California girl's first trip to Disney World and Florida...

[CaliforniaGal]

Hello, I've lived in California all my life and have been to Disneyland many times during my childhood and as an adult but now I'm taking my first trip to Florida and Disneyworld from October 7 through October 17.

This is what I have planned:

I read that Magic Kingdom is very similar to Disneyland so I'll probably plan on spending more time at Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kindgom. I also want to do Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach Do you still recommend the park hopper pass or is one park a day a good plan since I'm gonna have 9 full days and one half day in Florida

One day at Universal Studios and one day at the Island of Adventures.

Day trip to the Discovery Cove to hang out with Dolphins.

Day trip to Kennedy Space Center

Day trip to Cocoa Beach.

I also want to experience at least one Florida thunderstorm. I've never experienced a thunderstorm up close or warm rain in my life since it only rains in winter in California and it's thunderless. Someone told me that the average Californian would freak out upon being caught up in a typical gulf coast thunderstorm so that made me curious enough to want to experience one. I've heard thunder from a distance maybe 5-10 times in my entire life and I like how it sounded. I bet the thunderstorm will put more adrenalin in me than all the rides put together. Is early October too late to guarantee this experience? I was planning to walk around in a swimsuit, shorts, and crocs to experience the thunderstorm. I may think of it as a thrill ride but I do know there are some dangers with lightning so would like some tips on how to know when to come in from the rain. Also, how risky is it to go swimming in the hotel pool during a thunderstorm? Do they close the pools when there's lightning nearby?

I chose early October because I wanted to avoid the crowds that come during school vacations and the oppressive humidity of summer and still have a guarantee that it would be warm enough enjoy the water parks and swim in the pool at night.

Hotel has a full shuttle service to the theme parks but I plan on renting a car for the day trips to Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach. I have a friend joining me from the 7th through the 13th and I'm on my own from the 14th through the 17th.

 

[Laura]

I grew up in the East, but I've lived in San Diego County for over 4 years now. My favorite part of going to Florida is the thunderstorms! I truly miss having "weather". The other thing that feels good in Florida is the warmth. Not sure what part of California you're in, but I'm right near the ocean and it rarely gets above 75 degrees. It feels great to be in the warm, humid Florida air (though it can sometimes be a little overwhelming).

As for the lightning danger, count how many seconds happen between the flash and the boom. If it's many seconds, the storm is several miles away. If not, you might want to take cover.

 

[CaliforniaGal]

I grew up in the East, but I've lived in San Diego County for over 4 years now. My favorite part of going to Florida is the thunderstorms! I truly miss having "weather". The other thing that feels good in Florida is the warmth. Not sure what part of California you're in, but I'm right near the ocean and it rarely gets above 75 degrees. It feels great to be in the warm, humid Florida air (though it can sometimes be a little overwhelming).

As for the lightning danger, count how many seconds happen between the flash and the boom. If it's many seconds, the storm is several miles away. If not, you might want to take cover.

I've always lived inland; lived in Sacramento, Pasadena, and now in San Jose so I'm used to 80s all summer(was 90+ most days in Sacramento in summer) but know that i have to take a jacket if I go to the San Francisco in summer as it could be 90 here in San Jose and 55 in San Francisco. I've seen a few thunderstorms but the thunder was at a distance. Oddly, I did experience a thunderstorm once in San Diego in September of 2010 (was visiting my cousin). But it wasn't close up. I want to experience a close up thunderstorm.

 

[Mammymouse]

Don't want to be over dramatic but, just for your info about lightening - if there is any lightening three miles (3 seconds when counting) or closer to the airport they hold all flight ground crews from going outside, and basically shut down outside operations. It really is very dangerous, and Florida is second in the world for lightening strikes, behind Equatorial Africa. Taking cover is always a good thing.

 

[Hobnail Boot]

Wow, I can't imagine never seeing a thunderstorm before. I live in south Georgia and we get them almost daily during the summer, I love it. I've visited Southern California a few times and the lack of weather (and lack of humidity!) was a bit jarring.

