Yikes! It's Ten Times Bigger Than I Remember

[universalfan]

I am the mother of a DD12 (going on 20), and while we know Universal like the back of our hands (have been three times this year alone and will go again in October), I have FINALLY convinced my little speed demon to give Disney another whirl. I am very excited as I can't wait to ride TOT! We will go for six days in February (unfortunately President's week but we won't miss school for anything). I am, in a word, OVERWHELMED. I took her to Disney when she was four and it was all about the magic, so I didn't worry too much about whether we got on all the rides or anything. This time is different. She is all about the thrill rides. I am thinking of staying at the Poly because it seems similar to the Royal Pacific, but I also like the convenience of the BC and the Swan/Dolphin. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I am used to paying under 200 a night at Universal so even the Dolphin rates have me worried.

Also, the parks seem huge and I admit I have been severely spoiled by Universal's FOTL pass. I am afraid that when I get there I will not know which way to run first. Any advice from parents of other speed demons would be oh so welcome! I am not even sure where to begin. Is it worth ordering the personalized park maps from the website? Thank you in advance!

 

[KellyNY]

I am the mother of a DD12 (going on 20), and while we know Universal like the back of our hands (have been three times this year alone and will go again in October), I have FINALLY convinced my little speed demon to give Disney another whirl. I am very excited as I can't wait to ride TOT! We will go for six days in February (unfortunately President's week but we won't miss school for anything). I am, in a word, OVERWHELMED. I took her to Disney when she was four and it was all about the magic, so I didn't worry too much about whether we got on all the rides or anything. This time is different. She is all about the thrill rides. I am thinking of staying at the Poly because it seems similar to the Royal Pacific, but I also like the convenience of the BC and the Swan/Dolphin. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I am used to paying under 200 a night at Universal so even the Dolphin rates have me worried.

Also, the parks seem huge and I admit I have been severely spoiled by Universal's FOTL pass. I am afraid that when I get there I will not know which way to run first. Any advice from parents of other speed demons would be oh so welcome! I am not even sure where to begin. Is it worth ordering the personalized park maps from the website? Thank you in advance!

I will be honest, Disney does not have many trill rides and they are all over 4 parks. Will your DD enjoy family rides, something to think about. As for hotel, Universal hotels are much cheaper and you will never find Poly under $200. I would suggest CBR. It is moderate and does not have all the amenities of Deluxe but similar in theme to Poly, has 1 TS place and food court. The pool isextremely good, probably the best out of all Disney pools, except BC/YC. Also CSR(Mexican theme) is in a middle between Deluxe and Moderates. Got queen beds, health club, Spa(I think), TS place and even night club/bar(not that your DD will need it) and very good pool, best after CBR. CSR is a conventions resort but I never was bothered by them and it is a nice change to see some adults as well. Check this board, we have threads dedicated to each resort with pics and opinions, just search. Have fun.

 

[williamson_ja]

We ordered the maps and they were free of course. So, I say they are worth being free. Were they incredibly helpful? no. Not really. I would order them anyway because they are just beautiful maps and it gives you some idea of what is in each park. What was helpful was this board and the book, "Unofficial Guide to WDW". Then, we subscribed to an online service that gave us touring plans for each park each day. We go during a low crowd time anyway, but we walked on 95% of all rides using the touring plan. The only ride we ever waited for was TSM.

If you want to pay under $200 night for a room, book a moderate. You can get AKL or WL for uner $200/night with a good pin, but you are taking your chances there. Don't pay full price for anything. There is almost always some sort of discount out there if you look for it. The moderates are quite lovely. I still haven't forked over the money for a deluxe because I think they are so great that I don't see what the deluxes can do better. Although I would LOVE to do the Poly one day. Good luck with your planning.

 

[universalfan]

Thank you for your advice! I will do my best to reconnect her with the magic. Worst case scenario is that we go offsite for a day or so to visit WWOHP (I admit that I am addicted to Butterbeer and would hop on a plane to get some today if I could). Somehow I don't think we will though. Disney is so huge we will be lucky to cover the five or six speed junkie must-do's in all four parks in six days. It's really the sheer size that is intimidating to me. I will also order the maps, if only to get her excited for the trip.

