Disney World

Maximizing weekdays is exactly right. Friday and Saturday are the busiest days. Six days is plenty.

The value resorts are all a little bit away from the parks which means you'll have to take buses to get there and back. Sometimes these buses can get crowded and you might be waiting in long lines if you leave a park at closing or just after the nightly entertainment (when there's a huge crush of people).

DVC is awesome but you're still going to be on a bus most of the time for most of the resorts -- it varies from resort to resort. The upside to DVC is that you get an in-room kitchen with a coffeemaker, microwave, refrigerator, etc. as well as a laundry machine. You can save money on snacks, coffee etc. this way, not to mention the convenience. They're also generally nicer hotels than the value ones.

Warning: Many people consider one sit down per day to be a lot, and if you do this option, you will probably want to schedule meals well ahead of time, since the popular sit down restaurants fill up in advance. Some of them months in advance. Just to keep that in mind.

I never do meal plans myself since it seems like a lot of food and I prefer to "improvise" but that's me

I get the feeling that some of you actually live in these parks!

3 weeks to go!
Leaving on the 31st for 3 days at the parks and 4 days on the Dream.
This will be our third time going and the first time my son is tall enough for the rides. I'm hoping I can get him, and myself on to Expedition Everest. My wife has decided she is not going on it. She was told by a travel agent friend that if you even suffer with a tiny bit of motion sickness (she gets it a lot in the car, but never on a ship. odd) that the ride will make you sick.

WEE! i'm so excited!

To add,
My son has food allergies. We have never felt any anticipation about going to any of the restaurants. Talk to the chef. When you announce your sensitivity they will bring the head chef to your table.
Also most, if not all, food locations have an allergy book for you to review the ingredients. Even the snack booths, most of them, will have an ingredients list for the items they sell.

DeThroned wrote:

Good info you guys have!

My wife and I are going to be bringing my daughter down to Disney October 2013 (She will be 13) and I'm trying to find the cheapest route. Leaving from CT I'm thinking that flying is a must. I can't imagine 2 days down/2 days back in a car. I'm thinking I can get one of those credit cards that offer 50k miles if you spend $1k or $2k in the first 3 months and just charge the trip to get the miles. That should cover 2 out of 3 tickets.

Regarding the park and stay, I'm decided if doing a Sat - Sat or Sat - Sun is the best option. Flying, Sat - Sat gives us Sun - Fri in the parks which I believe to be enough. We probably could get there Saturday but that's a long day so maybe just take it easy. 6 days is good enough, right?

Sun - Fri is a good, relaxed Disney trip. That gives you a day at each park with an opportunity to go back to visit a couple of favorites. You also have the option of breaking Epcot and MK into 2 days each if you wanted. (Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are 1-day parks.)

Some tips:

- Park hopper tickets are awesome. With one you can take a mid-day break at a resort or your villa, and swap parks if you want for the afternoon and evening.

- Be sure to check Disney's calendar to see which parks have early entry for resort guests. If you're on-site, I'd recommend taking advantage of this and switching to a different (less crowded) park after lunch. If you're staying off-site, avoid the early entry park as it'll be more crowded.

- Keep in mind that Monday is usually the MOST crowded day at the Magic Kingdom, followed by Friday and Saturday. Plan accordingly. The other parks differ very little except for being more crowded Friday and Saturday. Sunday is usually a very quiet day, and a good one to start out on.

- Consider what to do in the evening after your visit to Animal Kingdom. Want to have dinner at one of the resorts? Head to the beach at the Polynesian for a unique look at the MK fireworks? Go to the Disney Marketplace for some shopping and unique restaurants? There's all sorts of things to do at all levels of relaxation/excitement.

One part of me says that I should just book through an agent (Dreams Unlimited was recommended) as they monitor pricing and you get any discounts that become applicable. The reason I picked October was because I've generally seen meal plans included or at least a discount on the entire trip when booked as a bundle. Even if I saved money on a room staying offsite, it still seems like the best idea would be to stay in the parks. Am I thinking along the right path?

If you stay at a value/moderate Disney resort, plan on 1 hour from your doorstep and into a park or wherever you're going. A couple have more direct routes into a nearby park which are shorter, but this is a good rule of thumb. If you're staying in a hotel/house off of 192 and have a rental vehicle, plan to shave off 15-30 minutes of travel time to and from the parks - but you'll pay $14/day for parking. The trade-offs of public transport vs. your own vehicle are fairly obvious otherwise.

