WDW Questions and Hotel Recommendations?

[Trust2deal]

You have gotten some really good advice from the blog - don't think I can add anything that was not already said. You will have a great time no matter. Try to stay within the park for the whole stay - FYI.

Also, even though you may not have a reservation - you can still sometimes obtain seating at a nice restaurant. Try not to 'do it all' in one or two days. Allow for some downtime. Enjoy

 

[PTPGrad]

Ok I can't help with hotels as I have barely stayed on site (staying at a time share most times I visit). As to the other items:


3. Is it possibly too late too book some of the good park restaurants and E tickets with Fast pass plus considering 4/15 is only 3 weeks out? Would it be worth postponing this trip to early/ mid May so I could be closer to 60 days out and have my pick of the litter?

I would go ahead and book FP for what you can for now, even if it's not your first choice and as others have said, look at it as you get closer and on the morning of to see if you can rebook rides you want more. Flights oP and 7 Dwarves are going to be harder, but you may be able to score something. Just check and keep checking as people cancel or rebook. Others may have suggested splitting the group as you book the FP, i.e., make a FP for 2 of you at 1:30 and 2 of you for 2:00 and you may have better luck. Also, go out and refresh regularly. You get good stuff. Also, April may not be too bad and your wait times may not be awful. Go early, break in the afternoons and come back later. If you don't care for Parades, you may get a good time for 7 Dwarves or FoP, etc.

Restaurants will also have openings if you keep checking. I have found things like Le Cellier 3 days before and the like. Also, people have a 24 hour policy to cancel, so the day before you may get a surprise if someone overbooks or just changes their mind. You can get happily lucky.

4. What restaurants do you recommend to book for my table service meals at the parks? What restaurants do you recommend at Disney Springs or at any of the hotels?
AK: Tiffins is my fav, but Yak and Yeti is decent asian cuisine. I do like the buffet at Tusker house, but it's pricey, even though its all you can eat. The periperi salmon is amazing.
HS, Hollywood derby is my fav. Others have raved about the prime time diner, mostly because of the comedy of the staff. I only at at Mama Melrose once, so it's ok, but not at the top of my list to rush back to.
MK, Skipper canteen is my fav. Good mix of asian food and the staff has the same comedy level as the cruise. They do take advance bookings
Epcot, some of these may be hard to get, but I have had good meals at: Coral Reef, Hacienda St. Angel Inn(the one on the water, not inside the temple), Le Cellier, Monsieur Paul. Ashkerhaus is a good buffet, but you pay a premium to get pics with princesses.

Outside the parks, I have really enjoyed:
Wave and CA Grille at Contemporary, Citricos and the Afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian, Flying Fish at boardwalk, Frontera Cucina at Springs, Artists Point at Wilderness Lodge. I have a friend who said that Blue Zoo at the Swan/Dolphin is the best seafood she ever ate and others that go to Raglan Road for the irish pub food every chance they can.
I am planning trips to Morimoto and others in the next few trips out there, but don't have much info on those.

I don't do much quick service with my food allergies, but have liked the Kona cafe (sushi bar) at the Polynesian. The beignets at Port Orleans's French quarter quick service are AMAZING and they make seasonal ones. I would only do BoGuest at lunch. I loved it when it opened, but the last few times disappointed me. A quick service lets you see the rooms in the castle and not pay too much for the average food.

5. What are some must see hotels or must see anything outside of the parks?
IF you can do bars, Trader Sam's at the poly is great
Grand Floridian lobby with the piano player is lovely and the Jazz band Outside Mizner's is great in the evenings
Animal Kingdom Lodge does a tour of one of their restaurants that I am dying to try.

Enjoy!

 

[mickEblu]

You have gotten some really good advice from the blog - don't think I can add anything that was not already said. You will have a great time no matter. Try to stay within the park for the whole stay - FYI.

