How is it?

[reillysix]

I have never been to WDW so I was wondering what the main differences are from DL?

Does the weather make it any different?

I would really like to take a trip with my family so I need so good reasons that I can convince my mom with.

First Thread!

[Neo]

I suggest you go to DC torrents and get a bunch of discovery and travel channel videos. They are really awesome at describing it. I suggest the "Modern Marvel - Walt Disney World" special. Along with many others.

[reillysix]

^ Thanks, I will try that.

[Fantasmic!kid]

The one thing to remember is: it's huge! Personally, I think it's a good idea to go when you can stay a week or more. There's too much stuff to see to only stay 3-4 days.

Also, check out the Birnbaum's books on WDW. They're chock-full of tips and tricks to the four parks.

P.S. Neo's got a great point, I'm just giving additional info. :biggrin:

~F!kid

[Neo]

ohh and if you can get a VIP tour LOL books are great but take hours to read. Videos are rarely an hour long and show you alot. And you can fast forward stuff you already know LOL.

[jagfkb]

The main difference for me is that there is more to do. You can easily spend 12 days there and still have more to do!

[Rachele]

Regarding the weather, my parents went for their anniversary last year. They said the humidity and the weather were disgusting. They liked the parks and think everyone should experience it at least once, but said they much prefer DLR overall. I will personally be watching these threads closely, because I would love to take a trip to WDW!

[Tigris]

Disney World is of course so much better than DL , except the magic Kingdom but whatever. The other parks such as Animal Kingdom, MGM, & Epcot also Disney Quest are defienetly worth going to, there are diffrent places that you will enjoy seeing and they really are truly magical!! it's worth going, I've visted WDW resort twice and it's a blast!!

[wdwmickeyfan]

Disney World is of course so much better than DL , except the magic Kingdom but whatever. The other parks such as Animal Kingdom, MGM, & Epcot also Disney Quest are defienetly worth going to, there are diffrent places that you will enjoy seeing and they really are truly magical!! it's worth going, I've visted WDW resort twice and it's a blast!!


I would take quality over quantity any day. In which case Tokyo Disney Resort would take the cake as the best Disney resort.

Back on topic... if you have the chance to visit WDW, do so!! It's definitely worth the time and money. Even though I would rather spend that on a trip to Japan.

[Harrison Hightower III]

I think that its great because its got 4 parks, 2 waterparks, 99 holes of golf, numerous resorts, Disney Quest, Worlds biggest Disney Store (which I've gotten lost in 4 times), Cique de Solie, and tons of more stuff to do!!!

Wether wise you got be careful of what time of year you go.

[Coolbeans326]

I went to WDW for the first time, but do to time constraints (we were basically visiting all other theme parks in florida aswell) I could only see a little bit of WDW. We did AK and MK in one day, and TL as well as Epcot the other. We only did the attractions at animal kingdom and skimmed through all the major attractions at MK. One thing thats instantly noticible about the difference between MK and DL is that the paths are much wider. Also, on most of the rides, the entrance theming is more elaborate. Although, I prefer most of the DL rides better. As a whole DL is better then MK, but its all the other parks at WDW that make the trip out there worth it. I didn't get to see much of Epcot, but it was very beautiful, and I wish we could have done more. Animal Kingdom was also very beautiful and I love walking through the place, its just so well designed, and everything. Its totally awsome.

[n8patrick]

Ok, thought I would chime in here.

I was a Cast Member in the Magic Kingdom at WDW back in 2003. Like people have said above, there is SO much to do, it will be hard to get anywhere near all of it in, pretty much no matter how long you stay. That said, it is good to plan ahead so that you can do a lot of the things you WANT to do.

The thing I love the most about WDW, which is the thing and reason Walt wanted to construct Project X in Florida in the first place, is "the blessing of size", this amounts to an amazing Disney experience. The size of the property that Disney owns down there, allows you to almost leave "reality" once you cross the property line. The way they upkeep the whole property makes you feel like you are in a new world (although, just as it is throughout Disney, the upkeep has come down in standards to what it used to be) even when you are just driving around the property outisde of the actual theme parks.

Having the 4 theme parks, plus the water parks (Blizzard Beach is the better of the two by far, Typhoon Lagoon has a pretty cool snorkeling with the sharks experience though), tons of resorts/hotels, Downtown Disney and more; there is just so much to do and it is an awesome experience.

