First trip to WDW -- Help a Dis-er out?

[bbjunkie]

I have some thoughts for you, but I have a couple of questions first.

Is the 75-year-old in your group going to be walking or scooting? I don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers, so please don't think I am trying to be disrespectful, but WDW is huge; about the size of SanFransisco. There have been many estimates that people walk, on average, between 8-12 miles per day while there. I don't know many 75-year-olds that can do that for a week. Heck, it takes it's toll on 25-year-olds. I ask this because if they are "scooting" it might actually save you transportation time. Resorts load the buses with those is ECVs and their parties first, and in my trips there, they will always load them ahead of the people that have been waiting in line, regardless of whether they just pulled up or have been waiting. It can cut up to 20 minutes off of a trip because you typically won't ever have to wait for a bus.... (By the way, I am NOT making any judgements or comments about how I or others feel about this practice, just stating that in my experience it is true)

Will the 4-year-old need a mid-day nap? Will any of your planning involve being back at your resort by an early evening time because of the 4-year-old's bedtime? Is your intention for all of you to be together as a group for the entire trip? These factors will also impact my advice.

If you would like a reasonably-priced TS meal at MK, I think the Liberty Tree Tavern has great food. It is American comfort food, and you will get gigantic helpings of fantastic pot roast, turkey w/ fixings, etc. I think it makes a fabulous lunch, and will be enough food to get you through to an evening meal at a resort.

I disagree with previous posters about Coral Reef. I have eaten there twice, (disclaimer: both for lunch) and had great meals there and my family loves the atmosphere. My daughter loves the Mahi Mahi, rice, and fresh green beans, my husband had a perfectly cooked NY Strip, and the Pork Belly was delicious. That's what we had when we were there a few weeks ago anyway.

For Italian, I personally like Potrabello at DTD better than any of the in-park Italian choices. We also like 'Ohana (my husband's favorite, actually) Tusker House (AK) 1900 Park Fare (GF). We personally think Chef Mickey's is overrated and overpriced, so we don't bother trying to get it anymore. We meet Mickey at Tusker House instead. (And had him at Tusker House as a bonus)

Keep asking questions! We'll try to help. Hopefully our advice/opinions don't confuse you more.

 

[fly girl]

Definitely heading to TT, although I just love Soarin... what about the space flight simulator? Is that not in Tier 1?

It's not a Tier 1. Yahoo! I usually get TT, Mission, and Character Spot at EP.

 

[kangamama]

It's not a Tier 1. Yahoo! I usually get TT, Mission, and Character Spot at EP.

oh that's good to know!

Thankfully we have nine months to truly prepare for this trip.

 

[kangamama]

I have some thoughts for you, but I have a couple of questions first.

Is the 75-year-old in your group going to be walking or scooting? I don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers, so please don't think I am trying to be disrespectful, but WDW is huge; about the size of SanFransisco. There have been many estimates that people walk, on average, between 8-12 miles per day while there. I don't know many 75-year-olds that can do that for a week. Heck, it takes it's toll on 25-year-olds. I ask this because if they are "scooting" it might actually save you transportation time. Resorts load the buses with those is ECVs and their parties first, and in my trips there, they will always load them ahead of the people that have been waiting in line, regardless of whether they just pulled up or have been waiting. It can cut up to 20 minutes off of a trip because you typically won't ever have to wait for a bus.... (By the way, I am NOT making any judgements or comments about how I or others feel about this practice, just stating that in my experience it is true)

Will the 4-year-old need a mid-day nap? Will any of your planning involve being back at your resort by an early evening time because of the 4-year-old's bedtime? Is your intention for all of you to be together as a group for the entire trip? These factors will also impact my advice.

If you would like a reasonably-priced TS meal at MK, I think the Liberty Tree Tavern has great food. It is American comfort food, and you will get gigantic helpings of fantastic pot roast, turkey w/ fixings, etc. I think it makes a fabulous lunch, and will be enough food to get you through to an evening meal at a resort.

I disagree with previous posters about Coral Reef. I have eaten there twice, (disclaimer: both for lunch) and had great meals there and my family loves the atmosphere. My daughter loves the Mahi Mahi, rice, and fresh green beans, my husband had a perfectly cooked NY Strip, and the Pork Belly was delicious. That's what we had when we were there a few weeks ago anyway.

For Italian, I personally like Potrabello at DTD better than any of the in-park Italian choices. We also like 'Ohana (my husband's favorite, actually) Tusker House (AK) 1900 Park Fare (GF). We personally think Chef Mickey's is overrated and overpriced, so we don't bother trying to get it anymore. We meet Mickey at Tusker House instead. (And had him at Tusker House as a bonus)

Keep asking questions! We'll try to help. Hopefully our advice/opinions don't confuse you more.

She will be walking as far as I know. She's pretty spry no offense taken.

Thanks for the restaurant recs!

