In search of a few trip tips for my parents!

[skyblue17]

My mom and dad are heading to Disney for a brief visit in June. My mom has wanted to go to Epcot for awhile and they decided to head to Orlando for a few days as part of a larger Florida trip. They will be at POFQ for two nights and have two park tickets.

They are NOT ride people, really at all. I don't think there is a ride at Epcot they would be interested in except perhaps Living With the Land, which I have not be on myself, so can't actually be sure. They are active and love to walk, so I think the primary focus of their visit there will be to explore World Showcase and other exhibits/shows. I don't expect they will want or need a FastPass for anything, however, are there any specific restaurants they can likely get without much planning? I will stress to them that have an ADR for a sit-down restaurant is a good plan, but would also like to tell them which restaurants would not much advance commitment.

They also think they want to go to Animal Kingdom, which they would likely be doing on their arrival day. The same applies for rides, though here I think they would like the safari and possibly also the rapids (oddly, my parents don't like rides but love rapids?!). Provided they can get to their hotel, possibly check in (we were able to check in v. early at POFQ when I stayed there) and get to Animal Kingdom, what is the latest (not time of day wise but closest to their visit) they might be able to arrange FastPasses for these two rides? Could I do it for them via my own account or would I have to login in from theirs? Would it make sense for me to arrange a FP for them just in case?

No matter what, I think they will have an enjoyable time, since they enjoy people watching, walking and seeing new (to them) places. I do not want to stress them out or over-plan for them since that is not the type of trip they are looking to have, but I do want to make sure their trip is worth it and they don't miss out simply because they didn't "know" how to go about certain things.

Streamlining the info I give without overwhelming is going to my challenge here, so any tips are welcome!

 

[brad813]

My mom and dad are heading to Disney for a brief visit in June. My mom has wanted to go to Epcot for awhile and they decided to head to Orlando for a few days as part of a larger Florida trip. They will be at POFQ for two nights and have two park tickets.

They are NOT ride people, really at all. I don't think there is a ride at Epcot they would be interested in except perhaps Living With the Land, which I have not be on myself, so can't actually be sure. They are active and love to walk, so I think the primary focus of their visit there will be to explore World Showcase and other exhibits/shows. I don't expect they will want or need a FastPass for anything, however, are there any specific restaurants they can likely get without much planning? I will stress to them that have an ADR for a sit-down restaurant is a good plan, but would also like to tell them which restaurants would not much advance commitment.

They also think they want to go to Animal Kingdom, which they would likely be doing on their arrival day. The same applies for rides, though here I think they would like the safari and possibly also the rapids (oddly, my parents don't like rides but love rapids?!). Provided they can get to their hotel, possibly check in (we were able to check in v. early at POFQ when I stayed there) and get to Animal Kingdom, what is the latest (not time of day wise but closest to their visit) they might be able to arrange FastPasses for these two rides? Could I do it for them via my own account or would I have to login in from theirs? Would it make sense for me to arrange a FP for them just in case?

No matter what, I think they will have an enjoyable time, since they enjoy people watching, walking and seeing new (to them) places. I do not want to stress them out or over-plan for them since that is not the type of trip they are looking to have, but I do want to make sure their trip is worth it and they don't miss out simply because they didn't "know" how to go about certain things.

Streamlining the info I give without overwhelming is going to my challenge here, so any tips are welcome!

Sounds like a good plan for Disney for them. Living with the Land is a nice informative boat ride, but nothing too difficult. There are behind the scenes tours for both Epcot and AK that may be worthwhile for them, as well as some over at AKL. If they have a third day for Orlando, an off site trip to SeaWorld may be up their alley as well. In any case, they should take a few hours in Disney Springs at least. As far as restaurant recommendations, that depends on how adventurous or refined a palate they have. Epcot will offer a lot of good options for ADRs. AK is Tiffin's or Yak & Yeti as the best table service options. AKL you have Boma, Sanaa, and Jiko that are all highly rated. Really just depends on what they like, but I would look in close vicinity to the parks they are visiting. Jaleo, if they are interested in that, is not taking reservations through Disney yet, but you can get one on Open Table.

 

[Pmlocke]

You didn't say what their ages were so since I am 66 I thought I would chime in. My wife and I go to WDW every year since 2009. We are not ride people either but we love the Small World, Carousel of Progress, Spaceship Earth-you get my drift. Nice and slow with no fast pass required. We love to watch the excitement of a child seeing Mickey or a princess for the first time. To us, Disney is a place to relive our youth. Remember-I grew up watching the original Mouskateer Club show. I would suggest your parents look at the video on-line of what the differant parks have to offer and tell them to enjoy at their pace. We personnaly do not enjoy Animal Kingdom or Hollywood as much as the Magic Kingdom or Epcot. Each to their own, just let them decide what their own is. I do believe to get the "Disney Magic" you have to visit the MK. As for the restaurants, show them what there is. They may supprise you and want to do a character dinner. We do three every visit.

