1st Time Going to Disney...Help!!! :)

[morninggale]

Hey people of the world!!! Well like the title says it's going to be my first trip to Disney early May 2014 and like all average teenagers your parents charge you with booking the vacation! x) Btw it's going to be 2 adults and 2 teens (me and my 14yr old sis) and we are also going on my mom's 40th b-day!!! And none of us have ever been to Disney until now!

Okay enough of that well I finished planning the 9 days 8 nights thing and I was wondering if Disney can let us stay an additional night but not day???? (and is May 2014 a good choice for 1st time? I know about the Nov-Dec thing but I'm already surprising my parents for November 2014.

And now the fun part- booking the resort!!! My family is stuck right now on which resort out of these to pick and which will be more well suited for me and my sis plus my mom's b-day present-
Art of Animation- Family Suites (what's the difference is one quieter than the other?)
Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter
Coronado Springs Resort (my mom's liken this one)
Caribbean Beach Resort

I know I'm crazy I'm planning my own trip! But I'm having tons of FUN doin' it! Thank you to whoever responds to my many questions! I'm taking all the advice I can get!

 

[abk96]

Okay enough of that well I finished planning the 9 days 8 nights thing and I was wondering if Disney can let us stay an additional night but not day????

You pay per night. You can stay an extra night as long as you pay for the night.

Happy planning!

 

[VroomVroomLightning]

Art of Animation is nice and the rooms are very bright. My family stayed there right when they opened and loved it!

As for the Moderate Resorts I would say we prefer Port Orleans. We thoroughly enjoy the relaxing atmoshphere of it. Port Orleans French Quarter is not spread out at all, and everything is very close together.

I am unsure what you are asking about staying a day but not night? If you are talking about your tickets being for more days than you are actually there then yes you can do that. You can stay as many nights as you want and get tickets up to 10 days. You just have to use your days up 14 days after using them the first time. If you wanted to be there 8 nights, but skip a day in the middle to just rest and not do parks then you can do that!

If you are going in May then try to go in the beginning of May to beat the summer crowds!

 

[morninggale]

Sweet! Thank you very much abk96 and VroomVroomLightning!

The night thing I mean were arriving in the after noon our first day but we want to rest so we can leave in the morning on the 10th day but does it make sense to pay the day if were not going to the parks?? Or should I just pay for 10day and 9 nights??

 

[CalicoSky]

Sweet! Thank you very much abk96 and VroomVroomLightning!

The night thing I mean were arriving in the after noon our first day but we want to rest so we can leave in the morning on the 10th day but does it make sense to pay the day if were not going to the parks?? Or should I just pay for 10day and 9 nights??

You book your resort by the number of nights you'll be staying there. You choose your tickets by the number of days you wish to spend at the four parks, so you do not have to pay for 10 days of parks if you can't (or just don't want to) spend that many days at the parks.

In your example, you'll choose a nine night resort stay. The next question you're asked when you're booking online (and I assume it's similar if you call) is how many days of park tickets you want. You would choose eight days of tickets if you opt to not go to parks on arrival and departure days.

I personally also include a non-park day mid-vacation when I'm there for a week or more...use that "off" day to explore Downtown Disney and/or the resort.

Have fun planning!

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

How fun to plan your trip! We just got back from a May trip and it was hot but not miserable hot. I couldn't see myself going in July or August. It was definitely hot enough for me!

Additional comments are below in red.

Art of Animation- Family Suites (what's the difference is one quieter than the other?) Just stayed there, in the Lion King section. These are great and if they're in the budget (this is your most expensive option - don't feel you have to book through Disney though. I booked through Orbitz and layered a 20% off Orbitz coupon code on top of Disney's Spring Discount), this is the one I'd pick of your choices because it's more space for your family. Your parents have their room and you and your sister will have your own space - and your own beds. Plus access to two bathrooms makes it easier to get ready in the AM. The drawback is that the resort is definitely more geared towards younger kids - like all values, there is no pool slide.
Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter I've stayed at French Quarter. It's very nice. But it's not a suite. It's a small resort which is nice, but the pool slide is small. I believe that the pool at Riverside is larger with a better slide.
Coronado Springs Resort (my mom's liken this one) I stayed here in 2009 after it was refurbished. My thoughts are that it's probably going to be due for a refurb again. I liked it a lot and the pool is awesome - great slide.
Caribbean Beach Resort I've never stayed here, but unless it has been refurbished, I think it's the only moderate resort with full sized beds. Personally, that's a deal breaker since your parents will have to share a full sized bed and you and your sister will have to share a full sized bed.

