Help me Plan my First WDW trip... I think its really happening this time...three's a charm.

[Jiggsawpuzzle35]

I can't stay at a resort that uses the gondolas. I tried it on my last trip and my fear of heights was giving me real problems.

I do have a slight fear of heights but I do remember going in the skybuckets at Disneyland and those were fine. For me the gondola resorts are a plus as they are close to Epcot and Studios and are easy access. Being dropped off at the International Gateway is a plus.

 

[truecoat]

Sounds like WDW handing out gift cards good at certain restaurants starting with bookings on Jan 5th. Current room discounts could be a better deal though.

 

[Jiggsawpuzzle35]

A couple of questions for the Disney World Veterans. When does Disney World start accepting room reservations for 2024 and secondly on the day you check in, are you allowed to do early entry? I see that Universal Orlando has started allowing room reservations for the dates I want to go.

 

[Phroobar]

A couple of questions for the Disney World Veterans. When does Disney World start accepting room reservations for 2024 and secondly on the day you check in, are you allowed to do early entry? I see that Universal Orlando has started allowing room reservations for the dates I want to go.

You might want to check one of the other subboards here for that.

 

[SSG]

We're off tomorrow. A long flight from Seattle to Orlando, then dinner at Steakhouse 71. Hitting EPCOT on Monday. Really excited!

 

[Centauri Space Station]

We're off tomorrow. A long flight from Seattle to Orlando, then dinner at Steakhouse 71. Hitting EPCOT on Monday. Really excited!

Have a great time! Make sure to hit festival of the arts

 

[SSG]

WDW Thoughts.

Just back from Florida and our first WDW trip. It was a really great time. We were visiting family on the Florida gulf coast, so we only had 3 days to spend in the parks. We spent a day each in Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and Animal Kingdom. I passed on Hollywood Studios.

First, my main takeaway (and sorry WDW fans) but Magic Kingdom is just an imitation of Disneyland. It's a decent imitation. It has many of the same attractions, but there wasn't one I would rate as better in MK. Jungle Cruise and Big Thunder were about equal, but every other duplicate was better in Disneyland. MK has a shorter, less interesting Pirates, a less charming HM and Small World, a train and river boat with not much to see, and a pretty tame Space Mountain. In fact, what I enjoyed most was the attractions not in DL. Carousel of Progress and the Peoplemover were great. Even a walk-on like the Hall of Presidents was a blast (who does Americana better than Disney?). Not that I didn't enjoy my day in MK--I did. Maybe I'm spoiled by my numerous visits to Walt's original park, but DL is simply better. The huge amounts of rides, entertainment and use of all the space (include DCA in that) makes Disneyland the winner for me.

EPCOT: Now we're talking! I know people say EPCOT isn't what it used to be, but I have no knowledge of the old EPCOT and the one there now is pretty great. One of my new favorite attractions is Living with the Land! And the national pavilions! Who cares if there aren't a ton of attractions, there was a ton to see and explore. And the food was much better than MK. With judicious use of Genie, we were able to get on just about every ride, and then just explore for the rest of the time. It's a great park!

Guardians Ride: I get that it doesn't belong in EPCOT, but putting that aside, it's a very fun coaster. Some have said it's just a jacked-up Space Mountain. Well, maybe, but regular Space Mountain is pretty great, so a high-octane version is OK by me.

Animal Kingdom: I. Love. This. Park. The animals, the landscapes, the Asia and Africa theming. Dugan the Rhino! Expedition Everest is hands down the best coaster Disney has to offer. Great food and entertainment. We loved it.

Avatar- It was OK. Soarin’ over Pandora. Fine.

So, a successful initial visit to central Florida. I’m sure we’ll be back.

EDIT: I nearly forgot; Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Dear oh dear, what an absolute lemon. A roller coaster/dark ride that does neither function very well. Less said the better.

 

[mickEblu]

Getting the itch again guys! Last time after planning, research and all your help here we decided a Disney Cruise was best for our family. But I think we're ready for Disney World now and quite frankly I'm getting tired of waiting for the perfect time. My daughter and son are both taller and older and it looks you actually have some onsite perks again which were pretty non existent when I was planning this trip the last time in 2022. Just a few questions if you would all be so kind.

