Disneyworld for a day

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

Talk to me about Disneyworld. I went as a kid but that was right smack in the middle of Hurricane Andrew. I’m old.

I am taking my 9 year old daughter to my sister’s in Tampa in July to spend two weeks with her cousins. We are flying into Orlando because there’s a cheap direct flight that’s not early morning.  I have three extra days before I fly back, and I could take her to Disneyworld on July 28.  Is it worth it for one day? Should I look at a Disney hotel? I’m on a budget, but this would mean the world to DD, who is sandwiched right in between two special needs brothers and hasn’t always gotten to do all the cool things other kids get to do because of that. I can pick up some overtime between now and then to cover costs but I just don’t have thousands of dollars.  We will have a car rental.  It’s just her and I.

I want to make this happen.  Help.

[prairiewindmomma]

Yes, you can do a lot in a day.

No, I would stay at the Hampton Inn instead.

[mommyoffive]

No great advice but yes do it.  You can have lots of fun in a day.  Of course you are not going to see everything.  I would probably pick one park .  

I don't know if staying in a Disney hotel does anything for you this year?  With early hours or what not. 

[catz]

Just know it is going to be HOT and BUSY.  That would be the absolute  last time of year I would choose to go.  They are still requiring masks.  I would maybe plan to go early, take a mid day break if you are able to be on site, and go back in the evening.  It may be quite a bit cheaper to get something offsite though.  You could possibly hit 2 parks that way if you paid for park hopper.  

ETA - if you wanted a good mid day break, you could make a reservation for a fancier sit down restaurant experience.

Edited May 27, 2021 by FuzzyCatz

[PeterPan]

Tom Bricker is the blogger to look at if you want the scoop on all things Disney. No I would not stay on property. I use priceline and find deals. The Residence Inn Sea World is 15 minutes away and has a nice pool, no slides. If you want slides, try Reunion, which will show up on VRBO. There are hotels that have them too if you look toward Disney Springs. I like the Hyatt Place Orlando (near Disney Springs) a lot.

Is this dc on the spectrum? If her disabilities affect her ability to stand in line, Disney will give her the DAS. You'll ask at Guest Services and they will take her picture and load it into the system. That allows you to request a return time rather than waiting in line, which is the only way my ds has been able to do Disney. Also be aware that if she has any challenges, her time in Disney may be *short*. My ds is ASD2 and he can do 6 hours in the parks. Not a full day. Maybe now at 12 with how much we've done? Dunno, haven't been back in a while. Just saying it's something to factor in. 

You'll have 3 days? What you might do is do some of the fun stuff *outside* the parks that will be memorable. Where is the Bibbity Bobbity Boo boutique? Is it outside the parks? You could check. And they have character meals at some of the resorts, so you can make a reservation and do that. Just make sure she's actually ok with characters. My ds does NOT like characters, so the whole thing is lost on him. But there are amazing ones and you don't need to pay to go in the parks for them. You can make meal reservations for any of the resort restaurants. You can park at Disney Springs and take the ferry (free) to Port Orleans and eat beignets. So catch your gelato at Il Voluto (I forget, check the name) at Disney Springs and eat that on the ferry ride to PO resort and then eat then beignets on the way back. And that can be before or after dinner at the restaurant of your choice there, hehe. 

So there are things like that where you can be in the Disney vibe but not be paying park prices, kwim? Are loud restaurants a problem? Is noise a problem? Parades at Disney are loud with music, so we've only done a parade there safely *once* and that only briefly, staying back.

If you're only doing one day, you're doing Magic Kingdom, yes? Totally worth it. Start now trying to get a reservation for Be Our Guest. You want to eat lunch there. You can use the reservation finder on touring plans and get one. It will take a while and there's a *trick*. Enter several things you're asking it to find and as soon as you get the first text add that number to your contacts and set up a *distinctive ring*. That way JUST AS SOON as that ring goes off you pick up the phone and IMMEDIATELY click the link. Follow the law, but yeah immediately immediately. If you do this, you'll get the ressie you're dreaming of. Remember, take anything, then drop and change. Be flexible. But eating Lunch at Be Our Guest is absolutely worth it. I've done dinner and it's fine. It was really fine. Now it's a different menu and more $$ and I just say go lunch. Just me. But having lunch in the west wing with the rose and the thundering, that is so part of an essential day at MK for me. 