 

[Antaniasmom]

I would definitely have FP for AK rides, especially in June! If they have not done so already, have them get MDE app on their phone and book their FP for them. I'm sure you know about booking ADR thru the app too. I dont think it would be too stressful for them to have these thinga planned and not have to worry about waiting in line or not being able to get in a certain restaurant. This way, there will be more time for casual exploring. Hope they have a wonderful trip!!

 

[skyblue17]

You didn't say what their ages were so since I am 66 I thought I would chime in. My wife and I go to WDW every year since 2009. We are not ride people either but we love the Small World, Carousel of Progress, Spaceship Earth-you get my drift. Nice and slow with no fast pass required. We love to watch the excitement of a child seeing Mickey or a princess for the first time. To us, Disney is a place to relive our youth. Remember-I grew up watching the original Mouskateer Club show. I would suggest your parents look at the video on-line of what the differant parks have to offer and tell them to enjoy at their pace. We personnaly do not enjoy Animal Kingdom or Hollywood as much as the Magic Kingdom or Epcot. Each to their own, just let them decide what their own is. I do believe to get the "Disney Magic" you have to visit the MK. As for the restaurants, show them what there is. They may supprise you and want to do a character dinner. We do three every visit.

They are your age! They are not going to Magic Kingdom at all on this trip. I think they'd like Spaceship Earth until the part where you have to go down backwards, not sure my mom would be into that, but I'll suggest it and let her know that it really isn't a thing (and they distract you!).

Honestly, I'm a little concerned that they are going to a park on their arrival day, especially since they are staying at POFQ and are interested in going to Disney Springs. When I suggested they also visit AK, I thought they'd have another day, but they basically have arrival day and the following. We'll see! They might not be at Epcot for the entire day.

I would definitely have FP for AK rides, especially in June! If they have not done so already, have them get MDE app on their phone and book their FP for them. I'm sure you know about booking ADR thru the app too. I dont think it would be too stressful for them to have these thinga planned and not have to worry about waiting in line or not being able to get in a certain restaurant. This way, there will be more time for casual exploring. Hope they have a wonderful trip!!

My only concern with the FP for AK is that they don't know what time they will actually get to the park. Perhaps I'll try and grab them a late afternoon safari FP so that they have one. I don't know that they will necessary want a sitdown meal in the parks, but I'll suggest they look into it and make an ADR if they do. My other thought was just to remind them that even if they decide at 1pm that they want to eat somewhere in World Showcase for dinner, they should see if there are ADRs, since the walking up won't work in most cases. I'll show them how it works on my MDE and maybe even set up their account so I can access it if need be.

Thanks all!

 

[NH-to-FL]

DW and I are now Disney snowbirds after many years of Disney vacations. Epcot and the AK are our favorite parks. For Epcot I would definitely suggest Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth, wandering through the aquarium in the Seas, and the American Experience. DW and I both love Soarin' and don't really consider it to be a "ride" as there is only very gentle movement. There are also the movies in Canada, France, and China. I might suggest a FP for Spaceship Earth to save some time waiting. We are not foodies so can't help with TS suggestions. If we decide to eat we do QS with Sunshine Season in the Land being our favorite lunch stop. Not much ambience but good basic food.

At the AK in addition to the Safari I would suggest the Lion King show. Also wandering through the Gorilla Falls Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek. We also enjoy It's Tough to be a Bug. For food we like the Flametree BBQ and get a table down near the water looking out towards Everest.

 

[Doingitagain]

We took the grandparents to Epcot and they loved Soarin’. I recommend a FastPass,

 

[karly05]

Any time I go on the WDW site and look for same-day ADRs (for fun), I always see multiple choices at Epcot. Take a look and you can get an idea of what might be available.

@NH-to-FL mentioned these above, but I would put in another vote for American Adventure and the World Showcase movies (I love the one in France because of the great classical music). I like Living With the Land and would also vote for that.

At AK, Safari and walking trails. And if they like shows, Festival of the Lion King. I love the Nemo show, too, but it gets more mixed reviews. I don't even like Lion King and I love FOTLK, so you know it's good!