1. We re looking at 4/25 - 5/1 or 5/2 (6-7 nights) at WDW and then maybe a couple days at Universal. I'm hoping this is a sweet spot for lower crowds after Easter and the spring break craziness. Is it a good week to go? Is there a better time in March or early April? I'm guessing you'd be trading better weather for way more crowds?

2. How's the weather this time of year? Im seeing it can be around 88 and humid already? yikes. I guess we could always spend some time at the pool.

3. Right now I'm thinking 5 day park hoppers. Probably 2 MK days, 1 DHS day, 1 animal Kingdom day, 1 Epcot day, I down day (pool, Disney springs, maybe monorail crawl). Does this sound right? Park hoppers are for insurance if certain must do attractions go down or if we want to revisit a park in the evening. Planning to buy Multi use lightning lanes everyday as well as single use for all attractions its available except ROTR. Not certain I need or want to do two days at MK. Might be more like 1.5 days at MK and 1.5 days at Epcot.

4. For hotels I'm thinking of doing a split stay. First 3-4 nights at Port Orleans Riverside (or Pop Century) and last 2-3 nights at Beach Club. Unfortunately it sounds like construction will be happening at both Riverside and Pop Century during our stay. Not exactly sure where at Pop but at Riverside it says Magnolia Bend? Is this a game changer for Riverside or something I should avoid? The transpo to the parks isn't great from that hotel so the only reason I'd really be staying there is for the ambiance - which might be ruined by construction. If the ambiance isn't there at Riverside then id rather just stay at the Pop for park heavy days where I'm not going to be at the hotel. Cheaper (not by much) and the Skyliner sounds fun and convenient. We want to end on a high at Beach Club. 2-3 nights. I'll probably do Epcot and DHS on those days. Maybe MK with the monorail from Epcot? If I stay at Riverside for the beginning of the trip I would do my MK and AK days then since I'll have to take a bus anyway. Does this sound right?

5. What are the logistics like on the hotel switch day? Take an uber (or bus?) with all our luggage to the new hotel? Would it make more sense to have this be the "down day?" I don't know if being room-less for half a day sounds relaxing but I guess it makes more sense for the down day to be at the Deluxe hotel. Or would it be better to make it a park day and just leave our luggage with the hotel until we check in later? So in our case it would be Uber from Riverside to Beach Club and then just walk to Epcot or take skyline to DHS? As I write this out it sounds like Epcot might make the most sense on this day if I choose to make it a park day? Unless of course the whole process takes too long and eats too much of our day.

6. Any specific locations you think I should request at those hotels? For example I know Riverside is pretty big and where your room is located can be pretty far from the pools or bus transportation. Id like to take the boats to Disney Springs if I stay at Riverside too.

7. Should I be worried about any ride closures in late April or early May? Is this typically a time of year where they surprise you with some refurbs? I already know about Test Track and Thunder Mountain. I'm ok with those being down. Hoping HOP is open and the ROA isn't a construction zone yet but I'm not holding my breath. It'll be cool to get a chance to ride Dinosaur before it closes and would be awesome if ITTBAB is still open but not holding my breath there either. Will Rock n Rollercoaster be open?

8. Are there any days of the week I should absolutely avoid at a certain park? I remember someone here once said to avoid MK on a Saturday? Unfortunately with the way the dates and hotels line up I may have to do MK on a Saturday or Sunday. Is that a huge deal for a lifelong Disneylander that can skip bunch of stuff (teacups, dumbos, carousels of the world) and is planning to buy Multi and single use lightning lanes? Even at DHS there's really only like 5 must Do's for us - TOT, Slinky, Sci Fi Dine In, MV3D and RnRc.

