First WDW Trip!!

Hey guys, hopefully I'm posting this in the right place, but if not please move it! My wife and I just booked our first WDW trip and are beyond excited. We live in Las Vegas, NV and visit DL in Cali often because we love Disney! Now we finally have a chance to visit WDW! With neither of us ever being there, we have several questions.

1. We are flying Southwest airlines. We never fly so is there anything we should know beforehand such as checking in, luggage issues, seating, etc?

2. We are staying offsite at the Clarion Inn @ Lake Buena Vista. Has anyone stayed at this hotel or know of it?

3. We are staying 3/20 - 3/26 but the first and last day are pretty much travel days so really 5 days of playing. We are thinking of getting a 5 day ticket. I'm guessing we don't need park hopper since it will probably take us at least the whole day to play in each park. We were also thinking of maybe just purchasing a 4 day ticket and the 1 day to Universal/Island of Adventure. Any thoughts?

4. Doesn't look like we need to rent a car since transportation is provided by the hotel to all the theme parks. Any tips on using shuttle service to get around? Is it really practical?

5. Should we consider using the Disney Dining plan? Is it worth it? What restaurants are must-dos both inside and outside of Disney?

6. I'm sure we will have more questions as our vacations get closer but any other tips/advice will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks everyone!! :-D

well... if you aren't staying on Disney property that might be hard using the Dining plan... as a matter of fact i do not think it is an option...

I have flown Southwest many times in the past and I can tell you this... Check in 24 hours ahead of time on the Southwest website is a MUST!!! you will be given a letter and number... this is the boarding group and what place on line you have when you get to the airport... this is not an assigned seat...

Be carful of the shuttle services in the hotels... you may want to call ahead of time and see if they send continuos shuttle service... some resorts have been known to send a bus at like 9am and 9pm to a park and THATS IT!!! I have not stayed off property in quite sometime and this may have changed but I do remember it being like this when I last went...

In regards to the tickets... I have always been a proponent of the park hopper because of its flexibility... you do not want to be in MK and realize you haven't seen fireworks at EPCOT yet... thats a choice for you but I like knowing if theres nothing going on at a particular park, I can go to another one... Universal will also be hard to hit in one day, and be prepared to spend like $100+ per person to hop to both parks... and they are very pushy in trying to get you to buy their version of fast pass. thats right it is a fee... and it doesn't apply to their biggest attractions... big waste of money...

Hope this Helps!!!

YAY!!! So cool that you're about to make your first trip! I'm sure as you get closer you'll come up with more questions but here are my personal thoughts:

Dining Plan: I agree with the PP - I am 99.99% sure that you can only do the DDP if you are staying on property. That said... why the heck aren't you? The on-property resorts are so well priced and you get so many benefits from staying there. For a first time visit I personally can't think of a better way to truly experience the Disney World experience without staying on-property. Just my thoughts. Either way it's a great time... just definitely something to consider (especially since you're considering the DDP). :)

Tickets: You'll see a lot of people with different thoughts on this and honesty it's the kind of thing you only perfect, for your individual dynamic, after a visit or two. That said, I'd say you want to give yourself at least one full day in each park (so that's 4 days) but for your 5th day, if you haven't added park hopper, you'll be limited to going back to one of the parks and having to spend a full second day there. I would strongly suggest adding park hopper if for no reason other than being able to bounce on that 5th day. My personal preference doesn't include park hopper either but that's because we've visited so much that we typically know exactly what we want to do and where etc. and build our days around that. For a first visit however, you're probably going to want to do everything you can. Remember too that Animal Kingdom closes fairly early so with the Park Hopper option, you could finish your day at AK and then head to another park for the evening.

Restaurants: Oh boy is this a loaded question. I think if you poke around the dining forum you'll find a lot of threads that answer this question.That said, I get the impression that it's just you and your wife and no children etc. right? If so, a lot of my top picks would probably not be the right fit for you simply because they are mostly character dining experiences. My absolute favorite is booking Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom for breakfast and making sure it's for a time before the park opens. It allows you an incredible view of Cinderella Castle and Mainstreet because they open the doors just for those with reservations and the park is empty. If you do that and get there early enough, you can even be the first person in the door which is incredible. That said, it's a character breakfast with Winnie the Pooh and friends so sans-kids I'm not sure if that fits into the sort of thing you like. Some of my other favorites are the Garden Grill (Epcot), Chef Mickey's (Contemporary) and Whispering Canyon Cafe (Wilderness Lodge). My mother and her husband love the SciFi Drive In at DHS and some of the other more "adult" choices at the resorts. Really the key question is what kind of dining experiences are you looking for?

