Disney planning help?

[Momof3littles]

DH and I are contemplating taking the kids in the next year or year and a half. We are quite flexible on dates. Complicating matters is that we are a family of 5. The youngest is almost 3.5, so I suppose that limits our on-site options if we don't want two rooms? I really know nothing about Disney, and haven't been since I was 4 yo.

 

I really and truly get so incredibly bogged down in details at times that I get overwhelmed and shut down. As a result, I have always sworn I'd just lay out my info and see if some soul here would help me plan, because I've read the planning threads, and you all are amazing!

 

We'd like to keep things around 3-4K without airfare. I think we'd be open to staying offsite at something like WBC or Windsor Hills. I assume off site is our best bet for stretching our $$, as I assume for a suite on site we'd have to up the budget. I want to go, but I'm not a Disney-holic, and neither are my kids (yet), so we are not willing to make this a trip exceeding 5K. We are willing to pack some food, eat some meals in room, etc. but would also like to price in various meal plans (assuming that's even an option if we are off site?)

 

Where should I start? Would I find better prices in Dec or Feb? Those are the two months that I was thinking for various reasons. Any other favorite months in terms of incentives, pricing, crowd levels?

 

If you can give me a starting point, I'll do some investigating and then come back and beg for more help. I truly could perseverate on this to a degree that I will literally not be able to make decisions, LOL. I seriously have always sworn I'd just come here and beg for someone to lay out an itinerary for me. Before I can go any further, I need to think about ideal dates and where we'd probably stay.

 

Thanks!

[Ottakee]

We went the first week of December and it was nice weather (coming from snow in Michigan) and it was decorated nicely for Christmas.

[Tiffnkids]

February is a great low crowd time to go.

 

If you want to stay on property Port Orleans Riverside has rooms that accomodate 5. It is a "moderate" resort. The rooms have a mini-fridge.

 

The cabins at Fort Wilderness are also a great option. They sleep six (bunk beds and double bed in the bedroom, pull out double bed in the living room - two sleeping spaces with two TVs), have a full kitchen stocked with pots and pans,dishes, etc., a deck and a grill, plus if you are driving you park your car right at your cabin(makes hauling the luggage easy). There are coin operated laundry machines available throughout the campground. Free campfire and Disney movies in the evenings - .Chip and Dale visit and there is a marshmallow roast. It is a fun place to stay!

 

Also, a good option for a great Disney vacation (especially if you are flexible on dates) is to go with the Carolina Homeschooler group (google Carolina Homeschooler Disney). Awesome discounted tickets plus access to some very cool behind the scences educational programs. They go once a year (usually late Nov, early Dec).

 

Have fun!!!

[*lifeoftheparty*]

We stay offsite at Windsor hills, it is so so so much cheaper. And so so so much more comfortable. We have used Florida Sun Vacation Homes multiple times- I don't even bother searching for anything else. They are awesome.

www.floridasunvacationhomes.com

 

Go there and search properties and they will have a rate calendar that shows you when the low/mid/high seasons are.

 

We spend about $5 to $6 thousand when we go, for our family of 3 (now 4), but we stay for two whole weeks.

 

We go to a character breakfast every other day and have breakfast at the condo every other day. Some days we go back to the condo during lunch so kids can nap, and then we'll have sandwiches at the condo. Other times we stay in the parks all day.

 

We eat dinner at a sit down restaurant almost every night, but a few nights during our stay, if a park closes early- we'll stay until they close and just pick up chick-fil-a on the way back "home".

[zoobie]

You can use a travel agent. Disney pays their fee, not you. They'll usually help you find the best available deals. I'll PM you the contact info for the one I've used.

 

http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar

 

http://www.easywdw.com/

 

There are several options for a family of 5, even at the value level. :)

 

We love December for the Christmas decorations. The week after Thanksgiving usually has low crowds and everything is already decorated. We have been going late January-early February for low crowds recently.

 

If you're flying, you will need to factor in renting a car and parking into your offsite savings. There are also rumors Disney is going to limit Fast Passes to on site guests. You may be eligible for free dining or some other promotion.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I agree that Port Orleans is nice. But the rooms are very very small. They are much smaller than typical hotel rooms. It's very uncomfortable for a family of 5. And you could stay in a 3 BR condo for much less money per night.

 

And the cabins are over $300 a night, last time I checked. You can stay at Windsor hills in a 4 or 5 bedroom house with a private pool and hottub in the back for less than that.