We are from upstate NY, so even though we are going in February she will swim as long as the air temp is in the 60s (sounds crazy, I know). The pool is very important to us and now I have heard good things about the BC pool and also the grotto pool at the Dolphin. If I don't get a good room discount (which is unlikely because it is President's Week, right?), should I consider the Dolphin instead? We always take a towncar so ME is a nonissue and I never charge things to a room card, so that is not a problem either. I know we will spend most of our time at Epcot and DHS, so either hotel would work. If I got a good room pin for the BC would it be comparable to the Swan/Dolphin or would it still be a lot more expensive? Thanks again!

 

[Amy&Dan]

President's Week in 2010, a standard view room at BC was $495. So even if you got a 40% pin, you are still looking at $297 plus tax at least (no idea what 2011 rates will be.

Swan Dolphin will likely give you a better rate. But I also really like Kelly's idea of CBR, its a wonderful resort as is CSR. And not having to do the Town Car thing will save you quite a bit of money and Magical Express is a very nice service.

As for getting around, I suggest you look into Tour Guide Mike or Ride Max. TGM is a huge (and somewhat confusing site but its Least Crowded Parks Per Day charts are invaluable) and Ride Max will build you an itinerary for each hour of your day. They are both reasonable (under $25 each) and can really maximize your trip. You are going during a very crowded time and things have changed with WDW since your last visit!

The most important thing to remember is to get to each park at opening (actually a half hour before is best) because that gives you a heads up on most people who arrive late morning to around lunch time.

You will have a great time. I enjoyed Universal but Disney is more about the overal experience vs. the rides. Not that Disney doesn't have great rides but for sure it doesn't have a rollercoaster that can rival anything Universal has as far as hair raising thrills!

You'll have a great time. But if you want to stick with a $200 budet, you need to think moderate. They are lovely and in fact since they have food courts, I like them better than the deluxe's. And the pools are wonderful. Although I think Port Orleans French Quarter's pool would be too tame for your 12 year old. My kids (I have a dd who is 13 and a son who is 15) love the pool at Coronado Springs the best and it is in my opinion the most deluxe feeling moderate of them all. My kids always swim at WDW no matter what the temp. And so do a lot of other people!

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Rent points from a dvc member. You can rent directly from a member for about $10 a point. 6 nights at Beach Club Villas, one weekend night would be about 107 points for a studio. You would get 1 queen bed and a pull out couch and a kitchenette. That should be within your budget. I would hate for you to have to go offsite. IMHO it is just not the same. Different resorts and views would be a different # of points. The lowest would be a value studio at AKV with a points total of 77. Or at the highest a studio at Bay Lake Towers at CR with a Magic Kingdom view at 149 points, Unfortunatley the value at AK and the studios at BLT are the smallest studios on property. OKW are the largest units. Hope this helps.

 

[minniejack]

I am the mother of a DD12 (going on 20), and while we know Universal like the back of our hands (have been three times this year alone and will go again in October), I have FINALLY convinced my little speed demon to give Disney another whirl. I am very excited as I can't wait to ride TOT! We will go for six days in February (unfortunately President's week but we won't miss school for anything). I am, in a word, OVERWHELMED. I took her to Disney when she was four and it was all about the magic, so I didn't worry too much about whether we got on all the rides or anything. This time is different. She is all about the thrill rides. I am thinking of staying at the Poly because it seems similar to the Royal Pacific, but I also like the convenience of the BC and the Swan/Dolphin. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I am used to paying under 200 a night at Universal so even the Dolphin rates have me worried.

Also, the parks seem huge and I admit I have been severely spoiled by Universal's FOTL pass. I am afraid that when I get there I will not know which way to run first. Any advice from parents of other speed demons would be oh so welcome! I am not even sure where to begin. Is it worth ordering the personalized park maps from the website? Thank you in advance!

you sound just like me--we're getting worried about not enough "thrill" and too many strollers and the WALKING I'll find out in 1 week.

Here's some mummy dust to hoping you a get a pin code to make your hotel a little cheaper.

 

[disneysuncat]

I will second (or third) getting the "Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World", it's great for giving you tips on which way to go in the parks (including touring plans!), and just about anything to do with Disney World. And of course this board has the answer to just about any question you can imagine.

 

[universalfan]

Thank you all! I will order the 2011 Unofficial Guide from Amazon as a preorder today. I will also check out TGM's website. I have made the flight reservations and I got my park tickets in the mail yesterday (bought ahead of the expected 8/1 price increase thanks to this board!). I like to pay for things in chunks ahead of time so I don't get overwhelmed with bills when I get back home. Also, that way I can pretend that a $4,000 trip really only cost $1,500!