Hope that helps!!

I agree with the above comments.

1. When we fly, we always choose Southwest. As noted above, try to print your boarding passes ahead of time so that you can be among the first people to load the plane and will have the option to choose you seats/make sure you can sit together. It is also nice being able to have a seat toward the front of the cabin so you can be among the first to exit the cabin...it seems to take so dang long when you are at the back of the plane (but that may just be because I am antsy to get to Disney :))

2. I have never stayed at the Clarion, but have stayed off site many years ago, and we don't do it anymore. We just have a much nicer time when we stay on property, plus we have the bonus of using Disney transportation which we know is trustworthy. It is just so nice to be immersed in the magic for your whole stay. You also have the added benefit of using Disney's Magical Express (for free!) to and from the airport, and Disney/Southwest will also take care of your luggage for you so that you don't have to worry about towing it around. That said, I'm sure you are going to have a magical vacation onsite or offsite. Since you are going during a busier time of year, I know the Disney resorts are priced up a bit so of course you should do what works best for you.

3. Dining Plan- as noted above, you can only use it when you book a vacation package (tickets & hotel). It is a lot of food, but it is so fun to try all the new restaurants while on vacation, so my family has grown to love it. Our favorites are Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Coral Reef at Epcot, Ohana (for dinner) at the Polynesian, Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge...I could go on and on.

4. Tickets- I'm a big fan of the Park Hopper...we use it everytime and have been on numerous trips over the years. It just adds a lot of flexibility into your schedule. Plus some people say that some parks are only half day parks for them...if you decide that is how you feel it is nice to have the option to hop over to somewhere else. I would say since it is your first trip...do the 5 day ticket. There is so much to see and do that you won't be able to cover it all in one vacation! I think it would be nice to have the extra day to go back and see what you missed, especially since the parks will probably be busy..you may want that extra day.

5. Universal- I have done it twice and was not impressed. That said, there are others out there who really like it. If you are into thrill rides, maybe you should go for it. If you look for that extra attention to detail, guest service, and "magic", stick with Disney & would tell you to use your 5th day there...but yes, I probably am biased, lol.

Have a great first trip--you are gonna love it!!! Keep the questions coming, we love helping out here!

Wow, great information guys!! Thank you so much!! :mickeykid

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Originally Posted by JNota0005DakMC

well... if you aren't staying on Disney property that might be hard using the Dining plan... as a matter of fact i do not think it is an option...

I have flown Southwest many times in the past and I can tell you this... Check in 24 hours ahead of time on the Southwest website is a MUST!!! you will be given a letter and number... this is the boarding group and what place on line you have when you get to the airport... this is not an assigned seat...

Be carful of the shuttle services in the hotels... you may want to call ahead of time and see if they send continuos shuttle service... some resorts have been known to send a bus at like 9am and 9pm to a park and THATS IT!!! I have not stayed off property in quite sometime and this may have changed but I do remember it being like this when I last went...

In regards to the tickets... I have always been a proponent of the park hopper because of its flexibility... you do not want to be in MK and realize you haven't seen fireworks at EPCOT yet... thats a choice for you but I like knowing if theres nothing going on at a particular park, I can go to another one... Universal will also be hard to hit in one day, and be prepared to spend like $100+ per person to hop to both parks... and they are very pushy in trying to get you to buy their version of fast pass. thats right it is a fee... and it doesn't apply to their biggest attractions... big waste of money...

Hope this Helps!!!

