Disney World, here I come!!!!!!!!

[Palm Desert Babe]

OMG!!! I just found out today that I'll be going to Walt Disney World on July 25-August 1. I'm so excited!!!! The only thing is, I've never been there. If u guys could give some tips, that would be soooo helpful.
Thanks!

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Live in a sauna for a week to get a feel for the heat/humidity there that time of year.

-- PMM

[#1DisneyFreak]

I am so jealous! We want to go in October or November. You have to tell me ALL about it when you get back!

[Palm Desert Babe]

^ok. i will

so have u been there before?

[BGW4SC]

I went in August in 2002 and it was very hot and very humid. Expect rain every afternoon. I was there for a week and it rained for at least an hour all but one day.

Bad weather aside, be sure to pick your restaurants ASAP and get you priority seating squared away. It's not impossible to get into all of the restaurants but the more popular ones will require a reservation.

Allow time for transportation. The transportation system at Walt Disney World is excellent but the scale of the property definitely adds to your travel time. The Magic Kingdom and Epcot are further apart than Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm just to give you a frame of reference. The Disney Studios and Animal Kingdom are even further away.

Many of the attractions are similar to those in Anaheim, in some cases they are exact copies (i.e., Soarin', It's Tough To Be A Bug, etc). But there are plenty of originals that shouldn't be missed (Kilamanjaro Safari, Test Track, Rockin' Roller Coaster to name a few).

I can probably help you with some itinerary strategy if you answer these questions.

How long are you staying?

Are you staying on property?

Are you staying on a package?

I was just there in May -and can't wait to go back- so a lot of the memories are very fresh. If you want any specific information post it here or send me a PM. I'm happy to help.

[tomserwin]

What would you like to know? There's a lot to know about WDW but specifics would be good.

I would highly suggest staying on-site. The Disney Dining Plan works for me and I love it but others do not so it all comes down to personal prefrence. Make dining reservations as far in advance as possible. Resturaunts fill up fast, especially nicer ones like Cinderella's Royal Table, Le Cellier, Akershus, and Chef's de France.

[Palm Desert Babe]

Unfortunately, I won't be staying on-site. My aunt and uncle have a time share close by. I wish I could stay on-site!!! o well.....

To answer ur question BGW4SC, I'm gonna be staying about a week.

[BGW4SC]

Originally Posted by Palm Desert Babe

To answer ur question BGW4SC, I'm gonna be staying about a week.

A week will give you enough time to see the four parks. I typically break Epcot up into two day, spend one day each at the other three and then a day or two for loose ends (going on rides again, shopping, different restaurants, etc). That will fill most of your week. With Disneyland in my backyard I typically don't spend too much time at the Magic Kingdom (half day tops). Since it is your first time you might want to take a full day or more for comparison reasons.

I'm a foodie so the meals are important to me. For the most part the best restaurants are in the hotels. All of the deluxe resorts have at least one good to excellent dining option (signature dining experience is what they are calling them these days). Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is my personal favorite even though they lost their executive chef Annette Grey to TGI Fridays [gag]. I also really like Narcoosee's and Citricos in the Grand Floridian and Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge. The only drawback on the signature dining experiences are the restaurants have a business casual dress code which might not be condusive with day at the parks in the heat and humidity.

As far as eating in the parks goes Epcot has the most to offer. I prefer Bistro de Paris in France -saw Paris Hilton there in May- over Chefs de France. In all honesty most of the restaurants in Epcot are good but none are great. I think Restaurant Marrakesh in Morocco is a hidden gem that most people over look. The Coral Reef in The Living Seas has great atmosphere but you can get better seafood in the hotels. The great thing about the parks is if you are on a budget you can find decent food that isn't too expensive. In fact there isn't a table service restaurant in the Animal Kingom -unless you count Rain Forest Cafe, which I don't- so you can snack on some tasty items that you might not find in Palm Desert.

