Oregon Disneylanders taking on WDW for the first time! Sep 19-28.

[bficht]

We have a two part vacation planned for WDW. The first part is just the four of us. Myself-Bruce and my wife-Tammy , Sons - David (24) (Just out of the US Air Force) and Jordan (17) (Aspiring Chef). We’re staying at the Coronado for 4 nights Sep 19-23. The second part we’re sharing a 2br-2ba condo my sister in law is getting for five nights Sep 23-27. It’s just a few miles from WDW and they have shuttles (how that’s going to work I don’t know). She and her husband have no children and have never been to WDW either, so most of the planning has fallen onto me and Tammy. We upgraded the free dining to deluxe as soon as I saw the price.
I’ve learned a lot by reading other PTRs and have extracted many helpful tips. I still have a sense of uncertainty about our plans for WDW. I know we are not spending enough time to do everything so I’d like to get the most out the time we have. Not that our goal is to see everything but who know’s when we will be back? Also, we are hardcore Disneylanders. We’ve been to DL more times than I can remember. I know practically every inch of DL. Our boys were raised going to DL at least once a year. WDW has always been this far off mysterious Super Gigantic Disneyland. So my only frame of reference is Disneyland and California Adventure.
That being said, here’s our plan so far…
Sat - Sep 19 – Travel all day from Klamath Falls, OR to Orlando. Arrive 10:13 pm, Use ME (have to get our own bags) and check into the Coronado Springs (hopefully before midnight).
Sun - Sep 20 – 7:00am ADR @ Maya – Day Park - DS – 3:45pm ADR @ 50’s Café – Evening Park - MK
Mon - Sep 21 – 7:00am ADR @ Maya – Day Park - MK – 5:35pm ADR @ CRT – Evening Park - DS
Tues - Sep 22 – 7:00am ADR @ Maya – Day Park - AK – 6:30pm ADR @ Planet Hollywood
Wed - Sep 23 – Sleep in – Transfer to Condo – Grocery Shopping – Evening Park – MK
Thur - Sep 24 – Universal Studios
Fri - Sep 25 – Animal Kingdom
Sat - Sep 26 – Islands of Adventure
Sun - Sep 27 – Epcot (Food & Wine Festival)
Mon - Sep 28 – Travel all day. Arrive home at 9:45pm

I’m unsure as to how much park ‘hopping’ you can realistically do in a day and how much time it takes. We are also going to have to deal with the humidity and temp. We live in high mountain desert. We are at 4200’ feet with low humidity. Any suggestions are most welcome.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Hello there fellow Oregonian!!!

I'm glad to see you're heading out to WDW for the first time. I suspect you'll end up doing what I did for our first WDW trip and that was compare all the rides to DLR.

It was a lot of "Oh I like POTC at DLR much better..." "Wow, I can see the castle from the monorail at the TTC but I'm not there yet... too much anticipation!!!"

Have you checked out a very useful article here on the DIS about DLR-->WDW vacationers? Here it is... it took a little but to find but here you go: An Introduction To WDW For DLR Vets It was written in 2007 so a few details are a little out of date, but it's still a wonderful thread.

I'm in... I can't wait to hear more. Also, we're going the same time you are- Sept 18-Oct 2!!!

 

[oregonmommyof2]

Wow... Look at all the Oregonians on the boards!!! I am sure Magicfor2 will pop her head in also...

Actually I believe she is from K-falls also...

My family will be there the 15th to the 28th...

I am not so patiently waiting for our Magical Express package to arrive...

 

[oregonmommyof2]

I just checked my schedule and we have the same parks a few times...

20th Hollywood Studios... We actually eat at 50's PTC at 5:05
23rd Magic Kingdom
25th Animal Kingdom

What airport are you flying out of?

 

[oregondaddyof2]

Yeah!! I am onboard with the Oregonian's... WooHoo!!

 

[All7OfUs]

Hey, I'm an Oregonian too, sometimes

We live in one of the Central Asian Republics(?) most of the time, but our furloughs are spent in Beaverton. Every 3 years we come back for about 9 months. In 2 years, we plan on moving back "home" for good. My in-laws are in Salem (out in west Salem at Lincoln), so we may end up there.
So, it's great to "hang out" with the Oregon crowd here.

Are you flying out of PDX?? or out of somewhere else??

Anyway, here are some thoughts/questions:

I think you may be disappointed you didn't set some more time aside for EPCOT. It's such a HUGE park with so much to see and do. I think I'd trade one of your DHS times for an extra bit there.

I'd say if you have deluxe dining, you may want to add a few more TS meals? And is Planet Hollywood on the Dining Plan?? I wasn't sure. There are some fabulous places at EPCOT to eat; have you considered eating at one of the Pavillions around World Showcase??

 

[bficht]

Hello there fellow Oregonian!!!

I'm glad to see you're heading out to WDW for the first time. I suspect you'll end up doing what I did for our first WDW trip and that was compare all the rides to DLR.

It was a lot of "Oh I like POTC at DLR much better..." "Wow, I can see the castle from the monorail at the TTC but I'm not there yet... too much anticipation!!!"

