Help me Plan my First WDW trip... I think its really happening this time

[mickEblu]

After a few failed attempts to get out to Disney World the past few years I think we're actually doing it this time. We're planning well in advance, we're not in a Pandemic and the kids are a little older. We also have another family going with us which was a MUST as I didn't intend on solo riding my way though WDW the first time. We want to go early next year. Right now we're looking at late February, early March or mid/late April after Spring Break. Ive been googling 'Best time to go to Disney World 2023" and Ive been seeing some discrepancies for best timeframes during these months when comparing different articles/sources. From a few days to even a couple weeks.

Our biggest two deciding factors are weather and crowds but moreso weather. From what I've gathered the crowds won't be too bad during any of those timeframes I mentioned... if I pick the right week that is. With that said, between holidays, festivals, marathons, and Spring Break finding that little gap between crowded days seems difficult. Don't get me wrong, I usually go to Disneyland on Saturdays so I'm prepared for crowds. Just trying to maximize our trip. From what I understand, I won't have to deal with any nasty heat/humidity from Feb to April. We're planning on staying in Orlando for about 10 days. 7-8 at Disney World and 2-3 at USO. We want to have some down days and for it to actually feel like a vacation. Between both families, we'll have a 7 year old, 4 year old and 2 year old with us. We're not too too worried about crowds considering the length of our stay and time of year we're choosing.

We haven't decided where we're staying yet but right now the price for the Polynesian is $750 per night for the days we're looking at. Yikes. In a few months they'll send out the 25% to 35% off deals but still pricey considering the the length of our stay. Also, not sure I want to stay at Poly for those prices while cranes and construction are going on for the new tower. We're leaning toward a Deluxe hotel or at least a Moderate only because we plan to spend some recovery time at the hotel and want to stay somewhere nice. If we go Deluxe we were thinking Polynesian, Beach Club, or Contemporary. For Moderate we're thinking one of the Orleans hotels.

I'm a little bummed that Splash will most likely be closed for the PatF conversion and that Tron may not be open either. Neither one is dealbreaker for me though.


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?
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.
3. Of the 3 timeframes we're considering, which is the best?
4. 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.
5. What hotel would you recommend for our group?
6. Should I expect any major attractions, outside of Splash to be closed during that time of year?

All advice is appreciated. Please let me know if there is anything important that I’m not considering.

Thank you in advance!

 

[PacNWTigger]

Be sure to check out the Trip Report forum. There are a ton of helpful hints from those that are there regularly, but for what it's worth...here's my two cents.

1. 10 days is NOT overkill. It will allow for the down time you guys are wanting/needing for that true vacation feel.
2. I have had good luck going either around Easter time or the first week of May. The kids will be able to enjoy the pools, but you won't roast if you want to resort hop to check out the other properties. I highly recommend doing a monorail crawl if you guys end up at the Poly.
3. I would shoot more for April...better weather for pool time for the littles.
4. I have not stayed offsite at WDW. The perk of having the transportation between the parks and hotel is huge to me. Another perk to me was we stayed on the Boardwalk at the Swan (technically not Disney property, but pretty dang close), and we were able to walk to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. We went last September when the Magic Express ended for airport transportation. We went with LYFT/Uber (as a party of three), but there are a bunch of reasonably priced shuttle services to get you to whatever hotel you choose.
5. I would look into staying at one of the moderate hotels. My favorites are the Port Orleans locations...French Quarter is a smaller property, and Riverside has a bit more to offer in terms of pools. Another perk to this property is there is boat service to Disney Springs. Both properties are well themed and within walking distance of one another when it's not too hot. The Poly is great and all, but I would save that for an adults only trip.
6. I don't know about the rides that are going to be down. They just had two big ticket rides open in EPCOT, and who knows when TRON is going to actually open up. I think my forum friends would have more insight on this one than myself.

I hope that my input has been helpful, and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

 

[flynnibus]

With kids that young you may want to reconsider your universal plans. Or at least understand that there is not a ton of stuff for them they will relate to. You pretty much have one area in each park and that is it. Uni is verrry expensive for short trips.

I don’t know how budget concious you are… but a poly/type for a week is really expensive for what you get. Given the youth in your group you may even want to consider the family suites at art of animation. Monorail loop is nice… but really only is an advantage for the MK. You can’t avoid the buses. Having a food court maybe more advantageous vs restaurants onsite.

