Where to start? 1st time WDW

[Isatricia]

I'm sure there are a million threads that I can read, but I am already overwhelmed. Please help point me in the right direction.

We will be attending a conference late August at the Swan & Dolphin. We will have time available on conference days plus we will be there some extra days (conference room rate is excellent so staying there).

1) Where to start in planning what parks to visit on which days?
2) Whether or not to buy hopper or "premium" tickets?
3) Character meal? Daughter's 12th birthday on a Friday. Would YOU recommend breakfast or dinner?
4) We are not foodies and want to spend the least $ possible on meals. We are driving so can leave Disney property for meals if we choose.
5) Do all 4 parks require a full day or 2?
6) I know it will be hot, but the conference dictates our visit.
7) I am not a detailed planner - would rather make spur of the moment decisions, but that doesn't seem like a wise decision for WDW.

We are a family of 4 - kids are 2 girls ages 10 & 11 (will turn 12 while we are at WW). They are past the "princess" stage so we are not planning a lot of meet and greets. We went to DL in 2012 and spent 4 full and 1 partial park days. We weren't ready to leave. We spent a lot of time tracking down characters.

Having been to DL many times, it is confusing translating it into 4 parks. Having to schedule meals and FP months in advance is making my head spin.

Thanks for any advise or telling me where to look!!

 

[Robo]

2) Whether or not to buy hopper or "premium" tickets?

2) We nearly always park-hop... virtually every single day.

But YOU may not NEED to.
How do you know?
What should you do?



Simple:
You don't need to buy the "Hopper Option" UNLESS and UNTIL you need it.
If you are already at one park and decide that you'd like to "hop" to another... right then,
just walk up to a ticket window, add on the Hopper option (costs the same price if you buy it before or DURING your trip) and you're ready to hop (that day, and any others, for the rest of your trip.) You must make this and all other upgrade choices within the first 14 day of when the ticket was first used and no later than on the day that you use the ticket's last asset.
If you go and NEVER need to hop, don't buy the upgrade, and you can then spend all those "extra" bucks on more WDW souvenirs!



The cost of the Hopper option now varies... as of the last price increase (Feb, 2014.)
If you upgrade some tickets by adding "days" you might also have to increase what
you pay for the Hopper option on those tickets.
Adding the Hopper to a one-day ticket costs $40.
Adding the Hopper to a two-day or three-day ticket costs $50.
Adding the Hopper to a four-day thru ten-day ticket costs $60.


SPECIAL NOTE:
If you already have the Water Parks Fun and More option on your tickets,
adding the Hopper is a one-time, one-price fee of just $26 per ticket.
All prices, plus tax.

-------------------

One advantage of HOPPER is FLEXIBILITY-

So, on your Animal Kingdom day (AK closes pretty early), you could "close" AK and then HOP over to, say, Epcot for dinner and IllumiNations that evening.

If, say, Fantasmic! got "rained out" on your DHS day, you could HOP to there on the day that you were at another park, and catch the amazing show.

If the "entire population" of Hukalockistan poured into MK on one of the days you were there, and filled all the queues and took all the FP's, you could hop to Epcot and escape the crowd.

If you were at DHS and wanted to eat at, say, Canada in Epcot (like WE love to do) you could ride over on the boat, use your Hopper to get into the International Gateway, dine on CHEESE SOUP, then retrace your path back to DHS for more fun!

Hopping can be a valuable asset, and, again, you don't need to buy it unless or until you NEED it!

 

[Planogirl]

I recommend checking out the Unofficial Guide to WDW. Also ask lots of questions and ask them steadily.

 

[Robo]

5) Do all 4 parks require a full day or 2?

5) My estimates:
MK-2 days
Epcot-2 days
DHS-1 day
DAK-1 day
Then, go back and do your favorites.

 

[cjparker0110]

1. You might want to use a guide such as the Birnbaum book (and there are several others) to choose what attractions/restaurants are on you "must do" list. This can help decide which parks you'll be in more often. I'm not sure if EMH are available through the Swan/Dolphin, but either way those can dictate what days you do which parks. If they are available, you may want to attend the parks that have them to get more time. If they aren't, you may want to avoid them for smaller crowds.

