Disneyworld tips...

[cooprules]

Hi, all...

 

We're thinking about taking my 6 year old daughter to Disneyworld next March for her 7th birthday.

 

We've never been there so I'm looking for some tips on where to stay and what parks to all visit. She's definitely into the Princess type stuff and not much for thrill rides. And she loves animals.

 

Just looking generally at pricing staying at a Disney resort is more expensive. Not sure if it's worth it or not. A friend of mine suggested looking into condo rentals also. We may only go back one other time (around her teenage years so she do more of the rides and stuff) so I'd like to give her a good Disney experience.

 

Thanks all.

[Patrick425]

I have been there 4 times and have never stayed at a Disney World resort. There are some perks to staying at one of the resorts, but it just never seemed woth it to me for the extra amount they charge. The last time we were there was last October. We stayed at a place called the fountains (I thought it was nice). Booked a package through Orbitz. Everything in (car, airline, hotel) it costs us a little over $1,000 for 3 of us. However, this did not include the park tickets. This is where they get you (because you really can't find "deals" on park passes). If you are there for 4 or 5 days and plan on going to a park every day, it's going to be about an extra $1,000 for 3 people.

My wife and I also went there for our honeymoon (yes, that's right, Dinsney World honeymoon) 16 years ago and ended up staying in a house with our own private pool (I think they upgraded us). These are usually a little ways away (not too far...maybe 10 miles), but it's really nice. You can find them on Orbitz:

http://www.orbitz.com/App/ViewPackageDetails?&retrieveParams=true&z=46be&r=hn

or through this site:

www.vrpcertifications.com

I have also heard that www.vro.com is a good site to search for cheap vacation rentals. However, I find it a bit difficult to navigate through that site.

Hope some of this helps.

[bork]

There are a few pluses for staying at a Disney Resort, which may offset the extra cost. If you stay at a Disney Resort, you can use Disney's Magical Express, which is a free bus that takes you from the airport right to your resort. Then you can use Disney transportation to get around Disney World, which means you don't need to rent a car or pay for parking. Staying at a Disney resort also gives you Extra Magic hours at the parks. Each day a park opens 1 hour earlier and another park stays open 3 hours later just for Disney Resort guests. We usually stay at one of the All Star Resorts, since they're the cheapest.

 

We always see all four parks because they are each so different. Disney also makes it so that adding days to a park ticket is really cheap once you get over 4 days. Adding an extra day is only $3, so the longer you stay, the cheaper it is per day. We usually stay a full week and it still seems like we don't see everything at the 4 parks.

 

The Magic Kingdom is a must for your little princess. Most of the rides are family friendly. Even the few thrill rides aren't that crazy. My son did just about everything at 3.5. You may want to do a character meal at Cinderella's Royal Table, inside the castle. The princesses go around to the tables as you eat. This is very popular, so you should try to make a reservation as soon as you can (180 days out I believe)

 

Animal Kingdom would also be a must if she likes animals. The Safari ride is very cool. You take a jeep ride through the African savana and see all kinds of animals in a natural setting.

 

Epcot has many countries in the World Showcase. You can sometimes find the princesses in their native countries (Snow White in Germany, Aurora in France, etc). There is also a princess character meal in Norway, in a castle. This would be a second option, if you can't get a reservation at the Magic Kingdom.

 

Make sure to use Fastpass. You scan your ticket at the more popular rides and it gives you a pass to come back at a certain time and avoid most of the wait. It saves a lot of time, especially if it's busy.

 

In case you didn't notice, I'm a Disney nut, so let me know if you have any other questions. We also stayed at Disney World for our Honeymoon 10 years ago.

[cooprules]

Thank you so much. Just in doing the little research I've done, I think staying in one of the Allstar resorts is what I'm thinking. I'm a AAA member so I'm going to talk to a rep about any deals we can get through them. I'll definitely have more questions the further we get into it. I see the end of March is a peak time so we might go earlier (Feb) or later in April (after Easter). We haven't even started talking dates yet.

[bork]

Feb is a great time to go. It's not as hot and the crowds are pretty light. AAA usually has 10-20% discounts on Disney Resorts, depending on the season.

[burniebrewer]

The Magic Kingdom is a must for your little princess...You may want to do a character meal at Cinderella's Royal Table, inside the castle. The princesses go around to the tables as you eat.

My daughter went to Disney with her Grandmother a few years back and this was BY FAR the highlight of her trip. I've got an awesome picture of my daughter hugging Cinderella that is just priceless. The look on her face says it all, like she just met her hero.

[PrestigeWorldwide]

We have gone the last three Decembers, once at a Disney resort and twice renting a condo. In terms of transportation, I much prefer going with a rental car verus the Magical Express. To me, the convenience of not having to wait for the buses was worth the cost for the car and parking. It can be a pretty long wait for the bus at the airport, you may have to go to a few hotels before you get to yours, it can be a pretty long wait for the bus to and from the parks, and occasionallly you may have to take a couple of buses to get somewhere (e.g. to get from Pop Century to the Boardwalk, you have to take a bus to Epcot, and then another bus to the Boardwalk). If you are patient and know going into it that is what you'll be doing it's okay, but again I would rather spend the money instead of spending that much time in line and in transit going places. However, I have a friend who just spent a week there and loved how he never had to drive anywhere. It all comes down to how you prefer to spend your money and time.

