Hey.
I'm looking for some advice.
Me and my boyfriend are planning a one week or less trip to walt disney world and I don't know where to stay or how to plan my trip. we're planning on late december, 2007.
For sure, we want to spend each day at each theme park
I guess the most important question is which hotel should we stay at?
Considering we are on a budget, I don't want anything too expensive but worth the stay. MAybe something with a great view from the hotel would be nice. I'm looking for something romantic and affordable, and very fun.
Any word of advice?
and any good deals available?
i'm from california by the way.
First off, welcome to the board and congratulations on your upcoming trip. You have asked a lot of questions so let me try and give you some helpful advice.
Get yourself some guide books to WDW. Go to
Amazon or your local bookstore and I recommend The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2007 by Bob Sehlinger with Len Testa. It's good book and pretty honest as well, but some find it a little harsh at times. Check out the official guide as well. Do yourself a favor and really go over both books, they can really come in handy. In this case, doing your homework can pay off.
As for deals I recommend trying AAA and see what kind of deals there are and it might be worth joining. Also try a
Travel agent that specialises in Disney and knows the ins and outs. This board is sponsored by
Dreams Unlimited and I have heard nothing but great things from the people who use them. Here's a link below. If there's away to save you money, DU can find away. Don't make a mistake and book through Disney and pay rack rate for a package, like I did in 2002. Check around for deals, they are out there.
http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/#wdw-top-Dreams
There's plenty of money saving tips on the web and here's a site I've been using for years. These boards are full of good tips as well, but can be overwhelming for a new member. Check out the link below for more help and money saving ideas.
http://www.mousesavers.com/
Here's another site that's great for information and has plenty of onsite room photos. Check the site out and give it a good look. The room photos give you a feel for the resort. You're probably going to be bombarded by people who will push their favorite resort on you and there's nothing wrong with that, but check out all of the resorts. If you're on a budget, the Deluxe resorts are most likely not what you're looking for. Some of the value resorts are fun like All Star Movies and the moderate resorts can fill your romantic needs as well. Give the moderates a serious look and see what one peaks your interest.
http://www.allearsnet.com/index.html
Staying onsite at a WDW resort has it's perks, especially the free transportation from the airport called Magical express. You get early entry at select parks and extended hours at night as well. Free transportation to the parks and you won't have to worry about renting a car. Going to WDW can be overwhelming for a first timer and you can push yourself to exhaustion and still not see everything. This July is my 5th trip and I still have things I have never done. Another thing I recommend you do is if you buy a package deal with meal plan, tickets etc, etc, do a room only reservation for your first night when you arrive from California. It's a long flight and 10 to 1, you will be arriving very late at night. I have known California people to use the hotel located inside the airport when they come in on a late flight. Then in the morning, wake up refreshed and hop on a Magical express bus and head to your resort. All up to you and I wish you good luck on your trip.