DVC has many of the amenities of deluxe resorts and, depending on the place can rival them. You'll need to do some research and searching to get a good place/price. It's well worth it if you can.

Next comes where to stay. I've narrowed it down to the value resorts or the Art of Animation. They seem the most budget friendly. The one thing I don't know is location. I know they are all within the park but I don't know what the proximity is to the 4 parks (There are 4, right?). I've also seen where (for a little bit more) you could buy up a week at a DVC resort. Is this worth the additional cost? Without a car I'm basically looking to get around as easy and possible and wouldn't mind spending a little bit more if it meant the trams were shorter or my life became easier.

I've stayed in the value resorts (Art of Animation is one of them, just newer) along with moderates and deluxes. Values are like staying in a big motel - but one with Disney-quality service and atmosphere. They're a good value as their name suggests. With moderates you get a slightly bigger room, better theming, a full service on-site restaurant or two, better pools, and at one a nice transportation option (Port Orleans -> Disney Marketplace boats). With deluxes you get a much bigger room, choices of on-site restaurants and entertainment, better/faster transportation to at least one park, and spectacular pools and amenities.

Off of 192 (and just south of it) you'll find lots of places to stay for a fraction of the price of Disney resorts. In October you can find villas, suites, and houses with their own pool which rival and often beat value resort prices. The trade-off is you must have your own transportation, and you pay for parking (again - $14/day). We drive down, share with friends, and usually get annual passes (free parking) so this is the way we usually go. If we flew, I'd consider other options.

Last - meal plan. Recommended to me was the quick service, snack, 1 sit down per day. I think this is a good idea as it gives a chance to unwind and eat a little bit of a healthier meal. I am a diabetic (Type II) and read that you could tell Disney before-hand and they can cater a menu toward my dietary needs rather than just having the normal menu. Anyone have experience with this?

Meal plans include a LOT of food. Even the snack/counter/full one is a ton when you consider the counter/full both come with desserts, the full comes with an appetizer, and what Disney considers snacks can be a lot too.

Disney is very happy to cater to any dietary needs, and letting them know ahead of time is recommended. Sometimes the chef at full service restaurants will even come out to your table and offer things that are off-menu. You may also want to make sure what you're getting is what it looks like. One of our kids is a Type I diabetic, and was served sugar free ice cream without our knowledge. The wait staff said they didn't want to single her out in front of her brother and sister. That was nice, but we would have liked to know! We found out when we saw the bill after our meal. After carbing her up to avert a catastrophic low, we had a chat with the manager about how best to handle things in the future. That was the only time this happened in several years. Still, we check to be sure.

Seconding Lou's advice about park hoppers, the flexibility is worth it.

Disagreeing with the advice about early entry (Extra Magic Hours). Find out when the Extra Magic Hours are, then go to a different park entirely. Why? Because everyone in the resorts hears about Extra Magic Hours and tries crowding into the park having them. So not worth it. But then I'm also allergic to getting up early...

Groan: I get motion sickness and the only time Everest bothered me was when I ate greasy food and rode it three times in a row (not my smartest decision). The travel agent's recommendation seems a little extreme to me, but I guess it's better not to risk it.

Demyx wrote:

Groan: I get motion sickness and the only time Everest bothered me was when I ate greasy food and rode it three times in a row (not my smartest decision). The travel agent's recommendation seems a little extreme to me, but I guess it's better not to risk it.

On the other hand, Mission: Space (at EPCOT) would probably be the one to avoid. That and Star Tours gave me some slight nausea last year and I usually don't get motion sickness.

LouZiffer wrote:

If you stay at a value/moderate Disney resort, plan on 1 hour from your doorstep and into a park or wherever you're going. A couple have more direct routes into a nearby park which are shorter, but this is a good rule of thumb. If you're staying in a hotel/house off of 192 and have a rental vehicle, plan to shave off 15-30 minutes of travel time to and from the parks - but you'll pay $14/day for parking. The trade-offs of public transport vs. your own vehicle are fairly obvious otherwise.

