Planning first trip do DW. Help!

[kapicka]

Hi. We are looking at 4 days in theme parks and 4 nights in Disney/DVC resorts (since we arrive early AM the first day we won't have hotel the night before).

It looks like 3 parks are available since Hollywood Studios is out. I'm guessing 2 days at Magic Kingdom but would love to hear from you.

Also, these are the resorts available in room sizes that work - what would you suggest? I'm thinking 1 hotel change mid-trip is ok but 2 hotel changes might be rough with a shortish trip.
Boardwalk avail all 4 nights / Bay Lake Tower avail all 4 nights / Boulder Ridge avail first 3 nights / Grand Floridian avail first 2 nights / Old Key West all nights / Riviera first 2 nights / Copper Creek Cabin last 2 nights / Kidani Animal Kingdom last 3 nights

Some of my thoughts:
We will arrive at MCO at 6:30 AM first day - we'll be tired I'm sure. Maybe Epcot that day since it opens at 10 and we could check-in somewhere and not miss morning time
If we do Epcot day 1 maybe Animal Kingdom park day 2 ?
That would put us moving up toward Magic Kingdom and a resort up there for the last 2 days/nights - does that all make sense?
(Since Animal Kingdom isn't available first night maybe we would need to go with first 2 nights at Riviera, or Boardwalk)
(One other issue is that since Epcot is 10-9 and Animal Kingdom Park is 7-7 it might be better to do AK first day if the resort isn't too big and we'd be ok not making the full 12 hour day in the park because a park closing at 7PM and the next day's park not opening until 10AM might be GREAT for catching up on sleep!)

Thanks all y'all experts in advance!!

 

[dachsie]

With that short of a stay I would stay at one location. You will have plenty of time in the parks with extended hours to do everything. TO have to transfer in the middle of trip would be very inconvenient. Just pick a place and enjoy the trip

 

[kapicka]

dachsie - thanks for the input! One extra park question - I know people plan/reserve a lot more for Disney World than they do out here on the west coast for Disneyland. Once I get tickets/rooms secured is there a good thread or page to look at for info on making food and/or ride reservations?

 

[dachsie]

There wont be ride reservations but I would look at the thread about Here and just back experiences to see what is working for folks. The dining page on here would be great to look thru for Dining ideas - put your questions out there and you will get some great feedback. When is your trip planned?

 

[hlm2007]

I agree you should consider just staying in one place with having only 4 nights. Moving resorts can take up a lot of time. Personally I would choose Boardwalk ( you can walk to HS and EP from this resort) or Bay Lake Tower since it's a monorail resort.

For parks, I would do MK the day you get there (probably opens at 9?) or HS if you end up adding that to your itinerary, then AK day 2, MK day 3 and EP day 4.

Aside from Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios, there are not any ride reservations to be made right now since the FP system is not happening because of COVID.

For dining reservations, if there is nothing available, put some alerts in Touring Plans and Mouse dining websites. That's how we were able to get all of ours!

 

[MrsBooch]

I'm guessing your trip is soon?
What are the age ranges of guests?

I would absolutely stay in one place - and since you were thinking MK two days - Bay Lake towers is your best bet since you can walk to MK from there. Also - they are increasing park hours so make sure you check. You may be able to go to MK early morning and then walk back to the resort for an afternoon break and go back at night to close it out.

If i were you I would stick to Epcot on the first day for sure.

 

[Shellyred8]

I'm guessing your trip is soon?
What are the age ranges of guests?

I would absolutely stay in one place - and since you were thinking MK two days - Bay Lake towers is your best bet since you can walk to MK from there. Also - they are increasing park hours so make sure you check. You may be able to go to MK early morning and then walk back to the resort for an afternoon break and go back at night to close it out.

If i were you I would stick to Epcot on the first day for sure.

I agree with all of this.

In regards to dining reservations, here are my recommendations:
EP - don't make any for this day. EP has quite a few good quick serve options to choose from. I tried the Regal Eagle the last time I was there and it was excellent! Sunshine Seasons is also a great option. Depending on when you go, there could be extra food booths set up too.
AK - This is another one that has good quick serve options. Flame Tree BBQ and Satuli are both really good options.
MK - If you want to do a Table Service meal, I would recommend doing it on one of these days. If you stay at BLT, the Wave is a good option. It has good breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

Happy planning!!

