My hat is off to you DL vets that then go to WDW

[emacat]

Everything I had read here had indicated that deciding on which days for DL or CA really didn't matter that much, but you think it does? Maybe you can help me out with some of that decision. We will have 6 days, with check in being on a Sunday, but the first day will be spent mostly at CA with the Food and Wine and attending a Sweet Sunday seminar. Do you have suggestions for the other days? I was really thinking that with 5 full days we could take our time and do everything at a real slow pace and just take it all in, but maybe not?

It almost sounds like you're trying to pick one park a day? Maybe I'm reading that wrong, but if so, I would do parkhopper tickets instead. Since DL is smaller, it's so much easier to spend part of a day in one area, part of a day in another.

Personally, our family prefers DL. 5 days gives us plenty of time to not only do rides, but the special little things. At WDW, there's almost too much to do.

 

[wvnative]

I am seriously contemplating taking a trip to WDW next year for Spring Break instead of going to DLR. I've already started my research (I'm an anal over planner).

We have a set week we can go due to school and other obligations so that's easy.

We'll be flying for the same reason and with ME, and no need to go offsite, there's no need for us to rent a car.

I've been busy pulling menus off of allears to share with my kid as she's a picky eater. I plan to do DDP so it's just a matter of deciding if we want the QS plan or the TS plan. I'm leaning towards QS as that way we're covered but there is a TS or two we'd like to try that I'd willing to pay for OOP.

So the only real decision we have left is where to stay and that will come down to budget. I'm not overly concerned yet as there's no definite info out there for our time frame at this time.

I plan about the same for DLR as I am looking at for WDW. Of course, DLR is old hat by now. lol As long as I stay organized, I don't anticipate any problems.

 

[chrissiecutie]

Everything I had read here had indicated that deciding on which days for DL or CA really didn't matter that much, but you think it does? Maybe you can help me out with some of that decision. We will have 6 days, with check in being on a Sunday, but the first day will be spent mostly at CA with the Food and Wine and attending a Sweet Sunday seminar. Do you have suggestions for the other days? I was really thinking that with 5 full days we could take our time and do everything at a real slow pace and just take it all in, but maybe not?

Personally, I prefer to do one park per day and NOT park hop. DCA doesn't require a full day IMO. Get in at opening and you're out by 5-6pm, depending on who's in your group. This of course will differ during the F&W Festival.

We always do DL on the 1st day and last day and we are there from open to close and always, always, always take advantage of MM. I've found it really doesn't matter too much which day you choose to use your MM, just make sure you get to the gates 30mins before MM opening. Don't show up to the gates right at MM opening, otherwise you'll be in for quite a wait.

I can tell you that weekends are busier then weekends (we all knew that!), do the later shows/parades if 2 times are offered and you can NOT do Fantasmic and Fireworks on the same night. Well....you could try but probably won't get the best seats/spots for both. With 6 days, I would do Fantasmic one night and Fireworks the other.

If you have MM and use it you will be surprised by just how much you can see all before lunchtime. We usually rush around in the AM and do Fantasyland & Toontown (the priority with a 5 yr old) and then take it easy after lunch. We still do parades, shows and rides but are a bit more relaxed in the afternoon/evening. Typically I just plan our AM itinerary and then go with the flow for the PM. Most times I just ask DS what he wants to do next and we are off! DL is great that way!! Trust me when I tell you that you will have more then enough time to see/do everything. I can also tell you that not everything is worth doing. But that's a whole other thread!

And I agree with a PP, we much prefer DL over DCA. It just doesn't have the same "magic".

 

[RweTHEREyet]

It almost sounds like you're trying to pick one park a day? Maybe I'm reading that wrong, but if so, I would do parkhopper tickets instead. Since DL is smaller, it's so much easier to spend part of a day in one area, part of a day in another.

Personally, our family prefers DL. 5 days gives us plenty of time to not only do rides, but the special little things. At WDW, there's almost too much to do.

I guess I was thinking more along the lines of did it matter which park I started with on any given day. But then, if CA always opens later, then I guess DL is where to start each day, unless we sleep in and just hit CA on that particular day. Can you tell I just don't have a clue?

 

[mariezp]

My biggest challenges in planning a DL trip are transportation from the airport, which airport to fly into, if I should try to do the Fantasmic dessert package, if I want to do a tour or not.

With only 3 weeks to go I bet you have just about solved all those dilemas!