 

I'm a complete Disney fanatic and not willing to pay so much for so little, (we have in the past but once with kids was enough, now we stay offsite and haven't looked back) so if OP isn't a Disney fanatic, I'm guessing they would have a better time offsite.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

And yeah, I have run the numbers- even factoring in a rental car, gas and parking it is still cheaper to stay offsite. Every time.

 

With free dining, it comes just about even, except with free dining you are stuck with 4 or 5 people in a itty bitty hotel room.

[Renaissance Mom]

We went last year at the end of Sept beginning of Oct. The weather was wonderful, warm but not so humid. The crowd level was very, very reasonable. We have 3 kids, too, and ended up camping at Ft. Wilderness. It was amazing! It was the nicest, cleanest campground we've ever been in. I wish my showers at home were that clean! Even if your family doesnt camp, they rent cabins, too. Of course, we ate a lot of meals in our camper so we had $ to splurge on a few Disney restuarants. (Sanaa at AK Lodge had incredible food with a view of their own savannah. We watched giraffes eat just inches away through the window.). We took the boat to Magic Kingdom and buses everywhere else. We rode every big-deal ride multiple times with either little wait time or with fast pass. I was d r e a d I n g this trip because I am so not a theme park fan and I do not like crowds. But I have to say this was one of the best family vacations we ever took.

[kristen18]

My sister has a family of 6 and just went in August. They stayed onsite at the new Art of Animation resort. It is mostly family suites & they really enjoyed it. My family has been in early December and the crowds aren't bad, and the decorations are beautiful. They have the Osborne Family lights at Hollywood Studios & a retelling of the Christmas story at Epcot with an orchestra & huge choir.     

[Mrs Mungo]

We like to go in February. We walk on to most rides. I can only think of a handful of rides in any of the parks where we have waited more than 10 minutes. 

 

We stay at an off-site condo. We only do one character breakfast. The rest of the time we do breakfast in the condo. It is much more relaxing if I can get up, make breakfast and feed everyone before they all have to get dressed. I like that they have washers and dryers, multiple bathrooms and that dh and I get our own room. When our kids were younger, we would also go back to the condo early and have dinner there. We tend to do a week in Florida and I don't want everyone getting completely worn out and cranky.

 

We've stayed at Windsor Hills and Lake Buena Vista.

 

*If you are doing special tickets (like for the military), then they don't usually allow you to do free dining with those tickets even if you stay on site.*

[Momof3littles]

For those of you who have stayed off site at WBC or Windsor Hills, have you found it massively inconvenient to drive back at the end of the day? My youngest is almost 3.5 and no longer naps, but may zonk out in the stroller. I think we'd probably head back to the hotel or condo a few afternoons as needed to recharge before going back at night, but I'm not certain. My kids are 9, 6, and 3.

 

I looked briefly at the disboards yesterday and I think we would probably be better off paying OOP for food. I would need to run the #s to see, but I suspect we'd be better off just paying OOP and loading a gift card to use as a matter of convenience. That would make me feel better about staying off site anyway (not missing out on "free dining.")

 

I am not opposed to Fort Wilderness. I stayed there as a kid in one of the cabins, in fact. I've heard some of the cabins are showing their age, however. We have a pop up and access to my parents' travel trailer, but since we would almost definitely fly, that won't work. A friend who stayed at Port Orleans in a suite with her family of 5 said it was very cramped and she was not impressed.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

For those of you who have stayed off site at WBC or Windsor Hills, have you found it massively inconvenient to drive back at the end of the day? My youngest is almost 3.5 and no longer naps, but may zonk out in the stroller. I think we'd probably head back to the hotel or condo a few afternoons as needed to recharge before going back at night, but I'm not certain. My kids are 9, 6, and 3.

 

I looked briefly at the disboards yesterday and I think we would probably be better off paying OOP for food. I would need to run the #s to see, but I suspect we'd be better off just paying OOP and loading a gift card to use as a matter of convenience. That would make me feel better about staying off site anyway (not missing out on "free dining.")

 

I am not opposed to Fort Wilderness. I stayed there as a kid in one of the cabins, in fact. I've heard some of the cabins are showing their age, however. We have a pop up and access to my parents' travel trailer, but since we would almost definitely fly, that won't work. A friend who stayed at Port Orleans in a suite with her family of 5 said it was very cramped and she was not impressed.

Like I said, we always used to stay onsite. You actually can drive back to Windsor Hills at the end of the day and be home faster than staying onsite and using the bus system. It would take us about 15 minutes to leave Magic Kingdom, hop in the car and drive home- and we got to park right next to our condo.

