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lamb posted:Fun trick - get the Italian soda and tell your spouse "this is AWESOME, you have to try it". Have someone with a camera ready to capture the look on their face. I picked up a few shifts there years ago. It's pretty hilarious to watch kids do this. Half the time they can't even get the words out before losing it. "Mmmmppphh Hey Mom, try this soda from ItaHHAHAHAHAHMMMHMPPPHHH" I brought my kids there all the time when they were 2-3 years old. I loved to give them Italy because they seemed to like it and it drove my wife crazy.
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Jun 6, 2013 23:20
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skipdogg posted:We've never done the DDP, and I'm personally on the fence about it. I don't like to eat when I'm hot/sweaty/active and will go most of the day just snacking on granola bars and drinking Gatorade. I think we would have to work to use all the credits on the DDP. My wife's cousins though go and they get their moneys worth out of the DDP. The Dining Plan is really all how you use it. I know people who swear by it, and others who wouldn't ever dream of doing it. Perhaps the Quick Service Dining plan may be an option. It gives you two Quick Service (over the counter stuff rather than sit down) credits a day and a snack credit a day. It's the cheapest dining option, and there are so many quick service options it's insane (especially in Epcot.) You won't be getting the fanciest food in the parks (although the new Be Our Guest restaurant in the MK does Quick Service for lunch and some of the food is worthy of a sit down dinner) but you get to feed the kids at places that are easy to get into, and are usually pretty good, even the fast food fare stuffs. You could also supplement this with paying out of pocket for select meals on the trip. My next trip in December is my first solo experience with the Dining Plan, and I am just going with the Regular Plan, which gives one of each service a day and one snack, and I'll be honest, I am not sure if I'll even end up using the Table Service credits for the trip. I have three reservations booked now, and am sort of at a loss for what to do for the rest, so the plan isn't for everyone. I'd say, look at the money you'd spend for food vs. how much the plan will cost, then make your decision from that.
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Jun 7, 2013 01:33
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Walt Disney World veteran and member of a Borderline-Crazy Disney Vacation Club Family checking in. The OP is terrific and off the top of my head I only need to clarify/contribute knowledge to a few things: * - By far our favorite time of year to go is early to mid-March. It's almost never crowded that time of year. Not only that but since we live in New England, it's nice to escape what is usually the worst part of winter. They're often setting up the Flower and Garden Festival in EPCOT around that time, and I highly recommend that. We've also been down a couple of times recently during the week after Thanksgiving. This is when WDW usually starts in with their Salute to All Winter Holidays but Mostly Christmas. In all seriousness, the holiday events, especially in EPCOT, are fantastic and worth seeing -- IF you've been down there a few times before and are looking for something new to see. It hasn't been crowded the times we were there, but trying to squeeze in special events and normal WDW awesomeness might be overwhelming for someone who's new. * - Our favorite in-World resorts by far to stay in are the Contemporary for sheer convenience and the Beach Club for overall excellence (and a not-insignificant amount of sheer nostalgia since it's been our most-frequented resort since it opened.) Our favorite resorts to visit are the Polynesian (and oh my goodness, I can't overstate the sheer fun of Monorail resort bar-crawling), the Wilderness Lodge, and the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas. Important things to note about AKL: It's huge, you can easily spend an afternoon exploring since the savannah is open to visitors, it is not at all convenient to Animal Kingdom park (ie, you can't park at the Lodge and expect a short walk to the AK gate like with the Epcot resorts), and the food is fantastic. As for moderate resorts, Port Orleans is very nice though I give French Quarter the edge since it's easier to navigate, as is Saratoga Springs (but for the love of Walt, request a room in Congress Park or you're in for a hell of a trek every morning; the much-ballyhooed Treehouses are remote), and Art of Animation looks fantastic. We only did the off-site experience once and did not think it was worth it. * - We've only used the dining plan once and never again. It may fit your needs, but we found it incredibly inconvenient. Florida residents (as well as DVC