5-7 days is really what you want min for a family trip… and more can’t hurt at wdw.

Dates are very hard to pick anymore… you really do ‘shoot the gap’ with dates now. Invest the $20 and buy a touringplans.com subscription so you can get their full calendar to make informed decisions.

Yes weather is much better in the spring.

Depending on your dates… do not overlook the idea of a water park day. The water parks are still where disney excels.

I would not look at offsite for a big group. The transportation limitations would probably make you regret it. Buses etc only goto the TTC and unless you want multiple ubers every time it will be more hops to get where you are going. Plus, the onsite only park hours are really worth doing.

1) pick the right dates
2) pick a fun hotel
3) pay for park hoppers so you can split days snd go where you please
4) pace yourself and use multiple visits to the parks
5) think of uni as an adult trip and think how important it is to you

Uni for one night in a deluxe hotel and two days in the park is a good way to maximize value. Don’t be scared of staying offsite for uni or simply staying offsite for your last night in town etc. you get expresspass access on both check in and checkout days for a uni deluxe. So 1 night = 2 days of park use

 

[SaucyBoy]

1. Is 10 days in Orlando overkill considering our party and what we're trying to accomplish?
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.
3. Of the 3 timeframes we're considering, which is the best?
4. 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.
5. What hotel would you recommend for our group?
6. Should I expect any major attractions, outside of Splash to be closed during that time of year?

1. 10 days is more than enough time for a visit to Orlando, especially if you want to spend time at both WDW and UNI. It allows allows you to go at more relaxed (as best as possible with today's Disney) pace and not cram everything in at once.
2. There are really no "bad" times of year for the pool in Orlando, except maybe January on rare occasions. When the end of February arrives, the warm weather starts to come back and by late March, it's nice and balmy (minus the humidity).
3. I would try and aim for mid-March to mid-April.
4. For the first time, I wouldn't recommend staying off site. Yes, a lot of perks have been watered down but you absolutely cannot beat the transportation to the parks; especially to Magic Kingdom!!
5. If you're going with a moderate, I'd say either of the Port Orleans resorts will be fine. Both are lovely and offer a nice ambiance. Alternatively, look into the Art of Animation resort. They have some family suites that may be beneficial for your travel parties. We stayed in one back in 2012 when it opened, with 3 adults and 2 teens and it was a life saver.
6. Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids are usually the only two major attractions closed earlier in the year. One of the water parks will also likely be closed.

 

[mickEblu]

Thank you for all your advice! I will respond in detail later on today.

 

[Too Many Hats]

I'll comment on your first 4 questions, and leave the last 2 to more recent WDW travelers.

1. 10 days is not overkill, IMO, given your objectives. Wouldn't stay longer, though.
2. Better pool weather in April, sure. But keep in mind, high-60s and low-70s in Orlando is quite different from similar temperatures in SoCal. Late-April might feel hot. Late-Feb, early-March in Orlando is still enormously comfortable, but perhaps not the best pool weather.
3. All great timeframes. April is probably best.
4. You nailed it; transportation between the parks and hotels remains a critical perk. With kids and such a lengthy stay, it's probably more convenient to stay on-site.

Other tips

• Hit up Typhoon Lagoon
• Islands of Adventure is an extraordinary theme park (USF less so) and I highly recommend it (Spiderman remains a masterpiece), but UO doesn't have a ton of attractions for the under-10 crowd. Might be something to consider.
• If Splash is open, don't miss it
• Ride Pirates; it'll make you feel good about Disneyland being your home park

 

[Phroobar]

When my kids were your kids age, we did six days. We did a day at each park by the fifth day, all they just cared about was the pool. We redid Epcot again but the kids were tired of the Magic Kingdom because it wasn't any different than Disneyland. The shows at DHS were just old Disneyland shows and DAK was just a hot zoo.

 

[DavidDL]

Port Orleans Riverside is always my go-to hotel when staying on Disney property in Orlando. Especially love that there's a ferry that departs from it to Disney Springs along the Sassagoula river. General ambiance of the grounds is just relaxing, too. Area around the Riverside Mill food court gives Grizzly Peak vibes while the architecture of some of the other buildings will make you feel like you're outside the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square.

Just my two cents. Have fun!

