Originally Posted By ploeb909 Ok,in a nut shell. Next June I have the choice to either take my children to WDW(we have never been) or to Disneyland. My kids will be 14,9, and 7. By doing so we will not be going to DLR this June. Everyone I tell says I am crazy! That DisneyWorld Is awful and 8 days is not enough. I got the WDW vacation DVD and it looks wonderful!! Also I keep hearing I will need to wait at least an hour for each tram,is this true. I want to hear from people who have been to both several times. My cost for this trip is of course much more $$ then my DLR trip, because of airfare, so I want to know if its worth the experience. And my vacation time is not flexible. Please respond...good and bad!
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains What do the kids want to do? That would play big into it for me...
Originally Posted By jonvn Go to Walt Disney World. OK? Just go. It will be crowded, yes. So will Disneyland. Be prepared for that. But they don't even compare. Just go to WDW.
Originally Posted By Mrs ElderP I've been to WDW once, and live an hour and half away from DL so we go lots and lots. I would definatly save up for the special trip to WDW. Both DL and WDW are great and you need to experience both. And 8 days is certainly enough to get a great feel for the resort. I'm sure you can fill 80 w/what they have going on at the resort, but you'll cram in a whole chunk of fun in 8 days.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Go to WDW. While there are all sorts of neat little experiences you can have in DL because it's the first park and has the most history, there's no denying that it can compete will a full scale vacation like you can get at WDW. You will see things that are quite similar, a few things are just a little different, and a ton of things that are nothing like DL. Every DL fan should make at least one trip to WDW, just to see what all the fuss is about.
Originally Posted By mstaft WDW- There is nothing like Epcot or Animal Kingdom. Don't miss them- and then enjoy the resorts and water parks, too.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I agree: go to WDW. As much as it sounds like WDW is a giant pile 'o ( ) here on the boards, the place is still fun, entertaining, filled with Magic, and so on.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Here was my children's (9,11,16,19) on it last year... They want to wait until everyone was tall enough for everything...My boys didn't want anyone having to stand and wait for others to ride anything...
Originally Posted By danyoung >That DisneyWorld Is awful and 8 days is not enough.< I can't imagine people saying that WDW is awful. It's a truly amazing place. There are parts of the Magic Kingdom and maybe the Studios that are getting a little stale, but aside from that there's plenty to see and do. And 8 days is just about the perfect length for a first WDW vacation. You'll have 2 days at the Magic Kingdom, 2 days at Epcot, a day each at the Studios and the Animal Kingdom, and enough time to explore some of the hotels or maybe spend 1/2 a day at a waterpark. >Also I keep hearing I will need to wait at least an hour for each tram,is his true.< Absolutely false! The bus service at the hotels is efficient and comfortable. Your wait most of the day will be between 5 and 20 minutes. The only time things really stack up is if you stay at a park till closing, and you're waiting for a bus in line with a whole bunch of other people. The solution to this is to just remain a few minutes longer in the park (the shops stay open way past closing time) and browse around. By the time you get out to the bus stop, most of the crush will have evaporated. Or you can do what many people (including myself) do and rent a car at the Orlando airport. If you're staying at a Disney hotel, your parking is free at the parks. There's great parking lot tram service to get you from your car to the front gate. And you don't have to worry about that bus crush at the end of the night - just get in your car for the short drive back to your resort. Save up and do the WDW trip - you and your kids will never forget it!
Originally Posted By jonvn Dan is absolutely right. The only thing that I'd say is that I never felt a need to even rent a car. The bus system is fine. I have gone in uncrowded times, though. WDW is an amazing place, and if you have not been there, you will simply be amazed at its size and scope.