Have you checked out a very useful article here on the DIS about DLR-->WDW vacationers? Here it is... it took a little but to find but here you go: It was written in 2007 so a few details are a little out of date, but it's still a wonderful thread.

I'm in... I can't wait to hear more. Also, we're going the same time you are- Sept 18-Oct 2!!!

That quide looks great! I hadn't seen it before. I'll have to read it tonight.
thanks!

 

[bficht]

I just checked my schedule and we have the same parks a few times...

20th Hollywood Studios... We actually eat at 50's PTC at 5:05
23rd Magic Kingdom
25th Animal Kingdom

What airport are you flying out of?

We are flying out of Klamath Falls at 5:48am Arriving PDX at 7:01am
Depart PDX for SFO at 10:27am
Depart SFO for Orlando 1:58pm
Arriving at Orlando at 10:13pm

So a long tiring day is guaranteed. Our check-in bags will have wheels in case it's a long walk to the DME desk.

I hope your flight is not so long.

 

[bficht]

Hey, I'm an Oregonian too, sometimes

We live in one of the Central Asian Republics(?) most of the time, but our furloughs are spent in Beaverton. Every 3 years we come back for about 9 months. In 2 years, we plan on moving back "home" for good. My in-laws are in Salem (out in west Salem at Lincoln), so we may end up there.
So, it's great to "hang out" with the Oregon crowd here.

Are you flying out of PDX?? or out of somewhere else??

Anyway, here are some thoughts/questions:

I think you may be disappointed you didn't set some more time aside for EPCOT. It's such a HUGE park with so much to see and do. I think I'd trade one of your DHS times for an extra bit there.

I'd say if you have deluxe dining, you may want to add a few more TS meals? And is Planet Hollywood on the Dining Plan?? I wasn't sure. There are some fabulous places at EPCOT to eat; have you considered eating at one of the Pavillions around World Showcase??

We're flying out of Klamath Falls early in the morning. It worked out cheaper to fly out of Klamath Falls than driving to portland and then driving home from portland, where we would need a room on both ends of the trip. Plus it's nice to land at a small airport and have a ten minute drive home.
I am going to get more Epcot in. I'm just not sure when. I've heard that DHS can be seen in less than a day. I'll have to check when would be a good time.
Planet Hollywood is on the plan. I just double checked. I will look at adding another TS meal in Epcot. Thanks for the suggestions.

BTW, I lived in Salem for 10 years, from 1995-2005 before we moved to Klamath Falls.

 

[oregonmommyof2]

We are flying out of PDX... Only an hour drive... We have one layover each way so that is nice... but the drive for you to PDX would have been a lot farther... No one flies in and out of Salem anymore...

How do you like Klamath Falls? How far away from the new prison are you?

 

[bficht]

We are flying out of PDX... Only an hour drive... We have one layover each way so that is nice... but the drive for you to PDX would have been a lot farther... No one flies in and out of Salem anymore...

How do you like Klamath Falls? How far away from the new prison are you?

Are you from Salem originally?
When we moved there in 95 it still had a small town feeling, but by the time we left it started to get too crowded for us. We lived in Salem for 10 years and after living here for 4 years I think I actually like Klamath Falls more. My 17 yr old would not agree! He had a hard time, he was 13 at the time so that was the hardest part.
It is a lot smaller here and there are drawbacks to that for sure. I didn't realize how much I missed the sun though! Lots of sun here. Both my wife and I have had a lot less allergy issues since moving here as well. It is very dry. I like the snow. We both grew up in HI so the seasons changing as much as they do here are still kind of new to us. We can get a lot of snow here!
We must be far from the prison because I don't know anything about it.
We're headed to the coast today for 4 nights camping. I'm going to try and find a good floppy hat for WDW.

 

[oregonmommyof2]

Are you from Salem originally?
When we moved there in 95 it still had a small town feeling, but by the time we left it started to get too crowded for us. We lived in Salem for 10 years and after living here for 4 years I think I actually like Klamath Falls more. My 17 yr old would not agree! He had a hard time, he was 13 at the time so that was the hardest part.
It is a lot smaller here and there are drawbacks to that for sure. I didn't realize how much I missed the sun though! Lots of sun here. Both my wife and I have had a lot less allergy issues since moving here as well. It is very dry. I like the snow. We both grew up in HI so the seasons changing as much as they do here are still kind of new to us. We can get a lot of snow here!
We must be far from the prison because I don't know anything about it.
We're headed to the coast today for 4 nights camping. I'm going to try and find a good floppy hat for WDW.

I was born here... Lived in Bend for a few years as a teen but actually couldn't stand the small town... I am a city girl... Of course now Bend has grown a ton too... I could probably live there now and be fine...

I have awful allergies here... This year has been the worst...

Have fun camping! We are suppose to head to Detroit at the end of the month with my in laws but it will depend on DH's work schedule...

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Aw man... all this camping talk makes me want to go, everyone I know is going camping except me. Even my boss and her family are all at Loon Lake right now... a lot of my friends are in Horsefall Dunes by North Bend. Not fair.

 

[jkokbaker]

We are from Bend and going to WDW for the first time in November, have fun, I can not wait to go.