My final food recommendation -at least in this post- is to make a point of going to breakfast at the Kona Cafe in the Polynesian Resort. They have a banana-stuffed French toast (Tonga Toast) that is legendary. I've had several people tell me that Elvis Presley liked it so much that he had his private chef fly down to Disney World so he could learn how to make it. Of course I have had a bunch of Elvs fanatics tell me that he ate other things for breakfast and that legend was conspired by Disney. Regardless, I think that any food tied to the legend of Elvis is usually pretty darn good.

I've never stayed off property but you should still be able to accomplish everything you set out to do. Just allow extra time to get to the parks in the morning so you don't miss any of the magic.

[Palm Desert Babe]

^Thank u so much! I have to say, even thinking about that Tonga Toast is making my mouth water.......lol

If anyone else has anything to add, I would love to hear it!

[Palm Desert Babe]

Hey, I was just thinking.....what are some good shops? I have some money I would like to spend, and I don't know where to spend it.....lol

I love shopping!!! :)

[BGW4SC]

I would say that the shopping experiences in WDW are similar to the shopping at DLR. Some of the clothing was similar to what we have here but it said WDW instead of DLR. I also saw things in Florida that I have never seen in Anaheim such as Nike Golf shirts with the Disney Golf logo.

The Downtown Disney in Florida is HUGE! I don't know if it's better than the theme parks as far as variety but you will find a World of Disney and other shops similar to the shops in Anaheim. This might just be unique to me but I bought a lot of stuff at the shop on the 4th floor of the Contemporary Resort. The shop had a weird name like BVG or something like that. There's a Basin in the Grand Floridian similar to the one in Anaheim. Main Street is always good for shopping but our group thought the Disney Studios had the best shopping overall.

This isn't shopping related but have you heard anything about the backstage tours? If you have money burning a hole in your pocket they might be an option for you. I've gone on a few and think they are a must see. let me know if you'd like more information.

[Palm Desert Babe]

I don't think my family would want to do any tours......they're boring...lol

Thanks!

[ryguy222]

I went to WDW and also stayed at a time share. It wasn't mine, but my aunt and uncles, it was called orange lake or something. Anyway, its very humid during that time of the year, and can be a bit miserable. As for shopping, their DTD is HUGE! There are tons of stores, and eateries, and I think there is a movie theater, as well as a cirque du solei show. Least there was when we were there. IF you haven't ever been there its very different then WDW, all the parks are very spread out. Since your not staying on site you'll probably end up parking at each park, which really isn't that big of a deal. Its something like 15 bucks, and they have lots of parking lot trams. Parking at Magic Kingdom is much different as you park far away from the park, and take the monorail to the park, or a ferry boat into the park.

[Palm Desert Babe]

^I saw that there is a cirque de soleil there! I think we might go and see that. And thanks for telling me about the parking. How far away is the park from where the parking lot (or wherever u park)?

[ryguy222]

Well EPCOT i think has the world largest parking lot, but its right there in front of the park. And each spot is a very quick walk to the tram station, and the ride maybe takes 50 seconds, to 1 minute. AK has the parking lot in front, and MGM has the parking lot in front as well. But MK's parking lot is in front but further away from the park. It has a lake in between MK and the parking lot, and you just take a ferry boat over the lake to the park, or you can take the monorail. There are two lines, the resort line, or the epcot line. The resort line goes to five of the resorts, and then to MK, and the epcot line goes from the MK parking lot to Epcot. There is a station right in front of the MK, but you have to go through a few resorts, so its easiest to just take the five or ten minute ferry boat.

Just go to www.maps.google.com and search Walt Disney world followed by the park name. Epcot or Magic Kingdom, and then click satalite, and you'll see what it all looks like.

It looks like it'd be very confusing going from one park to another, and there is a pretty elaborate road system, but once you drive into any of the road entrances to Disneyworl (you'll know cuz there is a huge arch with WDW on it) then you'll see all sorts of signs guiding you to the different parks.