People mover is back up. Masking is getting a little more sane. I don't think you're going to find a low crowd day because it will be summer. The big key is go early. They tend to open much earlier than the stated times. You can google and find it, but I've never been *quite* that early, haha. We've rope dropped to hit Space Mountain. Going in early with a game plan (which side of the park you're starting with and why) is your best bet.

Whatever you do, after you've ridden those first 3 times on your favorite rides that you did fast because you got in early, go over to Gaston's Tavern and get ONE GIGANTIC CINNAMON ROLL. Just saying. 

You're going to have so much fun. Just don't pressure it to be more than her (or your) neurology allows. I LOVE Disney. Like I walk in and it's just the perfect level of sensory for me. It has smells, sounds, visual, and it's just perfect and complete, like a million dollar massage of joy. But I'm also hyporesponsive for sensory and birth 11 pound babies at home. ;)  So you've got to be honest about yourself and the dc. For my ds, I was putting him in a disability/SN stroller so I could cover him and give him breaks. Headphones except in rides. And even then, 6 hours. That's with the DAS. So you know your people and make a *realistic* plan. Like pick 4 things that you're like wow if we get to do these we'll be elated, make your Fast Passes, make that plan, and then let everything else be serendipity and beauty.

Other free things to do? Ferry rides, resort hopping, the gondolas!!! The Gondolas!!! 

I'm surprised your tickets were such a mess. I fly Southwest and we get great prices, two checked bags. 

Edited May 27, 2021 by PeterPan

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

I actually think we’ll do two days. Epcot one day and Magic Kingdom the next; then head to my sister’s in Tampa late that night. I’ve driven from Orlando to Tampa so I know it’s a ways but I think I’m good with it.

I think the Disney hotels will push me over budget now that I’ve looked.

This child is not on the spectrum and is happiest in 104 degree heat.  I suspect she will not be overly interested in a lot of the rides, but she loves shows, music, dance and princesses lol.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Mrs Tiggywinkle

[alisoncooks]

We went in 2017 (the first time I'd been since...93?). I was amazed at the planning involved. I mean, there are people that plan Disney vacations for a living! What?!

Anyway, this year will likely be different because of Covid, but when we went, I planned out our fast passes and dining choices 6 months in advance. Obviously, you'll be approaching your trip differently.

I wouldn't bother with a Disney hotel if you don't have the time to spend exploring the amenities or swimming at the fancy, themed pool. I'd get a regular hotel, but maybe look for one with a shuttle? That's one super nice aspect of a Disney resort -- free ride to the park. 

We went to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. I would say that to spend a day in MK, pick a side (left or right) and just thoroughly explore it. We spent 1 day in Tomorrowland/Fantasy and one in Adventure/Frontierland.  Does your DD like the more iconic Disney princess stuff or would she be interested in the Americana stuff? (I was surprised because my girls adored the riverboat and Tom Sawyer's island and the Swiss Family treehouse and the Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise!)

Be Our Guest is fabulous. 

Edited May 27, 2021 by alisoncooks

[lauraw4321]

Ooh, I've got lots of thoughts.

I would ask a disney certified travel agent whether there are any special deals (food, early entrance, late stay) for that date. If the answer is YES, then it may be worth the disney resort hotel. If NO, then save you $$, stay off-property.  Biggest tips:

1) For just one day, I would JUST do Magic Kingdom. It's the most magical. It is toned down due to Covid, but still magical. 

2) Get there EARLY.  Like if the park opens at 9:00, that means they actually start letting people in more like 8:00. The parking, getting in, takes awhile (you have to park a ways away, take the monorail or boat, then go through security, then scan your tickets).  There are far fewer people at the parks in the early morning, so you can enjoy rides that will have LONG lines later with just short ones. Also, carry just a small bag (fanny pack is best) so you don't have to go through extra bag screening.

3) Have her look on youtube a bit to decide what she most wants to do and prioritize that.

4) If she's a roller coaster girl, I'd say head straight to 7 Dwarves.  If she likes more calm, then head straight to Peter Pan's Flight.  

5) You may still have time to book one special meal. It's doubtful, but with just 2 of you, possible. The Beast's castle is amazing. Pecos Bills has good food and doesn't require reservations.

