1st timer & don't know were to start

[Packerfan30]

I have never been to WDW before and we ( DH,DS-10, DD-4, and myself) are planning our 1st trip March 3rd-9th. I have been trying to read as much as I can about were to stay, eat, and go but am becoming slightly overwhelmed. Please if anyone can help, here are a few questions I have.
1. Is the 1st week in March a good time to go? (after President's before spring break)
2. Dh wants to stay at a value resort but I love the thought of the water activities of the POR and other moderates(paddle boats and etc). Is it worth the money to stay moderate and if so where? Is POP the best value resort? Dh has had 2 major back surgeries and walking for long periods kills his back so we will have a few days of down time to hang around the hotel and I just want the kids to have stuff to do.
3. I would love to do a character dinner for my kids. What do these usually cost or is it better to have the dining plan?

Thank you in advance for any help. I want to give my kids the most magical trip I can without breaking the bank.

 

[stitchlover]

I have never been to WDW before and we ( DH,DS-10, DD-4, and myself) are planning our 1st trip March 3rd-9th. I have been trying to read as much as I can about were to stay, eat, and go but am becoming slightly overwhelmed. Please if anyone can help, here are a few questions I have.
1. Is the 1st week in March a good time to go? (after President's before spring break)
2. Dh wants to stay at a value resort but I love the thought of the water activities of the POR and other moderates(paddle boats and etc). Is it worth the money to stay moderate and if so where? Is POP the best value resort? Dh has had 2 major back surgeries and walking for long periods kills his back so we will have a few days of down time to hang around the hotel and I just want the kids to have stuff to do.
3. I would love to do a character dinner for my kids. What do these usually cost or is it better to have the dining plan?

Thank you in advance for any help. I want to give my kids the most magical trip I can without breaking the bank. [/QUOTE]



First of all Welcome!!!! You and your family will have a "magical" time. We generally go during Texas springbreak in mid-March and have found the crowds not too bad. Our trip is March 13-March 22, so it sounds like you will be there a little earlier. Shouldn't be too bad.
Our first trip we stayed in a Value and it was fine. It is nice and we had never been. We decided it was like staying in a Days Inn in a big city somewhere. We were very happy with POFQ when we stayed there this past spring. It was a nice quite resort with a wonderful pool for our DD. The price really depends on what you are able and feel comfortable paying. We thought the moderate was well worth the money. Plus of all the moderates POFQ (Port Orleans French Quarter) is the smallest and very easy to get around.
Again DDP is really a personal choice. We do it each trip and can't imagine going without it. We do SEVERAL character meals each trip. We will be onsite 8 full days again this trip and plan to attend 5 character meals (thank you DDP). We figure we want to enjoy them before DD out grows them.
I remember feeling completely overwhelmed our first trip. We booked in January for that March and our second trip in '07 was a completely different experience from the '06 trip. In '06 I didn't know anything about disboards.com and didn't have time to research anything! Read the boards, don't OVER plan, then sit back and enjoy!

 

[MisMikiNikiLynne]

When we stay onsite we stay in a value (we don't go there to see the rooms and the rooms are very simular in the value and mods anyways). We have occasionally stayed offsite, but only when we go as a family with 2 drivers (one to dirve and one to navigate).
We always get the DDP. It is such a bargain as it will pay for itself in just a couple of TS's! It may seem like a lot of money upfront, but once you look at what you will typically pay for at a meal you will notice the savings.
If you are needing onsite (resort) entertainment for a couple of days the pools at the value resorts are very nice, especially for your kids ages. POP does have a water fountain area for the little kids along with a couple of pools.
No matter where you stay, you will have a great time!

 

[seabee]

First off- WELCOME! I am so excited for you to be taking your first trip to the World! We have gone the first week in March and loved it. It wasn't that crowded, and the weather was great. We are coming from Maine, so any break from the winter weather is great to us. It did get hot enough one day that we went to Blizzard Beach. You might want pants and sweatshirts or a fleece for the evenings.

I really can't tell you much about weather to go to a value or moderate, as we usually stay at Shades of Green. I have stayed at All Stars Sports one time, but that was about 10 years ago. I guess I would look at how much you think you are going to be in the room, and how much money you want to spend on it. Whether you want to keep the extra money for in the parks or go ahead and put it on the room.

