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

[mickEblu]

@mickEblu planning a trip, exciting!

1. I saw you mention possibly ten days just at Disney, which I can’t wrap my head around, it sounds simultaneously overkill and also very nice and relaxing! Lol not a helpful answer I guess.
4. I’d go with onsite mainly because it sounds like you’ll get your dollar’s worth out of it. The offsite hotels feel a little cold and distant, but the Buena Vista Palace is pretty nice and in walking distance from Disney Springs.
5. I obviously recommend the Beach Club because of the totally awesome pool area! The Contemporary is kind of an odd mix of modern and dated, in my opinion. And the Grand Floridian looks like a grandma decorated it. So the Poly is expensive, but hey what’s money, it’s just a bunch of paper with dead presidents.


I’m sure you’ll have a great time at whichever you pick the Beach Club!!!

Hahaha. Thanks for the response! I think I’m leaning Beach Club now although the recommendation about Yacht Club having balconies does make me second guess.

 

[mickEblu]

Have to go deluxe (budget permitting) especially with length of trip and age of kids - also choose yacht club over beach club as this would guarantee you a balcony (you will appreciate a few minutes of quiet lol). I would also choose Poly or GF over contemporary due to much nicer grounds , you can easily visit contemporary in minutes via monorail.

Thanks for the tip! A balcony is definitely something nice to have on a 10 day trip where you re actually planning on spending some time at the hotel. I do remember preferring the less stuffy vibe of Beach Club to Yacht Club from watching the YouTube videos though.

 

[mickEblu]

That's a solid plan. I think you're correct in thinking it's not worth it to bring the whole family (or switch hotels).

My (highly-subjective) input:

• Beach Club is a great hotel; depending on the rate, possibly a better value than the Polynesian (at the moment)
• You could speed through Hollywood Studios in half a day (if you needed/wanted to), given the DL/DCA redundancies. Just don't miss TOT, RnRC, and MuppetVision (unless you saw it at DCA back in the day), and maybe take a minute to admire the Old Hollywood theming
• Universal Orlando really is like 20x better than USH. IMO it's worth checking out (for preteen/teen/adult theme park fans), if this is a once-a-decade+ trip. Do a greatest hits tour (Hulk, Spider-Man, Popeye, JP River Adventure, VelociCoaster, Hagrid's, Hogwarts Express, Mummy, Gringott's, Men in Black).

Yeah I think I’m leaning Beach Club right now but if the prices end up being close and the construction isn’t really visible from my room, pool or my part of the hotel that would make it a tougher decision.

Definitely will be doing TOT, RnRc, MMRR (it’ll probably be before DLs opens plus I want to experience their pre show), Toy Story land (just to say I did it and Slinky Dog Dash. I have no interest in any shows, TSMM or Star Tours and probably won’t even walk through Galaxies Edge. Definitely want to do lunch or dinner at Sci Fi Dine in too.

A greatest hits tour at USO sounds like a great idea! Probably won’t be back to Orlando for at least 5-10 years.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[mickEblu]

My personal preference would be early March, simply because I find that weather more comfortable for navigating potentially (extremely) crowded theme parks. I've gone in February and worn a hoodie and had no complaints about the weather, whereas during April, May, and (ugh) July trips I've at times found the humidity to be something of an obstacle to overcome (still had a blast, of course).

And yeah, comparing the rides is great fun. In the hopes of starting a spirited debate, here are the definitive verdicts...

Railroad (winner: Disneyland)
Jungle Cruise (Magic Kingdom)
Swiss Family / Tarzan (Magic Kingdom)
Pirates (Disneyland)
Big Thunder (Magic Kingdom)
Splash (Magic Kingdom)
Tom Sawyer Island (Magic Kingdom)
Mansion (Disneyland)
Small World (Disneyland)
Pooh (Magic Kingdom)
Sleeping Beauty / Cinderella (Disneyland)
Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
Buzz (Disneyland)
TOT / Guardians (DHS)
Test Track / RSR (DCA)
Dinosaur / Indy (Disneyland)
etc etc

Thank you. Yeah I think I’m leaning early March. I feel like the weather will be more pleasant overall which makes more sense than prioritizing the the better pool weather father will most likely only be like 10 hours of our trip tops. The Pacific Ocean is 30 min from me and I think I swim in it about once a year.