[FVBrewerFan]

I've been there 10-12 times, and lots of good suggestions above. Here's what I would add:

 

1) Rule #1,2, and 3. With a 6 year old, don't over-do it. Get there when the park opens in the morning, not as busy then. If you're staying at a Disney Resort (which I recommend for all the reasons mentioned above) you get "Extra Magic" hours, so you can get in parks before the rest of the crowd does. (Can also stay later, but probably not an option with a 6 yr old..) Stay until Noon or 1:00 or so so, then head back to the hotel for a few hours. Let her relax, nap, swim...whatever. It's a long day for a 6 year old. The sun, crowd, all the stimuli... I have seen thousands of verbal fights and even some physical ones from parents who are intent one getting every minute of fun in for the money. So take it slow...you're much better off adding another day then trying to do too much each day.

 

4) Parkhopper. Add this option. You may want to go to Animal Kingdom all morning (best time to go) go back to the hotel, and then Epcot in the evening. Parkhopper would give you the freedom to try variations of that each day. (Personal editorial here, I would skip the Studios Park altogether for a 6 yr old. But she would probably love the "Fantasmic" show at the end of the night)

 

5) Don't forget Downtown Disney. It's free, and a way to get a little shopping done, really cool Lego store, etc.

 

6) Princess breakfast is a must, since she's into that.

 

7) It is a ZOO getting out of Magic Kingdom at the end of the night. Especially if you have to wait for your bus back to the resort. And especially if that bus is going back to the All Star resorts. But, the Electric Light Parade (called something else now I think) and fireworks are really cool, and you should do that once. Just make sure she (and you) have plenty of rest during the afternoon that day. Otherwise there WILL be a meltdown.

 

8) IF you can get away for a few hours, Disney has outstanding golf courses on premises. Heck, beg to put in 9 at least.

 

That's off the top of my head. Helping people with Disney planning is almost a hobby of ours.

[cooprules]

Yeah, thinking we'll avoid a car. As long as we can keep our daughter somehow entertained during the process waiting for a bus won't be a big deal. I've seen some decent 'off property' hotels with decent pricing but I'm just not sure how easy it'll be to get from the hotel to a Disney park without a car. We're still leaning toward stay at a Disney resort. Think we're willing to spend a little extra to have the total Disney experience.

[FVBrewerFan]

As long as you're spending a little extra, I strongly recommend upgrading to the Moderate resort class. They are much nicer and usually only cost $30 or so more per night. Maybe you can even negotiate a less expensive or free meal plan by going to a mod, they do have specials like that from time to time. disboards.com is an excellent resource, not affiliated with Disney for what it's worth.

[chrisisoutrunning]

I was all ready to show off my Disney World knowledge, then I read through the posts from bork and FVBrewerFan and yeah... I don't have much let for you that'll be new.

 

I've done both the on-site and off-site routes. If you can afford it, I'd definitely go on-site, and I'll echo the moderate class resort route. I stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter and it was great, surprisingly quiet for being on-site.

 

Other things I'll echo without going into detail:

 

1. Get there early.

2. Park Hopping

3. Disboards.com (any question you could come up with has been asked there numerous times over)

4. Princess Breakfast (MUST for a girl that age, sure the food won't be worth the price, but the pictures will be priceless)

 

As far as things to do for her, EPCOT will probably have the least (there are still things to do, but I feel that EPCOT plays mainly to an older audience). Also don't plan every day out to the minute, go with the flow.

 

The only other thing that I have that hasn't been said is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Once again, not cheap, but she'll love it.

[Patrick425]

chrisisoutrunning[/b]]As far as things to do for her, EPCOT will probably have the least (there are still things to do, but I feel that EPCOT plays mainly to an older audience). Also don't plan every day out to the minute, go with the flow.

I agree somewhat, but I will say that EPCOT has two of the best rides of all the parks, Soarin and Test Track. In fact, my 11 year old son (who does not like roller coasters at all) would have spent the entire day on Test Track if we let him. He's dying to go back to Disney, just for that ride alone.

 

[strawbossisevil]

Don't forget Disney Boardwalk either. It's a neat place to watch street performers. And best of all it is free. Plus you can get to Epcot or Hollywood Studios via a free boat ride, which is pretty fun.

 

I currently am living here in Orlando, and I think you are making the right decision coming in February instead of March. You wouldn't get on any rides in March, it's just packed to the point that some days they even close the parks.

