First Trip To Disney World!

[Cone-Of-Shame]

Hello everyone!

We'll be taking our first trip to Orlando in September this year and would love any advice. We're hoping to visit both Disney World and Universal. We have booked in Pop Century for twelve days and are flying from Manchester. So any advice for a first time visitor would be much appreciated!

 

[peg110]

Best advice I can give is to take time and don't try to get it all in. You will do nothing but irritate the rest of the family group. WDW is a BUSY place and you will have to wait in lines. In September, those lines will be HOT. Take time to plan things including Fast Passes and dining. Look at a map and don't try to schedule a FastPass at Space Mountain at 10AM and the next FastPass at 10:30 AM at Thunder Mountain....

If you have kids.... including them in the planning (if they are old enough). Don't just "Drag" them around. If anyone on the trip ends up being unhappy, it's likely that EVERYONE will be unhappy.

Remember, it's a magical place but it can be stressful. Don't let other's stress get to you and try to be patient. Even try to share the magic with others (pay it forward, let someone in the line ahead of you, help someone carrying something, etc...) Little things you do for others will make you feel good and will make others feel GREAT. I have found that the magic you give will come back to you in some way (I believe in Karma) so just spread the magic and enjoy.

Most of all have a great time.

 

[Cone-Of-Shame]

Thanks for the advice. We're just two adults going so we don't have to worry about kids or more members of the family. I'm not one for big rides either so we can cut some of those off the list of things to do. I just like being prepared! Does anyone know which are the quieter parks that are probably best done on a weekend?

 

[peg110]

Weekends are tough regardless... You have locals as well as those traveling from far away.

"Quiet parks" is relative... None are really that quiet. A lot of it depends on what may be going on elsewhere as well. Magic Kingdom is almost never "Quiet". Many folks consider most the other parks (at some level) a "half Day" park. It all depends on what you want and what you enjoy. I like what AK has to offer so for me it's not a Half Day park. In Epcot, I am not big on the show case (as more than half of that is just "Shopping" and "Food" and I like the attractions, even the "Movie" type ones) so I could probably do a half day at Epcot. So to each their own I suppose.

Probably "Sunday" is the best weekend day because folks (not locals) who are there on vacation often times leave either on a Saturday night or Sunday Morning. Likewise, it's a good "Arrival" day and people don't necessarily run to the parks right after arriving.

 

[Cone-Of-Shame]

Thanks again. I did read about some parks being half a day parks so we'll have to look into everything properly and try to roughly plan days out.

 

[pinklotusflower]

For planning we use a crowd calendar this is based on the previous year and shows you how busy each of the parks is expected to be, we've found them a good indicator. https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/crowd-calendar/
We include time to chill out by the pool on an afternoon in September as this tends to be the hottest time of day.

 

[Cone-Of-Shame]

For planning we use a crowd calendar this is based on the previous year and shows you how busy each of the parks is expected to be, we've found them a good indicator. https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/crowd-calendar/
We include time to chill out by the pool on an afternoon in September as this tends to be the hottest time of day.

Thank you so much for this, I will definitely use it to help me plan my trip!

 

[saintrob]

Book some of your meals in advance if you want to eat at the restaurants on site. You'll be able to book now and some of the more popular restaurants book up very quickly. Have a look at the menus online and have fun deciding!

 

[4evryoung]

Flying from the UK sometimes means that for the first few days you are waking closer to UK time than US time, so you could be wide awake at 5am! For those first days then it is a good plan to do those parks that have early opening hours just for on-site guests and then leave that park mid-day to get a break back at the resort or even to check out another Disney resort. You can't use other resorts' pools, but you can dine at the other resorts, get a drink at some of their bars, or just browse the grounds and the shops. For example, if you've been at the Magic Kingdom in the morning, take the boat from the MK dock to the Wilderness Lodge, have lunch and a drink at the waterside Geyser bar and counter service, chill for an hour looking at the lake and the beautiful surroundings. It will re-charge your batteries and you can then return by boat to the MK, or take a bus to another park.

Early entry means you can save on some fast-passes and book them for the afternoon or early evening, possibly in another park if you have park hoppers.