Thanks in advance for the advice! @mlayton144 , @Centauri Space Station , @PiratesMansion , @Too Many Hats @BrianLo @Figments Friend and anyone else who can answer some of these questions or has any tips it would be appreciated. I'm currently on WDW's website but don't want to book anything until I hear from some of you.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Getting the itch again guys! Last time after planning, research and all your help here we decided a Disney Cruise was best for our family. But I think we're ready for Disney World now and quite frankly I'm getting tired of waiting for the perfect time. My daughter and son are both taller and older and it looks you actually have some onsite perks again which were pretty non existent when I was planning this trip the last time in 2022. Just a few questions if you would all be so kind.

1. We re looking at 4/25 - 5/1 or 5/2 (6-7 nights) at WDW and then maybe a couple days at Universal. I'm hoping this is a sweet spot for lower crowds after Easter and the spring break craziness. Is it a good week to go? Is there a better time in March or early April? I'm guessing you'd be trading better weather for way more crowds?

2. How's the weather this time of year? Im seeing it can be around 88 and humid already? yikes. I guess we could always spend some time at the pool.

3. Right now I'm thinking 5 day park hoppers. Probably 2 MK days, 1 DHS day, 1 animal Kingdom day, 1 Epcot day, I down day (pool, Disney springs, maybe monorail crawl). Does this sound right? Park hoppers are for insurance if certain must do attractions go down or if we want to revisit a park in the evening. Planning to buy Multi use lightning lanes everyday as well as single use for all attractions its available except ROTR. Not certain I need or want to do two days at MK. Might be more like 1.5 days at MK and 1.5 days at Epcot.

4. For hotels I'm thinking of doing a split stay. First 3-4 nights at Port Orleans Riverside (or Pop Century) and last 2-3 nights at Beach Club. Unfortunately it sounds like construction will be happening at both Riverside and Pop Century during our stay. Not exactly sure where at Pop but at Riverside it says Magnolia Bend? Is this a game changer for Riverside or something I should avoid? The transpo to the parks isn't great from that hotel so the only reason I'd really be staying there is for the ambiance - which might be ruined by construction. If the ambiance isn't there at Riverside then id rather just stay at the Pop for park heavy days where I'm not going to be at the hotel. Cheaper (not by much) and the Skyliner sounds fun and convenient. We want to end on a high at Beach Club. 2-3 nights. I'll probably do Epcot and DHS on those days. Maybe MK with the monorail from Epcot? If I stay at Riverside for the beginning of the trip I would do my MK and AK days then since I'll have to take a bus anyway. Does this sound right?

5. What are the logistics like on the hotel switch day? Take an uber (or bus?) with all our luggage to the new hotel? Would it make more sense to have this be the "down day." I don't know if being room-less for half a day sounds relaxing but if I guess it makes more sense for the down day to be at the Deluxe hotel. Or would it be better to make it a park day and just leave our luggage with the hotel until we check in later? So in our case it would be Uber from Riverside to Beach Club and then just walk to Epcot or take skyline to DHS. As I write this out it sounds like Epcot might make the most sense on this day? Unless of course the whole process takes too long and eats too much of our day.

6. Any specific locations you think I should request at those hotels? For example I know Riverside is pretty big and where your room is located can be pretty far from the pools or bus transportation. Id like to take the boats to Disney Springs if I stay at Riverside too.

7. Should I be worried about any ride closures in late April or early May? Is this typically a time of year where they surprise you with some refurbs? I already know about Test Track and Thunder Mountain. I'm ok with those being down. Hoping HOP is open and the ROA isn't a construction zone yet but I'm not holding my breath. It'll be cool to get a chance to ride Dinosaur before it closes and would be awesome if ITTBAB is still open but not holding my breath there either. Will Rock n Rollercoaster be open?

8. Are there any days of the week I should absolutely avoid at a certain park? I remember someone here once said to avoid MK on a Saturday? Unfortunately with the way the dates and hotels line up I may have to do MK on a Saturday or Sunday. Is that a huge deal for a lifelong Disneylander that can skip bunch of stuff (teacups, dumbos, carousels of the world) and is planning to buy Multi and single use lightning lanes? Even at DHS there's really only like 5 must Do's for us - TOT, Slinky, Sci Fi Dine In, MV3D and RnRc.

