Advice needed for planning WDW trip

[Alpha0meqa]

Hello all,

I'm a bit of a WDW newbie. I've been once or twice when I was younger but I barely remember much. Our daughter will be turning 1 in April and our Wedding Anniversary is also in April so I'm thinking of looking into a WDW vacation.

We can basically get free flights to Orlando as we have lots of points. Some questions below

1. I've read through a lot of posts and it seems April/May is busy depending on spring break, and Easter being quite late into April. Should we just go for May? I was actually thinking of the week before/after Easter which is apparently busy as crap....We don't mind a crowd but if it's literally a top 5 busiest week of the year then we will avoid that if possible! Any suggestions? Definitely wanting to go before June and After April 11th.

2. Are we nuts for taking a 1 year old? I know she will not remember a thing, but we will. And with the help of a Camera we can capture some of those happy moments forever.

3. Definitely should stay in a WDW Resort I'm guessing?

4. Are we screwed with regards to the restaurant dining booking? Someone in another forum recommended booking 180 days out. Holy crap.

That's it for now. Thank you all in advance

 

[Specter]

I can't speak to the crowds at that time of year. My wife is a teacher so we are pretty much limited to going in March whenever her Spring Break is(really enjoyed our March trip), summer, which we don't do because of a combination of heat and the high chance of rain (and we're from Texas, we want to escape the heat and humidity in summer), or Thanksgiving or Christmas breaks. With that said, that means that we go during some high traffic times and while there are definitely crowds, if you go in realizing that and with the right expectation, I think it will turn out just fine. In fact, we actually really like going near Christmas because of the decorations. I would say, though, that if you can afford to, try to plan a 7-10 day trip if it is a busy season. We usually try to give ourselves around 8 park days and we get the hopper tickets so that we can visit one in the morning, take a midday break, and then do something different in the evening. We like that length trip because it lets us take our time and not wear ourselves out.

We haven't gone with a child of our own yet, but are expecting our first and we have a trip currently planned for Christmas week this year, when she should be right around 7 months old. So, I can't speak from experience as a parent but when our niece was 11.5 months old we took an extended family trip and she did great, and like you mentioned, we have some great pictures of her just experiencing everything around her. As far as the logistics, that I don't have that firsthand knowledge of, I just know that she was a trooper on that vacation and we had a great time.

I would stay at an on-site resort for the convenience, personally, though I have no idea what promotions are usually offered for your planned dates. But the transportation to and from the parks, and even to and from the airport is nice, and we always enjoy landing, not worrying about luggage, getting on the bus and getting to the resort. It's like once we're checked in at the airport vacation mode has really started.

As for the restaurants, if you want the most popular ones, you really might be out of luck. There are cancellations and you should definitely try to get what you want, but you might have to be really flexible with your times. We do book our reservations 180 days out, and a lot of people here, to include my wife and I, set calendars and alarms and we wake up early on the 180 day mark to call in/get online and make the reservations to insure we get what we want. I already know that on June 23rd I have to be up to get those booked, if we want to be sure to get as close to our desired time at the restaurants we want. But, my wife and I are kind of foodies, so we really have a good time talking and reviewing menus. We never outright plan what we are going to eat at each restaurant, but we take turns reading courses and we imagine this appetizer or that entree or dessert, and then we narrow down our list, etc. Plus, knowing what park or resort you need to be in for dinner sort of helps us to figure out which parks we will visit each day. Epcot has several places we enjoy, but we don't really want to do the same park two evenings in a row if we can help it so we try and come up with a schedule to spread things around and that is also why it is important (for us) to book as soon as possible. But, again, people do cancel so call, talk to a CM, try to get what you can, have backups, and then check periodically for those cancellations.

Hope it helps and good luck.

 

[3gr8boys]

My experience is limited compared to many Dis folks....but I can offer my take on your questions. I do suggest using the search tool to look for threads about spring breaks and April vs May (and any other specific questions). Not sure how long you have been reading the boards....you might find the common abbreviations thread under the Welcome to the Dis forum helpful.

1) I personally would not consider the week of Easter if I had other options.....unless those other options involved summer heat/humidity (long removed Florida native- I am a hot weather wimp) or other holiday weeks.

2) My youngest was 13 months on our first family trip. He had a great time.....we have pictures to prove it. If you are going because you and DH will enjoy it, a one year old is not a reason not to. If you are going for the one year old, I would consider waiting.