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Seems like the DDP is out of the question since I'm not staying on property but that's okay because since it's our first time I'm sure we could use the flexibility anyway. I will definitely check in 24 hrs prior to my flight, thanks for the tip! Ya, the shuttle service at my hotel seems a little weird in regard to their times, but we'll just have to make the best of it! I'm not sure if park hopper would be realistic for us since we are staying off site and getting around to each park might be a little difficult. I'm guessing we'll spend the whole day in each park anyway. Because this is our first time, we know we won't get to see and do everything so we really just want to see what we can and enjoy ourselves which is why we wanted to hit each park 1 day and the 1 day at islands of adventure of harry potter since we are huge potter fans (bigger Disney fans tho!!) and have heard so much about it. We want this to become an annual vacation so we will have plenty of time in the future to see and do everything at WDW :lol:

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Originally Posted by BamaJenn

YAY!!! So cool that you're about to make your first trip! I'm sure as you get closer you'll come up with more questions but here are my personal thoughts:

Dining Plan: I agree with the PP - I am 99.99% sure that you can only do the DDP if you are staying on property. That said... why the heck aren't you? The on-property resorts are so well priced and you get so many benefits from staying there. For a first time visit I personally can't think of a better way to truly experience the Disney World experience without staying on-property. Just my thoughts. Either way it's a great time... just definitely something to consider (especially since you're considering the DDP). :)

Tickets: You'll see a lot of people with different thoughts on this and honesty it's the kind of thing you only perfect, for your individual dynamic, after a visit or two. That said, I'd say you want to give yourself at least one full day in each park (so that's 4 days) but for your 5th day, if you haven't added park hopper, you'll be limited to going back to one of the parks and having to spend a full second day there. I would strongly suggest adding park hopper if for no reason other than being able to bounce on that 5th day. My personal preference doesn't include park hopper either but that's because we've visited so much that we typically know exactly what we want to do and where etc. and build our days around that. For a first visit however, you're probably going to want to do everything you can. Remember too that Animal Kingdom closes fairly early so with the Park Hopper option, you could finish your day at AK and then head to another park for the evening.

Restaurants: Oh boy is this a loaded question. I think if you poke around the dining forum you'll find a lot of threads that answer this question.That said, I get the impression that it's just you and your wife and no children etc. right? If so, a lot of my top picks would probably not be the right fit for you simply because they are mostly character dining experiences. My absolute favorite is booking Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom for breakfast and making sure it's for a time before the park opens. It allows you an incredible view of Cinderella Castle and Mainstreet because they open the doors just for those with reservations and the park is empty. If you do that and get there early enough, you can even be the first person in the door which is incredible. That said, it's a character breakfast with Winnie the Pooh and friends so sans-kids I'm not sure if that fits into the sort of thing you like. Some of my other favorites are the Garden Grill (Epcot), Chef Mickey's (Contemporary) and Whispering Canyon Cafe (Wilderness Lodge). My mother and her husband love the SciFi Drive In at DHS and some of the other more "adult" choices at the resorts. Really the key question is what kind of dining experiences are you looking for?

Hope that helps!!

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Yes, we are super excited and can't wait!! I'm sure the more answers you guys give me and the closer it gets to vacation time the more questions we'll have lol.

We really wanted to stay on site but I found a deal at this hotel I just couldn't pass up. Even the value resorts did not come close to price. However like I said in my previous post, this is our first trip but definitely will not be our last! And we will most likely be staying on site in our future trips :yes:

For tickets, like I said in my previous post we have 5 full days to "play" so I figured we could stay 1 full day at each Disney park and then the last day check out harry potter. Next year when we go, we'll probably be able to stay longer and on site so this trip we just wanted to see as much as we can and just enjoy ourselves.

It is just me and my wife, we don't have any kids. I forgot to mention we are celebrating our 2nd anniversary on this trip. Is there any place to eat dinner that would fit that celebration? Crystal Palace seems like a really cool dining experience. Also, we are big Italian eaters, and suggestions? In regards to what kind of dining experiences we are looking for, we don't mind character experiences since we are kids at heart! But of course, we wouldn't mind eating in a nice upscale romantic place as well. And good food is always a must lol!

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Originally Posted by Thumper10

I agree with the above comments.

1. When we fly, we always choose Southwest. As noted above, try to print your boarding passes ahead of time so that you can be among the first people to load the plane and will have the option to choose you seats/make sure you can sit together. It is also nice being able to have a seat toward the front of the cabin so you can be among the first to exit the cabin...it seems to take so dang long when you are at the back of the plane (but that may just be because I am antsy to get to Disney :))

2. I have never stayed at the Clarion, but have stayed off site many years ago, and we don't do it anymore. We just have a much nicer time when we stay on property, plus we have the bonus of using Disney transportation which we know is trustworthy. It is just so nice to be immersed in the magic for your whole stay. You also have the added benefit of using Disney's Magical Express (for free!) to and from the airport, and Disney/Southwest will also take care of your luggage for you so that you don't have to worry about towing it around. That said, I'm sure you are going to have a magical vacation onsite or offsite. Since you are going during a busier time of year, I know the Disney resorts are priced up a bit so of course you should do what works best for you.