Thanks in advance for the advice! @mlayton144 , @Centauri Space Station , @PiratesMansion , @Too Many Hats @BrianLo @Figments Friend and anyone else who can answer some of these questions or has any tips it would be appreciated. I'm currently on WDW's website but don't want to book anything until I hear from some of you.

I think thats a good time of year, it’s usually not too bad then. I think splitting a half day at MK and ep or would be good, plus you can decide if you wanna prioritize one park over the other. Pop is definitely convinent with the skyliner and beach club is right next to epcot so you can walk there with ease! For riverside i would ask to stay close to the lobby so you are close to transportation. MK i think Tuesday- Fri are most ideal. RNRC and ROA should still be open then but not sure about HOP.

 

[mickEblu]

I think thats a good time of year, it’s usually not too bad then. I think splitting a half day at MK and ep or would be good, plus you can decide if you wanna prioritize one park over the other. Pop is definitely convinent with the skyliner and beach club is right next to epcot so you can walk there with ease! For riverside i would ask to stay close to the lobby so you are close to transportation. MK i think Tuesday- Fri are most ideal. RNRC and ROA should still be open then but not sure about HOP.

Thanks! You think Pop over Riverside then?

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Thanks! You think Pop over Riverside then?

I think Riverside has better rooms but pop is more convenient unless you’re spending a lot of time at disney springs

 

[mlayton144]

Hey sounds like fun, some suggestions:

I personally would always pick lower crowds over weather , late April would be my choice , will be hot but not summer hot plus flower and garden festival?

If vibes are important I would definitely pick riverside alligator bayou section preferred room - natural environment over concrete at Pop, geckos everywhere and lots of nice landscaping. Plus aren’t you a party of 5? That would be 2 rooms at pop.. You can ride the skyliner for fun whether you stay at pop or not.

I would consider not doing a split stay , it’s very cool to have multiple resorts but for packing all over again and being honelesss for half a day is inconvenient- if you do definitely a Lyft as the luggage transfer can be a wait at the beach club. Go swim /eat and walk to world showcase at night.

HOP will definitely be closed (bummer) during your stay. Agree about less time at Hollywood studios being a Disneyland local , Sci-fi should be on your list as a fun break from the madness there

Just like Disneyland, avoid MK on Mondays.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Getting the itch again guys! Last time after planning, research and all your help here we decided a Disney Cruise was best for our family. But I think we're ready for Disney World now and quite frankly I'm getting tired of waiting for the perfect time. My daughter and son are both taller and older and it looks you actually have some onsite perks again which were pretty non existent when I was planning this trip the last time in 2022. Just a few questions if you would all be so kind.

1. We re looking at 4/25 - 5/1 or 5/2 (6-7 nights) at WDW and then maybe a couple days at Universal. I'm hoping this is a sweet spot for lower crowds after Easter and the spring break craziness. Is it a good week to go? Is there a better time in March or early April? I'm guessing you'd be trading better weather for way more crowds?

2. How's the weather this time of year? Im seeing it can be around 88 and humid already? yikes. I guess we could always spend some time at the pool.

I think timing and weather should be relatively fine. Weather may not be perfect (is it ever?), but will definitely be better than summer.

3. Right now I'm thinking 5 day park hoppers. Probably 2 MK days, 1 DHS day, 1 animal Kingdom day, 1 Epcot day, I down day (pool, Disney springs, maybe monorail crawl). Does this sound right? Park hoppers are for insurance if certain must do attractions go down or if we want to revisit a park in the evening. Planning to buy Multi use lightning lanes everyday as well as single use for all attractions its available except ROTR. Not certain I need or want to do two days at MK. Might be more like 1.5 days at MK and 1.5 days at Epcot.

I'd plan for two MK days and adjust downward if needed. It takes longer to do things at MK than at DL and the hours tend to be shorter.