Another thought is that, as there are just the two of you, if you want photographs of the two of you together, think about getting the Disney Photopass/Memory Maker. Depending on what ticket you bought and if you bought it in UK, the photo package may be included. (By the way, selfie-sticks are banned at Disney).

 

[Smittolis]

As a Manchester Native who now lives this side of the pond, here are a few things I would be aware of:

1. Jet-lag and time difference
While people attempt to get on a 'sleeping' pattern to get over any element of time differentials, the big thing isn't sleep, it is eating. Your body is accustomed to eating at particular times (think 'Pavlov's dogs'), and so the quicker you can get your body eating at times that replicate Florida time the easier it will be to get cracking.

2. Weather
I know people 'know' it is hot and humid in Florida, but this isn't like Spain, Majorca, Ibiza nor Tenerife. The heat is excessive and the humidity is ridiculous. If you are not well prepared it can be extremely overwhelming and debilitating, especially when coming from moderate climes. Without kids makes it a million times easier, but just be prepared to be uncomfortable and know when enough is enough. September tends to be one of the hottest and most humid periods, the weather will be hot and there will be lots of thunder storms given the humidity and weather systems in and around the south east. The closest i can compare is like being out in the mid-day sun in Tenerife / Malta, and being in a Sauna at the same time lol...

3. Parks
September is a great time to go to the parks, the local schools are in session, schools around the country are in session so there will be a big drop in attendance. This is usually why 'we' go at this time if we can, the down side is that there tends to be more closures for repairs, upgrades etc.. as it is not peek time. That said, there will be a big upsurge in foreign visitors... such as yourself of course, but just be mindful that the parks will still be relatively busy and with a lot of people in there who do not necessarily have the same opinion and value on 'personal space' nor 'manners.

4. Enjoy all amenities
As you will be without kids you can spend time visiting the various amenities the hotels and parks have to offer and not have to deal with kids pulling at your hand and wanting to go on 'Its a small world' for the 100th time! lol. Enjoy the hotel and pool, visit different hotels and check out what they have, Disney World is much more than theme parks but many don't ever find that out as they focus solely on the parks due to the notion they are there with kids!

5. Get some comfortable 'trainers'....
we average 30-40miles per week when there pushing strollers in the park with 3 kids, you will be doing lots of walking so pick a pair of 'trainers' that you will be comfortable in. And on that note, i simply take a lot of cotton t-shirts and nike dryfit shorts and change often!

6. Enjoy it!
Disneyworld is the holder of dreams, but i can hazard a guess it is also the graveyard of many relationships! lol... sad but true!

 

[P800aul]

Hi

Agree with all the above, we have teenage children so I plan every day, I would recommend this even without children. You can ignore a plan, once there it will be difficult to book FP+ or ADR's on the fly. So Plan each day deciding in advance (using a crowd calendar) which park you intend to go to, that way you can book ARD's (best do this now as you are beyond the 180 days booking in advance for this.) Book FP+ for the ride you think you want at 30 days and you're set.

I put all this on a spreadsheet with other information, Once you are there you can change your plans and cancel your ADR's if you want but you will have a plan always to fall back on.

Without ADR's and FP+ on your first time you will be waiting and hungry.

Regards

Paul

 

[k8Davies]

I would say you would need to do a bit of planning,even if it's to make sure you get the FP+ for the rides you must do, but then you can be a bit more relaxed for the rest of your trip.

As it just the two adult definitely check out a few of the Restaurants and Bars you want to visit - may I recommend the Jock Lindsey Hanger bar in Disney Springs or Trader Sam's at the Poly resort.

The Disney on site transport is great too, so make good use of that.

My favorite thing (although will depend on the weather if its super hot might not be a fun) is walking from the back entrance in Epcot's World Showcase (called the International Gateway), round the boardwalk which has shops restaurants, and a Margarita stall straight to DHS. (don't worry it's very well signposted) and I have found it on many occasion quicker than the transport links if you're park hopping.

One last tip from me is try to get a dining reservation at the California Grill around the fireworks time, Disney Hours and Firework Schedule for you trip should be up. I think it's fab watching the fireworks from such a great vantage point (Top of the Contemporary Resort) and the other bonus you can do it with a nice glass of wine in your hand.


