What are your top tips when planning a trip to WDW?

Hi everyone,

I am so extremely excited for my up and coming 14 nights at WDW. I have a long wait as we are not heading to Orlando from the Uk on the 24th September. I am staying off property. (we are staying at the B resort so within walking distance to Disney Springs). The last time I visited Orlando was 2007 so there has been lots of changes since then. I plan on spending on visiting universal studios for a day and Islands of adventure (we love the Harry Potter films and are very excited to see the Harry Potter areas os both parks. They were not there since our last visit)Obviously the majority of our time will be spend at the Disney parks. The only issue is I have a medical condition now that I didnt have on our last trip which means I can't do as much as I used to and need to work in rest days. I have charts and have been using undercover tourist to work out the best park to visit and what day to visit!!

Does anyone recommend any other useful Disney or universal sites? Other than the dis obviously. We will be in Orlando on the 01/10/16 which is the magic kingdom's 45th birthday. Is it worth heading to the park that day? What are the chances of any special celebrations? Does anyone have any top tips? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have spent hours already on youtube watching videos on Orlando.

We plan on getting a 14 day ticket for WDW and if we get it in the UK we also get memory maker. I would like to buy a magic band but as for as I am aware this can't be bought in the UK but will hopefully pic up a magic band on our first night from Disney Springs.

Any recommended travel type guides online anyone would recommended? I have watched Disneys official one. I have also ordered Walt Disney world passporter.

Thanks in advance for any tips.

Claire

I forgot to ask. Would you recommend getting an express pass at universal and Islands of adventure if visiting at this time of the year?

Claire

A look at easywdw.com might be helpful. Also check out the DISabilities board here in the DIS for tips on how to get around and make the most of your trip. With 14 days you should have enough time to do what you want to do with rest time worked in.

Hope you have a great trip!

Edit - you might also check out the Unofficial Guide to WDW, a very comprehensive guide to WDW and other Orlando theme parks.

First a few questions for you...
How many people and age ranges are in your party?
What are your priorities (rides/dining/relaxing)?

Top tips I have for international travelers would be travel insurance (Sept+Florida could mean hurricane), and talking with an agent like DreamsUnlimited. I'm not a travel agency type of person and usually plan my own trips, but if something goes wrong with plans or booking, an agent who deals with these resorts or parks daily can often be very helpful.

The second is looking at your park tickets. You mentioned 14 nights and wanting to have 2 days at Universal. You will most likely want a down day when you get to Orlando to combat jet lag, so a 14 Disney pass may not be the best use of money. Look at and consider all options. If you spend 2 days at Universal and one day at Disney Springs or resort hopping, and one day to recover from travel, you only need a 10 day pass.

Being able to walk to Disney Springs may not be a huge help for park days. Busses from DS only go to resort hotels, not the parks themselves. Parking a car at a theme park is roughly $20, so I would look into Uber to get to the parks faster and more cheaply. Your resort will tell you they have shuttles to and from the parks, but it most likely won't be running as frequently as you expect. We have tried off site resorts, and usually they will have shuttles that drive to and from the TTC where you can get a Disney bus or monorail to a park. This may mean 1-1/2 hours of travel time in addition to the wait for the resort shuttle, and time is money (especially at the end of a long park day with tired and grumpy people)

Budget for time, expectations, and of corse money. Do not try to run your family dead tired to do everything. In 20 years going 2 to 5 times a year, we still haven't done it all. Make a plan of rides and food you want, then prioritize them. Budget wise, I plan at least $100-$150 per person per day on food and drinks. The more organized you are, the more smoothly and magical your trip will be. If you see a souvenier you want, buy it, because god knows when you may get the chance to again.

Be able to wait, more so if children are involved. Space Mountain isn't the only place with lines. You can expect to wait even if you have advanced dining reservations or fast passes (though they do help considerably). Plan for this with something to do while in line such as trivia pursuit cards or apps. The parks do offer free wifi, but you may be waiting for shuttle busses or to get through security where it is not available.

Buy offsite. Just down the street, though not really walking distance, is a grocery store and a liquor store. This will cost up to half as much as buying things in the parks or at the resort. Absolutely worth a cab or Uber.

Start walking now. We plan to walk at least 10 miles a day at the parks, so train yourself. There is nothing worse that spending all that money to be exhausted after just a few days. On the same topic, buy comfy shoes and break them in before you arrive. I laugh at the folks in brand new shoes, even more at the ones who dress up or wear high heals. In September shorts should be fine, but you may (will) get rained on, so be prepared.