4. For hotels I'm thinking of doing a split stay. First 3-4 nights at Port Orleans Riverside (or Pop Century) and last 2-3 nights at Beach Club. Unfortunately it sounds like construction will be happening at both Riverside and Pop Century during our stay. Not exactly sure where at Pop but at Riverside it says Magnolia Bend? Is this a game changer for Riverside or something I should avoid? The transpo to the parks isn't great from that hotel so the only reason I'd really be staying there is for the ambiance - which might be ruined by construction. If the ambiance isn't there at Riverside then id rather just stay at the Pop for park heavy days where I'm not going to be at the hotel. Cheaper (not by much) and the Skyliner sounds fun and convenient. We want to end on a high at Beach Club. 2-3 nights. I'll probably do Epcot and DHS on those days. Maybe MK with the monorail from Epcot? If I stay at Riverside for the beginning of the trip I would do my MK and AK days then since I'll have to take a bus anyway. Does this sound right?

5. What are the logistics like on the hotel switch day? Take an uber (or bus?) with all our luggage to the new hotel? Would it make more sense to have this be the "down day?" I don't know if being room-less for half a day sounds relaxing but I guess it makes more sense for the down day to be at the Deluxe hotel. Or would it be better to make it a park day and just leave our luggage with the hotel until we check in later? So in our case it would be Uber from Riverside to Beach Club and then just walk to Epcot or take skyline to DHS? As I write this out it sounds like Epcot might make the most sense on this day if I choose to make it a park day? Unless of course the whole process takes too long and eats too much of our day.


6. Any specific locations you think I should request at those hotels? For example I know Riverside is pretty big and where your room is located can be pretty far from the pools or bus transportation. Id like to take the boats to Disney Springs if I stay at Riverside too.

I think a split stay sounds nice from afar and will be an annoying thing to deal with in person, especially for your first visit, especially with kids. In particular, Port Orleans Riverside is pretty far from the parks and is big enough to have an internal bus loop in addition to the busses that will actually take you to the parks. While I'm sure the convenience to Disney Springs is nice, I'm not sure how much time you'll want to spend there even if it is much better than DTD.

I'd probably do Pop for the Skyliner OR Beach Club and stay put.

7. Should I be worried about any ride closures in late April or early May? Is this typically a time of year where they surprise you with some refurbs? I already know about Test Track and Thunder Mountain. I'm ok with those being down. Hoping HOP is open and the ROA isn't a construction zone yet but I'm not holding my breath. It'll be cool to get a chance to ride Dinosaur before it closes and would be awesome if ITTBAB is still open but not holding my breath there either. Will Rock n Rollercoaster be open?

There's a decent chance HOP won't be open yet, but ROA should still be available. It was just announced yesterday that Muppetvision's last day is June 7. The Boneyard play area may be of interest if the kids need to burn off some steam and, as with Dinosaur and ITTBAB, will soon be closing forever. Astro Orbitor is under refurb until summer.

8. Are there any days of the week I should absolutely avoid at a certain park? I remember someone here once said to avoid MK on a Saturday? Unfortunately with the way the dates and hotels line up I may have to do MK on a Saturday or Sunday. Is that a huge deal for a lifelong Disneylander that can skip bunch of stuff (teacups, dumbos, carousels of the world) and is planning to buy Multi and single use lightning lanes? Even at DHS there's really only like 5 must Do's for us - TOT, Slinky, Sci Fi Dine In, MV3D and RnRc.

There has been a vocal contingent of people over the years that feel that Epcot is a little too full of younger people drinking around the world on weekends. Can't speak from personal experience on that, but I could see that being annoying to deal with.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

If you have a down day during a split stay make it on a day you check into your second Disney resort. This year WDW is offering a free water park day on the day you check in to a Disney hotel.

 

[BrianLo]

I think it’s a reasonable time and crowd levels look reasonable. Weather is going to be hot, but not deadly. There may be further pre epic suppression (particularly Universal), though I imagine some sort of previews will be ongoing by then, maybe media? But that’s not really going to impair your core Universal parks.

