Strongly Considering a Trip to WDW: Please Help me plan or talk me out of it

[PacNWTigger]

Check out the Trip Report area of the forums. There are a ton of helpful hints from those who have gone before you during this lovely time of Covid.

1. I think your itinerary is definitely doable with the down days. Transportation is actually pretty easy to allow for a bit of an afternoon nap break for everybody.
2. Stay away from HS on the weekend. If you have to choose Sunday over a Saturday. The other parks it doesn't matter too much from what I have seen on the forums.
3. You'll need to be at HS early for a boarding pass for RotR, and people seem to be having good luck riding MMRR right out of the gate without too much of a wait time. There doesn't seem to be as much issue with FOP for wait times like before Covid.
4. You're on the right track when thinking about which park to do twice. I would go MK over AK just for the sake of having more stuff available for the kiddos.
5. Not sure about the child switch, but I think one of the TR's does touch on this.
6. SciFi is great for the ambiance, but the food is nothing to write home about. There are a bunch of great options at DS (Raglan Road/Art Smith's Homecoming/Polite Pig), but it also has the kid friendly T-Rex and Rainforest Cafe type of stuff too.
7. I wouldn't deal w/ hoppers...and I don't know if they are available yet due to needing reservations for the parks. They are still having reduced park hours which makes hopping a little more difficult too.
8. There are a bunch of TR's covering the hotels you're looking at. I would sway towards Caribbean Beach for Skyliner access, and it's more centrally located for less transportation time.
9. The buses are fine to get you guys to/from the parks...no car seats needed. I would go UBER/LYFT for your Universal day, but I think car seats would be necessary for that.
10. Use DME (Disney's Magical Express) which is free when you stay at a Disney resort. They do all of the planning for you, so it's nice and easy.
11. I think the only transportation option at Coronado are the buses. Caribbean has both Skyliner and buses.
12. I don't know a whole lot about Disney Springs because the last time I was there it was still under a lot of construction. A lot of people from the forums seem to use DS more as a place to go for dinner and unwind after a day at the parks.
13 & 14. I'm not a fan of Universal because I have issues with the rides with all of the screens make me a bit green around the gills. We used Uber when we went a few years ago, and it was cheaper than I thought it was going to be.
15. You're definitely not crazy. I think a lot of people are chomping at the bit to go SOMEwhere, and it doesn't look like DLR is going to be opening any time soon. It's a good option...we were scheduled to go during this crazy last year, but we opted to cancel and try again next year after things settle down a bit.

I wish you the best of luck with your trip, and I'm sure you guys will have a blast no matter what you end up doing.

 

[mickEblu]

For the highlights, probably, but you'll have to be efficient, and even though Uni's much less stressful than WDW, it can be a lot.
I'd make sure to hit Spider-man, Hulk, Hagrid, Mummy (different, superior ride vs. Hollywood's), Gringotts, Hogwarts Express, Men in Black, and ET if you're feeling nostalgic. Ripsaw Falls and Popeye & Bluto are fun if you are willing to own the fact that you will not escape them without being impossibly drenched. Seuss Landing should be fun for the kids as is the otherwise disposable Kidzone. Most rides not explicitly targeted to younger children are probably a little much for kids those ages.

I think you've paced the trip right, with two days on and an off day. Skip the hopper, especially with kids.

To me, DS makes a fine down day activity. Although it will be busy, it's still definitely more manageable and less stressful than the parks. It is bigger and better than DTD, and it's really the place to go if you want a nice sitdown meal. I'm not sure what the bus situation is from Disney hotels to DS, but it's actually really easy to drive to the area, get routed into a garage, and park. It's pretty seamless. I'm not honestly sure what is/will be open for your trip, but the water parks (if open) and mini golf places might make some fun down day activities. You could also use your down days as the time to ride the monorails and skyliner-take the bus to Epcot and ride to your heart's content, no park admission required.

MK will likely be disappointing compared to DL, but it has more attractions than any other parks and everything just *takes longer* there vs. anywhere else, so it's the correct choice for two days.

I would still try to arrive at opening, as the WDW parks get busier faster, and far more people show up at rope drop than at DLR. Everything I've heard makes it sounds like DHS, now that all the new additions are open, is just a madhouse from minute one.

In terms of snacks, some of the more well known include the Citrus Swirl (orange and vanilla soft serve) in Adventureland, the School Bread in Norway, and the bakery in France.

For meals: Be Our Guest is a cool environment but it's a loud place, the food (for lunch anyway) is meh, and getting in is competitive. To elaborate on someone else's recommendation, Sanaa is at Animal Kingdom Lodge (Kidani Village building) and is African/Indian food, with the famous bread service that is worth the price-if you go at lunch and get a window table, you'll be able to watch the animals on the Savannah as you eat. Another full service restaurant that may have more kid appeal is Coral Reef at Epcot is a restaurant at the Seas with Nemo and Friends, and you may be able to watch fish swim in the aquarium tanks as you eat.

