Thoughts on my Itinerary please

[me23xx]

The Walking part is only if we miss a bus at all. (which there is 10, so chances are slim!) what i mean is we CAN walk if we want to, many others staying there have said they have managed it just fine and the hotel itself have said also.


We are at Planet Hollywood, not Hollywood brown, someone bought a voucher for us for christmas on that particular day at planet hollywood

 

[momof2minnies]

OK only want make sure this is clear- Planet Hollwood is in Downtown Disney Westside and you cannot take a bus from downtown Disney to any park.

Dont want you to be misinformed.


Linda

 

[me23xx]

Got it, made a mistake thought planet Hollywood was at Hollywood studios, laughingplace kindly corrected me... It definitely in downtown Disney!

I cant walk to downtown Disney and get a bus to the parks no, however what i can do rather than not going to the parks at all if for whatever reason we miss all 10 buses is walk to downtown Disney, take a bus to a resort, stop there have a look around, maybe even grab a coffee, then take a bus to the parks (sounds like a win win to me as i get to explore other resorts)

The shuttles from the hotel also go to 3 different parks so even if we miss the shuttle for the park we want that day we will be fine

Im not stupid just never been before and people tell me you can walk, thanks for clearing this up

 

[mjkacmom]

No one here is accusing you of being stupid! It's just that many first timers fail to realize how incredibly massive and spread out WDW is! I really haven't read any good reviews on shuttle services from hotels outside the parks. Renting a car will really improve your trip.

 

[wdwloverz]

No one here is accusing you of being stupid! It's just that many first timers fail to realize how incredibly massive and spread out WDW is! I really haven't read any good reviews on shuttle services from hotels outside the parks. Renting a car will really improve your trip.

I have read plenty of good reviews from folks on a tight budget who did just fine with their resorts shuttles. This poster needs to stay offsite due to cost, I doubt renting a car for two weeks is in the budget so why keep telling them how awful it will be? They are staying at a Disney good neighbor resort and I think they will be just fine. Will it take more time than if they have a car, yep.

 

[mjkacmom]

I have read plenty of good reviews from folks on a tight budget who did just fine with their resorts shuttles. This poster needs to stay offsite due to cost, I doubt renting a car for two weeks is in the budget so why keep telling them how awful it will be? They are staying at a Disney good neighbor resort and I think they will be just fine. Will it take more time than if they have a car, yep.

I don't know when the OP is going, but I got a price of $330 for an economy car, all taxes and fees, for 2 weeks. The OP is going to all of the WDW parks, plus Universal for 2 days (do WDW good neighbor hotels provide shuttles to Universal?), plus both waterparks.

The OP could actually switch the 2 nights at a WDW property to the good neighbor hotel, rent a car instead of taking ME, and then renting the car wouldn't cost that much more anyway. I think the hours it would save would be worth it.

 

[me23xx]

has anyone thought maybe we dont drive??! i mean we do but we dont WANT to rent a car, YES, the good neighbour hotel goes to all WDW parks, both waterparks universal and seaworld.

Our holiday isn't going to be horrible because were not renting a car, might it take longer, yes but we are willing to deal with that, it does feel as though your all saying get a car or itll be horrible yes.

Thank you WDWLOVERZ

 

[Missyrose]

has anyone thought maybe we dont drive??! i mean we do but we dont WANT to rent a car, YES, the good neighbour hotel goes to all WDW parks, both waterparks universal and seaworld. Our holiday isn't going to be horrible because were not renting a car, might it take longer, yes but we are willing to deal with that, it does feel as though your all saying get a car or itll be horrible yes. Thank you WDWLOVERZ

Have a good trip.

 

[bkb91]

Why would we think that you might not want to drive?

You wanted opinions on your itinerary -- you got them. These people know the ins and outs of going to disney... And now you're getting offended when you don't like what they're telling you?

Have a good trip.

 

[bumbershoot]

This poster needs to stay offsite due to cost, I doubt renting a car for two weeks is in the budget so why keep telling them how awful it will be?