 

[IanDLBZF]

1. Is 10 days in Orlando overkill considering our party and what we're trying to accomplish?
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.
3. Of the 3 timeframes we're considering, which is the best?
4. 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.
5. What hotel would you recommend for our group?
6. Should I expect any major attractions, outside of Splash to be closed during that time of year?

1. 2 days at UOR should be sufficient with park hopper, and 6-7 days at WDW with park hopper should be sufficient as well.
2. April, definitely unless we get a major cold spell.
3. I'd say April would be best
4. I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE STAYING ONSITE, PARTICULARLY FOR TRANSPORTATION
5. For Deluxe, I'd do Contemporary or Beach Club in a heartbeat. As for the two days at Universal, I'd suggest staying at Portofino or Cabana Bay.
6. I'm not so sure yet, so check around.

 

[mickEblu]

Be sure to check out the Trip Report forum. There are a ton of helpful hints from those that are there regularly, but for what it's worth...here's my two cents.

1. 10 days is NOT overkill. It will allow for the down time you guys are wanting/needing for that true vacation feel.
2. I have had good luck going either around Easter time or the first week of May. The kids will be able to enjoy the pools, but you won't roast if you want to resort hop to check out the other properties. I highly recommend doing a monorail crawl if you guys end up at the Poly.
3. I would shoot more for April...better weather for pool time for the littles.
4. I have not stayed offsite at WDW. The perk of having the transportation between the parks and hotel is huge to me. Another perk to me was we stayed on the Boardwalk at the Swan (technically not Disney property, but pretty dang close), and we were able to walk to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. We went last September when the Magic Express ended for airport transportation. We went with LYFT/Uber (as a party of three), but there are a bunch of reasonably priced shuttle services to get you to whatever hotel you choose.
5. I would look into staying at one of the moderate hotels. My favorites are the Port Orleans locations...French Quarter is a smaller property, and Riverside has a bit more to offer in terms of pools. Another perk to this property is there is boat service to Disney Springs. Both properties are well themed and within walking distance of one another when it's not too hot. The Poly is great and all, but I would save that for an adults only trip.
6. I don't know about the rides that are going to be down. They just had two big ticket rides open in EPCOT, and who knows when TRON is going to actually open up. I think my forum friends would have more insight on this one than myself.

I hope that my input has been helpful, and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

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!

 

[mickEblu]

With kids that young you may want to reconsider your universal plans. Or at least understand that there is not a ton of stuff for them they will relate to. You pretty much have one area in each park and that is it. Uni is verrry expensive for short trips.

I don’t know how budget concious you are… but a poly/type for a week is really expensive for what you get. Given the youth in your group you may even want to consider the family suites at art of animation. Monorail loop is nice… but really only is an advantage for the MK. You can’t avoid the buses. Having a food court maybe more advantageous vs restaurants onsite.

5-7 days is really what you want min for a family trip… and more can’t hurt at wdw.

Dates are very hard to pick anymore… you really do ‘shoot the gap’ with dates now. Invest the $20 and buy a touringplans.com subscription so you can get their full calendar to make informed decisions.

Yes weather is much better in the spring.

Depending on your dates… do not overlook the idea of a water park day. The water parks are still where disney excels.

I would not look at offsite for a big group. The transportation limitations would probably make you regret it. Buses etc only goto the TTC and unless you want multiple ubers every time it will be more hops to get where you are going. Plus, the onsite only park hours are really worth doing.

1) pick the right dates
2) pick a fun hotel
3) pay for park hoppers so you can split days snd go where you please
4) pace yourself and use multiple visits to the parks
5) think of uni as an adult trip and think how important it is to you

Uni for one night in a deluxe hotel and two days in the park is a good way to maximize value. Don’t be scared of staying offsite for uni or simply staying offsite for your last night in town etc. you get expresspass access on both check in and checkout days for a uni deluxe. So 1 night = 2 days of park use

You guys have me starting to wonder if I really want to squeeze USO in this trip. Spreading WDW over 10 days as opposed to 7-8 sounds like much more relaxing and much more of a vacation. Im not all that intrigued by the Universal parks. There are just a few rides I really want to knock out like Hagrid's, Diagon Alley/ Gringotts, The Mummy, Spider-Man etc. Maybe I'll just run over there with my Brother in Law one of the days with a park hopper while the ladies and kids stay at WDW.