Also, even though you may not have a reservation - you can still sometimes obtain seating at a nice restaurant. Try not to 'do it all' in one or two days. Allow for some downtime. Enjoy

Thank you!

 

[mickEblu]

Ok I can't help with hotels as I have barely stayed on site (staying at a time share most times I visit). As to the other items:


3. Is it possibly too late too book some of the good park restaurants and E tickets with Fast pass plus considering 4/15 is only 3 weeks out? Would it be worth postponing this trip to early/ mid May so I could be closer to 60 days out and have my pick of the litter?

I would go ahead and book FP for what you can for now, even if it's not your first choice and as others have said, look at it as you get closer and on the morning of to see if you can rebook rides you want more. Flights oP and 7 Dwarves are going to be harder, but you may be able to score something. Just check and keep checking as people cancel or rebook. Others may have suggested splitting the group as you book the FP, i.e., make a FP for 2 of you at 1:30 and 2 of you for 2:00 and you may have better luck. Also, go out and refresh regularly. You get good stuff. Also, April may not be too bad and your wait times may not be awful. Go early, break in the afternoons and come back later. If you don't care for Parades, you may get a good time for 7 Dwarves or FoP, etc.

Restaurants will also have openings if you keep checking. I have found things like Le Cellier 3 days before and the like. Also, people have a 24 hour policy to cancel, so the day before you may get a surprise if someone overbooks or just changes their mind. You can get happily lucky.

4. What restaurants do you recommend to book for my table service meals at the parks? What restaurants do you recommend at Disney Springs or at any of the hotels?
AK: Tiffins is my fav, but Yak and Yeti is decent asian cuisine. I do like the buffet at Tusker house, but it's pricey, even though its all you can eat. The periperi salmon is amazing.
HS, Hollywood derby is my fav. Others have raved about the prime time diner, mostly because of the comedy of the staff. I only at at Mama Melrose once, so it's ok, but not at the top of my list to rush back to.
MK, Skipper canteen is my fav. Good mix of asian food and the staff has the same comedy level as the cruise. They do take advance bookings
Epcot, some of these may be hard to get, but I have had good meals at: Coral Reef, Hacienda St. Angel Inn(the one on the water, not inside the temple), Le Cellier, Monsieur Paul. Ashkerhaus is a good buffet, but you pay a premium to get pics with princesses.

Outside the parks, I have really enjoyed:
Wave and CA Grille at Contemporary, Citricos and the Afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian, Flying Fish at boardwalk, Frontera Cucina at Springs, Artists Point at Wilderness Lodge. I have a friend who said that Blue Zoo at the Swan/Dolphin is the best seafood she ever ate and others that go to Raglan Road for the irish pub food every chance they can.
I am planning trips to Morimoto and others in the next few trips out there, but don't have much info on those.

I don't do much quick service with my food allergies, but have liked the Kona cafe (sushi bar) at the Polynesian. The beignets at Port Orleans's French quarter quick service are AMAZING and they make seasonal ones. I would only do BoGuest at lunch. I loved it when it opened, but the last few times disappointed me. A quick service lets you see the rooms in the castle and not pay too much for the average food.

5. What are some must see hotels or must see anything outside of the parks?
IF you can do bars, Trader Sam's at the poly is great
Grand Floridian lobby with the piano player is lovely and the Jazz band Outside Mizner's is great in the evenings
Animal Kingdom Lodge does a tour of one of their restaurants that I am dying to try.

Enjoy!

Thank you! I Appreciate all of your input.

 

[Kman101]

MiLF isn't actually that terrible. It's just in the wrong park. But it's not for everyone either. It's a tad underrated. But I wouldn't specifically go out of my way for it either. Maybe when the kid is a little older. I don't know that it's interesting enough for a 2 year old. But it's a fun take on the Turtle Talk with Crush and Stitch Encounter, etc. But that's all it really is.

