Beginner Post

sablebomb

Mouseketeer
Joined
Dec 28, 2012
I've been doing my research. First time trip.
Group of 5.
We have accommodations booked (off site).

What's next?
I know we need to do park passes and dining reservations- but I'm guessing the two probably need to be coordinated so you are not making a reservation at a location that is different from the park you plan to be in that day? Anyone have any tips?
Example, if we are going to parks for 6 of our 10 days, should we determine which days we are going to go to which parks and then look into the dining reservations afterwards?

And, this may be silly but I really don't know- if you are not staying on site can you still use the restaurants at these onsite resorts or are these reserved for guests of the resort only?

THANKS!
 
The resort restaurants can be used by anyone. You might have to show ID when you stop at the gate at the entrance to the resort but you just need to tell them you are there to eat at the restaurants. I always figure out what parks I am going to do on what days first and then I plan my meals around that. When is your trip? You can begin making dining reservations 180 days before your trip. Some of the more popular ones like 'Ohana and Be Our Guest etc. usually go pretty quickly. But I've also found that if you keep checking regularly you can sometimes find reservations a lot closer to your trip dates. I would look into a crowd calendar to help plan your park days. Touring Plans has a good one but you have to pay a yearly subscription to use it. I find their website to be very helpful with a lot of things though so to me the fee is worth it. They also have a reservation finder where you can input what restaurant reservation you are trying to find and they will alert you when one becomes available.
 
First trip! So much fun.

Okay, I will try to answer some of your questions. I would recommend buying a book like The Unofficial Guide or spending a bunch of time on forums here or wdw prep school etc. While it's very possible to enjoy a Disney vacation without all this research, you will save yourself a lot of time and money by reading up on all the tips, tricks, dates, etc.

What I would do first is do a basic outline of how many days you are going and where you think you might want to spend each day. This will change but I find it helps to visualize. You will probably want to decide if plan to get park hoppers or one park per day tickets. Then make a list of places you would like to eat and try to fit that into your plan. You are welcome to eat at any of the resort restaurants, you don't have to be staying onsite. Just make sure you plan LOTS of time for travel. It will always take you longer to get there than you think. You will be able to book reservations 180 days out. Since you are staying offsite this will be one day at a time. I always try to book as soon as possible, especially if you want one of the more popular restaurant.

You won't really need your park tickets until it's time to book fast passes. This will be 30 days out. So keep your eyes open for a deal or look into buying them from Undercover Tourist. I have found it helpful to buy a Touring Plans subscription to try to plan out my days. It helped me figure out how much I could reasonably get done in a day and how to space out my fast passes. We didn't ever follow the plan in any structured way but it helped me organize what I wanted to do.
 
+1 on Unofficial Guide and Touring Plans. Purchase UG first, as it provides a discounted rate for the TP site. You have to provide a specific passage from the book to qualify for the discount.

I read a fresh copy of UG every other year to stay up to date on what is new in the parks, and the best way to see them. It is much more enjoyable to hit the parks with a bit of a plan rather than walking through the gates and saying "now what?" These are big parks, so knowing in advance will make the most of your day, and get you on the rides you really want. UG provides a really good insight into how to do this for all kinds of touring styles from Commando Ride Warrior, to family Kiddie Rides Rule, to Princess Stalkers, down to Geriatric Strollers. (I think I'm in the first category, but am quickly approach the last category).

And yes, the Touring Plans crowd calendars really do work for picking days. We do March break, and it always gets us into the best park for any given day. Once you have a rough itinerary worked out, get your dining reservations in the park or at the nearby resorts as early as you can, they go quick. Then make your FastPass+ reservations at the 30 day mark.

BTW - we stay offsite always, and rarely eat at Disney. Orlando has a very vibrant restaurant scene, and offsite will get you better quality dining at a lower price. We eat a lot of snacks in the park, but save our big meals for outside the park, perhaps even going out of the park for a swim at the resort and an early dinner, and then returning for the evening entertainment.

There are a ton of threads on the Orlando Hotels and Attractions Forum covering all the best restaurants in any given area.
 


I echo what others have said about buying WDW The Unofficial Guide. The book really teaches you how to tour WDW. It’s loaded with a ton of info. Research and prep are key to a successful WDW trip. The touring plans in UG work, giving you more time on attractions and less time waiting in line. The crowd calendar on their web site Touring Plans gives you the most and least crowded park each day.

I know eating meals off site is cheaper, but to us eating in WDW in the wonderfully themed restaurant is as much a part of the vacation as the parks. I can go to an ordinary restaurant anywhere. It’s a matter of personal pref.
We also prefer staying onsite for the convenience, perks, and immersion. I also don’t want to rent a car and drive which if staying off site you have to.