 

One thing to keep in mind too, is to plan ahead the order you want to go on the rides. Many of the Disney rides include an option where you can pick up something called a "Fast Pass" which allows you to wait in a much shorter line. You can only have one Fast Pass at a time, so usually the first thing I do when I get in a park is grab a fast pass for my second favorite ride and then get in line at my favorite ride. If you make use of the Fast Pass, you will spend a lot less time waiting in line.

 

If your daughter likes animals, then going to Animal Kingdom and Seaworld are a must, there are also a number of places where people can see live gators, which can be fun. In February, also, that's the time when you can go see the Manatees as they move up stream during the winter. So lots of fun animal options near Orlando besides just going to Disney.

[Teatoe993]

I know you want to go in spring, but going in mid-late September is a great time to go. The crowds are small and Disney offers the free dining plan. Food is expensive at Disney and the free dining plan is really nice. My fiance and I have done this the past two years. We'd grab a breakfast at the hotel cafeteria really early and hit the parks. Then we'd have reservations at one of the restaurants at Epcot for dinner. It was a great time eat at France one night and Japan the next, etc. Gotta have the park hopper if you're gonna do this though. And make sure to make your dinner reservations 90 days ahead of time!

 

I'd also advise that you make sure you're at your bus terminal back to the hotel before the fireworks end. It gets pretty crazy once the parks start closing and they'll pack you in like sardines. Not to mention the extremely long wait times for the busses to arrive and loaded. This is especially the case when they have to load people with wheelchairs and rascals. It takes forever and it's a sure bet that there will be plenty to load.

 

Fast Pass is your friend and parade time is a great time to hit up some of the busier rides.

 

Magic Kingdom: The Stitch ride is terrible and not worth your time.

 

Epcot: The restaurants in the world showcase are excellent for dinner. I advise you to eat here most every evening.

 

Hollywood Studios: Get your Fast Pass for Toy Story Mania immediately. It's my favorite ride in all of Disney World and it's by far the busiest.

 

Animal Kingdom: Do the Safari Tour as early as possible. This is when the animals are most active.

 

It took my fiance and I 5 days to do all the parks at first. It took us 4 the next trip when we weeded out the rides we didn't liked. With a youngster, I'd advise you to have at least 6 days there or more if you can if you expect to do all the parks and still have some energy. Hollywood Studios can be done in half a day or so if you're good and if you skip the shows. The rest of the parks will take an entire day or more to do.

 

This thread is making me wanna go back. I always have a great time there.

 

DON'T BRING A STROLLER!!!

[bork]

Don't book a trip counting on the free dining, though. Disney hasn't announced it for this year and there is no gaurantee that they will keep doing it. They did it over the past few years because of the bad economy to get people to come. Now that the economy is improving, they may not do it any more.

[BMuch]

My wife & I took our daughters (6 & 4) to DisneyLAND back in October. We brought along a scrap book so that the girls could get autographs from the Disney characters. They love looking at the scrapbook with the autographs and pictures.

 

Also, you get a card to give you access to the pictures that the professionals take while your kids pose with the characters. I didn't need it, but a friend of mine had his camera damaged and was thankful to have the opportunity to spend the money on the expensive professional pictures.

[FIPS133]

Just went to Disneyworld with a 5 year old at the beginning of March. First time for our family. We stayed at the Baylake Tower Villas which was great as it was about a ten minute walk from the gates of the Magic Kingdom and next door to the Contemporary Resort with a Monorail stop making transportation especially easy throughout the grounds.

 

I would recommend trying to stay at this location if a deal presents itself. The location is outstanding and for a younger child the Magic Kingdom is likely to be the park you'll spend the most time. Being able to walk back and forth eliminates the lost time in waiting for transportation and gives you a ton of flexibility. Plus staying at the Villas gives you a few more in room amenities such as kitchenette to full kitchen with separate bedrooms.

 

We got a great deal on a package that included the room, admission (w/park hopper) and a meal plan for what you'd pay for a level between a value and moderate resort. Disney has a number of promotions and following advice from www.allears.net I signed up for virtually every possible way Disney could contact me with deals. As a result of this I took a package that would have been about $4,500 (off peak) and paid $2,100.

 

Finally I would echo what people said about visiting during late February/early March. We rarely had to wait in line for any attractions and when you add in Extra Magic Hours during this period it's almost like you own the park because things are so accessible.

 

All the previous advice is very good. Since this is something you're not planning on doing frequently I would say you should try to stay on the grounds to maximize the time you have at all the parks.

 

Let us know how it progresses.

[FVBrewerFan]

Yes, even though i recommended that you stay on the grounds, that's just because it's your daughter's first DW experience. We fight as a family every time. My son and I like staying off the grounds. You can get a condo, house, etc. for a low price- even back when the economy was humming along. We like to have a car, and travel to different restaurants near-by, drive over to Universal's Boardwalk (which is free) etc. I also like the condo/house thing because you can load up the fridge and save some money on breakfast and some lunches. Lots of room to spread out too.

 

So we have done that a few times. But my wife and daughters usually win the debate, and we stay on site. (Like you didn't already know who would win THAT one.)