 

When we ride the buses? We waited at LEAST 15 min. just to get on the bus, though sometimes even longer- the LAST time we ever stayed onsite, we waited for over an hour, at 10:00 at night in the heat (it was October) and parents were undressing their kids down to undies/diapers b/c they were so miserable. Then you ride to the hotel, then you have to walk to your room. It can take forever. And dealing with strollers and crazy rude people mowing you over to get on the bus about gave me a stroke. It was miserable. The absolute last time we stayed onsite. And I won't stay onsite against unless it's at a monorail resort.

 

It is SOOOOOO much easier/quicker to drive back to Windsor Hills.

 

And really, with free dining, you still have to pay for tip and you only get app or dessert can't remember, so you would still have to pay OOP for some food. And they up charge the room packages to make up for the free food. It really is cheaper to just stay offsite and pay OOP for food.

[sparrow]

For those of you who have stayed off site at WBC or Windsor Hills, have you found it massively inconvenient to drive back at the end of the day? My youngest is almost 3.5 and no longer naps, but may zonk out in the stroller. I think we'd probably head back to the hotel or condo a few afternoons as needed to recharge before going back at night, but I'm not certain. My kids are 9, 6, and 3.

 

I looked briefly at the disboards yesterday and I think we would probably be better off paying OOP for food. I would need to run the #s to see, but I suspect we'd be better off just paying OOP and loading a gift card to use as a matter of convenience. That would make me feel better about staying off site anyway (not missing out on "free dining.")

 

I am not opposed to Fort Wilderness. I stayed there as a kid in one of the cabins, in fact. I've heard some of the cabins are showing their age, however. We have a pop up and access to my parents' travel trailer, but since we would almost definitely fly, that won't work. A friend who stayed at Port Orleans in a suite with her family of 5 said it was very cramped and she was not impressed.

 

Not even in the slightest. We watched tired people waiting, and waiting, for transportation back to their onsite resort, loading up strollers, etc.  We walked to our car, hopped in, and drove to our Windsor Hills Condo....or to pick up a pizza to take back to the condo ;) .

[*lifeoftheparty*]

And that rental company I told you about? Florida Sun Vacation Homes? We have stayed in 3 BR condos- Treasure Cay and Mickeys Clubhouse are our favorites. They each have two master suites (one for you and DH) and one for the 9 yr. old, and then a decorated room with twin beds. Mickeys Clubhouse was on the first floor, but Treasure Cay is really close to the pool. You get %15 off for staying 7 nights or more.

[DawnM]

Here is my suggestion:

 

Go during Homeschool Days.  Tickets are about 50% less.  These are usually in Oct and Jan and wont' be posted until about 4 months out, so watch for it.  

 

http://www.disneyyouth.com/our-programs/education/sp/homeschool-days/#categories-homeschool-days

 

Also, you can stay at Bonnet Creek for less using these guys (under $100/night including all taxes last time I checked for a 2 bedroom):

 

http://vacationstrategy.com

 

 

[Carrie Sue]

I would go in September during free dining (if they do that again next year).  Cost for a week for a family of 5 at Port Orleans will be just under 3K and that will include food and transportation on Disney buses.  It makes the week go so much more smoothly when you are on site and it is nice to not have to worry about food money and be able to have the treat of a sit-down dinner every day.

[kroe1]

Is this first trip to Disney?  Here's my suggestion:

 

1.  Art of Animation.  Rooms are plenty big for 5 people.  Rates are reasonable.  Obviously you will get all the benefits of staying onsite like extra magic hours (opening earlier and closing later in one park each day.), world transportation, bus from airport to hotel, and package deals. 

 

2.  The above posters have given you good ideas for when to go.  You can easily price out different dates on the DisneyWorld website.  With 3 young children, it might be better to stick with the cheaper tickets which just allow one park per day.  Those parks can wear out first timers very easily.  Don't plan on doing more than one a day.

 

3.  Have each family member make a list of what he wants to see sometime during the trip.  Which rides, which characters, what kind of food, whatever.  Also, list out each family member's personal interests even if not Disney related.  If you do that, I am sure one of us Disney geeks will give you a day by day planner.  There are so many hidden goodies that aren't advertised, that everyone's personal interests can be met.

 

4.  Budget $4000 for 5 people for 5 days is VERY doable.  Seven days gets a little tight, but can be done.

 

 

[Momof3littles]

Okay, bumping this up if anyone would be kind enough to offer additional help.