Dinners I can definately give my opinion, as I LOOOOVE Disney dining. I have never used the dining plan, but have checked it out. What I have figured out is, if you plan on doing a sit down meal everyday that you are there, use it. If not, I wouldn't bother. That is just my opinion though. Some character meals that we have enjoyed are Chef Mickey's(we do this everytime), Liberty Tree Tavern, Crystal Palace, and breakfast at the castle-Cinderella's Royal Table. A dinner show that is a MUST DO is the Hoop De Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness. Prices run for character meals at about $29 plus tax. It is cheaper for breakfast or dinner sittings. CRT is more, I can't remember how much. The HDDR is aprx. $50 for adults and $25 for kids. Hope this helps! Hope you have a great trip. Oh, make sure you make reservations for your dining choices. You can make them 180 days out.

 

[seabee]

I just thought of another character meal. I noticed that you have a 4 yr. old. If she watches PlayHouse Disney, Hollywood & Vine is a decent buffet. We did this last year for lunch and my DD5 loved it. The food was pretty good, and I think they had a really great selection for kids. Just a thought.

 

[grumpy.uncle]

Welcome to the DIS. Your first step will be to decide where you want to stay. You can get a free WDW video sent to you. It's great to have for the kids to view before the trip. Also, go to AAA or your local bookstore and pick up a couple of good WDW tour books. You can also get lots of info on this website along w/ the official WDW website, ALLears, etc. After deciding where you want to stay, you can start researching the different dining options on these websites. You will need to decide if you want to do DDP. It really is a great deal if you aren't planning on eating any meals in your room. Most people who utilize the DDP tend to think that they give you alot of food for your money. If you are planning on doing at least one table service meal per day, then it is worth it to purchase DDP. Food is the one area where you can easily end up spending a fortune on. My sister had an experience years ago at the IHOP across the street from Disneyland. Her family of four ( with 2 young girls that didn't eat hardly anything) went to IHOP for a basic breakfast. If ended up costing over $100 for the four of them. That is just ridiculous considering breakfast is one of the cheapest meals to fix. I'm not sure what they are charging for DDP at this time, but it is definitely a good deal if you are planning on eating 2 meals a day on property. As the previous poster stated, you will then want to decide on some if not all of the table service meals you plan on going to. It's easiest to have a general day by day itenerary and book meals at the park or area you plan on being near during that meal. As stated, you can book reservations at restaurants at the 180 day mark. There are so many great meal choices at WDW; you won't get bored, trust me. You want to have a general plan of action, but try not to get too overly planned. Before our first trip to WDW, my sister and I planned for about 2 years. We figured that it would be our one and only trip to WDW and we wanted everything perfect. It pretty much went as planned. We had a great trip and I have been back twice since then. The last trip was for my 50th B.D. with 4 friends who were new to WDW. I wanted to show them a great time, so I had a general plan as to which park we were going to each day and a couple dining reservations. The rest of it I left fairly flexible. Even if I asked everyone to be ready by 8:00 a.m., it seemed that we never got out of the hotel until 8:15 to 8:30. I could have let that drive me crazy, but I had allready been twice and just let it go. There will be things that happen that you can't control, so you need to have a degree of flexibility in your planning. Planning is half the fun. You and your family will have a great time. Enjoy every step of the way. This will be a family trip you will remember for ever. Happy planning! G.U.

 

[byoung]

Welcome to the DIS!!! To us it's worth going to the mods.

 

[jcpuppy.com]

I have not stayed at the values, but would like to say if you plan to be at your resort a fair amount and are not pressed for money then I would suggest upgrading the best you can. One of the nicer parts of Disney is the whole exp..the resort, the dining, the parks. This is your first trip, so you will be more jazzed by the parks, but you will soon appreciate what the resorts have to offer. It sounds like you may be staying in your resort a bit more and having a pool with a slide and playground equipment and stuff can be quite helpful with kids around.
Choose a theme that you all like. You can request a building that will fit your healthstyle best..near the main pool or near the main bus etc... if hubby can make it around a park, he will be able to make it from his building to a pool.

 

[disneyfan2]

Welcome, Yes there is alot of planning involved but it is so worth it. I think the first week of March should be a good time. We stayed at All Star Movies because the theme was great, but if you plan on spending alot of time in the hotel, then there might not be enough to do in the values.