2. Hoppers are purely optional. You spend a lot of time traveling from one park to another. There is wisdom in having them, but if it's your first time at WDW you may find you don't use them at all. I agree with the PP that you can buy them if you find a need while you're there. The same goes for the Water Park option. Will you spend enough time at a water park to make it worth the extra $$ or would you be satisfied at the hotel pool?

3. That is a personal preference. Different character meals have different characters. I know the Birnbaum book lists which ones are at which meals/restaurants. I'm sure this is available online somewhere, too. You probably will want to plan it based on what characters you want to see.

4. Leaving property can cost time/money. There are some relatively inexpensive eating places at Disney (and there are outrageously priced ones, too). You can find these in various guides and online I'm sure. If your room has a fridge, you could save money on breakfast by buying milk/cereal and bringing bowls/spoons. Then maybe just do quick service foods like burgers, pizza, hot dogs while in the parks to keep your spending down. However, even non-foodies should experience some of the amazing foods available at Disney. I hate spending money in restaurants, but I don't mind it there because the meals are amazing.

5. This would be best answered once you look through a guide and see what you all want to do. I agree with a PP that MK and Epcot are 2 day parks and AK and DHS are 1 day parks. However, some people don't need 2 days for Epcot because they don't care for World Showcase, as an example. Figure out what is best for your family.

6. There are plenty of ways to cool off. Pick the afternoon for some of the indoor attractions and do as many outdoor ones in the morning as you can. If you decide to do table service dinners, maybe pick lunch for your big meal and eat around 1:30 or 2:00 when it's getting really hot. You get a good hour in A/C while eating amazing food.

7. It can be done spur of the moment, but you will not likely enjoy it nearly as much. If you avoid table service, then not planning food in advance is ok. But if you do table service and don't plan, you could wait 1-2 hours just to sit down. Planning your parks and what attractions you want to do will save time as well. Then you don't have to walk around and see what each thing is and figure out if you want to wait or not. If you can do FP you will save time on some of the bigger attractions.

In general, it is overwhelming for a first timer...especially if you aren't a planner. Sit down with your family and read a guide book and make lists of what you want to do. I do 3 lists: Must Dos, Would like to do, and only do if there is time left. Once I do that, I figure out what parks need more time and you can figure out what FPs to get. Once you know what you want to do, study a map of the park and make a plan of attack.

Whatever you do, have fun!

 

[hookedonears]

I'm sure there are a million threads that I can read, but I am already overwhelmed. Please help point me in the right direction.

We will be attending a conference late August at the Swan & Dolphin. We will have time available on conference days plus we will be there some extra days (conference room rate is excellent so staying there).

1) Where to start in planning what parks to visit on which days?
We choose our meals first, which dictates which parks we're going to do.
2) Whether or not to buy hopper or "premium" tickets?
AK and DHS for us are 1/2 day parks. Park Hopping just adds flexibility.
3) Character meal? Daughter's 12th birthday on a Friday. Would YOU recommend breakfast or dinner?
We always have a Character breakfast at Crystal Palace in the MK. Breakfast always seems to be better, because we're not so tired and tends to be a little more fun for us.
4) We are not foodies and want to spend the least $ possible on meals. We are driving so can leave Disney property for meals if we choose.
I would just do counter service meals in the parks, or table service in the resorts. Too much driving waste a whole lot of time.
5) Do all 4 parks require a full day or 2?
For us as well as many other regulars AK and DHS are just 1/2 day parks.
6) I know it will be hot, but the conference dictates our visit.
Do it all as early as possible. Avoid heat and crowds.
7) I am not a detailed planner - would rather make spur of the moment decisions, but that doesn't seem like a wise decision for WDW.
With new FP system you've got to plan, especially during crowded times of the year.
We are a family of 4 - kids are 2 girls ages 10 & 11 (will turn 12 while we are at WW). They are past the "princess" stage so we are not planning a lot of meet and greets. We went to DL in 2012 and spent 4 full and 1 partial park days. We weren't ready to leave. We spent a lot of time tracking down characters.

Having been to DL many times, it is confusing translating it into 4 parks. Having to schedule meals and FP months in advance is making my head spin.

Thanks for any advise or telling me where to look!!

 

[Hopefully]

I'm sure there are a million threads that I can read, but I am already overwhelmed. Please help point me in the right direction.