members and Annual Pass-holders) can score the Tables in Wonderland card, which grants you 20% off meals at a wide variety of restaurants around the World. * - Random, but I love that somebody upthread mentioned Night Kingdom/Dark Kingdom, because that is by far my favorite weirdly persistent Disney theme park rumor. (Yes, it beats out even the "Andy's coming" thing. If you don't know what that was, you are better off, though I can easily summarize it as guests acting awfully entitled while forgetting that there are, you know, actual living humans inside those character costumes.) And I say weirdly persistent because the chances of Disney building and operating an entire fifth gate for such a stupendously specialized audience (and with attractions that sound like a long string of tragedies waiting to happen. Guests hand-feeding hippos. Yeah.) is as likely as their ever doing an official blu-ray release of "Song of the South". * - As far as websites/other resources: Touring Plans is run by the folks who write the fantastic Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, a book that is rightly considered a must-have. They also run the two best informative WDW podcasts (WDW Today and the Disney Dish). All Ears.net is good for one-stop shopping so to speak. Party Through the Parks provides detailed information about special events as well as bar an drink reviews. Lastly, if you have a question that isn't answered in any of these sites, post it on DISboards and somebody will help you out. E: And granted it has been a while but... I kind of liked the Beverly... 
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Jun 8, 2013 02:56
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I'll second the TouringPlans recommendation. I'm a local who visits the parks about as often as most people visit the grocery store, and sometimes stay about as long. Their crowd forecasting is usually spot-on. When they are off, they typically err on the side of caution and predict days as being more crowded than they actually are, so there's not a lot of nasty surprises. For checking wait times and show times, their app is better than Disney's official app IMO. I haven't picked up their Unofficial Guide since around 2007 or so, but it's a great resource as well.
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Jun 8, 2013 05:29
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The DISboards also run the DISUnplugged podcast, which is super informative, and they do topics episodes. This month they are going over 7 of the resorts (which they stayed in over a period of 7 nights.) The guy who runs it owns a travel company, so they are also pretty good about giving tips to plan. I have a question for those more versed in the Dining Plan than I am (which is funny, considering my last post is about the plan) This trip is the first time I'm going solo, so I just went with the basic 1 TS, 1 QS, 1 Snack plan. The last time I used the DP, it was Deluxe, so I got all the fixings, an appetizer, entree, and desert (plus beverage) where as I saw that the basic plan is only the beverage and the entree. Can I supplement my meal with a dessert or a appetizer out of pocket, or would i just have to pay for the meal out of pocket for that?
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Jun 8, 2013 07:43
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TheBigBudgetSequel posted:The DISboards also run the DISUnplugged podcast, which is super informative, and they do topics episodes. This month they are going over 7 of the resorts (which they stayed in over a period of 7 nights.) The guy who runs it owns a travel company, so they are also pretty good about giving tips to plan. You can pay out of pocket for anything that's not covered with the plan and still use your credits on anything that is in the same meal. I'd also add http://www.easywdw.com/ to the list of recommended planning resources. His crowd calendars are usually pretty good too, and they're free. lamb fucked around with this message at 15:16 on Jun 8, 2013 |
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Jun 8, 2013 14:54
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I have been very lucky to be part of a family able to go annually to Disney World. Not bragging, just very fortunate. I am now 42 and have done Disney World as both a kid and a parent. Here are a few tips of ours: 1. If you have a young kid 6-7, don't necessarily try to do without a stroller. They become awesome base ships for hauling all sorts of crap like water, a change of clothing if necessary. There is stroller parking everywhere. If you remember, pack a towel for wiping faces, sweat, or drying from the Disney weather phenomenon. 2. The Disney weather is this: If the weather sucks, just wait a bit and it will get better. I've had a few days where torrential downpours turned into beautiful summer days within 15 minutes. 