I did the DDP in the past but you need to decide if it is worth while for your family. The changes coming next year might not make it as great a value unless you eat alot and plan on doing alot of sit down dinners. It will take away alot of time in the parks, because the dinners take time, and transportation to off site restaurants need time for transportation. Your son will pay full price for the dining because he is over 10 and you need to decide how much food you really eat. Without the dining, you could share some meals. If you did 1 or 2 character meals it still might be better without the dining. But if you would like to squeeze in 1 each day, then go for the dining plan

You really want to maximize your time in the park where possible. Your first and last days because of check out-airport transportation etc will be limited, so you will have 5 full days to utilize. It is best to get to the parks early in the day before it gets too busy, then either take a break in the hotel in the afternoon and return at night for the night activities. Even if you don't want to do alot of walking at night, you can go to Epcot and watch the Illuminations fireworks show. Studios to watch Fantasmic, MK for wishes, parades, spectromagic etc.

Good luck

 

[dr&momto2boys]

Welcome!

If it fits your budget better, the value resorts are just fine. Sure the rooms are small (but really the rooms at the mods are too.) The kids will think the value resorts are awesome! The theming at AS Movies may really appeal to them. All of them have pools and playgrounds and are just fun to hang around. In my opinion POP is only better because it has it's own bus. I haven't stayed there though.

We are a family that often stays in luxery hotels on business trips and vacations, but we stayed at AS Movies when we went with our extended family and we thought it was just fine.

If a big part of your vacation will be hanging out at the resort, and you can swing it financially then do consider the mods but don't feel that you won't have a good time at the values!

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Welcome,
The dining plan has changed for 2008 and you will want to read about and fully understand it before you decide. Also know that as soon as you make your trip reservations you want to get on the phone and book your Advance Dining reservations for any character meals at the very least and any other sit down meals as you figure out where you want to eat them. They start booking these 180 days out.
If you want to do the water sports [and have the option of riding by boat to Down town Disney] the Port Orleans Riverside or French quarter is the way to go, I love the POR myself. Be aware the paddle boats etc. cost extra, though not the boat to DDT as that is just part of the Disney transportation system and is included in your stay and or your park tickets.
Your husband might consider renting an ECV in the parks if his back is bad remember people walk 10 to 15 miles a day at Disney.
Do get a guide book Steve Birnbaums is excellent and has some coupons in the back as well.

 

[Mkrop]

Ok here is my.02 cents worth:

Get the UOG and read that it will help and then ask more questions here on the various boards.

Pack a variety of clothes for March. We went several years ago the first week in March and our first two days were chilly. I had packed a lot of shorts and was beginning to panic but it did warm up to the 80s so it was fine. AK was a great park to tour on the cooler days bc it is mostly outside and it is huge. Something to consider if that will help you DH tolerate it more.

We also loved the Dining Plan, it is a lot of food but this was the only way I could get DH to meet characters since he wont stand in long lines for them. So our sitdown meal each day was a character meal. We did either breakfast of lunch bc we didnt know how long DS4 would last and our 2nd day he did crash early. This worked for us too, it was a nice break midday.

We did Chef Mickey (BK a lot of fun) H&V PHD (BK a lot of fun too) CP (Fabulous lunch) and Garden Grille (good food, you may read otherwise but we really liked it and it was fabulous character interaction).

We stayed at CR bc we wanted the ease and convience of the monorail with a stroller and a 4year old.

Have fun planning and ask lots of questions.

 

[vanillarum]

I would definitely read (and reread !) The Unofficial Guide to WDW, and get the newest edition available. We are leaving in 3 days, and this will be our 4th trip, but the first one that we planned ourselves. It takes a little time, but between the guide and the Dis, we found everything that we needed to know. And there are some great Disney travel agents out there ! Good luck and have a great time !!!

 

[eventsdj]

Welcome Packer fan!
Are you in Wisconsin btw?? We are near Kenosha.

I am planning my first trip in 8 years, first for dd (4).

We are staying at POP, I have read and researched wonderful things, and I am NOT going to spend the extra money when we're not in the room often.
I would rather spend it on extras!

I would think with 2 little ones (well, one "almost" pre-teen) a place like POP would be right up your alley!

Remember, the weather in EARLY March could be hit-or-miss. Do you want to pay for the great pool and only be able to use it once?


We are doing the dining plan, this is a first for us, but last time we went, we did not sit down to a single nice meal.
This way, I am guaraunteed to sit and eat at a nice place every day.
It sounds like more than enough food! THere are already days when I'm thinking all we will do is eat!

Plus, by booking through WDW, I was able to put my whole package together (except for airfare, I found a great rate at Midwest Airlines) and put only $200 down.