If all you want to see is Disneyland then you will not even need a car assuming you picked a hotel within walking distance. However, if you plan to visit anything else in the area you will want to rent a car which are readily available at the airports and will solve your problem of how to get to the hotel from the airport.
We have found that the easiest way to get from the airport to the hotel since we don't rent a car is to just grab a curbside cab. Shuttles are probably cheaper but then you have to coordinate where to meet them which in our case was more hassle than it was worth. Of course, our favorite transportation experience was the one time we took friends and went all out with the limo. That was way cool and totally worth it to have done it once. If you are staying onsite then I guess all that is just totally useless cause I guess you can just use their free transportation. Never stayed onsite so I can't offer any input there.

Fantasmic dessert package.... depends on who you ask. Personally, we enjoyed it. However, it is expensive so we don't do it every trip. On our trips I love to do a few things that are a little something special and this definetly fits the bill. IMHO, love having seats ahead of time and not having to camp out for hours. Dessert just adds to the whole experience. If you time it just right you can stay in your seats after the show for a nice view of the fireworks. Very pretty over the Rivers of America.

If you love tours they do some really nice ones at DL. We have done the Walk in Walt's Footsteps, Discover the Magic and the Holiday tour. Would love to do the VIP but that one is going to have to wait until after I win the lotto or something. If you are a Disney nut like I am then I would highly recommend them if you have plenty of time in your schedule.

For us to have 5 days at DL and CA, I am not sure Ridemax is that critical, especially since we thoroughly enjoy just being in the Parks, listening to the music and soaking up the atmosphere, so a little bit of a wait in a line is not an issue for us.

Totally depends on what style you enjoy touring the parks. I am find it interesting that some people's idea of a great vacation can include a down to the minute itinerary. No commandos in my group! We sound more like you. Taking our time and enjoying all the little things. Even a wait in line can turn into fun as long as you are in the park! So, yeah, I agree. Ridemax planning in not one of those things you just have to have.
It is good to take note of the MM days, holidays or special events going on that might affect a days attendance. In general typically Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be the least crowded in DL. Saturday is a good day to spend at CA to avoid the DL crowd. Make dining reservations on the busy days to avoid long waits. Busy days are also an excellent choice for booking that Fantasmic package or a tour so you have something fun to do while everyone else is just hanging around, waiting in lines. If you are not planning to stay for fireworks plan to exit the park a little early or wait until after the show to avoid getting stuck in the rush of people leaving. Just a few strategic plans and you will be good to go!




We took our first trip to WDW in December and I gotta say that it was a nearly overwhelming task to plan. Lordy! There is so much information if you are a planner like I tend to be. Somehow I muddled through and managed to pull together everything we needed. Everthing went according to plan.... except the weather. I agree with you RweTHEREyet that Tourguidemike.com is an excellent resource. I also agree with DisneyMomma81.

DLR is much easier to plan and will always be #1 to me.

This year we are heading back to Disneyland and I am so happy not have to do all that planning. I feel like I am already on vacation.... well, almost. I am going to be so happy to be back in my favorite park!

 

[hurleysweety]

OP - Thank you! I consider myself at DLR vet, even though I don't live in CA. I've been there about 10x more than WDW! I appreciate the acknowledgement that it is much more difficult sometimes to be a DLR vet going to WDW than a WDW vet visiting DLR.

WDW trips involve much more planning, but IMO, offer much more all around. I've enjoyed every bit of these last 3 months planning for our first stay on-site at WDW. However, having a spontaneous trip to DLR this weekend, I've done no planning for it. We have a hotel, I've checked park hours and DH and I have refreshed our menu memory - but thats about it. I might play with RideMax tonight, but we'll just go with the flow. We know what we like, we just love being there!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

So, hurley, it looks as if you are staying at OKW, or did you just choose that pic for your countdown? If you are staying there, it is my most favorite WDW resort. It is not fancy, typical Florida beachy, but so spacious.

I hope you have a marvelous time, and I am jealous you are staying at my first choice of all the DVC resorts (even if it is the oldest).

 

[drag n' fly]

The first 2 trips to WDW were an eye opener all right and that was even with the help of the Dis board. We have been 6 times now and we love WDW for the resort experience. We loved it so much we bought DVC and made AKV our home resort. To make a very long story short, we divorced DVC and where are we going in June....back to where we started DL

 

[Brancaneve]

Seasoned DL vet here, and I'm in the process of planning DH & I's anniversary trip to WDW next year. Neither one of us has been in almost 20 years, so it's like starting all over. It's definitely a little overwhelming, but fun. Our hotel choice is pretty much set (timeshare trade in to either Saratoga, Boardwalk or Wilderness Lodge). We're going to use ME since we're not renting a car (at least I don't think we are?). The things that's most overwhelming to me is the restaurant choices. Holy Moly, there are a ton!! It's hard to even know where to begin. I've been perusing All Ears menus and keep changing my mind. I'm not in the 180 day window for ADR's anyway, so I've got time.

