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

mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
SaucyBoy said:
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.
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Thank you for the detail on hopping to MK from Epcot. That's really good to know! Kind of details that a noob like me would definitely not know or think about. You can take a monorail from MK hotels to Epcot I the morning though right?
 
mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Centauri Space Station said:
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.
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If I go with Beach Club it would be more for location and convenience of getting to Epcot and DHS. The Contemporary and the Port Orleans hotel are more appealing to me in general. I think if I go Beach Club I have to go in April to take advantage of the pool. With that said the other fam we are going with have been to WDW once and they stayed at Contemporary. They liked it but didn't love it and they definitely don't want to stay there again on their second trip. they're looking at doing a split stay at Poly and Animal Kingdom Lodge. We're not necessarily going to be staying at the same hotels the entire trip.
 
mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Centauri Space Station said:
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.
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Thanks for the details! Yeah as much as I want to stay at one of the Orleans resorts they don't sound very convenient and I'd probably only consider them if im getting a hefty discount off the Deluxe hotels.
 
Centauri Space Station

Centauri Space Station

Well-Known Member
mickEblu said:
Thank you for the detail on hopping to MK from Epcot. That's really good to know! Kind of details that a noob like me would definitely not know or think about. You can take a monorail from MK hotels to Epcot I the morning though right?
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Yes you can take the monorail to Epcot without a park hopper. The reason why Epcot resorts need a park hopper is there are two entrances. The international gateway in World Showcase is the boats, skyliner, and access to DHS and Epcot resorts. The front of the park is access to Epcot buses and the monorail to the TTC. So you enter IG, walk to the front and then take the monorail. However, there is bus transportation at Yacht and beach to MK
 
SaucyBoy

SaucyBoy

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
mickEblu said:
You can take a monorail from MK hotels to Epcot I the morning though right?
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Correct! As someone said above, just board the monorail (express or resort line is fine), disembark at the TTC, and walk over the Epcot connection.

If you're heart is set on a deluxe resort, I would go with one of the Epcot area resorts. We've stayed at the Contemporary before (and Bay Lake Tower) and felt it was just okay for a Disney property. You're really just staying there for the convenience of walking to the MK, nothing else. Though I prefer the Polynesian, with all the work happening right now, it's hard to justify the price.
 
No Name

No Name

Well-Known Member
@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!!!
 
M

mlayton144

Well-Known Member
mickEblu said:
Thanks for the details! Yeah as much as I want to stay at one of the Orleans resorts they don't sound very convenient and I'd probably only consider them if im getting a hefty discount off the Deluxe hotels.
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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.
 
Too Many Hats

Too Many Hats

Well-Known Member
mickEblu said:
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.
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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).
 
Too Many Hats

Too Many Hats

Well-Known Member
mickEblu said:
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!
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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
 
T

Th3 DUd3

Well-Known Member
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.
 
Jeff4272

Jeff4272

Well-Known Member
mickEblu said:
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!
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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)
 
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mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
SaucyBoy said:
Correct! As someone said above, just board the monorail (express or resort line is fine), disembark at the TTC, and walk over the Epcot connection.

If you're heart is set on a deluxe resort, I would go with one of the Epcot area resorts. We've stayed at the Contemporary before (and Bay Lake Tower) and felt it was just okay for a Disney property. You're really just staying there for the convenience of walking to the MK, nothing else. Though I prefer the Polynesian, with all the work happening right now, it's hard to justify the price.
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Yeah I think I’m leaning with the Epcot hotels right now. There are more benefits. Although I know I’m probably doing two full days at MK and one of my down days doing a monorail crawl so maybe it’s kind of neck and neck.
 

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