So many questions! WDW overwhelm!

[Brittney Cornwell]

HI I have never been to WDW and have no idea what I am getting myself into compared to DL. I have so many questions I would love if anyone would answer whatever they can!

-How long is the monorail closed at the polynesian?
-Is the Frozen show at HS difficult to get to see?
-Best places to book reservations for to eat? Any must eats?
-Is it realistic to take a toddler back to the room during the day to nap with the short hours? Usually this is easy at DL since the hotels are so close to the parks.
-The day we leave, we fly out of MCO at 410. Is there time to go to one of the parks prior to the airport?
-Is rider swap avaialbe during COVID at WDW?
-What is weather like in January? Does it rain typically? I am from California and am used to a mild winter.
-Is Disney Springs easy to get to?

We are coming on a Sunday mid January and will do parks Monday - Thursday and maybe Friday morning before we leave. We have a 38" (maybe taller then?) toddler. I would love any opinions on what parks to do/what days. I would love to do all four and then an extra day of MK. Thoughts?

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

HI I have never been to WDW and have no idea what I am getting myself into compared to DL. I have so many questions I would love if anyone would answer whatever they can!

-How long is the monorail closed at the polynesian?
-Is the Frozen show at HS difficult to get to see?
-Best places to book reservations for to eat? Any must eats?
-Is it realistic to take a toddler back to the room during the day to nap with the short hours? Usually this is easy at DL since the hotels are so close to the parks.
-The day we leave, we fly out of MCO at 410. Is there time to go to one of the parks prior to the airport?
-Is rider swap avaialbe during COVID at WDW?
-What is weather like in January? Does it rain typically? I am from California and am used to a mild winter.
-Is Disney Springs easy to get to?

We are coming on a Sunday mid January and will do parks Monday - Thursday and maybe Friday morning before we leave. We have a 38" (maybe taller then?) toddler. I would love any opinions on what parks to do/what days. I would love to do all four and then an extra day of MK. Thoughts?

Just going from what I've seen while here. The Frozen show lines are relatively short, so I wouldn't anticipate it being difficult. dining reservations are really a personal preference, I would look around the DIS, maybe watch some Youtube videos to see what interests you. I'm not sure where you're staying but I would think it's realistic to go back. We've been able to go back to the hotel for breaks with no issues. The hardest day for us was Magic Kingdom because their hours were not as forgiving to our schedule as the other parks. Are you taking Magical Express? The bus will probably come to pick you up around 1pm. So you would need to be back at the hotel with enough time. Not sure about the rider swap since we don't use it. January is fairly nice, just watch the weather in the weeks leading up. Usually not a lot of rain the years we've gone in Jan. but it can get extremely cold at night if you're not prepared. And if there's a cold snap, you'll wish you had a couple of layers on. My best advice would be to just layer up on days where the temperatures go from Low 40s in the morning to low 60s. And yes the Disney Springs buses are running frequently. Just make sure you wear comfortable shoes Disney Springs is bigger than it looks.

 

[Brittney Cornwell]

Just going from what I've seen while here. The Frozen show lines are relatively short, so I wouldn't anticipate it being difficult. dining reservations are really a personal preference, I would look around the DIS, maybe watch some Youtube videos to see what interests you. I'm not sure where you're staying but I would think it's realistic to go back. We've been able to go back to the hotel for breaks with no issues. The hardest day for us was Magic Kingdom because their hours were not as forgiving to our schedule as the other parks. Are you taking Magical Express? The bus will probably come to pick you up around 1pm. So you would need to be back at the hotel with enough time. Not sure about the rider swap since we don't use it. January is fairly nice, just watch the weather in the weeks leading up. Usually not a lot of rain the years we've gone in Jan. but it can get extremely cold at night if you're not prepared. And if there's a cold snap, you'll wish you had a couple of layers on. My best advice would be to just layer up on days where the temperatures go from Low 40s in the morning to low 60s. And yes the Disney Springs buses are running frequently. Just make sure you wear comfortable shoes Disney Springs is bigger than it looks.

