Advice for a long trip

[Beezle2]

We are leaving soon for our big vacation..21 days in Fl! We are very excited, and plan lots of fun but lots of rest and relaxing also. These boards have been a life saver in planning and budgeting. I was wondering if there are DIS families that have taken long vacations and if you have any advice budgetwise or other to pass along? How many days did you really spend at the parks? Did your food budget runneth over, your patience runneth short? Did you pack light, or bring it all? We are driving down, have 2 weeks at a condo and our last week on site at POR. We are doing Disney (FITS pass), Universal (5 daypass), Kennedy Space Center, DTD, CityWalk. We are doing the CP on Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner at LTT..if we can get in that day! I've planned, and planned, and read these boards to DEATH I tell you...Any last minute advice for me? I'd be happy to hear it

 

[TonyS20]

Have fun! That is my only advice. We were at WDW for 11 days last year and spent 8 days in the parks. Be sure to take time to tour the WDW resorts! Don't miss the GF and WL. We spent several afternoons wandering around the resorts.

We did pretty good on our food budget. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we tried to be as frugal as possible in order to not spend our entire vacation budget. We probably spent $50-$60/day (DH and I) on food. I tried to keep good tabs on it and keep it under control.

As long as you have days were you can sleep in or do whatever you consider to be "relaxing" then you should be fine. It was nice to spend the afternoons in the pool or to roll out of bed at 10 am a few mornings! Of course, that is us.

I hope you have a very magical trip!

 

[disneysteve]

We have not had the pleasure of an extended trip, but I know one thing. We would go out of our minds if we had to eat out every day for 3 weeks. Usually by the 3rd or 4th day of a week long trip we're sick of restaurants. We always have breakfast in the room when we are away, but on a trip that long I'd plan to do some cooking for dinners as well. Since you'll be in a condo for 2 weeks, plan some good healthy meals - you know, the kind with veggies and nothing deep fried - unlike most of the meals in the parks.

Sitting down to a nice home cooked meal after a day on the go is very calming in a way that being in a crowded restaurant just isn't. No need to do anything terribly complex - something simple like grilled veggies over pasta would be perfect. Quick, easy and cheap (which helps stretch that food budget also).

As for going into the parks, I'd definitely get AP's. That way, you can hop into the parks freely for a full day or just a couple of hours without worrying about wasting a day on a regular pass. I find that when we have a regular hopper pass, we're more likely to push ourselves in the parks. We're much more laid back when we have AP's.

Have a great trip. I'm jealous.

Steve

 

[Beezle2]

Originally posted by TonyS20
Have fun! That is my only advice. We were at WDW for 11 days last year and spent 8 days in the parks. Be sure to take time to tour the WDW resorts! Don't miss the GF and WL. We spent several afternoons wandering around the resorts.>>

I can't wait to seethe resort decorations! they are definately high on my list!

We did pretty good on our food budget. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we tried to be as frugal as possible in order to not spend our entire vacation budget. We probably spent $50-$60/day (DH and I) on food. I tried to keep good tabs on it and keep it under control. >>

I think I haev a good handle on the food budget...I really tried We bought 8 Q&C vouchers and 8 of the VKL. I also budgeted 1200 in cash for 2 adults, 10yr, 15yr and a 2yr old. We will do all bfasts in room except for our free bfast voucher. Also will do offsite and meals and the condo. Fingers are crossed on keeping this budget in check!


I hope you have a very magical trip!

>>>
Thank you I sure am ready to have this waiting be over!

alisa

 

[Beezle2]

Originally posted by disneysteve
[
As for going into the parks, I'd definitely get AP's. That way, you can hop into the parks freely for a full day or just a couple of hours without worrying about wasting a day on a regular pass. I find that when we have a regular hopper pass, we're more likely to push ourselves in the parks. We're much more laid back when we have AP's.>>>.

We already have our FITS pass..I thought about APs but we really won't be going back within the year. I thought the FITS pass was such an awesome deal! Love the Disney Quest access for the 2 middle kids, they will go there multiple times I'm sure.

You don't know this but your posts have been very helpful in determining that 2 weeks offsite was the way to go You helped me decide! We splurged a little for the last week onsite but it falls into value season and we got a AAA discount. We got a much longer trip by making these decisions.

Have a great trip. I'm jealous.

Steve [/B]

>>

LOL Don't be jealous, we really saved all year and passed up any smaller trips to pull this off. DH works crazy hours (construction) during the summer and we are looking forward to the long down time and family fun. I look forward to hearing about your next trip!

alisa

 

[Local_Girl]

Your countdown timer shows we leave at the same time...and we're just up the road from you in Holland! We are also driving, so maybe we'll see you on the road, LOL!!

We were in WDW last year for 8 days and had such a great time we decided to do 14 days this year. We are staying the entire time in a condo (offsite) because we loved the space and got a great deal. My advice to you, since you are also in a condo for a couple of weeks, is to plan to do some meals there. They can be super easy (crock pot meals, etc.) so there's not a lot of prep involved. I think this is a huge budget saver and it gives a family time to unwind and relax.

We also have the FITS passes--what a deal! And with your 5-day Universal pass you should have a lot of flexibility on what to do when. We are planning some non-park days every 2-3 days, though it looks like those days will be just as busy as a day in the themeparks! Anyway, we are planning to visit all 4 WDW parks and Universal (studios only) the first week when it should be less busy. The second week (Christmas week) is less planned, though we have a few things scheduled like CP on Christmas Eve (maybe we'll see you there too!) and a couple of PS ressies. I know the crowds will be heavy by then and I want to get the major touring done the first week and just do what we can when it's busy. We will probably do KSC after Christmas.

