Visiting the WDW Resort for 7 days in March.

[ATSF&DLRR]

First time with friends going to the WDW coming in on March 1 in the everning and leaving March 9. What days are the best time to visit the four parks and how many days sure we stay for each park. We live in Calif. and gone to DL many times and we do have a hopper tickets for our trip. And what is the weather like in March and how busy with it be for the parks in know it just before the spring breaks starts. any help on this and any other time we should know and do in the time we have.
thanks, dan

[mark]

Plan one day for each park. I used to say two days for Epcot but it has gotten pretty stale. Slow down and relax each park. If you find DAK and DHS to be half day parks, explore the resorts or water parks. Have fun! (I've got lots of trip reports on my blog- insightsandsounds.blogspot.com)

[swampymarsh]

A huge tip for planning around crowds at WDW. If you stay onsite you get Extra Magic Hours, one park in the morning and another in the evening. During EMH the popolar attractions are open and it's a great time to ride them before other guests are allowed in. If staying offsite because the parks hosting EMH tend to be overall busier. If stay onsite to make the best of both worlds hop from one park to the other.

The parks compared to DLR will be mildly busy. The main problem they have is less attractions per park so crowds don't disperse between rides as well. You will find the E-tickets have long lines, even if the park doesn't feel crowded when walking around. More attractions have FP so use it on the E-ticket attractions. Also know that at WDW the FP return time is enforced, so use them during the return window.

In Epcot Soarin and in Disney Hollywood Studio they have FP for Soarin and Toy Stoy Mania, respectively. These run out quickly, infact there is a rush to get them, not as bad but like RSR in DCA. In Epcot Test Track reopened last month with a brand new theme, so I don't know but the FP pressure may of shifted from SoC to TT.

Weather is a little tricky, check the forecast before you leave. Do count on it raining, heavily during your visit. It is not likely to be a full week without a rain storm. It's also cool but unlikely to be cold. Pants may be good, but sweathshirts or jackets for at least night is wise.

I would say a day for each park, MK is quick, but Epcot 2 days. If you haven't been, Epcot has a lot to offer, it's huge.

Since you don't know what park each day, you probably haven't though about dining. Make reservation right away. I mean now. They fill up quickly.

[ATSF&DLRR]

thank you for your feedback. can one tell me was days are the best time to go the the four parks. we are most likley to see Epcot for 2 day or more and DHS and AK many a day and 1 1/2 for the MK we are going to have 6 and half days there and what to see as much around the resort as we can without getting over doing it. and going to spend a half day at Downtown Disney wgen we come in on Saturday.

[swampymarsh]

thank you for your feedback. can one tell me was days are the best time to go the the four parks. we are most likley to see Epcot for 2 day or more and DHS and AK many a day and 1 1/2 for the MK we are going to have 6 and half days there and what to see as much around the resort as we can without getting over doing it. and going to spend a half day at Downtown Disney wgen we come in on Saturday.

At WDW there isn't a day of the week that one park is better or worse, unlike DLR where weekends are worse. Read the first paragraph of my first post above about EMH effecting crowds. Because it's early March and Spring Break will be starting the last couple days are likely to be busier, adding crowds to each park.

Seriously look at the calendar online at wdw . com and plan your days so you can make dining reservations. Unless you want to eat counter service food only, those dining reservation should be made right away.

I wouldn't plan MK for a day and a half. It doesn't have nearly as many attractions as DL so doesn't take as long to visit. If you are very famliar with DL, a day in MK should be more than enough.

While DTD is ok, it's not super special. Unless you want to eat there, there is a better alternative. Ride the Monorail and look at each resort, even take the boat to Wilderness Lodge to check it out. You could get food in one of the resorts anyway. Also a walk through the Epcot resorts, Boardwalk, Beach, Yatch clubs and event the Swan and Dolphin can be enjoyable.

[PatMcDuck]

Basically, go to the park that had extra magic hours the night before..... this usually works pretty well. And if you truly relax, enjoy, and explore Animal Kingdom, it is not a 1/2 day park..... and the live entertainment there can be a truly wonderful experience.

