Planning a First Time Trip

[Preacher Gravy]

Greetings! I am new to the site and had a few questions about planning a first time trip for me and my wife. . .
- Where is the best place to stay (moderately priced)
- What is the best time of year to go? (we cannot travel at Christmas, Summers, Spring Break, Thanksgiving)
- How many days should we plan on staying?
- Is the dining plan worth it?
- How far out can I reserve a room/meal/tour/etc.
- What can I do that would be different (my wife and I are both 26 and have no kids, so the sky is the limit!)

By looking around it seems as though this is the place for answers, any help is appreciated. . . .:lol:

 

[RiversideBunny]

Stay at Port Oleans Riverside in October for 5 or 6 nights without the 2008 dining plan and make your ADR's 90 days beforehand.
Do all the parks and see everything then do the favorite things over again.
Go to the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Have fun.

 

[lebeau]

Welcome! I don't have time for an in-depth response right now. But I'll give you a few quick hits.

1. Plan as much as possible. There are a lot of decisions to make and the more prepared you are the better.

2. Any particular occassion? (We honeymooned at WDW and I can tell you it is wonderful without children too!)


- Where is the best place to stay (moderately priced)

Depends on your definition of moderately priced. Do you plan to stay on-property? Of the "Value" priced resorts on property, I believe the Pop Century is the way to go. If you're willing to move up a tier, you've got more options.

- What is the best time of year to go? (we cannot travel at Christmas, Summers, Spring Break, Thanksgiving)

Good news. You just named the worst times to go! Just about any time when the kids are in school should be a good time to go.

- How many days should we plan on staying?

I'd say a minimum of 3 full days in the parks. Personally, I like a full week. That gives you plenty of time to relax and not drive yourself crazy trying to do everything. Of course, doing everything is impossible no matter how much time you have!

- Is the dining plan worth it?

It depends. If you are going to eat at expensive sit down meals at least once a day, it may be worth it.

For myself, I prefer to pay out of pocket. We will rarely eat as much food as you get on the dining plan. I'd only do the dining plan if it was free (which FYI, it sometimes is!)

- How far out can I reserve a room/meal/tour/etc.

I'm sure someone else will have the answer to this. Nowadays, it's best to reserve as early as possible. And check your reservations before you go to make sure they are still in place!

- What can I do that would be different (my wife and I are both 26 and have no kids, so the sky is the limit!)

Seriously? What can't you do?

Almost anything you can think of can be done at Disney World for a price.

I'll come back for more in depth answers later. But you've come to the right place. This forum is the most helpful around.

 

[ThinkTink721]

Greetings! I am new to the site and had a few questions about planning a first time trip for me and my wife. . .
- Where is the best place to stay (moderately priced)
- What is the best time of year to go? (we cannot travel at Christmas, Summers, Spring Break, Thanksgiving)
- How many days should we plan on staying?
- Is the dining plan worth it?
- How far out can I reserve a room/meal/tour/etc.
- What can I do that would be different (my wife and I are both 26 and have no kids, so the sky is the limit!)

By looking around it seems as though this is the place for answers, any help is appreciated. . . .:lol:

Welcome to the boards!

Best moderately priced resorts: Port Orleans Riverside (moderate) or Pop Century (value); Port Orleans French Quarter (moderate) would be nice for a couple
Best time to travel (going by the dates that you cannot go): Feb., April or Oct.
How many days to stay: 7 to 10 days
Dining plan: we have a family of 5 & it is definitely worth it for us
Reservations: we booked our room a year in advance; we booked our meals a year in advance because we got the free dining promo for next Sept.; we book our dinner reservations 180 days in advance in order to get the table service meals that we like
Things to do w/ no kids: take a fireworks cruise at night; take a carriage ride at one of the resorts; go to Pleasure Island (it's hard for me to think of things w/o kids because we have 3 )

Be sure to consider the following restaurants for your table service meals (we have eaten at some & some we have heard great things about):

California Grill at the Contemporary Resort
Yachtman's Steakhouse at the Yacht & Beach Club Resort
LeCellier at Epcot
Hoop Dee Doo Revue (dinner show) at Fort Wilderness
The Spirit of Aloha (dinner show) at the Polynesian Resort
Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge
Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge
Rose & Crown Pub at Epcot

