Nirav, hello and welcome to
planDisney. I always love seeing a fellow North Carolinian stop by to chit-chat about Walt Disney World vacations.
Your trip to the
most magical place on earth is quickly approaching, Nirav. I bet you are getting so excited.
Disney's Contemporary Resort is such a fun choice. I absolutely love the new Incredibles theming of the rooms. They are so cute and modern. Great choice! My favorite part of the design is in the closet - be sure to take a peek in there when you check in to your room.
There isn't a bad way to set up your itinerary. Are you visiting all four of the
Walt Disney World Theme Parks? If it were me, since this is your first time visiting and you'll have a view of Magic Kingdom Park, I would make that your first park to explore and enjoy. It's the most iconic park and you'll really feel like you are at Walt Disney World while you are there. I went ahead and took a look at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks hours of operations for your trip and it seems like all four of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks open about the same time each day so that won't really need to be a factor in your planning.
I personally love
park hopping, where you get to experience multiple Walt Disney World Theme Parks in one day. How I like to lay out my itinerary is visiting Magic Kingdom Park, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom as soon as they open. These parks have great rides and shows and it is best to do a lot of the most popular attractions first thing in the morning. Then, in the afternoon when the parks tend to fill up for the day I like to head back to the Walt Disney World Resort Hotel that I happen to be staying at for an afternoon swim and maybe a nap. Waking up early every day and hitting the pavement running can tire you out pretty quickly. Then, after all is rested, I enjoy hopping over to EPCOT for the rest of the evening. There are so many dining options to choose from over there which is great when there are a lot of people to feed because you can find something for everyone. Plus, the new firework show at EPCOT, Harmonious, is my absolute favorite! It's a must-see. There are some great attractions at EPCOT too but for the most part, these can all be accomplished if you spend a few evenings there while you are on your vacation.
As for reservations, you can make advanced dining reservations 60 days prior to your check-in day for the length of your stay up to 10 days. We are already in your reservation timeframe so if you haven't done so, I suggest trying to grab a few sit down restaurants as soon as possible. You can make dining reservations online via your MyDisneyExperience account or over the phone by calling 407-WDW-DINE. If you are in need of a dining recommendation, my favorite restaurant is
The BOATHOUSE at Disney Springs. It's nestled right on the lake and it can be fun for kids to watch the amphicars float by during the meal.
I hope this helps get the planning ball rolling, Nirav. If you have any other questions along the way, please feel free to stop back by and ask me. I'm here to help.
Happy planning!
Jackie H.