We have bought tickets from Undercover Tourist and they offer a savings and good service. Be sure when comparing prices that you compare apples to apples. UT posts total ticket price on main page and doesn’t charge shipping. Some ticket sites only show ticket price before tax, then when you go to checkout, added fees appear like taxes and shipping.
The Disney site doesn’t show tax until check out.

Enjoy planning!,
 
Ditto on Touring Plans website and the Unofficial Guide, which is written by the people who run the website. Their touring plans can be customized in great detail and their crowd levels are usually pretty close.

As for reservations, except for the high demand restaurants (breakfast at BOG or Cinderella's Royal Table, for example), you don't have to be on the phone at midnight of your 180th day. Many restaurants will have openings very close to the time of your trip. That said, if you have a plan, make a few reservations. You can always cancel them if you change your mind.

Fastpasses can be booked for offsite guests 30 days before your trip. DO THAT!!!! Make sure you have your tickets and you've entered them into your My Experience account so you can make your fastpass reservations. That also means you should have a good idea which park your going to on which day and even, if you're up for it, a general plan ready to go. You need to at least know what you want to see and do.

Also, I highly recommend making rope drop. Crowds are so much smaller in the mornings than after lunch. Well, read the book and ask any questions you'd like here and/or on the Touring Plans site, too.

Happy planning. :mickeyjum
 
Welcome aboard!

I also endorse Touring Plans and the Unofficial Guide. Even if you don't subscribe to TP, there's good information on the site.

Before purchasing the Unofficial Guide, check your library to see if they have one available. It may be out of date what with all the changes at Disney Springs and such, but still a tonne of useful information in there.

I prefer eating offsite, but I'm not opposed to eating at the parks as well. We booked one character dinner for the kids as a treat, and generally eat lunch at a fast casual restaurant at the parks (adult entrees are huge!). Dining at Epcot is good too - Chefs de France has a Prix Fixe that provides good value (I think it was $25-30). It provides a great memory for me because we dined there on the day of the Bat Flip.

Offsite, we've often travelled to North Orlando for Vietnamese. It's actually pretty good. And don't forget to bring your Costco card (if you have one) + Visa credit card - probably the best place to fill up on gas.
 


I recommend checking out www.easywdw.com . Josh gives great advice for what park to go on which days (avoid parks with extra magic hours since you're off site - they will be busier!). Plus he has some great touring plans for each park. We've followed his advice each trip, our friends have as well, and he's always been bang on! Plus I love his sarcastic sense of humour! lol

What time of the year are you going? How long? Kids? Ages? The water parks are great as an add on, depending on what time of year you go and are a nice way to spend a more relaxing day away from the park.

Yes you can go to all the resorts to eat and participate in activities there. Animal Kingdom Lodge is a destination in itself. Having a dinner at the Poly and watching fireworks from the beach is a great experience as well. Fort Wilderness has a Chip and Dale campfire sing along that's open to everyone. Take a break from Epcot and take a stroll around the boardwalk area. So much to see and do outside of the parks as well! Nice to take a break and hop on the monorail or a boat to a resort for a lunch or dinner.

So much fun planning your first one. I bet you'll be planning your next trip while you're there!
 
What fun planning a first trip! I echo what everyone has said about taking the time to do some research -- you'll be spending too much money to land in Orlando and then "ok now what?" The books recommended are all excellent and the money for a membership with Touring Plans was the best $10.00 i spent (and I've been going since 1971!)

A few suggestions for you -- hit up the outlet mall for the Disney Stores, you can find some GREAT deals on merchandise that was in the parks & resorts -- can save you a bundle on souvenirs. Make use of the free transportation options within Disney. You can park you car at any of the parks and then use the buses, monorails & boats to any of the resorts. Each resort is so amazingly themed and the gift shops all have slightly different items to see. You can have a snack at the quick service restaurants (think fast food but not always burgers!!), grab a drink and people watch, wander around and enjoy the scenery. I agree that the Animal Kingdom Lodge is worth several hours. *** If you are wanting to just wander around the resorts on a day you aren't planning on going to a park you can park at that resort and poke around. The guard will want to see some ID and you can just tell them you want to check out the resort. You shouldn't leave your car for more than 3 hours but that will be long enough to park at any of the monorail resorts and then do the loop before picking up the car and going back to your hotel/condo whatever. You can most definitely make dining reservations as well and you can make those at the 180 day mark even though you are staying off-site.