 

[DisneyAnytime]

Our first ever WDW trip was during Spring Break week and it was fabulous. I will advise though that the weather is VERY unpredictable that time of year. You will most likely need a light jacket for early mornings and evenings. Also, CBR is our very favorite resort! During your resort time, make sure to take advantage of the playground on the island, the hammocks on the beaches, and just wander the trails to soak up the natural beauty. I will also advise you to be aware that not only is everything at WDW much, much, much more spread out than DL, Caribbean Beach Resort is the most spread out resort as well. This has never been a problem for us but there are some who aren't as fond of this resort because of its size.

Another little nugget is: don't listen to restaurant reviews when it comes to Disney Dining. Of your choices, we have only experienced Be Our Guest (my new favorite!) and Coral Reef (my previous favorite!) which many say is not great. It all comes down to you, your travel party, and you never know unless you try!


It seems that most of your questions have been pretty well answered but I will ad my little bit of insight as well:

1. You will want at least 2 days at MK, 1-2 days at EPCOT, and 1/2 -1 day each for HS and AK, depending on what's going on at each park at the time. Both AK and HS are undergoing some pretty major changes with several things closing at HS and several being added at AK. Keep checking for closings/refurbishments and such as your arrival day approaches so that you are fully prepared. CBR has a "quiet pool" at each village as well as the main feature pool for some calmer pool time as well. Also, with the multi-generational spread within your group, please talk to everyone ahead of time and decide how important it is for everyone to be together all the time. Trying to please everyone is exhausting and can lead to some hard feelings. Perhaps take what you already know about your travel party and suggest some things you can do separately. If you know that Grandma and Grandpa are not going to love getting up early for rope drop, make a plan to meet with them later in the day, maybe for a late breakfast/early lunch ADR. If some in your group need an afternoon nap, just those few can go back to the resort. When my parents go with us, they are not interested in our Go Go Go style of touring and everyone started enjoying WDW much more when we realized that we could do our own thing and still enjoy time together.

2. Ask for Anniversary buttons and First Visit buttons at check in. This will garner attention from cast members and other guests with well wishes. There are gift baskets you can order to be delivered to their room as well. As others have suggested, a nice dinner, a carriage ride, etc would all be nice celebrations.

3. We have only experienced the Pirates and Pals fireworks cruise departing from the Contemporary and it was VERY MUCH worth the $$, especially if you have several little ones traveling with you. It is tremendous fun for all ages and includes a small reception with snacks, a photo op with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee (which is hard to come by), a special pirate bandana, and a meet and greet with Peter Pan at the end. You have an upclose view of the Electric Water Parade as well as Wishes. However, I am a die hard Wishes fan and still have to experience the show from inside the park as well!

4. When traveling between locations on Disney transportation, make sure you allow an hour to get there just in case. Many times it is much less, however, allowing the extra time will ensure you get where you are going without having to rush for fear of missing a reservation. While many have mentioned that time spent on the buses is time "wasted", I find it to be a very relaxing mini-break. Sometimes your bus drivers can be very entertaining and informative, so relax and enjoy.

5. Having dinner at a different park/resort is a fine idea since you have hoppers. My only caution would be to ensure that you make your ADR at a time that will not force you to short change one of your park days.

6. The answer to "Mid-Day Breaks" really depends. If you are only wanting a short (like an hour or less) break, it may not be worth it because of the time it will take to get to the resort and back to the park. Hop on the Tomorrowland People Mover or find a nice quiet spot in the parks to just sit and chill for a little while if you just need a small refresher. However, if you are going to take a 2-3 hour break, it's absolutely a realistic option. Our children are older now and can stay on the go much longer so we never take a break during our MK days but will often go back to the resort early afternoon on HS and AK days and return to a park in the evening.

7. There are religious services offered at WDW. Check closer to your visit to find the one that is best for you and your family.

8. There **SHOULD** be fireworks shows at both parks each night during Spring Break but be sure to check the park hours/attractions list as your trip approaches to be sure. Also, keep in mind the nightly show at HS and possibly the new Rivers of Life at AK could be a night time option as well.

9. Keep checking for Park Hours during your visit. They should be posted sometime relatively soon to allow maximum planning time for you.

10. My humble opinion is that it is much easier to rent a stroller if your kiddos can make it from the park gates to the bus under his/her own steam. Renting a stroller at WDW is very easy to do. You visit a stroller rental kiosk/desk in the morning at the park of your choosing and return the stroller to the return location when you leave the park. If you plan on going to another park later in the day, you can get a voucher to get a stroller once you reach the new park. Easy Peasy! Just remember to bring some sort of bandana or ribbon to mark your stroller among all the others parked outside of each attraction. However, if you must bring a stroller of your very own, an umbrella stroller is usually much easier to contend with on the bus as opposed to the larger full sized strollers that have to be unloaded (remember all the stuff you stashed under the seat?) and then folded, then lugged onto the bus. Umbrella strollers take up less room on a crowded bus too! If you are a stroller folding pro, it may not be a big deal to have a full size stroller, just remember that there will be lines of people waiting for you to get your stroller loaded and some can be less than gracious at the end of a long, hot day at the parks. Buses are typically standing room only at closing time.

11. Keep checking the calendars to find out EMH for each park. They should run pretty true to course but sometimes WDW will switch things up a bit.

