In a previous post, I mentioned that I thought Disneyland was the best of the Disney parks. Well, I just bought my plane tickets today to go to Orlando (of course this was previously planned) so I can see for myself. I have gotten mostly negative responses from friends and family that have visited WDW, so I am very curious for tips to make this trip the most enjoyable it can be. Is there any type of shuttle service from the airport to WDW resorts? Is there really an advantage in staying on the property as opposed to off of it? Would you recommend renting a car? We also would like to take a tour of the everglades, are there special shuttles to those or are they just too far? How long a trip is it to the Kennedy Space Center? Again, sorry about the numerous questions, but I will need all the information I can get! Thank you!

I am unable to answer all your questions, but from experience I found that staying on property was more convenient. It was so nice to take advantage of Disney transportation to the different theme parks, they have the bus, monorail, even boat ride to a few places. I would also suggest taking a look at Deb's Unofficial Guide to WDW. I don't know the actual web address, but you can look it up on one of the search engines. Also, you may want to check out the Unofficial Guide to WDW, a book. You can check it out at your local library.

Gina:

First, you need to decide what you want to see . WDW consist of many different attractions such as Disney World, Epcot, etc. You should get a WDW passport if you wish to see it all. be prepared to spend some serious money. The Everglades are much further south. They are more than 200 miles away. I lived in Florida for a number of years and personally I wouldn't waste my time with them. The Space Center is less than an hours drive from Orlando and well worth the trip. You can go to Daytona Beach at the same time which is pretty nice. A little further north is St. Augustine which is very historical and interesting. A car is a necessity. Have a great time and post your opinion of WDW after seeing it. Hopefully the fires won't be a problem for you.

Thank you Teresa and WDWWally for replying to my post, I really appreciate it.

I live in southern Ca. and have been to Disneyland and Disney World many times. I do like Disneyland better than Disney World even though DW is lots bigger. You must see it tho. Also Epcot is a must see. I also like Cypress Gardens a lot. Can also go to the Cape and to St. Augustine and Daytona as others have recommended. Don't bother going to Everglades. Too far and nothing to see. Don't bother with Universal Studios either - much better out here. Can go to Disney/MGM if you want. Still like Universal out here best. Do stay on grounds of Disney if possible. Much easier. Car is necessary to get around to all these sights. Church Street Station in Orlando is neat too. Have a great trip.

Having never been to Disneyland I can only offer experience to WDW. We have gone to WDW the last 2 years (just returned July 3rd). We love it! Both times we stayed at the Grand Floridian which is a WDW resort on the monorail. I must say we all agree we would only stay on premise. The flex-pass is the only way to go: you can go anywhere anytime to any of the resorts (just stamp your hand as you leave a park). Take advantage of the Birnbaum or Fodor's guides or the Unofficial Disney Guide to get a feel of the parks. Take advantage of the early entry to parks if you stay at a disney resort and be flexible: don't stand in line for 45 minutes for a ride if you can walk right in to another one you want to see! You must go to Animal Kingdom: Countdown to Extinction ride, Kilimanjaro Safari (best in evening-we did morning and evening), "It's a Bug's Life" 3-D movie at the Tree of Life. Do DisneyQuest if you have older kids ( at Downtown Disney). You can do MGM in one day, Epcot in 2 days, Animal Kingdom in 1 day, Magic Kingdom in 2 days if you want to really see it all!! Don't bother with Universal Studios and all the other stuff although if you do get a car Kennedy Space Center would be worth it! Be prepared to spend some bucks and the food isn't too great (club sandwich at the Grand Floridian is really good and our son liked cheese pizzas every place we went...). E-mail me for more info and have a great trip--

I've been to Disney World 17 times (yes, I know I say that in every Disney post, but hey, I'm proud of it!). My husband and I absolutely love it!!! To answer some of your questions. There are some shuttle services to Disney from the airport. Mears and Transtar are two. I can't remember off the top of the head what they cost. If you book your trip directly through Disney, they will send you a coupon for Mears. Transtar will also honor it. We find there are great benefits to staying in a Disney resort. You have access to the shuttle service to all the parks. Service starts around 6am and runs continuously until about 2am. Each day, a different park is opens an hour early for resort guests. Believe me, an hour without the crowds makes a huge difference. Also, Disney has instituted a program in which the Magic Kingdom is open several nights a month after hours to resort guests so they can ride the most popular rides (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, etc.) I've been to Disney when the the parks have had to close to guests because they were too crowded. If you are a resort guest, you can get in regardless. All in all, it is very convenient staying in the resort. Your experience in Disney is what you make of it. The most important thing is just to have fun. There is so much more I can tell you. If you have any questions about the parks, dining reservations, what else to see, please send me an email. Have a great time!