New Question! Done DL, now what do I need to know about WDW from a DLer perspective?

[Judy from Boise]

as for transportation....just remember nothing is quick at WDW! From the TCC you get on the ferry or monorail, they will drop you off at an area that you can then walk to security, which will clear you to the front courtyard....then you can walk through the gates! Actually that only takes minutes

I would do both at least once.......the Ferry is fun, but could take longer if there is little wait for the monorails.

 

[raftislander]

ballarinamom,
I enjoyed Nemo -don't get me wrong. It was wonderfully staged and performed. But what it lacked, in my opinion, was memorable music. The movie The Lion King was a musical whereas Finding Nemo was not. So FOTLK could draw on all of the fabulous music from the movie while the Nemo show had to have all of its songs written for it. I don't think Disney spent the same amount of $$ hiring a composer for the Nemo show as they did for movie of The Lion King and they didn't find someone as talented as Elton John. In my last trip to WDW, I saw each of the shows for the first time. While I think both are worthwhile, I wanted to see FOTLK again that trip. I didn't have the same reaction to Nemo. If both are still playing (if and) when I get back to WDW, I will want to see both again.

 

[mariezp]

Judy, I just love your photos! I love seeing all the different photos from WDW so I can get some ideas of what photos I will be able to take. I made it home with just about 1100 pictures last year at Disneyland. (NOT including our Photopass pics) I cannot imagine how many I will take at WDW with so much more to see!

I am 95% sure that we will be tracking down Sleeping Beauty outside of a character meal. No matter how good she is it makes no sense to attend a meal that no one will enjoy especially when we can find her for free. Now if the menus really enticed me out I would be willing but that is just not the case.

We will have 5 or 6 days for the MK so we should be able to experience both the monorail and the ferry. I'll have to report back which one we enjoy most. Thanks for giving me an idea of the procedure of actually making it through the front gate. Of course, while I can get a mental picture now nothing will be as good as actually being there. I am so ready! Well... not actually ready... far from that.... but so ready for a vacation.

I also cannot wait to watch all the shows. Can't wait to see which one my family enjoys most. I think we like the movie Nemo a little better but I can see where an all out musical production of both of them could be fabulous! Are they anywhere near as good as Aladdin at CA? We all love that one!

 

[Judy from Boise]

If you plan on seeing the nemo show I would highly consider making lunch reservations at Tusker house. Great food, plus you get special reserved seating at Nemo ! Call WDW dine and they can tell you about it....but we did it a few weeks ago and we got fabulous seats, and all of our wait in airconditioned comfort!

 

[mariezp]

Thanks again Judy for the tip. I leave anything that cuts down my actual waiting in line time and gives me good seats.

More questions today.....

Has anyone done the Pirate Adventures for the Family? I had considered the Illuminations Cruise and then crossed it off my list but this cruise sounds like it might fit my family even better. Any reviews?

Also, I just read about the Storytime with Belle yesterday. I know my DD is gonna love it! We always enjoy the little shows and interactions with characters. Does anyone have any other suggested hidden gems they might share that I might not have run across yet?

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I just got back from my 3rd visit to WDW. I love the place and wish I could visit there more often than I do. Epcot is amazing and a place that every Disney fan should experience.

If you're making ADRs for in park restaurants, I think the park hopper is a must. Likewise some evening entertainment, especially in the MK happens only on select days. In my experience, the best parks to visit on which days information will change between when you make the ADR and when you arrive at WDW. While I don't park hop every day, I find that having a park hopper makes my visit far less complicated, especially when factoring ADRs in.

Seasoned Disneyland veterans may find that they only spend a half day at the MK, and a park hopper can be invaluable if you discover that part of your group wants to spend more time at one park over another.

 

[mariezp]

Thanks, Sleepless Knight! This is the kind of stuff I need know! It seems the majority of WDW experts seem to think that park hoppers are a waste. I think those of us who are used to DL's park hoppers see the value of them in a different light. While I do not expect to park hopper everyday I think they will be worth the additional cost very easily. My group usually splits up anyway because 2 of us are NOT thrill seekers and the other 2 like the big rides. Just having park hoppers in hand will allow us the option not only to split up but to be in completely different parks at the same time and still meet up without using a new entire days admission.

I hope you had a great trip! Now where is that trip report?????

 

[Disney127]

The Land at EPCOT is super cool too... Can't miss that one.

We spent 10 days at WDW including the water parks and The Land in Epcot was my family's favorite. Go figure! Maybe, we liked it so much because it was a slow and calming ride?

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Thanks, Sleepless Knight! This is the kind of stuff I need know! It seems the majority of WDW experts seem to think that park hoppers are a waste. I think those of us who are used to DL's park hoppers see the value of them in a different light. While I do not expect to park hopper everyday I think they will be worth the additional cost very easily. My group usually splits up anyway because 2 of us are NOT thrill seekers and the other 2 like the big rides. Just having park hoppers in hand will allow us the option not only to split up but to be in completely different parks at the same time and still meet up without using a new entire days admission.

