Hello Barbara,
Welcome to planDisney! Thank you for visiting us with your planning question, and congratulations on your upcoming vacation at Walt Disney World. That's so exciting!
Let's talk about a high level itinerary for you, and we can fill in some more magical details along the way. When I'm planning a Disney trip for my family, one of the first things I do is check the
Parks Operating Calendar to see the park hours during our stay, and look for any special events that mean an earlier closing time. I also like that calendar because it shows helpful whosits and whatsits galore... like scheduled fireworks and parade times. It's not populated yet for November, but should be around 60 days out. When checking special event pages, I see a
Magic Kingdom event on Nov 7th, and
Hollywood Studios event on Nov 8th.
I love that you have a couple of non-park days planned in your itinerary! Relaxing pool days spent at the wonderful Disney Resorts are enjoyable for young and old alike. Some of our favorite Disney vacation memories have been these kind of lazy days! I always sing the praises of getting a resort-refillable mug, and they are extra handy for staying hydrated by the pool. Main feature pools have a poolside bar with snacks and a drink refill station available. I recommend building non-park days into the middle of your trip, or staggering them between park days.
You can absolutely visit a
Disney Water Park for free on arrival day, if you'll be a Disney Resort guest! If your room is not yet ready for check-in, you can leave your bags with bell services and head right to the water park. We advise guests to keep that swim tote bag and essentials like sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, and swimsuit handy so you can grab it and go have a splashtastic time! Complimentary towels will be available at the water park.
My last tip is to download the
My Disney Experience app, get your reservation linked, and start playing with some of the planning features. It's so handy to use during your stay, and will keep any
dining reservations or
Lightning Lane passes all in one place. I do always recommend people make a couple of advance dining reservations at a fun Disney dining location! Character dining is always a blast, and making reservations at a terrific restaurant like
Boma - Flavors of Africa or
'Ohana gives you a chance to explore other beautiful Disney Resorts and does not require a park ticket. Maybe a great option for non-park days?
Barbara, I hope this helps you get started with your plans. If you'd like some more specific itinerary ideas, dining recommendations, or tips on must-do attractions... please
send me a message at planDisney! I'd love to sprinkle some pixie-dust to help you make memories to last a lifetime.
The magic is calling!
Tami