6) You'll need the app to order food (if they continue covid restrictions).

7) Pick the top 2-3 things you REALLY want to do, then just relax and enjoy the rest of the park.

 

[HomeAgain]

You really need to head to the Disboards.  They have the ins and outs of everything with Covid and new processes in place like mobile ordering (for food) and what's available/what's not. 
 

[lauraw4321]

6 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

Just know it is going to be HOT and BUSY.  That would be the absolute  last time of year I would choose to go.  They are still requiring masks.  I would maybe plan to go early, take a mid day break if you are able to be on site, and go back in the evening.  It may be quite a bit cheaper to get something offsite though.  You could possibly hit 2 parks that way if you paid for park hopper.  

ETA - if you wanted a good mid day break, you could make a reservation for a fancier sit down restaurant experience.

They are only requiring masks while you are in line. Some of that time will be outside, but generally lines have fans and shade, so it wasn't too awful. Of course it will be even hotter then. 

I wouldn't try a park hopper for just one day. When you get tired in the afternoon, you can do some quiet/cool rides (It's a Small World, Ariel) and eat some ice cream.  🙂

[lauraw4321]

5 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

We went in 2017 (the first time I'd been since...93?). I was amazed at the planning involved. I mean, there are people that plan Disney vacations for a living! What?!

Anyway, this year will likely be different because of Covid, but when we went, I planned out our fast passes and dining choices 6 months in advance. Obviously, you'll be approaching your trip differently.

 

There are no fast passes.  There are still FP entrances, but not FP.  We did get the equivalent (they call it an "alternative entrance") once because some members of our party weren't able to ride Pandora, and so they gave us an "alternative entrance."  

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

Epcot one day and Magic Kingdom the next

What is she wanting to do in Epcot? Animal Kingdom will be much more fun. Epcot is sheer misery with concrete. The country pavillions are shopping and movies. It's crazy boring for a kid. It's being remodeled and in a complete state of disrepair right now. If you go to MickeyViews on youtube, he will have updates. 

Are the shows back up in Animal Kingdom? I thought they said they were getting ready to hire again for Lion King. If they are going to get the shows open by the time you go, you will probably want to lean Animal Kingdom. Or have you thought about Hollywood Studios? Again, that's only if their Frozen Singalong is open. The Frozen Singalong for a 9 yo girl would be AMAZING. I took my grown adult oh what's the buzz about Frozen friend, and she was MIND BLOWN. We put her in the front row, hehe. It snows inside in Florida. Mind blowing.

4 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

We went to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. I would say that to spend a day in MK, pick a side (left or right) and just thoroughly explore it. We spent 1 day in Tomorrowland/Fantasy and one in Adventure/Frontierland.

This is very good advice. Given the dc's age, two days at MK would *not* be overkill. We completely skipped AK the first time we did Disney (a four day trip? I forget) because there's just SO much to do. There are videos of people who will try to do everything in MK in a day, but that would be pushing so hard. So two days in MK unless there's something in another park she really, really wants to do. There's the Frozen ride in Epcot, sure, but so much of the rest of the park will be hard. And the construction and no shows. Epcot is so blazingly hot the way it's set up. I think I have trauma from the heat, hahaha. And that's pathetic, because I've only gone during reasonably cool times!! (fall and winter)

 

[PeterPan]

3 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

mobile ordering (for food)

So expand on that. Yes there's mobile ordering, but if she snags a reservation for Be Our Guest, she can *pre* order her lunch food and not need to stand in the line!! You have to do it by like midnight the night before, but it saves time in line.

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

2 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

What is she wanting to do in Epcot? Animal Kingdom will be much more fun. Epcot is sheer misery with concrete. The country pavillions are shopping and movies. It's crazy boring for a kid. It's being remodeled and in a complete state of disrepair right now. If you go to MickeyViews on youtube, he will have updates. 

Are the shows back up in Animal Kingdom? I thought they said they were getting ready to hire again for Lion King. If they are going to get the shows open by the time you go, you will probably want to lean Animal Kingdom. Or have you thought about Hollywood Studios? Again, that's only if their Frozen Singalong is open. The Frozen Singalong for a 9 yo girl would be AMAZING. I took my grown adult oh what's the buzz about Frozen friend, and she was MIND BLOWN. We put her in the front row, hehe. It snows inside in Florida. Mind blowing.