3. If you have any part of your body that experiences pain (back, ankle, shoulder, whatever) go to your doctor and request something STRONG. As strong as you can handle without making you loopy. You're going to be walking your arse off (5-7 miles a day average) and once things start to hurt, they're going to get worse as time goes on. I have to endure sciatic pain when I get tired due to a back injury. If I'm packing vicodin or something then it's just a pair of pills and I'm back in action. Without painkillers I am almost lame within two-three days. Even if you're healthy, take some ibuprofen at least for headaches and muscle aches. Also, if you're not a very active person try walking at home in preparation. Disney's death march will kick your butt. It's not the distance, it's the fact you do it day after day. 4. Disney Magic Hours? It's been our experience that those parks actually are busier throughout the day because of the extra attention they receive. YMMV, but we intentionally avoid those parks on those days. 5. Disney World is a fundamentally different experience during off-peak times. Really consider taking the kids out of school for a few days and go in October or March. Lately we've been going the week prior to Christmas and really enjoying the relaxed environment. Last time we stayed for Christmas day and OMFG that was a disaster. I've not seen so many people there. 6. If you're from a cool climate, really reconsider the summertime trip. The heat can ruin your vacation if you're not expecting it. People turn into assholes when they're hot and tired. If you must go in August, do yourself a favor and stay on property. Go early morning, return to your room to swim and nap around 10-11 AM. Return to the park around 6-7 PM. I recommend napping because Disney World at night in summer is really special. The lighting, the sounds, and smells really seem more lucid. 7. A caveat to the meal plan. We love the meal plan because we do save cash but one hidden problem is that it tends to dictate where you need to be. Getting a restaurant without reservations is very hard and very frustrating as when you want to eat is the busiest time (naturally). That situation then dictates you have reservations. If you have reservations, you find yourself planning around food and not enjoying the park. In my opinion you really only have two options. Either you plan your trip around food or you eat at really weird times. The best restaurants aren't very crowded at 9:30 at night. They're active, but not crowded. A-1 super tip: You are on vacation. If crowds, lines, and rude people put you in a rage, you will NOT have fun at Disney World. If your heart is set on a perfect vacation, you'll leave mad. If you go into the park with realistic expectations and don't try to Min-Max everything, it's a truly unique experience.
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Jun 10, 2013 21:59
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Keith Stone posted:I have been very lucky to be part of a family able to go annually to Disney World. Not bragging, just very fortunate. Are you a DVC member? If so how do you like it? We're kicking the idea around, maybe going in with another family member.
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Jun 11, 2013 16:07
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skipdogg posted:Are you a DVC member? If so how do you like it? We're kicking the idea around, maybe going in with another family member. My family joined about three years ago and we love it, with the caveat that we are fans and we go to WDW a lot. The sentiment heard most often from other frequent WDW visitors is, "Why didn't we join earlier?" It's expensive, but our membership already paid for itself in the first few trips down since joining and its worth it just to be part of the community. We haven't been members for that long, but I'll see if I can help with specific questions.
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Jun 12, 2013 17:39
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skipdogg posted:Are you a DVC member? If so how do you like it? We're kicking the idea around, maybe going in with another family member.
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Jun 12, 2013 21:31
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Remulak posted:Is this a Disney timeshare or something else? Yes. They have select resorts at the parks that have Vacation Club sections that DVC members can rent exclusively. Most of the Deluxe resorts, and some of the moderates. They also have spaces at their Non theme park resorts like Aulani in Hawaii and Vero Beach. You can also use DVC Points towards Non-Disney vacation spots. AND some non-Disney Timeshare companies, like the ones my parents use, can finagle a stay at a DVC condo, but you have to plan super far in advance because they only have a small selection of rooms open to do that.