Fwiw I have a two week full size rental arranged next month for $224. Nowhere near the $1500 they are saving by rayon offsite. For us time is pretty close to money especially given the expense of tickets! So cars are good for us.

Op in case you didn't know (and we were stunned the first time we went to wdw) there are highways running through wdw property. Not quite 60mph but they are big roads with big highway type signs. It's just BIG there. It's a reason people wanted to make sure you knew you couldn't walk to a park from offsite.

 

[me23xx]

Why would we think that you might not want to drive?

You wanted opinions on your itinerary -- you got them. These people know the ins and outs of going to disney... And now you're getting offended when you don't like what they're telling you?

Have a good trip.

I do want opinions you are right, and i want to know information like planet Hollywood isn't at Hollywood studios (i would have made a right ****oo) or there is no bus between DTD to the parks (i would have stood for ages waiting for one)
Im grateful for all advice and tips

Yes i felt as though i had to justify what i was saying but that doesn't mean that i was offended or harboured any ill feeling towards anyone

This is why discussion boards don't work, people clearly take things the wrong way!

 

[me23xx]

Fwiw I have a two week full size rental arranged next month for $224. Nowhere near the $1500 they are saving by rayon offsite. For us time is pretty close to money especially given the expense of tickets! So cars are good for us.

Op in case you didn't know (and we were stunned the first time we went to wdw) there are highways running through wdw property. Not quite 60mph but they are big roads with big highway type signs. It's just BIG there. It's a reason people wanted to make sure you knew you couldn't walk to a park from offsite.

yeah i looked on google earth.... madness how big it is!! I knew we couldnt walk to the parks yes, i know there miles apart, Im just glad someon cleared that up the fact i cant take a direct bus from DTD

 

[dsneprincess]

On your Planet Hollywood day a unique, fun way to get there would be to take a bus from the park to Port Orleans and use the boat to transport to Downtown Disney.

If you missed all the shuttles back to the hotel, you could take a bus to Saratoga Springs and walk to Downtown Disney. The Congress Park bus stop is closer to the road to the Downtown Disney Good Neighbor hotels. It is far, but it can be done. Wear good shoes!!

FWIW, many years ago, I went with DSis and her friend, we stayed outside the crossings on Palm Parkway. We tried to go to Planet Hollywood for dinner, waited 4+ hours, never got in, missed all shuttles back and ended up walking! It was far, it took us awhile, but we made it. We stayed offsite without a car, so I know it can be done! Now, with kids, I won't stay on site without a car so I have definitely aged! Have a great time.

 

[wdwloverz]

Fwiw I have a two week full size rental arranged next month for $224. Nowhere near the $1500 they are saving by rayon offsite. For us time is pretty close to money especially given the expense of tickets! So cars are good for us.

.

Yes I hear ya, that's about what we are paying for our 12 day rental and we most definitely prefer to have a car when we are there.
This poster is clearly coming from a different country, may be used to driving on the WRONG side of the road, would probably be VERY stressed trying to navigate the country of WDW and has said they are happy with the shuttle provided 10x per day to all parks via their hotel. Also, they may have insurance issues being from another country (as in might have to buy the insurance which typically costs as much or more than the daily rental rate) etc etc.

 

[me23xx]

Yes I hear ya, that's about what we are paying for our 12 day rental and we most definitely prefer to have a car when we are there.
This poster is clearly coming from a different country, may be used to driving on the WRONG side of the road, would probably be VERY stressed trying to navigate the country of WDW and has said they are happy with the shuttle provided 10x per day to all parks via their hotel. Also, they may have insurance issues being from another country (as in might have to buy the insurance which typically costs as much or more than the daily rental rate) etc etc.

Hey you, we drive on the proper side of the road its you guys that have it wrong

cheapest quote we got was around $500 for the 2 weeks with basic insurance, its not really about the money though, we just dont wanna be erm....driving on the WRONG side of the road and we dont wanna have to even think about cars, my partner does a lot of travelling for work and works in the car industry and this is a chance to not think about cars and or driving!!

 

[mjkacmom]

On your Planet Hollywood day a unique, fun way to get there would be to take a bus from the park to Port Orleans and use the boat to transport to Downtown Disney.