I hope you had a great trip! Now where is that trip report?????

I'm working on that TR right now. I do want to wait for the PhotoPass pics to add in, but I hope to write more tonight.

One more thought about parkhoppers. I went to WDW specifically for Star Wars Weekends. It was the single largest reason why I went to WDW, but I wanted to eat at Le Cellier (mmm, steak and cheddar cheese soup). I could only get an ADR for lunch on one of the Star Wars Weekends days. Because of the parkhopper, I didn't have to make a hard choice. I literally took the boat from DHS to Epcot, ate at Le Cellier, and hopped back to DHS. And when DHS closed that day I went over to MK for SpectroMagic.

If you're making ADRs in multiple parks (or in MK/Epcot resorts right by the parks), I think parkhoppers are a must. I have gone to one park in the day and hopped to another at night because of an ADR.

 

[Huff]

I preferred Nemo over Lion King but both are good. Lion King is better for small kids as they can interact with actors on stage.

Little Mermaid show is very well done as is Beauty and the Beast. I didn't care much for the Indian Jones stunt show nor the Lights Motor Action stunt show. The latter has a huge problem with crowds because Disney insists on funneling 1000's of people all through one narrow entrance. Why? I will say WDW has far more shows than DLR and it's really nice when lines get too long for rides.

 

[DisneyDreamers2007]

A few tips would be:

-Minimum: Plan on one day at HS and AK, but 2 days for E and MK.

-Favorite places to eat: Boma, Whispering Canyon Cafe (all you can drink shakes & buffet), Grand California Grill (during the fireworks), Rose & Crown for lunch (great soup & request seating by the water), Beaches & Cream (ice cream shop, Kitchen Sink!), Brown Derby (Cobb Salad & atmosphere), German chocolate cookies (from the German bakery), Wolfgang Puck (pumpkin ravioli, pasta, carrot cake), and tea w/mom or daughter at the Grand Floridian.

-Make ADRs as some places book up fast

-If you have extra time, be sure to check out other fun WDW stuff: DTD, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, go to resorts & enjoy the great Disney themes, mini golf, electrical lake parade, etc...

 

[sammons70]

Wow! It sounds like you have an awesom trip planned. You have 14 days schedules which should give you plenty of time in the World, and you're going to need it. There is so much to do, but with 14 days, you should have time to visit each park mulitple times at a leisure place, plus ceck out plenty of those incredible reataurants and shops.
My wife and I were awestruck at the difference in the food. The quality and variety of food at DisneyWorld is phenomenal. In terms of food, here was some of our favorites:
50's prime time cafe: Your kids can get their chicken hers, plus any other comgfort foods they want. Plus, you'll have a blast with the staff and their hilarious shenanigans here.

Liberty Tree Tavern: Liberty Square takes the place of New Orleans Sqaure in the Magic Kingdom, and in the heart of it is a great character dining experience with a family style, hearty dinner that features something for everyone, turkey, hame, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes. yuo will get it all.

German buffet, in Germany pavillion in Epcot. If you like sausage sauerkraut, german chocolate cake, etc. this is the place for you.

We also dined at the mexican pavilion in Epcot. The food was good, but a bit on the spicy side, so make sure the kids are ready for that.

My wife and I spent 6 days in the world. We did do Liberty Tree tavern twice. There were other restaurants we would have tire or revisited, but in 6 days, you can only do so much. With 14 days, you will have plenty of opportunities to eat around the world. Have fun and good luck.

 

[mariezp]

I have really been slacking off time to get back to the thread, make some responses and thank everyone for all the input!

We spent 10 days at WDW including the water parks and The Land in Epcot was my family's favorite. Go figure! Maybe, we liked it so much because it was a slow and calming ride?

Oh boy! I am always glad to hear a good review of a ride I am not familiar with. Slow and calming sounds like a great place for a nice break during the day. Epcot is going to be full of all sorts of things we have never done. I have heard of Epcot all my life so it is going to be such a thrill to finally get to see why everyone loves this park so much.

I'm working on that TR right now. I do want to wait for the PhotoPass pics to add in, but I hope to write more tonight.

One more thought about parkhoppers. I went to WDW specifically for Star Wars Weekends. It was the single largest reason why I went to WDW, but I wanted to eat at Le Cellier (mmm, steak and cheddar cheese soup). I could only get an ADR for lunch on one of the Star Wars Weekends days. Because of the parkhopper, I didn't have to make a hard choice. I literally took the boat from DHS to Epcot, ate at Le Cellier, and hopped back to DHS. And when DHS closed that day I went over to MK for SpectroMagic.

If you're making ADRs in multiple parks (or in MK/Epcot resorts right by the parks), I think parkhoppers are a must. I have gone to one park in the day and hopped to another at night because of an ADR.

I'll keep an eye out for your report!
My guys would probably really enjoy the SW weekend but we prefer to go off season even more. It looks like they really go all out making sure there are plenty of characters in the park for the fans. Of course, that's Disney for you!
For the most part I do plan to make my ADRs for whatever park we are in for the day but it will be nice to have the option of hopping if we have a change of plans while we are there. As I mentioned, we will get PHers.... just in case.

