Give me some reasons to go to WDW

[Lissame]

I am a DLR gal tried and true. I've been going to DLR since 1980, sometimes more than once a year. Never been to WDW. Never really had much of a desire to go.

I live in the Pacific NW, so the trip is fairly expensive to travel to FL.

Now...my parents' 50th anniversary is in 2 years and they announced this summer that they want to take us all to WDW to celebrate.

Everything I read about it seems overwhelming...from the food reservations to the dining plans to the multiple parks and transportation between the parks. I don't really want to go

I'm trying to convince my parents that a Disney cruise from the east coast might be a better idea. But I thought I'd come to all of you.

What are some reasons why this west coast DL family might want to go to WDW?

 

[Funball]

animal kingdom

expediton everest that i hear is the coolest ride

 

[Kae]

Epcot!

Kae

 

[Disney Dreams]

Oh there are so many reasons.

I am a DL gal as well. I was born and raised in So. Cal. Disneyland was a special treat for us when growing up, we couldn't afford much more than to visit every few years for 1 day.

Post-college, and MY money, it became AP time!

I have been to WDW 3 times - once as a kid, twice as an adult (the most recent in 2008 for my and DH's 10 year wedding anniversary).

WDW is different.

It's Disney. It's magical. It's special. Just like Disneyland that you know and love, but more of it.

There are 4 Parks. All full parks to their own right. There are so many on-property resorts that are amazing on their own. There is so much to do and see and experience. (And that's not even counting the water parks.)

EPCOT is truly unique. The "World Side" as I call it is wonderful, educational, and just incredible. Fun too!

The Animal Kingdom - It's just fantastic. "But it's just a zoo..." Well, no, it's really soooo much more than that. It's a zoo - Disney-style. It's magical.

DHS - Fun, playful, interesting!

MK - It's like a alternate Disneyland where everything seems the same, but upon closer inspection, it's different. Like you are in your own house, but someone moved the furniture around.

There is so much to do and see and experience. It's wonderful. You will not regret going. If you want more, let me know. We loved it and have been saving money for the last 2 years to go back again (hopefully this year!).

- Dreams

 

[PinkBudgie]

How about because you've never been! I've always wanted to go but it is so far away we never have. I made my DH promise we will go in 4 years. I would jump at the chance!

 

[Judy from Boise]

what time of the year are you considering? One of the great things about WDW is that even during "off season" they run full show schedules and rehab is rarer.
What makes WDW stressfull is the attitude that it is "once in a lifetime" and you have to "get your $$$$'s worth". You can have a non commando experience if you value quality over quantity.

 

[Nala83]

I just made my first trip to WDW as an adult. I'm also from the northwest, and I planned for this trip (and saved) for several years before it became a reality.

DLR is home for me. Entering the gates is comfortable and familiar.

For me, WDW was about experiencing the wonder. It was sort of like being a small child- everything was new. New parades, new shows, new rides...and old favorites that were slightly different and in totally the wrong places! Truly, it was an amazing experience.

It's worth learning the ropes of a new park. Yes, there's a little more to the planning- but it's not that bad. Really! (Plus let's face it- planning Disney trips is fun.)

 

[Belle2007]

You will not regret it. I understand that it can be overwhelming. But it is so worth it.

Once you laid at the airport, Disney Magic Express will take your luggage straight to the hotel. All you have to do is go downstairs, register and wait in line watching cartoons until there is a bus to take you to your hotel.

If you stay at a hotel in WDW, there are buses to each of the parks. You just wait at the bus stop for the bus that you want, jump on, about 10 mins later you are there. Each hotel has its own bus stop for coming home. This is so much easier than staying off WDW grounds and having to get a bus and then the monorail (which is different than the monorail at DL)

The dining reservations are the best. You key card is the card that will get you into the park and the dining. All you have to do is choose the park, the day and call WDW dining and set up the time and your ressie is set. All that is next is showing up at the restaurant and enjoying a fantastic meal.

MY favorite park is MK and my second is Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studies. I agree with another poster that Epcot is truly a unique park. They hire people from the various countries to work there. I love France where the beast is. Japan is great, so is Mexico, Morocco, and Canada. The rides are also great.

After the airflights are chosen, the hotel paid, the tickets bought and the ressies made,you really will have the best and magical trip!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[superme80]

You have never gone! I made DH promise that we could go in 7 years when we can afford it. I have never been and I have always wanted to go. It is new and exciting. That would be reason enough for me.

 

[fhtpdw20]

WDW vet here. Where to begin? First you cannot commando style this so make your mind up you won't see everything. The 4 parks encompass almost 50 square miles. The WOW, MUST SEEs are Illuminations at Epcot, the Fantasmic is different and you DON"T have to pay to sit down to see it (not a bad view in the house either),Animal Kingdom's Festival of Lion King and Finding Nemo shows sound like they rival Aladdin, Wishes Fireworks in Magic Kingdom. IF you are a foodie Food and Wine Festival in October and if you love gardening Flower and Garden Festival with over 70 topiary statues are for you at no extra charge of admission. IF spirits are your thing you can "drink" the wines of 11 different countries in one area and you can sample coke from around the global at Ice Station Cool for free. There use to be afternoon parades in every park, but now Dreams Come True in MK and Jammin Jungle Parade in AK are all they have now. Right now they are tearing down Toon Town to make way for each princess to have a theme area of her own. Use the dining program if free dining not available. You get a snack, counter service and table service each day for $35 per person - no vouchers (just order whatever you want and it is subtracted from total). Several different types of hotels to choose. If you want to go value do the Pop Century or deluxe try the Poly. Head on over the Theme Park community board for the picture of the day to see what you are missing.

