzard Beach for faster and bigger water slides...but Typhoon Lagoon has a lot of nice slides and a much better wavepool.
Have fun and keep reading!!

p.s. Watch for (and hope there are some) E nights that might be available during your trip if you like the Magic Kingdom!

 

[diznefreak]

Thanks Valeriekc! We appreciate your input. Idefinately will look into the parks lay out. What do you think about splitting the park times in 1/2. I was thinking about going to th AK on early morning then leaving as the crowds get big and head over to epcopt. What do you think?

 

[Ratpack]

Diznefreak,
Splitting the parks is what we always do. It allows you to go back to the resort for a swim and nap and then go to another park. It makes 6 days feel more like twelve. Also, like valeriekc said, get to the parks at opening. We were able to do ALL of Fantasyland in one hour and that was in July. Even rode several rides twice. By lunch, we had seen several lands and rode all the rides we intended to and were heading out when a lot of crowds were coming in.

 

[DancingBear]

I'm sure some of this advice will be repeating the above, but:

Go early. Use early entry, particularly for Magic Kingdom and (if you have any interest in Tower of Terror or Rock N' Roller Coaster) MGM. If not using EE, go at park opening time to one of the non-EE parks.

Read in advance how to use Fastpass and take advantage of it!

To the extent it makes sense with EE and such, take advantage of your location by going to MK while you are at the Poly---you can't beat the easy access by monorail or boat launch. Go to AK while you are AKL. It's also an easy walk from Poly to TTC to take the monorail to Epcot.

Check the park schedules in advance. If Spectromagic parade is available on a weeknight, see it then, so you can avoid MK on Saturday. Take advantage of park hopping---you can spend the morning at AK (which closes relatively early), take a mid-day break and then hit a late-closing park.

Don't overplan your meals way in advance. Make a PS for a nice dinner at a resort (not in the parks) on your waterpark day (CA Grill, Flying Fish, Artist Pointe). Otherwise, try to stay flexible and don't plan on too many full service sit-down meals, which consume park time and force you to be somewhere at a particular time. Consider eating your sit-down meal as an early or late lunch, giving you a mid-day break and avoiding some of the crowds. At the end of the day, decide what you are doing the next day and if you want to make/change/keep your PS arrangements. (But (1) probably want to make a PS for Saturday night, and (2) don't miss Boma at AKL).

While you could spend weeks at Disney World and never see it all, you'll easily get to all four parks within the 6 days you've got, and should see a lot. Don't get too "commando" about seeing "everything" and miss out on what makes Disney special--live entertainment opportunities, little surprises around every corner, astounding detail, beautiful landscaping, etc.

 

[doitagain]

Diznefreak

It looks like you have gotten some really great advise from glancing through the responses. One thing you might want to consider is moving your water park day up in your schedule. Some times on your first trip you feel as if you have to "Get your moneys worth". Don't worry, you will! But the first time doing multi day touring can be alittle overwhelming and a laid back, relaxing day at one of the water parks is a great way to still get your Disney fix for the day but rest your weary mind and body.

Keep up the good work, you'll be ready in no time!

 

[diznefreak]

Thanks doitagain! We were thinking about doing Blizzard Beach on either Monday or Tuesday and definately taking a break from the parks. We are undecided if we should head into a park on our arrival day or use that pass for the evening of our day at BB(We arrive @ 3:30 at MCO) Any suggestions. If we choose to go to the park on our arrival day i was thinking that after a day at BB we could head over to the BW, DTD and or PI?!?!?!

 

[snuggles]

Welcome to the Dis! I think you have to decide whether you want to use up a day of your pass the day you arrive. A lot of times we go to DTD and shop. You are very close to having enough days to buy an Annual Pass. I think the break even day is day 8. One thing we like about AP is that you dont feel like you are loosing a day if you spend part of a day in the parks. (I hope that made sense!) Have a wonderful time!

 

[Bob NC]

diznefreak:

You have picked a GREAT week to go. We have been to WDW this same week for the past 5 years. We have had fantastic weather with little to no rain.

You really will not need to use E-nights or EE this week, the parks just aren't that crowded.

With all the talk last year about shortened hours and cutbacks in parades and such....Last year was the ONLY time in the past 5 years there have been night-time parades scheduled during that week.

Also....In OUR experience, (During this week), we have been able to eat anywhere we choose at the time we choose without any advance PS's. Yes, sometimes if we knew where we wanted to eat dinner on a particular day, we might call the night before, or the day of, for a PS.