If you missed all the shuttles back to the hotel, you could take a bus to Saratoga Springs and walk to Downtown Disney. The Congress Park bus stop is closer to the road to the Downtown Disney Good Neighbor hotels. It is far, but it can be done. Wear good shoes!!

FWIW, many years ago, I went with DSis and her friend, we stayed outside the crossings on Palm Parkway. We tried to go to Planet Hollywood for dinner, waited 4+ hours, never got in, missed all shuttles back and ended up walking! It was far, it took us awhile, but we made it. We stayed offsite without a car, so I know it can be done! Now, with kids, I won't stay on site without a car so I have definitely aged! Have a great time.

I think one problem with the shuttles is that the OP is going at the end of July. Not only will the parks be very crowded, but it's going to be so hot and humid. I'm a walker, but I can't imagine walking a mile to or from DTD with a heat index of over 100, or waiting a long time for shuttles (and when we stayed at the Beach Club, I never took the boats over to DHS - walked every single time - but it was November).

Most people who brave the summer months make sure to get to the parks early (before rope drop), bail in the afternoon, and come back at night. I don't think the shuttles get there that early, or run late.

I get not wanting to drive on the other side. Dd12 has a dance competition in London in April. We are staying close enough to walk, or take a cab if we have to (plus use the subways).

 

[SillyFamily]

Hi all,
I wondered if you could have a look at my itinerary as i am due to make my reservations in 2 weeks, any help advice would be greatly appreciated.


Day 1 : arrive at 2:30 - magical express to Caribbean beach hotel
Visit downtown disney/lounge on beach
Shutters @ Caribbean beach

Day 2: Magic Kingdom
check out and leave luggage at hotel
Arrive for early magic hours
Lunch at BOG restaurant
Leave at tea time, back to caribbean beach and taxi to offsite hotel

Day 3: Animal Kingdom
RESERVATION: Lunch at Tusker House

Day 4: Epcot AM/ Hollywood studios
RESERVATION: Prepaid DINNER at Planet Hollywood

Day 5: Blizzard Beach AM/ Magic Kingdom PM
RESERVATION: PrePaid DINNER at Cinderellas Royal Table

Day 6: Universal studios
Late lunch/Early Dinner: The Three broomsticks

Day 7: Universal studios
RESERVATION: PrePaid DINNER at Hard Rock Café

Day 8: Epcot
RESERVATION: Nine Dragons

Day 9 : Hollywood Studios/ Magic Kingdom
RESERVATION: Plaza resturant

Day 10: Typhoon Lagoon

Day 11: Animal Kingdom/ Epcot
RESERVATION: Rainforest Café

Day 12: Magic Kingdom
RESERVATION: Be our guest

Day 13: Free to chose anything

Day 14: Free to chose anything
Taxi from offsite hotel to POP Century hotel

Day 15: AM - Downtown disney, Magical express home



This is our first time and MUCH AWAITED holiday to DISNEYWORLD so please give honest opinions on my selections.

Thank you

You have planned to go to BOG 2x during your trip. I would keep the lunch reservation and plan on hitting another place. There are soo many great meals to be had.
I would think about doing Tusker House for breakfast. IMHO it is the best breakfast food wise to be had on property and you get the characters too.
I would reconsider Nine Dragons unless chinese food is your favorite. The food there is good not great and there are many experiences far more enjoyable. Personally my favorite thing to do is eat around the world each country has a quick service or snack location that is amazing. The bakery in france has yummy food that is reasonably priced.

I also dont see any plans to have a turkey leg that is a must do imho. It will easily feed 2 people.

Rain Forest Cafe is a neat place to sit and eat but the food quality is not that great. I would put it on par with a chilli's. Yak and Yeti will be about the same price but the food is much better. You might think about doing the Cafe for a Drink and App/Dessert both are moderately priced and fairly good.

The other thing i would change is park hopping. I wouldnt bother with it. with the shuttle time and and the time you would spend switching parks that will take several hours out of your day. Staying in one park will give you more park time. Also not purchasing park hoppers will save hundreds of dollars.