Really the only thing you are really ceding is Epic, but with the current WDW pipeline I think that gives you a good excuse to return in 4-5 years. There’s always more things, but delaying to Fall gives you particularly more things this year.

I’m a fan of split stays, not quite explained but you can use luggage services for free on your split stay day. Pack up your stuff, give it all to bell services at your first hotel and then it will be shipped over and available in the afternoon at your new hotel. I used it 3x on my last trip and it was a smooth process. With the new waterpark promotion I’d go to Typhoon lagoon for the morning of your transfer after a leisurely breakfast, then you can take advantage of storm along bay if you need to wait on your room being ready.

POP is the better location now with Skyliner. Riverside is the much nicer ambience hotel. The one thing though is since you are committed to beach club, somewhere animal kingdom and magic kingdom need to fit so you are going to not utilize either the walk or the Skyliner to their fullest, which maybe is a slight nod to Riverside. It’s out of the way for everything but Spring, but I do think first time visitors should wander through Springs at least once. It’s like Downtown Disney x5 and mostly updated.

The one way I’d prune your trip if you are open to suggestions is simply to forgo Universal entirely. I can’t recall your daughter’s age (?4), but Universal is a better return pilgrimage and you won’t feel like you’ve overdone things. I think you’d really enjoy the lesser militant aspects of WDW. Merely hopping on the Monorail and checking out the resorts, then taking the boat to Wilderness lodge, spending time at Disney Springs, maybe even making your way over to see animal kingdom lodge. I think you’ll find you could do two days at Epcot as well.

 

[mlayton144]

The one way I’d prune your trip if you are open to suggestions is simply to forgo Universal entirely. I can’t recall your daughter’s age (?4), but Universal is a better return pilgrimage and you won’t feel like you’ve overdone things. I think you’d really enjoy the lesser militant aspects of WDW. Merely hopping on the Monorail and checking out the resorts, then taking the boat to Wilderness lodge, spending time at Disney Springs, maybe even making your way over to see animal kingdom lodge. I think you’ll find you could do two days at Epcot as well.

Exactly this , would skip Uni entirely unless your family really likes adrenaline fueled roller coasters

 

[SSG]

Getting the itch again guys! Last time after planning, research and all your help here we decided a Disney Cruise was best for our family. But I think we're ready for Disney World now and quite frankly I'm getting tired of waiting for the perfect time. My daughter and son are both taller and older and it looks you actually have some onsite perks again which were pretty non existent when I was planning this trip the last time in 2022. Just a few questions if you would all be so kind.

1. We re looking at 4/25 - 5/1 or 5/2 (6-7 nights) at WDW and then maybe a couple days at Universal. I'm hoping this is a sweet spot for lower crowds after Easter and the spring break craziness. Is it a good week to go? Is there a better time in March or early April? I'm guessing you'd be trading better weather for way more crowds?

2. How's the weather this time of year? Im seeing it can be around 88 and humid already? yikes. I guess we could always spend some time at the pool.

3. Right now I'm thinking 5 day park hoppers. Probably 2 MK days, 1 DHS day, 1 animal Kingdom day, 1 Epcot day, I down day (pool, Disney springs, maybe monorail crawl). Does this sound right? Park hoppers are for insurance if certain must do attractions go down or if we want to revisit a park in the evening. Planning to buy Multi use lightning lanes everyday as well as single use for all attractions its available except ROTR. Not certain I need or want to do two days at MK. Might be more like 1.5 days at MK and 1.5 days at Epcot.

4. For hotels I'm thinking of doing a split stay. First 3-4 nights at Port Orleans Riverside (or Pop Century) and last 2-3 nights at Beach Club. Unfortunately it sounds like construction will be happening at both Riverside and Pop Century during our stay. Not exactly sure where at Pop but at Riverside it says Magnolia Bend? Is this a game changer for Riverside or something I should avoid? The transpo to the parks isn't great from that hotel so the only reason I'd really be staying there is for the ambiance - which might be ruined by construction. If the ambiance isn't there at Riverside then id rather just stay at the Pop for park heavy days where I'm not going to be at the hotel. Cheaper (not by much) and the Skyliner sounds fun and convenient. We want to end on a high at Beach Club. 2-3 nights. I'll probably do Epcot and DHS on those days. Maybe MK with the monorail from Epcot? If I stay at Riverside for the beginning of the trip I would do my MK and AK days then since I'll have to take a bus anyway. Does this sound right?

