[Question] 1st trip to WDW!!!!

[jared_dl1209]

Hello fellow micechatters,
This is the first time that I have posted on the wdw board before. My family and I are taking a trip to WDW for the first time ever the first week of August(August 1-8). I was wondering what are some of the "must do" things there at every one of the parks. I am an Annual Passholder at Disneyland, so my goal for this trip is to ride all of the rides WDW has that Disneyland doesn't. (Rockin' Rollercoaster, Test Track, Expedition Everest). Also I was wondering do alot of the more popular attractions have fastpasses? also what are some of the best times to hit those popular rides. I know that I only have 7 days there and there is so much to do, but I want to get the most out of my trip so if you could give some expertise of the 'must do" things like attractions, shows, and/or places to eat that would be great!!!

[Coastierox]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

I am an Annual Passholder at Disneyland, so my goal for this trip is to ride all of the rides WDW has that Disneyland doesn't. (Rockin' Rollercoaster, Test Track, Expedition Everest).

Don't forget that many of the shared rides are different from DL's. Pirates is mo betta at DL... I think that MGM's (oops) ToT is better than DCA's. I think that Haunted Mansion is the same. Jungle Cruise is just as good although slightly different. DL's Buzz and Pooh is better. Anyways, welcome to the right coast, hope you and your fam enjoy it!

[SummerInFL]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Have a wonderful first trip! But Coastierox is correct, there are some rides to take in that you have, because they are different. Although, in comparison, I agree with everything they have said.

Here is my list of can't miss attractions:

Magic Kingdom
Mickey's Philharmagic
Carousel of Progress
People Mover (TTA)
Haunted Mansion (I think ours is a little better)
Splash Mountain
Swiss Family Treehouse (For nostalgia, if your into that)
Hall of Presidents (For the AC)
Snow White (I think our story flows better)
Winnie the Pooh
Space Mountain (Just so you can appreciate yours. LOL)

Epcot
All the rides in Futureworld, go on Universe of Energy just once, that will be enough. LOL
Maelstrom
Gran Fiesta Tour
Tour all the countries, it's such a fun thing to do.

DHS
Tower of Terror
RnRc
Toy Story MM (I like our queue SO much better)

Animal Kingdom
Everest
Kilimanjaro Safari (First thing in the morning is best, the animals are active then)
Dinosaur (Same track as Indy but still scary fun)
Primeval Whirl (My kids love it and I do too )
Finding Nemo: The Musical
Festival of the Lion King
Flights of Wonders (Best bird show I've ever seen)
Kali River Rapids

Things you can skip
Soarin - Same as yours
Tiki Tiki Room - Although, go and see it just so you can appreciate DL's. LOL
Muppets
Star Tours - Although I think our queue is better
Pirates - This still holds a place in my heart even though DL's is much better. It's just shorter than CA's.
Stitch's Great Escape - Just horrible, you can try it but I'm warning you now, horrible.
Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor - This could go on both lists because it is cute the FIRST time you see it. So I say yes but it's not repeatable.
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
Fantasmic -DL's is better, although not by too much, worth a see but you can skip it if you are too tired.


That's all I can think of right now, have a wonderful time visiting the world though!

[WDWImagineer]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Congrats on coming to WDW!!!! Haunted Mansion is a definite because it is has been radically revamped and is better DL! I guarantee! You must do Kilimanjaro Safari no matter what! As long as you do the those two attractions and have a Dole Whip your trip will be perfect! Have Fun!

[Parisi]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Hello fellow micechatters,
This is the first time that I have posted on the wdw board before. My family and I are taking a trip to WDW for the first time ever the first week of August(August 1-8). I was wondering what are some of the "must do" things there at every one of the parks. I am an Annual Passholder at Disneyland, so my goal for this trip is to ride all of the rides WDW has that Disneyland doesn't. (Rockin' Rollercoaster, Test Track, Expedition Everest). Also I was wondering do alot of the more popular attractions have fastpasses? also what are some of the best times to hit those popular rides. I know that I only have 7 days there and there is so much to do, but I want to get the most out of my trip so if you could give some expertise of the 'must do" things like attractions, shows, and/or places to eat that would be great!!!