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Jun 12, 2013 21:47
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Ooh, DVC chat, here's something I can expound upon in great detail: My family has been members of DVC for 5-6 years now, and we loving love it. My mom who loves Disney World more than anyone else in the family, which is saying something, also runs the finances of the family, and since we've never really been big on spending a lot of money on things, eventually bought into DVC after yearly trips starting in 2000, and finally bought in in 2007 or 2008 (can't remember which), and just this year bought more points, which goes to show how much she loves it. There are so many advantages to it it's crazy. I'm not privy to all of the discounts and little bonus things, but I know that the hotel rooms are fantastic, particularly if you're travelling with your family. The last few times I've gone down with them, we'd have a two-bedroom suite, where my sister gets a room, my parents get a room, and I get the couch (which I prefer anyways), so we each have our own rooms to sleep in. It's also got some awesome hotels in the mix, and even the worst one that we've stayed in (Saratoga Springs) is still miles better than even the Polynesian, and has a boat directly to Downtown Disney. At this point we go down every year during the Food and Wine Festival (which is literally the best time to go, between the lack of crowds at the non-Epcot parks, and the delicious food and Party for the Senses at Epcot), and we're bringing aunts and uncles to join us this year (we get to stay in a Grand Villa, which is as awesome and royal as it sounds). Basically, it is a timeshare, but instead of dealing with sleazy salesman, you deal with Disney directly, which makes customer service a heck of a lot easier. At this point, with as many times as I've been down, it really does feel like home away from home, going down is just so relaxing when you don't have to worry about doing everything all the time. I'll expand more upon my love of Disney World later, but after New York City, it's pretty much my favorite place in the world.
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Jun 13, 2013 18:02
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Congratulations about being correct concerning the best time to go. You just can't beat the Food and Wine Festival. I love the lack of crowds at that time of year, the more bearable temperatures, nibbling at 2-4 dollar treats from various countries in the World Showcase, and of course the Party for the Senses. I'm a bit of a foodie so it's almost criminal how much fun I have at that thing. The first time I went I actually got SPOOKED by how much fun I was having. I kept asking my mother if I had drank too much because I was on cloud 9 and couldn't stop eating everything. I hadn't, of course, it would actually be difficult to get unacceptably drunk at that event unless you're a hella lightweight or went drinking around the world beforehand due to the small serving sizes and lines. I also like pissing off the wine people at that event. Just go up to a wine table and say "I'm not really a wine person so I have no idea what the choices you just gave me represent. Just pour me something that will go with this salmon." and watch the massively indignant expressions.
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Jun 13, 2013 20:12
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Nathilus posted:Congratulations about being correct concerning the best time to go. You just can't beat the Food and Wine Festival. I love the lack of crowds at that time of year, the more bearable temperatures, nibbling at 2-4 dollar treats from various countries in the World Showcase, and of course the Party for the Senses. I'm a bit of a foodie so it's almost criminal how much fun I have at that thing. The first time I went I actually got SPOOKED by how much fun I was having. I kept asking my mother if I had drank too much because I was on cloud 9 and couldn't stop eating everything. I hadn't, of course, it would actually be difficult to get unacceptably drunk at that event unless you're a hella lightweight or went drinking around the world beforehand due to the small serving sizes and lines. Man, I loved it there, though I don't know if it's something my parents will ever do again. We got a table right next to a booth that had boutique moonshine that they were making margaritas out of, I must have had six or seven, all while Cirque du Soleil was going on all around and delicious food was in my mouth constantly.
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Jun 13, 2013 22:29
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I've always wanted to go to the Food and Wine festival. The Flower and Garden festival is wonderful (but be wary, the end falls around Spring Break/Easter time, so it gets crowded in a matter of days) This year they introduced food and wine kiosks into the festival, and they've been doing topiaries and flower displays for Food and Wine for a while now, so Epcot is trying to bring a bit of each to the other, which is fine by me.