 

We are still debating on site vs. off site. Dh is making calls to price out Art of Animation and other rooms or suites that can accommodate 5. I think we will pay OOP for food. For us, I am fairly sure it will be a better deal.

 

We are leaning towards mid Feb at this point, but I know that is really short notice. As a result we've also considered waiting a year til Dec. 2014 or Feb 2015. If someone can help us piece it together and hold my hand LOL, we can do Feb 2014.

 

Seriously, please tell me what to do. I want to do 1-2 character breakfasts I think. What is the best time of day to schedule that so we can get into the parks asap? Favorite character breakfasts? We have some limitations due to the fact we didn't schedule 180 days out, so perhaps not perfectly ideal. I quickly checked 1800 Park Fare.

 

My kids don't have any absolute favorite Disney characters, as we haven't done a lot of Disney movies. They are familiar with Cars, the Princesses (although DD isn't a huuuge princess addict like many girls, but she'd enjoy that anyway), Pooh, etc.

[zoobie]

Avoid President's Day week in February.

 

Check disboards for extensive reviews and pics from each restaurant. Menus and prices are on allearsnet.com. We like Crystal Palace for Pooh and friends. If you score an 8am reservation, you can be done by 9 when the park opens. Chef Mickey's is my DS's favorite but the food isn't great. You don't really go for the food though. :)

 

I PMed you the travel agent info I think--they'll do all the planning and reservation-making for you for free. I do it myself because we own DVC and I enjoy it, but if it's stressing you out, let someone else deal with it!

[Momof3littles]

I don't mind mediocre food at the character breakfasts. I kind of assume that to be the case, and knowing my kids they'll be too preoccupied to really eat much ;)

 

DH is on the phone right now pricing Art of Animation suites/rooms for a family of 5. Is it a far walk to the parks (eta: meant buses/transportation)? I popped over to Disboards and some people were saying it was a bit of a walk. I seriously haven't pulled up good maps yet to compare, but how would it be at Wyndham Bonnet Creek to get into the park vs. AoA?

[zoobie]

I've never stayed at either. I didn't think any resorts were walkable to MK other than the Contemporary/BLT.

[Giraffe]

We just spent a week at Disney in August. Worst time of year to go, but our only choice. There were 5 of us: DH, me, niece (9), DD (6), and my friend's 19yo (au pair for niece, long story). We had all the same questions you did, as my last trip was in 1977. We stayed off site at Lake Buena Vista Resort in a 3br condo for something like $1300 for 6 nights. It was fabulous. We had breakfast in the condo, hit the parks, did 2 character dinners instead of breakfasts. It was not a pain to walk back to the car at the end of the day, and certainly no more difficult than those staying at distant on-site resorts had it. We all still had to walk to the park entrance and board our respective trams or buses or monorails. Ok, the monorail folks had it easier, but that's what, three deluxe resorts and only when at Magic Kingdom or Epcot? I digress.

 

We paid OOP for food and that made the most sense for us. We did eat at the park for lunches, but often went back to the condo for dinner (if we weren't having a character dinner). One night we sought out Mexican away from the parks for a change. We were sometimes just too tired to go back to the parks, but sometimes not. It was easy to return. Your parking fee is valid all day at any park so if we park hopped it was no big deal. Looking back, though, I'm not sure I would do the park hopper again, except maybe for character meals. One park a day was PLENTY for us to try and manage.

 

This trip was probably a one shot deal for us as niece, DD, and I are living overseas (DH is in the US in grad school). I wanted to stay on site. I wanted the dining plan and the whole Disney immersionexperience. What I got was probably better in the long run and still very very Disney. We had a lovely condo, 3br, 2baths, full kitchen and in-condo washer/dryer. I did laundry every day between sweating and rain and dripping ice cream and it was no big deal. DH says it was the most comfortable vacation we've ever done because he goes through tshirts faster than anyone I know.

 

We bought small notebooks in advance to get autographs and big pens for the characters to sign with (those gloves they wear are hard to write with!). I got a picture of each kid with the characters as they got the autographs and am making scrapbooks for them of the signatures and pictures together. There were almost no pin traders there, but it's still going on. We passed on that. The kids had a blast and want to go back.

 

I highly recommend the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique if you have girls (we went to the one at Downtown Disney). We brought our own princess dresses from home and the girls were in 7th heaven! And because our gowns weren't Disney brand, they were more unique and the girls received many compliments on them - we were stopped more than once by families wanting to know where we got them. The character dinner at Askershus in Epcot was wonderful too - we saw Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White, AND Ariel! Jackpot!

