HELP - 1st timers trying to plan Disney vacation!
 

Hi. My friend and I are trying to plan a trip to Disney - the first for both of us! We've been talking about it for some time and have been overwhelmed with information. I'm hoping for some knowledegable opinions at this point to help us make some decisions. We are both in our late twenties, are very active & athletic, and want to see as much as possible to get the full Disney experience. As of now we are planning for a trip in mid 2000 (not sure which month yet) <BR>for about 4 or 5 days. Here are my questions: <BR>Is there a certain Disney resort that is more geared toward an adult crowd? (we'd like to stay in the "moderate" price range, but if something is a "must" we don't have a problem spending.) <BR>We love the outdoors/camping/etc. - is the Wilderness Lodge a neat place to stay? <BR>If you stay at a Disney Resort does that include transportation to the parks and keep you within close range of all of the Disney attractions? <BR>What are the main attractions? Disney, Epcot, Animal Kingdom....what else? <BR>We have entertained the idea of going on a Disney Cruise, any comments as to the cruise vs. staying at Disney the whole time? <BR>Well, that should do it - any comments & opinions are greatly appreciated. <BR>Thanks very much! <BR>Elizabeth <BR> <BR>

Ok, where to start. As far as resorts go, I would recommend either the beach/yacht club or the boardwalk. Beach/yacht has THE BEST pool setup of all the resorts and a few good restaurants to boot. Boardwalk is the newer one; very nice accomodations and has ESPN Zone, Jellyrolls (dueling piano bar) and a dance club as well as a few restaurants all on the boardwalk. Both these resorts are walking distance from Epcot and just a boat ride away from MGM. And yes,transportation to all parts of Disney is included when you stay at one of the resorts...SO WORTH IT! Fort Wilderness is nice (everything is at disney)but i'm not really into the whole almost camping-kind-of-experience when i'm on vacation....just my opinion! <BR>I haven't been to Animal Kingdom since the Asia part opened, but this park is definatly not one to be missed. Beautiful! The new rock n'roll coaster at MgM is another attraction that is brand new too! (don't forget tower of terror, and i personally really love the Animation exhibit) <BR>Downtown Disney is also relatively new, lots of funky restaurants and shops and also has DisneyQuest, five floors of interactive, virtual reality games as well as your typical arcade games. (I'm in my twenties as well and still managed to spend hours in this place, so much fun!) Pleasure Island is right next to Downtown, and that's the place for nightlife. <BR>Also have done the DisneyCruise and I would suggest you stay at disney the entire time if this is your first time experiencing it. You WILL not get bored, run out of things to do, nor regret it! (But the cruise is wonderful too, for your next trip!) feel free to email me if you have more ?'s, been to disney 13 times and i can't say enough about it! have fun!!

Definitely stay at Disney the whole time. There is so much to do, that you will find that 4 or 5 days isn't enough. I am going at the end of the month for my 18th trip, and I always find something new to see. Staying on property is the most convenient thing to do. You have access to the transportation, early entry and e-nights, as well as some special events. For example, we went to Disney right before AK opened. As resort guests, we were able to visit the park for its sneak preview. Regarding Wilderness Lodge, it is not a campground, but a deluxe resort. I haven't stayed there, but have heard nothing but good things about it. You must be thinking of Fort Wilderness. I stayed there many, many years ago. It was a lot of fun, and I am definitely someone who hates camping. There are 2 things you must get to plan your trip. First, a copy of the "Unofficial Guide to Disney World." Second, a Magic Kingdom Club card for discounts on lodging, tickets, restaurants, etc. I recently posted how to get one on another Disney thread. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. Whatever you choose to do, you will have a great time. Disney is the greatest!!!

Elizabeth: I first did Disney as a single with a girlfriend, have now gone about 5 more times with my husband and daughter, and I swear that the best info is in the book "The Unofficial guide to Disneyworld." Tells you how to best minimize line waiting, the scare factor of rides, value of rides and restaurantss, and rates the lodging. Recommend you find it -- any bookstore.

If I were single and could pick anywhere to stay on Disney property, I would pick the Boardwalk Inn. It's in a great location with loads of action. Check out the message boards at the following web site -- www.disneyinfo.com. You will find more information there about Disney World than you ever thought possible. The people who post on the message boards are extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

I agree with disneyinfo.com as being a great place to find info. The most important thing will be avoiding crowded times meaning kids school breaks around Easter time. Waiting for any attraction for an hour or more is not fun. We were there in September and walked right on most things. The hotel will not be used much so I would not fret too much about it. Universal Studio's is great fun as well. More advanced techno wise. It is geared toward a teen crowd on a lot of their ride/experiences. <BR> <BR>I personally loved Blizzard Beach Water Park. It is built like a big ski resort and one comes flying down a multitude of slides and flumes on mats and tubes. Great fun. I had my 65 yr old Mom and my 4 yr old son and we all agreed that was the best spot for us. Took the bus from Yacht Club which was only a short ride. Disney has another park called Typhoon Lagoon that looks like fun as well. The Disney Cruise I think has lots of families on it. You will be exhausted doing so much. Take backpacks and comfortable shoes. Feel Free to E-mail me.

