Hello- I am a lifelong Disneyland attendee who will be making my first trip to WDW is May. I will only have about 3 days to go into the parks, and so I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share what they think I should do with my time. I will be doing research and will read "The Unofficial Guide." But I wanted to get some advice from the experts here about what I should do, things not to miss, how to manage my time, where not to waste my time, etc.

I really appreciate any advice you have to offer. I am feeling a little overwhelmed and intimidated by all of the different parks and how to navigate them.

Cheers! :)

If you are familiar with Disneyland then I would focus on the Epcot, Studios and AK. I'd make sure to catch Illuminations, but you can pass on Fantasmic unless you really want to compare and contrast.

So of the attractions/shows at WDW that has a similar ride at Disneyland - which ones are enough alike that you could skip them due to time restraints?

Thanks!

I would still try to visit Magic Kingdom. I really like Mickey's Philharmagic 3-D and their Pooh ride is way better than D-lands. MK has the new Monsters Inc. show but it is hit or miss whether people like it or not. The Presidents show in Liberty Square is good too. But if you don't mind missing a few different things than definately do the other parks. Make sure to see the Nemo Musical in AK as I have heard it is really good. :)

Another reason to visit the MK is to enjoy some of those attractions no longer at Disneyland. We always make sure to see the Country Bears, Carousel of Progress, and ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority.

Have a great trip to WDW, Earl.

If you are familiar with Disneyland then I would focus on the Epcot, Studios and AK. I'd make sure to catch Illuminations, but you can pass on Fantasmic unless you really want to compare and contrast.

This is good advice. Although me personally I would say skip AK altogether! But it's no secret I dislike that park.

I would still visit MK though. As a lifelong DLer (like myself) it's a TRIP seeing MK the first time. Not to mention you'll love seeing old school DL stuff like the Peoplemover, Country Bears, and the Carousel of Progress.

So of the attractions/shows at WDW that has a similar ride at Disneyland - which ones are enough alike that you could skip them due to time restraints?

Skipping due to close similarity:
Soarin'
Honey I Shrunk the Audience
Star Tours
Tough to be a Bug

Skipping due to inferiority:
Buzz Lightyear (stagnant guns)
POTC (although it's hard to say "skip it" to a first-timer, this is just one of the few things DL has better)
Small World (same as above)
Indy Speedway (their Autopia)
Fantasmic (they have actual seating, but it's a weaker show)
Indiana Jones (theirs is a stunt show, not a ride)
Kali River Rapids (way shorter than Grizzly River, and not as good)

While Disneyland will always be #1 for me, I have to admit many of the mutual attractions are better in WDW (IMO).

Some examples:
Space
Splash
Thunder
ToT
Peter Pan
Snow White
Winnie the Pooh
Jungle Cruise

With the recent update, the inside of their Haunted Mansion might just be better, but our outside still blows theirs away, which makes it sort of a wash.

That's all I can think of at the moment. :)


Oh - One thing I would highly recommend is, with only 3 days, be sure to get Park Hoppers!

Yeah, I whole-heartedly disagree with some who have posted here (respectfully of course); I would definitely spend at least one full day at MK; while some of the rides are similar, the whole experience (and a lot of the details in the rides) is different. When I went to Disneyland the first time a few years back, I went on everything and loved it! After MK, do Epcot and then split a day between DHS (the old MGM) and AK -- maybe pick a day where one of these has extended evening hours, preferrably DHS as I think there is more to do there after dark. That's just me though; I'm sure many will have different opinions.

I agree for the most part with DisneylandForever's specific examples - except I think the interior of Small World is enough different/better than at DL that if you don't abhor the ride, you should do it. The flooded scenes is what I think really gives it a different feel. And they've redone the 'exterior' so at least there's a clock there now.

Oh, and I disagree that Space is better at WDW than DL. It's really rough at WDW (same basic ride system as Matterhorn) - and DL is so smoooooooth. And aside from the guns, I like Buzz better at WDW (but the guns are a pretty big thing in DL's favor)

And there's FP at Peter Pan at WDW!

I won't try to give you specific picks on rides and such, but I do have a couple of general suggestions. First, definitely get park hopper passes. You can spend the morning in the MK, take a quick rest back at the hotel, and then close out Epcot. Or you could do 1/2 a day at the Studios and then the other 1/2 at DAK, which is pretty reasonable.

With this short of a trip, take advantage of all Extra Magic Hours events. You can get into a park 1 hour early, or stay in a park 3 hours late. It might be tough to get up early while on vacation, but you can get so much stuff done in that first hour or so, especially at the Magic Kingdom, where most of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open early.

I'd also try to be late at least one night in the MK for the fireworks, and one night in Epcot for IllumiNations. If you've seen Disneyland's Fantasmic! show, the Studios version will most definitely be a letdown.

Good luck with your trip planning, and keep your questions coming!

Thanks so much for all of your responses! I really appreciate you taking the time to share some of your advice/tips. I definitely have some good ideas of what to do. And I will be so excited to see The Country Bear Jamboree. I have missed that at Disneyland. :)

I guess my question is: how crazy are you (and how much energy will you have)? I took a friend of mine to Disney for Spring Break last year, and we managed to do "most" of the parks in 3 days. We skimped a little bit on Epcot, saving that for a return trip. You didn't say which days you'd be going into the parks, but if there is any flexibility, typically Monday has double extra-magic hours: DAK opens early and DHS opens late. Of course, I would suggest using Fast Pass as much as possible. I would also say, if you're going to be in the parks for 3 days, you can probably catch the evening shows at each park. What I like to do is spend each half of a day at a different park; that way you can revisit a park later in the trip.

Chris
Who is much too crazy and often gets through 6 or 7 gates in a single day!

Mousellaneous- I am joining my hubby on a business trip, so we will have one day in a park together (on a Sunday), and then I will have Monday through Wednesday to go into the parks. I will be by myself on those days, so figured 2 days would be enough on my own. Plus I want one day to sleep in and kick it by the pool. Most of my time in the parks will be during the day because I will be joining my hubby for business dinners and such at night.

I will get to the parks before opening, take advantage of early entry and use fastpass. I have heard Epcot is cool, what are your thoughts on MGM and the Animal Park? We have a pretty cool zoo where I live.

Thanks!!! :)

I'm a fan of MGM personally, especially if you enjoy thrill rides. ToT and RnR are phenomenal. That being said, for me it's a half-day park. With an early start I can get everything done that I need/want to. DAK, in my opinion, is also fantastic (granted, I'm biased - I had a good friend that worked there as an education presenter). That being said, I can also do it in half-a-day, especially if, as you say, you have a great zoo nearby. Still the Finding Nemo Musical and Festival of the Lion King are incredible - and Everest is the best roller coaster (imo) that the Imagineers have come up with.

I would think that as an experienced park-goer, you should have no trouble seeing almost everything solo. I would recommend to use the single riders line wherever you can. That would be my 2 cents.

Chris

Just a reminder - MGM is no more! Now it's Disney's Hollywood Studios (DHS).