There are also some nice character meals, if you enjoy meeting Disney characters:
Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort
The Garden Grill at Epcot
1900 Park Fare dinner at the Grand Floridian Resort
Tusker House at the Animal Kingdom (breakfast is Donald's Safari w/ characters)
Supercalifragilistic breakfast at the Grand Floridian Resort
The Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom
Cinderella's Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom
The Liberty Tree Tavern at the Magic Kingdom
Princess Storybook at Epcot

Hope this helps!
:wave:

 

[WDWRLD]

Greetings! I am new to the site and had a few questions about planning a first time trip for me and my wife. . .
- Where is the best place to stay (moderately priced)
- What is the best time of year to go? (we cannot travel at Christmas, Summers, Spring Break, Thanksgiving)
- How many days should we plan on staying?
- Is the dining plan worth it?
- How far out can I reserve a room/meal/tour/etc.
- What can I do that would be different (my wife and I are both 26 and have no kids, so the sky is the limit!)

By looking around it seems as though this is the place for answers, any help is appreciated. . . .:lol:

Lets see....
POR
I like summer but its more up to when you want to go since you cant go on any of the above.
10-12 Days
No
Now
If you have never done Disney it will be plenty to do.

 

[kennyj29]

We just got back from two weeks at the Caribbean Beach resort. What a lovely place! We stayed there before and we knew how nice it was. Very Caribbean themed. If you like that I would go with that. I tell you , I would try Wilderness Lodge also. I know it's considered a Deluxe but if you get a lesser view it really isn't that bad. It's a beautiful place and really nice for a young couple like yourselves. We've stayed everywhere from Value to Deluxe and my favorite hotel in the world is the Polynesian. I can see why you can't afford it though because the prices keep going up. We couldn't stay there either. I saw the Pop Century this time because we heard so much about it........I though it was cheesy. I would definitely try to stay moderate or lower priced Deluxe. You can even stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge and not get a great view and the price will be comparible to Wilderness Lodge without a great view.

 

[DisneyGirl11]

Hello. These are a few of my opinions....
I liked the Port Orleans French Quarter the best out of the moderately priced resorts. I have only ever stayed there and Carribbean Beach, but I really liked it there.
I like going in early December. All of the Christmas decorations are up and it looks beautiful. If you can't go then, it should definitely be when the children are in school.
I would definitely plan on staying at least 7 days. That way, you can enjoy all of the parks and not have to rush around.
I feel the dining plan is worth it, especially if you like to sit down and eat at a Table Service restaurant.
I believe you can book restaurant reservations 90 days in advance.
I would buy the Birnbaum's WDW 2007 (OR 2008) book. You can get it at any bookstore. I think that book has alot of information on WDW that can be very helpful.
I hope you enjoy your stay!!

 

[Nemo14]

Hi and welcome!

If you can afford it, I'd go for at least a moderate (my favorite is Port Orleans Riverside - very romantic!) Plan to stay for at least 3 nights - 5 is my ideal.
The dining plan to me is worth it only if you plan to eat big dinners every night. If you don't mind counter service type food on most days, I'd say just pay as you go, and maybe plan one special dinner.

Make sure to buy a guide book. I love the Unofficial Guide myself, but there are a lot of good ones out there. Take the time to read it through, and stop here frequently with any questions you might have.

Enjoy yourselves - a first Disney trip is always memorable!

 

[DisneyPirate85]

WELCOME to the Boards:wave:

Well you'll get lots of input from here LOTS of great ppl on this site, My wife and I love POR, Haven't stayed at POFQ but have visited it. Water shuttle is great to DTD and the Horse and Carriage ride at POR is very nice.
My wife's 1st trip we stayed for 7 days and just took our time and really paced ourselves so she could see as much as possible.
The dining plan was worth it for us, but we like a good sit down dinner saved us LOTS of cash.
You can make your ADR 180 days out and you really should take advantage of this service they do fill up fast.:wave:

 

[rob45]

The Caribbean Beach resort is my favorite mod resort.

Try the dolphin encounter tour at EPCOT. (very cool, bring your swim suit)

Try to dine at the Hoop-DE-Hoo Music review at Fort Wilderness. (my favorite)

I have not tried the food plan but will do so next year. Everyone that I know that has tried it loves it.