I've rambled on quite a bit here, but search youtube for much of this and if you have any questions feel free to message me.

Edit:search allears. net for dining info and menues, and wdwinfo. com for tons of helpful threads.

clairenutter said:

I forgot to ask. Would you recommend getting an express pass at universal and Islands of adventure if visiting at this time of the year?

Claire

Click to expand...

It's not really needed unless you plan on going commando and want to hit every ride there. It hasn't been announced yet, but HHN may be going on during your trip if you're into that. The multi park pass may be more useful to ride Hogwarts Express from park to park. Craig & team have done a great job with the Dis Universal podcasts. You may want to take a day off and binge watch all the DisUnplugged and DisUniversal shows. They are both helpful and amusing

Thanks so much for your replies. I am in my late 30's (well actually this trip is for my 40th birthday. lol) and I am travelling with my mum who is in her late 60's. We are not travelling with kids.

I will definitely look at the tickets price and options again buying a 7 day ticket in the uk gets us 7 days free which was the reason for getting a 14 day ticket and this ticket also comes with a free memory maker!!

We stayed at the B resort when it was the Royal plaza and made regular trips to the supermarket you mentioned! (very handy). Saved us a fortune on cold drinks and snacks. We used the shuttle buses from the hotel that took us directly from the hotel to the theme parks. Might take a little longer than perhaps driving but neither of us would drive in USA!! You drive on the wrong side of the road!! lol.

We have booked the trip via a UK travel agent as a package and never ever travel without travel insurance. We both have worldwide 5 star travel insurance. In the uk next to nobody travels without travel insurance if something goes wrong especially when travelling to USA.

I suppose all three suggestions are our priorities! Lol. Not much help. We want to see and ride as many rides as we can but want to take it more slowly than the military operation I planned last time. I am starting to research places to eat so we can work this in and hopefully eat in some nice places. The last time we went we never really looked into this and that was a mistake!

As for building up the walking yeah we did that before we went the last time. Your poor feet are certainly abused with all that theme park walking. I 100% agree about very comfortable footwear. I always get the shoes a good couple of months before I travel and make sure they broken in.

I don't mind warm rain!! Lol. I live in Scotland and we have had cold wet rain now almost constantly since November!!.

Thanks again for all your tips and advice its very much appreciated.

Claire

Yes Pjweaver I listen to the pod cast on a regular basis. Very useful and informative. The idea of HHN petrifies me! LOL I am more a Mickey not so scary type person. Is that worth a visit? I will go on any roller coaster but HHN type thing really not my thing. People laugh that I love theme parks, roller coaster and have done crazy stuff like white water rafting, bunny swings, hot air balloon rides, jet boats but show me a ghost walk type thing and I run a mile. I do love the haunted mansion but that fun not scary!!

I am currently hooked on watching Orlando videos on you tube. LOL

The touringplans website has been our most valuable planning resource. I can't say enough good things about it!

For dining, everyone has their opinions. I'm a meat and potatoes guy where seafood and exotic foods I avoid. There are several threads on the dining boards, but since you are going when I am not, here are a few to try(new to you or changed since your last trip):
Be Our Guest in MK is a coveted ADR dinner, and for good reason.
Liberty Tree in MK is good despite some negative reviews.
California Grill at the Contemporary has great food (I am told the sushi is outstanding) and a breathtaking view of the MK, and if you dine an hour or so before Wishes fireworks you can watch from their private balcony with the soundtrack piped in.
For breakfast try Kona at the Poly, or get an ADR at Tusker House in AK before the park opens to get great pictures with hardly and people.
If you have never done it, Hoop Dee Do Review at Ft Wilderness is a must. It's all you can eat/drink with beer and wine, and a fun show. Pay for tier 1, for 5 or 10 dollars it's worth it.
Everything in Epcot's world showcase is good, but the wine cellar in Italy and bakery in France are great break/snack spots. If you visit the Rose and Crown pub in England say hi to Carl for me.
For a taste of true American southern style food offsite, try waffle house on your way to Universal. At Citywalk on your way into or out of Universal, stop into Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville for a cheeseburger and beer.

1) Consider all the advice on here, but never assume any of it will apply 100% to YOUR trip.