Make sure to use some of your non-park time to visit Downtown Disney. There have been many recent renovations and there is definitely something for everyone there!

The biggest thing to remember is that no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to do everything in one visit; maybe not even in 10+ visits! Just go ahead and accept that fact and prioritize the things that each person feels absolutely MUST be done this trip and go from there. My husband always says that WDW is not a vacation, it's an experience! But that's just the way we like to "do" Disney (some call it comando touring!). If your group prefers a more laid back approach, GREAT! Either way, make sure to enjoy every second of your trip!

 

[kangamama]

Another little nugget is: don't listen to restaurant reviews when it comes to Disney Dining. Of your choices, we have only experienced Be Our Guest (my new favorite!) and Coral Reef (my previous favorite!) which many say is not great. It all comes down to you, your travel party, and you never know unless you try!

Thanks for the detailed reply! But thanks, especially, for this ^^^ Turns out we are going to have to make some changes to what I posted above, because we didn't realize that three of our choices require 2 TS credits each. We will probably be able to swing one of these, but not all three of course!

 

[eyehartdisney]

Thanks for the detailed reply! But thanks, especially, for this ^^^ Turns out we are going to have to make some changes to what I posted above, because we didn't realize that three of our choices require 2 TS credits each. We will probably be able to swing one of these, but not all three of course!

Oh, you're using the disney dining plan? Have you done the math to see if that's actually a good deal for your group? Here's a tool to use to see if it will work out for you: http://www.distripplanner.com/

 

[Mikie]

I like the distribution of days others have suggested above 1.5-2 at MK, 1-2 at Epcot, 1 each at DHS and AK (my family requires a full day at each of these, but many people consider them "half day" parks, which would leave you with more rest time)

On the restaurants, I agree with someone telling you to take restaurant reviews with a grain of salt - they're just SO subjective. Many people complain about Coral Reef, but my kids and I were interested in trying it, so our group of 12 went last fall and every single one of us enjoyed our food and the atmosphere, but we did have slow service. I'd say there are definitely some restaurants that get consistently better reviews than others, so if you have a tie between two choices, go ahead and pick the "favorite", but don't otherwise let reviews sway you too much.

On eating in a different park than you plan for the day - I'd say if you're really looking forward to a particular place, then don't let a park plan deter you from going to that restaurant. However, if you don't have any real rhyme or reason for doing differently, it is best to go ahead and schedule your dining in or near the park of the day. For instance, if you really want to try 3 Epcot places, but plan only 2 days there, then go ahead and hop from nearby DHS or MK one day. However, if you're just kind of picking out of a hat, don't for example, choose an AK restaurant on a day where you really wanted to be in MK.

I love Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, which makes it a good choice for your Animal Kingdom Park day.
MK - I really enjoyed Be Our Guest; Cinderella's Royal Table (2 credits) gets mixed reviews, but we enjoyed our food and a meal in the castle is a very "Disney" event; I am surprised by the many bad reviews of Tony's as we wouldn't call it amazing, but fully enjoyed our meal there (it has been 7 years, so maybe things have changed?); quite a few good places in the nearby resorts.
Epcot - too many great choices to list!
DHS - Hollywood Brown Derby is a very popular, well-reviewed place
You originally listed 2 dinner shows. We were torn between them, so I asked here on DIS and almost everyone recommended Hoop De Doo over Spirit of Aloha (our plans changed and we didn't do either, so I can't judge!)

Strollers do have to be folded for the buses. Generally, it's not too tough to get your stuff and child out and get it folded while waiting for the bus, then pop it back open when you hop off, but it certainly was a lovely day when I didn't have to bring a stroller any more

Definitely hit the Dining Plan board for tips on whether you even want it for your group, then how you utilize it if you do decide to use it!

 

[DisneyAnytime]

You are most welcome! If you are choosing between the 3, 2 credit meals, I will add that if CRT is a must because of eating in the castle, then do that. However, if you have it on your list because of Cinderella -- Try dinner at 1900 Park Fare instead! Cinderella and Charming are there along with Anastasia and Druscilla (who are HILARIOUS!!), and Lady Tremaine. This might also be a great celebration meal for your in-laws anniversary. The step-sisters make a big "to do" over all the boys/men at the table and give great dating advice to the girls/women. These characters are only at dinner though, with Alice, the Mad Hatter, etc. for the breakfast character meal. Another great Princess meal is Akeshurs in Norway at EPCOT. Most of the princesses are there (varies at times) but Belle is usually the photo op at the entrance. Our favorite there is the breakfast as the lunch offerings were a little... I'll just say "Norwegian" for our tastes. But check out the menu online because your group might love it!

 

[kangamama]

Oh, you're using the disney dining plan? Have you done the math to see if that's actually a good deal for your group? Here's a tool to use to see if it will work out for you: http://www.distripplanner.com/

Great tool! My FIL (who is footing the bill for this trip) is pretty sold on the DDP. I'll use that site though in panning so that he can get the bang for his buck. He likes a good deal, so he'll appreciate that. Lol