Wdw Newbie...few Questions

[kathy8779]

Just Booked My Stay For 9/7 - 9/13 At The Wl. Never Been And I'm So Excited. Any Recommendations On Where To Go What To Do? I'd Like To Make Reservations For Character Brkfst At Contmporary....do I Call The Reservation Line To Do This? Where Are The Best Firework Shows? Any Helpful Hints?

 

[elastigirlfan]

Hi!! For your priority seating I call this #407-939-3463.

We really like Wishes which is the fireworks/light show at MK. My husband saw Illuminations at Epcot & said that is was very good. Never saw Fantasmic at MGM but I hear it's awesome - hoping to see it this year. As far as other tips are you going with kids, etc...? We are going to visit the WL on our trip this year to see if we might want to possibly stay there one day. Have a great trip.

 

[kathy8779]

NO KIDS YET...JUST A COUPLE IN OUR LATE 20'S TAKING A FUN VACATION

Wilderness lodge looks great and I love the wooded atmosphere. I'm trying to come up with an itinerary that we can 'kinda' follow. I've heard the fantasmic fireworks are great! They're at MGM? I'll have to note that!

We're from Philadelphia so we will be going to the ESPN Cafe at the Boardwalk for the first Eagels game on Monday night. That should be fun...the BF is a HUGE sports fan.

Recommend any good restaurants?? I'm taking notes from the veterans...........

 

[Luv2trav]

I would recommend that you read, read , read the disboards.... Fantasmic is more than fireworks it's actually more like a show.... The best show at WDW in my opinion... Do not miss it! Wishes is my 2nd favorite fireworks display..

ESPN-LOVED IT!!... Since you are single I would highly recommend Pleasure Island as well.

You are going to have a lot of fun. I wish I would have taken a PRE-children trip!!

 

[elastigirlfan]

Restaurants...let me see...California Grill would be cool if in your budget - you can see the fireworks from Mk there. Ohana in the Poly would be cool. That has had great reviews - we're going there on our trip this year. You might like some of the restaurants in Epcot - there's a ton there. If you go on the restaurant forums you will see where people have eaten and their feedback. That has helped me a lot. You might want to pick up some books too - I like the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and Birnbaum's Official Guide to WDW. Happy Reading and Researching!!

NO KIDS YET...JUST A COUPLE IN OUR LATE 20'S TAKING A FUN VACATION

Wilderness lodge looks great and I love the wooded atmosphere. I'm trying to come up with an itinerary that we can 'kinda' follow. I've heard the fantasmic fireworks are great! They're at MGM? I'll have to note that!

We're from Philadelphia so we will be going to the ESPN Cafe at the Boardwalk for the first Eagels game on Monday night. That should be fun...the BF is a HUGE sports fan.

Recommend any good restaurants?? I'm taking notes from the veterans...........

 

[kathy8779]

I got the park Hopper and the Magic Your Way option.....is Pleasure island included there? Do buses take you to PI from wilderness lodge? I keep getting confused when I hear Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge........they're 2 seperate resorts right??? I hope i'm not getting confused when I hear reviews from people

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

They're 2 seperate resorts. The Wilderness Lodge (my fav resort, by the way!) is a deluxe resort, Fort Wilderness is the campground where you can bring rv's or tent camp, they also have cabins. As far as dining, you can use the 800# so you don't have to pay those long distance charges while you're on hold! It's 1-800-828-0228. We've eaten at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary, but it's a character meal so may not be what you're looking for. I hear that the Concourse Steakhouse is great, as is California Grill. O'Hana at the Polynesian is wonderful! If you want to see menus for all WDW restaraunts, go to www.allearsnet.com and click on dining on the main page, then The Menus! on the page that you are directed to. Hope that helps and have a great time learning on the DIS! Welcome!

P.S. Fantasmic is not to be missed! It is an excellent show! Wishes is at the Magic Kingdom and Illuminations is at Epcot...also don't miss.

 

[Hopefully]

Yes Fort Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge are 2 different resorts. Wilderness Lodge is a northwest themed Deluxe Resort, and Fort Wilderness is a very nice campground with some permanent "Cabins" rented nightly as well.
Pleasure Island is not included in the basic Magic Your Way Hopper plan. The cost, per person, is about $25 a night, which admits you to all of the clubs there.
Did you include the MYW Dining Plan? If you did you should be mapping out where you would like to eat and call for ADR's (Advanced Dining Reservations) up to 90 days ahead. Many recent posters are saying that "walk ups" to the Table Service (TS) restauarants are being turned away, as the restaurants are being fully booked in advance.
Try and eat at a restaurant that would appeal to you in World Showcase. Each offers a view into the country it represents, and overall it is a great experience.
Visit the Restaurant forum, here on the DIS. Lots of great reviews. Do remember that reviews represent individual tastes, which may differ from yours.
Keep reading and asking questions here, there is a wealth on information on the Dis. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[kathy8779]

i'm sure I'll have plenty more questions.................

 

[WDW LOVR]

If you plan on watching a Monday night football game at the ESPN club, you'd better get there early. It's quite a popular place with the retirees and if a team from the East Coast is playing it will be quite crowded.

 

[Gary M]

Kathy8779, what type of room do you have at the WL, courtyard, standard or woods view. You can ask for certain room locations on your reservations and they will try to fulfill your wish, but it's not guaranteed. Last December DW and I had a woods view room at the WL which gave us a good view of the castle and we could watch wishes(fireworks) from our balcony. We have stayed at the WL 19 times and have really enjoyed the resort. On the 4th and 5th floors above the main entrance they have lounge areas with a fireplace and stuffed chairs and couches. These areas overlook the lobby and can be nice places to relax before going to bed.

As mentioned, check http://www.allearsnet.com/din/dining.htm for menus of all the WDW eating places. Just about any restaurant that a person may recommend, another will say they don't like it. I would chose the type of food and/or the theme that you like and try it. This doesn't mean you shouldn't look at suggestions, but keep in mind what you two like when picking eating places. I enjoy the Biergarten at Germany in Epcot, but DW isn't that fond of it. We both like the Sci-Fi Dine-In at MGM, but several people on these boards don't.