This is very good advice. Given the dc's age, two days at MK would *not* be overkill. We completely skipped AK the first time we did Disney (a four day trip? I forget) because there's just SO much to do. There are videos of people who will try to do everything in MK in a day, but that would be pushing so hard. So two days in MK unless there's something in another park she really, really wants to do. There's the Frozen ride in Epcot, sure, but so much of the rest of the park will be hard. And the construction and no shows. Epcot is so blazingly hot the way it's set up. I think I have trauma from the heat, hahaha. And that's pathetic, because I've only gone during reasonably cool times!! (fall and winter)

 

She adores frozen, so that’s what I was looking at at Epcot. But two days at MK might be better.

She’s very flexible and spontaneous.

Where would I find a DW travel agent?

Edited May 27, 2021 by Mrs Tiggywinkle

[PeterPan]

2 minutes ago, lauraw4321 said:

There are no fast passes. 

Was Bill Bricker just saying this might change? If they open up the limits, this may change. Op will just have to keep tabs.

[alisoncooks]

I would definitely recommend Animal Kingdom as a second to MK, if you really wanted to do two different parks. My kids loooove AK. If you do, I say get there early and when the gates open book it to the safari. Then just meander along. Lots to see and linger over. 

[HomeAgain]

1 minute ago, PeterPan said:

So expand on that. Yes there's mobile ordering, but if she snags a reservation for Be Our Guest, she can *pre* order her lunch food and not need to stand in the line!! You have to do it by like midnight the night before, but it saves time in line.

BOG is now the prix fixe meal only - $65 per adult.  No more quick service lunch.  There is a lot that has changed in the past few months.

[catz]

If I were picking 2 parks, I would also pick MK and AK unless there was a particular reason you thought your daughter would prefer Epcot.  That said, my kids loved Epcot too before age 10 including the world fair side.  I do think AK is really well done though.  I agree given both crowds and heat that time of year just finding a sense of zen about going through, picking some stuff you really want to see and do and enjoy what you  get to and not worry about the rest.  Maybe allow extra budget for ice cream and cold drinks.  

[alisoncooks]

1 minute ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

She adores frozen, so that’s what I was looking at at Epcot. But two days at MK might be better.

She’s very flexible and spontaneous.

Where would I find a DW travel agent?

There used to be one or two on the forum... 

You can definitely fill two days at MK. Especially if you pause midday for the parade (are they still doing the parade?!). 

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

She adores frozen, so that’s what I was looking at at Epcot. But two days at MK might be better.

She’s very flexible and spontaneous.

Disney is not a good place to be spontaneous. It's so big that you really want to have a game plan and reservations for anything you can. If they bring back some form of passes, you want that. Especially for your morning game plan. To me what's always amazing is that it's so big, so much effort to get in, and yet once you're in your little nook the whole world just stops and you have this perfect experience.

Will Ratatouille be open by the time of your trip? Check. I think they said it will be October, yes? Did they give a date? If Ratatouille will be open, yes do Epcot. Then she'd get Frozen *and* the new Rat ride. And at that point the fireworks should be back up too. 

[lauraw4321]

13 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

I actually think we’ll do two days. Epcot one day and Magic Kingdom the next; then head to my sister’s in Tampa late that night. I’ve driven from Orlando to Tampa so I know it’s a ways but I think I’m good with it.

I think the Disney hotels will push me over budget now that I’ve looked.

This child is not on the spectrum and is happiest in 104 degree heat.  I suspect she will not be overly interested in a lot of the rides, but she loves shows, music, dance and princesses lol.

I would consider AK instead of Epcot, unless you think she'll be really into countries. Soarin' is an amazing ride in Epcot. The rest are kinda..eh.  The Pandora ride in AK is amazing. There's more to look at. 

[HomeAgain]

1 minute ago, alisoncooks said:

There used to be one or two on the forum... 

You can definitely fill two days at MK. Especially if you pause midday for the parade (are they still doing the parade?!). 

No parades.  Spontaneous character experiences.

[lauraw4321]

1 minute ago, alisoncooks said:

There used to be one or two on the forum... 