Most of all have a great time!!

 

[Figment Liteyr]

Hi,

We're new to the site too. Hope you don't mind some well-intentioned advice from a newbie.

Best place to stay: My wife and I have been going for the past 3 yrs, and have stayed at port orleans french quarter. We have thought about staying other places, but in the end always end up at french quarter because we like it so much.

Best time of year: We go in the fall. Kids are in school so it's less crowded, and the temperatures are somewhat cooler.

Days: I would suggest 6-7 days. Gives you a chance to hit every park and then re-visit your favorites.

Dining Plan: We enjoy the dining plan, just because there is some really good food to be had at different table service restaurants. We find that with the amount the table service restaurants charge, we save quite a bit by having the plan. That might change when the dining plan changes to not include tips and appetizers, we haven't really worked it out yet. As for restaurants, I would suggest Boma, Tony's Town Square, and just about any restaurant from World Showcase.

How far out can you reserve: We try to reserve about 5-6 months in advance and have never had a problem. For restaurants, Lunch tends to be easier to get a reservation than dinner.

What else: Sounds like you're in the same phase of life as us (26, no kids). This year we did the Segway around the world tour at epcot and had a blast. I would also suggest taking an evening and checking out downtown disney. You can check out the shops and maybe even check out the Cirque show. And if you stay at a port orleans resort, the water transport is great.

 

[kucarachi]

2 Words Game Plan

If you intend on only staying 5 days or less you must...must have a plan of attack to each park. Meaning dont just wander around through each area until you do everything. Start off early with a fast pass, then ride a few short line rides....or see a show. THen right before you use your fastpass get another one for the 2nd longest wait ride. Do that 3 times and you'll get to do all the rides and most of the shows. You can try to wing it but we go every year for 7 days and still cant do it all, and thats on a moderate pace.

If its your 1st time and you want the park experience more than the hotel i'd try pop century. Very clean and nicely themed. If you have the money do Port Orleans..either side is good. Dining plan is way way too much food and though you get to eat at nicer places you are stuffed and waste a lot of time..not to mention you really need to make reservations 6 to 5 months in advance. But its also a good time to cool your wheels and catch your breath...but like they say in aug, or sep its usually free anyway.

And besides drinking, theres nothing you cant do with your kids on any property of disney's. Do hoop de doo if you like fun dinner shows and country style meals...but only if you have the budget and the time. Definately try to get magic kingdom in for 2 full days..1 wont cut it. If your going to skip i'd skip on world showcase at Epcot. Its great and really fun but if you have to choose a place to cut out that would be it. Future World is a half day park if you utilize the fast pass wisely. And Ellen's Energy Adventure is a good place to take a nap if your toes are tired...its a 45 minute ride mostly in the dark.
Other than that halloween time is our favorite time to go, its cooler, its less crowded and its nicely themed! But choose whats best for you, but dont forget to have a game plan or you'll end up yelling at each other at some point.

 

[coltow]

WELCOME!!!
- Where is the best place to stay (moderately priced)
We enjoyed our stay at Coronado and are trying French Quarter our next trip. Just pick the resort that appeals to you the most, they are all good.
- What is the best time of year to go? (we cannot travel at Christmas, Summers, Spring Break, Thanksgiving)
I would go every October if I could. Lighter crowds and still good weather.
- How many days should we plan on staying? I never recommend less than a week for first timers. We like to go for 8 nights when we go.
- Is the dining plan worth it? Only if you plan to eat at sit down restaurants every day.
- How far out can I reserve a room/meal/tour/etc. Right now you can book throught the end of 2008, dining reservations 180 days for most restaurants.
- What can I do that would be different (my wife and I are both 26 and have no kids, so the sky is the limit!) You could book a fireworks cuise for either Wishes or Illuminations.

Keep the questions coming and kep us posted on your plans.

 

[Preacher Gravy]

Wow. . . .

I never imagined I would get so many great responses so fast. . . .Right now my wife and I are leaning heavily towards October based on what we have read so far. I hate to do this, but have a few more questions. . . . every time I get one answered it brings up 5 more :shrug:and I want to make sure that we maximize our trip.
-- Some responses said Dining plan might be free, how is this done?
-- I think we are leaning towards the Port Orleans French Quarter and a full week, but because of cost we might go to POP. . whats the main difference?
-- We currently have a Disney Visa (got it when we decided to go) how do the points work and what extra benefits can I expect?
-- I think we are going to try and do all the fireworks shows. . . and a nice dinner every night with them (whats the cost of the fireworks cruise). Where are some good places to eat?
-- What are EMH and how exactly do they work?
-- Anything else I should know??