To plan, I pick which day for which park first. Then, look online for reviews & pics for different restaurants. Next, I pick restaurants & times, since ADRs are 180 days. Then I focus on my plan for each park, times, & FPs.
Since you're not from FL, I would check average temps for the dates your going to get an idea of clothing you'll need. Also, it's nice to have food & drinks delivered to your hotel if you don't plan on having a car. Garden Grocer has always worked well for us.
And of course the most important thing is to plan to stop and smell the roses, relax, go off plan, & let the magic happen. Have a good trip.

Thanks again for all the tips. I have a wee chart printed out about 5 times that covers every day of the holiday. I am really glad to hear touring plans has worked for folk. I used tour guide Mike the last time and it was spot on. So so helpful. I have already assigned what days we are going to what parks going by the crowd levels advised on touring plans. Just need to wait for park hours and make sure that those days will cover the shows we want to see.

As for the weather compares to Scotland well its going to extremely warm in comparison. Lol. Already have comfortable light clothing in mind along with a long sleeved rash top to protect me from the strong sun if needed. (we were in Oz last year and a bought a really good quality sun proof one) my scottish skin often hates the heat and sun and I often get prickly heat.

I think I need to start thinking about where we want to eat as 180 days is not far away!! I am not a fish fan either! Lol. But I like the sounds of the suggestions. I was thinking a breakfast in a park sounded like a good idea but always feel its a bad choice as if doing that your missing the opportunity to ride a number of rides while the lines are short. I hadn't considered the possibility of getting into a park early and going breakfast that sounds like a very clever and exciting plan especially if you get the opportunity to takes pics of a park with not so many folk in it!! lol

I think its really important to not rush around the parks and miss the small things. I think stopping and taking some time out makes it a more enjoyable experience. Its the details that you miss when running about like a mad person. The last twice I have been its been almost commando style. I am doing as much research as possible and now I know my way round the parks can get to what I want to see more quickly. I have only been the animal Kingdom once and that was in1999!! So quite a few things have changed there. I can't wait to ride Everest! I remember the dinosaur ride being quite cool. The safari of course and I loved the festival of Lion King. I have seen the musical 3 times! Twice in London and once in Edinburgh. I have also seen the Disneyland Paris Lion King version on stage which was also very good.

Thank you again for all your tips. I will continue to research and read and watch videos and listen to podcasts to absorb as much info as I can to get the most out of this trip.

Alright, you asked

First off, staying off site, I would avoid EMH days like the plague. Parks with EMH are almost always more crowded than non EMH parks. Additionally, the day AFTER EMH (and especially evening EMH) hours is usually the least crowded for a park. So, for example, if MK has evening Extra Magic Hours on say Wednesday (as it currently does) then it is a good bet to visit MK on Thursday, when the crowds in MK are likely to be lower.

This should help you to pick which park to visit on each day. Also, pay attention to what nights the Main Street Electric Parade are scheduled for. I know that towards the end of August, they don't have it scheduled every night, so this may affect your visit, and is especially important if you really want to see the parade.

Once you have picked which parks you will visit on which days, then you can figure out your Table Service dining. Keep parade and show times in mind when planning these meals. 180 days before your arrival, you can begin making ADR's for your table service meals. We particularly enjoy breakfast at The Crystal Palace (in Magic Kingdom), and Chef Mickey's (at the contemporary, which is a 5 minute walk to MK) before the park opens. At Crystal Palace we try to get the 8:05 (earliest time available) ADR, and at Chef Mickeys, we typically shoot for 7:15 to 7:30, so that we have time to eat, then hop the monorail over to MK and be there for rope drop. We also really enjoy Ohana for supper (at the Polynesian) and the Rose and Crown for supper (World Showcase in EPCOT). As an added bonus, if you schedule your ADR for Rose and Crown right, you can sit there to watch Illuminations. We usually go for a 7:30 ADR, and when we check in, we ask nicely if we could be seated in the back patio area. The view of Illuminations from there is amazing. Well worth waiting a little longer to be seated!!!

Staying offsite, you will be making your FP+ selections at 30 days out. Important rides to get FP+ for include Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan, Space Mountain, Test Track and Soarin', Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids, Toy Story Mania, and Rock N Roller Coaster. I'm sure there are others too, those are the biggies for us.

For headliners like Toy Story, we usually schedule our fast pass plus for 9:30 - 10:30. We go to the ride as soon as the park opens, and ride once standby, which usually doesn't take super long, then use the FP for a second ride. This works well for Toy Story, Test Track, on Soarin' we can often ride two, or even three times standby before the line gets long.