If you feel you have a lot of time, I say one park per day is fine. As someone who visits frequently, I tend to bounce around from park to park because I've done all of it before and know what I want to do this trip. If it's your first time and you have time to spare, take it slow and explore the parks. I always read about people and their first trip to WDW and they talk about how stressful it was trying to get everything done. So take it slow and do what you want and you'll enjoy yourself more.

 

[real mad hatter]

Hello, I've lived in California all my life and have been to Disneyland many times during my childhood and as an adult but now I'm taking my first trip to Florida and Disneyworld from October 7 through October 17.

This is what I have planned:

I read that Magic Kingdom is very similar to Disneyland so I'll probably plan on spending more time at Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kindgom. I also want to do Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach Do you still recommend the park hopper pass or is one park a day a good plan since I'm gonna have 9 full days and one half day in Florida

One day at Universal Studios and one day at the Island of Adventures.

Day trip to the Discovery Cove to hang out with Dolphins.

Day trip to Kennedy Space Center

Day trip to Cocoa Beach.

I also want to experience at least one Florida thunderstorm. I've never experienced a thunderstorm up close or warm rain in my life since it only rains in winter in California and it's thunderless. Someone told me that the average Californian would freak out upon being caught up in a typical gulf coast thunderstorm so that made me curious enough to want to experience one. I've heard thunder from a distance maybe 5-10 times in my entire life and I like how it sounded. I bet the thunderstorm will put more adrenalin in me than all the rides put together. Is early October too late to guarantee this experience? I was planning to walk around in a swimsuit, shorts, and crocs to experience the thunderstorm. I may think of it as a thrill ride but I do know there are some dangers with lightning so would like some tips on how to know when to come in from the rain. Also, how risky is it to go swimming in the hotel pool during a thunderstorm? Do they close the pools when there's lightning nearby?

I chose early October because I wanted to avoid the crowds that come during school vacations and the oppressive humidity of summer and still have a guarantee that it would be warm enough enjoy the water parks and swim in the pool at night.

Hotel has a full shuttle service to the theme parks but I plan on renting a car for the day trips to Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach. I have a friend joining me from the 7th through the 13th and I'm on my own from the 14th through the 17th.

Whit!!!...Same thread on Trip Planning...Phew!!! Just had my first dram in a month and thought I was seeing double..

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Hello there! I'm an Eastern girl who visited DLR in June.

First of all, do not expect this to be like DL. Everything is more spread out, there will be more walking, and more transportation time. So don't plan on hopping back and forth five times a day like you can in CA.

MK is similar to DL, but there's not as much there. Definitely hit:
1. Splash Mountain (it's a whole lot better over here)
2. Mickey's Phillhar Magic
3. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
4. Space Moutain (it's the original!)
5. Country Bears, if you're feeling nostalgic.
6. Winnie the Pooh (it's a whole lot better)
7. Haunted Mansion (better over here)

Other rides that you may want to skip (throughout the resort) if you are limited on time
1. Soarin'
2. Star Tours (unless you feel like doing it a bunch of times in a row, something you can do over here)
3. TSM
4. Little Mermaid
5. It's Tough to be a Bug
6. Pirates (I call it the Lite versions of the DL one)
7. Captain EO
8. Muppets

Rides throughout that are similar but different:
1. Tower of Terror
2. Finding Nemo (here at the Seas with Nemo, dark ride instead of sub ride)
3. Dinosaur is similar to Indiana Jones.

If you have questions about WDW, don't hesitate to quote, tag, or PM me.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

The pools will close in a thunderstorm especially if lightning is close by. If it is a regular rain the pools will still be opening. We swam in the pools while a tropical storm was approaching. Since you are interested in storms, while you are at the parks look at the tops of the building the pointy things are lightning rods. There are lots of them on the buildings, almost as frequent as garbage cans, haha!

Sounds like you have a good plan of attack on your days. I think a park hopper is a good plan it lets you take advantage of early and late hours at different parks on the same day. I hope you are staying at a Disney resort, here at WDW it is more beneficial than at DL.

 

[donaldtoo]

Gongrats on your first WDW trip!!!
Speaking as someone who's been to both Resorts (DL/DLR 5 times, WDW 7 times) I LOVE them both! But, if I was forced to make a choice , it'd be WDW...!

