My Partner's First Trip!

[TypeADisneyDude]

Hi All!

Happy New Years! My partner and I are planning our first trip to Disney World together! I've been to Disney World several times, but this will be his first trip. We've looked at our calendars for work, and I've narrowed down three weeks in the fall that look like good options (I would love to go for the full three weeks, but sadly must only choose one). Can anyone give any advice on which week would be better? I 've only ever gone in the winter, so this will be my first Fall season experience. The weeks we're looking at are:

September 18th to September 23rd
September 25th to September 30th
October 2nd to October 7th

I know they are all right along the same time, but any consideration or insights would be super helpful!

We were also considering doing the Dining Plan. Does anyone have strong feelings or experiences with it?

Thanks so much! As soon as we nail down a date I'm going to make a reservation and start a pre-trip planning report!

Thanks!

 

[queendisney]

Happy New Year to you as well.

I would say go for the October date. The further out of September the better the weather, well in IMO anyway. September is very hot and humid with rain everyday although it is less busy. October weather starts tobe a less humid and fairer.
DH and I normally do the quick service dinning plan as it just suits us more and we don't like to be reliant on having to be somewhere for an advance dinner reservation, which you will have to get down to doing if you are going for the other dinning options. We are not planners to that extent and would rather just grab and go wherever we happen to be!
Hope you and your partner have a wonderful time.

Oh and yes I know my ticker shows we are going at the beginning of September but thats only because I am celebrating a big birthday, a number that I still can't bring myself to say!!!!!!!!!

 

[TypeADisneyDude]

Thanks for the suggestions and info! I love Disney any time of year, but my partner is a little cynical and isn't convinced that Disney is a magical place. I really want him to "drink the Disney kool-aid."

And happy birthday!!!! A birthday at Disney sounds awesome!

 

[chrisbris]

Hi Mate,

We just booked our first trip for 20-28 of September.

The crowd forecasts are all 1, 2 or 3 so we are hoping for some empty'ish parks!

Im definitely the planner with my BF still a little sceptical at the length of time we are spending there. We are going to universal for 2 days after and Harry Potter has him excited!

 

[cmhguy]

Your Oct dates have the best odds for slightly cooler weather. It can be hot and humid that time of year.

As for the ddp, done it with and without. First, we feel it's a LOT of food!!!! Second, planning the ddp is crazy, and I very much enjoy planning and researching! Trying to narrow down a specific time and place months in advance of where we'll want to be and dine is a bit nuts - and getting the ADRs to match that schedule.... While there, it feels very rigid to us, and we like to be flexible on vacation.

On the flip side, we both agree it feels more disney'ish to eat a TS on-site every day......so, that could be a plus for what your wanting.

I'm on the fence too for our upcoming trip. We always get a car and do other things while in town, so we have the off-site options. With the ddp price jump this year, it isn't much of a savings opportunity. We like to have one sit down meal per day, and no matter how I look at it, the cost differences always come within $100-200 above/below the ddp costs. Eating on site is more convenient - plus getting that added feeling may be our deciding factor to add the ddp to our rez...

 

[TypeADisneyDude]

Thanks for the info and suggestions! I'm definitely the Disney planner for this trip, but that's totally ok since planning is half the fun! I think we're going to stay at the Port Orleans French Quarter. I also think we're going to end up doing the dining plan. My partner is big into restaurants, so I think that maybe a way to include him in the planning and get him more excited for the trip would be to let him choose the meals.

 

[Mike Dodd]

DH and I enjoy going during the September timeframe for two reasons 1) less crowded, and 2) it is during the beginning of Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP). We enjoy dressing up in costume and going trick or treating .... usually with a crowd of friends so we can dress in a theme. As far as the DP goes, there are advantages and disadvantages to it ..... for your first trip, I would start light ...... on subsequent trips you might want to add the DDP so you can enjoy some of the two table service events such as the Hoop-De-Doo Review.

 

[Tony-NJ]

I would pick the Oct dates too - more because the humidity should be dropping by then - WDW is a blast but it can be too much when it's so hot!

We used to to the DDP and would probably do it again if one of us didn't have the annuap pass - then we get the tables in wonderland card.. The DDP is a great way for your partner to sample the many restaurants!

 

[TypeADisneyDude]

Thanks! So many decisions! I spoke with my supervisor at work and requested time off today! I think that even though it looks to be humid, September 18th to 23rd is going to be the winner! I researched the crowd levels and they are expected to be super low!