Really hoping Splash is still open but not holding my breath. Maybe we’ll know more after the Essence festival. The good news is if Splash is closed that may mean Tron is open. I think ill lend you agreeing with all of your takes except for maybe Splash if i get a chance to ride.

 

[SaucyBoy]

I have no interest in any shows

I'd try and see our Fantasmic! I know you guys have the "better" version out there but ours is a fun and worth seeing at least once

 

[mickEblu]

Here are my questions... if you would be so kind

1. Is 10 days in Orlando overkill considering our party and what we're trying to accomplish? ***No, have done New Years and Dopey. It gets a little old, but you’ll be fine.
2. For a long 10 day trip where we plan on having some hotel/ down days would it make more sense to go in April for the better pool weather? Looks like the highs in Feb - early March are high 60's/ low 70's. Then again Im not really a pool guy and get bored after an hour. I may enjoy the cooler weather just for exploring the parks and hotels in general. ***Have gone in April and the humidity was awful. Went in Dec/Jan and you will most likely get the two-three days of the Florida winter.

1. Of the 3 timeframes we're considering, which is the best? I’d rather put on clothes than have none left to take off.
2. Would anyone recommend staying offsite since they've eliminated almost all perks of staying onsite? I guess the transportation between parks and hotels is still a big one though. Can’t as I haven’t. Also remember the tragical express is no more.
3. What hotel would you recommend for our group? Easy. Pop Century. Exclusive buses, now the gondolas, priced well and the rooms have been newly renovated.
4. Should I expect any major attractions, outside of Splash to be closed during that time of year? I think Mice Chat might have a renovation calendar based on past renovations.

My two pieces of advice would be to call and get chef’s table reservations at Victoria & Alberts(bring a suit). Lastly try out the newly renovated top of the world bar at the contemporary.

Thanks for the response! I don’t think we’ll be able to do Victoria and Alberts with all the young ones.

Any chance they announce Magical Express is coming back since the train isn’t happening anymore?

 

[mlayton144]

Thanks for the tip! A balcony is definitely something nice to have on a 10 day trip where you re actually planning on spending some time at the hotel. I do remember preferring the less stuffy vibe of Beach Club to Yacht Club from watching the YouTube videos though.

Having stayed at both as well as the Villas , the YC vs BC vibe difference is way overstated IMO , keep in mind they reside on the same physical property. There are no amenities at either that can’t be accessed via a 5 minute walk from the other. There are kids all over the place at both. What you will find at YC is a quieter lobby and hallways which to me is a good thing. Nothing wrong with beach club , but 2 out of every 3 rooms have a Juliette balcony which is completely useless especially if you have a view room booked. Other than that, and the color palette, the rooms are identical. Shared buses also stops at YC first. The only time I would choose BC is if there was a convention at YC happening. With all of that said , you really can’t go wrong at either. Enjoy your decision making process

 

[mickEblu]

Couple things I would suggest.........

Most important would be DONT GO.........WDW has changed BIG TIME for the worse and I would not give them one penny of my money...........mssg me if you want further details

That being said, if you do still decide to go, here's what I would recommend

1) This is the best week ranking site https://yourfirstvisit.net/ He ranks every week 1-52 based on the listed criteria that seems to coincide with yours. Ive been all the times you are thinking about going. "From what I've gathered the crowds won't be too bad during any of those timeframes I mentioned.." Actually most of the days you mentioned are extremely busy and the worst time to go to WDW. I would 100% avoid Easter week. It is typically one the the top 10 worst weeks to go for crowds. The week after Easter is usually one of the best to go (top 10 ranked)

2) ***ETA: Rent a 2 bedroom if you want both family's staying together*** Rent DVC points and get a 1 BR at Bay Lake Tower. 10 nights cost about $5,000 if you rent. Full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, plenty of space, walk to MK, amenities to Contemporary, monorail to Epcot, etc, etc, etc all at a fraction of the cost. You save a TON of money eating breakfast and/or lunch in your room daily (get grocery delivery) PM me if you want more info on that.