As far as the t-storms, we've never been to WDW in Oct., so not sure. But, when we're there in the summer (usually July) they're like clockwork EVERY day. We just poncho up and commando on...!!!
Also, except for our recent drought, we're quite used to nasty t-storms here in Texas. I remember one year (I think it was in '04?) bein' at Epcot when one particularly nasty one came through...
We took shelter in Innoventions East, as did a lot of others, to wait it out. Thunder, lightning, and rain like the dickens, and every time the doors opened, water was just blowin' into the place. You could tell the people that weren't used to it...they were visibly shaken, and some were even (mostly children, but some adults, too) crying.
BTW...
Florida has more lightning strikes than any other state in the union.
DO NOT play around in a pool with millions of volts of electricity flying all around you.....

Anyway, congrats again, and have a FABULOUS trip...!!!

 

[luv]

Central Florida has more lightning than anywhere else in the country, but we don't have a ton of thunderstorms in October. Sorry. We don't even have awesome, jaw-dropping spectaculars all the time. There is nothing as stunning and fantastic as a big lightning storm...no fireworks show, no rock concert - nothing. They are truly awesome. But, no way to know when one is coming. If you want to see one, though, summer is a better bet than fall.

They do close the water parks for lightning...people are kicked out of the water and announcements are made that the beach is closed. Not everyone heeds the warnings.

I'd advise you to stay out of thunderstorms, but I know from experience that some people wait until the lightning hits close by, at which point they look downright shocked (!), then say, "Uhhh, maybes this weren't such a gud idear after alls," then scatter about, trying to find shelter that isn't already taken.

Lightning is dangerous and can kill you, but if you want to play with it, that's your choice. It's not the smart choice, but it is yours to make.

Hopping is always a good option to have, but it is not necessary. If you really aren't sure what you want to do, you can always add the hopping while you're there. It's like $55 or $60,...whatever the cost, it doesn't change based on when you add it.

 

[donaldtoo]

I've always lived inland; lived in Sacramento, Pasadena, and now in San Jose so I'm used to 80s all summer(was 90+ most days in Sacramento in summer) but know that i have to take a jacket if I go to the San Francisco in summer as it could be 90 here in San Jose and 55 in San Francisco. I've seen a few thunderstorms but the thunder was at a distance. Oddly, I did experience a thunderstorm once in San Diego in September of 2010 (was visiting my cousin). But it wasn't close up. I want to experience a close up thunderstorm.

I lived in San Jose, back in the day, from '68'-'76. My father was with IBM. Been back in Texas ever since.
Used to love our trips to San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Carmel, etc.!
In August of '89 DW and I went to the Bay Area for her first trip, and SF, of course, was on the agenda.
I mentioned to her to make sure she brought a coat, she looked at me like this , and then said... "It's August." I said... "I know. You'll thank me later."
She thanked me later...!

Even though we're in a severe drought down here, we still have a t-storm or 2 now and again. We were awakened by a small line of them that blew through the other night. It, basically, came outta' nowhere. A t-storm up close and personal is quite different than viewing one from a distance. The lightning and the thunder come at the same time (to the human ear, anyway)... CRACK!!!!!!!
They can be quite crazy sometimes.
If you REALLY wanna' experience one, plan a trip some other time for mid July. You won't be disappointed...!

 

[wdisney9000]

Hello, I've lived in California all my life and have been to Disneyland many times during my childhood and as an adult but now I'm taking my first trip to Florida and Disneyworld from October 7 through October 17.

This is what I have planned:

I read that Magic Kingdom is very similar to Disneyland so I'll probably plan on spending more time at Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kindgom. I also want to do Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach Do you still recommend the park hopper pass or is one park a day a good plan since I'm gonna have 9 full days and one half day in Florida

One day at Universal Studios and one day at the Island of Adventures.

Day trip to the Discovery Cove to hang out with Dolphins.

Day trip to Kennedy Space Center

Day trip to Cocoa Beach.