 

And the best place to see Mickey and Minnie was at Animal Kingdom. No wait.

[Giraffe]

Also, www.touringplans.com was invaluable for us as was their book, The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.

[whitestavern]

Okay, bumping this up if anyone would be kind enough to offer additional help.

 

We are still debating on site vs. off site. Dh is making calls to price out Art of Animation and other rooms or suites that can accommodate 5. I think we will pay OOP for food. For us, I am fairly sure it will be a better deal.

 

We are leaning towards mid Feb at this point, but I know that is really short notice. As a result we've also considered waiting a year til Dec. 2014 or Feb 2015. If someone can help us piece it together and hold my hand LOL, we can do Feb 2014.

 

Seriously, please tell me what to do. I want to do 1-2 character breakfasts I think. What is the best time of day to schedule that so we can get into the parks asap? Favorite character breakfasts? We have some limitations due to the fact we didn't schedule 180 days out, so perhaps not perfectly ideal. I quickly checked 1800 Park Fare.

 

My kids don't have any absolute favorite Disney characters, as we haven't done a lot of Disney movies. They are familiar with Cars, the Princesses (although DD isn't a huuuge princess addict like many girls, but she'd enjoy that anyway), Pooh, etc.

 

We go almost every year, and we almost always go either last week in Feb or first week in Mar.  Both are historically low times to go.  Sometimes we arrive on the last day of President's Week and the difference is amazing! 

 

Although we're staying onsite next Feb, it's only because we traded into Old Key West via an RCI timeshare.  We have otherwise enjoyed our offsite trips very much as we really like the add'l space, ability to do laundry, eat breakfast at home, etc.  We've stayed at Windsor Hills quite a few times and it's great and quick to the parks. 

 

If you really want character breakfasts, I'd advise to do a late morning arrival.  Otherwise you're really rushing through breakfast to get to rope drop.  But by late morning (whatever the last seating is) you'll be ready for a break.  We've only done 1900 Park Fare as a character breakfast, but we love all those characters. 

 

[Giraffe]

Oh, we did 1900 Park Faire too for an early dinner (their first seating). We weren't sure about seeing the "evil" characters but they were fabulous and IMNSHO better than Cinderella and the Prince.

 

PS: my DD was not a princess obsessed girl before Disney (she saw Cinderella the night before we left for FL). At all. I had to sweet talk/bribe her into the boutique. By the time she was out of the styling chair she was transformed and we have little princess dolls and fairies now that are her go-to toys. Just saying. Disney does something to kids.

[Momof3littles]

I've never stayed at either. I didn't think any resorts were walkable to MK other than the Contemporary/BLT.

You are right, I was typing quickly and trying to be covert. Planning with the kids underfoot is not easy. DH and I were sneaking around making phone calls today while they were outside, but they kept popping in!

 

I meant the walk to transportation, like the buses.

[Momof3littles]

Looking at crowd calendars, Feb 1 and Feb 8th look pretty calm.

 

My DS1 would be turning 10 or almost 10 depending on when we go in Feb. My DD will be 7, and DS2 will be 3, almost 4. DS2 does not typically nap but may if we are out for fireworks some nights, and just from being on the go. He will still zonk out in the car on a busy day, so he may take stroller naps, etc.

 

I am wondering if we'd do better with character meals for like a later lunch? Do a quick breakfast, a snack, and then a later lunch at like 2pm? Time to unwind and sit down?

 

How long is the drive from Windsor Hills? My parents are considering hanging out in WH this year for an anniversary trip (non Disney). I gave my dad the info after seeing info here :) If we stay off site I can't decide between WH or WBC. Do you drive a rental car in from WH? How is parking if you arrive early during a not terribly busy crowd day? It sounds like WBC charges for the shuttle now. Dumb question-is that the daily shuttle to Disney (vs. shuttle to/from airport)?

 

I do think the space would be nice at a place like WBC or WH. I am an introvert, so having a MBR to retreat to is very nice LOL. Also helpful for separating kids if we need some or all to have some rest time in the late afternoon. We just got back from a trip to the Outer Banks of NC, and my kids had a few days where they had to hang out and rest or read for an hour late in the afternoon. It always, always helps their behavior, so I imagine we'll need some of that at Disney.

[Momof3littles]

I guess I should price out Port Orleans as well.