PhilharMagic and Muppets are both good 3D shows if you want to escape the heat for a while and have the time but they aren't major dos. Don't forget about Hall of Presidents and Country Bears if they appeal to you, but again, it depends on the time you have. But I understand wanting to hit the highlights. PeopleMover of course make sure you get on that. Guess I'm saying don't forget the smaller stuff to get out of the heat and crowds for a while. Oh, and The American Adventure at Epcot. Spaceship Earth. .... a lot has been mentioned and it's all great advice. EDIT: If you can catch it, Muppets Presents Great Moments in American History is fun and IMO well done. If you're a fan of the Muppets. The Muppets hang out the windows near Hall of Presidents. It's better than expected. But again, not something you necessarily need to go out of your way for, but something fun to catch if you can (especially since the MK in particular is light on the entertainment)

Rivers of Light is nice enough but you're fine if you miss it, I love the music though, it's a show with a lot of potential that didn't quite come together but I like the idea behind it and that they went IP free with a show that plays into the theme and message of the park. See the Tree of Life awakenings instead. It's projection mapping onto the tree of life and it's really cool. Very nice underrated offering.

I hope to hear about your thoughts on Splash Mountain And Pirates and Mansion just so you can say you compared them to the DL versions.

Have a great trip! WDW has a lot of gems but it has it's problems too. But it's worth visiting, IMHO. Glad to see you getting there!

I really only lurk in the DL section, lol, but ya'll amuse the heck out of me. It's not always 'so serious' in here ....

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

MiLF isn't actually that terrible. It's just in the wrong park. But it's not for everyone either. It's a tad underrated. But I wouldn't specifically go out of my way for it either.

It's one of those things you do if you have a ton of time or are on a return trip, IMO. It's not putrid, but it's not great, and it's definitely in the wrong place.

 

[Kman101]

It's one of those things you do if you have a ton of time or are on a return trip, IMO. It's not putrid, but it's not great, and it's definitely in the wrong place.

Oh, agreed. If you're short on time it isn't a must do. But a lot of people seem to enjoy it after they go into it, surprisingly. I was surprised I enjoyed it and I really didn't think I would. But it sort of is what it is. For a 2 year old, probably not the best choice, I don't travel with kids but I imagine a 2 year old wouldn't be that into it, but who knows? lol The MK has a fascination with appealing to 2-5 year olds now.

 

[Stevek]

Hello my fine WDW magic peoples. As I get deeper into this road trip / WDW trip planning I have a couple questions I was hoping some of you could help me answer. Possibly going as soon as Sunday 4/15 for 4 nights at the resort (1-2 nights possibly outside resort) and 6 day park hoppers (though i might not use all 6 days), with the 1 counter service, 1 table meal per day. (leaves me some flexibility with 1 meal per day). They re doing a "fun in the sun" off season deal that seems pretty reasonable but only offered on what appears to be Sunday through Thursday nights. Most of these hotels they are offering the deals on seem to be in the Animal Kingdom area or Disney Springs area, I'm guessing because they are geographically less desirable?

1. Where should I stay between the Port Orleans - Riverside, Pop Century, All Star Movies, All Star Music, All Star Sports, Disney Coronado Springs, or Disney's Caribbean beach resort? Do any of these make more or less sense with a 2 year old? I'm leaning towards Port Orleans, Coronado Springs or the Caribbean beach resort. These all seem pretty centrally located. Of all the hotels listed above, only the Port Orleans- Riverside has "boat" listed as a transportation option. All of the others only have the bus option. Is this a game changer? Which parks would this boat be able to take me too if any? I don't see a waterway leading from the resort to any of the parks. Also, of all the hotels listed, only Coronado Springs is available for a 5th night. Would doing one anyone of the hotels listed above for 4 nights and then a non Disney hotel outside of the bubble for 1-2 nights be too much of hassle? I'm thinking parks day 1 and day 2. Rest on Day 3. Parks day 3 and day 4. Then maybe a half day parks day 5 and hit the road to Savannah to start my road trip. I'm just getting 6 day park hoppers to have the convenience of park hopping while I'm there. 5 day park hoppers are't available with this deal.