3) 10 days might be too much for a first visit.......weather is good from March on...........Offsite should be considered (check this place https://www.reunionresort.com)...........Universal doesn't have a lot for kids your kids ages. I would do 1, maybe 2 days at most (if even at all)

Lol ok I’ll message you. Interested to hear why you re staying that.

The DVC room isn’t a bad idea at all but is it 5k for a one bedroom or for a two bedroom?

Thanks for that link! Sounds legit. I’m going to check it out now.

 

[mickEblu]

@mickEblu, I would say determine what your top three must-do unique attractions in each park. Then focus on getting those done before you move on. A second tier might include versions of Disneyland attractions you're curious about.

That’s a good idea…

AK
1. Expedition Everest
2. Flight of Passage
3. Kilominjaro Safaris

Epcot
1. Cosmic Rewind
2. Test Track
3. Frozen Ever After

Don’t yell at me Epcoters I will do Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and American Adventure too.

DHS
1. TOT
2. RnRc
3. MMRR or Slinky if I’ve already ridden at DL.

MK is more for all the comparisons but for unique stuff I’d say…

1. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
2. COP
3. People Mover

 

[mickEblu]

Having stayed at both as well as the Villas , the YC vs BC vibe difference is way overstated IMO , keep in mind they reside on the same physical property. There are no amenities at either that can’t be accessed via a 5 minute walk from the other. There are kids all over the place at both. What you will find at YC is a quieter lobby and hallways which to me is a good thing. Nothing wrong with beach club , but 2 out of every 3 rooms have a Juliette balcony which is completely useless especially if you have a view room booked. Other than that, and the color palette, the rooms are identical. Shared buses also stops at YC first. The only time I would choose BC is if there was a convention at YC happening. With all of that said , you really can’t go wrong at either. Enjoy your decision making process

To be honest hallways, balconies and a quite lobby sound great! You re making a great case for YC. Thanks!

 

[mickEblu]

I'd try and see our Fantasmic! I know you guys have the "better" version out there but ours is a fun and worth seeing at least once

If everything lines up I might do that. Fantastic with amphitheater seating sounds like a different and more comfortable experience.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Yeah I think I’m leaning Beach Club right now but if the prices end up being close and the construction isn’t really visible from my room, pool or my part of the hotel that would make it a tougher decision.

Definitely will be doing TOT, RnRc, MMRR (it’ll probably be before DLs opens plus I want to experience their pre show), Toy Story land (just to say I did it and Slinky Dog Dash. I have no interest in any shows, TSMM or Star Tours and probably won’t even walk through Galaxies Edge. Definitely want to do lunch or dinner at Sci Fi Dine in too.

A greatest hits tour at USO sounds like a great idea! Probably won’t be back to Orlando for at least 5-10 years.

Thanks for the advice!

50s prime time and Brown derby are good alternative if sci fi is unavailable. The beach club does have balconies btw, just ask for one when you make your reservation. Another advantage to BC is it’s very close to international gateway. If you request a nearby room you can walk down stairs to an exit and take a short walk ending up in Epcot in under 2 minutes! This is also where the skyliner station and boat drops off to Epcot so you can take both to DHS or connecting resorts as well

 

[DHSfanatic]

Yeah I think I’m leaning Beach Club right now but if the prices end up being close and the construction isn’t really visible from my room, pool or my part of the hotel that would make it a tougher decision.

Definitely will be doing TOT, RnRc, MMRR (it’ll probably be before DLs opens plus I want to experience their pre show), Toy Story land (just to say I did it and Slinky Dog Dash. I have no interest in any shows, TSMM or Star Tours and probably won’t even walk through Galaxies Edge. Definitely want to do lunch or dinner at Sci Fi Dine in too.

A greatest hits tour at USO sounds like a great idea! Probably won’t be back to Orlando for at least 5-10 years.

