I'm going to Disneyworld! Help!

[mikedean]

Been there before. We're going again in May, haven't booked yet.

Apparently it's the last year my daughter will believe in princesses. (she's 5).

Anyone got any codes/passwords/hints/ideas/secret handshakes to save some cash on booking?

Wifey is looking at Carribbean beach or Port Orleans Riverside. (I have no idea what that means.)

Thanks!

[CustomMarbleGraniteToo]

Caribbean Beach is ok.. pretty basic... Stayed there on a girls trip years ago.. Wait for a bus to get to parks.. not awful.. Meals are Caribbean Beach are cafeteria style

If you had a FL resident that could reserve your rooms.. discounts are steep but the FL resident must be present at check in..

Depending on time there.. definitely by multi day passes..

[tim farr]

When my girls were still small we stayed at the boardwalk inn and it was definitely worth the extra price. It was awesome in that any park you wanted tp go that day was an easy boat ferry or walk or tram from that destination. Also look into the princess tea time for your girl. I don't remember what resort that was at but if your a Disney resort guest you can book it. Also they have a dinner with the characters every night at the hotel that the tram runs through and my kids loved it. The food was not very good but it is for the kids. Buy the park hopper passes so that if you go to 1 park and it is really packed that day just switch parks as in the others might not be as busy that day. We watched the fireworks from our balcony every night over Epcot. Also, try shulas steak house in the swan and dolphin inn . The best steak you can find but it is very expensive. And carry lots of cash because nothing to do with Disney is cheap.

[Dan R.]

Years ago (many years ago), we stayed @ Port Orleans and it was fine, seems they had a water taxi and a bus to get to the park. It was a blast, as they had a huge pool complex (1994 standards). They loved the water cannons and other pool things as much as the park. Use the pool as a tiring technique, as kids seem to have the adrenaline of an MMA fighter.

With wee ones, the rides are limited (but the lines are not). Be aware of the Small World ride, it is a great ride, but the song will echo in your head (like Korean rap) for days, if not years. I still feel like the Manchurian Candidate every time I hear that tune. Must buy Disney stuff! Must buy Disney stuff!

[Kowboy]

Mike:

I took my neice and nephew to Disneyworld many years ago when they were small. They couldn't wait to leave the park to get back to the hotel to swim in the pool. Go figure.

Joe

[Mark Meriaux]

I've gone the last two years with kids, 4 & 7 years old. Last year were were at Port Orleans French Quarter (Riverside is similar), this year we stayed at Coranado Springs. Port Orleans is themed after New Orleans (beignets in the cafe for breakfast), and Coronado is ancient Mayan themed. I think we're going back to Port Orleans again later this year, as they've upgraded to queen-sized beds (from doubles). Port Orleans is set up as two separate resorts (French Quarter & Riverside) each with their own restaurants and bus stops. Coronado was one large resort with four bus stops......sometimes we had to wait for the next bus.
I haven't visited the Caribbean Beach Resort, as it is not on the way to or from any of the parks (bus or otherwise).

Here are my few hints:

1) Buy the Disney Dining plan. Meals are expensive, they are more expensive if you don't purchase the dining plan. A decent sit-down meal in Disney is like an oasis.......don't get stuck eating only hot dogs or turkey legs!
2) Make your dinner reservations NOW! (Actually, you can make them 180 days in advance). With little ones, you'll want to eat at decent times, so they can either keep going to see parades/fireworks, or get back to bed in time. The best restaurants book up early, so each of you pick a favorite and book them on different nights. p.s. The Coral Reef in Epcot has one wall that faces an aquarium, the kids usually find the fish/sharks/etc entertaining.
3) If you're there for more than 4-5 days, take a day off from the parks. Sit by the pool, go to a waterpark, or something other than the theme parks.........you'll walk enough the other days.
4) I personally hate the front entrance at Epcot. For some reason to me it seems to take longer to go through security to get in. There is a lesser-known back entrance between Canada and France. You can catch a water taxi from the Animal Kingdom or one of the nearby resorts (Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan & Dolphin) to the back entrance.
5) There are two "princess" dining experiences. A super expensive one in Magic Kingdom at the castle, and another one in Norway in Epcot. The Norwegian food wasn't much to speak of, but my daughter got to see ALL of the princess' at lunch. Have your daughter dress up as a princess one day......all of the Disney employees will bow and address her as "your highness" all day.
6) If you can get everyone up early, there are "extra magic hours" for resort guests. You can get into that park early and/or stay late. The parks rotate, so check the schedule before you go.
7) We usually do the character dining in the Contemporary. This year, went to the Magic Kingdom for the extra-early hour, ate a light snack for breakfast, then planned the character breakfast for their last service (as lunch/brunch). You'll get to sit down and cool off, and meet all the main Disney characters before the big lunch rush, then be back in the park when most folks are stopping for mid-day meals (Magic Kingdom is walking distance to the Contemporary). Seemed to work well.