Awesome... You will love WDW

Try to make reservations at Ohana's at the Polynesian Hotel. It is the best food on property.

Also, BOMA is very good... I would try to make reservations for those 2 places as they fill up very quickly.

Thats about all I can recommend.

[yoyoflamingo]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

FastPass Attractions:

MK:
Space Mountain
Winnie the Pooh
Peter Pan
Big Thunder Mountain
Splash Mountain
Stitch's Great Escape
Buzz Lightyear
Jungle Cruise
Philharmagic

EPCOT:
Living with the Land (Sometimes)
Maelstrom
Honey I Shrunk the Audience (Not needed)
Test Track
Soarin
Mission: Space

Studios:
Tower of Terror
Rock N Roller Coaster
Star Tours
Toy Story Midway Mania
Indiana Jones Epic Stun Spectacular (Sometimes)

Animal Kingdom:
It's Tough to be a Bug
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Dinosaur
Primevial Whirl
Kali River Rapids
Expedition Everest

I'm pretty sure I got them all. And if you plan on seeing the popular attractions, make sure you get there early, and beeline to them. Or, you can also utilize the Extra Magic Hours if you are staying on property.

And Summer's list is pretty good. Although I am not a fan of Festival of the Lion King at all, and I like our Big Thunder Mountain (WDW's) better..

[SummerInFL]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

^You aren't the only one that doesn't like Festival of the Lion King yoyo. I know I'm kind of in the minority there but I do love the music and makes me want to dance. I love that they pull kids from the audience and let them be a part of it, my kids love that. I'd be lying if I didn't see your opinion about the show in other places.

[yoyoflamingo]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

^You aren't the only one that doesn't like Festival of the Lion King yoyo. I know I'm kind of in the minority there but I do love the music and makes me want to dance. I love that they pull kids from the audience and let them be a part of it, my kids love that. I'd be lying if I didn't see your opinion about the show in other places.

Interesting, from everyone I talk to I knwo they all love it. I always thought I was in the minority!

Guess the OP should see it to make his own opinion! And as for countries, see the American Adventure! Excellent show!

And of course, Illuminations as well!

[SummerInFL]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Interesting, from everyone I talk to I knwo they all love it. I always thought I was in the minority!

Guess the OP should see it to make his own opinion! And as for countries, see the American Adventure! Excellent show!

And of course, Illuminations as well!

LOL Perception is the root of all evil!

I forgot about American Adventure, definitely add that one to my list as well!

[horizonsfan92]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Just be sure to visit recently refurbished Spaceship Earth, the most polarizing attraction for disney fans to date!

Seriously though, SummerInFL covered your bases for you the only thing I would add is, Impressions De France. Of course, that's only if you want to travel back to France in the late 70's/early 80's.

[FantasticDuck]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Mickey's Philharmagic at the Magic Kingdom is a must! At least for me anyway!

[seeyarealsoon]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Go see Lights Motor Action Stunt Show at Hollywood Studios! It is must do on every trip!

[yoyoflamingo]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Go see Lights Motor Action Stunt Show at Hollywood Studios! It is must do on every trip!

Again, this is another perception issue. I saw it once, and I never have to see it again. Yet, other people love it. Another, see it for yourself before judging kind of attraction.

And it is another FastPass attraction too.

[Micoofy Duck]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Mickey's Philharmagic is my favorite attraction... I'll post a full list later when I have some more time on what you should do when in WDW.

[aimster]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

You have to see Off Kilter and The British Invasion play at EPCOT.

[mark]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Go to a Disney resort for a meal. Any of the deluxe resorts are wonderful!

[Micoofy Duck]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Magic Kingdom ~

Well well well. Haunted Mansion. Haunted Mansion. Haunted Mansion. Ride it 5 times in a row. Or better yet, as I always do... I wait to ride it at night, when the moon is bright and the ghosts are out and about. Ohh I get goosebumps thinking about riding the HM at night. Such an eerie delight. And the new sound system in the mansion is to DIE FOR. Don't forget to scream louder than usual as the elevator section volume as been turned up for your hearing pleasure.