I know I'm crazy I'm planning my own trip! But I'm having tons of FUN doin' it! Thank you to whoever responds to my many questions! I'm taking all the advice I can get!

 

[Sue M]

Hey people of the world!!! Well like the title says it's going to be my first trip to Disney early May 2014 and like all average teenagers your parents charge you with booking the vacation! x) Btw it's going to be 2 adults and 2 teens (me and my 14yr old sis) and we are also going on my mom's 40th b-day!!! And none of us have ever been to Disney until now!

Okay enough of that well I finished planning the 9 days 8 nights thing and I was wondering if Disney can let us stay an additional night but not day???? (and is May 2014 a good choice for 1st time? I know about the Nov-Dec thing but I'm already surprising my parents for November 2014.

And now the fun part- booking the resort!!! My family is stuck right now on which resort out of these to pick and which will be more well suited for me and my sis plus my mom's b-day present-
Art of Animation- Family Suites (what's the difference is one quieter than the other?)
Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter
Coronado Springs Resort (my mom's liken this one)
Caribbean Beach Resort

I know I'm crazy I'm planning my own trip! But I'm having tons of FUN doin' it! Thank you to whoever responds to my many questions! I'm taking all the advice I can get!

Regarding resorts, it's more of personal taste which resort theming appeals to you, and your mom.
With the Family Suites, your parents will have their own room, and the living room has pull outs. I believe you get 2 bathrooms too.
All the moderates except CBR have 2 queen beds. CBR only has double beds.

My personal fav moderate is POR mansion section. It has a little more to offer with a boat to DTD, horse & carriage rides, fun evening entertainment in the lounge, Bob Jackson puts on a great show. Great food court too, and beautiful grounds. But that's me.
If your mom is leaning towards CSR, maybe take a look at that.

Planning is key to any successful wdw trip. And planning how you will tour the parks. There's not much of a price dif in a 9 or 10 day ticket, so I'd think about going your first day, depending what time you are arriving.

Some helpful web sites for planning are Mousesavers.com, and Allears.net. Allears has menus from every wdw table service and counter service restaurant in the parks and resorts. Plus an Accomodations section with a ton of resort pics and resort fact sheets.

A great Guide book, is helpful. We like WDW The Unofficial Guide. And their Touring Plans are extremely helpful especially for a first visit. It shows you the best sequence to see the attractions so you minimize your time waiting on long lines, and maximize your park time.
They also have a useful Crowd Calendar that will tell you the least crowded park each day.

Happy planning!

 

[morninggale]

Hmm, well we go to every park on the 9 days I made but on the 10th day is when we leave the resort in the morning. (Does ESPN count as a park with Downtown Disney because we're going there on one day but do we need the park hopper?)

So does that mean I book 10 days and 9 nights for resort and 9 tickets with 6 park hoppers? 3 days were only in one park. And for Water and Fun we go to the water parks on separate days so can we only buy 2 days for those tickets?

Does this make sense? This is what I got from allears and other sources of WDW websites.

 

[CalicoSky]

For ticket and park questions, I highly recommend the Theme Parks board and its Tickets sticky thread. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1452684

Specifically, check out the ticket type definitions. In a nutshell, base tickets (those normally accompanying resort packages) cover the four major parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom). Hoppers will let you "hop" only between those four. The minor "parks"--such as DisneyQuest, water parks, World of Sports--use different ticket types. Downtown Disney is a shopping/entertainment area; no admission required.

Honestly, though...for a first trip I suggest focusing on the major parks unless someone in your group has one of the other areas as a must-do. These parks are massive and packed full of rides/attractions, shows, dining options, and shopping. MK and Epcot can easily consume two days each, HS and AK deserve at least a full day each.

Don't forget your resort, either. They're very well themed and worth exploring. Check out the pool, look for the details in the decorations, watch for entertainment options such as movies on the lawn, live performers, bike rentals, carriage rides, etc.