Regarding packing...layering is the key. Dec. is so unpredictable and you really need to be prepared for warm and cold weather. If you have a washer/dryer in your condo, you should be fine with a weeks worth of clothes...if all is clean when you move onsite, you could get by without having to do more laundry.


Sorry to be so long winded! Hope you and your family have a great trip!

 

[Sarahsmom85]

Please what is a FITS pass? We are going for 14 days and am trying to figure out what kind ofpass to buy. Thanksthe

 

[Cheshire Figment]

If you go to Mousesavers at http://www.mousesavers.com/specwdwtix.html#funinsun there are descriptions of a ten day World Pass and 30 Day Fun in the Sun Pass. These are not supposed to be sold in the US or Canada. However, some sources are listed.

 

[ncbyrne]

Our longest trip was 16 days in 2000. We flew into MCO. It was such an excellent trip! Sure wish we could afford that long every trip! We spent only have the time at the parks...8 days doing WDW stuff (including both Disney water parks and Disney Quest), 8 days doing other stuff...Universal, Splendid China (don't waste your time or money on this one!), mini golf on Rt 192 (some really excellent ones!), Space Center, dinner shows, etc. We saved a lot of money using offers in the Orlando Entertainment book. We split our trip between three resorts. We did non Disney stuff when we stayed offsite. Another posted commented on not wanting to eat that many meals in a restaurant, but for us that was part of the great fun. We did eat the deluxe continental (and complimentary) breakfast at our offsite resort for those days, but that was the only time we ate at the hotel. And, we never ate at the same restaurant more than once.

 

[Sarahsmom85]

Could you please now tell me who you got your FITS tickets from?
And what is the price? I can't find it listed anywhere.
This might be the way for us to go.
I was thinking a 5 day plus and use one water park and one PI.
This way we could use both water parks and several PI, I also was going to buy tickets to DQ,

 

[Beezle2]

Originally posted by Sarahsmom85
Could you please now tell me who you got your FITS tickets from?
And what is the price? I can't find it listed anywhere.
This might be the way for us to go.
I was thinking a 5 day plus and use one water park and one PI.
This way we could use both water parks and several PI, I also was going to buy tickets to DQ,

Sure Sara, go to www.paramountinternationaltravel.com They are the ones who sell the FITS pass. You have to get their number from the website and call them though. This pass is not listed. The FITS pass is a 30 day pass that includes alot of extras and cost $311. There is a $15 delivery charge.

 

[Local_Girl]

We also bought our FITS pass from Paramount. We dealt with Rosa, who was very pleasant and professional. Paramount also includes a breakfast voucher with each FITS pass purchased for most onsite restaurants (there are a few exceptions, I think) which is a great bonus.

I was concerned about purchasing and using the pass because I'm from the U.S. and it is supposedly only marketed overseas. I even went so far as to email Disney Guest Services to find out if we could purchase and use this pass. The reply I got back from them said they were not familiar with the FITS pass (I can't find the email or I'd tell you exactly). I thought that was silly, since there have been several people on the DIS who have used it successfully. So we took the plunge and bought the pass anyway. My personal feeling is that Disney doesn't want us to know about this great deal, thinking those of us in the U.S. will shell out more $$ for a PAP. Had Disney told me that we were ineligible to use the FITS pass, I would not have bought it! It is NOT my intent to get something I am not entitled to, only to get the best pass for our family's needs. Surely the Disney folks realize that if you have a lengthier pass with a long trip it would mean you will be in their parks more often and spending more $$ at Disney. Bottom line.

I'll post our experiences using the FITS pass when we return and you can judge whether or not it suits your needs!

 

[MHopkins2]

You might want to post your question on the UK board - I think those folks tend to take longer trips, due to a combination of the travel time and their usually-more-generous vacation allowance.

 

[Beezle2]

Originally posted by Local_Girl
Your countdown timer shows we leave at the same time...and we're just up the road from you in Holland! We are also driving, so maybe we'll see you on the road, LOL!! >>>

Wow! That is so cool How are you liking the snow today? Makes me want to leave town for sure!! I'm going to have to get a little Mickey antenna topper so I can be spotted. Are you going straight through or stopping? We haven't really nailed that down yet. I just know I'm READY already! Sounds like you have a great trip planned too, I hope you have a wonderful time! Thanks for all the tips

alisa

 

[tiger5]

What do the letters FITS stand for? Is this the same thing as the 10 world pass?

 

[Local_Girl]

Tiger5...

FITS stands for Fun In The Sun. It seems to be a better deal than the 10 day world pass. For one thing, it's cheaper (the FITS pass is $311 for adults, $251 for children) and it also includes a few other attractions in Florida (outside of Orlando), including Kennedy Space Center. It is good for 30 consecutive days in the 4 major WDW parks, the water parks, PI and the sports complex. It is not listed on the website, so you have to call Paramount and ask for it directly. I haven't received my passes yet...they are due to arrive tomorrow!!

Alisa...

So far we just have a little snow...but it's been pretty windy. I agree...it's time to "get out of Dodge"!! Wish we were leaving sooner too, although I'm not even close to being prepared yet!

We may actually be going a different route than you, since we'll be heading toward Chicago first, then zipping down through Indianapolis on I-65. We are stopping for the night in northern Georgia.

Anyway, hope you and your family have a great trip! I'm planning on having something lime green to identify us as DISers. Hope to see other DISers doing the same!!