Moving a DLR Trip to Walt Disney World- Let’s Talk!

[pharmama]

So...how do you book a "split stay" on the WDW website so everything is linked together and you can buy a long enough ticket? Or are split stays something only TA's can book all together like that? ....asking for a friend....

 

[YayforMickey]

I read through this whole thread, and I decided to add some of my thoughts and opinions about WDW as someone who goes to Disneyland at least once per year and has been to WDW twice, both times in early April:

-Churros are not good at WDW. Don't get your hopes up. In fact, just don't get any.
-Test Track is a really fun ride. If I compared it to RSR, RSR would win hands down. But don't compare them. They're both great.
-Make sure to have some ponchos at all times.
-Haunted Mansion is really good. We love the upside-down stairs. But we do prefer the style of the mansion's exterior in Disneyland.
-Water is not good at WDW. Don't drink water from taps. Even soda from fountains tastes weird sometimes.
-Splash Mountain is fantastic! I wish ours at Disneyland was as good.
-We don't love the feeling at Hollywood Studios. The rides there are some of our favorites, so we enjoy our days there, but I wish we enjoyed the atmosphere in the park better (coming from someone who loves DCA).
-Space Mountain is painful, and the music is bad. We do it once per trip. At Disneyland, we ride it at least once per day.
-Everest is great. One of our favorites. Don't be afraid, just enjoy it!
-Disney transportation is not good when you are trying to be somewhere at a certain time. We stayed at Bay Lake Tower the first time we came to WDW, and we prefer being just offsite with a car or Uber. It's fun to ride the monorail around midday, and we will also try out the Skyliner for fun, but we don't rely on Disney transportation.
-Pirates can't compare. Just try to enjoy it for what it is.
-Jungle Cruise is fun because it's a bit different and longer.
-Everyone says it, but it's true: people are far more laid back and relaxed at Disneyland.
-Humidity is a killer. Hoping for decent weather in December.
-Enjoy eating around the world at Epcot. This was some of our best food at WDW both times.
-We've never had anything very good to eat at Magic Kingdom. Didn't think Be Our Guest was worth it at all. Don't go into Magic Kingdom hoping for mint juleps or beignets or churros.
-Atmosphere at Animal Kingdom is great, but it's always hotter here. There are very few rides, but there's much to see and enjoy while walking around.
-We have better days at EPCOT when we don't rope drop. We like to come a bit later and stay until closing.

 

[VandVsmama]

So...how do you book a "split stay" on the WDW website so everything is linked together and you can buy a long enough ticket? Or are split stays something only TA's can book all together like that? ....asking for a friend....

It's tricky. You'll need to make sure that your tickets are linked to the first hotel stay. WDW won't let you have the tickets linked to 2 separate reservations.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

But if the churros aren’t as good.... what is the go to treat at wdw then? I know they have dole whips (and boozy ones in AK!) but what else?

We are churro crazy so it’s good to know what to expect lol! We usually eat churros for breakfast when we rope drop at DL

 

[B3rlingirl]

Nice thread...with lots of good knowledge... Especially how DL people do and feel WDW...
I did already peek into the WDW side of the board but I am always overwhelmed and don’t even know where to start...

I loosely plan to do a trip to WDW in maybe 3-4 years...(if it’s still doable then a dream would be to do the UK ticket deal with 21 days... that would be a dream come true but I am afraid the Brexit will terminate that offer for non-UK European people...)
But anyways, I definitely wanna visit some day and you can never start planning to early...especially WDW...!
My main problem is when to go though...
it’s easy at DL: I like it hot, sunny and dry so July/August is a great time for us...
But if I try to settle on a month for WDW I just end up planning a DL trip instead... I am just way to scared of the weather...
I don’t wanna do Christmas or Halloween (I prefer the standard look of the parks and outfits) and I want the weather to be nice and warm and I don’t wanna get soaked by rain every day... those requirements somehow don’t fit with WDW...

 

[bassgirl]

OK. I'm here now.... I have a question or two. It's looking more and more like our Thanksgiving DL trip won't happen. Thank you Mr. Governor. Anyhoo. We have a package paid in full for DL. Is it pretty easy to cancel with DL and move to WDW Pop Century? (never been to WDW by the way.)We would end up waiting until June 22 to go. At this point it is getting really old wondering if and when they would reopen. And, does anyone know when they might have dates for 2021 with DL? I'm thinking I'm just going to have to pull the trigger in a few weeks if we don't hear anything. I hope I made sense. I'm a little weirded out and excited at the possibility of going to WDW for the first time and I'm not sure what to ask. Thanks!!

 

[amyg1975]

We have never been to WDW because we Disneyland is easy for us (we are in CA), and because WDW overwhelms me! However, since we are looking at it now, I don't know where to stay. I read that Pop is on the Skyliner path, but it can take a long time to get to the parks. Which hotels are the best for ease to get to Magic Kingdom?

 

[midnight star]

But if the churros aren’t as good.... what is the go to treat at wdw then? I know they have dole whips (and boozy ones in AK!) but what else?

