and so it begins...

Discussion in 'Trip Reports & Member Reviews' started by Brother Jay, Jan 7, 2013.

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  1. Brother Jay

    Brother Jay Member

    Well, today I booked time off from work (pending approval). ; My plans are to leave Toronto on Fri Sept 27th, enjoy 7 days in the parks of WDW and return to Toronto on Oct 5th. ;
    Obviously not able to book until I get confirmation of the time off but I am hopeful I will get it.

    Planning to stay in one of the value resorts on all nights except for the night of the night 30th when I plan to stay in a deluxe at Animal Kingdom overlooking one of the savanna's for my 40th birthday.

    Here is where you fine people come in. ; I have not been to the parks in 20+ years and a staggering amount of things have changed in that time. ; I would love to hear any suggestions that you have pertaining to the planning and execution of this once in a lifetime trip for me.

    Thanks in advance,

    Jay
     
    Brother Jay, Jan 7, 2013
    #1
  2. gary

    gary Member

    take me along as a guide
     
    gary, Jan 8, 2013
    #2
  3. Tim

    Tim Administrator Staff Member

    Pick the 3-4 things a day that you ABSOLUTELY want to do and focus on those and let everything else fall into place. ; Park hopping can cost huge amounts of time so try to minimize it if you can. ;

    Otherwise just take it all in and enjoy. ;
     
    Tim, Jan 8, 2013
    #3
  4. RedOctober25

    RedOctober25 Member

    I agree with Tim. ; Plan just a few rides/shows each day, but leave plenty of room for spontaneity. ; You never know when a cool experience might pop up.


    Sent from my iPhone...
     
    RedOctober25, Jan 8, 2013
    #4
  5. Roger

    Roger Member Staff Member

    What Tim said but be sure to use My Disney Experience and get your Fastpass+ early. That will help with your preplanning.
     
    Roger, Jan 8, 2013
    #5
  6. jbwolffiv

    jbwolffiv Member

    And be flexible, you may have to change plans of the fly and that is ok.
     
    jbwolffiv, Jan 8, 2013
    #6
  7. zackiedawg

    zackiedawg Member Staff Member

    I'll throw in some consideration too for the relaxed park trip - you will have pretty decent amount of time there, so it might be worth picking 2-3 days to be the crazy see-everything, mega-plan days, and pick another 2-3 days to be the more relaxed, take-in-the-fine-details, smell-the-roses days. ; Maybe 1/2 a day spent checking out some resort properties which can be amazing and wonderful to see.
     
    zackiedawg, Jan 8, 2013
    #7
  8. Joanie Eddis-Koch

    Joanie Eddis-Koch Member

    Here is our general park touring plan.

    The first couple of days we go crazy trying to see and do everything.

    The middle of the trip we realize that that is insane so we start to take it easy.

    THEN The end of the trip is in sight and we realize it will be a while until we can get back, so we start to go crazy again trying to see and do as much as possible.

    Finally we get to the airport exhausted and in a Disney parks coma. Silently we vow to ourselves NEVER to do THAT again! We get home, get a good nights sleep and the next day we start dreaming of the next trip.

    Enjoy the anticipation of another trip!

    ~Joanie
     
    Joanie Eddis-Koch, Jan 9, 2013
    #8
  9. ddindy

    ddindy Member Staff Member

    I'm going to go against Tim and recommend park hopping. ; I like to do one park in the morning and a different one in the evening. ; Over four days, you can do a morning and an evening in each park. ; If the park hours are long enough, you use the break between parks to go back to your room and freshen up.

    Of course, getting an evening at Animal Kingdom is iffy, depending on the season. ; In your date range in 2012, AK closed at 5, 6 or 7 pm. ; Sunset was just after 7.
     
    ddindy, Jan 9, 2013
    #9
  10. Roger

    Roger Member Staff Member

    If the current rumors about FP+ are true, park hopping will not be happening as much. ; (You only can choose one park per day for FPs)
     
    Roger, Jan 9, 2013
    #10
  11. jbwolffiv

    jbwolffiv Member

    Another thing that I feel will SUCK about Fastpass+
     
    jbwolffiv, Jan 9, 2013
    #11
  12. mSummers

    mSummers Member

    If you're planning on eating at the table service dining, make sure you get your reservations in exactly 180 days out to maximize possibility of getting into all of the restaurants you want. ; Scott Thomas has an ADR date calculator on his site: ; http://pscalculator.net/pscalc.php which will give you all the ADR dates once you input the day you arrive at WDW. ;

    Also, if you don't have a preference on which value resort to stay at, I recommend Pop Century. ; Now that they've opened Art of Animation it has created what is essentially one giant resort with two separate bus services. ; The advantage there is that you can sometimes hop right on the Art of Animation bus and walk back to Pop rather than wait in line if the Pop bus line is long.
     
    mSummers, Jan 10, 2013
    #12
  13. Brother Jay

    Brother Jay Member

    :D I got my vacation time !!