Tom Sawyer's Island. Since Disneyland got rid of theirs everyone can now apperciate WDW's Tom Sawyer Island a little bit more. The caves are of course the best part, as you may already know. Explore, take the time to rest in the rocking chairs, listen to the dog howls from across the lake coming from the Haunted Mansion. The island is just very vintage and should be loved by any Disney fan.

Mickey's Philharmagic. I mean seriously, enjoy this show back to back to back to back to back. How can anyone not like this show. That reminds me, I need to film it for my own personal use but remember, NO VIDEO RECORDING IS ALLOWED DURING THIS PRESENTATION.

Oh please please make time for Carousel of Progress. The wait is literally minutes and it's a great break from the heat. The also encourage you to NOT record this vintage event but I'm willing to risk getting yelled at for doing it because I really want to watch it over and over on home video.

And to hell with what people say about Monster's Inc Laugh Factory. On my last trip I must have seen the show a good 9 times. Every time it has all new funny moments and of course the same ol' tired jokes that are no longer funny the 2nd time around BUT it's the people in the audience that make each show different and very funny. It's their reactions and on the spot behaviour that makes every show different. No 2 shows are ever alike. It's the people visiting the parks that make the show a must see. Maybe you'll even be picked out to be part of the show.

And gosh damn it I don't care what nearly everyone says about Stitch's Great Escape. It's a fun experience to enjoy with your family. I remember doing it with my mom a year or so ago and seeing her reaction to everything, hearing her laugh at the spectacle that goes on in the show was all I needed to better enjoy the attraction. I still remember her coming out laughign about how Stich jumped on HER and only her not realizing that Stitch jumped on everyone and licked them. It was worth the hell of a que that the ride has.

I always end the night at Magic Kingdom in Fantasyland and then take the walk through the castle down into the hub, relax infront of the castle and mingle. Then start heading down Main Street people sight seeing, taking in everyone else's reactions and laughter as I stroll down the street, maybe stopping in a gift shop to see if anything catches my eye. It makes for a great memory, of course I just love theme parks at night so this is just a ritual for me when I go.



What I found to be a waste of time and why in the Magic Kingdom:
Compared to Disneyland's Autopia the MK's Autopia/Indy Speedwayis just a plain bore and the wait for the ride is just too damn long. At DL's version you have visual interaction whereas at MK's version you just go on a track. Yeah it's fun for kids but waiting a good hour for this attraction may stop you missing out on something else MK has to offer.

Goofy's Barnstormer rollercoaster at Mickey's Toontown Fair is just like Gadget's rollercoaster. Well not exactly like it but I mean the wait can be super long for a ride that lasts less than a minute. If you do go on it make sure the wait time is very short because the ride is super short. The thrill of this rollercoaster is much much better than DL's Gadget coaster so if you can make time for this one, if not it can be missed and forgotten.


Animal Kingdom ~


What I found to be a waste of time and why in the Animal Kingdom:


Epcot ~

Do make time for the Mexico pavilion. Once inside you'll really like the atmosphere and setting that can only be best described as what one encounters and feels when eating at Disneyland's Blue Bayou resturant. You don't have to eat there, the food there is very filling and can weigh you down but at least visit and hopefully take in the Mariachi band.

A great classic ride at Epcot is Ellen's Energy Adventure. Love the dark ride portion and the film at the end and beginning is very highly enjoyable. I also love being able to see all the ride vehicles moving about all around you and the larger than life screens featuring very funny Ellen moments.

Maelstrom dark ride in Norway pavilion. My new top favorite ride now that Mexico's dark ride has gotten the unneeded toon treatment. Maelstrom is everything that Epcot is when it comes to memories of the park. You can never forget the ride and afterwards you may want to skip the film as you can make time for Epcot films on your 2nd trip to WDW. Instead of spending time watching a film about Norway you might have more fun checking out the large gift shop of Norway items that you MUST pass through to exit Maelstrom.