 

[PirateFish989]

We will arrive at MCO at 6:30 AM first day - we'll be tired I'm sure. Maybe Epcot that day since it opens at 10 and we could check-in somewhere and not miss morning time

I'm guessing you're taking a red-eye flight from the West Coast. We are from California and took a red-eye on our last trip in 2018. We landed at 8:30am and It. Was. Rough. We were exhausted (granted, we were on our honeymoon and had just endured a wedding two days before and had gotten very poor/little sleep the previous two nights). There was no way we could have done a park that day. We were fortunate enough that the CM checking us in at POFQ found a room upgrade that was available immediately so we were able to nap and then swim and hang out that day before heading to Disney Springs for dinner.

Just be prepared.

 

[kapicka]

Thanks for the help everyone including PirateFish989 - we have changed our trip up to NOT have a red eye and come in the evening before! It is not a more normal stay with 5 nights.

It is obvious that the recommendations are to NOT change resorts but I'm going to ask this question anyway now that we have 5 nights - if after the 2nd or 3rd night we were switching could we "check out" in the AM when going to the park for the day and if we did that would they be willing/able to take our bags to the next resort and have them ready when the room was ready for check-in?

 

[MrsPete]

We will arrive at MCO at 6:30 AM first day - we'll be tired I'm sure.

I'm glad you decided to come in a day early. You're going to be paying $$$ for your tickets, and it doesn't make sense to pay that much and set yourself up for an exhausted day.

If we do Epcot day 1 maybe Animal Kingdom park day 2 ?
That would put us moving up toward Magic Kingdom and a resort up there for the last 2 days/nights - does that all make sense?

Let me add a couple wrinkles: - What day of the week are you talking about? Day of the week can make a difference in crowds in the parks.
- Do the parks in question have early entry days? If so, that might make a difference to you.
- Do you want to see fireworks in either of these parks? They aren't offered every day, so you might want to consider those special events before you make up your mind.
dachsieOnce I get tickets/rooms secured is there a good thread or page to look at for info on making food and/or ride reservations?[/QUOTE]You can find all of this on this site.

In regards to dining reservations, here are my recommendations:
EP - don't make any for this day. EP has quite a few good quick serve options to choose from. I tried the Regal Eagle the last time I was there and it was excellent! Sunshine Seasons is also a great option. Depending on when you go, there could be extra food booths set up too.
AK - This is another one that has good quick serve options. Flame Tree BBQ and Satuli are both really good options.
MK - If you want to do a Table Service meal, I would recommend doing it on one of these days. If you stay at BLT, the Wave is a good option. It has good breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

Good advice. I'll add this: We like to plan a sit-down mid-day. We no longer have small children, so we don't need to go back to the hotel for a rest, but we all appreciate a long lunch in the air conditioning with plenty of drinks.

It is obvious that the recommendations are to NOT change resorts but I'm going to ask this question anyway now that we have 5 nights - if after the 2nd or 3rd night we were switching could we "check out" in the AM when going to the park for the day and if we did that would they be willing/able to take our bags to the next resort and have them ready when the room was ready for check-in?

Unless you have some special reasoning, I wouldn't recommend it. It'll take more effort than you anticipate.

Question: What are your goals on this trip? Are you coming to lounge around at the resort and hit the parks for a few rides ... or are you coming for the parks /plan to experience as many of the park attractions as possible?

One last comment: Study the maps and available transportation, and consider which area of Disney you want to stay in. Your resort options are all over the place.

 

[kapicka]

MrsPete thank you for all the thoughts. We are generally a park-open to park-close kind of family so the sleep the night before will be good. We have 4 days to be at parks and Hollywood Studios is booked up for all but passholders, so we won't be going there. My guess is that Magic Kingdom, while the most like Disneyland (where we DO go often) will probably be the biggest and have the most to see/do so I'm guessing with 3 resorts and 4 days we'd double up and 2 do in MK. If that is a bad idea let me know.