One warning: I love water rides (Splash Mtn is my fave WDW ride), but I rode Kali River Raoids ONCE and got so drenched, I'd might as well have jumped in the river and swum around for a while. Luckily we were already planning to leave the park afterward. I'm not kidding, it was not fun, and I have no desire to do it again.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Tutto Gusto is a wine bar in the Italy pavilion, adjacent to Tutto Italia. They don’t take reservations and can be a nice break from the park and sun. Beyond wine, they offer small bites and desserts.

Spice Road Table in the Morocco pavilion is another option that frequently accepts walk ups.

As far as their Epcot day, they might enjoy “scooting out” the International Gateway and exploring the Epcot resort area. Ale & Compass (the restaurant) seems to have good availability and is open for lunch as well as dinner. There is also the Ale & Compass Lounge, Crews Cup Lounge, Lounges at the various Swan & Dolphin restaurants, bar at Flying Fish with the potential for “walk-ups” in the late afternoon/evening.

Nomad Lounge in the AK (adjacent to Tiffins) is another great no reservations required option. They have a large porch as well as seating indoors.

 

[skyblue17]

I will definitely recommend Festival of The Lion King! They do love shows!

Getting out of Epcot and exploring the hotel/restaurant areas nearby is a good idea! They might want a break away from the park/crowds and that's a good option for doing that without getting too far off track.

My mom basically was like "I don't think we need FastPasses" and I was like "well, the wait for the safari is an hour today, and if you had a FastPass it would not be that long" and now she is on board, haha.

Kinda dumb question, is it possible to book FPs in two parks on the same day if you don't have a park hopper?

 

[YawningDodo]

Tutto Gusto is a wine bar in the Italy pavilion, adjacent to Tutto Italia. They don’t take reservations and can be a nice break from the park and sun. Beyond wine, they offer small bites and desserts.

Spice Road Table in the Morocco pavilion is another option that frequently accepts walk ups.

As far as their Epcot day, they might enjoy “scooting out” the International Gateway and exploring the Epcot resort area. Ale & Compass (the restaurant) seems to have good availability and is open for lunch as well as dinner. There is also the Ale & Compass Lounge, Crews Cup Lounge, Lounges at the various Swan & Dolphin restaurants, bar at Flying Fish with the potential for “walk-ups” in the late afternoon/evening.

Nomad Lounge in the AK (adjacent to Tiffins) is another great no reservations required option. They have a large porch as well as seating indoors.

I was reading through this and thinking I'd suggest giving them a list of lounge locations! I know for my own trip I'm not interested in taking the time and money to do Tiffins, but I fully plan to take an afternoon break at the Nomad Lounge.

General note on ADRs--when I was playing around in the system recently to see what was available day-of, it seemed like dinner reservations were easier to come by than lunches. There were a fair number of options at each park for day-of dinner ADRs, much less so lunchtime. So if they want to do it on the fly, maybe just let them know dinner is more likely to see success.

I will definitely recommend Festival of The Lion King! They do love shows!

Getting out of Epcot and exploring the hotel/restaurant areas nearby is a good idea! They might want a break away from the park/crowds and that's a good option for doing that without getting too far off track.

My mom basically was like "I don't think we need FastPasses" and I was like "well, the wait for the safari is an hour today, and if you had a FastPass it would not be that long" and now she is on board, haha.

Kinda dumb question, is it possible to book FPs in two parks on the same day if you don't have a park hopper?

The prebooked FP+ all have to be in the same park, but once they've used or cancelled all three (or two or one--you don't have to prebook three per day anymore) they can make FP+ reservations at any park after that point. And as far as FP+ goes in general, I'd sit down with one or both of them and show them how to make FP+ reservations in the app. I've personally had great success with snagging FP+ day-of; you just have to keep checking. I'd just make sure they know how to use the app for that and for ADRs and let them loose; since they're not looking to do a bunch of rides this isn't the kind of optimized trip a lot of us on the boards are used to, and they probably won't even care that they're not getting as many things "done." Epcot and AK have tons of things to just stroll around and look at, so if that's what they enjoy, they've chosen the right parks.

 

[skyblue17]

The prebooked FP+ all have to be in the same park, but once they've used or cancelled all three (or two or one--you don't have to prebook three per day anymore) they can make FP+ reservations at any park after that point. And as far as FP+ goes in general, I'd sit down with one or both of them and show them how to make FP+ reservations in the app. I've personally had great success with snagging FP+ day-of; you just have to keep checking. I'd just make sure they know how to use the app for that and for ADRs and let them loose; since they're not looking to do a bunch of rides this isn't the kind of optimized trip a lot of us on the boards are used to, and they probably won't even care that they're not getting as many things "done." Epcot and AK have tons of things to just stroll around and look at, so if that's what they enjoy, they've chosen the right parks.