 

[lizzi6692]

Hmm, well we go to every park on the 9 days I made but on the 10th day is when we leave the resort in the morning. (Does ESPN count as a park with Downtown Disney because we're going there on one day but do we need the park hopper?)

So does that mean I book 10 days and 9 nights for resort and 9 tickets with 6 park hoppers? 3 days were only in one park. And for Water and Fun we go to the water parks on separate days so can we only buy 2 days for those tickets?

Does this make sense? This is what I got from allears and other sources of WDW websites.

Days on your ticket are in no way linked to the number of nights you stay. You could stay 7 nights and 14 day tickets, or vice versa(or any other number you choose). Going to ESPN requires the water park and more option or you may be able to pay admission for just that for one day though and it may be cheaper if you only plan to enter ESPN once and nothing else on the water park fun and more. If you add the water parks fun and more option it will give you the same amount of entries(which are different than days) as you have days on your tickets. This means you can enter a water park, Disney Quest, or ESPN as many times as you have days on your tickets, but unlike park tickets you can use these one day at a time or all in one day if you choose. Like the water parks fun and more option, park hoppers are one flat fee for your whole trip($62) not charged per day(and you get a discount if you have both options on your tickets). Downtown Disney is just shopping, restaurants, and entertainment not a park, so you do not need a ticket. I suggest you read a lot more(and ask more questions if need be) on this site before you officially book, because otherwise I have a feeling you may end up booking more than you need to.

 

[Aliceacc]

Take a look at the slide shows and fact sheets at www.allears.net You'll get a good feel for the resorts.

For what it's worth, friends of mine stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and loved it!! The kids particularlly enjoyed the pool.

As far as tickets go, we always get one for each day we're in Florida. Once you get past day #3 or 4, the difference in price is minimal. And you might find that you want to run back for an hour or so. (We always get a LATE flight home so we get at least half a day.)

Have fun planning!

 

[abk96]

We are staying 7 nights, 8 days and only have 6 day park hopper tickets. We won't use it on the first night because we get in later and we will have a relaxing down day on our departure day even though we don't leave until late.

You need to put the park hoppers on each ticket for the total ticket days. So if you get a 9 day ticket you will need to get a 9 day park hopper.

Definitely check out the websites everyone has listed here. They are very helpful.

Have fun!

 

[morninggale]

After reading and rereading the sticky thread that CalicoSky recommended and looking at allears.net. I'm either getting it or I'm majorly confused.

Let me get this straight the MYW tickets are major parks so I'll get 7 of those cause we go 6 1/2 out of 9 days to the major parks. (1/2 meaning we go to a minor then a a major on same day). But 3 out of those we go to 2 major parks so out of what abk96 wrote I will still get 7 park hoppers correct? Or should i just order them separately and get 3 park hoppers would I save money then?

Now the other 2 1/2 days are both water parks, ESPN, and, DisneyQuest and also Downtown Disney I know that it's a shopping thing for no admission now. So the Water Park Fun and More option then do I purchase then for only 2 days or is it like the park hopper?

Thank you to those who have replied to this thread and to those who have yet to reply. And to those who view it and not bother to post

 

[lizzi6692]

After reading and rereading the sticky thread that CalicoSky recommended and looking at allears.net. I'm either getting it or I'm majorly confused.

Let me get this straight the MYW tickets are major parks so I'll get 7 of those cause we go 6 1/2 out of 9 days to the major parks. (1/2 meaning we go to a minor then a a major on same day). But 3 out of those we go to 2 major parks so out of what abk96 wrote I will still get 7 park hoppers correct? Or should i just order them separately and get 3 park hoppers would I save money then?

Now the other 2 1/2 days are both water parks, ESPN, and, DisneyQuest and also Downtown Disney I know that it's a shopping thing for no admission now. So the Water Park Fun and More option then do I purchase then for only 2 days or is it like the park hopper?

Thank you to those who have replied to this thread and to those who have yet to reply. And to those who view it and not bother to post

Park hoppers are a one time, static fee whether you have 1 day tickets or 14 day tickets. Like park hoppers it is a one time fee that is the same no matter how many days your tickets are for. Park Hopper and WPFM are each around $62 when purchased separately, but you get a discount if you buy both(I believe it's around $100 for both per person).