3) Definitely check out the Disney Resorts forum and the Orlando Hotels and Attractions forum.....There are folks who prefer offsite (often, I think, for more space/less $) and those, like me, who insist on staying at a Disney Resort. I LOVE being in the Disney bubble and I like to use Disney transportation....especially since we do a lot of park hopping.

4) Yes, many folks booked their dining reservations (ADRs are necessary for most table service restaurants) for April and May already. Hard to get ADRs (BOG, CRT, etc) may seem impossible...but people do change plans and things do open up. Check out the Dining Reservations forum (under the Disney Restaurants forum). Some people do travel ADR free......I am a 1 TS ADR per day person. I like the TS break and I am fond of character meals plus, my personality requires having at least some things set/reserved even though most of my plans go out the window.

 

[Klayfish]

Hello all,

I'm a bit of a WDW newbie. I've been once or twice when I was younger but I barely remember much. Our daughter will be turning 1 in April and our Wedding Anniversary is also in April so I'm thinking of looking into a WDW vacation.

We can basically get free flights to Orlando as we have lots of points. Some questions below

1. I've read through a lot of posts and it seems April/May is busy depending on spring break, and Easter being quite late into April. Should we just go for May? I was actually thinking of the week before/after Easter which is apparently busy as crap....We don't mind a crowd but if it's literally a top 5 busiest week of the year then we will avoid that if possible! Any suggestions? Definitely wanting to go before June and After April 11th.

2. Are we nuts for taking a 1 year old? I know she will not remember a thing, but we will. And with the help of a Camera we can capture some of those happy moments forever.

3. Definitely should stay in a WDW Resort I'm guessing?

4. Are we screwed with regards to the restaurant dining booking? Someone in another forum recommended booking 180 days out. Holy crap.

That's it for now. Thank you all in advance

I can't answer all of your questions, you'll see why below, but I'll answer as many as I can.

1. WDW is always busy. It's the most popular tourist destination in the country, and the most popular theme park in the world. So it is what it is. Spring Break week is a top 5 busy week, so avoid that if you're concerned about crowds. Otherwise, my suggestion is to just go whenever suits your needs best. We love summer, have gone many times, but also have gone twice during Xmas/New Years. That's the busiest week of the entire year, and we still had a blast each time.

2. Definitely strong pros and cons. As you said, your 1 year old won't remember anything, however you will. We brought our kids when our oldest was 4 and our twins were just turning 1. Seeing the amazement in their eyes was awesome. However, in all honesty, if I had to do it again I wouldn't. It was a lot of work and we just didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as previous...and subsequent...trips.

3. You'll find strong opinions on both sides here. Since this is a Disney-centric board, many here will tell you that staying in a WDW resort is the only way to go. It's "the bubble", convenience, etc... I totally respect that and that's what works for them. If it appeals to you, then go for it. Personally, I've said it a ton of times here, you couldn't pay me to stay in a WDW resort. No way. They're insanely overpriced for what you get. We rent a 4 bed, 2.5 bath condo offsite for a small fraction of a moderate/deluxe resort on property. To me, the whole "bubble" thing is quite silly. The "bubble" is what you make of it. Since we don't live in central Florida, when we go there the entire area is like being on vacation. Our "bubble" is not only WDW property, but all the things right around it...and there's a lot. Convenience of on-site? Not for us, it would actually be horribly inconvenient. We'd be stuck in one (or two) small hotel rooms, that doesn't sound like fun. Nowhere to stretch out and relax after a day in the parks. Having to rely on WDW buses to get around doesn't sound convenient for us, it sounds like a major headache. There are plenty who will say the same about driving around WDW, and that's perfectly acceptable too...it's all about what matters to you. We like having essentially a full "home" while on vacation, including kitchen, family room, in house laundry, etc... We like the convenience of having our car so that we can go where we want, when we want. We like doing a few things off property (going for ice cream, gift shops, etc...).

4. My understanding is that most sit down restaurants run out of reservations quickly, and 180 days out is the time to do it. We don't eat in the sit down restaurants, so I'm not an expert here. Since we rent a condo or townhouse, we have a full kitchen. We pack almost all of our own food. It's incredibly cheaper, and we enjoy being able to bring the foods we want. However, there are still plenty of quick service restaurants you can use, or I'm sure you can find sit down places less than 180 days out. Once in a while, we'll eat in a restaurant in the World Showcase. We make reservations, but it's 2 or 3 days out, and when we get there, it was clear we didn't need them anyway.

Have fun planning and hope you enjoy the trip!!!