3. Dining Plan- as noted above, you can only use it when you book a vacation package (tickets & hotel). It is a lot of food, but it is so fun to try all the new restaurants while on vacation, so my family has grown to love it. Our favorites are Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Coral Reef at Epcot, Ohana (for dinner) at the Polynesian, Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge...I could go on and on.

4. Tickets- I'm a big fan of the Park Hopper...we use it everytime and have been on numerous trips over the years. It just adds a lot of flexibility into your schedule. Plus some people say that some parks are only half day parks for them...if you decide that is how you feel it is nice to have the option to hop over to somewhere else. I would say since it is your first trip...do the 5 day ticket. There is so much to see and do that you won't be able to cover it all in one vacation! I think it would be nice to have the extra day to go back and see what you missed, especially since the parks will probably be busy..you may want that extra day.

5. Universal- I have done it twice and was not impressed. That said, there are others out there who really like it. If you are into thrill rides, maybe you should go for it. If you look for that extra attention to detail, guest service, and "magic", stick with Disney & would tell you to use your 5th day there...but yes, I probably am biased, lol.

Have a great first trip--you are gonna love it!!! Keep the questions coming, we love helping out here!

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1. Yeah, Southwest seemed to be the best deal. Hopefully we can get the seat situation worked out and it should be fine. We'll be arriving late in Orlando (I believe midnight) is there anything open that late to eat? Should we just get something to eat at the airport?

2. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm sure we will be staying on site for future trips but I found a great deal on this hotel that really just fit my budget a lot better. We would have like to have been "around the magic" the whole time but its a small sacrifice so we can at least go WDW! Hopefully transportation won't be too much of an issue but we'll see what happens.

3. Coral Reef at Epcot seems like a really cool place to eat, we'll have to do more research since there seems to be so many places to choose from! Any Italian suggestions?

4. As I mentioned in my other posts, looks like we are going to just just a normal 4 day base ticket so we can see each park 1 day and then 1 day at harry potter. That seems to make the most sense since I know we won't be able to see everything anyway so might as well see as much as we can while at the same time relaxing and enjoying ourselves. This won't be our last trip and we'll have plenty of time to see/do everything in future!!

5. We have done Universal in Cali several times and while we do enjoy it and have a good time, it does not even come close to compare with Disney. That being said, we are big HP fans and would really like to see what they've done with HP at least once!

I came up with a few more questions.

1. I understand the weather during that time is usually mid 70s to mid 80s which seems pretty nice. I also saw it rains a lot, is that true? We don't mind the rain so that shouldn't be a problem for us.

2. I also understand the crowds will probably be pretty heavy, but what exactly are we talking about. 90 min avg wait times? More/less?

3. Each day after the parks close, we would like to explore a bit. We were hoping to visit DTD as well as the various resorts in WDW. Is there any transportation from the parks to the resorts or DTD? And if so is it free?

Thanks for all the help again, I really appreciate it!! Great tips/advice!! :D

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I also saw it rains a lot, is that true?

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No.

Spring is usually Florida's dry season. Rainy season doesn't start until June.

My first trip to WDW was nearly 40 years ago. I can't imagine seeing it for the first time now! I hope you thoroughly enjoy it.

BTW, if you're looking for a nice table service restaurant on the day you're at the MK, hop the resort loop and hit Kona Cafe at the Poly. Very, VERY underrated restaurant.

1. Via Napoli in the Italy pavilion at Epcot is very good. Allears.net can provide you with the menu. I'd recommend you decide where you want to eat as soon as possible, because restaurants book up super fast and your trip is approaching quickly. Here is an article about Via Napoli from the Disney Food Blog. http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2010/0...poli-pictures/

2. You will have a fun time visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'm a big Harry nerd also. The area of the park that it takes up is really not very big so don't be expecting a huge land. The Forbidden Journey ride inside Hogwarts is fantastic! Aside from that, the few other rides they offer in the area lack great theming, but it is fun to walk the streets of Hogsmeade. Don't forget to enjoy a glass of Butterbeer! I have heard that they plan on expanding this portion of the park, so hopefully they really enhance it and convince me to visit again.