Thank you so helpful

 

[disneygirlsng]

Yes, rider swap is being used.

I've been twice in early January, both trips there were days where it was in the low 30s in the early morning/late night and in the upper 70s/low 80s in the afternoon (in the same day), so you really never know. Pack everything haha

The monorail at Poly should still be closed in January, though it's a short and easy walk to the TTC where you can get the monorail.

Getting to Disney Springs is very easy from any resort, just a bus ride. They currently aren't running the buses from the parks to DS yet (which is usually just after 4pm anyway)

 

[teach22180]

I would be at the frozen show a little early because they are limiting the people allowed inside right now. Maybe 20 min before starting time?

I was there last year end of january, and it was cold! Bring a jacket.

You can look at restaurant menus on MDE. It's hard to give advice without knowing what you like. Feel free to ask about your favorites.

 

[holden]

Some restaurants are still closed, so reservations are limited. I'd book them as soon as you know where you want to eat.

If you are being picked up by DME on the way back to the airport, they will pick you up at your resort roughly 3 hours before your flight. So, around 1:00pm. You'll need to have all of your luggage, etc. with you. If you go to a park that morning, I'd suggest leaving the park around 11:30am to make sure you make it back to the resort, collect your luggage and be at the DME waiting area. That doesn't give you much park time.

About napping...factor in at least 2 hours (maybe 3 depending) transportation time. So you'd have to leave AK, for example, around 12:00 to make it back to your resort around 1:00 and then the same amount of time back to AK after the nap. Sometimes the buses work great and transportation is quick. I find that most times they don't work that way. I'd encourage naps in the stroller. That's what we used to do.

 

[yulilin3]

HI I have never been to WDW and have no idea what I am getting myself into compared to DL. I have so many questions I would love if anyone would answer whatever they can!

1-How long is the monorail closed at the polynesian?
2-Is the Frozen show at HS difficult to get to see?
3-Best places to book reservations for to eat? Any must eats?
4-Is it realistic to take a toddler back to the room during the day to nap with the short hours? Usually this is easy at DL since the hotels are so close to the parks.
5-The day we leave, we fly out of MCO at 410. Is there time to go to one of the parks prior to the airport?
6-Is rider swap avaialbe during COVID at WDW?
7-What is weather like in January? Does it rain typically? I am from California and am used to a mild winter.
8-Is Disney Springs easy to get to?

We are coming on a Sunday mid January and will do parks Monday - Thursday and maybe Friday morning before we leave. We have a 38" (maybe taller then?) toddler. I would love any opinions on what parks to do/what days. I would love to do all four and then an extra day of MK. Thoughts?

1. until the resort reopens in Summer 2021
2. Not most of the days, unless it's a major holiday, capacity is very restricted right now but they have so many shows through out the day that you can catch it, the first show is usually the easiest
3. Depends on what you like to eat
4. Depends on which resort, on site it's usually a 10 to 15 min drive on a bus without counting the waiting for the bus
5. yes
6. yes it is
7. it can be from warm to cold, not a alot of rain unless we are getting a cold front, which can cause a rain band
8. yes

I recommend searching the different forums, there is a forum strictly dedicated to transportation and then one for resorts and one for restaurants

 

[VandVsmama]

-How long is the monorail closed at the polynesian?
It'll definitely be closed for your trip in January.

-Is the Frozen show at HS difficult to get to see?
Limited capacity in terms of # of guests per show.

-Best places to book reservations for to eat? Any must eats?
Depends on your preferences and about how much you want to spend. You can go all out and plunk down $62/person to eat at Be Our Guest on the high end.

-Is it realistic to take a toddler back to the room during the day to nap with the short hours? Usually this is easy at DL since the hotels are so close to the parks.
At WDW, it's much more complicated. We are DL veterans and have been spoiled by being able to walk to our Harbor Blvd hotel in 10 min or less. At WDW, it can take 60-90 min one way to get back to your room, then repeat that on the way back after the hotel break. With shorter park hours, I don't think it's realistic unless your toddler is like my ODD was when she was a toddler (she'd only sleep in a dark room with white noise on)...in which case, I'd take a break at the hotel anyway for my own sanity.