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Jun 14, 2013 04:38
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Yoshifan823 posted:Man, I loved it there, though I don't know if it's something my parents will ever do again. We got a table right next to a booth that had boutique moonshine that they were making margaritas out of, I must have had six or seven, all while Cirque du Soleil was going on all around and delicious food was in my mouth constantly. Yeah it's a hedonist's wet dream and I'd live there if I could. It's also fuckin' expensive though. It's something like twice or three times as much as eating at one of the super-fanciest restaurants there. Totally worth it though if you can afford it without bankrupting yourself. We can't all be Roman Senators at the height of the decadent Empire but it's great to play at it for a few hours.
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Jun 14, 2013 04:51
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quote:Yacht Club: I've stayed here twice now, and it's a very nice place, but it's in a weird place compared to the rest of boardwalk. You have to walk farther for pretty much anything on Boardwalk than you would anywhere else. The pool is shared between them and it's friggin' amazing; of the three WDW vacations I can remember we stayed at the Yacht Club for two of them and just hanging out at the pool alone took up a full day both times. It's humongous and has a bunch of different sub-pools connected by channels; one has a whirlpool machine in it. It's great. Also if there's an unexpected all-day rainstorm stopping you from enjoying the rides, go to Downtown Disney. Disneyquest there is basically a 3? story, gigantic arcade in which everything is free beyond admission. My biggest regret, though, is that we always went in summer so because of Florida's early-afternoon flash storms we never got to go to the water parks because they were always closed. To this day I haven't gone to a single one of the WDW water parks. 
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Jun 16, 2013 02:25
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President Ark posted:Also if there's an unexpected all-day rainstorm stopping you from enjoying the rides, go to Downtown Disney. Disneyquest there is basically a 3? story, gigantic arcade in which everything is free beyond admission. There are also some pretty great Arcades in many of the on-site Resorts. The All Star and other values have really nice ones since they are more aimed at families. They do cost money, but It's impressive. Art of Animation's even has pinball machines, I'm told!
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Jun 16, 2013 04:55
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President Ark posted:Also if there's an unexpected all-day rainstorm stopping you from enjoying the rides, go to Downtown Disney. Disneyquest there is basically a 3? story, gigantic arcade in which everything is free beyond admission. This is a good idea but remember that everyone else will have a similar idea. I love DQ but it isn't as fun when it's absolutely packed with people.
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Jun 16, 2013 11:19
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Games I actually finally beat at DQ due to having unlimited credits: That horrible Star Wars Episode 1 rail shooter, Gauntlet Legends, Gauntlet Dark Legacy. There are a lot more but those are the ones that stand out.
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Jun 16, 2013 11:33
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You guys are forgetting the best part of DisneyQuest: The attraction stuff. The Mighty Ducks pinball game is lovely, broken and woefully out of date, but the Astroblasters are awesome, some of the stuff downstairs like the Pirates game, Aladdin magic carpets and Jungle Cruise are all really fun too. And the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter lives on in a game upstairs as well (I think? It might be closed now). The sad thing is that Disney has basically given up on updating DisneyQuest in any major way. For a long while, most Downtown Disney rumors that were set on renovating the area (mostly Pleasure Island) had DQ being turned into an ESPN Club or something similar to that. I imagine that place has been close to death many times, and that Disney is just waiting until something better comes along. Of course, now in the other half of the building where the Virgin Megastore used to be, there's one of those trendy bowling alley/bar/club type things (Splitsville), which is actually a pretty nice fit for the area, so maybe DQ will get some love soon enough. Actually, Downtown Disney as a whole is really interesting, because for the longest time, Disney had no loving clue what to do with it. Pleasure Island's woes could probably fill a book or two, and the West End is slowly getting older and older without any major changes (aside from Splitsville and the movie theater partially turning into one of those dining theaters ala Alamo Drafthouse). Originally, back about three years ago, Disney announced plans to turn Pleasure Island into something called Hyperion Wharf, which would have made it a little more family friendly for the daytime hours, and had a bunch of new tech to show off, with live music and new restaurants and shops and actually sounded very cool, and that was all supposed to have been done by beginning of this year, but they delayed/scrapped that pretty quick. Now they've announced something called Disney Springs, which goes beyond Pleasure Island into a full on retheming/reworking of the whole area. They're gonna build more out into the lake, which means more walking space (and less crowded pathways!), they're building covered parking garages (which is a rarity on Disney property, but incredibly welcome), and so far, it looks pretty gorgeous (based on concept art, of course, so this could change):       Also, and this is completely unrelated but still awesome anyways because I'm a big dumb nerd, but Starbucks in the Magic Kingdom. That just makes me so happy.