I also want to experience at least one Florida thunderstorm. I've never experienced a thunderstorm up close or warm rain in my life since it only rains in winter in California and it's thunderless. Someone told me that the average Californian would freak out upon being caught up in a typical gulf coast thunderstorm so that made me curious enough to want to experience one. I've heard thunder from a distance maybe 5-10 times in my entire life and I like how it sounded. I bet the thunderstorm will put more adrenalin in me than all the rides put together. Is early October too late to guarantee this experience? I was planning to walk around in a swimsuit, shorts, and crocs to experience the thunderstorm. I may think of it as a thrill ride but I do know there are some dangers with lightning so would like some tips on how to know when to come in from the rain. Also, how risky is it to go swimming in the hotel pool during a thunderstorm? Do they close the pools when there's lightning nearby?

I chose early October because I wanted to avoid the crowds that come during school vacations and the oppressive humidity of summer and still have a guarantee that it would be warm enough enjoy the water parks and swim in the pool at night.

Hotel has a full shuttle service to the theme parks but I plan on renting a car for the day trips to Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach. I have a friend joining me from the 7th through the 13th and I'm on my own from the 14th through the 17th.

Looks like a solid plan. Cant wait to read a trip report if you write one. Its always interesting reading how the west coast folks view WDW compared to DL. Have fun and be safe !(lightning) Do you have sunkist skin so hot it will melt a popsicle?

 

[tare]

Congrats on your first trip. We are wdw vets and have been to dl as well. The magic kingdom will be quite different than what you are used to. Both are fun and great in their own ways!!!

 

[CaliforniaGal]

Gongrats on your first WDW trip!!!
Speaking as someone who's been to both Resorts (DL/DLR 5 times, WDW 7 times) I LOVE them both! But, if I was forced to make a choice , it'd be WDW...!

As far as the t-storms, we've never been to WDW in Oct., so not sure. But, when we're there in the summer (usually July) they're like clockwork EVERY day. We just poncho up and commando on...!!!
Also, except for our recent drought, we're quite used to nasty t-storms here in Texas. I remember one year (I think it was in '04?) bein' at Epcot when one particularly nasty one came through...
We took shelter in Innoventions East, as did a lot of others, to wait it out. Thunder, lightning, and rain like the dickens, and every time the doors opened, water was just blowin' into the place. You could tell the people that weren't used to it...they were visibly shaken, and some were even (mostly children, but some adults, too) crying.

I bet the crying adults were from California.......I would like to experience that situation just once just to see how I'd handle it. Sounds like a mini-hurricane. I'd be ok with that kind of event just one day of the trip and prefer the rest of the days have calmer weather so I can comfortably walk around doing the rides and attractions and not hiding inside a building. Did the cast members attempt to calm down the people who were shaken and crying?

My guess is that I'd probably be a little jarred by a storm of that intensity but I don't think I'd be one of those completely shaken ones cuz I'd know I was safe inside a building and nothing would happen to me if I stayed inside. I'd probably have my iphone out by a window recording the whole thing and then put it up on youtube. I think my friends (most of whom lived in California their whole lives) would be really impressed.

Maybe I'd panic more if I was caught driving in it and couldn't see where I was going due to such heavy rain or caught outside far from a building and lightning was striking right in front of me.

Sounds like you Southerners are so used to it though. Did you laugh at the people who were panicking the way we Californians laugh at the newbies who freak out over small earthquakes? Just kidding!

Thanks for the safety tip about staying out of pools. I was thinking of floating on my back and watching lightning but it sounds like it's totally unsafe so I won't do that. I'll take shelter and watch from the window instead. I love to swim though.

 

[CaliforniaGal]

Even though we're in a severe drought down here, we still have a t-storm or 2 now and again. We were awakened by a small line of them that blew through the other night. It, basically, came outta' nowhere. A t-storm up close and personal is quite different than viewing one from a distance. The lightning and the thunder come at the same time (to the human ear, anyway)... CRACK!!!!!!!
They can be quite crazy sometimes.
If you REALLY wanna' experience one, plan a trip some other time for mid July. You won't be disappointed...!

I would never plan any trip in June, July, or August until I have my own kids that are in school (hopefully not for another 10 + years) because prices are more expensive and places are a lot more crowded than during the school year. I also don't think I'd be able to handle the humidity a Florida summer. How's mid-September or mid-May for thunderstorms?