 

[Tony-NJ]

Good for you! Let the planning begin!!

 

[OKW Lover]

Another vote for the October dates. In addition to the reasons noted concerning the weather, the Food & Wine festival at Epcot starts then.

 

[Captain Hookup]

Thanks for the suggestions and info! I love Disney any time of year, but my partner is a little cynical and isn't convinced that Disney is a magical place. I really want him to "drink the Disney kool-aid."

isnt convinced?!! You should have an easy job then

I like september also...I like summer months so september heat doesnt bother me but is it that much difference within those weeks


I agree planning is a lot of the fun....i envy you, its great to see someone's first experience at Disney.

I also think the dining plan is too much food but for those who like to know and need to eat at specific times its good and worth money.
Sometimes we can go a whole day with just a big lunch. other days we eat all three meals.

 

[TypeADisneyDude]

Those are good considerations too! I've been researching more about the cost vs. value of the dining plan, and I'm thinking that maybe still doing on sit down restaurant a day but just paying Out of Pocket would work too.

 

[Safari Queen]

Food & Wine is wonderful...could help make him a fan!

 

[mellers]

Hi All!

Happy New Years! My partner and I are planning our first trip to Disney World together! I've been to Disney World several times, but this will be his first trip. We've looked at our calendars for work, and I've narrowed down three weeks in the fall that look like good options (I would love to go for the full three weeks, but sadly must only choose one). Can anyone give any advice on which week would be better? I 've only ever gone in the winter, so this will be my first Fall season experience. The weeks we're looking at are:

September 18th to September 23rd
September 25th to September 30th
October 2nd to October 7th

My suggestion would be to go on the latest week--it's always so hot in Orlando around that time--later is usually cooler, in my experience.

We were also considering doing the Dining Plan. Does anyone have strong feelings or experiences with it?

I think it was kind of a wash, when my family and I used it. If you're staying on the Boardwalk, however, I'd check out http://www.restaurant.com/ instead--they often have cheap certificates for the Swan and Dolphin restaurants. Be sure to do a web search for coupon codes--restaurant.com frequently has 80% off coupon codes, and you can pick up a $25 restaurant certificate for about $2-$3. It's well worth looking. Also, if it's Food and Wine that week, you might want to see how that would affect your dining plan decisions--that ought to make him a fan, or nothing will.

I noticed that you were considering Port Orleans (it is lovely, BTW), but you might want to see if you can rent a reservation through the DVC Rent/Trade board (be sure to read the stickys) for the Boardwalk or Beach Club Villas--especially if EPCOT's food and wine festival is going on, it would be nice to be right there, if you can finagle a studio.

Also, if one of you is a teacher, nurse, or in the military, you might want to check out the rates at the Swan and Dolphin--sometimes they can be as low as $99/night, and again, you gotta love that back door to EPCOT. The disadvantage, though, is that they don't have Magical Express, but they do have Extra Magic Hours, and Disney transportation around the resort included.

I hope you both have a lovely trip!

 

[jeanigor]

I would also throw a vote toward the end of October. Less humidity and more pleasant weather. And as OKWLover, pointed out, the beginning of the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot--and as someone who enjoys food and drink, its a great time to go.

As for the Dining Plan, that is not such an easy answer.
I took my DP over Presidents' Day Weekend last year for his first visit. We booked a room and added the Regular Disney Dining Plan (1 TS, 1CS, 1SN per night). He originally wanted to do the Deluxe Dining Plan, but I dissuaded him from that.

DP needs to have things planned out and scheduled and know what to expect. For that reason, the Dining Plan worked for us. It gave him a better idea of what was going on, even without knowing much about where we were going.

Once we were home and discussing the trip and what we would do differently next time (he brought up the "next time", so something went right), the dining plan was one of the items mentioned. Although he enjoyed having a stabilizing factor built in everyday (with a Table Service dining location booked for every day), he felt that it was too constraining and kept interrupting the flow of our day and it seemed as if we were always stopping at inopportune times to sit for two hours and eat. If we were to do a dining plan again, we have decided to choose the counter service and would pay out of pocket for any table service meals we wanted.

When I go down without DP, which is exponentially more often, I tend to put an estimated amount of money on a gift card for each day and then use that gift card for meals. I tend to budget about $40-$50 a day, depending on what the trip entails. Any left over money on the card then becomes extra souvenir money, or just rolls over into the next trips food budget.