    So now I can start getting serious about this. ; Applying for my passport next week, and once that is in hand I will book the flight and put my 200 down for the dates.

    Thanks for your responses everyone. ; I am currently looking at Pop Century as my prime location. ; Could not help but notice that it appears quite close to Epcot, which Is where I KNOW I will be spending a good chunk of my time. ; I like the tip about the buses and it is something I will definitely consider as the time gets closer and closer. ; Sad to hear about the restrictions on the Fastpass+ system pertaining to the park hopping aspect. ; If what you all say is true I will most likely get the park hopper on any more than 3 of my days. ; On the topic of lines to the various attractions, are there many/any attractions that have single rider lines? ; How exactly does this new system

    Questions about the dining service. ; I am not the kind of person who generally sits down for a table served meal. ; More of a on the go and have something small here and there. ; I plan on ordering pizza in on delivery as I have heard that it is one way to cut down on the costs of the in park food as well. ; Would you suggest based on your experiences that I do or do not make use of the various plans? ; Also, do any of you have anything to add in an attempt to sway my thinking?

    I think I may abandon my original thought of staying at a deluxe resort on my b-day. ; My thoughts behind this are that it will simply lead to time lost/wasted checking out and then in, and then out and in on the following day again. ; Time I would rather be spending taking pictures. ; If I do the deluxe thing I will have to have it at the end of the vacation, they are just so darned expensive!

    what is the PS Calculator / ADR dates mean & what is the My Disney Experience thing some of you are mentioning?

    Do any of you figure you will be in the parks during the same time-frame ?

    Is the Electric Parade still running these days?

    Soo many questions.. ; soo much time to ask them :)

    Thanks again for all your feedback everyone! ; This is going to be soooooo fun :)
     
    Brother Jay, Jan 19, 2013
    #13
  14. jbwolffiv

    jbwolffiv Member

    Based on what you said, I would suggest to NOT use the dining plan. ; It would make you have a sit down meal each day. ; If you opted for the quick service dining plan it would give you two counter service meals each day (plus some snacks, not sure how many each day), which sounds like what you may be doing anyway. ; Again, if you are going to order pizza a few times, then it may just be best to pay cash for you meals as you eat them.

    The PS calculator just will let you know when you can start to make your ADR's (advanced dining reservations) if you were to plan on eating at any table service locations.

    The Main Street Electical Parade is still running.

    Enjoy the planning part of your trip!
     
    jbwolffiv, Jan 19, 2013
    #14
  15. Roger

    Roger Member Staff Member

    My Disney Experience is an app/website used for planning your trip and now(will be) choosing your FP+ times.
     
    Roger, Jan 19, 2013
    #15
  16. ddindy

    ddindy Member Staff Member

    I have never had any use for a dining plan. ; I have a decent breakfast and try to grab some counter service later in the day, assuming I'm not too busy doing other things. ; (The final day of Pixelmania, my total food intake was breakfast at Pop, two beers at Big River and a milkshake from Min & Bill's. :) )

    If you're ordering pizza, Pop has in-house delivery. ; DO NOT order from any off-site outfit that slips a menu under your door. ; If you want something a little nicer, walk across the bridge to Art of Animation. ; Their food is a notch above the Pop food court. ; Check out the AllEars.net menus to see what they have. ; Of course, Via Napoli has the best pizza in the World (if you can get an ADR). ; And the Epcot Food & Wine Festival starts when you arrive which opens up a whole list of food options (though not necessaryily cheap).

    Several years ago I spent three nights at the Boardwalk as a birthday treat. ; The location was fantastic, but for no more time than I spent in the room, it simply wasn't worth the cost. ; I'm glad I did it, but won't do it again.

    With any luck at all, you may still have the option to use the old Fastpass system. ; As I understand it, FP+ is a one-time opt-in. ; Once you switch over, you're there for life.

    Unfortunately, I won't be there until a week after you leave.

    Have fun, and keep asking questions!
     
    ddindy, Jan 19, 2013
    #16
  17. Brother Jay

    Brother Jay Member

    Please elaborate as to why ordering of food from off site should be avoided. ;

    Thx
     
    Brother Jay, Jan 21, 2013
    #17
  18. RedOctober25

    RedOctober25 Member

    I think he just meant the pizza places that slide flyers under the doors. ; I avoid those places and usually ask the front desk staff for their recommendation on a pizza place since they are local. ; As for the places with flyers, they are trespassing on property and the flyers are annoying.