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Jun 16, 2013 17:05
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Yoshifan823 posted:Also, and this is completely unrelated but still awesome anyways because I'm a big dumb nerd, but Starbucks in the Magic Kingdom. That just makes me so happy. That actually brings up something important for first-timers to know: the coffee at Disney World is loving terrible watery Nescafe. I usually bring the single-serve Starbucks Via packets when I go; I am so excited about the Starbucks in MK.
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Jun 16, 2013 17:34
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Nescafe is being phased out in most locations in favor of Joffrey's which is actually decent. Not everything has moved over yet, but it's happening and it's a good thing.
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Jun 16, 2013 17:45
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Yeah the Astroblasters are rad. Bumper cars and air cannons go so well together I'm surprised they aren't combined more often. Back when I was working there, Pleasure Island was still around as a huge clubs area. I found its existence pretty hilarious. Think of the connotations of that name: Pleasure Island is where all the "stupid little boys" got rounded up and turned into donkeys as they committed bad deeds like drinking, smoking, and playing pool. So they created a place to accommodate just that sort of behavior and kept the weird "you're going to hell" overtones that go with the name.
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Jun 16, 2013 17:56
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Nathilus posted:Yeah the Astroblasters are rad. Bumper cars and air cannons go so well together I'm surprised they aren't combined more often. I always thought it was awesome. Like you said, even the theme fit. Disney Springs looks like a nice concept art, but I bet it'll be boring and pointless 5 years from opening date. I agree that DQ needs an update. You'd think, with all the stuff Disney's doing with queues, they'd pour some money into it and let their creative folks have some fun with it. Seems like it'd be a prime place to put in games based on new and upcoming movies (I mean how hard would it be to make some sidescrollers or kinect-like games?). Disneyland had Fix it Felix Jr for Wreck It Ralph. Did they even have that at WDW?
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Jun 16, 2013 18:18
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:I always thought it was awesome. Like you said, even the theme fit. Yeah, back in December DQ had ten or fifteen Fix-It Felix Jr. machines scattered throughout the building. That was the only place you could play it in all of WDW, though.
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Jun 16, 2013 18:35
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Disney is letting DQ die a long and slow death, I think. The idea started out as a concept to bring Disney Park style experiences to places that don't have them. The DTD one opened first as a test pilot, then one opened in Chicago. It didn't prove a successful buisness model, so Disney scrapped the project, closing the Chicago one, scrapping construction on a Philiadelphia one, and ceasing planning on one for Disneyland and one in Toronto. Now all that remains is Florida's, and it's just sort of a thing Disney keeps around because it gives people something to do on rainy days (or on days that some parks close early for events, like the Halloween and Christmas parties) Kind of a shame. Edit: If you want to try an updated version of DQ's signature attraction Cyberspace Mountain, go to Epcot and try Sum of all Thrills in Innoventions. Same basic concept using far better technology (mainly a robot arm most famous for being the ride mechanic for the Harry Potter ride over at Universal) TheBigBudgetSequel fucked around with this message at 19:57 on Jun 16, 2013 |
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Jun 16, 2013 19:54
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I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but I just wanted to say that if you plan on viewing the fireworks show that they close out the day with at most parks, make sure to find a spot and hold on to it VERY EARLY. When I was at MK over the summer, we got caught in a rain storm at the edge of the park and I have not seen so many people jump on edge or act like utterly insensitive rear end in a top hat just so they could "see the magic." Also, on the subject of DQ: If they still have their virtual reality games (it's been about ten years since I've been), I could see that as PRIME loving real estate for use of the Marvel ownership. Who the gently caress wouldn't want to play one of those if it was Avengers themed? Disney needs to get the ball rolling and remember that DQ still exists.