-The day we leave, we fly out of MCO at 410. Is there time to go to one of the parks prior to the airport?
At Epcot? No. At MK? Definitely. Especially if you get there for rope drop, which according to the "Here Now" thread, is about 45 min before regular park opening. We, too, are going in January. And on our departure day, our flight leaves ~ 4:00 pm. Magical Express will probably pick us up at the hotel (we're staying at Pop Century) at 1:00 pm. This means that I'm going to plan on us leaving MK by no later than noon. So if MK opens at 8:00 am and you can basically get on your first ride around 7:30 am, then you get a good 4.5 hours of ride time in before you have to leave.

-Is rider swap avaialbe during COVID at WDW?
Yes

-What is weather like in January? Does it rain typically? I am from California and am used to a mild winter.
It's a mixed bag. Pack like you're packing for a winter trip to DL. So that means pack layers of clothes that you can put on your peel off based on how the weather conditions change. Weather.com and Accuweather.com both have average temps for Orlando on their websites for different months of the year.

-Is Disney Springs easy to get to?
Yes and no. Buses to DS only depart from resorts. So, for example, you can't take a bus from MK to DS. You'd have to get to a resort first and then take a bus to DS.

We are coming on a Sunday mid January and will do parks Monday - Thursday and maybe Friday morning before we leave. We have a 38" (maybe taller then?) toddler.
I would love any opinions on what parks to do/what days. I would love to do all four and then an extra day of MK. Thoughts?
With a toddler, I'd probably skip HS entirely. I'd do 1 day at Epcot, 1 at HS, 2.5 at MK (morning at MK on your departure day).

 

[PirateFish989]

-The day we leave, we fly out of MCO at 410. Is there time to go to one of the parks prior to the airport?

Hello! Also from California! We've been twice and have chosen both times not to go to a park on our last day for two reasons: we are so tired by that point that being able to sleep in is really nice (no kids on either trip so having a toddler would make a difference - we have a 7 month old now so those sleeping in days are in the past!) and we don't want to be rushed and worried about getting back to the resort by our MDE pickup time (that would only apply if you are taking MDE, but if you are renting a car you'd need to make sure you have time to get the car returned).

Instead, we've gone to Disney Springs for the morning and we've also gone to the Boardwalk area and had lunch at Beaches and Cream and then walked around for a bit.

 

[kda]

How exciting to be going for the first time! Can't respond to many questions because we don't have children, but just want to stress that when ME assigns a pick up time, you need to be there and all ready to board the bus 15 minutes before then. They do NOT wait.
You never know if you'll wait 2 minutes for a bus or 1/2 hour or more. Often it's much less than that, but you just never know. You may want to consider Uber or LYFT at times, especially to go to DS.
You asked about the Poly, so wonder if you're staying there. If so, it would definitely be much quicker to get to your room there from MK, so it could be quite reasonable for a nap in the room. The monorail at the Ticket and Transportation Center is a very short walk to the Poly DVC rooms.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You are coming up on your 60 day timeframe to make your ADRs for dining. Check out Allears.net to see the menus of the open dining locations. You can also see menus on the WDW website and on the DIS. If you wait too long to make your ADRs, you might be out of luck.

 

[SusanDK]

Where are you staying? That will make a difference in answers to your questions about whether it is realistic to take the mid-day break and which park to recommend, if any, on your departure date. Also whether you are using Magical Express to get to the airport or not.

Depending on which resort you'll be at, a mid-day break might be reasonable on some days and not others, dependent on which park you are visiting for that day. For example, if you're staying at a Boardwalk area resort, you can easily take a break on an Epcot or HS day. It would also be quite simple to spend some time in Epcot on your last day if you're in the Boardwalk area, even if you need to get back to the resort to collect luggage and meet Magical Express.