 

If you go at a less busy time of year, do you have a better chance of getting a requested building? I've heard some of the rooms at POR are a haul, so I was just wondering if we stayed there if we'd have a better shot at getting a more convenient building?

 

Is that two queens and then a trundle at POR? I think that would work for us since DD is super tiny and DS2 is only 3. So either of them would be fine on a trundle or can probably alternate so as to avoid a war.

[DawnM]

No, in fact, I find it easier/faster than relying on the busses at WDW.

 

Dawn

 

 

For those of you who have stayed off site at WBC or Windsor Hills, have you found it massively inconvenient to drive back at the end of the day? My youngest is almost 3.5 and no longer naps, but may zonk out in the stroller. I think we'd probably head back to the hotel or condo a few afternoons as needed to recharge before going back at night, but I'm not certain. My kids are 9, 6, and 3.

I looked briefly at the disboards yesterday and I think we would probably be better off paying OOP for food. I would need to run the #s to see, but I suspect we'd be better off just paying OOP and loading a gift card to use as a matter of convenience. That would make me feel better about staying off site anyway (not missing out on "free dining.")

I am not opposed to Fort Wilderness. I stayed there as a kid in one of the cabins, in fact. I've heard some of the cabins are showing their age, however. We have a pop up and access to my parents' travel trailer, but since we would almost definitely fly, that won't work. A friend who stayed at Port Orleans in a suite with her family of 5 said it was very cramped and she was not impressed.

 

[Momof3littles]

Gah. I keep going back and forth on WH vs. WBC vs. on site at POR or AoA. If I don't figure that out soon, it makes everything else trickier ;)

 

If we do the parks for say 5 days, what breakdown should I do with kids my children's ages? The two who will be almost 10 and newly 7 have historically declined roller coaster rides, etc. despite some gentle encouragement. DS2 will be almost 4.

3 Magic Kingdom and 2 at Epcot? I don't know that I'm super excited about much else, but maybe I should be? I haven't been to Disney in 30 years, LOL.

[DawnM]

Ok, I will take the guess out for you.  WBC, hands down.

 

Why?  

 

Because at POR you will get a hotel room.  At BC you get a two bedroom condo with separate rooms and far more space for the same price or less.  

 

Also, BC has exceptional reviews and I dont' think you can go wrong with it.

 

As far as days in the parks.  Do you really not want to go to Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios?  We love Hollywood studios!  LOVE it.  StarTours is a favorite.  Oldest son loves drawing and will do the 30 min. drawing classes a few times while we are there, two of us love Rockin' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror ( my 9 year old and I !!!!)  And I know your kids would LOVE Toy Story Mania and Fantasmic!  

 

This coming trip we are only going to Disney one full day with a hopper pass because a friend who works for Disney gave us one day tickets.  (we are taking the opportunity to do some other things in Orlando this time.) I told the kids we have to pick only two parks to visit in that one day (will add a 3rd if we have time.)  The two they picked????   Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

 

I do realize different people like different things, but since you have 5 days, why not at least try to visit all 4 and hop if you don't like it.

 

Dawn

 

 

Gah. I keep going back and forth on WH vs. WBC vs. on site at POR or AoA. If I don't figure that out soon, it makes everything else trickier ;)

If we do the parks for say 5 days, what breakdown should I do with kids my children's ages? The two who will be almost 10 and newly 7 have historically declined roller coaster rides, etc. despite some gentle encouragement. DS2 will be almost 4.
3 Magic Kingdom and 2 at Epcot? I don't know that I'm super excited about much else, but maybe I should be? I haven't been to Disney in 30 years, LOL.

 

[Momof3littles]

See Dawn, I know nothing LOL. I should not be left to my own devices. I don't even know what Hollywood Studios offers, but the things you mentioned sounds like fun :)

 

We are pricing out a rental car plus a townhouse or a reg. house at Windsor Hills too. It seems like the price is close to about what it would cost at POR. As you said though, no privacy, no space (eeek). DH and I like the idea of some space :)

 

One thing I'm wondering. If you have younger kids and leave the park in the afternoon for some R&R time at home (naps, reading, downtime), is it a total pain to drive back later on for something like fireworks or a parade? I mean, that sounds like it could be a bad idea. Can you even leave and come back the same day anyway?

 

If you have young kids and stay off site, how do you handle that if you want to attend some evening events?

 

I guess I need to check what time the fireworks and parades are. I vividly remember those from the visit when I was just 4 yo :) My kids like both things a lot so I'd like to have them rest in the late afternoon possibly and then come back to the park later. Is that insane? Driving back and parking again?