The CBR is the Carribbean Beach Resort, right? Is that one in walking distance to any parks? I love the idea of being able to walk to DHS and Epcot from BC or Dolphin. If I got a 40% off pin I would stay even at $297.00, if only because I would be so delighted. I am tempted to try the renting DVC points option, but it makes me nervous. I travel six or seven times a year for work and three or more with my daughter for fun, and it's ironic that the only trip that has ever scared me is the one to the happiest place on earth!

P.S., Thank you for letting me know about the food court option at the moderates. I like the idea of being able to grab something quick while we are running around like headless chickens.

 

[Amy&Dan]

CBR is not walking distance to any parks. It is however one of the most centrally located resorts in all of WDW. It also does not share busses with another resort.

I have stayed at CBR and I have stayed at Boardwalk (same area as BC and Swan/Dolphin). Here is my feeling on that and this was just my family! We prefer the location of CBR. Walking to DHS and Epcot is nice, but like all things it has its disadvantages. To walk or boat to Epcot, you are put back into the World Showcase. Meaning you have to trek a bit to get to the front of the park where Future World and all the rides are (Mission Space and Test Track will be must do's for your dd and Soarin is also not to be missed). For DHS you can again, walk or boat, but that walk or boat from BC will be around 15 minutes. The boats are slow but they do give you a chance to at least sit down. To all other parks, regardless of which Epcot resort you stay at, you will share busses. For us, that got old. Even though CBR has seven bus stops within, that route seemed to move faster than the shared bus route we had for our BW stay.

And the food court is a must for us! I have two teenagers and being able to have a wide variety of food that is not expensive is a biggie for me. We always eat lunch (and usually breakfast too) at our resort and the food courts work really well for this.

CBR has a lake with great views of the high up fireworks of Illumiations and it has a total of like seven pools. Now it is spread out and some rooms can be up to a 10 minute walk (those are all in Trinidad South however which is the pirate room category so unless you want a pirate themed room, you won't be ten minutes from the main area) to the food court and main pool. Most sections are much closer. And each village at CBR has its own quiet pool and bus stop and CBR does have an internal bus that makes the loop. We preferred to walk and never minded it or found it overwhelming. We were in the Barbados section which is one of the sections a bit further out. We loved it.

In the end only you can decide what type resort fits your needs and expectations. We don't need or even desire indoor corridors, we never order room service and we find the pools at the moderates really nice. Stormalong Bay is for sure however the "best" pool on property according to most disers.

I also want to put out there again that if you decide to save money and go moderate, to consider Coronado Springs. Queen sized beds, a great main pool (I think CSR's main pool is better than CBR's for kids older than 8), huge hot tub, and it feels very deluxe. Its also a convention resort meaning some (not all) of the guests are there for conventions. So the busses and pools can be less crowded. Its still very family friendly and to us has not felt like a convention resort at all. For that matter Yacht Club and I believe the Swan Dolphin and Contemporary all have convention guests as well. CSR also has the most dining options of a moderate, including room service. Just a thought to confuse you more than you already are!

We also prefer a resort that has busses, and busses that are not shared (CSR also does not share busses). We found when we stayed at the Poly that the monorail is not perfect and shared busses get old. Again, this is all just us!

You may very well get a deep discount for President's Week. We got a 30% off moderate (and I think the deluxe's were 40%) Easter Week this past year which was wonderful. However, it wasn't extended into Easter Week until about 2-3 weeks before our travel dates, I guess Disney wanted to make sure they needed to extend that discount for such a busy week before they took the plunge and offered it! But in this economy, for sure your chances are way better than other years (when no discount was offered during peak weeks).

I can't offer advice on renting. So many people rent with no problems, if you go that route, rent from someone on this board that has many posts so you know they are legit! I used to own DVC and I was also too nervous nellie to rent my own points because its a risk for the owner too! But its a great way to save a lot of money on your accomodations.

Good luck, you'll find the perfect choice and have a great time. I have used TGM for years and I like his site, but its a big site and kind of confusing until you get the hang of it. But he has a money back guarantee so its a safe investment. And those least crowded parks per day charts are the whole reason I keep buying the thing after 13 trips to WDW!

 

[universalfan]

Wow, so much to think about! It really does make your head spin. I am going to hope for a discounted rate, so I guess at this point I should sit back and wait, right, or should I go ahead and book something and then adjust later? Does CBR have a pool slide? Is there anything at MK for a true speed demon like DD?