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Jun 18, 2013 18:17
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Gin_Rummy posted:If they still have their virtual reality games (it's been about ten years since I've been), I could see that as PRIME loving real estate for use of the Marvel ownership. Who the gently caress wouldn't want to play one of those if it was Avengers themed? Disney needs to get the ball rolling and remember that DQ still exists. Disney isn't allowed to design or make attractions featuring Marvel characters in any location in Orlando, due to their outstanding contract with Islands of Adventure. They can do Marvel at any other DisneyParks location around the world, just not WDW. They skirted this to have Avengers and Iron Man themed monorail wraps on the Resort track rather than the Epcot track, because if it entered Epcot, that would be considered breach of contract. Disney needs to man up and tell Universal "Here's a poo poo ton of money, re-name everything except the properties Fox/Sony owns, then gently caress off" and then make an Avengers attraction.
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Jun 18, 2013 18:59
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Except that Universal will never do it based entirely on the fact that they want to keep the marvel poo poo on their side of the Orlando battleground. Getting rid of Marvel would gut a lot of IoA.
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Jun 18, 2013 20:00
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So is today unusually busy? Because holy poo poo the number of people and wait times are nuts.
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Jun 19, 2013 22:07
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Awesome OP! Seriously, I'm pretty impressed. I'll be going to WDW with my wife next spring to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. Technically our anniversary is on April 27th, and we'd love to actually be at WDW when the anniversary hits, but if we push it back a few weeks because crowds will be smaller we'd do it in a heartbeat. There's nothing magical to us about the actual day itself; we know why we're there and that's all that counts. So my question: is late April a good time to visit, crowd-wise? Or would we push to early April or late March? It should be mentioned that both our birthdays are in early April, so that could totally work as a "celebratory" trip as well. Thoughts? Opinions?
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Jun 19, 2013 22:12
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Remulak posted:So is today unusually busy? Because holy poo poo the number of people and wait times are nuts. It's summer so yeah it's gonna be crazy. Go early and get fastpasses ASAP. Paul Allen posted:So my question: is late April a good time to visit, crowd-wise? Or would we push to early April or late March? It should be mentioned that both our birthdays are in early April, so that could totally work as a "celebratory" trip as well. The earlier the better. April isn't great because of spring break; mid-late March would be better.
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Jun 19, 2013 22:28
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Roar posted:The earlier the better. April isn't great because of spring break; mid-late March would be better. Ah yes, Spring Break. We were thinking of early April just to avoid it as much as possible, but maybe we'll lean toward late March instead. Also, are there any couple-specific things anyone would recommend? Obviously we'll be doing our fair share of drinking at Epcot and lots of eating everywhere, but is there anything else we should know about? We're booking a dinner at Be Our Guest because she B&tB was one of her favorite Disney movies growing up, and I really want to go to O'hana. Any couple-y secrets around WDW?