You also will have more options in terms of your departure day if you are taking a rental car back to MCO because you could check out of your resort and load your luggage into the rental car in the morning, go to a park, and leave for the airport later than the Magical Express would pick you up. Plus if you need to leave a park to get back to your resort to collect your luggage and meet ME, that takes a few hours out of possible park time.

 

[loves to dive]

When my son was little we always went back to the room for a nap (most often for me not him). Back then the only resorts on property were MK resorts so that was where we stayed and there were only two parks, MK and Epcot but even on an Epcot day we would go back to the room. It just make my life easier to do that and not have a cranky toddler (single mom he hated strollers so we didn't use them).

Food is a tough one since it's very subjective and depends on the age of your child and how they eat or if they sit well while ya'll eat. As others have said, I'd look at menus and try to decide in advance what you think might work and go from there.

I might leave that last day open and play it by ear if you can afford that ticket. Sometime we do a half day in the park on our departure day, sometimes not, just depends on our mood. You could always use that day at DS and not waste the cost of a ticket but not waste a park day. We are not DS fans, actually haven't been since it was DTD and even that has been at least 10 years ago. We prefer to shop and eat in the parks, while the buses do run there they tend to be painfully slow and it can take more than a hour for a one way trip.

 

[nkereina]

-Is it realistic to take a toddler back to the room during the day to nap with the short hours?

IMO, no. Keep in mind that WDW property is the size of the city of San Francisco. Twice the size of Manhattan. Commute times largely depend on where you are staying. But in the current environment, park hours are significantly reduced. If MK's hours remain 9am-6pm (which they may in January, since that's a slower time), if you were to leave around 1pm, you'd get back to your resort by 2pm unless you're staying at a monorail resort. By the time the toddler naps, let's say you're ready to head back out at 4pm. That means you'd get back to MK by 5pm. Its not worth it. I would also add that bus capacity is greatly reduced, which means you may be waiting for a bus if you don't fit on the first one that pulls up.

-The day we leave, we fly out of MCO at 410. Is there time to go to one of the parks prior to the airport?

IMO no, As has been mentioned, DME pick up time will be roughly 3 hours (+/- 15 mins) before your flight time and you're expected to be at your resort's DME stop 15 minutes prior to that time. That means your pick up time will be around 1ish, so you should be at the stop by 12:45. The earliest parks open around 9, but you'd want to be leaving by about 11:30 (depending on where you're staying) to get back to your resort to get your bags. IMO, its a lot of money for roughly two and a half hours. If it were me, I'd sleep in a little, take my time packing up the room, and do a TS breakfast somewhere.

The only thing I'd add with regard to commute times and the DME pick-up time, is that you can mitigate this by renting a car or using rideshare. Rideshare may not be the easiest with a toddler, but more people than usual have been renting cars so they have shorter commutes and are in control of when they come and go. This way they can avoid the limited capacity on WDW transportation currently, which can make for longer waits. We never rent a car on our trips and just returned from a stay without one, but I will say we used Uber more than ever on a trip before.

-What is weather like in January? Does it rain typically?

January is a dryer month, so I would be more worried about the potential for cold than rainfall. Definitely keep an eye on the forecast and pack accordingly. Most of the queues and many of the rides are outdoors. I remember being there in November once when it was cloudy with a high of 55. I'm from Buffalo and have a high tolerance for cold temperatures, but being whipped through the cold air on Everest and trying to enjoy the safari in the open air vehicle - I was freezing. I wore a hoodie, a fleece jacket, and gloves and still found myself seeking out gift shops for warmth. Daytime can warm up nicely, but mornings and evenings will be chilly or even downright cold, so layers are a must.

-Is Disney Springs easy to get to?

Its just a bus ride, no different than going to the parks. Depending on where you're staying, there may also be a boat that goes to DS. Its at the end of Disney property so some resorts may have a longer commute (20 minutes as opposed to 10 mins), but I think its still worth visiting. You'll be surprised at how significantly larger it is than Downtown Disney at DL.

I would love to do all four and then an extra day of MK.

I think that's perfect. Many have been doing a second day at DHS as well, but with a toddler, I don't think that's necessary.