The Spiderman ride at Islands of Adventure is also a lot of fun.

3. I was in Disney from January-June last year and my family just so happened to visit me the week that you will be there this year so hopefully I can give you a decent prediction of crowds. I think your 90 minute guess for rides like Space Mountain, Rockin' Roller Coaster, etc. is probably pretty accurate. Things like Soarin' and Toy Story Mania will be even longer. I recall Small World and Haunted Mansion having 30-40 minute waits during that time...which is fairly long for them. That said, since there are only two of you and no kids, hopefully you will be able to cover ground fairly quickly. I'd recommend getting to the parks early and you will probably be able to get a lot done. Also get your Fast Passes for the major attractions early, because they will run out for the day.

4. I recall having a few days of rain during that season last year, but for the most part it should be nice. And if you do get stuck in the rain, it means the park will be empty so that is a plus side. Temperature wise it will probably be very nice.

5. You can either connect from any of the parks to the Transportation & Ticket Center to catch a bus to DTD or you can take a bus to any of the resorts (every Disney resort will have its own bus stop at all of the parks) from the park and then connect to DTD from the resort. I'd recommend the resort option just 'cause it's more fun. If you're wanting to go to DTD after leaving MK, take the monorail to the Contemporary, Poly, or Grand Floridian, then catch a DTD from there. You can also bus to Saratoga Springs or Port Orleans from any of the parks and then take a boat to DTD, which is a nice and relaxing ride. And yes, the transportation is free.

Even though you are up for being flexible, you still might want to make some dining reservations, especially since this is such a busy time of year. If you are planning on doing any sit down meals, I would look for reservations now to see what you can get into, or you might be left wandering around looking for restaurants that have any opening. For Italian, in addition to the one suggested above, you might want to check out Portabello at DTD. It's absolutely amazing. But, again, I'd get on those reservations because even some of the restaurants at DTD will book up when it's super busy at the parks.

Also, since it is a busier time, you might want to check out the Crowd Calendar to see which parks to visit and which to avoid for your trip time. Particularly since you are planning on spending only one day at each park, you'll want to be able to get the most out of your trips to the park. This would also work if you were making dining reservations because you can coordinate the two.

A final suggestion I would have is to save some money for cab fare, if you don't plan on renting a car. Since you state the shuttles run on an odd schedule, you might want to opt for the yellow car if you get frustrated. Also, if you decide to dine at some of the out of park resorts - which often have the best food, i.e. Ohana's, Boma's, etc. - or on visiting the Boardwalk area near Epcot, home to Jellyrolls Piano Bar - which is a great place for grown ups - and a dance hall, it's likely your shuttle won't go to these areas. Even when we stay on property, we occasionally will take a cab from one of our resort dinners when we don't want to ride back to the parks.

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Originally Posted by Mo Noyz

No.

Spring is usually Florida's dry season. Rainy season doesn't start until June.

My first trip to WDW was nearly 40 years ago. I can't imagine seeing it for the first time now! I hope you thoroughly enjoy it.

BTW, if you're looking for a nice table service restaurant on the day you're at the MK, hop the resort loop and hit Kona Cafe at the Poly. Very, VERY underrated restaurant.

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Yeah, we are pretty excited for our first trip. We've been to Disneyland countless times but this is our first time to the world and can't wait!! Thanks for the tips, we'll definitely have to check out some of the restaurants at the resorts!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Thumper10

1. Via Napoli in the Italy pavilion at Epcot is very good. Allears.net can provide you with the menu. I'd recommend you decide where you want to eat as soon as possible, because restaurants book up super fast and your trip is approaching quickly. Here is an article about Via Napoli from the Disney Food Blog. http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2010/0...poli-pictures/

2. You will have a fun time visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'm a big Harry nerd also. The area of the park that it takes up is really not very big so don't be expecting a huge land. The Forbidden Journey ride inside Hogwarts is fantastic! Aside from that, the few other rides they offer in the area lack great theming, but it is fun to walk the streets of Hogsmeade. Don't forget to enjoy a glass of Butterbeer! I have heard that they plan on expanding this portion of the park, so hopefully they really enhance it and convince me to visit again.

The Spiderman ride at Islands of Adventure is also a lot of fun.