I am definately glad I came across this board. Thanks again!:sohappy:

 

[DisneyChik17]

I never imagined I would get so many great responses so fast. . . .Right now my wife and I are leaning heavily towards October based on what we have read so far. I hate to do this, but have a few more questions. . . . every time I get one answered it brings up 5 more :shrug:and I want to make sure that we maximize our trip.
-- Some responses said Dining plan might be free, how is this done?
Disney will offer it to bring people in at slow times and it was also offered as a bounce back promo for people who were recently there.
-- I think we are leaning towards the Port Orleans French Quarter and a full week, but because of cost we might go to POP. . whats the main difference?
In theory, the size of the room. In actuality, the theming at POFQ will be more romantic. Not as kiddie. The rooms are bigger. It's a little quieter. The grounds are better kept. My advice, save the POP for when you have young kids. They will love it.
-- We currently have a Disney Visa (got it when we decided to go) how do the points work and what extra benefits can I expect?
I have no clue.
-- I think we are going to try and do all the fireworks shows. . . and a nice dinner every night with them (whats the cost of the fireworks cruise). Where are some good places to eat?
Again, I don't know.
-- What are EMH and how exactly do they work?
Extra Magic Hours. For AM EMH Disney resort guests have the park opened to them an hour early. For PM EMH Disney resort guests have the park open 3 hours later.
-- Anything else I should know??

I am definately glad I came across this board. Thanks again!:sohappy:

Enjoy your time on these boards! They are quite addictive!

 

[Nemo14]

I never imagined I would get so many great responses so fast. . . .Right now my wife and I are leaning heavily towards October based on what we have read so far. I hate to do this, but have a few more questions. . . . every time I get one answered it brings up 5 more :shrug:and I want to make sure that we maximize our trip.
-- Some responses said Dining plan might be free, how is this done?
-- I think we are leaning towards the Port Orleans French Quarter and a full week, but because of cost we might go to POP. . whats the main difference?
-- We currently have a Disney Visa (got it when we decided to go) how do the points work and what extra benefits can I expect?
-- I think we are going to try and do all the fireworks shows. . . and a nice dinner every night with them (whats the cost of the fireworks cruise). Where are some good places to eat?
-- What are EMH and how exactly do they work?
-- Anything else I should know??

I am definately glad I came across this board. Thanks again!:sohappy:

I would recommend that you contact Kingdom Konsultants (http://www.kingdomkonsultant.com/. They are sponsors on this site, and have been very helpful to those who have used them. There is no charge for their service, and they'll get you the best deal going.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

a few questions about planning a first time trip for me and my wife. . .
- Where is the best place to stay (moderately priced)
- What is the best time of year to go? (we cannot travel at Christmas, Summers, Spring Break, Thanksgiving)
- How many days should we plan on staying?
- Is the dining plan worth it?
- How far out can I reserve a room/meal/tour/etc.
- What can I do that would be different (my wife and I are both 26 and have no kids, so the sky is the limit!)

By looking around it seems as though this is the place for answers, any help is appreciated. . . .:lol:

1) For value for money - stay offsite. If you want to spend more and experience "More of the Magic" book your WDW resort to suit your wallet.

2) Minimum for 1st timers - 2 days at MK, 2 days at EPCOT, 1 day at AK and 1 day at MGM. Plus DownTown Disney and perhaps a Water Park

3) It depends on your appetite and eating habits - it doesn't suit all people

4) Meals and tours = 180 days (usually). Rooms - 12 months I think

5) Buy a guide book - read it cover to cover. Not being funny here, a good guide book (Unoficial Guide is my favourite) uncovers a wealth of info

Welocme aboard :wave:

 

[mickey&me]

You may want to check out the Disney web site to find out about the resorts & their differences. You can get there by going to www.disneyworld.com & then hitting the Resorts button. Ask yourself what you're looking for in a hotel, and then choose the place to stay.