Note that WDW counter service inside the parks, especially at Magic Kingdom and the Studios, is mostly burgers, chicken tenders, pizza, and hot dogs, all mediocre at best. Not so bad for the kids, but potentially annoying for you and the other adults after awhile. If you want anything more interesting, you'll probably have to head to a sitdown place.

WDW can be a lot for younger kids-not saying don't go, but every potential hassle is magnified at WDW vs. DL. Fortunately, you're not going during summer and so will miss peak humidity and crowds (assuming you are able to avoid Spring Break). I will say that Animal Kingdom, other than Pandora, is pretty low key and relaxed compared to the other parks (building in some time to just wander around the park and walk the animal trails is recommended), as is most of Epcot, so for the children's benefit I would try not to do DHS and MK on back to back park days. Other than DHS, all the parks will feel bigger than the DLR parks, and Epcot's walking area is freaking huge. I think that having the rest days built in and being sensitive to the needs of your travel party and especially the children will help a lot to ensure a successful trip.

Thanks for the very detailed response! Not doing MK and DHS on back to back days is a great tip. Is int just me or does it seem like outside of MK there isn't a whole lot for the kids to do? Granted my son has fun at Downtown Disney these days so I'm sure hell have a blast but attractions wise Im speaking.

Universal is tempting but I'm starting to feel I may be better off doing that on another trip. That way I can have some real down days in between the Disney park days. Not only do I feel getting to Universal would be stressful but also doesn't seem like there is a lot for my son to do. He'd spend most of his day waiting for the adults as we child switch the big rides. The balancing act at the Disney parks should be interesting. Balancing out stuff to do for the kids and also hitting all the major WDW headliners. If it were just me and my wife I would skip things like Dumbo and Tea cups but ill have to fit stuff like that in. I would even skip rides like TSMM and Star Tours but I'll probably have to do those as well.

Thanks for the food recs. Im going to look into those.

 

[mickEblu]

My $.02 having done this lots of times.

The incremental price per day once you've hit 5d goes down significantly. I would get a 7d park hopper and skip universal this trip.
My advice whenever possible is to go early (the kids are going to be up anyway!) then head back to the hotel for a nap/swim. Then you're able to regroup and decide if you're headed to Disney Springs or to Epcot for supper. I would plan on Epcot in the evening for 2-3 nights. Definitely World Showcase has been one of the strengths of Epcot forever though it's less so now since the country representatives have been sent home. It will still be beautiful and should hopefully still have good food.

MK for 3-4 mornings and probably AK for 2-3 mornings assuming that your kids like animals. AK gets hot but you would probably want to pop back there late one evening to see it at night.

HS one 1/2 day. Gets less crowded in the afternoons so might use it as an after-nap drop. If you like it, you can pop back in later during the trip.

Missing the shows and fireworks that the parks have to offer is disappointing but not having to reserve FP might be just as nice for someone from DL.

Dining: MK - traditionally the girls love eating with the princesses in Cinderella's castle but it's $$ and not normal so maybe a pass. Would look into it though. Skipper Canteen at MK is good. Be Our Guest is $$ but good.
Epcot - We always like Chefs de France and Via Napoli but we're not too adventurous. Biergarten was fun when the world was normal
AK - we LOVE Tiffins.
HS - we always eat at the Brown Derby. It's a nice break to slow down and relax. I love the margarita flight and Cobb salad.
We also liked that Trattoria al Forno next to boardwalk in our last visit - it's on the skyliner

We rarely go to DS unless we've a reason to. Between the things available at the parks and resorts, we rarely feel the need.

Hope you have fun!

Wow, I didn't even realize that! For $100 more I can upgrade from a 5 day ticket to a 7 day 1 park per day ticket for 3 people!? So basically $33 a person. Am I seeing this right? Who wouldn't do that? Even on the down days, it would be nice to have the option to go to a park for a few hours to get some dinner at Epcot or just hit a ride you may have missed.

How is dining at Royal table different right now? Hmmm, Brown Derby sounds appealing too. I already planned on doing Sci Fi dine in for lunch on my DHS day. Would it be worth going to Brown Derby for dinner on a down day or any other night? I guess if I'm at the Caribbean Beach resort its just a skyline ride away. So do you have to fold your strollers in those like in all the other transportation vehicles?

Thanks for all the tips!

 

[mickEblu]

Check out the Trip Report area of the forums. There are a ton of helpful hints from those who have gone before you during this lovely time of Covid.