You can definitely fill two days at MK. Especially if you pause midday for the parade (are they still doing the parade?!). 

No parades currently. Or fireworks.  😞

[purpleowl]

I think they're not doing fast passes right now or extra magic hours, right? I could be wrong, but if I'm right, that basically takes away the reasons my own family might possibly choose to stay on property. 

Check the hours each park is open. I know a while ago we were looking at possibly doing a trip down there and at that time Epcot wasn't opening until noon. And sometimes there will be events that mean a particular park closes early. So be sure of the hours for the specific days you're looking at.

Epcot is where my kids' favorite rides are, for the record - Soarin' for two of them and Mission Space for the other. But MK has MORE rides that they all enjoy.

[PeterPan]

2 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

Lots to see and linger over. 

They have an education program with a book and sequence of stations that is really fun too. It's a good place to be quiet, see things, explore. And the food at AK, oh my. Food at MK sucks compare to AK.

[lauraw4321]

2 minutes ago, purpleowl said:

I think they're not doing fast passes right now or extra magic hours, right? I could be wrong, but if I'm right, that basically takes away the reasons my own family might possibly choose to stay on property. 

Check the hours each park is open. I know a while ago we were looking at possibly doing a trip down there and at that time Epcot wasn't opening until noon. And sometimes there will be events that mean a particular park closes early. So be sure of the hours for the specific days you're looking at.

Epcot is where my kids' favorite rides are, for the record - Soarin' for two of them and Mission Space for the other. But MK has MORE rides that they all enjoy.

Even if there are no extra hours, we were able to get into all parks an hour before the advertised time.  For example, Epcot advertised opening time of 11.  We were in by 10.  By 10:30 Soarin had a 45 minute wait. 

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, purpleowl said:

Soarin' for two of them and Mission Space for the other.

We call it Mission Puke... Ds asks to go on it over and over to see how long I'll last. 

 

[DawnM]

19 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

Just know it is going to be HOT and BUSY.  That would be the absolute  last time of year I would choose to go.  They are still requiring masks.  I would maybe plan to go early, take a mid day break if you are able to be on site, and go back in the evening.  It may be quite a bit cheaper to get something offsite though.  You could possibly hit 2 parks that way if you paid for park hopper.  

ETA - if you wanted a good mid day break, you could make a reservation for a fancier sit down restaurant experience.

They are no longer requiring masks outside.   You only need to wear them inside.

 

[DawnM]

1 minute ago, PeterPan said:

We call it Mission Puke... Ds asks to go on it over and over to see how long I'll last. 

 

I LOVE Mission Space and I can go again and again.   

[purpleowl]

Just now, lauraw4321 said:

Even if there are no extra hours, we were able to get into all parks an hour before the advertised time.  For example, Epcot advertised opening time of 11.  We were in by 10.  By 10:30 Soarin had a 45 minute wait. 

Oh, definitely - the "extra magic hours" are a perk of staying on property though, getting in even earlier. So if that's not happening as a perk, it makes more sense to stay off property and just go early.

[PeterPan]

Here's a video from Mickey Views a month ago updating some of the Epcot construction. It's going to be amazing when they're done. If this proposed trip is really soon, it might be better just to focus on the parks that are more whole when you have limited time. Come back and do Epcot when it's finished.

 

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, DawnM said:

I LOVE Mission Space and I can go again and again.   

I do too, till I can't walk straight, lol. That's when a cast member filled me in that that's why they have those long walks after the rides, to let you regain your equilibrium. 

[purpleowl]

2 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

We call it Mission Puke... Ds asks to go on it over and over to see how long I'll last. 

 

I don't ride it - I hardly ride anything. Teacups. People Mover. Living with the Land (and similar). Beyond those, I am the Official Holder of Stuff while others go on the rides. I bring my e-reader and all of us have fun. 😂

[PeterPan]

I would do the Frozen singalong over the Frozen right, but still here's an Epcot plan/update if you must. https://www.disneytouristblog.com/1-day-epcot-plan/

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-world-refurbishments/  refurb/closure information

https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/reservation-finder  touring plans reservation finder. It's worth the small fee. Honestly, I've never failed to get one I wanted, sometimes in spades. Sometimes people cancel right before midnight the night before, so if you're flexible and fast you may be surprised.