5. What are the logistics like on the hotel switch day? Take an uber (or bus?) with all our luggage to the new hotel? Would it make more sense to have this be the "down day?" I don't know if being room-less for half a day sounds relaxing but I guess it makes more sense for the down day to be at the Deluxe hotel. Or would it be better to make it a park day and just leave our luggage with the hotel until we check in later? So in our case it would be Uber from Riverside to Beach Club and then just walk to Epcot or take skyline to DHS? As I write this out it sounds like Epcot might make the most sense on this day if I choose to make it a park day? Unless of course the whole process takes too long and eats too much of our day.

6. Any specific locations you think I should request at those hotels? For example I know Riverside is pretty big and where your room is located can be pretty far from the pools or bus transportation. Id like to take the boats to Disney Springs if I stay at Riverside too.

7. Should I be worried about any ride closures in late April or early May? Is this typically a time of year where they surprise you with some refurbs? I already know about Test Track and Thunder Mountain. I'm ok with those being down. Hoping HOP is open and the ROA isn't a construction zone yet but I'm not holding my breath. It'll be cool to get a chance to ride Dinosaur before it closes and would be awesome if ITTBAB is still open but not holding my breath there either. Will Rock n Rollercoaster be open?

8. Are there any days of the week I should absolutely avoid at a certain park? I remember someone here once said to avoid MK on a Saturday? Unfortunately with the way the dates and hotels line up I may have to do MK on a Saturday or Sunday. Is that a huge deal for a lifelong Disneylander that can skip bunch of stuff (teacups, dumbos, carousels of the world) and is planning to buy Multi and single use lightning lanes? Even at DHS there's really only like 5 must Do's for us - TOT, Slinky, Sci Fi Dine In, MV3D and RnRc.

Thanks in advance for the advice! @mlayton144 , @Centauri Space Station , @PiratesMansion , @Too Many Hats @BrianLo @Figments Friend and anyone else who can answer some of these questions or has any tips it would be appreciated. I'm currently on WDW's website but don't want to book anything until I hear from some of you.

I didn't see it on your list but since you want to do Sci Fi Dine In, I would also suggest the Fantasmic dining package. Seeing the show in a purpose built amphitheater, with built in effects, is a game changer.

 

[mickEblu]

Hey sounds like fun, some suggestions:

I personally would always pick lower crowds over weather , late April would be my choice , will be hot but not summer hot plus flower and garden festival?

If vibes are important I would definitely pick riverside alligator bayou section preferred room - natural environment over concrete at Pop, geckos everywhere and lots of nice landscaping. Plus aren’t you a party of 5? That would be 2 rooms at pop.. You can ride the skyliner for fun whether you stay at pop or not.

I would consider not doing a split stay , it’s very cool to have multiple resorts but for packing all over again and being honelesss for half a day is inconvenient- if you do definitely a Lyft as the luggage transfer can be a wait at the beach club. Go swim /eat and walk to world showcase at night.

HOP will definitely be closed (bummer) during your stay. Agree about less time at Hollywood studios being a Disneyland local , Sci-fi should be on your list as a fun break from the madness there

Just like Disneyland, avoid MK on Mondays.

Thanks for the advice!

Oh boy I forgot how quickly this goes from exciting to overwhelming lol. I kind of want my cake and I want to eat it too. I want to visit all the parks and go on all the Must Do attractions but also want it to feel like a vacation and enjoy my resort a little. So Pop is less desirable in that way. But then the transportation at Riverside isn't great right? How long does it take to get on a bus and get to AK or MK from Riverside? At the same time I don't want to spend the money on a deluxe for 7 nights when I know I'm going to be at the parks a lot. But I still want to experience a deluxe and just feel like Beach Club is the right choice as I can do my Epcot/ DHS days when I'm there and enjoy some of the fun/ convenient transportation too. Which means of course that I have to do the split stay which understandably isn't ideal with kids.