Thanks for the advice!

We have a slight preference for the Yacht Club over the Beach Club, but with small kids, the BC being closer to Epcot could be important for you. I don't think you're going to want to make the walk to DS with kids that young. The Sci-Fi restaurant is a must for young kids, although the youngest may be a little freaked out by its being dark and with some of the images on the screen--hilarious for slightly older kids but potentially scary for the youngest.

I'd also do Space 2020. It's a bit underwhelming for adults and the menu is meh, but kids should like it. '50s Prime Time is a lot of fun if the kids understand what's going on. Cape May Cafe is also a good choice with kids. Ditto the Crystal Palace in the MK. When our kids were little, we did Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary every year. The theme with the last restaurants is that buffets are a safe bet if any of the kids are fussy eaters.

I'd add the Ratatouille ride at Epcot, particularly if the kids have seen the film. Seems like your family isn't into Star Wars but Rise of the Resistance really is a not miss, although it's often down. The Indiana Jones stunt show in DHS is fun, particularly if your kids have seen the first film. It's a Bugs Life in the AK is fun but does have the potential to really freak out the youngest.

I'll echo the observation of others that Universal doesn't have as many kid friendly rides. So it could be expensive for what you end up doing.

I'm sure the 10 days will go by in the blink of an eye!

 

[Th3 DUd3]

Something else I just thought of. Make sure it’s not a runDisney weekend. Automatically busier.

 

[Too Many Hats]

Yeah I think I’m leaning Beach Club right now but if the prices end up being close and the construction isn’t really visible from my room, pool or my part of the hotel that would make it a tougher decision.

Definitely will be doing TOT, RnRc, MMRR (it’ll probably be before DLs opens plus I want to experience their pre show), Toy Story land (just to say I did it and Slinky Dog Dash. I have no interest in any shows, TSMM or Star Tours and probably won’t even walk through Galaxies Edge. Definitely want to do lunch or dinner at Sci Fi Dine in too.

A greatest hits tour at USO sounds like a great idea! Probably won’t be back to Orlando for at least 5-10 years.

Thanks for the advice!

Yeah, if prices are somewhat comparable and the construction isn't as bad as some folks have suggested, I'd totally choose the Poly too.

Sci-Fi Dine-In is great! Good call, I forgot all about that.

Bit off topic, but is the pre-show going to be different at Disneyland's M&MRR? I thought we were still going to be "going through the screen," as at DHS.

 

[Too Many Hats]

Epcot
1. Cosmic Rewind
2. Test Track
3. Frozen Ever After

Don’t yell at me Epcoters I will do Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and American Adventure too.

Phew, I was just going to chime in

The good news is that these attractions will have 10 minute waits.

 

[Wendylet]

I’ll be sure to check out the Trip Report forum.

10 days seems like the right amount of time. Definitely want to do a monorail crawl on one of our down days even if we don't stay at the Poly. Those are some steep prices to pay and I cant justify them with construction going on and cranes out. April sounds like overall the best time to go but that's two months later than February and we're dying for a vacation lol.

Onsite it is! Don't think we were ver really considering staying offsite... unless I got some strong feedback here indicating it was the right thing to do. The Port Orleans hotels do look very nice. The drawback though is the transportation right? With the kids, I was thinking it would be convenient to at lclueast have easy transportation to 1-2 of the parks. Poly or Contemporary, MK is right there and Epcot is a monorail ride away. Beach Club and you re right by Epcot and DHS and can take the Skyliner (?) Of course you're definitely paying for those perks. What's your preferred way of getting to the parks if you stay at Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter?

Thanks again for all the advice!

So many people have such valuable information for you! We just did a huge family vacation (3 families) from May 7-23 this year. Four children aged 7, 4, 2 and 1. The weather this year was brutally hot, 33-34 everyday (Canadian…sorry for the Celsius)! I believe that was unusually hot. I would agree that April would be the best weather time for you to go.

I haven’t been to Uni for a while but I would question going there with kids as young as you mentioned. Not that much for them to do there and the whining about being “bored” when they are waiting around a lot is real!