I agree with the posters who recommend the Boardwalk Inn -- it's one of my favorites. If you'd prefer to stay in the moderates, the Coronado Springs resort is more "adult" -- it is used a lot for conventions. If you stay there, request the "Cabanas" as they are located close to the pool and main lobby. I also like Port Orleans, another moderate resort. Ilisa is right on to get the Magic Kingdom Club Card - it saves you $$ on rooms as well as other stuff. If your company has over 500 employees, they may have the MKC's as a perk - check it out. <BR> <BR>If you're into nightlife, be sure to hit Jelly Rolls, a piano bar on the Boardwalk (also a good reason to stay right at the Boardwalk Inn!). They play & sing 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's songs on the piano while you sing along. It's fun. Also, I love the Comedy Club and Adventurer's Club at Downtown Disney's Pleasure Island. There are also dance clubs, etc. <BR> <BR>Be sure to check out Deb Wills unofficial website: wdwig.com for lots of good info. . . . . <BR> <BR>E mail me with any questions you might have. <BR> <BR>

We were at Disney World in November. We stayed at the Keys West which I understand are time-shares.We loved it.We stayed in the smallest room which was a studio. It had a small kitchen area with a microwave small fridge and sink.It also had a balcony,ours over <BR>looked the golf course. There were several pools located around the complex.There were also free laundry facilities.The buses had several pick up points around Key West and they were never crowded. There was also boat transportation to Pleasure Island.We would definately stay there again.

One info resource I have not seen mentioned yet - Deb Wills' Unofficial WDW Website: go to www.wdwig.com. there are lots of trip reports on this site, recent updates, must-see attractions & overlooked attractions, & restaurant reviews. My family & I (parents & 2 kids) have stayed at the All-Star (the budget hotels) the last 2 times we stayed on Disney property & really enjoyed our stay. The pools there are packed with kids in summer, but if you go during a time when school is in session (DEFINITELY time your trip this way - maybe May or Sept - October would be good) there won't be so many kids. Besides, you will be at the parks all day! The shuttle buses run continuously and we have never had to wait longer than 15 min to go anywhere. If this is your first trip & you have 4-5 days, I recommend just doing the parks, not the cruise. definitely get the unlimited magic or park-hopper passes, you can but them at your local Disney Store before your trip. This will include Pleasure Island admission (go to THE ADVENTURER"S CLUB - BEST SHOWS!), Disney Quest, all the parks. so you can for example: Go to Animal Kingdom at 7 AM when it opens, then when it gets hot take the shuttle to MGM & do some rides, end the day with the Fantasmic show at MGM, if you aren't too tired go to pleasure Island & you can stay at Adventurer's Club from 9:30 to midnight, walk around PI & take a late shuttle boat ride across the lake to get to bus stop for your ride to the hotel. Next day go to whatever park has early opening (which means only resort guests can get in for the first one or two hours), stay until lunchtime, then go to next park you haven't done. Last 2 days you can concentrate on shows, attractions you haven't seen yet or go back to revisit some of your favorites. WDW is so big, I think on your first Orlando trip concentrate there, & on subsequent visits (and you WILL want to go back) you can visit other Orlando attractions. If you can't tell - I LOVE WDW! Have a great time!

My husband and I (also in our 20's) went to Disney a few years ago and we stayed outside the park. It's much more convenient to stay inside as all transportation is included; I'd go that route if we went again. I agree with the others, The Boardwalk area is very nice. We had a great time at JellyRolls one night, you should definitely try to visit it while you are there. I'd also recommend the book "Disney for Adults"; we found it very useful. It helps you eliminate the rides and attractions aimed at children allowing you to focus on the ones that are most enjoyable for adults. We'd also recommend MGM and even going to SeaWorld if you have the time. You'll find that 4 to 5 days is going to fly...we stayed for 5 days and hit a different place each day and we were exhausted at the end! Have fun!

Elizabeth, whatever you do, don't try to eliminate rides geared towards children. Otherwise, you will miss out on a full Disney experience. Be a kid again, and go on Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and It's a Small World and kick butt on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (a very addicting ride). I guarantee that you won't be the only adults without kids. Do a search on this forum, and check out my trip report "The Smell of Disney" (that's a phrase my husband coined, by the way).