I guess I'll have to do more research on this. If I pay $14 a day for parking + $20 (?) a day for a car that's great. It saves money on the hotel but negates it on the rental side. Or staying on a resort means I don't have to drive but have to deal with people who might not be used to the Florida heat and stink up the bus

Thanks everyone for the amazing amount of information. I've been told the sit-down dinners are nice but really have to wait I guess to see what Disney gives for discounts going Oct - Dec 2013.

shoptroll wrote:
Demyx wrote:

Groan: I get motion sickness and the only time Everest bothered me was when I ate greasy food and rode it three times in a row (not my smartest decision). The travel agent's recommendation seems a little extreme to me, but I guess it's better not to risk it.

On the other hand, Mission: Space (at EPCOT) would probably be the one to avoid. That and Star Tours gave me some slight nausea last year and I usually don't get motion sickness.

Mission: Space will definitely claim you as a victim if you're even mildly prone to motion sickness. The mild level (Green Team) isn't bad, although it does start my wife's motion sickness meter tingling a bit. The extreme level (Orange Team) is enough to give me pause, and I typically have no problem with motion sickness at all.

Mission: Space was a lot worse when it first opened (and didn't have a "green - less intense" side either). I rode it with my wife just after it opened. We felt off for a couple of hours afterward, and she didn't find it pleasant at all. Along with adding barf bags, Disney has tweaked the speed/motion and added cool air jets which have made the experience less jarring. Our oldest (12) likes to go on the orange side with me. The others hit the green side or avoid it altogether.

It's a simulator, but a very realistic one in a centrifuge capsule that also tilts and rolls. The centrifuge is turned off on the green side. If you go on it, be prepared for a very novel ride. Also be sure to follow instructions. Don't look away from the screen for long, and don't close your eyes.

Cool! and yes, i'll avoid it as we all are a little prone. I saw videos of it and it did appeal to me, but that's as far as I'll take it.

MisterStatic wrote:
Missy9579 wrote:

Ok, I skimmed this thread but had a few specific questions...

Dr._Awkward and I are toying with the idea of taking our boys to Disney in October. They will be 2.5 years old. Do you guys think that is too young? Will they have no memory of it and be a complete waste of money? Are there enough things for a family like ours to do?

Would you suggest staying on site, or off?

I spoke to a Disney rep and she said that kids under 3 are free, and that we could get the meal plan for Doc and I, but that we couldn't get it for the boys, since they were under 3 and free...so basically we could either all share our 2 meals, which is not ideal, because our kids eat a lot, and they eat healthy, far healthier than I would ever want to order, or we would have to order and pay for food for them, which seems to defeat the meal plan.

Honestly, as a father of 4 kids, I think that is too young. Certainly, it is too young for meaningful memories. I regret those times we took them to Disney younger than 4.

I have two boys and we took our two year old last year and he loved every minute. We go again in March and he asks about it all the time. Dizzy World is our annual vacation spot as my wife is a Mickey Freak, so if this is a once in a decade trip - I'd wait, but if you plan to come back - by all means go and enjoy. We stay in the resorts and do the dining plan which is fantastic. We have stayed at Old Key West and Saratoga Springs. This year we are doing Wilderness Lodge. There is plenty of stuff for toddler age kids.

Thread arise! (from 7 days ago). Just got my copy of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2013. Holy cow this thing is huge! 848 pages cover to cover. I hope my job is ok with me not working too hard today.

Holy crapoly!
They would have needed an army to put that book together. It's so inexpensive for such a tome.

groan wrote:

Holy crapoly!
They would have needed an army to put that book together. It's so inexpensive for such a tome.

No doubt, it's a labor of love. People have put together huge reams of information on Disney for free on the Internet, after all

For that price, I think I'll order one of those books -- even if it turns out to have mainly information I know, I always like reading a new take on Disney World.

When we went in 2005 or so, that book was an unimaginably useful aid to getting around/finding good restaurants/etc. I'd imagine it's only gotten better, subsequently.

My wife and I just went to Disney world last week. We were only there from Sunday to Friday, but still a great time. It was nice that the parks were not busy at all.

We're planning our trip back for November. Trying to figure out where to stay. Have stayed in Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom and Polynesian so far. We loved the first two, but hated the remoteness from a transportation standpoint. Polynesian was great due to having all three types of transport, the monorail particularly was amazing.