 

[CaliforniaGal]

The pools will close in a thunderstorm especially if lightning is close by. If it is a regular rain the pools will still be opening. We swam in the pools while a tropical storm was approaching. Since you are interested in storms, while you are at the parks look at the tops of the building the pointy things are lightning rods. There are lots of them on the buildings, almost as frequent as garbage cans, haha!

Sounds like you have a good plan of attack on your days. I think a park hopper is a good plan it lets you take advantage of early and late hours at different parks on the same day. I hope you are staying at a Disney resort, here at WDW it is more beneficial than at DL.

Disney Resorts are WAYYYYY too expensive. I'm staying at Maingate Lakeside Resort- they have shuttles for the parks several times a day. I may rent a car if I find the shuttles unsatisfactory. I think I'll add on the park hopper just to give us more flexibility since it's not that much more than the 8 day ticket itself.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Disney Resorts are WAYYYYY too expensive. I'm staying at Maingate Lakeside Resort- they have shuttles for the parks several times a day. I may rent a car if I find the shuttles unsatisfactory. I think I'll add on the park hopper just to give us more flexibility since it's not that much more than the 8 day ticket itself.

Well the park hopper should give you flexibility. Too bad you couldn't get a deal or discount on the Disney rooms values usually aren't too bad. I'm sure you'll have a great trip though.

 

[CaliforniaGal]

Hello there! I'm an Eastern girl who visited DLR in June.

First of all, do not expect this to be like DL. Everything is more spread out, there will be more walking, and more transportation time. So don't plan on hopping back and forth five times a day like you can in CA.

MK is similar to DL, but there's not as much there. Definitely hit:
1. Splash Mountain (it's a whole lot better over here)
2. Mickey's Phillhar Magic
3. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
4. Space Moutain (it's the original!)
5. Country Bears, if you're feeling nostalgic.
6. Winnie the Pooh (it's a whole lot better)
7. Haunted Mansion (better over here)

Other rides that you may want to skip (throughout the resort) if you are limited on time
1. Soarin'
2. Star Tours (unless you feel like doing it a bunch of times in a row, something you can do over here)
3. TSM
4. Little Mermaid
5. It's Tough to be a Bug
6. Pirates (I call it the Lite versions of the DL one)
7. Captain EO
8. Muppets

Rides throughout that are similar but different:
1. Tower of Terror
2. Finding Nemo (here at the Seas with Nemo, dark ride instead of sub ride)
3. Dinosaur is similar to Indiana Jones.

If you have questions about WDW, don't hesitate to quote, tag, or PM me.

Thanks for the tips- I'll probably use the fastpass to definitely hit the rides you recommended and only do ones that have a Disneyland counterpart if I have extra time. Are crowds REALLY low in early October? Schools are all in session so I'm assuming it's mostly adults without kids, families with really young kids, or homeschooling families that go as opposed to going during summer vacation, Christmas vacation, Thanksgiving weekend, Spring break, President's week, etc. I read that mid Septmeber, October, early November, early December, January minus president's day weekend, and early May were the least crowded times.

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

We have been mid September and the crowds were very low Sunday - Thursday afternoon. By Thursday night the hotel started to fill up and it was pretty busy Friday night. We checked out on Saturday but I assume the rest of the weekend was busy. This is the Food & Wine time at Epcot so expect it to be very, very busy on the weekends. Hope you have a good time.

 

[CaliforniaGal]

Wow, I can't imagine never seeing a thunderstorm before. I live in south Georgia and we get them almost daily during the summer, I love it. I've visited Southern California a few times and the lack of weather (and lack of humidity!) was a bit jarring.

I bet you've never felt an earthquake and I've felt many small ones and a few medium sized ones. I've seen thunderstorms but at a distance but NEVER close up. I have heard some rumbling and saw flashes on occasion. But that only happens maybe once a year a the most where I live and if it happens it's in winter or spring. It normally doesn't rain at all here in summer. We got some sprinkles one day about 3 weeks ago and people were like "RAIN in summer? ?"

I was told that the average Californian would flat out panic in terror upon being caught up in an average Gulf-Coast thunderstorm so that made me curious enough to want to experience one, especially a really loud, flashy one.