We are churro crazy so it’s good to know what to expect lol! We usually eat churros for breakfast when we rope drop at DL

Maybe dole whips? It had a really long line at MK AND AK. I feel like I don’t hear much about WDW snacks unless it’s holiday themed.

Now that I think of it, I didn’t eat churros at WDW lol. I don’t even recall many people eating them like I do at DL.

 

[KPeterso]

We have never been to WDW because we Disneyland is easy for us (we are in CA), and because WDW overwhelms me! However, since we are looking at it now, I don't know where to stay. I read that Pop is on the Skyliner path, but it can take a long time to get to the parks. Which hotels are the best for ease to get to Magic Kingdom?

Contemporary, Poly, grand Floridian and wilderness lodge. Contemp is an easy walk. Poly and gf are monorail Rides. And wilderness lodge s a boat or bus.a lot of people love contempt but I am not one of them. I love poly or wilderness lodge personally.

 

[crystal1313]

WDW also overwhelms me!! We were originally planning a 2022 trip and looking at either the contemporary or the Polynesian for proximity to magic kingdom and the monorail. But for our December trip, we couldn’t afford that since it was last minute. So we went with Coronado Springs. More for the updated rooms and the space. Had the parks had long we operating hours, I think we would have picked the Pop Century. But the room looks a little small for us.

Yes, if churros aren’t a big deal, what is? I want to eat all the snacks!! I’ve heard the cinnamon roll at Gastons is yummy.

@YayforMickey, what did you do about shoes getting wet? Take an extra pair, spray them with a waterproofing spray? I’m really concerned about our feet getting wet and being miserable. We all have specific walking shoes we use for the parks.

Thanks for all your tips!! Very much appreciated!!!

 

[VandVsmama]

What do you do about shoes getting wet?
If you're going to WDW at a time of year when it's sandals weather, you wear some sport sandals (like Tevas, for example). Be sure to put some Body Glide all over your feet to prevent blisters. Then it won't matter one bit if your feet get wet.

About churros:
We spent 3 days in MK when we went in June 2018 and I don't recall seeing ONE person eating a churro. I suspect that the extreme humidity is a factor. Maybe it changes the taste? Plus, there's a lot of WDW visitors from the east coast and Europe (especially the UK), where churros are not a big deal.

My main problem is when to go though...
it’s easy at DL: I like it hot, sunny and dry so July/August is a great time for us...
But if I try to settle on a month for WDW I just end up planning a DL trip instead... I am just way to scared of the weather...
I don’t wanna do Christmas or Halloween (I prefer the standard look of the parks and outfits) and I want the weather to be nice and warm and I don’t wanna get soaked by rain every day... those requirements somehow don’t fit with WDW...

WDW won't ever have the combo of sunny, warm, and dry. When it's sunny and warm there, it's humid. We are going in January, which has the highest likelihood of cold-er weather. February or March might be worth it for you to look at. www.accuweather.com usually has average monthly temperature data available on their website.

By the time you get to May, it's starting to warm up a lot. And July or August in Orlando is just down right miserable weather.

In going on a WDW trip, you should probably expect rain every day regardless of the time of year. Plan for it and if it doesn't rain, then that's some icing on the cake. Pack a poncho AND an umbrella AND a fan and you'll be fine. Fan = your own portable air conditioner. It could be battery-operated like the ones they sell in the park for $20. Or you can bring an old school style one...the fold-up fans that you "power" yourself (i.e., wave it back and forth in front of your face).

 

[VandVsmama]

We have never been to WDW because we Disneyland is easy for us (we are in CA), and because WDW overwhelms me! However, since we are looking at it now, I don't know where to stay. I read that Pop is on the Skyliner path, but it can take a long time to get to the parks. Which hotels are the best for ease to get to Magic Kingdom?

Those would be the Polynesian, CR, GF, or WL. The 1st three are on the monorail. WL is accessible to MK by boat or bus.

BUT...
the Poly is now starting a big renovation project. As a result, the hotel side of the resort is closed through end of September of 2021, I believe. And so is the monorail. You can stay at the Poly, but you'd have to do it through a DVC rental (which isn't through Disney Travel).

Of the above 4 resorts, the least expensive to stay at would be WL. **Right now,** at WL, the hotel side is closed. So you can only book WL through a DVC rental (Copper Creek or Boulder Ridge). I don't remember seeing when the hotel side will reopen. I'd love to stay there some day!

 

[midnight star]

In going on a WDW trip, you should probably expect rain every day regardless of the time of year. Plan for it and if it doesn't rain, then that's some icing on the cake. Pack a poncho AND an umbrella AND a fan and you'll be fine

YES YES YES! Always planning for rain saved us! January is also a relatively dry month, yet it rained 3 out of the 4 days we were there! The forecast didn’t even say it was going to rain, yet it did. We got POURED on at Epcot! We had water proof down jackets, and it kept us dry.

 

[YayforMickey]

Yes, if churros aren’t a big deal, what is? I want to eat all the snacks!! I’ve heard the cinnamon roll at Gastons is yummy.

@YayforMickey, what did you do about shoes getting wet? Take an extra pair, spray them with a waterproofing spray? I’m really concerned about our feet getting wet and being miserable. We all have specific walking shoes we use for the parks.