Quick service / counter service locations will give you cups of ice water for free. Carry flavoring like Mio with you, and use the free water to avoid dehydration, and to avoid spending mad money on bottled water. When your body starts telling you it needs a break, get a drink, and find a bench. Sit down for a while, rest, re hydrate. In the long run, you will have more energy, and get more done by taking a bit of rest / down time when you need it.

clairenutter said:

Hi everyone,

I am so extremely excited for my up and coming 14 nights at WDW. I have a long wait as we are not heading to Orlando from the Uk on the 24th September. I am staying off property. (we are staying at the B resort so within walking distance to Disney Springs). The last time I visited Orlando was 2007 so there has been lots of changes since then. I plan on spending on visiting universal studios for a day and Islands of adventure (we love the Harry Potter films and are very excited to see the Harry Potter areas os both parks. They were not there since our last visit)Obviously the majority of our time will be spend at the Disney parks. The only issue is I have a medical condition now that I didnt have on our last trip which means I can't do as much as I used to and need to work in rest days. I have charts and have been using undercover tourist to work out the best park to visit and what day to visit!!

Does anyone recommend any other useful Disney or universal sites? Other than the dis obviously. We will be in Orlando on the 01/10/16 which is the magic kingdom's 45th birthday. Is it worth heading to the park that day? What are the chances of any special celebrations? Does anyone have any top tips? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have spent hours already on youtube watching videos on Orlando.

We plan on getting a 14 day ticket for WDW and if we get it in the UK we also get memory maker. I would like to buy a magic band but as for as I am aware this can't be bought in the UK but will hopefully pic up a magic band on our first night from Disney Springs.

Any recommended travel type guides online anyone would recommended? I have watched Disneys official one. I have also ordered Walt Disney world passporter.

Thanks in advance for any tips.

Claire

Click to expand...

My biggest tips are this:
-Don't try to do it all, even in 14 days there will be things you wanted to do that you may have missed. I was there for a year and there's still a couple places we didn't get around to going! Lol
-Rope drop! Esp at Magic Kingdom, can help you accomplish SO MUCH MORE. Be at the park for around 8:30 for a 9 opening, the welcome show is super cute, then head straight to whatever attractions you want to do first.
-Go left when possible, most crowds go right, true in Mk, people head to Space & Fantasyland, you can too, OR you can veer to frontierland and there will be virtually no one around
-With a condition needing more rest, I'd say stay in the parks til mid-late afternoon when it kinda turns into a madhouse no matter the time of year, and go back for a rest/nap, return that evening for fireworks/parades. We usually leave after the 3pm parade at MK and head to the Grand for some relaxing before returning after dinner.
-HYDRATE
-I've never used the express pass at Universal & never had to but I don't go on any big rides. We always get there, head straight to the Newer HP stuff, Diagon Alley, and ride Gringotts, explore the shops, probably get a butterbeer and ride the train over to the other side (remember this is a park hop) ride the big rides there, do Jurassic Park and then explore the rest of Islands of Adventure before returning to the other side for a few rides & parade.

I don't really have anything to add- such good advice has already been given. I just wanted to say that I am envious that you live in Scotland. Have you ever traveled some place and felt like you belonged there? That is Scotland for me! I love your beautiful countryside.

Oh- editing in: I love Disney tourist blog. Tom takes beautiful photos and does some very informative reviews and blog posts. I think you would love looking through his photos. Definitely gets me even more excited!

I would say if you purchase a 7 day ticket and then get 7 days free plus Memory Maker................you're fine............you're not paying for the days at other parks or sitting by the pool. That's a good deal. You can use that extra money for purchasing the 2 days at Universal........and other things.

The way I plan is once I have my dates and budget (I work them together).............

I start planning the parks I want to visit on a particular day..........I don't put much detail into this because it tends to be early in the Disney calendar so I don't have EMH days or park opening times. Are you're tickets hopper or 1 park a day? That'll matter............we've done both styles but it does dictate some things..........like without a hopper you can't do MK during the morning and then eat in Epcot in the evening.

My next thought is what are the 2 or 3 things I really want to do in EACH PARK! Not each day..........in each Park! From there I place those must do's in my plan............leaving space for movement just in case. By ADR day (180 prior to trip - do you folks in the UK have that?) I've got a general layout...........now I have 3 or 4 ADR's I must do................I just get them.........and see where things fall......not really I have a general idea and a backup plan if I don't get one............then I make adjustments up until FP day..............

