LN in WI Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Okay, so I know I have seen a million of these posts as I lurked over the years, but I never dreamed it would be me going to Disney. So what is your bestest advice? We are already booked at the Animal Kingdom & we did buy the meal plan (that much I have picked up from ya'll). What else do I need to know? Is the Animal Kingdom close enough that we will be able to go back and forth easily for naps? If we want to have some food in our kitchenette (for light breakfasts, snacking etc.), is it easy to get to a grocery store if you don't rent a car? Should we rent a car? Thanks! Ellen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is worth buying and taking with you. It has a lot of neat ideas and tips in it. With staying on site and using Disney transportation you should be able to "rest" in the afternoons. Hope you have a great time!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 A couple question - How old are your kids? When are you going? How long are you staying? That will affect my answers! The Unofficial Guide is absolutely wonderful!!!! We were able to do so much more in the parks because we followed their directions. Go to the DIS Boards and get all sorts of fun information there! One of the best things we did was to stay outside the parks the night before our package started. Then, the morning that our reservation started, we checked in and got our meal cards and all and did Downtown Disney. We ate lunch on the meal plan and felt like we had a "free" day before our vacation really started! Then, around 4 we went back to our hotel and got settled in and went to a dinner show (Hoop De Doo - WONDERFUL!!). Then, on your last day, check out of the hotel early and go to a park. Stay as late as you want and then leave. We drove a couple hours that day and stayed somewhere cheap. (I just realized I don't know if you're driving or flying though!) Oh - and if you have meals left at the end of your trip (we did - dh was sick for four of our days there and didn't eat!), get the rest for your drive home! We had such fun picking out 22 snacks and 4 meals!! We LOVED eating at Whispering Canyon. It was an experience - the wait staff treats you like you're old friends. Make sure to ask for ketchup! :eek: We also really liked the Coral Reef. GREAT food! Le Cellier is great if you like steak. We did not go back to our room during the day. The hours at the parks were fairly short, so we stayed all day. My dd napped in a sling. The older boys did fine! We were usually back in our room by 8:30 or 9 pm (with the exception of one night when we stayed for the fireworks at Epcot). We thought that we'd be using our car to drive to the parks instead of taking Disney transportation, but we found that the busses were great!!! We really only used our car to get to the dinner shows (too many transfers to make it worth it to take Disney transport). You don't need a car there. You can bring breakfast stuff with you or buy it there. Have fun!!! I'm still coming down off of the high from our trip. The only thing that has kept me going is planning another Disney vacation!!! We're going on a cruise next January (I was REALLY surprised that they were affordable!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Is the Animal Kingdom close enough that we will be able to go back and forth easily for naps? Yes, but you should factor in waiting for buses and that sometimes there is more than one stop. I build 1 hour in to travel times when using buses. If we want to have some food in our kitchenette (for light breakfasts, snacking etc.), is it easy to get to a grocery store if you don't rent a car? Are you taking Disney's Magical Express? Some people rent limos and most give a free grocery stop. You could also ship groceries if you like or take a taxi. Gooding's Supermarket is right outside WDW. Should we rent a car? We do. We typically stay at the Polynesian and hate to wait for buses to AK and DHS. Plus we like to eat offsite at Celebration one night and we visit Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LN in WI Posted February 12, 2008 Author Share Posted February 12, 2008 I'll be looking for the Unofficial Guide at the library & have taken notes on your other great tips. Ellen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 These two websites are great - www.wdwig.com and www.disboards.com . I second the suggestion for Whispering Canyon. Try to go when it is busy. I know that sounds odd, but it is more lively and fun when they are busy. As far as renting a car for getting groceries, maybe you could just mail a box of dry goods ahead. Then just pick up milk,juice, etc from the gift shop in your hotel. If you are not planning on going out of Disney resort, you really won't need a car. We lived in Florida and would drive over. I loved parking my car and not having to drive anywhere for a whole week. Have lots of fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2jnb Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Hi, We just went in October and had a great time. We too used the Unofficial Guide and found it incredibly helpful. I signed up for newsletters like mousesaver dot com and also went to the boards at wdwmagic dot com Have a great time... Alison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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