To watch IllumiNations at Epcot, eat at the Rose & Crown Pub in England. There's a great view from their patio.

Spend one day in each park, then go back to the ones you enjoyed most and want to see again. For us, this is 2 days each at MK and Epcot and 1 day each at MGM and AK. Also spend a day doing other stuff, like touring some of the resorts, going to DTD, playing golf or mini-golf, or going to a waterpark (depending on the weather and your interests).

You can book reservations for meals 180 days prior to your trip, but if you want to do a dinner show like Hoop de Doo Musical Revue or Spirit of Aloha, you can book those earlier. The 180-day mark is necessary for most of the character meals, not so much for the other sit-down meals. This will be our first time on Disney Dining, so I can't comment on it yet.

The best time to go is anytime school is in seesion. The further you are from a "peak season" the more the chances that attractions will be closed for refurbishment, though. However, the crowds are much lighter at those times. So in Jan/Feb, low crowd levels weighs in against several rides/attractions closed.

The most important thing to remember on your first trip is that you can't do it all. Buy a guide book or two, choose some "must-do" activities, do whatever else you have time, and enjoy yourselves!

 

[ThinkTink721]

I never imagined I would get so many great responses so fast. . . .Right now my wife and I are leaning heavily towards October based on what we have read so far. I hate to do this, but have a few more questions. . . . every time I get one answered it brings up 5 more :shrug:and I want to make sure that we maximize our trip.
-- Some responses said Dining plan might be free, how is this done?
-- I think we are leaning towards the Port Orleans French Quarter and a full week, but because of cost we might go to POP. . whats the main difference?
-- We currently have a Disney Visa (got it when we decided to go) how do the points work and what extra benefits can I expect?
-- I think we are going to try and do all the fireworks shows. . . and a nice dinner every night with them (whats the cost of the fireworks cruise). Where are some good places to eat?
-- What are EMH and how exactly do they work?
-- Anything else I should know??

I am definately glad I came across this board. Thanks again!:sohappy:

The free dining was a promo that was offered to guests staying at a WDW resort during the free dining promo this year (Aug./Sept.) & UK residents.
It is rumored that some spots may come open for booking this in April for Sept. 2008.

POR is quiet & scenic w/ nice pools.
There is a boat ride from the resort to DTD.
Also, you can ride bikes, fish or take a carriage ride at the resort.
(same at POFQ)

POP is nice, but it doesn't have the "little extras" because it's a value resort.
The transportation at POP is the best!
They do not share buses w/ any other resort on the property.

We have a Disney Visa also. We have applied some of the $ that we have earned to our next WDW trip!

I believe there are several fireworks cruises.
Try this site:
www.wdwinfo.com/recreation/fireworks.htm

Good places to eat around firework times at the parks:
MK:
The Crystal Palace
CRT
Liberty Tree Tavern
California Grill at the CR (has a view of Wishes from the restaurant)
Epcot:
LeCellier
The Garden Grill
Princess Storybook
DS:
Hollywood & Vine
AK does not have fireworks.

EMH is where selected parks open 1 hr. earlier or close 3 hrs. later for WDW resort guests.
Certain rides & attractions open early or remain open late for these guests.
There are designated places in each park where guests can receive EMH wristbands for the evening EMHs.
You can use this web site to check the monthly EMH hours:
www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/hours.htm

Hope this helps!
Sorry if some of this info. is a repeat.

:wave:

 

[RedBaron]

Greetings! I am new to the site and had a few questions about planning a first time trip for me and my wife. . .
- Where is the best place to stay (moderately priced)
- What is the best time of year to go? (we cannot travel at Christmas, Summers, Spring Break, Thanksgiving)
- How many days should we plan on staying?
- Is the dining plan worth it?
- How far out can I reserve a room/meal/tour/etc.
- What can I do that would be different (my wife and I are both 26 and have no kids, so the sky is the limit!)

By looking around it seems as though this is the place for answers, any help is appreciated. . . .:lol:

We have stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter (moderate resort) several times and have always enjoyed it. Go to WDW when the kids are in school and the parks are a bit less crowded. For a first time visit I would recommend 7-10 days to see all the parks and possibly relax a little bit. I have not done the dining plan so I cant say. I believe you can book your room a year in advance and dining reservations 180 days in advance. Have a great trip.