1. I think your itinerary is definitely doable with the down days. Transportation is actually pretty easy to allow for a bit of an afternoon nap break for everybody.
2. Stay away from HS on the weekend. If you have to choose Sunday over a Saturday. The other parks it doesn't matter too much from what I have seen on the forums.
3. You'll need to be at HS early for a boarding pass for RotR, and people seem to be having good luck riding MMRR right out of the gate without too much of a wait time. There doesn't seem to be as much issue with FOP for wait times like before Covid.
4. You're on the right track when thinking about which park to do twice. I would go MK over AK just for the sake of having more stuff available for the kiddos.
5. Not sure about the child switch, but I think one of the TR's does touch on this.
6. SciFi is great for the ambiance, but the food is nothing to write home about. There are a bunch of great options at DS (Raglan Road/Art Smith's Homecoming/Polite Pig), but it also has the kid friendly T-Rex and Rainforest Cafe type of stuff too.
7. I wouldn't deal w/ hoppers...and I don't know if they are available yet due to needing reservations for the parks. They are still having reduced park hours which makes hopping a little more difficult too.
8. There are a bunch of TR's covering the hotels you're looking at. I would sway towards Caribbean Beach for Skyliner access, and it's more centrally located for less transportation time.
9. The buses are fine to get you guys to/from the parks...no car seats needed. I would go UBER/LYFT for your Universal day, but I think car seats would be necessary for that.
10. Use DME (Disney's Magical Express) which is free when you stay at a Disney resort. They do all of the planning for you, so it's nice and easy.
11. I think the only transportation option at Coronado are the buses. Caribbean has both Skyliner and buses.
12. I don't know a whole lot about Disney Springs because the last time I was there it was still under a lot of construction. A lot of people from the forums seem to use DS more as a place to go for dinner and unwind after a day at the parks.
13 & 14. I'm not a fan of Universal because I have issues with the rides with all of the screens make me a bit green around the gills. We used Uber when we went a few years ago, and it was cheaper than I thought it was going to be.
15. You're definitely not crazy. I think a lot of people are chomping at the bit to go SOMEwhere, and it doesn't look like DLR is going to be opening any time soon. It's a good option...we were scheduled to go during this crazy last year, but we opted to cancel and try again next year after things settle down a bit.

I wish you the best of luck with your trip, and I'm sure you guys will have a blast no matter what you end up doing.

Thank you!! Really appreciate your advice and well wishes

Sounds like the only park I have to show up super early for is DHS. Or at least that's what I want to believe haha. You know earlier I said id skip ROTR and Smugglers Run but being that Disneyland is closed and my son has never been on ROTR I'm going to try to get a boarding pass for that one. He's really into Star Wars right now and has seen the ride through on YouTube a few times.

Im going to have to go check out those TRs too. Thanks again!

 

[mlayton144]

I forgot to ask, are their any dining reservations I should jump on sooner than later. Since I’m probably doing two days at MK, should I do Be Our Guest?

BOG is a prefixe meal offering now at about $60 per head though, I would skip it and Cinderella’s castle mean unless you really are into beauty and the beast , etc. I would book everything on line at 60 days just so you have them , easy to change at a moments notice

I would read reviews, menus, and watch YouTube videos for rides, restaurants and resorts. Also I wouldn’t worry about the kiddos too much , their favorite part of the trip will probably be swimming anyway LOL

 

[mickEblu]

BOG is a prefixe meal offering now at about $60 per head though, I would skip it and Cinderella’s castle mean unless you really are into beauty and the beast , etc. I would book everything on line at 60 days just so you have them , easy to change at a moments notice

I would read reviews, menus, and watch YouTube videos for rides, restaurants and resorts. Also I wouldn’t worry about the kiddos too much , their favorite part of the trip will probably be swimming anyway LOL

Lol speaking of swimming, late Feb/ early March doesn’t look too bad for that. I’m seeing highs in the mid 70s? Not too bad. I also like that I will be seeing WDW in classic mode with no decorations.

Yeah I’m 50/50 on BOG.

 

[SaltyD]

Thanks for the response! Great to hear from someone who’s gone in similar circumstances.

So when you say it’s easy to nurse at WDW is that because their are multiple nursing stations at the parks? Here at DL I think we have one per park.

When you Said you ll want to do more than one WDW day, did you mean MK? As a DL vet I’m a little at odds about this because I feel that I may not enjoy MK as much as DL. However it has the most attractions and most stuff for the kids to do so it probably makes the most sense. Plus it will be fun to be able to compare/ contrast everything with DL. Ill probably do MK on the first and last park days which right now would be a Tuesday and Monday.

Easy to nurse in the parks there because there are lot of out of the way areas where you can sit and discreetly nurse, as well as the child care areas in each park. Super easy to be there with an infant if you're nursing - no bottles, no schedules, just need a shady park bench.