We stayed at AKL and having only buses to go anywhere was inconvenient for sure so I would stay on property but somewhere where you have options for transport.

We had 9 day passes, no park hoppers because the kids were so little that we started very early, had one dining reservation a day, usually lunch to give them a cool break. We then were able to feel refreshed and carry on for a few more hours. One family wrapped up their day at the latest by dinner time and those kids were done. Once those kids were back at the pool there was no way they wanted to hop anywhere else. You might want to consider that the little kids might want to be done their day with a pool swim and being at the hotel. We never regretted not having hoppers at all but that might have been due to the fact that transportation was a bigger issue for us. But the 2 and 4 year olds were really done once they got to the hotel.

You will have a wonderful trip but it’s very hard to anticipate how small children will react to things and in some parks there is very little for them to go on so there a lot of waiting around for them which can really be trying at times!

But you will enjoy and the last suggestion I would have is to do Genie+ in MK and HS for sure. I know it’s pricey but like my son in law said to me if it cuts down a 60 minute wait to 10-20 mins or even less it’s definitely worth it!

If you have any other questions I can help with let me know! Also make sure to do Typhoon Lagoon. Definitely worth it.

 

[mickEblu]

50s prime time and Brown derby are good alternative if sci fi is unavailable. The beach club does have balconies btw, just ask for one when you make your reservation. Another advantage to BC is it’s very close to international gateway. If you request a nearby room you can walk down stairs to an exit and take a short walk ending up in Epcot in under 2 minutes! This is also where the skyliner station and boat drops off to Epcot so you can take both to DHS or connecting resorts as well

All great reasons to stay at BC! Thank you!

 

[Jeff4272]

Lol ok I’ll message you. Interested to hear why you re staying that.

The DVC room isn’t a bad idea at all but is it 5k for a one bedroom or for a two bedroom?

Thanks for that link! Sounds legit. I’m going to check it out now.

A standard view 2 BR villa is 364 points for a week and that sleeps 9. Points rent out for a max of $20pp. So 7 nights in a 2 BR would cost you $7,280 or $3,640 per family and the rooms are awesome. David’s DVC rental is the top place to rent from.

Here is a link to the points charts.

Google Search

 

[mickEblu]

We have a slight preference for the Yacht Club over the Beach Club, but with small kids, the BC being closer to Epcot could be important for you. I don't think you're going to want to make the walk to DS with kids that young. The Sci-Fi restaurant is a must for young kids, although the youngest may be a little freaked out by its being dark and with some of the images on the screen--hilarious for slightly older kids but potentially scary for the youngest.

I'd also do Space 2020. It's a bit underwhelming for adults and the menu is meh, but kids should like it. '50s Prime Time is a lot of fun if the kids understand what's going on. Cape May Cafe is also a good choice with kids. Ditto the Crystal Palace in the MK. When our kids were little, we did Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary every year. The theme with the last restaurants is that buffets are a safe bet if any of the kids are fussy eaters.

I'd add the Ratatouille ride at Epcot, particularly if the kids have seen the film. Seems like your family isn't into Star Wars but Rise of the Resistance really is a not miss, although it's often down. The Indiana Jones stunt show in DHS is fun, particularly if your kids have seen the first film. It's a Bugs Life in the AK is fun but does have the potential to really freak out the youngest.

I'll echo the observation of others that Universal doesn't have as many kid friendly rides. So it could be expensive for what you end up doing.

I'm sure the 10 days will go by in the blink of an eye!

Thanks for the tips! Definitely plan on doing Sci Fi Dine in. I’ll probably pass on Space 220 as it seems overpriced for the quality and I can’t see the space aspect being more impressive to my son than what he experiences on ROTR.

We love Star Wars just have no real reason to spend anytime at the DHS version as we re DL annual pass holders who go to the parks about 25x per year which include many visits to Galaxies Edge. I plan on doing Ratatouille for sure. It just doesn’t make my Top 3 at the park. I think I’m going to have to make time for ITTBAB. I miss it at DCA.