2. How do you recommend getting to the parks each day from the resorts I'm leaning towards above?

3. Is it possibly too late too book some of the good park restaurants and E tickets with Fast pass plus considering 4/15 is only 3 weeks out? Would it be worth postponing this trip to early/ mid May so I could be closer to 60 days out and have my pick of the litter?

4. What restaurants do you recommend to book for my table service meals at the parks? What restaurants do you recommend at Disney Springs or at any of the hotels?

5. What are some must see hotels or must see anything outside of the parks?

6. I looked up closed attractions during my desired stay and it appears only the Liberty Bell Riverboat is down out of all 4 parks. I'm thinking the list is pretty accurate considering its only 3 weeks out, right? If TOT is down, there will be hell to pay.

Thanks in advance!

1. I've stayed at POP twice, always worked fine for us as we were in rooms so little. They are a bit smaller but we were close to the main building and buses. I believe Pop has it's own buses as well where All Stars share a bus so waits could be longer. Of the remaining ones you listed, Port Orleans would be the best. I would not do Caribbean beach again especially with the construction.
2. Use the Disney bus system. Worked great for us on every trip though it sucked from Caribbean Beach.
3. Possibly, but I wouldn't bother postponing unless it is a lower crowd time. We made FP changes day of in many cases, didn't have problems getting some e-tickets.
4. Via Napoli at Epcot, best Pizza I've ever had. Trails end and Fort Wilderness (great buffet). Lots of great options at Disney Springs, have heard that Homecoming is fantastic.
5. Do the monorail loop and visit all of the resorts on the lake. Take a boat to Wilderness lodge as well.

 

[Kman101]

Another vote for Pop. It's close enough to HS and Epcot. It's got some fun decor if you're into that. And you can also walk over to Art of Animation Resort and have a look around.

I've also stayed at French Quarter and really enjoyed it. New Orleans style buildings and nice grounds to walk around (though most of the hotels have nice grounds to walk around). And like Pop with Art of Animation, you can walk to Riverside, which is also very nice.

 

[mickEblu]

MiLF isn't actually that terrible. It's just in the wrong park. But it's not for everyone either. It's a tad underrated. But I wouldn't specifically go out of my way for it either. Maybe when the kid is a little older. I don't know that it's interesting enough for a 2 year old. But it's a fun take on the Turtle Talk with Crush and Stitch Encounter, etc. But that's all it really is.

PhilharMagic and Muppets are both good 3D shows if you want to escape the heat for a while and have the time but they aren't major dos. Don't forget about Hall of Presidents and Country Bears if they appeal to you, but again, it depends on the time you have. But I understand wanting to hit the highlights. PeopleMover of course make sure you get on that. Guess I'm saying don't forget the smaller stuff to get out of the heat and crowds for a while. Oh, and The American Adventure at Epcot. Spaceship Earth. .... a lot has been mentioned and it's all great advice. EDIT: If you can catch it, Muppets Presents Great Moments in American History is fun and IMO well done. If you're a fan of the Muppets. The Muppets hang out the windows near Hall of Presidents. It's better than expected. But again, not something you necessarily need to go out of your way for, but something fun to catch if you can (especially since the MK in particular is light on the entertainment)

Rivers of Light is nice enough but you're fine if you miss it, I love the music though, it's a show with a lot of potential that didn't quite come together but I like the idea behind it and that they went IP free with a show that plays into the theme and message of the park. See the Tree of Life awakenings instead. It's projection mapping onto the tree of life and it's really cool. Very nice underrated offering.

I hope to hear about your thoughts on Splash Mountain And Pirates and Mansion just so you can say you compared them to the DL versions.

Have a great trip! WDW has a lot of gems but it has it's problems too. But it's worth visiting, IMHO. Glad to see you getting there!