Watch out for the Riding Test Track Mission Space back to back combo. I rode Mission Space recently first and then used my Fast Pass to ride Test Track right after and after the intense ride that was Mission Space, well Test Track didn't seem so much of a thrill ride right after. On another day when I went and did the back to back ride combo I rode Test Track first, got a big thrill from that and then used fast pass for Mission Space and got an even higher thrill back to back.

If you're going to do any type of dining there well your options are endless but there's only one character dining experience worth memories. That's Norway's Princess Storybook dining experience at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. The atmosphere inside is very well done and the food is great. I've done the lunch menu which I enjoyed but I plan on doing the breakfast menu when I return later this year. If you're not into the Princess dining experience than may I suggest the Coral Reef resturant. I'm a big time under the sea lover and this fits the atmosphere beautifully. Yet another dining experience that takes you out of the Epcot element.

My number one tip is when you're walking slash touring the World Showcase be aware of your view of the lagoon because all day you'll be scoping out your spot for Illuminations. So far the absolute best spots to view the show is in front of the Italy pavilion near the small bridge or at the Showcase Plaza, the area between the 2 gift shops. There's an area that will either be open or not to the public to get a very up close viewing experience. There you'll be required to sit as the fireworks will almost appear above you, it's a great visual effect. But sometimes you can wait there for an hour before the show to get your up close seat to only be told you can not sit there due to the wind gusts. It's a 50/50 chance most people are willing to take and you'll have a large crowd around you waiting to get to that magic spot. SO, either drink wine in Italy or get up close at the Showcase Plaza.

What I found to be a waste of time and why in Epcot:
Innoventions. It's like fun for 2 seconds. I even did the house tour of the future and that was one of those "damn, I'm trapped in this tour and I can't escape!" moment. It's really just a nice place to escape the heat, cool off for a second and it's also connected to the Electric Umbrella so you can grab a bite there and then cut through Innoventions, glance at it and head straight for Test Track & Mission Space.

Turtle Talk with Crush. It's great the first time and since there's one in Disneyland you'll pretty much get the same show at WDW. I remember recently I was at a show and regretted seeing it again. We ended up walking out in the middle of it. I just remember thinking "we've only got so much time to spend in Epcot and I want OUT".

Oh my GAWD! I almost forgot. AVOID at all costs The Circle of Life "Lion King" character film inside the Land pavilion. AVOID!!! It's just a theatre where you sit down and watch a film about pollution and recycling. AVOID!!! Divert! If you watch it it will be another one of those "I'm Trapped" moments.

Hollywood Studios ~

What I found to be a waste of time and why in the Hollywood Studios:



{I'll post more stuff tomorrow, gotta get to bed. This post should be very fun/informative for a newbie to the WDW resort}

[TDLFAN]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Magic Kingdom ~

Well well well. Haunted Mansion. Haunted Mansion. Haunted Mansion. Ride it 5 times in a row. Or better yet, as I always do... I wait to ride it at night, when the moon is bright and the ghosts are out and about.

I do not care to ride Haunted mansion at night. Your eyes are used to the darkness and then you can see a lot of what we are not supposed to see while riding in there... like bare walls and emergency doors... etc etc that one would normally would not see coming into the Mansion in the daytime light. Same for darkrides in Fantasyland... I Avoid at all cost.

[Sorvian]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

Don't forget to scream louder than usual as the elevator section volume as been turned up for your hearing pleasure.

It's not an elevator. You stay on the same level.

I'm a D.F. it's what I do.

[Micoofy Duck]

Re: 1st trip to WDW!!!!

It's not an elevator. You stay on the same level.

I'm a D.F. it's what I do.

Oh my gawd. I know. Most of us know that. It's all about keeping the illusion that it IS an elevator when the ride itself plays the mind that you are moving in a direction like an elevator.

I mean really, you just HAD to point that out.