Thanks! I've already showed my dad the app and he created his account. From what I can tell, they have not gotten their actual park ticket numbers from the AAA agent yet, so I wasn't able to link those. I told them to mention to her that they can use a little help with that once they have all their info, so hopefully she can also assist. And I'll probably log in to my dad's account once they are there and see about getting something last minute if it's still needed. But as you say, these are perfect parks to wander and see plenty even without rides. And I'd say waiting for the safari is also worth it if they can't get a FP!

 

[LuvMyEAR]

I hope they are prepared for the heat, if they are not frequent travellers or residents of a similarly hot, humid climate. As a Canadian about the same age, I can tell you that I make sure my plan doesn’t involve any backtracking of prolonged time under the sun.

Speaking of which, that heat (and daily thundershower) can definitely impact their touring speed, and their willingness to keep on going. I hope they can be convinced to try Soarin’ particularly since it is essentially a show. Also, having 2 attractions, plus a theatre show under the same roof is quite a bonus. We enjoy all of the Epcot show-type presentations and sink gratefully into the A/Ced theatres. One thing to note, if either is sensitive to temperature extremes, it would help to bring along a long-sleeved shirt or light sweater. I learned the hard way that both DH and our younger DGS get really chilled in restaurants and some theatres.

We went with low expectations of Rivers of Light, but thoroughly enjoyed it. FOTLK is great, as are all the shows in AK. Navi River is a pretty ride, if they can luck into a FP+. I certainly wouldn’t stand in a big line for it. KS is a must-do, for us, every visit. A dollar store poncho can help a lot if they want to do KRR, and they could toss them or pass them on after the ride. It’s nasty to squish around in dripping clothes.

These are indeed perfect parks to wander, sample some different food and beverages, and see some really cool shows. We see most shows about every 5 yrs, even though we have managed to make at least 3 trips in that period. We are always delighted with them.

 

[skyblue17]

I hope they are prepared for the heat, if they are not frequent travellers or residents of a similarly hot, humid climate. As a Canadian about the same age, I can tell you that I make sure my plan doesn’t involve any backtracking of prolonged time under the sun.

They are from New England but spend a lot of time walking in all kinds of weather. My dad loves to play tennis outdoors in the summer, even when it's in the 90s and humid. They also spent a week last summer walking 10 miles a day on a walking tour of Vermont bed and breakfasts, including through rain and up inclines. So I am fairly certain they will do ok with the weather!

 

[LuvMyEAR]

Your parents sound like they are in great shape to enjoy their WDW visit. That is wonderful!

I always find I feel like I have run into a hot, wet wall when I step outside the airport.

 

[skyblue17]

I am visiting my parents this weekend and was thinking I would set up their FP for them and they still do not seem to have their ticket numbers from their AAA agent, soooo. As I said above, I don't want to complicate anything, I am just surprised that the AAA agent has not given them the information needed to book FP, since if they actually DID care about booking FP for in demand rides, their window would have been open to do so weeks ago!

 

[skyblue17]

Ok, phew! After gently prodding my mom about how having somewhat of a gameplan for the parks would help them enjoy them more (and then one of her friends saying "what do you MEAN you don't have any FPs?!"), my parents went back to AAA and the agent helped them book three FPs for each of the parks. I feel so much better knowing that they won't be stuck in long lines for the things that most appeal to them and then can enjoy themselves wandering and exploring.

When I went to WDW, my friend had booked all of our FPs for us so I don't really remember... my dad should be able to see their FP schedule on his app, correct? Otherwise, my mom did write all the info down!

 

[fhtpdw20]

Not sure if you could arrange for this time around, but a great tour would be the Wild Africa tour. You become a part of the safari ride for a time. You are put in a harness while you visit the hippo and alligator areas. You will have to hike those areas backstage (nothing to difficult). Then you depart in your private safari vehicle which has seat around the side instead of bench seating. You pull off the road several times to take pictures and get an in-depth explanation about the animals. Half way through the tour, you stop at the BOMA (little cabin like structure by the flamingo pool for light breakfast or lunch depending on time of tour. There are restrooms and observation deck there as well. The guides also take pictures of any animal available on the tour as well as group and individual photos. At the end of the tour, you are given a rock to vote for which endangered animal to help as a part of the tour cost is donated to their conservation.

 

[DISmakayla]

Definitely Soarin'