**** Yoo-hoo @sablebomb are you still with us??
 
I read a fresh copy of UG every other year to stay up to date on what is new in the parks, and the best way to see them

Me too - even if I'm not planning on going that year. It helps me to plan for the following year.

Like others, I list where I want to eat, vaguely plan which parks I might go to on a particular day (using Touring Plans to determine which parks might be the lowest attendance on that day) and then try to plan which restaurants are closest to where I want to be. We eat at a mix of park and resort restaurants. We always get park hoppers so if we want to eat in a different park, we can but I typically try to pick something reasonably close to where I'm going to be (or pick the park closest to where I'm eating if the restaurant I want has limited availability) just for transportation purposes.

I always allow for at least 1 hour from where I am to where I'm going to be eating especially if I have to leave a park even to go to a resort so the closer they are together, the easier scheduling is. Don't underestimate the size of the parks even if you're eating in the same park so make sure to accommodate time to get there. There can be a lot of walking from one side of a park to the other and that's assuming you know where you're going and are able to easily navigate and don't get lost (especially after dark). I remember going around in circles in Epcot after dark on our second trip there. We were sure we knew where we were going but kept seeing the same things over and over again. It's always better to show up 15 minutes early to dinner than late.
 
So happy that you're going on your first magical adventure. I won't repeat what others have said but I would also recommend looking at the park hours once it becomes available (http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/hours.htm). This will help you in determining which park you might want to visit and in what day of your trip. Very important to plan your dining reservations. Also schedule some down time in between park days to avoid fatigue. I usually book 2 days of parks and then a water park day or a pool day at the resort just to relax.

Best tip, take time to absorbe the parks and their beauty. Don't rush and have fun!!!
 
What fun planning a first trip! I echo what everyone has said about taking the time to do some research -- you'll be spending too much money to land in Orlando and then "ok now what?" The books recommended are all excellent and the money for a membership with Touring Plans was the best $10.00 i spent (and I've been going since 1971!)

A few suggestions for you -- hit up the outlet mall for the Disney Stores, you can find some GREAT deals on merchandise that was in the parks & resorts -- can save you a bundle on souvenirs. Make use of the free transportation options within Disney. You can park you car at any of the parks and then use the buses, monorails & boats to any of the resorts. Each resort is so amazingly themed and the gift shops all have slightly different items to see. You can have a snack at the quick service restaurants (think fast food but not always burgers!!), grab a drink and people watch, wander around and enjoy the scenery. I agree that the Animal Kingdom Lodge is worth several hours. *** If you are wanting to just wander around the resorts on a day you aren't planning on going to a park you can park at that resort and poke around. The guard will want to see some ID and you can just tell them you want to check out the resort. You shouldn't leave your car for more than 3 hours but that will be long enough to park at any of the monorail resorts and then do the loop before picking up the car and going back to your hotel/condo whatever. You can most definitely make dining reservations as well and you can make those at the 180 day mark even though you are staying off-site.

**** Yoo-hoo @sablebomb are you still with us??
Thank you so much for the info!
 
I recommend checking out www.easywdw.com . Josh gives great advice for what park to go on which days (avoid parks with extra magic hours since you're off site - they will be busier!). Plus he has some great touring plans for each park. We've followed his advice each trip, our friends have as well, and he's always been bang on! Plus I love his sarcastic sense of humour! lol

What time of the year are you going? How long? Kids? Ages? The water parks are great as an add on, depending on what time of year you go and are a nice way to spend a more relaxing day away from the park.

Yes you can go to all the resorts to eat and participate in activities there. Animal Kingdom Lodge is a destination in itself. Having a dinner at the Poly and watching fireworks from the beach is a great experience as well. Fort Wilderness has a Chip and Dale campfire sing along that's open to everyone. Take a break from Epcot and take a stroll around the boardwalk area. So much to see and do outside of the parks as well! Nice to take a break and hop on the monorail or a boat to a resort for a lunch or dinner.

So much fun planning your first one. I bet you'll be planning your next trip while you're there!
We are planning for the end of October (will be there over Halloween). 10 days, two kids ages 9 and 11.
 
If you are going to be there over Halloween then I highly recommend the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
 
I might be in the minority but we are no longer fans of the parties. The Halloween party was really fantastic in 2005 when the park was empty. We went again in 2012 and did the Christmas party in 2015. Both during less busy times. My wife and I found it crowded. I would go if you want to see the extra characters, parade and fireworks rather than expecting to go on a lot of rides with no wait. It does thin out a lot in the last hour so try and stay.
 

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