If I have CRT or BOG.......those days tend to lock me into the MK............since they're tough reservations to get.........but at FP day I've got a basic plan (rides I want to get, 7DMT comes to mind) and an alternative if I don't. A hint is to book the popular rides/attraction in the last days of your window.........where fewer folks have things planned. (there is difficulty here for you since you'll only do 10 days at FP day......and the other days roll on a day at a time from there). With the exception of a must do's for each park and a couple of ADR's..............you'll have some flexibility with the FP's (IMHO). This site http://www.thedibb.co.uk/ is really good for FP info..........and its in your backyard

This sounds confusing............simplified its:

1. Plan Park Days - as soon as you have your dates
2. Plan Must do's by Park - done along with #1
3. Plan ADR's - based on what came out of #1 & #2 (have backup plans)
4. Secure ADR's and adjust based on backup plans
5. Plan FP's base on #1, #2, #3, and #4 (have backup plans)
6. Secure FP's - Based on where you are after #5 and adjust
7. Tweak where you can until you get on a plane!
8. Vacation starts
9. If you plan changes while your here.........go with the flow!

At Step #3 you can easily starting adding details............Step#9 can be the most difficult step to follow..............but if you don't OVER plan..........you should be fine!

Have a great vacation!

Doug

clairenutter said:

I forgot to ask. Would you recommend getting an express pass at universal and Islands of adventure if visiting at this time of the year?

Claire

Click to expand...

Yes. If you are only doing one day then you may need it although most if not all the Harry Potter rides don't take it. You'll also need a Park-to-Park ticket if you want to ride Hogwarts Express. You may want to consider staying at one of the Universal resorts (Hard Rock, Portafino, Royal Pacidic) at the beginning or end of the trip. That way you get the free Express Pass and early entry to the parks.

strat68 said:

Yes. If you are only doing one day then you may need it although most if not all the Harry Potter rides don't take it. You'll also need a Park-to-Park ticket if you want to ride Hogwarts Express. You may want to consider staying at one of the Universal resorts (Hard Rock, Portafino, Royal Pacidic) at the beginning or end of the trip. That way you get the free Express Pass and early entry to the parks.

Click to expand...

I 2nd this. That Express pass makes the cost of staying on-site at Universal TOTALLY worth it and it will save you so much time in line. You will also get early park entry for Harry Potter, which is great if you are a HP fan! I have stayed at both the Hard Rock and Royal Pacific. I prefer Royal Pacific personally, it's a bit more relaxing, but Hard Rock is great too and it is the closest to the actual parks.

Haha thanks again all. The last time I visited we were at the magic kingdom for rope drop and the wee show was really cute. We also headed to the Grand Floridian for a rest and some cool drinks and something to eat. Was a really nice thing to do and also gave us the option to have a little look round a Disney hotel.

As for universal and IOS we plan on getting a 2day 2 park ticket I was thinking go to Universal and do all the HP at universal. Go see and do all the other rides at Universal. I would like to do as many as we can. Every time I look at a video or the universal website I go ohhh yeah I would like to do that ride! So exciting. After doing universal I would plan on then taking the Hogwarts express to IOS and maybe do a couple of rides and leave. The 2nd day at universal/IOS start at in IOS go directly to HP and then do the rest of the rides in IOS and again finish by getting the Hogwarts express to Universal and perhaps do a couple of rides.

I will defo try and use FP at Disney parks. The last time we were always at the parks for rope drop. Its just great cause we did all the big rides in the first hour or so and then went for refreshments and relaxed a bit. I always take lots of bottled water with me to the parks and usually a soft drink like coca cola I find the mixture a great way staying hydrated and keeping your energy levels up!

mindeola said:

I don't really have anything to add- such good advice has already been given. I just wanted to say that I am envious that you live in Scotland. Have you ever traveled some place and felt like you belonged there? That is Scotland for me! I love your beautiful countryside.

Oh- editing in: I love Disney tourist blog. Tom takes beautiful photos and does some very informative reviews and blog posts. I think you would love looking through his photos. Definitely gets me even more excited!

Click to expand...

I do know exactly what you mean. I would happily move into the castle at the magic kingdom! lol haha only kidding. I visited New Zealand last year and felt the same way. But parts did remind me of Scotland which is possibly why!

Where about in Scotland did you visit?