Favorite Attractions by Park
Disney-MGM
THE hot ride for little ones this year was Toy Story Mania! in Disney-MGM Studios. Go there first and get your fast-pass reservation to even have a chance to ride it.......it's only OK, but little ones love it.
My son loves the live stunt show. It's stadium-style seating and easy to get in to, but worth seeing.
Backlot tour is OK too.
All of the 3D movies are great - Muppets in MGM.
I haven't seen the Fantasia show yet, but if you can schedule your meals around it, it's supposed to be worth seeing.
Indiana Jones stunt show.
Playhouse Disney for young ones.
Aerosmith the ride is a must roller coaster for speed junkies. Go through the single-rider line and you can get on quickly (as one of you watches the kids).
Tower of Terror is a fun drop for the big kids (day or night).
Magic Kingdom
Anything in MK is fun and appropriate for young ones. The parade(s) are worth seeing at night (fireworks after).
Epcot
Soarin' & Test Track both have long waits (get your fast passes early)
Stay after dinner one night and watch the light show & fireworks over the lake.
Not as much for little ones, but the restaurants are all good (and beer too!) +++
Animal Kingdom
Guide books say to hit the safari tours early to see the animals most active.
3D Bee Movie is good.
The dinosaur ride is too scary for young ones - don't ask me how I found out.

[mikedean]

Thanks everyone. I've been a few times. Ten. Thanks for the tips. Just looking for a way to make it a 5k trip vs a 7k trip.

[Burkie]

Disney has a Vacuum cleaner at every turnstile entrance that sucks your wallet. So even if you plan for 5K they will still take 7K or more

Yep Mark that Entrance between Canada and France is cool you start in the back and work your way around to the front.

Also check for people with Timeshares at those places you are looking at as well as the boardwalk Inn. You might be able to negotiate the rate.

Have fun.

Regards

[Matt Lansing]

Awesome info Mark!

For someone who hasn't taken kids to Disney yet you make want want to spend rediculous cash to go.

[Nick]

Florida residents are $100 now, it was like $30 last time I was there, and all the rides and crap are the same

Burkie nailed it.


I will have to take my daughter soon, but it is so hard to go there for the same money as bahamas etc.

[Joe Little]

Mike, we have a freind that specializes in Disney trips, you can check her out on facebook if your interested. Gets some really good deals and has all the contacts.
Christie Duhon e-mail : christie@travelsourceone.com
check out Duhon's Destinations ( Trussville, alabama ) on Facebook

Tell her you know me and she will charge you double Just kidding

[Mark Meriaux]

http://www.undercovertourist.com/

and

http://www.mousesavers.com/

[mikedean]

Thanks for the links mark!

[Matt Lansing]

Time to resurrect this old post!

Working on plans to take the kids to Disney for the first time.

Has anything changed, new places to go, new places to stay?

[CustomMarbleGraniteToo]

I like staying on Universal properties because you automatically extended hours and FAST PASS which at Universal means you just walk on the ride. At Disney the fast pass isn't quite as fast it gives a space in line to return to, you are also limited to one at a time.

[Mark Meriaux]

I just re-read my previous post, and it is all still applicable. There is a new section open in Magic Kingdom - Belle's Castle. Apparently there is a good restaurant there that is difficult to get in called Be Our Guest - we've got reservations there for this year's Thanksgiving trip. I think there is another small coaster-style ride in that area.

Last year, new experiences for us included the "Fantasmic" show in Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM). It only shows twice each evening and is worth waiting for.

We also finally got reservations at 'Ohana restaurant in the Polynesian Village resort last year - it remains one of the highest rated dinner restaurants in the parks (but may have been eclipsed by Be Our Guest).