Except for dole whips, I don't remember any amazing snacks at all. It wasn't like Disneyland when it comes to must-have snacks. Because of the heat, we enjoyed getting Mickey ice cream bars and other frozen treats.

Each of our past trips were in April for about ten days, and we experienced very little rain. We wore Tevas and Keens, so our feet would dry out fine if they got wet. But now that we're going in December, I guess we need to consider our shoes.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

I have hiking shoes that are considered water shoes because of the material (they’re merrills) so I plan on wearing those. They’re made to get wet on trails so they dry out fast. Maybe try some of those? Course who wants to buy all new shoes for a trip but just something I thought of. I loved wearing them on water rides since they dried so fast.

Does the MK splash mountain drench you like ours does?

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Except for dole whips, I don't remember any amazing snacks at all. It wasn't like Disneyland when it comes to must-have snacks. Because of the heat, we enjoyed getting Mickey ice cream bars and other frozen treats.

That’s it, trips cancelled!

Just kiiiiidding. normally don’t drink on our trips since it’s just me and my son but I may have to indulge in that boozy dole whip.

 

[midnight star]

That’s it, trips cancelled!

Just kiiiiidding. normally don’t drink on our trips since it’s just me and my son but I may have to indulge in that boozy dole whip.

You won’t regret it! It’s delicious

 

[Elsaspiritanimal]

I agree the lack of good churros and churro toffee is somewhat appalling, but here are my go tos:

Magic Kingdom: fruit/Nutella Waffle at sleepy hollow, cinnamon roll at gastons, cheese burger spring roll at cart in adventure. Friar tuck in fantasy land usually has some tasty items going on.

Epcot: if one of the festivals is going on, the food booths are always super fun to snack around. But main pavilion snacks are the school bread at Norway bakery, anything at karamel kuche in Germany (Carmel corn and Caramel butter tarts are amazing) and anything at les halles boulangerie bakery in France. I especially like the giant raspberry macaron with lime curd there.

Hollywood Studios: the warm brownie ice cream sundae from Hollywood scoops (pick whichever flavor of ice cream you want to go with it not just vanilla!). Also at trolley car cafe (Starbucks) they have a carrot cake cookie that is good! The market by the entrance to toy story land used to have a French toast pretzel in the morning that was awesome but they haven’t reopened yet.

Animal kingdom: if they have seasonal donut holes at isle of java get them because they are all good! By dinoland there is a cart that has loaded chips with buffalo chicken that are super good. Pongo pongo in Pandora has a pineapple lumpia that is great. Also more of a meal but the bowls at sautuli canteen in pandora are great for sharing as a filling snack too.

In general, the seasonal snacks and cupcakes seem to be more of a thing around the parks. Also any of the Jeffrey’s coffee stands have huge donuts that are pretty darn tasty too.

 

[VandVsmama]

Re: getting to HS and avoiding the long line in the a.m. for the Skyliner at POP -
From what I've read on a thread on the Theme Parks board, the line up in the morning at the POP/AoA Skyliner station to go to HS is loooong. Like, people start to line up in the 7:30-8:00 am time frame in order to get into HS before 10 am so you can try for a ROTR boarding group.

OMG, what the heck?! It is at times like this that I really miss a DL trip where you can walk 5-8 min from your hotel on Harbor Blvd and get to the Esplanade. No having to "commute" 2 hours beforehand.

We're going to be in HS on 2 separate days. I've decided now (for the time being anyway until I change my mind again) that we're going to have breakfast at Trattoria al Forno on one morning (but only if it's still not a character meal) and on the other morning, we'll get an Uber/Lyft to drop us off at the Speedway Gas station (at 300 E. Buena Vista Dr.).

And I'm having a heck of a time deciding on an ADR for Epcot!
Does anyone have any ideas or preferences? I've narrowed it down to Chefs de France, Biergarten, or Spice Road Table, leaning toward Chefs de France or Biergarten.

Does anybody know if Voices of Liberty is doing performances yet in the American Pavilion at Epcot?
Here's a sample in case you haven't ever heard them sing!

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Re: getting to HS and avoiding the long line in the a.m. for the Skyliner at POP -
From what I've read on a thread on the Theme Parks board, the line up in the morning at the POP/AoA Skyliner station to go to HS is loooong. Like, people start to line up in the 7:30-8:00 am time frame in order to get into HS before 10 am so you can try for a ROTR boarding group.

OMG, what the heck?! It is at times like this that I really miss a DL trip where you can walk 5-8 min from your hotel on Harbor Blvd and get to the Esplanade. No having to "commute" 2 hours beforehand.

We're going to be in HS on 2 separate days. I've decided now (for the time being anyway until I change my mind again) that we're going to have breakfast at Trattoria al Forno on one morning (but only if it's still not a character meal) and on the other morning, we'll get an Uber/Lyft to drop us off at the Speedway Gas station (at 300 E. Buena Vista Dr.).

I know it’s crazy! The transportation piece is frustrating me haha. I think we’re going to take a Lyft to the speedway too and walk over. I’m not thrilled about using rideshare but I want to get in the park early! Especially to get on the new Mickey ride before the lines explode.