First timer here. Need help planning for April 2017

[DeanDoug]

AKL is one of our absolute favorite resorts- anywhere! Great pool, kids activities, restaurants and African animals! So special... but some think it is far from the parks.

 

[87Goofy]

AKL is one of our absolute favorite resorts- anywhere! Great pool, kids activities, restaurants and African animals! So special... but some think it is far from the parks.

Who can afford that! AKL is awesome but way out of "normal" people's price range.

Stay at Pop Century! You can always hop a bus to hang out at AKL just not swim! I go there to work sometimes!

 

[DeanDoug]

Who can afford that! AKL is awesome but way out of "normal" people's price range.

Stay at Pop Century! You can always hop a bus to hang out at AKL just not swim! I go there to work sometimes!

I didn't suggest it, it was one of the options they noted so I assumed it is in their price range. You are correct, it is an expensive resort. We purchased AKL DVC many years ago which is how we can stay there. We've also stayed at POP and it is nice, but not really comparable.

 

[87Goofy]

I didn't suggest it, it was one of the options they noted so I assumed it is in their price range. You are correct, it is an expensive resort. We purchased AKL DVC many years ago which is how we can stay there. We've also stayed at POP and it is nice, but not really comparable.

Oh I am sorry, my bad. I need to get better at reading everything.

Can you believe I had the opportunity to buy into DVC at Key West for a low $3k? Woulda coulda shoulda - so I moved here instead.

I haven't stayed at Pop yet but I seen they are in the middle of remodeling = cheaper price and potential for a new room! Plus AoA is across the lake!

 

[GPC0321]

You're going to be there during Easter, just as we were last year. It was our first trip back to WDW after 17 years away, and I came here to the Dis and learned a lot. I started planning 9 months out. You will be seeing Disney World at near peak crowds. It's totally manageable, but just be prepared. Get up early, be there when the parks open, take breaks when the crowds are the thickest, and go back in the evenings.

Word to the wise, though, getting a spot at the main pool during peak pool times (mid-morning through afternoon) can be a trial. At least that was the case at Coronado Springs' main pool when we were there.

My cousin and her family (two young boys) just got back from the kids' first trip to Disney, and they stayed at AoA and loved it. I have never stayed at Carribean Beach, but a colleague of mine was just there over Christmas, and they spent one night there before checking into the Swan/Dolphin, and said they liked it pretty well (and they're used to Beach Club, so that's saying something).

I've never set food on Animal Kingdom Lodge's property, but I hope to get to stay there some day. It's a deluxe resort, so it's going to be a little more posh than the other two.

I'm not a fan of the dining plan because it makes me feel like I'm planning my trip around where we're going to eat so that we're getting the most "bang for our buck". I don't like wasting money or being confined.

You'll have the benefit of the Flower and Garden Festival going on at Epcot. It's lovely! Lots of gardens and flowers (duh, lol!) and special food/beverage kiosks called Outdoor Kitchens with some yummy offerings.

 

[LissA Ell]

Easter is the middle of April - falling in your travel week - so plan for massive crowds! It's the second busiest time of year for Disney. Plan accordingly and do a lot of research.

Yikes, I didn't even think about this! My boyfriend and I were planning to go April 20 - 23, for the Flower & Garden Festival. I really wanted to go on Earth Day, due to the special activities they have that day. We will ONLY be going to Epcot the whole trip... is it safe to assume it's going to be absolutely wall to wall packed then?

 

[buzznina]

We have stayed at all 3 levels and we have totally enjoyed each trip and had a great time. In regards to the dining plan being that its during one of the busiest times and the OP has not made any ADRs, they will probably not be able to get any good restaurants and definitely not any good times, those have been gone for awhile. So I would not even consider it.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Yikes, I didn't even think about this! My boyfriend and I were planning to go April 20 - 23, for the Flower & Garden Festival. I really wanted to go on Earth Day, due to the special activities they have that day. We will ONLY be going to Epcot the whole trip... is it safe to assume it's going to be absolutely wall to wall packed then?

I haven't been in April so don't have any personal experience but my guess is that it will be very busy but you can still get a lot done during the first 2-3 hours in the morning if you are there when the park opens, including hitting some of the major rides. Basically, get to the park about 30 minutes before it opens (usually 9 a.m.) and then head over to one of the major attractions that you want to ride (Soarin', Test Track or Frozen) and then go ride the secondary rides with minimal wait. There aren't a ton of rides at Epcot (unlike say Magic Kingdom) so in 3 days you should be able to ride all the rides you want if you get there early. You definitely should take advantage of Fastpass as well. So rides in the morning, maybe head back to your resort around lunchtime to hang out at the pool, then back to Epcot in the afternoon with dinner reservations in the park and to walk around and enjoy the food booths.

I just did some spot checking and there are plenty of reservations available around 1:00 each day for the table service restaurants in Epcot. The evening availability is more limited but there are still a lot available. For example, you can book Chefs de France, San Angel Inn or Teppan Edo for lunch dinner on April 22 or 23. Those are probably our favorite restaurants at Epcot. You can also walk out the back gate of Epcot over to the Boardwalk area and there are a number of restaurants there. You should make reservations now -- you can always cancel later, but make sure you do so if you don't intend to go because you card will be charged if you don't cancel and are a no-show (you have to use a card to hold reservations, though no charge is applied). And if you do the dining plan, you can use your snack credits at the food booths.

 

[LissA Ell]

I haven't been in April so don't have any personal experience but my guess is that it will be very busy but you can still get a lot done during the first 2-3 hours in the morning if you are there when the park opens, including hitting some of the major rides. Basically, get to the park about 30 minutes before it opens (usually 9 a.m.) and then head over to one of the major attractions that you want to ride (Soarin', Test Track or Frozen) and then go ride the secondary rides with minimal wait. There aren't a ton of rides at Epcot (unlike say Magic Kingdom) so in 3 days you should be able to ride all the rides you want if you get there early. You definitely should take advantage of Fastpass as well. So rides in the morning, maybe head back to your resort around lunchtime to hang out at the pool, then back to Epcot in the afternoon with dinner reservations in the park and to walk around and enjoy the food booths.

I just did some spot checking and there are plenty of reservations available around 1:00 each day for the table service restaurants in Epcot. The evening availability is more limited but there are still a lot available. For example, you can book Chefs de France, San Angel Inn or Teppan Edo for lunch dinner on April 22 or 23. Those are probably our favorite restaurants at Epcot. You can also walk out the back gate of Epcot over to the Boardwalk area and there are a number of restaurants there. You should make reservations now -- you can always cancel later, but make sure you do so if you don't intend to go because you card will be charged if you don't cancel and are a no-show (you have to use a card to hold reservations, though no charge is applied). And if you do the dining plan, you can use your snack credits at the food booths.

Thank you so much! This is great advice!

 

[AshleeH]

Yikes, I didn't even think about this! My boyfriend and I were planning to go April 20 - 23, for the Flower & Garden Festival. I really wanted to go on Earth Day, due to the special activities they have that day. We will ONLY be going to Epcot the whole trip... is it safe to assume it's going to be absolutely wall to wall packed then?

I would plan on it, just because I go into Disney with an "Expect the worst" mentality and that way, if crowds are better than expected, it's a nice surprise. Some of the Easter crowds will have dispersed a bit - the ones who had Spring Break the week before Easter - but I think historically, it's the week after that has the most Spring Breaks. I could be completely wrong on that. At any rate, the Flower and Garden Festival looks absolutely beautiful (it's on my Disney List of things to try someday - might happen next year!) so enjoy your trip!