[PeterPan]

5 minutes ago, purpleowl said:

Oh, definitely - the "extra magic hours" are a perk of staying on property though, getting in even earlier. So if that's not happening as a perk, it makes more sense to stay off property and just go early.

Check but I think those are gone right now. 

Depending on op's dates, there may be ticketed parties. HIGHLY recommend doing a ticketed event if they have one for your dates. 

[stephanier.1765]

When we went in April, there were parades. Yes to spontaneous character experiences, as well.

[PeterPan]

15 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

BOG is now the prix fixe meal only - $65 per adult.  No more quick service lunch.  There is a lot that has changed in the past few months.

Are you for real, even lunch is gone??? Well foo. It's always the money. Lunch there was basically the best deal in all the parks. You could go in for just like cupcakes and get a couple hours there, hahaha. 

Well foo. You've dashed me, destroyed my day. Fortunately I've eaten enough lunches there I'm probably fine, lol. And the dinner menu was so WEIRD!! It was fine when we did dinner, even charming. So are they bringing out Beast for lunch too? 

[PeterPan]

So then you have a problem, because with only Beast and the high dinner/price fix cost, other places would be a better value (more characters, more kid friendly meals). I don't know. It's really magical, but it was magical at $14 a person, lol.

[alisoncooks]

9 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

They have an education program with a book and sequence of stations that is really fun too. It's a good place to be quiet, see things, explore. And the food at AK, oh my. Food at MK sucks compare to AK.

Great food at AK. (Sanaa at the AK Lodge is ah-ma-zing.)

AK is good for built in down time. It's so lush and green. Nice paths to walk through and a few fun rides. (Given all that, my kids' main memories: a very loud, screaming sheep at Rafiki's and me almost-puking on Dinosaur.)

[PeterPan]

Just now, alisoncooks said:

me almost-puking on Dinosaur.)

We did Whirl a Hurl *one time*. I think I just read they're shutting it down. I felt bad I couldn't go again, but it was rough, lol. Dinosaur one time we got to do over and over because it had started raining and everyone just cleared out of the parks. The cast member kept letting us ride over and over. 

[PeterPan]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/shops/disney-springs/bibbidi-bobbidi-boutique-marketplace/  Here's the one at Disney Springs if it opens for when you go. That way you can do it without a park ticket.

My ds did the pirate makeover and had a FABULOUS time. It took them way longer than normal because they could tell they had to ask carefully before touching him, etc. But then he spent the whole day as a pirate, which was great. You can take your own costume and don't have to buy theirs.

Edited May 27, 2021 by PeterPan

[DawnM]

2 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

We did Whirl a Hurl *one time*. I think I just read they're shutting it down. I felt bad I couldn't go again, but it was rough, lol. Dinosaur one time we got to do over and over because it had started raining and everyone just cleared out of the parks. The cast member kept letting us ride over and over. 

I have done that one many times as well.   It isn't my favorite, but I go if the kids want to.

Now, Expedition Everest and Rockin Roller Coaster I can do over and over and over in the single rider line.

[DawnM]

Man, now I want to go to WDW.   

[Jenny in Florida]

I have to disagree with the comments about Epcot. It's my favorite park and was my kids' favorite when they were young, too. I'm not a fan of AK, for obvious reasons given my status as crazy animal-welfare lady. But I also find that park hot and crowded and, honestly, kind of light on attractions. 

If she's into Frozen, then Epcot is a must, although I would strongly encourage you to do some research into lines for the Frozen-themed stuff. (My kids are too old to be the audience for that theming, so I have no advice.) 

Edited to add: My husband tells me that some, not all, attractions are offering virtual queues. 

Other than that, I would discourage you from getting crazy worried about pre-planning. As a former WDW cast member and the spouse of a current one, my advice for folks who are doing the kind of drop-in visit you're planning is not to stress about seeing everything. You can't, and if you try you'll just make it impossible for you and your charge to enjoy anything.

Pick one or two things that really matter to her, and do your best to either figure out how to prioritize those (understanding that you will be giving up other things in the process) and/or prepare her in advance for the fact that she should not count on doing those things and to identify some back-ups. Even with the best of planning, you can't account for the fact that attractions break down or close, weather doesn't cooperate, etc.