We haven't gone on a big vacation in a few years so we're willing to splurge a little within reason. Poly for $750 a night with cranes and construction going on is hard to justify. Right now its probably between Beach Club, Contemporary, or one of the Port Orleans hotels.

We're definitely getting park hoppers. The value is definitely there even if you don't use them everyday. Even just as a backup in case a Must Do ride is down on our MK day for example.

I'm like 50/50 on UNI right now. The thought of packing the bags and kids and going to another hotel to go to a few more parks that don't really cater to them doesn't sound like a great idea. It's just a matter of "if not now when?" I may not be back in Orlando for years.

Thanks again for all the tips!

 

[SaucyBoy]

What's your preferred way of getting to the parks if you stay at Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter?

I know you didn't ask me specifically, but the only way to all four parks from Port Orleans is via bus. The river boats only run to Disney Springs and back. At the Epcot area resorts you can take a boat (I think, haven't stayed in that area since pre-covid staying at Boardwalk next week though), walk, or hop on the Skyliner via International Gateway to Hollywood Studios. Of course you can walk to Epcot from these resorts. With the current 2pm park hopping restriction, the only way to get to MK from the Epcot resorts is to take a bus since you can no longer walk through the Epcot to the monorail and on to MK unless you start your day at Epcot.

 

[mickEblu]

1. 10 days is more than enough time for a visit to Orlando, especially if you want to spend time at both WDW and UNI. It allows allows you to go at more relaxed (as best as possible with today's Disney) pace and not cram everything in at once.
2. There are really no "bad" times of year for the pool in Orlando, except maybe January on rare occasions. When the end of February arrives, the warm weather starts to come back and by late March, it's nice and balmy (minus the humidity).
3. I would try and aim for mid-March to mid-April.
4. For the first time, I wouldn't recommend staying off site. Yes, a lot of perks have been watered down but you absolutely cannot beat the transportation to the parks; especially to Magic Kingdom!!
5. If you're going with a moderate, I'd say either of the Port Orleans resorts will be fine. Both are lovely and offer a nice ambiance. Alternatively, look into the Art of Animation resort. They have some family suites that may be beneficial for your travel parties. We stayed in one back in 2012 when it opened, with 3 adults and 2 teens and it was a life saver.
6. Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids are usually the only two major attractions closed earlier in the year. One of the water parks will also likely be closed.

Thank you!

I will take a look at Art of Animation. I can live without Kali since I hear Grizzly is far superior but Splash being closed will sting a little. If we didn't have the young kids we would definitely consider staying offsite.

Yeah I'm thinking early/mid March may be the best of both worlds based on our objectives and some of the feedback here.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

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!

Contemporary is super convinenent being closest to MK of any resort and easily walkable. Epcot resorts are good choices too. Yacht and Beach, Boardwalk or Swan and Dolphin offer boats to Epcot and DHS, skyliner access at the Epcot back entrance, and if you have park hoppers you can also take the monorail to MK pretty easily from Epcot.

 

[mickEblu]

I'll comment on your first 4 questions, and leave the last 2 to more recent WDW travelers.

1. 10 days is not overkill, IMO, given your objectives. Wouldn't stay longer, though.
2. Better pool weather in April, sure. But keep in mind, high-60s and low-70s in Orlando is quite different from similar temperatures in SoCal. Late-April might feel hot. Late-Feb, early-March in Orlando is still enormously comfortable, but perhaps not the best pool weather.
3. All great timeframes. April is probably best.
4. You nailed it; transportation between the parks and hotels remains a critical perk. With kids and such a lengthy stay, it's probably more convenient to stay on-site.

Other tips

• Hit up Typhoon Lagoon
• Islands of Adventure is an extraordinary theme park (USF less so) and I highly recommend it (Spiderman remains a masterpiece), but UO doesn't have a ton of attractions for the under-10 crowd. Might be something to consider.
• If Splash is open, don't miss it
• Ride Pirates; it'll make you feel good about Disneyland being your home park

That's a good point on the difference in weather in Florida and something I was meaning to ask. A Floridian 70 degrees sounds like it might be more preferable for the trip as a whole for visiting the parks, touring the resorts etc. The hotter weather in April only really benefits the pool activities and personally its not something I really care about . I guess Im just trying to avoid colder days. Sounds like early March may be the right move. I know you said April is best overall in regards to my objectives listed in my OP but would you say that early March would be better for the trip as a whole?