[Momof3littles]

Okay, now complicating matters is that there is a discount running for Dec.

 

Someone ran #s for me and said for 12/12-12/18 you can get the Contemporary, 7days, 6 nights with discounted rate and 7 day base tickets to the parks: $4237.79.

 

That puts a twist on things I think.

[Giraffe]

See Dawn, I know nothing LOL. I should not be left to my own devices. I don't even know what Hollywood Studios offers, but the things you mentioned sounds like fun :)

 

We are pricing out a rental car plus a townhouse or a reg. house at Windsor Hills too. It seems like the price is close to about what it would cost at POR. As you said though, no privacy, no space (eeek). DH and I like the idea of some space :)

 

One thing I'm wondering. If you have younger kids and leave the park in the afternoon for some R&R time at home (naps, reading, downtime), is it a total pain to drive back later on for something like fireworks or a parade? I mean, that sounds like it could be a bad idea. Can you even leave and come back the same day anyway?

 

If you have young kids and stay off site, how do you handle that if you want to attend some evening events?

 

I guess I need to check what time the fireworks and parades are. I vividly remember those from the visit when I was just 4 yo :) My kids like both things a lot so I'd like to have them rest in the late afternoon possibly and then come back to the park later. Is that insane? Driving back and parking again?

We loved Animal Kingdom. Hollywood Studios was a surprisingly huge hit with us too.

 

Driving back & forth is not insane. We stayed even a little further out than BC & WH and it was no big deal.

[Momof3littles]

I can also do Polynesian, room to accommodate 5, 12/8 to 12/14, 5 days of tickets for 3720. Airfare will run us roughly 1K and food, I have no idea, but I assume another 1K.

 

Thoughts on Polynesian vs. the Contemporary?

 

I seriously was thinking of off site, but if we could do the Polynesian or Contemporary, that might temp me to stay on site. Gah! I'm going to stop before I drive you all totally nuts.

[walkermamaof4]

Here is my suggestion:

 

Go during Homeschool Days.  Tickets are about 50% less.  These are usually in Oct and Jan and wont' be posted until about 4 months out, so watch for it.  

 

http://www.disneyyouth.com/our-programs/education/sp/homeschool-days/#categories-homeschool-days

 

Also, you can stay at Bonnet Creek for less using these guys (under $100/night including all taxes last time I checked for a 2 bedroom):

 

http://vacationstrategy.com

 

We are going in two weeks. We got 40% off of our tickets through the Disney Youth program linked above, but not the homeschool option. Everyone gets one really cool behind the scenes "class" included that my friends raved about after doing this route the past three years. Other friends of ours have RCI and got us a condo deal for $350 for the week with 2 bedrooms that is 15 minutes away. We are super excited! 

[Mrs. Tharp]

This book: The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2013. Not sure which one you are going to but they do one for Disneyworld as well. These books give you information about every detail. (And don't worry, they aren't thick tomes.) We had one day in July to go and I had a three year old and a six year old with HFA. We all had a fabulous time, went on every single ride we were interested in and there was not a single meltdown. Not one! The tour plans alone are worth the price of the book.

[DawnM]

Driving back later in the day is doable and not a real pain.  The parking pass is good all day at all parks (meaning that if you start your day at Epcot, go take a nap, then decide to come back but go to Magic Kingdom instead, that parking pass is still good there too.

 

You really need to get a copy of The Unofficial Guide to Disney World 2013.

 

You can also check EasyWDW.com for free crowd calendars and info.

 

 

See Dawn, I know nothing LOL. I should not be left to my own devices. I don't even know what Hollywood Studios offers, but the things you mentioned sounds like fun :)

We are pricing out a rental car plus a townhouse or a reg. house at Windsor Hills too. It seems like the price is close to about what it would cost at POR. As you said though, no privacy, no space (eeek). DH and I like the idea of some space :)

One thing I'm wondering. If you have younger kids and leave the park in the afternoon for some R&R time at home (naps, reading, downtime), is it a total pain to drive back later on for something like fireworks or a parade? I mean, that sounds like it could be a bad idea. Can you even leave and come back the same day anyway?

If you have young kids and stay off site, how do you handle that if you want to attend some evening events?

I guess I need to check what time the fireworks and parades are. I vividly remember those from the visit when I was just 4 yo :) My kids like both things a lot so I'd like to have them rest in the late afternoon possibly and then come back to the park later. Is that insane? Driving back and parking again?