So we're thinking either the Contemporary, or the Grand Floridian. Or possibly the Polynesian again.

Has anyone stayed in the Contemporary or Floridian that can give any input on them?

Teneman wrote:

We're planning our trip back for November. Trying to figure out where to stay. Have stayed in Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom and Polynesian so far. We loved the first two, but hated the remoteness from a transportation standpoint. Polynesian was great due to having all three types of transport, the monorail particularly was amazing.

So we're thinking either the Contemporary, or the Grand Floridian. Or possibly the Polynesian again.

Has anyone stayed in the Contemporary or Floridian that can give any input on them?

My wife dearly loved the Grand Floridian the last time she was there, but that was almost 20 years ago

My wife just bought the book on her Kobo.

I love the Contemporary but I've only stayed in the Bay Lake Tower half (DVC).

Thematically, it's one of the blander of the Disney hotels (although they did finally improve on the really outdated purple-and-pastel 90s look). The monorail access is great. I recommend the Wave for both dinner and breakfast buffet -- it suffers from the fact that it's pretty much unthemed but the food is tasty and it's usually not as busy as some of the other restaurants.

The bland theme is pretty much the only reason the Contemporary isn't a slam dunk for our next stay. I'm trying to overcome that, as it has my vote due to the monorail. We had dinner at the Wave this last time, it was nice. If I recall correctly, Chef Mickey is there too, isn't it?

Chef Mickey is indeed there but I think you'll need reservations months in advance if you want to actually eat there!

Demyx wrote:

Chef Mickey is indeed there but I think you'll need reservations months in advance if you want to actually eat there!

Yeah, like the Princess breakfasts those things fill up fast. We did Chef Mickey the first year we went. The girls loved it, but I'm not sure they're not too old for it now. Or at least think they're too old for it

We stayed at the Carribean for our Honeymoon in 2000, we loved the restaurant there(can't remember name) and they had an awesome mango poppyseed vinaigrette salad dressing we had wished they bottled and sold.

Edited for my awful spelling.

Pricing I've received so far:

7 nights + 6 day park hopper = $1899 at value resort, $2290 at Port Orleans, $4322 at Polynesian
Meal Plan (quick service, snack, table service) = $1167

So I'm looking at:

All Star Movies = $3,066
Port Orleans = $3,457
Polynesian = $Not happening

Now to consider whether it's worth the upgrade in resorts or not.

Rainsmercy wrote:

We stayed at the Carribean for our Honeymoon in 2000, we loved the restaurant there(can't remember name) and they had an awesome mango poppyseed vinaigrette salad dressing we had wished they bottled and sold.

Edited for my awful spelling.

We must've gotten some bad luck at that restaurant. We tried it last year and were both very underwhelmed.

obirano wrote:
Rainsmercy wrote:

We stayed at the Carribean for our Honeymoon in 2000, we loved the restaurant there(can't remember name) and they had an awesome mango poppyseed vinaigrette salad dressing we had wished they bottled and sold.

Edited for my awful spelling.

We must've gotten some bad luck at that restaurant. We tried it last year and were both very underwhelmed.

Think we ate there twice since we were usually at one of the parks for dinner.

DeThroned wrote:

Thread arise! (from 7 days ago). Just got my copy of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2013. Holy cow this thing is huge! 848 pages cover to cover. I hope my job is ok with me not working too hard today.

FYI, there's an Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids that's a mere 480 pages. My understanding is that, in addition to focusing on kid-related advice, the Kids version trims some of the detail from the big version. I've used the Kids version and found it gives me all the information I need about parks, hotels, dining, transportation, etc.
Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Gui...
Forgive my primitive linking skillz.

My wife and I (plus 2 kinds) decided we're going for their Spring. Super stoked. Disney World is one of my favorite places. Also, as a plus- we use a Disney credit card so with the rewards we've earned half of the expenses are paid for.

Now, hold on. Are we talking about Disney World, the place that I spent 2-3 summers as a youth (my favorite hotel was, by far, the Yacht side of the Yacht and Beach club) or are we talking about...

IMAGE(http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4479/23167106.jpg)

I hate pre-Disney insomnia
Getting picked up in an hour to go to the airport!