First Timers- And it's full on!

[katyandalfie]

Originally Posted by Ridersmom

I know it's done on here and I can somewhat understand it if you are staying in a villa, but I don't understand having a room at the AKL and then going over to Hard Rock and Miami for a night. AKL is not an inexpensive place to stay. Maybe I am just cheap but I would put Hard Rock at the beginning or end of your stay and do it before or after checking into the the AKL. Use the money that you are not paying for an empty hotel room on something else,

I am a confirmed on siter but you are losing one of the big advantages (convenience and being in the Bubble) of staying on site by going all over while you are "on site." I love Disney hotels and pay a premium to stay but I would not stay if I were spending most of my time all over the place. Lots of other beautiful places in the area.

I have been to Disney many, many times and trying to rush through and "do it all" just doesn't work, especially in the busy times. You will be at a time when seeing someone 5 feet away is impossible.

Think about doing a split stay and concentrating Disney in one block. Also one day in each park is not nearly enough. You will be rushing and battling crowds and may not enjoy it as much as your should. I would guess the average day in WDW is 10 miles of walking.

When you stay on site, one true advantage is going to a park in the morning , taking a rest break and then going to another park for the evening. It helps with the tiredness (and heat)

And while you think you may not be wanting to rest much, as soon as your kids start to say they are tired (feet hurt, have a head ache) the best thing to do is leave, On my first trip with three kids, I didn't listen and we stayed maybe an hour or two more but it wasn't fun.

There is a lot to see and do in Central Florida but to have the best time, head the advice on here. It's not a vacation like any other and if you are coming from the UK, flights alone are a large amount of money. You want to enjoy your time.

Have a great time and don't be afraid to switch plans.

ETA: the parks are large and not as easy to navigate as one would hope and especially with crowds. If you have good map reading skills study park maps before you go so you have a n idea of where you are going.

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Thanks for your comprehensive reply which is much appreciated. We booked and paid for the trip as a Virgin package back in April 2017. The additions have come up in the interim, and the Hard Rock Hotel stay was a result of searching for Express Passes and finding the hotel stay was a better deal in terms of sourcing the passes.
We don't plan to see every single attraction in each parks and my kids are older so will not be overly interested in the younger attractions.
We may have the itinerary completely over stated but we are going to give it a good go!

[nickimiz]

I am totally with you, first time we went we wanted to do it all, I planned everything and did everything we wanted to do, all the Disney parks, universal, staying for one night at HRH, sea world, discovery cove, air boat ride, my kids were the same age as yours and loved it. We did go back, twice - bit more relaxed, missed bits out that we didn't need to do again. Go for it !

[katyandalfie]

Originally Posted by nickimiz

I am totally with you, first time we went we wanted to do it all, I planned everything and did everything we wanted to do, all the Disney parks, universal, staying for one night at HRH, sea world, discovery cove, air boat ride, my kids were the same age as yours and loved it. We did go back, twice - bit more relaxed, missed bits out that we didn't need to do again. Go for it !

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Thanks Nicki. That's good to hear xx

[7SeasSailor]

You appear to be determined to do it so please do a trippie so we can see how you get on and maybe learn something.