 

[HydroGuy]

DLR vet here. WDW can and will be lots of fun if you approach it right. You got so many good responses already so I will try to not repeat too much.

I started giving advice here on how to approach WDW but then realized you did not ask that. You asked about reasons to go. So I deleted and started over.

First, WDW will require more planning than DLR. But comparing it to DLR planning is not that fair because you know DLR so well. A better comparison might be planning a trip to Hawaii or Washington, DC or Europe. All require some planning to make sure you have a successful trip. The planning can be fun and the good thing is that there are lots more planning resources for WDW than DLR.

So, reasons to go.

Variety - there is so much to do at WDW. Yes, they have rides and shows. But more than that they have things like...

o Dinner shows (Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue Western show and Polynesian Review)

o Sitting outside under the stars to watch Disney movies at Fort Wilderness (with marshmallow roasting) or the Boardwalk

o "Streetmosphere" characters at DHS that are just so fun to watch

o Live music - much more varied than DLR and good. We especially like Off-Kilter (Celtic rock) at Epcot and the Mulch, Sweat and Shears (classic rock) street band at DHS. British Invasion at Epcot is pretty good usually.

o Water parks that are really good - a good place to slow down, cool off and re-build energy every couple days. You use the water parks not as another theme park that you have to do because you are there, but a strategic way to cool off.

o DisneyQuest - another place to cool off and rebuild energy - especially for kids

o Fun restaurants - we have a thing for Sci-Fi Dine-In - themed like a drive-in movie theater where they show old sci-fi movies while you dine. Whispering Canyon all-you-can-eat with some surprises. And the best ice cream at Beaches & Cream.

And then there are some of the unique rides and shows. Philharmagic at MK is great. Expedition Everest at AK is great. We love Rockin Rollercoaster at DHS. Test Track at Epcot is fun. Illuminations at Epcot is cool show. And Festival of the Lion King at AK is a hoot.

WDW has all the Disney magic than you love at DLR. Just lots of variety. I think you will love it but just like WDW vets have to be careful about trying to make DLR fit into their pre-conceived WDW mold, DLR vets have to be similarly careful. WDW is similar but different, and totally full of magic and fun. I can't wait to go back again (next May/June I hope!).

 

[lyv4him]

Animal Kingdom is amazing....a zoo and theme park in one...and the tropical foliage and palms all around are amazing...great time to feel like you are in the jungle without actually going to it. Also WDW has so many wonderful and exciting dining options...if you are a foodie...definately go to WDW.

It IS a lot of work to plan and reserve....but it makes it worth it when you actually arrive.

Also EPCOT is a great park to visit...you can travel the world and see and taste a little bit of the countries without the expense. I love the fact that in every country (i.e. France) the cast members are from France and speak the language and have the best accents. It is also a great place to take a romantic stroll with your loved one.

To me WDW is by far the best choice over DL...and I am a SoCal native!...but then again I love the tropics and Florida's weather...I'm one of those crazy ones that enjoys going in the summer or during hurricane warnings.

 

[Mike_M]

I've been to WDW twice and while there is a lot of planning involved if you want to experience many of the table service resturants and entertainment, it's not a requirement for your trip to be fun. I didn't book a single ADR for either of my trips (I didn't even know you could back then) yet I was still able to make it into a character breakfast and a few table service meals over the course of the trip. Plus I experienced a couple shows as well. Nothing was planned in advance.

In other words, yes you can plan out the entire WDW trip but IMHO, you can still experience WDW and much of what's unique about it without a strict plan in place.

 

[Hallowishes]

whats SO funny about this post is ... im the exact opposite! i havent been to DLR since i was probably 8 years old ...so its been 20 years! i go to Walt Disney World twice a year and now ... i cant find a reason to visit Disneyland. it just seems to me like WDW offers SO much more!

 

[Disney Dreams]

whats SO funny about this post is ... im the exact opposite! i havent been to DLR since i was probably 8 years old ...so its been 20 years! i go to Walt Disney World twice a year and now ... i cant find a reason to visit Disneyland. it just seems to me like WDW offers SO much more!

Oh, there are SOOOOO many reasons to go to DLR! More does not equal better, just different.

 

[Hallowishes]

Oh, there are SOOOOO many reasons to go to DLR! More does not equal better, just different.

my mom offered to take me in january for my birthday instead of WDW ..so, maybe i will get back there soon!

 

[HydroGuy]

whats SO funny about this post is ... im the exact opposite! i havent been to DLR since i was probably 8 years old ...so its been 20 years! i go to Walt Disney World twice a year and now ... i cant find a reason to visit Disneyland. it just seems to me like WDW offers SO much more!

Yah, including more heat, humidity and rain.

 

[Judy from Boise]

bugs and poisonous snakes too ......it is frequent to hear about snakes in WDW pools and walkways, not so much DLR.

 

[ChickenCarlos]

i have two words for for you:
1. EPCOT
2. walt disney WORLD

seriously, you are doubting this trip, you must have no sense of adventure. maybe your not ready!

 

[canadadisney]

Like others have mentioned, it is something new to see. We went last summer after 4 previous visits to DL. The planning that went into WDW was unreal but I am a big planner and I loved it. I bought the Unofficial Guide to WDW and it was a life saver. The dining in WDW is unbelievable. I don't usually spend a lot of time planning dining but at WDW it is a must. But... even though our time was amazing I still prefer DL. I think it has something to do with DL is the park I went to as a kid and it is the first park my children have been to. It holds so many special memories!