hello. this september, my husband, myself and my 12 year old daughter are going to take amtrak from our homeland of los angeles to orlando florida. when we arrive we will stay at the beach club resort in disneyworld for 8 nights. does anyone have info or tips for us? we are first time disneyworld tourists. we will be glad to hear from you!-kathleen.

If you are planning on eating in any of the restaurants in Epcot Center, make your reservations early or you won't get a good time. It is never too early. If you don't get the time you want, try again in a couple of weeks. They open up the books gradually. Since you are staying in a Disney hotel, you can book early. People staying outside the park have to wait until the day they want to eat.

Have a good time. We're not going back until December....but we are anxiously awaiting the trip.

Have been to disneyworld 3 times..last time last Aug.
I would recommend getting the book.."the unofficial
disneyworld guide"..can get at most book stores..
We found it to be a big help on this last trip. Found there
touring tips to be right on!..We missed Pleasure Island on the previous
trips, but went there this last time..It was GREAT!!
The comedy club is worth your time..Also, If you are planning on
going to a water park, i would recommend Typhon lagoon, over the others..
not that the others were not fun, but Typhon seems to have move to do.
Another, not to be missed ride..is the tower of terror at MGM..Not as scary
as it looks but hold on to your hat!!!!!! WHAT A RUSH!!!!!..
If you like italian food, Alfrado's in Epcot is yummy!
Well, hope this helped..feel free to write if you have any questions..
Have fun!!

My family and I were in disney last june. Our 12 son planned part of our trip from the "unofficial guide to disney". Go to the parks before the scheduled opening - we found the gates open early. Our whole family enjoyed the Hoop-de-Doo Musical Review dinner/show. It was expensive, but most things in disney are expensive. Plan to see the illuminations display at Epcot. We saw it twice.

You have made a wise choice staying on site. September is also a wise choice. All the water parks will be a blast at that time of year. The weather is still hot, but the crowds are gone. But beware the locals assending on the water parks on the weekends. This is when they come out, since all the tourists are gone. I also suggest getting touring books. The more the merrier. I suggest going to the library and getting ALL the guides to WDW. You will get all perspectives of the parks and can judge for yourself where you want to go. Don't dismiss the idea of visiting some of the other hotels disney has to offer. Most of them are awsome to visit! (Wilderness Lodge) just sit in the lobby in the VERY comfortable furniture and have a Canyon Coffee. As for restaurants, try the Prime time cafe and the sci fi at MGM. The rainforest in the Village, Ohana at the Polynesian resort and Le Bistro at Epcot. There are many more terrific restaurants as well. So go to the library and soak up WDW before you get there. A little planning goes a long way. Don't forget to go to Universal Studios as well. It's different than the one in CA. We will be returning for our 6th visit to WDW this December and can't wait. Have a Wonderful time!!! C. P.s. I forgot to mention another of our favorite restaurants, Artists Point at Wilderness Lodge!

I am so envious of you. I have been to Disney 17 times and can't wait for my next trip! My husband and I love it. Anyway, since you are a resort guest, you can take advantage of many benefits. Each day, a different park opens an hour early for resort guests. Take advantage of it and go on the most popular rides right away. Also, several nights each month guests can get into the Magic Kingdom for a few hours after closing and go on the popular rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. Lines are also shorter during parades. Ask about it at your hotel. Make your dining reservations early. Coral Reef at Epcot and Tony and Joe's in the Magic Kingdom are very good. I was told last time I was there in April that you need a reservation for the character breakfast at Cinderella's Castle at least two months in advance because it is so popular. The character breakfasts at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary and Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom are a lot of fun. Anyway, have a great time. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any more questions.

Hi Kathleen,
I've been to Disney many times and stayed at quite
a few of their resorts. My favorite is the Beach
Club which is connected to the Yacht Club. They share the same pool area which includes a great
water slide for your daughter. Research your dining
choices. You can make reservations 90 days in advance of your dining date. The reservation # for
dining is 407-WDW-DINE. The key to enjoying WDW to
the fullest is planning! Plan each day where you'll
go and where you'll eat. One of my favorite
places to eat is the Coral Reef Restaurant at Epcot.
The tables are laid out in tiers so you can watch
all the marine life in their glass-walled fish tank.
Enjoy,ED

I made a mistake in my earlier post. The restaurant in the Magic Kingdom is Tony's Town Square Restaurant, not Tony and Joe's. I was thinking of a completely different restaurant. Sorry!