We will be attending a conference late August at the Swan & Dolphin. We will have time available on conference days plus we will be there some extra days (conference room rate is excellent so staying there).

1) Where to start in planning what parks to visit on which days?
Take a look at the August calendar on easywdw.com for his recommendations on which park on which day. If you decide to go to morning EMH at Rope Drop (the best plan) I would definitely have Hoppers so that I could hop to a less crowded park in the afternoon/evening. We plan which park which day first then book our ADRs in or near that park
2) Whether or not to buy hopper or "premium" tickets?
We always hop - especially during busy times. We do one park at rope drop, rest for a few hours during the heat/busiest afternoon hours and return to a different park in the evening. You can certainly do it without hoppers if you choose.
3) Character meal? Daughter's 12th birthday on a Friday. Would YOU recommend breakfast or dinner?
I would recommend dinner. I am not a big breakfast eater to start, but I would never waste prime touring time in a restaurant,
4) We are not foodies and want to spend the least $ possible on meals. We are driving so can leave Disney property for meals if we choose.
As the others have said time is money tool. I would not take the time to eat off site. Check out the menus here on the DIS and also on allears.net for menus and pricing information. You should be able to find spots that meet your needs
5) Do all 4 parks require a full day or 2?
We do MK 2, Ak 3/4, DHS 1/2 EC 3 or more days EC is our favorite park
6) I know it will be hot, but the conference dictates our visit.
Take an afternoon break for a swim and a rest in AC. Drink Plenty of water
7) I am not a detailed planner - would rather make spur of the moment decisions, but that doesn't seem like a wise decision for WDW.
Not anymore. But I find the planning fun as well

We are a family of 4 - kids are 2 girls ages 10 & 11 (will turn 12 while we are at WW). They are past the "princess" stage so we are not planning a lot of meet and greets. We went to DL in 2012 and spent 4 full and 1 partial park days. We weren't ready to leave. We spent a lot of time tracking down characters.

Having been to DL many times, it is confusing translating it into 4 parks. Having to schedule meals and FP months in advance is making my head spin.

One thing to keep in mind about WDW is that the property is Vast - it is the size of Manhattan NY. Travel time between place takes a while, very unlike DL. It is best to not have plas scattered all over the property.
The Swan and Dolphin are a great location within walking distance to 2 parks -
DHS and EC. That is a great perk
Keep planning and asking questions, we love to help
Have Fun

Thanks for any advise or telling me where to look!!

See thoughts above

 

[mom2travel]

1) Where to start in planning what parks to visit on which days?
2) Whether or not to buy hopper or "premium" tickets?
3) Character meal? Daughter's 12th birthday on a Friday. Would YOU recommend breakfast or dinner?
4) We are not foodies and want to spend the least $ possible on meals. We are driving so can leave Disney property for meals if we choose.
5) Do all 4 parks require a full day or 2?
6) I know it will be hot, but the conference dictates our visit.
7) I am not a detailed planner - would rather make spur of the moment decisions, but that doesn't seem like a wise decision for WDW.
!

1) I ususally start by looking at the park hours for the days we are there, including which have EMH. I consider how many days we have for parks, who I'm traveling with/how many people, and where we'd like to eat. then I scratch out different options on paper. I'll also look at some of the various sites that estimate crowd levels, but don't follow them exactly.

2) personally, we always use park hoppers, regardless of the length of our trip. We just like to have the flexibility to change parks (and usually end our days at MK). The one time we did not get hoppers was a short trip in early December to do all the holiday things.

3) what does your DD want to do? Even as teens, my kids still like a character meal

4) I wouldn't leave wdw property. You can find reasonably priced meals on site. Also, we find that portions are large & we can share. We generally do only one sit down meal per day

5) that depends on what you want to do. We usually can do AK in a 1/2 day. DHS takes a full day if you want to do the shows, rides & see characters (we usually do two partial days). Epcot is a full day or more, depending on time spent around world showcase. We like a morning for future would and evening for WS. For MK, we could spend easily 2+ days

6) we do summer trips. Keep hydrated. Do indoor shows or meals in the middle of the day. Or take a pool/resort break.