The best thing about these dates is you can take everything at a decent pace without having to get up at the crack of dawn and doing the 'commando' deal.

IMO, AKL has the BEST bus service of any resort

 

[DancingBear]

Arriving at 3:30, I would seriously consider cutting back to a 5-day parkhopper pass. There are several threads about what to do on your arrival day. Possibilities:

--Enjoy AKL, including a meal at Boma, viewing the animals, attending storytelling at the fire pit, touring the resort.

--If there are fireworks at MK, have dinner at CA Grill and watch the fireworks. Include a monorail and a boat trip across Seven Seas Lagoon, or over to Wilderness Lodge.

--An evening at Downtown Disney. Perhaps you can park at Port Orleans and take the water taxi from there.

--An evening in the Boardwalk area, including dinner, a stroll on the Boardwalk, riding the boat to MGM and Epcot, catching a portion of the fireworks from Illuminations.

 

[diznefreak]

dancingbear, Is 5 days enough time to see everything(mostly)? What about just getting UPH tickets with my room? This way we would have unlimited access? Here are my options:
6 day PH+ = 282.63(AAA discount)
UPH for 7nights = 343
5 day plus = 259
* We are in our mid 20's w/ no kids
What do you think?

 

[DancingBear]

I definitely would not spring the extra for the UPH. Since it is your first visit, I'd probably go for the 6-day PH and hit the parks on your waterpark day (or maybe even skip the water park--the "plusses" never expire and you can use them on a future trip).

BTW, although the water parks are the best value use of the "plusses", you could use one for Pleasure Island, perhaps on your arrival day.

You might price the UPH for 6 days, because if you buy it at the resort, you can knock off your arrival day. BUT, the UPH is completely gone after your visit, while any unused days on your Parkhopper (you might find that you could use an off day in the middle of your visit), and any unused "plusses", never expire.

 

[diznefreak]

Thanks dancing bear! I think that we will just stick with the six day pass. We probably will still go to BB though. We live in rainy old Oregon and a break from the heat will be needed and plus we don't have a waterslide park here so we really want to do that. We will probably just head into the parks later that day. Thanks for responding. Amber

 

[loriandmatt]

If i was going from May 2-9 and had the tickets you have i would:

Hit MGM on the 2nd - spend the eveing resort touring.
Go to Epcot the 3rd and 4th - for us this is a two day park and we have found weekends to be better here. (avoid MK unless that is the only time you can catch a parade/firewords there. If there is something special you want to catch at MK that is only offerd on Sat or Sun, you may want to consider hopping there after a day at Epcot. Do your self the favor of catching Illuminations on one of your two days at Epcot though.)
Go to AK on the 5th (you can be out of there around 4 - catch the parade! Get some rest or a swim at your resort.)
Go to MK on the 6th
Go to a water park on the 7th
Go back to MK on the 8th. (we always like to end our trip at MK. - just a bit more magical.)

Just what i would do if i was going in May.

Have fun planning - lori

 

[valeriekc]

I'm sorry Amber I had not replied back to the question you asked me and was reviewing old posts and saw this. Your idea of splitting AK and Epcot is good...AK early(b4 opening) and do the Kilimanjaro Safari 1st thing and your animal viewing should be best (also the biggest wait ride out of the way early). If you don't like wet pants and want to ride the Kali River Rapids (which are very fun) toss a couple of $2.00 ponchos in your backpack and put them on while you tell the people your riding with how they won't get wet at all...however they will be SEVERELY SOAKED!
I would advise against NOT making priority seatings in fact I would be on the phone right away..you can always cancel them that day if your not going to make it. When you get to Epcot make sure you do Spaceship Earth as they will be changing it quite soon and this might be a last chance. I agree with your choice of Blizzard Beach on Monday (good timing day) and it is a bit of a wilder water park with bigger faster slides...if that is what you're into? You guys are young and without kids so my thought is "do it all" play hard and sleep hard!
Have fun!

p.s. no enights available during your visit.

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad says................................. I disagree with everyone, go uninformed, just wing it and see 25% of the parks in six days! lol Some people actually do this. You are doing well and are getting good advice.
All I can add is if you want real park maps, they are from november so the hours aren't right, but the layout is the same, and they are real, send me PM with an address I can send them to you. You'll be that much closer to "home"!