I agree with the people who suggested getting "The Unoffical Guide to WDW" I worked at WDW during the summer of '96 and have lost track of the number of times I've just visited. I wanted to offer one other book that you simply must read if you've never been to WDW: "Birnbuam's Guide to WDW 1998" They are the only guide that is "official" which means it can have pictures and maps. Plus it is by far the most accurate travel guide! Pick one up at any bookstore or library. Have a great trip!

Jonathan

Not to chase anyone away from this site, but right now there is an EXCELLENT article on the Frommer's site about budget travel in Orlando in the off-season and how 3 families did a week there for under $2500 each. I would highly recommend getting an Orlando Magicard (link from the Frommer's site). It's free and will save you a bundle.

Hello, We are going to WDW in October 98. We would like comments on Coronado Springs Resort. Also, does anyone have any discount info for this trip-we're coming from NC.

The Magic Kingdom Club Card gets you a 10%25 discount on lodgings at the Walt Disney World resort, as well as discounts on selected restaurants there and merchandise at the Disney Marketplace. It is definitely worth getting.

The Magic Kingdom Club Card gets you a ten percent discount on lodgings at the Walt Disney World resort, as well as discounts on selected restaurants there and merchandise at the Disney Marketplace. It is definitely worth getting.

We were in Disneyworld in Nov. You will be overwhelmed with how BIG it is. The best thing I did was really search the internet for info, checked out a zillion books at the library and took notes on
what looked important to us. Making reserv. at the restaurants ahead of time is a good idea, even thought Sept. shouldn't be to busy, it will still be crowed for lunch/dinner. We had a wonderful time, it is a fantasic place and with a little planning you'll get to see everything you want to. Have fun!

The single most important piece of advice I can give to a first time visitor is to take advantage of the surprise mornings at the parks. You can see so much more in a short period of time. Around 10-11:00 the parks tend to be very crowded and the hot. Plan on taking a break early in the afternoon and returning late afternoon or evening.
It is also a good idea to make SOME dinner reservations in advance, however, this means you have to plan your days around your meal reservations. It was easy enough to make reservations at even the most popular restaurants while we were there.

I'm taking the family down to WDW next week and we're driving from Philly down I-95. However, I heard about some wildfires causing the closing of portions of I-95 in FLA. Anyone know if it will affect my travels and alternate routes?

Went to Disney World for the 20th Anniversary, so it's been a while. I read every single guidebook there was on WDW and I highly recommend that you do. The place is so big and there's so much to see you can kind of get overwhelmed. You need to read the books, and as stated above try to have a plan within reason. Getting there early will give you a great advantage and you can ride several rides within the first hour or two. Have a great time!

Hello Kathleen-as an Orlando local I can definately second everyones suggestion to make dinner reservations if you wish to eat "within the park". At the Disney Polynesian Village (accessable via Disney tram) they have an excellent family restaurant (the name escapes me but if you call, they should be able to help, the name of the restaurant means "family"-familiia??) They serve about 15 different courses, with everyone able to taste two pieces of each course. It is a real group event and they have games for kids. We really enjoyed ourselves even without kids and the fireworks view from this restaurant is great (above Cinderella's castle). If you dont intend on eating in the park, The Hard Rock Cafe is at the entrance of nearby Universal Studios (a park worth the money if your interested!), or Planet Hollywood is at the entrance of Pleasure Island (Anamusement park for the older folks of themed-bars where every night is NewYears Eve!!-fun but pricy). For a real treat, I would suggest going into Disney's Fort WIlderness Campground and making reservations at the Hoop-de-do Revue, which is a show and dinner that is expensive but fun and makes for a long evening (another person suggested this also I believe). The campground is a welcomed non-packed sight which also features a great "Make your own pizza" restaurant next door with a real country singer who encouranges all to sing along, you shouldn't need reservations as only the campers usually know about this spot-and the pizza is good! (Save this for a quite night when you are worn out!!) I have to agree with homever said to take a (free) tram ride around to the other Disney hotels, they are beautiful, and the trams are air-conditioned!! The Grand Floridian is worth getting out and watching the Grand Piano Player. At least two hours could be spent doing this and it is really relaxing, like letting someone else do the driving!! I hesitate to suggest this next attraction as I havn't been there, but most locals are raving--Downtown Disney, is what most of knew as the Disney Village. I understand it is free to go to and is mostly shops, but is somewhat within the Disney Compound and they have and AWESOME Lego display. Friends tell me its worth the afternoon. I believe Diney transport should also deliver you there for no fee! Enjoy!!