I would definitely do MK more than one day - you might think it's just for the kids but you'll find the adults will enjoy it just as much!

And as one poster pointed out, each day you add to your park passes, the cheaper each day is - so it's definitely smart to do more days than you think you want, in order to enjoy each day. If you find you need to leave the park because the kids are overtired and want to go back to the pool, you'll have options for more days in the park. Don't count out swimming in Feb/March - the pools are heated!

Just make sure when you book your trip, as soon as you book it, reserve the parks you want to go to to make sure the parks have availability for the days you're there!

 

[MouseMelly]

Another favorite restaurant is Trail's End at the Fort Wilderness campground. I think right now they are doing it in family packs to-go, but it's great food and has gorgeous views of the Electric water parade

 

[mlayton144]

Don’t undersell some of the lower key attractions that DLR doesn’t have like:

- Hall of the presidents - a masterpiece if you like history
- American adventure - ditto
- living with the land
- carousel of progress - needs last scene updated but still a treasure
- impressions de France
- spaceship earth

The kids can nap during the above

 

[mickEblu]

Another favorite restaurant is Trail's End at the Fort Wilderness campground. I think right now they are doing it in family packs to-go, but it's great food and has gorgeous views of the Electric water parade

Mmmm. Would this happen to be BBQ?

 

[MouseMelly]

Mmmm. Would this happen to be BBQ?

It's traditionally a buffet, but does include BBQ! I think they currently have family packs of BBQ and fried chicken.

I'm not a buffet person, but really enjoy this place. The chefs are cooking behind the lines putting out fresh food, so that's a huge plus.

 

[mickEblu]

Don’t undersell some of the lower key attractions that DLR doesn’t have like:

- Hall of the presidents - a masterpiece if you like history
- American adventure - ditto
- living with the land
- carousel of progress - needs last scene updated but still a treasure
- impressions de France
- spaceship earth

The kids can nap during the above

Haha kids napping is always a plus. I was planning on doing all of these except Impressions as I’ll probably only have 1 day at Epcot but I’ll definitely try to fit it in if I can.

 

[rreading]

Traditionally, WDW dining is at 6mos out, so I would book anything you want ASAP. Since dining capacity is decreased, it's harder to get reservations at normal locations.

 

[rreading]

Haha kids napping is always a plus. I was planning on doing all of these except Impressions as I’ll probably only have 1 day at Epcot but I’ll definitely try to fit it in if I can.

again - and this can be done on the fly with a park hopper - returning to Epcot in the evening after an afternoon nap is SO worth it. Really a nice way to enjoy your evening. Definitely something that they don't have at DL!

 

[rreading]

While the table service dining has remained stable (though harder to get), the quick service options at WDW are not nearly as good since corona. We used to get a QS entree of rotisserie chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes at the Starlight Cafe for years - now there's nothing so reasonable there. Harbor House is probably the only QS I would go to at MK at this point. Other parks probably have better food options (The Land in Epcot has always had a pretty healthy QS) but having a table service reservation is definitely the way to go!

 

[mickEblu]

again - and this can be done on the fly with a park hopper - returning to Epcot in the evening after an afternoon nap is SO worth it. Really a nice way to enjoy your evening. Definitely something that they don't have at DL!

I like the idea of the being able to be spontaneous but I think in my case I have my bases covered with the 7 day 1 park per day tickets as I was planning on having 2 down days anyway so those can kind of be my “park hopping days” to do a dinner in the parks or get on a missed attraction. I just don’t think I’ll need this perk more than a couple nights in my scenario and considering current park conditions.

Are they planning on bringing fast passes back anytime soon? I hope not.

 

[rreading]

I like the idea of the being able to be spontaneous but I think in my case I have my bases covered with the 7 day 1 park per day tickets as I was planning on having 2 down days anyway so those can kind of be my “park hopping days” to do a dinner in the parks or get on a missed attraction. I just don’t think I’ll need this perk more than a couple nights in my scenario and considering current park conditions.

Are they planning on bringing fast passes back anytime soon? I hope not.

Nope

 

[mickEblu]

Traditionally, WDW dining is at 6mos out, so I would book anything you want ASAP. Since dining capacity is decreased, it's harder to get reservations at normal locations.

Thanks! I’ll get on it! Just waiting on confirmation that my bro in law and sister are 100% in. Them not coming and me not having the ability to child switch and ride some of the non kid friendly rides with my wife is a deal breaker.

 

[mickEblu]

Nope

Phew!

 

[Little Green Men]

Garden Grill is a fun restaurant at Epcot. It rotates and overlooks the Living with the land attraction. There are characters that are socially distanced on the second level of the seating and the food is family style with fresh vegetables grown inside the attraction.