7) I call it research. I have a rough plan, including ADRs and FPs, as to what park on what day, but we allow ourselves to change things on the fly. If we're having fun and are not ready to hop as planned, we don't. If we've decide we're just not feeling like staying where we are, we leave. I think it's the large amount of info to take in that is overwhelming, but once you get there, it'll be fine. Just remember to relax & have fun

 

[Dano13]

I have never had a day where I didn't use park hoppers. They are a must for us.

 

[DisneyRookie2007]

I'm sure there are a million threads that I can read, but I am already overwhelmed. Please help point me in the right direction.

We will be attending a conference late August at the Swan & Dolphin. We will have time available on conference days plus we will be there some extra days (conference room rate is excellent so staying there).

1) Where to start in planning what parks to visit on which days?
* I always check park hours to determine which park l will visit each day and check out easywdw to get recommendations.
2) Whether or not to buy hopper or "premium" tickets?
* our family has been visiting since 2007 and have never used Hoppers. There is always more than enough to do in each park, plus we don't like wasting time travelling to/from different parks in the same day
3) Character meal? Daughter's 12th birthday on a Friday. Would YOU recommend breakfast or dinner?
* Whatever works best for your family. We are not big breakfast eaters, so we would opt for dinner.
4) We are not foodies and want to spend the least $ possible on meals. We are driving so can leave Disney property for meals if we choose.
* lots of good options on site or at different resorts, no need to waste time leaving wdw to eat - unless you want to.
5) Do all 4 parks require a full day or 2?
* EP:2,MK:2, AK:1, HS:1. You may also want to visit a waterpark or two during your stay...AUG will be hot and humid
6) I know it will be hot, but the conference dictates our visit.
7) I am not a detailed planner - would rather make spur of the moment decisions, but that doesn't seem like a wise decision for WDW.
* Some level of planning is recommended, making ADR's for must visit restauarnts and FP+ reservations for must do rides

We are a family of 4 - kids are 2 girls ages 10 & 11 (will turn 12 while we are at WW). They are past the "princess" stage so we are not planning a lot of meet and greets. We went to DL in 2012 and spent 4 full and 1 partial park days. We weren't ready to leave. We spent a lot of time tracking down characters.

Having been to DL many times, it is confusing translating it into 4 parks. Having to schedule meals and FP months in advance is making my head spin.

Thanks for any advise or telling me where to look!!

 

[mullysisters]

It's only what I do to start. Make an Excel or table with days of the week at the top and hours down the left side (I do 8am to midnight)
When you know when your flights, are start on that day of the week. Look up the EMH's if that interests you (touring plans recommend against them for crowds-I love them) Roughly fill in the parks by am or pm, add events or parades from the Disney site or an internet touring site. Once you've got your parks settled add ADR's and FP+ when available. Tweak and refine by ADR's and FP+ selections.
I always use park hoppers, wouldn't do a trip without that freedom. I always seem to end the day at Epcot or MK Have a great trip!

 

[RustManFan]

I agree with Robo on the number of days at each park.

 

[B&WMickey]

First of all. Have fun.

Park Hoppers would be worth considering based on your proximity to Epcot (and DHS too). If you ever just want to head over to Epcot for dinner or to check out Illuminations or whatever being at Swan and Dolphin makes it easy.

Character meals are a blast. We usually do breakfast since it's cheaper. We love Chef Mickeys since you get the Fab 5 but take a look at the other restaurants and see if the characters appeal more to your family at those ones.

 

[Micca]

Please check out the sticky threads on the various forums here on the Dis, I think you'll find a lot of helpful information there. Take your time making your plans. For a first-timer this isn't a "sit down at the kitchen table for 45 minutes and knock it out" situation, there are a number of moving parts. For a number of Dis-ers, planning is a fun component of a WDW trip, relax and soak it all in.