We use the Undercover Tourist and Disney Parks Mobile Magic apps on our phones to try and determine the crowd levels at each of the parks during our stay. There are annual/weekly trends for park attendance, and we have found the phone apps to be helpful in guiding us to the more open parks. Also, since my kids are older and don't take mid-day naps, we have changed our scheduling and try to attend a single park per day so we don't spend so much time on the buses and trams.

We went a looked at the Art of Animation resort last year and considered staying there this year, but I think for our group of 7, we decided again on Port Orleans French Quarter. There are cheaper options like the All-Star Sports/Music/Movies resorts that I think would be fine for me and the kids (but not for my in-laws), but those are more comparable to a 2-star hotel with basic rooms. We have found that catching the shuttle buses in the morning to get to the parks can vary from resort to resort (another reason we like Port Orleans). For example, in Port Orleans, there are only two bus stops, one for French Quarter and one for Riverside. Separate (empty) buses go to each location to pick you up in the AM. By contrast, Coronado has 4 bus stops around the resort, and the morning buses can get filled up by the 2nd stop, so if you're at 3 or 4, you can get screwed and have to wait or walk around to the 1st stop to catch a ride.

One last tip that deserves mentioning again is the Single Rider Line. If you can stand to sit next to a stranger on the thrill rides, you board the ride faster and can ride multiple times instead of waiting in the long lines with everyone else. If you are comfortable being separated from your child for a single ride, then go into the single-rider lines. You typically will ride on the same train, but just not next to them. The single rider lines are typically shorter than the Fast Pass reservations too.


p.s. We finally went to Universal for a long 3-day weekend just before the Summer break. My kids were 5 and 8 and they were old enough to enjoy those parks. My general feeling is that Universal caters to a slightly older crowd, with many rides having height requirements too tall for my youngest. We stayed just off-property there and were able to walk to the parks - there are only two of them, so 1 or 2 days is plenty to see and ride everything there. Dining is not so much of an attraction inside Universal, but the City Walk area out front is full of many restaurants.

[Burkie]

If you don't need the full Disney experience and interested in staying off site we stayed at Lake Buena Vista Village and Spa. 2 Bedroom condo with full kitchen, washer dryer etc. Irish Pub, Pizza Hut in same complex. Across the street from outlet mall, 2 minutes from Super Walmart, 10 mins easy drive to Disney. About 20 to 30 to Universal.

Regards

There was also 3 bedroom condos as well.

[GuyboR]

When we went we stayed at an Embassey Suites off site. Had breakfast every day, loaded up snacks in the backpacks and took the bus from front door to front door. I would probably do the same thing if we went again.

[Mark Meriaux]

When we went we stayed at an Embassey Suites off site. Had breakfast every day, loaded up snacks in the backpacks and took the bus from front door to front door. I would probably do the same thing if we went again.

There are multiple hotels within easy walking distance to Downtown Disney. From there, you can catch buses to the parks.

By staying on property, you get the extra "Magic Hours" early in the parks, and you get preferred reservations (180 days in advance of your stay) if you choose the Disney Dining Plan.

[pkomorowski]

There are a lot of places that sell "used" tickets. Most parks use biometric security to restrict re-using passes but it almost never works. Try buying used passes, it will save you a bunch. Most places won't sell you used passes unless you have your kids with you (fearing that you might be a cop).

[Qualey Granite]

Used tickets? Jeez Peter, you know you're a dirtbag when.......

[Chris Mills]

I just took my family in May. We stayed at the Beach Club. It was excellent. If the kids like fireworks, ask for a balcony room overlooking Epcot. Its a front row seat for the awesome display every night. As the others said, get the meal plan. You save a lot of cash. When you are done with it you will need a vacation from that vacation. Enjoy it while they are young.

[jhudds]

Mark hit the nail on the head.
We go to Disney minimum of 1 or 2x a year.
We've stayed at alot of different Disney hotels and we actually prefer Riverside, Nice rooms and the food is great, they have a make your own pasta station that is to die for!
Coronado is another one of our favorites too.
The trick to Disney is to use the fast pass as much as possible, and to take advantage of the extra mickey hours.
When we go we try and hit one or two attractions we've not done before and then pay it by ear on the rest. There are plenty of things to do and I can tell you, I'm 47 yrs old, but get me into Magic Kingdom and as soon as I get on mainstreet, I turn into a 6 yr old! It really is the greatest place to take your family on vacation.

Enjoy your self.