3. I was in Disney from January-June last year and my family just so happened to visit me the week that you will be there this year so hopefully I can give you a decent prediction of crowds. I think your 90 minute guess for rides like Space Mountain, Rockin' Roller Coaster, etc. is probably pretty accurate. Things like Soarin' and Toy Story Mania will be even longer. I recall Small World and Haunted Mansion having 30-40 minute waits during that time...which is fairly long for them. That said, since there are only two of you and no kids, hopefully you will be able to cover ground fairly quickly. I'd recommend getting to the parks early and you will probably be able to get a lot done. Also get your Fast Passes for the major attractions early, because they will run out for the day.

4. I recall having a few days of rain during that season last year, but for the most part it should be nice. And if you do get stuck in the rain, it means the park will be empty so that is a plus side. Temperature wise it will probably be very nice.

5. You can either connect from any of the parks to the Transportation & Ticket Center to catch a bus to DTD or you can take a bus to any of the resorts (every Disney resort will have its own bus stop at all of the parks) from the park and then connect to DTD from the resort. I'd recommend the resort option just 'cause it's more fun. If you're wanting to go to DTD after leaving MK, take the monorail to the Contemporary, Poly, or Grand Floridian, then catch a DTD from there. You can also bus to Saratoga Springs or Port Orleans from any of the parks and then take a boat to DTD, which is a nice and relaxing ride. And yes, the transportation is free.

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1. I saw that place on the Disney Website, looks really good. Thanks for the link, I'll look into it more but looks like I'll have to make a reservation for this place for sure!!

2. I heard lots of really good things about it, so hopefully it will live up to the hype. I'll definitely be having a glass of Butterbeer lol!

3. Okay, sounds like a normal crowded day at Disney. I've experienced that many times, so I know how to get around using fast passes etc. We'll just have to sit down and make a list of which attractions we really want to do and hit those first. Thanks!

4. Yeah, rain only means less crowds so I was actually kind of hoping it would rain at least a few days of our trip. Seems like the weather should be pretty nice regardless if it rains or not.

5. Awesome, your info was extremely helpful. Do you know how late Disney transportation runs till?

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Originally Posted by disneyrunrchick

Even though you are up for being flexible, you still might want to make some dining reservations, especially since this is such a busy time of year. If you are planning on doing any sit down meals, I would look for reservations now to see what you can get into, or you might be left wandering around looking for restaurants that have any opening. For Italian, in addition to the one suggested above, you might want to check out Portabello at DTD. It's absolutely amazing. But, again, I'd get on those reservations because even some of the restaurants at DTD will book up when it's super busy at the parks.

Also, since it is a busier time, you might want to check out the Crowd Calendar to see which parks to visit and which to avoid for your trip time. Particularly since you are planning on spending only one day at each park, you'll want to be able to get the most out of your trips to the park. This would also work if you were making dining reservations because you can coordinate the two.

A final suggestion I would have is to save some money for cab fare, if you don't plan on renting a car. Since you state the shuttles run on an odd schedule, you might want to opt for the yellow car if you get frustrated. Also, if you decide to dine at some of the out of park resorts - which often have the best food, i.e. Ohana's, Boma's, etc. - or on visiting the Boardwalk area near Epcot, home to Jellyrolls Piano Bar - which is a great place for grown ups - and a dance hall, it's likely your shuttle won't go to these areas. Even when we stay on property, we occasionally will take a cab from one of our resort dinners when we don't want to ride back to the parks.

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Thanks for the tips, we'll have to go through all the restaurants and see which ones we want to eat at and then make reservations asap. The two Italian suggestions seem like winners already!

That crowd calendar is perfect, now I can plan which park to do and when to make the reservations, great tip thank you!!

I've already planned to take a cab in case there are no shuttles. Looks like we can get around using Disney Transportation but if not I guess we'll just resort to taking a taxi.

Just thought of another question, for those of you who have rode southwest, how much room/how comfy are the seats? I'm 6'6 athletic build but I have trouble sometimes because I am so tall. I'm just a little worried especially since the flights are long.

Transportation runs at least an hour after park/DTD closing.

I'd say the seats on the plane for Southwest are pretty comparable to any other airline. Not the comfiest, but not horrible. For someone as tall as you though...I can imagine that it could get uncomfortable. That said, if you are lucky enough to be among the very first to board, try to grab the first row of seats. They have significantly more leg room than the rest of the plane.