Once you've addressed that very small number of things she cares most about trying to do, prepare yourself with a loose strategy ("Let's go towards X and see what there is to do along the way") to do some more fun stuff, without turning it into a military exercise. Focus on fully enjoying the things you are able to do, rather than trying to squeeze in all the mandatory "fun" you can to get the most bang for your buck.

In terms of where to stay, I would agree that you are unlikely to have time to take advantage of amenities at a WDW resort given the timeframe of your visit. The only mitigating factor might be checking to see whether any of the on-property resorts are offering extra magic hours, which allow guests to enter specific parks early, before the regular crowds. When trying to make the most of a brief visit, that extra time could be really nice.

[PeterPan]

Don't know op's dates, but Fantasmic is reopening 9/5/21. https://disneythemeparks.fandom.com/wiki/Walt_Disney_World_Resort:_Crystal_Celebration#:~:text=Fantasmic!%20will%20reopen%20on%20September%205%2C%202021.  So that's the show in Hollywood Studios, which would get you the Frozen SingAlong (assuming it's also back by then) and the chance to see *all* the princesses. Possibly my favorite thing in all of Disneyworld. 

 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

Dates are July 28-29. We fly into Orlando 7/27 and I need to fly home around 7/31-08/01.

[PeterPan]

2 minutes ago, Jenny in Florida said:

I have to disagree with the comments about Epcot. It's my favorite park

Oh I like Epcot a lot!!! It's just the heat. When you're from the North, Epcot is infernally hot. My ds has so many behaviors there, more than in any other park. 

https://www.clickorlando.com/theme-parks/2021/03/09/disney-announces-opening-date-for-remys-ratatouille-adventure/#:~:text=ORLANDO%2C%20Fla.,Disney%20World's%2050th%20anniversary%20celebration.  Here's the info on the Rat opening. 

[HomeAgain]

5 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Are you for real, even lunch is gone??? Well foo. It's always the money. Lunch there was basically the best deal in all the parks. You could go in for just like cupcakes and get a couple hours there, hahaha. 

Well foo. You've dashed me, destroyed my day. Fortunately I've eaten enough lunches there I'm probably fine, lol. And the dinner menu was so WEIRD!! It was fine when we did dinner, even charming. So are they bringing out Beast for lunch too? 

Tell me about it!  We went there for lunch before Covid and it was fine.  And, while I am absolutely spoiled at Disney, I draw the line at paying $65 per person for an okay meal that is mostly for the ambiance.  You can get the grey stuff cupcake at Gaston's now, so at least there's that.

My husband is a really good cook at home, so ds is a little picky.  The Magic Kingdom was the hardest for us to arrange quick service kids meals at that were not going to be a steady diet of hot dog/burger/pizza/nuggets, none of which he particularly likes but will eat.  We never found a good qs there.  Animal Kingdom was more our thing.  Ds loved the quick service at Satuli - a noodle bowl with sauce and crispy tofu, and was willing to try more of the snacks around the park than at MK. (he looked at a cheeseburger egg roll with really wide eyes and a straight up "nope" on his face. 😄 )

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

Dates are

So to continue the fun, you might consider doing the Disney putt-putt (christmas/santa themed is cute) or even the Universal putt putt (which I hadn't done but which looked fun). And Disney operates two water parks that will be open. 

[DawnM]

1 hour ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

Talk to me about Disneyworld. I went as a kid but that was right smack in the middle of Hurricane Andrew. I’m old.

I am taking my 9 year old daughter to my sister’s in Tampa in July to spend two weeks with her cousins. We are flying into Orlando because there’s a cheap direct flight that’s not early morning.  I have three extra days before I fly back, and I could take her to Disneyworld on July 28.  Is it worth it for one day? Should I look at a Disney hotel? I’m on a budget, but this would mean the world to DD, who is sandwiched right in between two special needs brothers and hasn’t always gotten to do all the cool things other kids get to do because of that. I can pick up some overtime between now and then to cover costs but I just don’t have thousands of dollars.  We will have a car rental.  It’s just her and I.

I want to make this happen.  Help.

 

What a wonderful thing you are doing for your daughter.   I hope you have a fantastic time.   

There is a lot of planning that goes into it and I would get reservations for your fast passes as soon as you can online.