Help, my brain is beginning to unravel and we're still seven months out from this trip.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Well, right now you can only book for February by calling Disney. Online you cannot book into 2011 since 2011 rates have not been released. If you book now by calling Disney, the rate will be the 2010 rate, then it will be adjusted once 2011 rates come out. I personally would wait until they do release room rates, it just seems easier. Then you'll have to keep an eye out for discounts to be released. If discounts are released for your President Week travel time, it won't be until your trip is closer, it could even be just a few weeks before, which was the case for our Easter Week 2010 trip. I had things booked, but had to keep my eyes out for threads about discounts and then sure enough they did extend discounts. You just never know if or when Disney will relase a discount, its totally annoying! A discount will be released for February for sure, but Presiden'ts Week will likely be blacked out from that discount initially. That way Disney can see if they can fill those rooms without a discount. If they can't, that's when they'll extend the discount into your holiday time frame. You literally just won't know until it happens.

So what I would do is: Book your trip when the 2011 rates come out. It could be anytime now, last year they released on August 3rd, this year the "rumor" is that 2011 rates will be released around August 15th. Regardless, it should be soon, in the next couple of weeks.

As far as discounts, subscribe to a thread on the discount board that has lots of other people waiting and wondering and discussing discounts for your time frame. Here is one right here you might want to keep an eye on:http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2495110

Once a code or discount comes out for your dates (again it may or it may not), call Disney, have them apply that code to your existing reservation.

Its a weird, aggravating process we all have to go through! However, by keeping an eye out, you can end up saving lots of money if your dates fall into a deal period. For example, I had my October trip booked for months, but kept hoping they'd extend free dining or release a code or discount for my time frame. They did and I called Disney, got my reservation switched over to include dining (my old reservation was a room only) and now I am paying the same rack rate for my room I originally was, but I am getting $1679.00 worth of free dining! But I had to stick with checking each and every day to make sure I knew as soon as the deal came out so I could jump on it. I kept up with things by going on disboards every day, and also checking Disney's site every day. And one day I opened up disboards and there it was: "Free Dining Extended". I was so happy, and called right then and there and got it changed.

As for speedy stuff in the Magic Kingdom, there is Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. All of those are tame I guess by Universal standards, but they are all very fun. I know my son is a huge extreme coaster fan, but he enjoys all of those and never misses an opportunity to go to Disney!

CBR does have a pool slide at its main pool. It also has six quiet pools, one in each "village" that do not have slides but are great for relaxing swims that are a bit more low key!

 

[nytimez]

Honestly, for pure thrills, Disney's rides don't come close to Universal.

 

[skipperkim]

CBR is not walking distance to any parks. It is however one of the most centrally located resorts in all of WDW. It also does not share busses with another resort.

While CBR is not within walking distance, it's hardly centrally located. It's really close to DHS. CSR is close to AKL and the PO's are close to Epcot, which is centrally located. None of the mods are within walking distance to anything, unless you count the fact that you can walk between the PO's. The PO's also offer a boat to DTD.

I find the bus service at POFQ the best of all the mods since there is only one bus stop. While it might share with POR at times, you are picked up and dropped off first. POFQ also has it's own bus stop at MK in the evening. They are sister resorts so you can use the pools at POR too.

Keep in mind that CSR has only one sink in the bath area. While other mods have 2.

 

[Amy&Dan]

While CBR is not within walking distance, it's hardly centrally located. It's really close to DHS. CSR is close to AKL and the PO's are close to Epcot, which is centrally located. None of the mods are within walking distance to anything, unless you count the fact that you can walk between the PO's. The PO's also offer a boat to DTD.

I find the bus service at POFQ the best of all the mods since there is only one bus stop. While it might share with POR at times, you are picked up and dropped off first. POFQ also has it's own bus stop at MK in the evening. They are sister resorts so you can use the pools at POR too.

Keep in mind that CSR has only one sink in the bath area. While other mods have 2.

I consider CBR the most centrally located moderate resort and I am certainly not the only one who is has referred to CBR as just that. Although you are right in that its closest DHS. But its also very close to Epcot, enought that you can see the top of Spaceship Earth which is why you have very good views of the high up fireworks of Illuminations. Its the only moderate close enough to a park to offer decent views of any fireworks. Map of WDW:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/propertymap.htm

CBR is #13 on that map. The other moderates are off more to the side of WDW property whereas CBR is the middle, lower portion.

Its apples and oranges because in the end, anyone going to all four parks will not find a resort that won't be closer to some things, further from others.