I know day of the week matters, but we're looking at over the holiday break for schools so I'm guessing busy every day so that might be a little less of a consideration. It looks like park hours are being expanded some but I'm guessing no early entry or after hour anything based on what I'm seeing online.

 

[kapicka]

Guest ages are 1 teen, 1 tween, and 2 40-somethings : )

 

[kwdw]

MK is most similar to DL, so you might want to think twice about 2 days there. If you have foodies or shoppers - maybe two days at EP instead? I f not, stick with MK. With the big AK shows not operating, unless you have huge animal lovers, I'm not sure AK is worth two days right now. Not sure when you are going, but I would definitely try as long as possible to get a HS day.

Changing resorts takes time. If you aren't normally at WDW, maybe seeing two resorts is important to you, but it is work. But if you are a family that explodes all over a room and pick up food and souvenirs, just remember you have to take the time to pack it all up to move. But if you are light packers who stay organized, maybe moving isn't such a big deal. But when I stay DVC, no way I want to pack and unpack for a short trip unless its because I'm doing one night at the beginning or end just to stay at a new resort I haven't been to yet.

 

[kapicka]

Thanks again all! I love these boards!! I wish we could do Hollywood Studios but the "schedule" shows only passholders can get in for the dates we are there. With 4 days and 3 parks the decision will have to be 2 at MK or 2 at Epcot. It looks like I have one vote above for 2 at Epcot

 

[Dean Kennedy]

Hi. We are looking at 4 days in theme parks and 4 nights in Disney/DVC resorts (since we arrive early AM the first day we won't have hotel the night before).

It looks like 3 parks are available since Hollywood Studios is out. I'm guessing 2 days at Magic Kingdom but would love to hear from you.

Also, these are the resorts available in room sizes that work - what would you suggest? I'm thinking 1 hotel change mid-trip is ok but 2 hotel changes might be rough with a shortish trip.
Boardwalk avail all 4 nights / Bay Lake Tower avail all 4 nights / Boulder Ridge avail first 3 nights / Grand Floridian avail first 2 nights / Old Key West all nights / Riviera first 2 nights / Copper Creek Cabin last 2 nights / Kidani Animal Kingdom last 3 nights

Some of my thoughts:
We will arrive at MCO at 6:30 AM first day - we'll be tired I'm sure. Maybe Epcot that day since it opens at 10 and we could check-in somewhere and not miss morning time
If we do Epcot day 1 maybe Animal Kingdom park day 2 ?
That would put us moving up toward Magic Kingdom and a resort up there for the last 2 days/nights - does that all make sense?
(Since Animal Kingdom isn't available first night maybe we would need to go with first 2 nights at Riviera, or Boardwalk)
(One other issue is that since Epcot is 10-9 and Animal Kingdom Park is 7-7 it might be better to do AK first day if the resort isn't too big and we'd be ok not making the full 12 hour day in the park because a park closing at 7PM and the next day's park not opening until 10AM might be GREAT for catching up on sleep!)

Thanks all y'all experts in advance!!

MK is most similar to DL, so you might want to think twice about 2 days there. If you have foodies or shoppers - maybe two days at EP instead? I f not, stick with MK. With the big AK shows not operating, unless you have huge animal lovers, I'm not sure AK is worth two days right now. Not sure when you are going, but I would definitely try as long as possible to get a HS day.

Changing resorts takes time. If you aren't normally at WDW, maybe seeing two resorts is important to you, but it is work. But if you are a family that explodes all over a room and pick up food and souvenirs, just remember you have to take the time to pack it all up to move. But if you are light packers who stay organized, maybe moving isn't such a big deal. But when I stay DVC, no way I want to pack and unpack for a short trip unless its because I'm doing one night at the beginning or end just to stay at a new resort I haven't been to yet.

 

[Dean Kennedy]

I would stay in one location and keep trying to get that day at DHS. First trip? You will be amazed, enjoy.

 

[MrsPete]

MK is most similar to DL, so you might want to think twice about 2 days there. If you have foodies or shoppers - maybe two days at EP instead?

I was going to say the same thing: I've never been to Disney LAND, but I suspect it is much like the Magic Kingdom -- so if I were in your shoes, I'd want to experience something I couldn't see near home.