I preferred Nemo over Lion King but both are good. Lion King is better for small kids as they can interact with actors on stage.

Little Mermaid show is very well done as is Beauty and the Beast. I didn't care much for the Indian Jones stunt show nor the Lights Motor Action stunt show. The latter has a huge problem with crowds because Disney insists on funneling 1000's of people all through one narrow entrance. Why? I will say WDW has far more shows than DLR and it's really nice when lines get too long for rides.

I have to agree that I prefer the actual Nemo movie over Lion King so it will be interesting to see which stage show we like best. It sounds like Lion King will have an added draw because my DD LOVES to get in on part of the show. She is such a ham! Which brings to mind a new question... Does anyone have good tips for how to get your child selected to participate in the show? So in Little Mermaid is there a huge Ursula? She is so creepy in the DL parade! I bet the Beauty in the Beast will be wonderful too. I can't wait because I love to watch the shows! I am pretty sure the guys will prefer the stunt shows over the musicals though. More action and less singing!

A few tips would be:

-Minimum: Plan on one day at HS and AK, but 2 days for E and MK.

-Favorite places to eat: Boma, Whispering Canyon Cafe (all you can drink shakes & buffet), Grand California Grill (during the fireworks), Rose & Crown for lunch (great soup & request seating by the water), Beaches & Cream (ice cream shop, Kitchen Sink!), Brown Derby (Cobb Salad & atmosphere), German chocolate cookies (from the German bakery), Wolfgang Puck (pumpkin ravioli, pasta, carrot cake), and tea w/mom or daughter at the Grand Floridian.

-Make ADRs as some places book up fast

-If you have extra time, be sure to check out other fun WDW stuff: DTD, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, go to resorts & enjoy the great Disney themes, mini golf, electrical lake parade, etc...

Yeppers, I am going with your recommended number of days per park, with the exception of MK. We will have 10 days so the majority of days will be in MK. The last couple of days will be kinda left open to go back and do anything we feel like we missed or spend more time at a favored park.
Oh dear me! Now you have gone and mentioned more food! I have been considering WCC but haven't decided where to fit it in exactly. How much trouble is it to get there from one of the parks? Did you really have to mention the kitchen sink? That one looks like a real challenge! We just might have to rise to occasion! Ahhhh, and German chocolate cookies sound wonderful! I would LOVE to do the tea party at GF but I am trying to keep down the expenses some. We will see if I am strong enough to resist spending just a little more. And, I am hoping we get to see the electrical water parade.

Wow! It sounds like you have an awesom trip planned. You have 14 days schedules which should give you plenty of time in the World, and you're going to need it. There is so much to do, but with 14 days, you should have time to visit each park mulitple times at a leisure place, plus ceck out plenty of those incredible reataurants and shops.
My wife and I were awestruck at the difference in the food. The quality and variety of food at DisneyWorld is phenomenal. In terms of food, here was some of our favorites:
50's prime time cafe: Your kids can get their chicken hers, plus any other comgfort foods they want. Plus, you'll have a blast with the staff and their hilarious shenanigans here.

Liberty Tree Tavern: Liberty Square takes the place of New Orleans Sqaure in the Magic Kingdom, and in the heart of it is a great character dining experience with a family style, hearty dinner that features something for everyone, turkey, hame, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes. yuo will get it all.

German buffet, in Germany pavillion in Epcot. If you like sausage sauerkraut, german chocolate cake, etc. this is the place for you.

We also dined at the mexican pavilion in Epcot. The food was good, but a bit on the spicy side, so make sure the kids are ready for that.

My wife and I spent 6 days in the world. We did do Liberty Tree tavern twice. There were other restaurants we would have tire or revisited, but in 6 days, you can only do so much. With 14 days, you will have plenty of opportunities to eat around the world. Have fun and good luck.

We will be on vacation 14 days but will only be spending 10 of the days in the park. I am used to spending 14 leisurely days at DL so I am a little worried that we will feel rushed because there is so much more to do and in less time. BUT we will make do and make the most of the time we have. I am looking forward to some of the different dining places but my kids are sorta picky so they will keep the dining somewhat limited which is fine because it gives me more time to focus on everything else. We are planning on 50's PT and probably Liberty Tree Tavern. They offer safe standard fare. Not so sure about German.... except the cake!.... BUT I am glad to hear mention of the Mexican food being spicy! Definitely off limits if I want to keep everyone happy. You are right, it would be hard to eat everywhere in 6 days! Even with 14 I still can't fit in everything!

 

[mariezp]

DD was sitting around watching a Donald Duck video and one of the episodes had the song "Pop goes the weasel". This brought a question about WDW to mind! At DL, in Frontierland, Farley roams around playing songs, Billy Hill is in the Golden Horseshoe and Laughing Stock performs outside. So.... at WDW do they also have entertainment in Frontierland?