Elizabeth, <BR> Hello. <BR>We live in England and have visited Florida on 6 occasions, we will be making our 7th this coming September. <BR>We have never stayed at a Disney Resort, mainly because although we love the Theme Parks we also like to travel all over the State. <BR>In fact there are very few areas of Florida we have not been to. <BR>In planning your first trip you should be very careful what time of year you visit. For instance if you visit between June or July all the <BR>Theme Parks will be extremely busy and it will also be very hot. This can make touring any Theme Park difficult, particularly as it will be your first time. Orlando is a wonderful place but sometimes when you are there queuing up for a particular attraction for over 2 hours some of that magic can be lost. <BR>I am not trying to put you off but if you plan correctly it can be so much easier. <BR>We always visit Florida now in September/October , the weather is not so humid and the crowds are lighter. <BR>Generally the best thing to do is visit a specific park first thing in the morning, leave around 12:00 for lunch and return after tea at around 16:00. Take advantage of the cooler temperature during the evening when a lot of the parks are quieter. <BR>Although make sure you check the opening/closing times before you go. Usually when the parks are busier they stay open longer. <BR>For instance when we visit in September the parks close around 19:00, however, during the busy summer months they stay open till around midnight. <BR>Remember the saying "longer lines longer hours"( in other words the busier the park the longer it stays open). Personally even though hours are shorter we prefer Sept./Oct. because of the humidity and the lesser crowds. <BR> <BR>When we visit Florida though it is always for 14 nights , so in effect we can spread our Theme Park hours over a longer period. <BR>If you have 4/5 days and wish to see all the parks you are going to have a very hectic schedule but it will be great fun. I do not think though that you will have the time for a Disney Cruise. <BR> <BR>Never visit Magic Kingdom on a Monday, mainly because most people arrive in Florida for vacation at the beginning of the week and the first park they visit is MK particularly if they have children. <BR>Are you planning on visiting Universal Studios and Sea World? In my opinion Universal is the best park of all, particularly as it is mainly aimed at Adults. Epcot too is great for grown ups. <BR>MGM Studios and MK are very much family resorts, you will probably still love them . We do , before and after our son was born. <BR>There are Water Parks too, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach particularly are great fun. <BR>I cannot comment on Animal Kingdom as we have not been, but I know that a lot of people have been disappointed in it. I suppose we will have to all make our own minds up. <BR> <BR>Now, I do not wish to sound as if I am putting you off but I would say it is (probably) impossible to see all the Theme Parks in 4/5 days, especially if you go in the Summer and you visit Universal/Sea World too. <BR> <BR>Everybody has their own different ideas on when to go and what to see etc, and there is no doubt that the second time you visit you will do some things differently. <BR> <BR>I hope you have a wonderful time , please feel free to mail me with any other queries you may have. <BR> <BR>

Elizabeth-- One more tip--freeze water bottles the night before and carry one (waist pack attachment)each day. You'll need to drink often and buying a drink at Disney is expensive.

I'm sure you already have your trip all planned ,but wanted to add my two cents since this form is always so healpful for me. i went in my mid 20's for the 2nd time, went the first week of nov. and stayed at Dixie landings. which i liked because it had food avail after midnight and the pools were 24 hr. i don't know if they all are. and it was small enough one didn't get lost trying to find my room. and it was not crowded. wish i could go too, have fun!

Elizabeth, <BR>You have received lots of wonderful information so far, so I will try not complicate it further. We have visited the World only 4 times, a small number of times compared to many. The following is just my main thoughts. Stay on property, it is worth it no matter where you stay. Try to go at off peak times, but still warm enough to enjoy the water parks. With only 4 or 5 days you cannot begin to see everything that WDW has to offer. Just relax, enjoy and do what you can. It will take many, many trips before you can begin to see it all. You will have a wonderful time. Also, as someone posted above, Deb Wills site is not to be missed. Lots and Lots of wonderful information. Have a great time....... I know you will!!

You asked about the Wilderness Lodge - we absolutely love that place and I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. The last time we went we stayed elsewhere but we took the boat from the Magic Kingdom to the Wilderness Lodge for some lunch and reminiscing. <BR> <BR>Some nice things to do there: <BR>Go ahead and rent some bikes and follow the trails to Fort Wilderness (or just hike there)- there's a hammock on the beach there with my name on it. <BR>You can rent watercraft on the beach at the Wilderness Lodge or just play in the sand. We found the beach to be strangely unnoticed by most people who never made it past the pool. <BR>In the evenings you can watch the Electrical Water Pageant from the lodge (or from your balcony if you have a pool view room). <BR>The geyser near the pool erupts every hour and it's so cool! <BR>Tour the lodge - it's fascinating! <BR> <BR>No matter where you stay you'll have a blast!

HI, <BR>I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU GO TO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY AND CHECK OUT THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDES TO DISNEY WORLD. THERE ARE LOTS TO CHOOSE FROM AND THEY GIVE YOU A LOT OF IDEAS AND WAYS TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY. THEY ARE ALSO FULL OF HELPFUL NUMBERS AND WEBSITES TO HELP WITH THE PLANNING. GOOD LUCK AND HAVE A GREAT TIME.

Dear Elizabeth: <BR>Quick! You can still be saved. Go see a counselor at DAA(DisneyAbusersAnonymous).

Whoa...you must see these attractions; <BR>Thunder Mountian,Space Mountian,Splash Mountain,TEST TRACK...and DisneyQuest