I really only lurk in the DL section, lol, but ya'll amuse the heck out of me. It's not always 'so serious' in here ....

Thank you! I will absolutely make some time for the smaller attractions. Definitely want to do Country Bears, Hall of Presidents and People Mover. MILF only if I have time.

Lol yes it can get a little “weird” over here but we like to have a good time.

I’ll definitely come back with a nice trip report. Seeing the differences between some of the E tickets is what I’m most looking forward to.

 

[Hattieboxghost110]

Thank you! I will absolutely make some time for the smaller attractions. Definitely want to do Country Bears, Hall of Presidents and People Mover. MILF only if I have time.

Lol yes it can get a little “weird” over here but we like to have a good time.

I’ll definitely come back with a nice trip report. Seeing the differences between some of the E tickets is what I’m most looking forward to.

Top of the mornin' Bruhnold Schwarzenegger! How's the WDW trip planning going?

 

[mickEblu]

Top of the mornin' Bruhnold Schwarzenegger! How's the WDW trip planning going?

lol morning bro and thanks for asking. It’s not going good to be honest. I was literally about to book the trip and my uncle started having cold feet about going. He owns his own business and thought he could take the time off but a couple things came up. So if I were to go just my wife and son, I would be Solo riding all the big rides. (Not really how I want to experience WDW for the first time.)

So I’m trying to see if early - Mid May works for my uncle and his fam. If not it’s probably not happening this year. Probably for the best. I took my son on the Mark Twain yesterday and by the end of the trip I wanted to jump into the Rivers of America. He threw his hat in the river and started crying for it just before the boat left the dock. I ran after it to about mid boat, dropped to the floor (chest to floor) and tried to reach for it and the horn blows. Couldn’t reach it and it drifted off never to be seen again. As I did this apparently I had put my sunglasses on the floor and forgot them there. Then he sees kids with their bubblers and started crying for that almost the entire ride. (He has one but we didn’t bring it yesterday). But seriously, did that Mom have to OPEN the new bubbler for her kid on the Mark Twain!? Kids can’t go on a 12 minute trip around the river without additional entertainment? END RANT.

So basically I don’t know if I need to fly to WDW and spend 4K to be stressed out. If I want to be stressed out at a Disney park I could drive to DL for much cheaper. Well there is a bright spot in this story....some nice guy found me and brought me back my sunglasses. So that was cool.

Anyway, if we don’t go this year it will probably be next year and I will use all the fantastic advice and tips I got in this thread... so long as they still apply.

 

[Curious Constance]

lol morning bro and thanks for asking. It’s not going good to be honest. I was literally about to book the trip and my uncle started having cold feet about going. He owns his own business and thought he could take the time off but a couple things came up. So if I were to go just my wife and son, I would be Solo riding all the big rides. (Not really how I want to experience WDW for the first time.)

So I’m trying to see if early - Mid May works for my uncle and his fam. If not it’s probably not happening this year. Probably for the best. I took my son on the Mark Twain yesterday and by the end of the trip I wanted to jump into the Rivers of America. He thre his hat in the river and started crying for it just before the boat left the dock. I ran after it to mid boat, dropped to the floor and tried to reach for it and the horn blows. As I did this apparently I had put my sunglasses on the floor and forgot them there. Then he sees kids with their bubblers and started crying for that. (He has one but we didn’t bring it yesterday. But seriously, did that Mom have to OPEN the new bubbler for her kid on the Mark Twain!? Kids can’t go on a 12 minute trip around the river without additional entertainment? END RANT.

So basically I don’t if I need to fly to WDW and spend 4K to be stressed out. At least a nice guy found me and brought me back my sunglasses though.

Anyway, if we don’t go this year it will probably be next year and I will use all the fantastic advice and tips I got in this thread... so long as they still apply.

If you're looking for stress free Disney trips, especially with children of any age, it ain't happening.

