I am going to DISNEY WORLD!!!

[MissMarley]

The husband and I booked a trip a couple weeks ago- we're going to Disneyworld in Florida in November. We'll be there for six days and we're staying on-site at the Port Orleans Riverside. I would LOVE any input about the best rides, attractions, places to eat- anything that we shouldn't miss! And of course, I love to shop- so any advice on shopping in DW is great! I am SO excited!

 

[glam8babe]

OMG where do i start?
iv been twice to disney world, first time i went with my mother stayin in International drive.. second time i went with my auntie and stayed in the disney all star movies resort. The rides are AMAZING!! make sure you try to go to ALL of the theme parks, theres about 10 i think.. so if yyou are going for 6 days, get up early go to one theme park then when youve finished go to another one.. i stayed for 2 weeks my second time and still didnt get to go to ALL the theme parks... i think we missed out one water park. The shops are really nice, lots of disney stores (obv!) but to be honest theres just soo much to see you dont think about wanting to shop apart from picking up souvenirs and cute stuff around the parks.
My fave theme parks were Downtown disney, MGM and blizzard beach water park. All the others are great too though!

but like i said, try and fit as many parks as you can during your 6 days

i cant really say much else because it was 8 years ago the last time i went

one of the best holidays ive EVER had!

 

[glam8babe]

oh and watch out for celebs at Planet hollywood, when i went i saw N*sync u know that cheesy boy band justin timberlake was in? there were crowds but if you were eating there you could walk straight in, order your food then cut straight in line lol

 

[ArsenicKiss]

I grew up in South Florida, so I logged a LOT of hours in Orlando when I was younger.

If you guys are going to have a car while you are there, you might want to hop up to Downtown Orlando to check out some of the shopping there, or if you're into music, to see if anyone worth seeing is playing in the area. I haven't been there in a while, but I do remember there being a fairly good amount of interesting shopping in the downtown area if you get tired of being at Disney itself.

As far as Disney is concerned, my favorite park is Epcot. But, it isn't really the park to hit up if you want rides. If you're into browsing around, snacking here and there, and having a general good time, the world pavilion is great. There is also a pretty fantastic smattering of different shops in the park in all the countries. Personal favorites, in terms of places to eat in Epcot, are the pub in the UK pavilion and the restaurant in Italy. For Italy, you usually need a reservation, but if you're staying on site, you can probably get your hotel to do that for you.

If you're looking for dinner with entertainment, I've heard that the Luau at the Polynesian is great.

In my opinion, the ultimate ride parks in Orlando are over at universal. Islands of Adventure is great, the rollercoasters are fun, the other rides are decent, the themes are entertaining. MGM is the Disney park with the best thrill rides, Tower of Terror and the Rock n Rollercoaster (or wtf-ever its called).

If you like zoos and animals, don't miss Animal Kingdom, but if that isn't really your scene, you could probably skip that park entirely.

I have never been to Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney, but I hear that if you like clubs, it is pretty much a great place to hit. Downtown Disney is also ok for shopping, at least as far as I can recall.

If you have any really specific questions, you can hit me up with a PM and see if I can help you out with suggestions.

 

[COBI]

As far as Disney goes, I like MGM the most, but if you really like *rides*, then I also prefer Islands of Adventure (Universal park versus Disney). Disney is more about creating an experience, and most of the rides are a let-down IMHO. If this is your first trip there, you will not likely feel that way. There is a magic the first time you go, but having been several times, I no longer find any joy in waiting for rides there (45-90 minutes in line + 20 minutes in a holding "pre-show" area for a 2-5 minute ride). Although some of the more boring rides are probably longer (such as it's a small world, which one of my nieces LOVES.)

Good rides IMHO: (as noted by ArsenicKiss) Tower of Terror, Rock N' Rollercoaster. Animal Kingdom now has the Expedition (which is a cool coaster, but typically 1.5 hour long line at least) and Test Track (at Epcot) is also good.

As a disclaimer, I am a serious thrill-ride, rollercoaster junkie, so Disney is not my favorite place at all.

That being said, since you are going for the Disney experience, I think staying onsite is the best way to do it. When we stay on site (my sister prefers Disney with her kids, so we end up there), we have never needed a car.

The one thing I would like to look more into is courses at Disney Institute.

Have fun!

 

[MissMarley]

I'm totally not a thrill-ride person, I like the Disney "feel". I love all the movies, etc...I just want to be there for the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH feeling. I like rides, but I also love shows, exhibits, animals, etc- I think I'm most excited to see Animal Kingdom (and I won't get on a wild roller coaster!)

 

[MiCHiE]

I hated Tower Of Terror!

Get a Park Hopper ticket.
Catch a nighttime parade in the Magic Kingdom.
Eat a meal in one of the "countries" in Epcot.
Animal Kingdom will be great in Nov.

Or, if you're anything like me and like to see the "inner workings", get a backstage tour. It's so interesting, but should be done after you've experiencd "the Magic", IMHO.