I recommend Le Celier in Epcot(Canada pavilion). That was a fresh, delicious and nice atmosphere to sit in after a busy day at the park. In fact, a lot of the World Showcase restaurants are wonderful, and the park is, in my opinion, more enjoyable at night. I recommend your evenings there and eating at the different restaurants from around the world. But I do understand......so much to choose from!! Oh, Sci-Fi Cafe was fun too!

 

[hurleysweety]

So, hurley, it looks as if you are staying at OKW, or did you just choose that pic for your countdown? If you are staying there, it is my most favorite WDW resort. It is not fancy, typical Florida beachy, but so spacious.

I hope you have a marvelous time, and I am jealous you are staying at my first choice of all the DVC resorts (even if it is the oldest).

Yes we are! And we couldn't be more excited! In-Laws were able to snag it for an RCI exchange and I was even more excited when I realized they have the largest villa room sizes. I must admit I was a little iffy at first when I realized it was the original, and its the oldest. But I've come to appreciate the fact that Disney's original ideas are usually their best! Thanks for letting me know that you liked it - I always appreciate other DISboarders approval!

 

[DisneyWithTot]

Completely agree with the beach/overseas analogy to planning a DLR vs. WDW trip. But in both instances, reading these boards is invaluable as things change faster than any guidebook can keep up! Here is one thing I noticed on my last trip to DLR that may help you plan your days if you have an early entry opportunity. Our multi day passes gave us one magic morning/early entry that we could use on either Sunday or Tuesday. We opted for Sunday because DL opened at 8:00am on Sunday and at 9:00am on Tuesday. I thought that the 7:00 am early entry would be less attended, despite being on the weekend, than the 8:00 Tuesday early entry. I was right but really surprised at the degree of difference. Lines of people at gates on Sunday were relatively short. My daughter and I were the first to enter Fantasyland on Sunday, went straight to Peter Pan, got off, went back in line- no wait, got off, line was still essentially a walk-on. (As Peter Pan does not have a FP at DLR and remains a popular ride, generally the only way to avoid a wait is to hit it first thing when the park opens) I walked over on Tuesday morning to see what the crowds looked like at the gates while on my way to picking up some beignets at Ralph Brennan's. Could not believe the difference. Hordes of parents with small kids were coming through the DTD security checkpoints from Disney hotels as onsite guests can attend every magic morning occurring during their stay. Did not see this on Sunday.

This is so right. I observed exactly the same thing on our trip when we were there both Sun and Tuesday. Five minutes' delay to PP on Tues or any later opening MM day can mean the difference between a 10 minute line and a 25 minute line at PP.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Yes we are! And we couldn't be more excited! In-Laws were able to snag it for an RCI exchange and I was even more excited when I realized they have the largest villa room sizes. I must admit I was a little iffy at first when I realized it was the original, and its the oldest. But I've come to appreciate the fact that Disney's original ideas are usually their best! Thanks for letting me know that you liked it - I always appreciate other DISboarders approval!

An RCI exchange, what a deal for real. You will love it for sure. Yes, they are the largest villas, and have a full sized washer and dryer and an ice maker in the full-sized fridge (but I can't handle the smell of the water, and I don't use the ice maker ice). We have stayed there many, many, many times over the years and would be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Being an exchange, I don't know if you have the opportunity to request a location or not. Without a car you may want to try for the Hospitality House area. With a car, we always prefer Southpoint--close to the bus stop, close to a quiet pool and ice machine.

Thinking about this is making me homesick for OKW--please be sure and post how you like it when you return from your trip. I would love to hear about it.

 

[Mom2micayla]

I recommend Le Celier in Epcot(Canada pavilion). That was a fresh, delicious and nice atmosphere to sit in after a busy day at the park. In fact, a lot of the World Showcase restaurants are wonderful, and the park is, in my opinion, more enjoyable at night. I recommend your evenings there and eating at the different restaurants from around the world. But I do understand......so much to choose from!! Oh, Sci-Fi Cafe was fun too!

Thanks for the recommendation! We had actually already decided for sure we wanted to do Le Cellier. I also am eying Nine Dragons. I have a Landry's gc so I suppose we'll do either T-Rex or Yak & Yeti. We're doing RFC at DL in May, so don't want to do that one. Never been to Y&Y or T-Rex.

We just got the confirmation from the timeshare exchange. We got a room at SSR. It wasn't my first choice, but I'm still super excited. Most excited about having a week vacation without kids. I reserved Birnbaum's WDW book from the library and plan on reading through that soon too. I feel much more out of my element planning WDW than DLR. DL is 100x easier IMO.