[fnord]

Whatever you do, don't miss the greatest bit of disney style imagineering in orlando,
The wizarding world of harry potter at universal's islands of adventure. It's the must see
in Orlando.

[ATSF&DLRR]

thanks for all the information and if anyone else know anything else let me know. I we stay offsite and we have hopper tickets. what are the best for food?

[swampymarsh]

thanks for all the information and if anyone else know anything else let me know. I we stay offsite and we have hopper tickets. what are the best for food?

For food, there are tons of options, and likely many near where you offsite accomadations are. I would catch breakfast offsite on the way, if your hotel doesn't serve it. Also if you know the trick of entering DL and DCA early by having breakfast in the parks, you can do it WDW too. They have character meals that start before the parks open. The food is ok, all buffets, but nothing special and pricy because of the demand driven by the character experience. Likewise with some dinner locations you can eat and relax as the park closes and walk out when the park is getting quiet, like walking in before the parks open and it's nearly empty, but dark of course.

For other meals you can get tons of reponses with lots of opinion. I'll name my top picks. Boma in the Animal Kingdom lodge, it's excellent, a buffet, and exotic food, if you tastes are wild, I doubt you would be dissapointed. That may be a good one if you are at an early closing park and done for the day, to have dinner without wasting park time.

Another sit down I like is Biergarten in Epcot. You sit at long tables, usually shared with other guests. Sometime I've been at fun talkative table, sometimes not. I like the german food, the umpah band, and while I don't usually drink beer, a couple cold liters and I feel like it's college again.

Epcot in general has massive variety, a good place for couter service if everyone can agree on something.

In MK, I like the Liberty Tree Tavern, for dinner it is and all you care to eat, but served family style. Lots of meat, mashed potato, stuffing and apple crisp with icecream.

In AK I like two counter service locations. Flame Tree BBQ for ribs and sitting behind the restaraunt by the water. Also Restaurantasaurus, which is just plain burger. This is usually my only burger on the whole trip. It may be why I like it so much, but it also has a topping bar and free refills at the soda fountain.

For counter service, eat at off hours, this is also an easier way to get reservations. I try to dine on West Coast Time if I can.

[ATSF&DLRR]

i what to thank everyone for information and with only 10 days before my trip. if anyone have any more ideas to see or miss with only having the 6 days visit for the magic Kingdom. this is going be the only visit we are doing we all love disney and we visit the Disneyland ones or twice a year. two of us are going to be 50 and this is a trip that we are looking forward to and what to make the best of and hope that we can enjoyed the days there.

[sandiegomousefan]

We JUST got back (yesterday). We have done WDW now twice and DL more than I can ever remember.

A) Budget a day for MK and be sure to get their at rope drop. You really don't have new rides to do (a few) but mostly to enjoy the park before it gets crowded and hot. I find AMs on MK's "West side" almost like being at DL 20 years ago when the park would be nice and empty during the work week ;-)

B) As everyone says, budget 2 days for Epcot. It really is special. The rides are nothing to write home about (since you have done SOARING, I assume, at DCA) but it is amazing.

C) It sounds like you will have a car staying off site. In future trips that is going to be a must. We have done WDW now twice just using buses. Never again.

D) Ditto Boma for dinner. Best Buffet in the kingdom and a treat. If there is one delux we will ever splurge for it will be AKL - for whatever reason is gives me a warm and special feeling every time we have resort hopped over there. NExt time we are trying Jinko which also looks good.

E) Make sure to do the ToT at DHS. SOOOOO much better than DCA's version. Also in one o the weird bi-coastal variations note that Star Tours was a near walk on every time we looked. Great Movie ride, I fear, is really bad. Only good for air conditioning.

F) Finally, be sure to check out "Sorcerers of the Kingdom". It really is a pretty cool technology. You can get started at the Firehouse on Main Street at the MK. Since we really didn't have an interest in going on Pirates multiple times (after having ridden the far superior version at DL something like 300+), both my son (7) and I LOVEd the game. At the easy level it is essentially a scavenger hunt and that is "fun" for the theming.