Originally Posted By Mr X Personally I feel someone should rent a car IF they think they might have issues with having to wait for buses all the time. Some don't care (I don't particularly care myself, so you wait a while...you do the same thing when you get in line for rides), but for those that do I think renting a car can spare them the stress of feeling like their vacation was ruined because they were always waiting around for buses. Another thing to consider, if you care about not waiting around for the bus all the time, would be a monorail hotel (easy access to Magic Kingdom and pretty easy to Epcot) or, even better, an Epcot resort (easy access to MGM and Epcot, pretty easy swing over to the Magic Kingdom as well) hotel.
Originally Posted By Zwitek Does one really need 8 days? Is the Magic Kingdom that different than Disneyland? Honestly, I've been trying to work a trip to Orlando for awhile, and this year might be the magic year. I hadn't planned on more than a day at each park, and I certainly wouldn't think that I'd need 2 at the Magic Kingdom. I was thinking 7 days was about right. I'd rather spend my days doing things I can't do as often as I do Disneyland (which I visit 6 times a year on avg.) than to just do Disneyland on a different coast. What parks would I need more than a day at while I'm there? Epcot?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros The Magic Kingdom is definately different than DL, but it might just feel a little off, depending on how well you know DL. There are some things that are different (Space Mountain layout similar to DL's Matterhorn), other things completely missing (Indy and Star Tours), and still a couple more things that are totally new (Stitch). I don't know if it would take you multiple days to get through everything, but I do think that going on just about everything should be a goal. MK is always the most crowded, so there will be longer lines there than the rest of the parks (unless you're there during a big event like Gay Days, where there are thousands of people moving around between the parks each day). If you're there on a moderately crowded day, I would say that one day would probably be enough, but you should definately allow extra time (maybe only half a day) in case you miss something, or want to do something again. As for the rest of the parks, they are pretty much all unique compared to DLR. Sure, there are a couple similarities (Indy and Dinosaur, Star Tours, MuppetVision, ITTBAB, TOT), but they are very different for the most part. They have a very distinct feeling that you can't find in DL. Epcot is easily a two day park, but could also be done in one day if you want to keep it moving. MGM could take a whole day, or just a couple hours, depending on what interests you. There's definately enough to fill up a lot of time there, but it seems to be the weakest of the parks. DAK may be lacking on attractions, but there is a lot of atmosphere to enjoy. It's a huge park, and it takes a long time to walk around it, so keep that in mind. I don't know what the crowds have been like since the Nemo musical and Everest opened, but in the past, the park has been a lot busier in the morning than the afternoon. DAK and Epcot are really about soaking in the atmosphere, so remember not to rush. If you can do 7 full days in a row of theme parks (maybe taking one of the days in the middle off), then you would really have no problem getting WDW in in that ammount of time. However, there's a lot more to WDW than just the 4 theme parks. Like most people, I really haven't spent much time outside of the parks, so I can't comment too much, but you could easily spend a week's vacation there without stepping foot in the theme parks, so you might want to allow for some time for that too.
Originally Posted By Mr X **Does one really need 8 days?** There's more than enough to do there to occupy 8 days, if that's what you're asking. Plus you could always check out the Universal Parks or SeaWorld as well if you wanted a day or two away from Disney (Universal is it's own resort, and there's plenty to see and do there...much bigger than California). I would personally recommend devoting at least a couple of days to Epcot...you can pretty much park hop anywhere anyway. So you don't have to spend 8 days in the parks, but that'd be a leisurely way to go if you have the time. **Is the Magic Kingdom that different than Disneyland?** Not really, but there are some differences. I wouldn't recommend skipping it, but you probably won't need to spend a ton of time there if you often visit Disneyland.