Alligator Bayou room sounds like the move. This section came up a few times in my research last night. Is it true it's also closest to the best bus drop off/ pick up?

We are a party of 4. So have things changed now where it's more important to avoid MK on Mondays than it is to avoid it on the weekend? Or in general is it best to avoid MK Saturday - Monday. What would be the best MK day between Saturday - Monday if it HAD to be on one of those days?

Right now I'm leaning toward first 4 nights at Riverside and the last 3 nights at Beach Club. I was playing around with some different itineraries last night. I'm having hard time figuring out where to put the first down day or actually my only non park day if you will. Sunday seems to early into the trip but might be nice to avoid a busier weekend day and do my down day on a Sunday and we might need it after the traveling. It's just hard to believe I'll be at WDW for the first time, have the parks at my disposable and want to stay at my moderate resort All day long instead of getting to one of the parks.

Fri - Arrive
Sat - AK
Sun- MK or Epcot
Mon - Down
Tues- Transfer to Beach Club - DHS or Epcot
Wed - DHS or Epcot or MK
Thursday - Epcot or MK

 

[mickEblu]

I think timing and weather should be relatively fine. Weather may not be perfect (is it ever?), but will definitely be better than summer.

I'd plan for two MK days and adjust downward if needed. It takes longer to do things at MK than at DL and the hours tend to be shorter.

I think a split stay sounds nice from afar and will be an annoying thing to deal with in person, especially for your first visit, especially with kids. In particular, Port Orleans Riverside is pretty far from the parks and is big enough to have an internal bus loop in addition to the busses that will actually take you to the parks. While I'm sure the convenience to Disney Springs is nice, I'm not sure how much time you'll want to spend there even if it is much better than DTD.

I'd probably do Pop for the Skyliner OR Beach Club and stay put.

There's a decent chance HOP won't be open yet, but ROA should still be available. It was just announced yesterday that Muppetvision's last day is June 7. The Boneyard play area may be of interest if the kids need to burn off some steam and, as with Dinosaur and ITTBAB, will soon be closing forever. Astro Orbitor is under refurb until summer.

There has been a vocal contingent of people over the years that feel that Epcot is a little too full of younger people drinking around the world on weekends. Can't speak from personal experience on that, but I could see that being annoying to deal with.

I see what you' re saying about the split stay and it's definitely something to be considered. Unfortunately it seems like it might be the only way to do everything Im trying to accomplish. I like the confidence on the ROA. It would be great if it wasn't behind construction walls. Bummer about Astro Orbitor and HOP ( I can do AA at Epcot) but it's not a trip killer. Of all the E tickets at MK I'm probably most ok with Thunder Mountain being down as it's the most similar to Disneyland. As far as Test Track, although disappointing, Id much rather it be down than say Cosmic Rewind, Frozen, Spaceship Earth or Ratatouille.

So are you saying I'm probably good with one day at Epcot then? Or just to avoid it on the weekends? But if I have to avoid MK and Epcot on the weekends Im not sure what to do with my Sunday.

Right now my itinerary is kind of looking like this...

I'm leaning toward first 4 nights at Riverside and the last 3 nights at Beach Club. Im kind of viewing the DHS day when I'm at Beach Club as a 1/2 park 1/2 down day. Or maybe DHS morning - Hotel afternoon and DHS again at night.

Fri - Arrive
Sat - AK
Sun- MK or Epcot
Mon - Down
Tues- Transfer to Beach Club - DHS or Epcot
Wed - DHS or Epcot or MK
Thursday - Epcot or MK

Thanks for the reply!

 

[mickEblu]

If you have a down day during a split stay make it on a day you check into your second Disney resort. This year WDW is offering a free water park day on the day you check in to a Disney hotel.

Oh thats right! Hmmmm now Im second guessing between a water park on my transfer day or just a chill day at Beach Club / DHS day?