I wish we could do Hollywood Studios but the "schedule" shows only passholders can get in for the dates we are there.

Thinking outside the box here: If Hollywood Studios is important to you, how solid are your dates? Would a week earlier or a week later work for you?

A new thought: You're so interested in other resorts; have you considered that you don't have to STAY at a resort to EXPERIENCE a resort? Ideas:

- We love Ohana's at the Polynesian. You could make a dinner reservation for your first night (presumably not such a busy night for your family), eat, walk around the resort a bit, watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach.
- Our family tradition is a Kitchen Sink from Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club. You can leave Epcot for lunch or dinner, enjoy a meal here, and take in the sights at the resort.
- Wilderness Lodge is probably our favorite resort, and it has a nice restaurant. You could leave the Magic Kingdom, boat over to Wilderness Lodge for dinner, then return to Magic Kingdom for evening fun.
- You could easily do the same thing at The Contemporary. You can literally walk from the Magic Kingdom.
- You can plan a nice breakfast at another resort on your last Disney day -- it'd be a nice "last meal" before heading to the airport.

 

[kapicka]

MrsPete - thank you - food was the next thing I need to plan!

As far as parks go, we can't change dates so skipping Hollywood Studios this trip and I think we are ok with that. Especially since we HAVE been to Star Wars Land in CA. I'm thinking if I do Epcot day 1, AK day 2, and MK day 3, that by then I can decide what to do for day 4. Right now you need reservations so we have reservations for MK for day 4 but I believe it can be changed as long as the park we want still has space. My thought is that of the 3 parks MK is the most likely to sell out first so for now I'm holding that reservation.

 

[dachsie]

MrsPete - thank you - food was the next thing I need to plan!

As far as parks go, we can't change dates so skipping Hollywood Studios this trip and I think we are ok with that. Especially since we HAVE been to Star Wars Land in CA. I'm thinking if I do Epcot day 1, AK day 2, and MK day 3, that by then I can decide what to do for day 4. Right now you need reservations so we have reservations for MK for day 4 but I believe it can be changed as long as the park we want still has space. My thought is that of the 3 parks MK is the most likely to sell out first so for now I'm holding that reservation.

Keep checking the park reservation calendar. They have been releasing some more availability occasionally and you might can snag HS

 

[kapicka]

Thanks again everyone for help. Our trip is over the holidays and it looks like unless we wanted a full SSR stay it will have to be a split stay no matter what. Also while I like the BLT idea for walking and like the theming of Poly there is not currently availability in room sizes we want for days we need. While y'all had convinced me that it will be some work to move rooms I'm hopeful that we can do it now that we have 5 nights instead of 4 and since we are generally up early and energetically as a family. I'm going to lay out what we have booked so far:

night 0 (before our first day) = 1 bed Kidani with Savanna view
day 1 = Epcot (10am-9pm) and booked La Hacienda dinner (though I'm sure quick food might be good at Epcot I booked this and am considering it since we have picky kids and they love Mexican food)
night 1 = 1 bed Kidani with Savanna view
day 2 = Animal Kingdom (7am-7pm) only reservation I see is Tuffins late lunch but don't think we want/need that
(evening 2 should be nice because AK closes early so hopefully plenty of time to get to new hotel and settle in)
night 2 = Bay Lake Tower 1 bed
day 3 = Magic Kingdom (8am-10pm)
night 3 = Bay Lake Tower 1 bed
day 4 = Magic Kingdom (8am-10pm) this is booked but considering cancelling for reservation at Epcot since we are Disneyland regulars
night 4 = Bay Lake Tower 1 bed
day 5 = our return day - don't leave until early afternoon so will look for brunch idea OR maybe checkout Disney Springs if it is not too much like CA's Downtown Disney

We are excited about the trip. The "negatives" for a first time trip are no early/late hours with our resort stay, no fast passes, limited food reservation options because of holiday time and short notice of trip, and no availability (still) at Hollywood Studios. Even with all that the "positives" of surprising our kids, getting great flights, going somewhere brand new when we've been stuck at home this year, and making memories as a family should far overshadow!