    Sent from my iPhone...
     
    RedOctober25, Jan 21, 2013
    #18
  19. zackiedawg

    zackiedawg Member Staff Member

    They have had in the past some fraudsters make the rounds on Disney property sliding flyers under doors purporting to be delivery joints. ; Some would take orders over the phone, paying by credit card, and simply use the card numbers for fraudulent charges without ever delivering any food - it would take the cardholder a good hour or two before they'd get frustrated and start trying to figure out what happened, by which time the card had already been used for calls back to South America or illicit purchases. ; Call backs wouldn't be taken (probably caller ID) and the operation would move on to another number after just a day.


    Disney occasionally warns guests about these incidents - I can remember a few times I checked in and had notices from Disney of such scams that had recently occurred. ; In general, it's not a good idea to order from such places not because all of them are bad, but because of a chance that some might be. ; If you order by cash, you're limiting the risk - if you get a fraud place, you'll just never get your order...so at least limit yourself to cash-only purchases from delivery places rather than credit cards. ; Or order from delivery joints you find in the phone book or know to exist locally.
     
    zackiedawg, Jan 21, 2013
    #19
  20. Brother Jay

    Brother Jay Member

    As people make suggestions I am updating this post.

    I should have the passport in hand by no later than Feb 8th.

    Now here is my basic breakdown of what I want to hit (thx to My Disney Experience & the suggestions coming in from you all!)

    Disney Hollywood Studios
    Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - Probably just once
    Star Tours - As per recommendation, I will be doing multiple rides as there is a lot of variety to the ride
    Studio Backlot Tour - Probably just once
    The Twilight Zone Tower - a couple rides desired
    Citizens of Hollywood on the streets of the Studios - They're fun and photogenic (great tip!)
    One Man's Dream - As per recommendation
    Back Lot Tour - As per recommendation

    Animal Kingdom
    Expedition Everest - a couple rides desired
    Dinosaur - a couple rides desired
    Kilimanjaro Safaris - a couple run throughs desired
    Maharajah Jungle Trek - a walkthrough(?) or 2 desired
    Pangani Forest Exploration Trail - a walkthrough(?) or 2 desired
    The Oasis Exhibits - a walkthrough(?) or 2 desired
    Stop and see Divine in Animal Kingdom - Her times are posted on the tip board at the front of the park. (Thanks for this!)
    Tree of Life - not wanting to see the safety nets
    Kali River Rapids - As per recommendation - great queue and you can hit the exit without riding! ; (great tip!)

    Epcot - Recommendation to avoid on weekend due to Wine local mobs - will be packed - Going Sept 30th - Oct 4th
    Soarin' - Probably just once
    The Seas - Probably just once
    Gran Fiesta Tour - Probably just once
    Impressions de Freance - Probably just once
    Mission: SPACE - I love G's. ; Multiple rides for sure
    Reflections of China - Possibly a couple of times
    SeaBase - at least once
    Spaceship Earth - cuz I gotta
    Test Track - I also love speed and Tron, so at least 3 runs here
    The Spirit of Norway - Probably just once
    Bijutsu-kan Gallery - Probably just once
    Canadian Pavilion - cuz I am Canadian and I need to see if they are 'representing' accordingly :)

    Magic Kingdom
    Stitches Great Escape - Too bad I missed both of the original versions but I still wanna hit this a couple times
    Big Thunder Mountain - At least twice
    Liberty Square Riverboat - Probably just once
    Pirates of the Caribbean - Probably just once
    Space Mountain - This building has been etched into my head my whole life - as many rides on it as I can fit
    Haunted Mansion - at least twice
    TTA PeopleMover - many multiples of times I will ride this, and love it


    So, that's the breakdown (preliminary) of what I want to do. ; Only parade I plan on hitting is the Electric (once). ; All remaining time will be for taking pictures. Do any of you see anything in particular that I am missing or should reconsider that is a true gem?

    What I would also like to know is, based on what I have said above, how much time do you think I will need in each park? ; I have 7 full days in the parks to play with. ; Even if I only get 1 ride on most of the stuff on the list and multiples on a couple I will be happy. ; I still consider a big part of this trip to be all about the photo's so I want a day or 2 if possible to just take pictures. ; I had always planned to spend more time in Epcot than any of the other parks, with MK being 2nd. ; Suggestions ?

    Thanks,

    Jay
     
    Brother Jay, Jan 26, 2013
    #20
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