Originally Posted By WorldDisney Agree with others here-go, go, GO to WDW as fast as you can!! I been twice and would like to go again. Yes, MK and DL are VERY similar, but like others said there are enough differences to justify a day. And honestly, its STILL the most magical park there (no pun intended lol) and you will find yourself itching to get back there just to soak up the atmosphere like people do at DL if they spent all day at DCA. Also like Mr. X said WDW isn't the only thing there. Universal has their own resort which can take 2-3 days to see on its own. So, if you get sick of the Disney parks, but still want to do a few theme parks, definitely take one day out at least and see IOA. Trust me, that's a great park to see. I missed it the first time I went because it was my first time at WDW and only had 5 days. The second time I gave myself a full week and included IOA as part of my trip. Well worth it. Overall, I would say its well worth it. Think of it this way: You have 3 new parks, about 3 DOZEN new attractions you never seen before followed by new parades, shows and areas like DTD to see. You can litterally take an entire day and just explore some of the hotels which are just as beautifully themed and interesting as the parks themselves. I know people have gotten quite cynical about WDW and since I haven't been there in about 5 years, it could be all 100% true about the issues there. But, as a first timer, someone who LOVES Disney, its still a remarkable place to be. Even if you don't do it this time around, definitely keep your options open for the next trip---or come to TDR. Now, that's an experience like you never believe .
Originally Posted By Mr X **since I haven't been there in about 5 years, it could be all 100% true about the issues there** It's not. 100% not. I bought into that hype before I went a couple of months ago...and I'm happy to report it's all a bunch of crap. Sure some things are a little stale at DisneyWorld and some stuff needs a little work, but in general it's every bit as awesome as it's ever been. And some of the new additions (like Mission:Space and Everest) are incredible and can't be seen anywhere else! (oh, and the cast members are, by and large, still awesome too and very, VERY friendly, helpful and all-around "Disney")
Originally Posted By danyoung >Some don't care (I don't particularly care myself, so you wait a while...you do the same thing when you get in line for rides), but for those that do I think renting a car can spare them the stress of feeling like their vacation was ruined because they were always waiting around for buses.< Nicely put on both sides of the issue. I don't mind lines for attractions so much, cuz I'm actually IN the parks. But waiting for busses has always bothered me, as I always feel I could have hopped in my car and actually BE there in the time it takes for a bus to arrive. But some folks just don't want the hassle of driving while on vacation, and for them the busses are an excellent mode of transport. >Does one really need 8 days?< Well, 8 days is a nice number for a first visit. But you could have fun in 6 days, or 4, or even 2. But to see most of the stuff the parks have to offer, 7 to 8 days is just about right. >Dan is absolutely right.< I just wanted to savor this moment a bit longer - jonvn and danyoung in complete agreement. Life is indeed sweet!
Originally Posted By StitchDude The last time I went to WDW was for the opening of DAK in 1998. I went for 8 days and wanted more. It will be plenty of time to do most of it. we went to all the parks the first few days. Then we went to the water parks in the morning and went back the the parks we liked the most and wanted to see more of. If you have been to Disneyland before, go to WDW. Just don't forget that Disneyland is the original, and still the best!!
Originally Posted By bean I would say go for it. WDW is a completely diferent experience than Disneyland. I am guessing that you will be getting park hopper tickets. My suggestion is to do dual parks one day. For example do Magic Kingdom during the early part of the day then catch the monorail to experience Epcot. Then maybe the next day do the studios during the day then take the boat trip to Epcot again for the afternon. (i have always enjoyed epcot better at night) You could easily do the studios with less than a full day that way you could leave the rest of your trip open for the other parks, water parks and just exploring the diferent hotels and resorts. Do Disney's Animal park early. Get there before opening so you could experience it when the animals are at their more active time. Ride the safari trip first as soon as you enter and if possible right before sunset. I would not worry about park hopping from Animal Kingdom. there is no fixed transportation like the other parks except for buses and you will waste to much time with those. One important thing is to pick one day in the middle of your trip to just relax and enjoy the resort you are staying in. Also if you get a chance to get away since you are going thru the expense of the airline i suggest maybe even getting a day out of the WDW resort and head out to universal. Skip the studio but enjoy Island of adventure. You could even make a nice trip out of it and if you could get a good price on a one or two day car rental and enjoy the ride up to universal or after the park trip head out to see Orlando at night. Definately do WDW at least once in your lifetime