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Jun 19, 2013 22:33
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Paul Allen posted:Ah yes, Spring Break. We were thinking of early April just to avoid it as much as possible, but maybe we'll lean toward late March instead. People think spring break = kids, but you can NOT forget about college spring break, which generally starts the first week of March and really goes into full swing the second through fourth weeks of march, increasing crowds and prices pretty substantially. This is an awesome site, I'll probably be going the first week of March, but it seems like going late april/early may would also be pretty good. anywhere from mid march to mid april seems just bad. http://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/10/15/2014-weeks-visit-walt-disney-world-ranked-order/
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Jun 19, 2013 23:55
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Paul Allen posted:Ah yes, Spring Break. We were thinking of early April just to avoid it as much as possible, but maybe we'll lean toward late March instead. Go in the beginning of May. If I'm not mistaken magic kingdom has extra magic hours (hours only for on property guests) that stretch from 1-3am during that time. Epcot I think goes until midnight as well. With those kind of hours you'll be able to do a lot of stuff after most kids are back in their hotel rooms assuming you like staying up late. In terms of couples stuff: If you've got the money, Victoria & Albert's at Grand Floridian is one of the top restaurants in all of the US apparently. Also GF has a new fancy spa if that's your/your wife's thing. I'm sure there's other couples stuff, but most of when I was there was eating/drinking related
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Jun 20, 2013 00:20
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Paul Allen posted:1 year anniversary... Any couple-y secrets around WDW? If you know you're going to 'Ohana, book your reservation as soon as possible (like, even before you've booked your trip, if you know when you're going). Be sure to tell them it's your anniversary, and try to get a reservation for 15-30 minutes prior to the Magic Kingdom fireworks. And don't tell your wife about the fireworks. When you check in 20 or 30 minutes prior to your reservation time, request a window table with a view of the Magic Kingdom. They may be able to accommodate you. Anyway, they'll dim the lights when the fireworks begin and pipe in the music, so everyone in the restaurant gets to watch the show. Oh, and I'm sure you can arrange to have an anniversary cake or something delivered to your table for dessert. Same thing goes for California Grill at the Contemporary and Narcoossee's at the Grand Floridian. But the window seats aren't necessarily the best thing at Narcoossee's, since people hang out on the deck right outside the restaurant, and they block the view of the fireworks. Learned this one the hard way. If you're farther away from the windows, you'll be fine. Here's what I'm talking about :  If you want to go completely bonkers, you can rent a pontoon boat for $300 and have your own private view of either the MK fireworks or Illuminations at Epcot. That includes pilot, drinks and snacks. The luxury yacht is $500. If you don't want to spend all that money on dinner or a boat just to watch the fireworks, take a stroll on the beach at the Polynesian or Grand Floridian. When the fireworks begin, the music from the park is piped in, so you can enjoy the show while relaxing in the sand. The Port Orleans and Fort Wilderness resorts have horse-drawn carriage rides: $45 for 25 minutes. You can rent a surrey bike at several different resorts. $20 per 30 minutes. It's really fun. This is a surrey bike at the Polynesian:  And be sure to wear these while you're there: 
Lincoln fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Jun 20, 2013 |
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Jun 20, 2013 00:28
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Lincoln posted:And be sure to wear these while you're there: Plus make sure to tell them you're celebrating at check-in so you get your free buttons.
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Jun 20, 2013 15:20
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Lots of great advice, thanks everyone. That was exactly the kind of stuff I was hoping for. Not sure we'll be wearing those Mickey hats, but I'd totally love some buttons or something. Always nice to have a little special something on vacations like this. So question about Extra Magic Hours: I can go to the night hours as long as I'm staying at ANY on-site hotel, correct? We're probably staying at Art of Animation, mostly because we'd rather spend money on awesome food and whatnot than on a room we won't be in much.
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Jun 20, 2013 17:07
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Paul Allen posted:Lots of great advice, thanks everyone. That was exactly the kind of stuff I was hoping for. Not sure we'll be wearing those Mickey hats, but I'd totally love some buttons or something. Always nice to have a little special something on vacations like this. Correct, however you are limited to just one park with a regular ticket, and any park that is offering extra magic hours that day is going to be the most crowded park. If you do not have a park hopper ticket I would actually suggest NOT going to the magic hour parks, however if you do have park hopper certainly do a different park during the day and head over to the extra magic hours at night.
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Jun 20, 2013 17:13
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