 

[Dahliarw]

When you're pricing things out, don't forget to add in the parking fee if you drive to WDW resort and park onsite - $15/day.

 

We're going in January, staying in the alligator bayou section of POR.  It's not a trundle anymore, it's a little fold down bed and super cute!  There is a picture in this gallery: http://www.portorleans.org/gallery-guest-SurlyMermaid.php

 

We know the room is smaller (we're a family of 5 too - youngest is 4), but when we do disney (well disneyland, this is our first wdw trip) we usually go go go, and then go back to the room exhausted and sleep.  We rarely "hang out" in the room - we maximize park time.  Last time we went to DL our youngest was 18 months and she just napped in the stroller.  When we went to Tokyo Disney last fall, she was just 3 and was able to stay up all day no problem.  So you may not need the naps.  And naps in strollers work too!

 

We booked our WDW trip (as well as our cruise that we're doing at the same time) through dreams unlimited travel.  Cost us nothing, and she lets us know if discounts pop up we are eligible for.  She also priced out all of the accomidations I was interested in and got back to me, so I didn't have to sit on the phone or spend time searching online.  

[Momof3littles]

Thank you! Very helpful as well.

 

I also priced out renting DVC points and staying in the Bay Tower. It looks like we could have a master BR there, which would be nice I think? That was about 2400-2600 or so for 6 nights in Dec. Has anyone ever stayed there?

[Luckymama]

We stayed at Bay Lake Tower in a 1 bedroom unit. Dh and I had the king bed in the bedroom, the girls shared the pullout couch (at 16 and 11), and ds had the foldout chair (at 18 and 5'11") In the living room area. The two full bathrooms and the compete kitchen were wonderful!

 

We loved walking to and from the Magic Kingdom. It was like a 10 minute stroll from our door to the bag check. Getting to Epcot was easy---we walked across the sky bridge to the main Contemporary building, hopped on the monorail, and then changed to the Epcot monorail at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC).

 

On our trips we eat breakfast in (with the exception of one character breakfast---we get the last possible seating for bfast at Crystal Palace) and eat out for either lunch or dinner. Sometimes we go to a grocery store and other times we make due with what's available in the resort stores. Friends have had good luck using grocery delivery services.

 

We are DVC members, though Bay Lake isn't our home resort. I would stay at BLT in a second! I loved watching the MK fireworks from our balcony :)

[whitestavern]

Driving back and forth to offsite like Windsor Hills is easy peasy. Our kids are older and don't need naps, but it's just nice taking a break from say 1:00 to 5:00 and then going back for dinner and fireworks or more rides/shows. The longest commute would be to Magic Kingdom and that is only 15-20 min door to door. Animal Kingdom is less than 10. If you have a car Bonnet Creek may even be closer; for all intents and purposes it's on Disney property. We take the auto train from VA so we have our car with us, but for some even with a rental it's cheaper offsite. Oh, if you do the house at WH i believe all have their own pool. My kids LOVED that!

 

I would do at least one day in each park. We don't like a ton of things at Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios but we can still spend at least a 1/2 or 3/4 day there. And you never know what your family will love. Our fav is Epcot.

[DawnM]

This is us too for the most part!  That is why we just can't justify spending those high prices for a room.

 

We typically pay around $250 for 7 nights (although it has gone up to $280 now I see!)  So for $35 per night, we are ok with adding in $15 parking fee.

 

Dawn

 

 

When you're pricing things out, don't forget to add in the parking fee if you drive to WDW resort and park onsite - $15/day.

 

We're going in January, staying in the alligator bayou section of POR.  It's not a trundle anymore, it's a little fold down bed and super cute!  There is a picture in this gallery: http://www.portorleans.org/gallery-guest-SurlyMermaid.php

 

We know the room is smaller (we're a family of 5 too - youngest is 4), but when we do disney (well disneyland, this is our first wdw trip) we usually go go go, and then go back to the room exhausted and sleep.  We rarely "hang out" in the room - we maximize park time.  Last time we went to DL our youngest was 18 months and she just napped in the stroller.  When we went to Tokyo Disney last fall, she was just 3 and was able to stay up all day no problem.  So you may not need the naps.  And naps in strollers work too!

 

We booked our WDW trip (as well as our cruise that we're doing at the same time) through dreams unlimited travel.  Cost us nothing, and she lets us know if discounts pop up we are eligible for.  She also priced out all of the accomidations I was interested in and got back to me, so I didn't have to sit on the phone or spend time searching online.