Oh yes definitely intend on riding all the clones! That's half the fun- being able to compare. As well as some of the originals like Space Mountain.

Thanks for the response!

 

[mickEblu]

When my kids were your kids age, we did six days. We did a day at each park by the fifth day, all they just cared about was the pool. We redid Epcot again but the kids were tired of the Magic Kingdom because it wasn't any different than Disneyland. The shows at DHS were just old Disneyland shows and DAK was just a hot zoo.

I think we're probably looking at 6 park days total with maybe 4 of them being full park days and two being partial days. I don't plan on doing any of the shows at DHS. In fact, I also plan on skipping Galaxies Edge too. I may be able to get through DHS pretty quickly.

What month did you go?

 

[Centauri Space Station]

You guys have me starting to wonder if I really want to squeeze USO in this trip. Spreading WDW over 10 days as opposed to 7-8 sounds like much more relaxing and much more of a vacation. Im not all that intrigued by the Universal parks. There are just a few rides I really want to knock out like Hagrid's, Diagon Alley/ Gringotts, The Mummy, Spider-Man etc. Maybe I'll just run over there with my Brother in Law one of the days with a park hopper while the ladies and kids stay at WDW.

We haven't gone on a big vacation in a few years so we're willing to splurge a little within reason. Poly for $750 a night with cranes and construction going on is hard to justify. Right now its probably between Beach Club, Contemporary, or one of the Port Orleans hotels.

We're definitely getting park hoppers. The value is definitely there even if you don't use them everyday. Even just as a backup in case a Must Do ride is down on our MK day for example.

I'm like 50/50 on UNI right now. The thought of packing the bags and kids and going to another hotel to go to a few more parks that don't really cater to them doesn't sound like a great idea. It's just a matter of "if not now when?" I may not be back in Orlando for years.

Thanks again for all the tips!

All have advantages. Contemporary is classic Disney with the monorail going through the center, California grill is a great rooftop restaurant, the iconic Mary Blair mural, etc. Monorail to Epcot is very easy, just board from inside the hotel and transfer one stop away at the TTC and walk around to the Epcot line. Monorail crawling to poly and Grand Floridian is super easy and it’s nice to visit these resorts even if you aren’t staying, they have great dining and bar options. Yacht and Beach have the best pool of any resort, it’s like a mini water park. Very close to the boardwalk area and it’s night life. Port Orleans is very spread out and you could be very far out from the main lobby, and the only park transportation is through buses.

 

[mickEblu]

Port Orleans Riverside is always my go-to hotel when staying on Disney property in Orlando. Especially love that there's a ferry that departs from it to Disney Springs along the Sassagoula river. General ambiance of the grounds is just relaxing, too. Area around the Riverside Mill food court gives Grizzly Peak vibes while the architecture of some of the other buildings will make you feel like you're outside the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square.

Just my two cents. Have fun!

Thanks!

Those are two things I love very much. NOS architecture and nature. I feel like id really enjoy either of those hotels

 

[Centauri Space Station]

I think we're probably looking at 6 park days total with maybe 4 of them being full park days and two being partial days. I don't plan on doing any of the shows at DHS. In fact, I also plan on skipping Galaxies Edge too. I may be able to get through DHS pretty quickly.

What month did you go?

Tower of terror is well worth doing if you can. The kids will enjoy Toy story land and MMRR.

 

[mickEblu]

1. 2 days at UOR should be sufficient with park hopper, and 6-7 days at WDW with park hopper should be sufficient as well.
2. April, definitely unless we get a major cold spell.
3. I'd say April would be best
4. I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE STAYING ONSITE, PARTICULARLY FOR TRANSPORTATION
5. For Deluxe, I'd do Contemporary or Beach Club in a heartbeat. As for the two days at Universal, I'd suggest staying at Portofino or Cabana Bay.
6. I'm not so sure yet, so check around.

Interesting. Most people say Poly, why do you say Contemporary or Beach Club? Ive seen a vlog of Cabana Bay and it looks really nice for a value hotel!

Do you think April is best for enjoying the parks. Lets say I didn't care about pool weather, would you still recommend mid /April over early March?

Thanks for the tips!