But on the flip side, I can see not wanting your first trip to WDW to be where you have to ride everything alone.

The stress changes as the kids get older, but it doesn't ever go away.

My kids were 9 and 13 last summer, and they both love Disneyland. While neither of them threw their hat in the river (lol), if you put any kid in 90+ heat, in massive crowds, with tired, achy feet for hours everyday, you're going to get some stress. Teenagers can be really, really scary!

 

[Hattieboxghost110]

lol morning bro and thanks for asking. It’s not going good to be honest. I was literally about to book the trip and my uncle started having cold feet about going. He owns his own business and thought he could take the time off but a couple things came up. So if I were to go just my wife and son, I would be Solo riding all the big rides. (Not really how I want to experience WDW for the first time.)

So I’m trying to see if early - Mid May works for my uncle and his fam. If not it’s probably not happening this year. Probably for the best. I took my son on the Mark Twain yesterday and by the end of the trip I wanted to jump into the Rivers of America. He threw his hat in the river and started crying for it just before the boat left the dock. I ran after it to about mid boat, dropped to the floor (chest to floor) and tried to reach for it and the horn blows. Couldn’t reach it and it drifted off never to be seen again. As I did this apparently I had put my sunglasses on the floor and forgot them there. Then he sees kids with their bubblers and started crying for that almost the entire ride. (He has one but we didn’t bring it yesterday). But seriously, did that Mom have to OPEN the new bubbler for her kid on the Mark Twain!? Kids can’t go on a 12 minute trip around the river without additional entertainment? END RANT.

So basically I don’t know if I need to fly to WDW and spend 4K to be stressed out. If I want to be stressed out at a Disney park I could drive to DL for much cheaper. Well there is a bright spot in this story....some nice guy found me and brought me back my sunglasses. So that was cool.

Anyway, if we don’t go this year it will probably be next year and I will use all the fantastic advice and tips I got in this thread... so long as they still apply.

I feel ya, bruh. Just took the wifey & son to Temecula for a few days. Temecula was gorgeous and fell in love with the place. And yet, I was ready to check into the Crisis Unit after the 1st day. Felt like I was losing my marbles. My son was EXTRA difficult and doing anything was impossible.

Told my wife that if my son get more difficult with time that I 'm ready to hire Mary Poppins. She wasn't too thrilled with the idea. Lol

You know I'm a bruh & would be down to be your wingman to ride all the rides @ talk smack. Unfortunately, work/marriage/daddy duties call

 

[mickEblu]

If you're looking for stress free Disney trips, especially with children of any age, it ain't happening.

But on the flip side, I can see not wanting your first trip to WDW to be where you have to ride everything alone.

The stress changes as the kids get older, but it doesn't ever go away.

My kids were 9 and 13 last summer, and they both love Disneyland. While neither of them threw their hat in the river (lol), if you put any kid in 90+ heat, in massive crowds, with tired, achy feet for hours everyday, you're going to get some stress. Teenagers can be really, really scary!

Lol I agree. The stress is just the cherry on top. If my Uncle and his fam came we could do child switch and ride in bigger groups and in addition the stress factor would also go down with more family to watch my son.

 

[mickEblu]

I feel ya, bruh. Just took the wifey & son to Temecula for a few days. Temecula was gorgeous and fell in love with the place. And yet, I was ready to check into the Crisis Unit after the 1st day. Felt like I was losing my marbles. My son was EXTRA difficult and doing anything was impossible.

Told my wife that if my son get more difficult with time that I 'm ready to hire Mary Poppins. She wasn't too thrilled with the idea. Lol

You know I'm a bruh & would be down to be your wingman to ride all the rides @ talk smack. Unfortunately, work/marriage/daddy duties call

LOL @ crisis unit. I appreciate it bruh. I hear ya on the duties, only reason I’m planning this trip is because my duties got cut in half. Lol.