Now, I pay off on it weekly, so when we get to WDW, all well have to pay for is extras!
THe thought of not shelling out $150 a day for food is nice!

 

[BigGreen73]

I have never been to WDW before and we ( DH,DS-10, DD-4, and myself) are planning our 1st trip March 3rd-9th. I have been trying to read as much as I can about were to stay, eat, and go but am becoming slightly overwhelmed. Please if anyone can help, here are a few questions I have.
1. Is the 1st week in March a good time to go? (after President's before spring break)
2. Dh wants to stay at a value resort but I love the thought of the water activities of the POR and other moderates(paddle boats and etc). Is it worth the money to stay moderate and if so where? Is POP the best value resort? Dh has had 2 major back surgeries and walking for long periods kills his back so we will have a few days of down time to hang around the hotel and I just want the kids to have stuff to do.
3. I would love to do a character dinner for my kids. What do these usually cost or is it better to have the dining plan?

Thank you in advance for any help. I want to give my kids the most magical trip I can without breaking the bank.

Congrats on the first trip and welcome to the DIS. There is so much useful info on these forums you won't be disappointed you signed up. Now off to your questions.

1) The time in March you picked should be fine. My DW and I go the 1st couple weeks of May, once spring break is over, and the crowds etc are very manageable.

2) I am an avid fan of Pop Century and can't say enough good things about it. It is wonderfully themed and a great family atmosphere. My DW and I have stayed there 3 yrs in a row and will be making it 4 next may. Pop has three pools, an arcade, 2 kid's sprinkler pools, a play ground, and they run various activities for kids in the food court area. If you want down time at POP, you won't be disappointed. Many families spend the majority of their day there. Here are a few pics:

3) Character dining usually run $20-$30+ per person on average. If you are planning on doing a table service/ character meal everyday, then the dining plan is the way to go. Just be warned it is a lot of food. I have never used the dining plan as we pretty much just eat where we are at the time. We did the Crystal Palace meal when we when in May and that ran us $60, but that was the only character meal we did. So much food.


Well, I hope that helps a little. Enjoy.

 

[Packerfan30]

Thank you everyone for all the great information!! I'm going to the book store tomorrow to see if I can find the books there. I'm so excited, I feel like the kid.


eventsdj- Welcome Packer fan!
Are you in Wisconsin btw?? We are near Kenosha.

Yep, we are right near you in Oak Creek. Enjoying the awful heat?!

 

[LilTinks]

Hi PackerFan30...

I'm a newcomer as well...we've been planning our 1st family trip with our 2 little girls for the last year and I was so overwhelmed with questions. options, etc. in the beginning as well. I don't know if you're handy in Excel spreadsheets, but my spreadsheet has been very helpful in helping me to narrow down an itinerary, figure out my meals (I'm doing the meal plan) and just feeling like I had a place to organize everything. It was also a great place to record helpful websites like this one, mousesavers.com, the Disney site and so on...this way, all of my links were in one place (I was websurfing a lot in the beginning stages of planning and started having trouble remembering which websites I'd seen certain information on). Even if you aren't the spreadsheet type, I'd highly recommend finding a system for organizing your info so that it's not overwhelming (I've read that some people put together binders with tabs and/or create daily "maps" of where they'll go...).

Anyway you do it, enjoy the process of planning and the anticipation of going to Disney! This forum is a great place to get all of your questions answered!

 

[siskaren]

Thank you everyone for all the great information!! I'm going to the book store tomorrow to see if I can find the books there.

I would highly recommend the Passporter guidebook because it is also a planner, organizer, and journal.

 

[Disney Crazy Debbie]

Let me get this one out before I forget - the EMHs can be tricky. The morning EMH are usually great but the evening ones can be crowded. One year I planned every park opposite the EMH-PM and it was great and then the next year we decided to take advantage of them so we booked around the EMH-PM and it was a mistake because it was super crowded. However, we went in August both times and you're traveling in March so it should be less crowded.

With your son being 10 I'd check out one of the pirate parties , especially if you do something girlish for your daughter like CRT or something . One of the places that they do pirate things is at the Caribbean Beach (mod.) but you don't have to be a guest at that specific resort.

Just relax, do what you can to enjoy it enough that you want to go back again, and again. Don't forget to catch the firework displays at MK and Epcot plus the evening show at Disney Studios, Fantasmic.