I have just notice that most of my tips involve drinking oh well lol - Ohhhh just thought you might be out there for the Epcot food and wine festival, if you are make sure you check it out lots of gorgeous things to eat and drink.

 

[zavandor]

Use the cheat sheets at easywdw to plan your days. The whole site is a goldmine of tips and tricks and the cheat sheets are a condensed version. Going in September will make things a bit easier, but a good plan is still important.
It also an excellent guide on which FP+ to book.

I like to plan sit down meals for lunch during the summer, because you can recharge in a nicely themed and air conditioned restaurant while outside is incredibly hot and humid and lines peak.

After having used your first 3 FP+ you can book more using the app on your phone. Do it and refresh refresh refresh. For a party of two is easy to score someone else's cancellation. In September you could even score one of the hottest attractions.

 

[AcrossthePondNic]

I would agree with everything above. Use the crowd calendars. Make use of the My Disney Experience app and website before you go. You can do your fastpasses, look at all the menus and plan where you'd like to eat. Get watching some vlogs on YouTube too. They're really entertaining but also informative. Some more so than others. They get you in the Disney mood, not that most of us here need any help, but they give me my Disney fix while waiting and also give you an idea of things you might want to add to your 'must do' list. We loved going to Be Our Guest for an evening meal then doing the rides while the parades etc were on. We got loads done. And it's cooler then too if you do find the heat an issue.

 

[Cone-Of-Shame]

We will be making a plan especially for things we want do and things we want to eat! We have set ourselves up on the Disney Experience website but since we haven't bought our park tickets yet we can't pick any fast passes just yet. I've looked at crowd calenders and they are helping us to plan where we want to go on what days. So thanks again for all your tips, it's nice to have some advice from people that have experienced it before.

 

[elaine amj]

We will be making a plan especially for things we want do and things we want to eat! We have set ourselves up on the Disney Experience website but since we haven't bought our park tickets yet we can't pick any fast passes just yet. I've looked at crowd calenders and they are helping us to plan where we want to go on what days. So thanks again for all your tips, it's nice to have some advice from people that have experienced it before.

You can book your meals 6 months out without park tickets (or even a room reservation!). You should do this.

Buy your tickets about 2.5 months before your trip at latest. Onsite guests have to wait until 60 days out to start booking FastPasses.

 

[Cone-Of-Shame]

You can book your meals 6 months out without park tickets (or even a room reservation!). You should do this.

Buy your tickets about 2.5 months before your trip at latest. Onsite guests have to wait until 60 days out to start booking FastPasses.

I saw that I could book restaurants but we'll probably be sticking more with the quick dining options, we're fussy eaters so it's the best option for us.

 

[peg110]

I saw that I could book restaurants but we'll probably be sticking more with the quick dining options, we're fussy eaters so it's the best option for us.

Well for the most part you are going to get a lot of the same options at the Quick Dinning. (Burgers.... Chicken..... Fries.... etc) There is some variation (like Hotdogs or pulled pork) but it's all just a variation of a theme.

Anyway, you know you can see the "Menus" on line as well right? My DW checks all the menus at all the "New" places. (I love to try new stuff but I am not fussy... she and the DDs are though.)

 

[Cone-Of-Shame]

Well for the most part you are going to get a lot of the same options at the Quick Dinning. (Burgers.... Chicken..... Fries.... etc) There is some variation (like Hotdogs or pulled pork) but it's all just a variation of a theme.

Anyway, you know you can see the "Menus" on line as well right? My DW checks all the menus at all the "New" places. (I love to try new stuff but I am not fussy... she and the DDs are though.)

You've basically just listed the only things we'd eat!

I'm only joking, I have looked at the menu's and that's why I know that we'd probably wouldn't eat at most dine in places. I also noticed that the menus do change so we'll look closer to the time and write down all the places that have food to suit us.

It must be hard for you if you want to try somewhere but the rest of the family can't find anything to eat there, although not as hard as it is for us fussy ones that stare at a menu in fear when you see that there is nothing you can eat!

 

[elaine amj]

As long as you are not signed up for the dining plan with credits that would go to waste otherwise, a quick service only trip sounds like it would suit you best. Also gives you more flexibility.