 

[crowls]

As a fellow first timer I can share my experience.....
*Started planning about 12 months out, I had the luxury of time.....my favorite haunts for info was here (DIS sticky, and frequent posters), Kenny the Pirate and EasyWDW
*Park hopper - depends on preferences. We are here now and I am thankful I bought the hopper. We found it helpful because I booked meals in different parks, decided last minute to hop over and do a few rides at a slower park, etc. Again just a personal preference but it has worked well for us.
*Our daughters are about the same age - I thought we were over princesses too (although I booked the Anna and Elsa FastPass just in case)....as soon as we arrived my eldest turned into a Hidden Mickey, autograph hunting machine.
*Fastpass - honestly I didn't know if everyone was over excited or it was really necessary to book at midnight at the 60 day mark - for my girls and their preferences it was absolutely necessary, all of their top picks were gone well before our trip.
*Touring plans have been my best friends.....I used touringplans.com and have followed it. Even though the crowds have been beyond expectation the plans have worked, we have missed most waits (never been in a line more than 20 min, includes the headliner rides)
*Unofficial Guide (author has the touringplans.com website) is great, also the Color Companion to DW is great, it was good for my kids to flip through and pick their top ride selections
*Rope Drop and Extra Magic Hours have been excellent for us -best tip I gathered on the boards! ç

Hope this helps and that you have a fabulous trip!!!!!!!!

 

[caroline1851]

Hoppers not necessary imo. Good way to save money not getting them.
ADR lunch is a great way to cool off in the middle of the day when it's hot.
Fast passes are a MUST.
Getting to a park at rope drop is a MUST.
Download an app that tells you wait times at attractions. Start looking at it now so you know which rides you need to plan for.

 

[lroger01]

I good way to look at it is to think of a trip to Disney like a trip to Europe.

Day 1 is London with a bus tour in the morning, lunch at ___, afternoon touring at Buckingham Palace and seeing the changing of the guard, evening is open with options for shopping or visiting pubs. Repeat for day 2 and so on.​

The only difference is you're the one making the schedule up and not a tour company! I suggest you schedule just what you have to, and then leave plenty of open space to enjoy what you FEEL like doing at that time.

I'm not a foodie either and some of the menus at table service restaurants make me go ick! Know that there are quick service places in all the parks that serve "knife and fork" food - and they don't require another scheduled thing. The website allears.net has menus for everything. If you do a character meal, I'd consider breakfast since they can't overly gourmet breakfast. If you want non-character table service, the Plaza; and Liberty Tree Tavern at MK, and Sci-fi Dine in; and Primetime Cafe at DHS, probably have the most options for the non-foodie.

As for number of days and park hopping first figure out how much park time you have. How will the conference effect your days? Know that the middle of the day (2-5) will likely be surface-of-the-sun hot and it may rain hard for an hour. Plan to be near water or inside during that time. If your plan is to go back to the room, then hoppers can be great. It will allow you to mix up your parks for greater variety - or enjoy EMH. For first timers, hopping directly from one park to another probably won't happen as there is enough to keep a newbie busy all day. Those that claim a park is only a half-day for them have been already and don't need to repeat some things.

For Fast Passes, if you're taking that mid-day break consider saving them for evening. You can do a lot at a park without them as long as you get there before opening. You'll then have 3 good rides or shows tee'd up for the evening to look forward to. Alternatively at MK and DHS, you can use your FP before the break and then grab a fourth for later when you return (and a 5th, 6th, etc after that if available).

Lastly, avoid World Showcase in Epcot during the day in August. Way too hot, even with going into the AC every now and then. Sunset to after dark is better.

Have fun planning!

 

[Isatricia]

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[cjparker0110]

. Those that claim a park is only a half-day for them have been already and don't need to repeat some things.

Very true statement. The first time I went to AK I was there from open to close! That was in 98 before Everest was there and before the Kali River Rapids opened. I think they were testing it though and we probably missed it by just a few days! That said, even with those attractions being there I am never at AK past noon. I just don't need to spend my time there because I only like a handful of rides and I'm not a fan of the food options in that park. That is usually a day that I will consider a water park, renting a boat, lounging by the pool, etc. It is also the day I am most likely to do a dinner show (HDDR especially). As PP mentioned, it is because I've already experienced it that it becomes a half day park.

 

[tinkerbesh]

Check easywdw.com for the days you will be there. Josh gives detailed descriptions of the crowd calendar for every day. Also search on there for recommended touring strategies, such as which rides to hit at which times of day. I think if you search cheat plan you'll find it.

Note- we like spontaneous, too. So we usually reserve our 3 FP+ and then do somewhat spontaneous around that. Have a magical trip!