As for my favorite things to experience at WDW, they are:
Magic Kingdom: Mickey's Philharmagic - a great 3d show that leads you through a fun adventure; Carousel of Progress - when it is actually running, you will have to check because they only operate it seasonally and for certain hours of the day.
Epcot: Illuminations - I think this is a great fireworks/laser/video-globe/sound experience, if you like fireworks shows at all this is well worth it for sure; Test Track - it is nothing uber special or Disneyesque in my opinion, just a fun ride; World Showcase - although it can be somewhat "boring" if you are looking for thrills and rides, I love the atmosphere, music, "street performers", and food. The World Showcase is just a fun, somewhat relaxing place to experience. Grab a schedule so that you can catch some of the different acts in each of the countries, go on the ride in Norway - it is an enjoyable dark/boat ride, and DEFINITELY do the American Adventure - the audio animatronics are awesome and if you are an american, this definitely gets your heart involved, having you leave with a good feeling. The attraction inside Spaceship Earth is enjoyable too, it is very simple, but has some neat moments.
MGM: Fantasmic is great! Yes, I know that there is Fantasmic at Disneyland, but here at MGM they have stadium seating and an area built for this show, which makes it more enjoyable in my opinion. If you like "thrill" rides, Tower of Terror and Rock'n Rollercoaster are obvious hits, but that is not as much my thing. Walt Disney: One Man's Dream - I personally love this walk-through museum/short movie about the one and only Walt himself, if you are a Walt Disney fan or want to learn more about him then you should check this attraction out. The Indiana Jones stunt show is pretty good to see once, but if you don't have time I don't think you will miss too much.
Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris - you should do this attraction if you are going to the Animal Kingdom, enough said. DINOSAUR - good ride, similar vehicle to the Indiana Jones attraction in Disneyland, but based around Dinasaurs, it is fun. Expedition Everest - I have not been on this yet, but have heard many good things. It's Tough to Be a Bug - same as the one in California Adventures, but a much better show "building" (in the big Tree of Life in the middle of the park) housing it and a good queue area leading to it.
Downtown Disney: Cirque du Soleil La Nouba - I loved this show, although it is definitely not cheap, it is an amazing show. DisneyQuest - this is a fun HUGE arcade basically, with some very cool larger scale interactive type "video games" that are more of an experience than your typical video/arcade games. Worth spending an evening if you ask me.

I also enjoy just riding the Monorail, going around to the different resorts to check them out, and just in general sucking in all the Disney magic that is down there. I can only imagine what it would have been like if Walt was able to complete WDW the way HE wanted and planned it, what I would give to experience and live in the real EPCOT, fly in to the "airport of the future"...

Now, as for the weather down there in Florida, it definitely depends on when you go. DO NOT go in the summer if you can help it, on the whole it is definitely way to hot and humid during the summer months to trully enjoy the parks. The best time I saw to be there was in late January. The parks are nearly empty (memories of riding Test Track 5 times straight without having to get out of the car I was in once!) and the temperatures are cool, but still most likely nicer than most other places in the country at that time of year. February is a good month, early March isn't bad - but gets busy around Spring Break times, and I have heard early November is good. I was there for the week leading up to Halloween, which was not too busy - and the Halloween "party" was very fun to attend, the temperatures were not too hot either.

Well, there is my (novel length) version of my thoughts on Walt Disney World. That is coming from a guy that worked those parks, once did the major attractions at all four parks plus Fantasmic! and Illuminations all in one day, and just loves the atmosphere of Walt Disney theme parks. If you get to go, enjoy, and say hi to the parks for me!

[turlaach]

I have to say, the Imagineering Field guide to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, are both really worth the money, very interesting! But of course, the Animal Kingdom is my second favourite park! Excellent theming! You can just immerse yourself in the countries! (See if you can guess my favourite park!)

[wdwnut4life]

When u go, you'll have a blast! My advice: don't park hop nin 1 day, you're feeet will be hurting for days! Take it easy! I'm guessing you're fave park is Epcot, same here! MK rocks! Splash, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tiki Room, etc. Epcot: everything, especially IllumiNations, get the park cd too & IllumiNations! I have the old Tapestry of Nations parade from a friend of mine on cd which I listen 2 it every few days!Have a great time & great weekend! Same w/y'all here! :)

[reillysix]

Thanks everyone!

[Kileli]

we were ther for 13 days and stil had not done things we had wanted to. go. you will have a GREAT time, i sure did

[DisneyParksFan]

^^ That is completely true.

Park Hoping really used that much, but it is nice to have the option for if you want to leave say Epcot and go over the Disney-MGM Studios for the night... all you'll have to do is hop onto one of the Friendships and let the boat take you there. You could also walk there as well. I would suggest the boat though. But be warned, if lightning strikes in the area, they have to dock the boat.
I would not suggest park hoping from any park to Animal Kingdom. But I would park hop from Animal Kingdom to another park because it closes earlier than the other parks.
Park hoping is nice for if you want to visit a few parks only for a meal, some major attractions or for shows.
Traveling to DAK from any other Disney Theme Park may take a while because of the park location.


When exiting the Magic Kingdom... please remember, dont try to hurry out!! You will only get stuck in the huge Monorail lines and the Ferryboat lines. Note: If you're staying at a MK Area Resort Hotel, rushing is possible because you can take a boat over to your hotel that doesn't stop at the Ticket and Transportation Center. The Monorail Resort Line can sometimes be short as well, it mostly depends on the day of the week and the number of MK Area Hotel Guests there are.


Have a nice trip!!
Walt Disney World is an awesome resort :)



-mickey2005

[WDWanimation]

One of the main differnces from DLR is that DRL is the first Disney Park, so it has alot of originality. But, WDW is alot larger so you would need atleast five days to a week to do absoutly everything.
As weather goes, Florida (where WDW is) is humid and it usually rains every afternoon. Also, there can be heat lighting at night.
Disneyland can get windy and is cooler. Basically Florida is just more tropical :D

[tonichelle]

I prefer WDW over DLR just for the simple fact of size. I don't feel half as crowded at WDW than I did a DLR... and I've experienced WDW at a peak season (Spring Break, which I don't recommend at all lol) and when I was at DLR last month it wasn't all that bad and it was a day before the Labor Day weekend...

There's just more space, and like someone else said there is no 'reality' around it. It's not just a Disney Themepark, you actually get to live in a Disneyfied world for however long you're there. :)

I don't like big crowds, I get claustrophobic, but I don't get that way at WDW, I do at DLR