I dont know if you know this or not but with the water fun and more option you can get into disney quest. It is located in downtown disney and an absolute blast. Literally hours and hours of fun and its all air conditioned.

Also a word of warning check the fine print on your resort reservation. Many if not all of the good neighbor hotels have resort fees. These are not usually included it your reservation price. They usually have a small note on the booking website not even on your reservation about these fee. This fee can be $10-25 per night of stay.

Have a WONDERFUL Vacation.

 

[tigerbelly]

Since you've asked for opinions, everyone will have their own..... and not everyone has the same touring style of course.

My opinion? I would forgo all the dining reservations in favor of staying onsite. You would more than make up for the money saved staying offsite. And definitely the time saved. We had reservations every day of our trip and we started to regret them and the sheer amount of food we were eating. Our next trip will be quick service and a few select reservations. And we stay at Pop because we are park people and prefer to just sleep/shower at the resorts.

I'm sure you will have an excellent time at Disney -no doubt- especially with 2 weeks there. You will learn your own personal touring style and what is important to you and what you can do without. I found the time on buses (from the value resorts) to be frustrating at times so I hope to stay closer to the parks in the future. We also stayed at an offsite hotel in 2012 and had a shuttle bus to the parks and only did 2 days at the parks. It worked fine for those 2 days but would have been frustrating for any longer than that. The shuttle bus parked only at Epcot and very very far away so there was extra walking and time deadlines. I'm not sure what your bus will be like but just be aware that even the resort buses can be a hike so plan accordingly for a non Disney resort shuttle. And don't forget to plan on at minimum 30 minutes to get to your dining reservations- and more like an hour if you are at a different park.

One other concern- on your first day- if you have checked out of CBR already you may not be eligible for Extra Magical Hours on that day. Someone correct me if I'm wrong..... And in order to get to EMH you'd need to grab a bus at 6:30 or 7 that morning.

 

[me23xx]

Since you've asked for opinions, everyone will have their own..... and not everyone has the same touring style of course. My opinion? I would forgo all the dining reservations in favor of staying onsite. You would more than make up for the money saved staying offsite. And definitely the time saved. We had reservations every day of our trip and we started to regret them and the sheer amount of food we were eating. Our next trip will be quick service and a few select reservations. And we stay at Pop because we are park people and prefer to just sleep/shower at the resorts. I'm sure you will have an excellent time at Disney -no doubt- especially with 2 weeks there. You will learn your own personal touring style and what is important to you and what you can do without. I found the time on buses (from the value resorts) to be frustrating at times so I hope to stay closer to the parks in the future. We also stayed at an offsite hotel in 2012 and had a shuttle bus to the parks and only did 2 days at the parks. It worked fine for those 2 days but would have been frustrating for any longer than that. The shuttle bus parked only at Epcot and very very far away so there was extra walking and time deadlines. I'm not sure what your bus will be like but just be aware that even the resort buses can be a hike so plan accordingly for a non Disney resort shuttle. And don't forget to plan on at minimum 30 minutes to get to your dining reservations- and more like an hour if you are at a different park. One other concern- on your first day- if you have checked out of CBR already you may not be eligible for Extra Magical Hours on that day. Someone correct me if I'm wrong..... And in order to get to EMH you'd need to grab a bus at 6:30 or 7 that morning.

Thanks for this, we did look at staying on site with the free dining but were from the UK and u can't get the free dining until you are in a moderate resort which is around £2000 ($3400) more, we have to go in summer because I work in a school, these dining reservation are based on us eating starter main and desert once a day, which we prob won't even eat that much, not much money at all.
Our shuttle also goes to Epcot, magic kingdom, hollywood studios and animal kingdom (as well as universal) read a lot of bad stuff about shuttles seems we're lucky

 

[tigerbelly]

Well you are on the right track with the food then! We tried to eat 3 meals a day a few days and were plum stuffed! We had free dining, otherwise we would not have eaten that much. I do hope that you have looked at the menus for the places that you are going. Disney table service is extremely pricey and less quality as compared to other Orlando restaurants.