 

[I Run Long]

Hi Morninggale! I going to give this a shot and try and explain.

This is what I do. We always arrive late in the day so we never get a ticket for that day, nor do we get a ticket for the day we depart. So let's, for the sake of argument, say that means out of 12 days we are in DW, we are actually only able to visit the parks (meaning MK, DHS, AK and Epcot) for 10 days. We would buy a 10 day MYW ticket with PH and Water Parks and more add-on. We do love to Park Hop, so hence the Park Hoppers add-on. Also like the water parks so we get that too. The 10 day MYW with Park Hopper will let you visit all the major parks, as indicated above, as many times as you like in 10 days. DTD doesn't count - it's free anyway. So if you want to visit all 4 parks in 1 day, you can because you have park hoppers. The water park add-on also lets you visit them 10 times because a 10 day ticket gives you 10 visits. Visits to a water park DO NOT count against your 10 day MYW ticket with PH. So if you use all of your 10 day MYW ticket - you conceivably still have 10 visits to the water parks and Disney Quest to use. I say conceivably because remember your tickets begin to expire and will expire in 14 days after you walk through the first gate at any of the major parks. If you want a ticket with PH it must and will equal the same amount of days that you buy the MYW ticket. If it is a 4 day MYW ticket if will have 4 days of PH. If it is a 5 day MYW ticket it will have a 5 day PH. You can't buy a ticket a 5 day MYW ticket with say only 3 days of PH. It simply doesn't work that way. The same goes for Water Parks and More add-on. The number of days you buy your MYW ticket will equal that number of days that your Water Park & More add-on. It can be really confusing but suffice to say: any add-on you buy whether it be PH or Water Park will equal the number of days of your base MYW ticket. It can never be separate. Hope I haven't confused the issue.

Also meant to add - like lizzie6692 says - the PH add-on, as well as, the water park add-on are a fixed fee regardless of how many days you MYW tickets are.

 

[dpswift]

After reading and rereading the sticky thread that CalicoSky recommended and looking at allears.net. I'm either getting it or I'm majorly confused.

Let me get this straight the MYW tickets are major parks so I'll get 7 of those cause we go 6 1/2 out of 9 days to the major parks. (1/2 meaning we go to a minor then a a major on same day). But 3 out of those we go to 2 major parks so out of what abk96 wrote I will still get 7 park hoppers correct? Or should i just order them separately and get 3 park hoppers would I save money then?

Now the other 2 1/2 days are both water parks, ESPN, and, DisneyQuest and also Downtown Disney I know that it's a shopping thing for no admission now. So the Water Park Fun and More option then do I purchase then for only 2 days or is it like the park hopper?

Thank you to those who have replied to this thread and to those who have yet to reply. And to those who view it and not bother to post

MYW gets you into 1 park each day MK day1, AK day2, and so on.

Park hopper allows you into as many parks as you want each day. You could go t o all 4 major parks each day if you choose. This option is great for teens who like to stay out late because some parks close really early depending on the season.

Water park and more gets you a certain amount of additional entries to the water parks and Disney Quest. These are best used on a day that you do not go to the parks because they do not cost an admission. EX if you have 7 days you can buy a 5 day MYW water park and more go to the parks 5 days and the water parks the other 2.

 

[CalicoSky]

You are correct regarding the 7 days of base tickets to cover your major parks.

If you opt to add park hoppers, Water Parks & More, or both, each one is a fixed-price add-on. You pay the same price whether you want one hopper day, seven hopper days, or any number in between. Likewise, you pay the same price whether you decide to use one Water Parks & More entitlement (ticket) or several.The number of entitlements you get is based on the number of base tickets you've ordered--get seven base tickets, and you get seven admissions (per person) to the minor parks.

Now whether or not you'd actually care to USE all of them is another story. I'd wind up hospitalized from exhaustion!

In the link I provided earlier, base tickets, hoppers, and Water Parks & More are all covered in the second post overall (first post is table of contents). Examples are provided. If you run into more questions, you may have better luck getting them answered in the Theme Park boards, since it sounds like your original resort days/nights question has been resolved.