 

[sullyfam]

1. In my experience, I would avoid any weeks that involve a holiday or known big event. I would avoid Easter completely. Perhaps a random week in early May? I know all schools have spring breaks at different times so that's hard to plan for. But the time around Easter and April vacation (3rd week in April) is historically very busy. As other have stated, there's really no "good" time to go anymore so plan what works for your family.
2. We took our 1 year old (she's our youngest of 3) for her 1st birthday. As stated, lots of great pictures and fond memories. It's a tough age though as they are mobile and want to be down on the ground exploring (not easy at WDW). They are past the baby stage of being content with being held all the time. We were flat out exhausted at the end of every day; it was a lot of work keeping her entertained/busy/content on rides, in restaurants, on Disney transport. People do it all the time and will tell you differently, but me personally, I would not do it again nor would I recommend it.
3. Disney property 100%. Especially with a little one.
4. Yes, the hard to get ADRs will be taken at 180 days out. However, you can still book plenty of reservations up to the day before you go. People change plans all the time and things open up. I wouldn't stress about the ADRs. With a 1 year old, things change depending on their temperament or mood of the moment so I wouldn't think you'd want to make a ton of reservations anyways. Perhaps 1 per day? I would plan your schedule first and then try and get a reservation at the park you are planning to be at that day. Then do quick serve for the rest. The characters meals are always fun with the little ones; that's mostly all we did with our 1 year old. It's a form of distraction. Places that have music, entertainment or a dinner show are also good choices.

Good luck!

 

[sponica]

If you can handle the heat, early May has manageable crowds. From what I remember had we been on an adults trip we would have accomplished a lot, but we had a 21 month old so we went at a slower pace. The heat was starting to set in, but it wasn't humid yet.

I don't think you're nuts. My friend has an AP, took her son when he was 9 months, then again at 15 months, she felt 9 months was easiest. I had another friend take her daughter around a year, she had a blast. The pics are awesome, and you just have to go with the flow. We did two table seatings a day (mainly because my inlaws demanded it) and that worked well for us.

I'm exclusively onsite until my daughter is out of a carseat. It's less of a hassle to get on DME and then use the resort transportation than to fly down with a carseat, install it in a rental car, etc.

The primo spots might be taken, but you'll find a lot of places the night before as people change their plans, also at 30 days out when the final payments are due on packages. Also if you're a party of 3, look for reservations for 4 people. Some places do have 3 tops, but others will sit you at the 4 top and the algorithm can't see that 3 people will sit at a 4 top, but 4 people can sit there just fine.

 

[CaLuCa]

Definitely GO! I LOVE Disney with a 1 year old! EVERYTHING is so magical to them. I've taken kiddos at 6 months, 9 months, 15 months, and up. Honestly, they are so much easier than a meltdown tantrum throwing toddler, or even a newly potty trained kiddo! People always tell me,"They'll never remember it. Why bother?" Well, they don't remember eating their birthday cake, or going to Sunday School, or their first go down the slide, but YOU will and it is so magical. I adore the pictures of my oldest DD at Disney when she was a fat chubby little baby and an inquisitive 2 year old who danced in the puddles while wearing her pink princess poncho. Does she even have a clue what I am talking about? No, but that simple image transports me to a day that I hold on to when things are not so delightful (she's 15, now). So go! Take your baby!

Best things to do...bring fave snacks. Stroller. Stay on site. Live through her eyes. Video everything, even the horrid character interactions. I had one kid who would only see Piglet. NO one else.

If you can, skip April. Around Easter is spring break for most of the US, especially the east coast. My twins birthday is early May and this seemed a great time crowd wise to go. You're past spring break, but schools aren't out yet. Weather is delightful.

Dining. Do not fret. My younger DD (she's 8) and I just went for New Years Eve at MK. I KNEW we would need something to eat since we'd be there all night. I looked and found Jungle, Diamond Horseshoe, LTT, and maybe something else on Sunday and booked it for Monday. I did not see BOG or CP or the castle, but I wasn't wanting those. When a reservation is just for a small group, you will always find something the day before or even the day of, especially during a non holiday time. (That said, I tried to get Sci Fi for my family of 6 the Sunday of Vetern's Day weekend, and could not. I could have had something else in HS, but everyone was adamant they wanted Sci Fi.) One suggestion, only book one character meal until you know for certain she is okay with characters. That's an awful lots of money to pay to listen to your child scream in terror every time Tigger comes by.

Have fun!

 

[amberpi]

4. Are we screwed with regards to the restaurant dining booking? Someone in another forum recommended booking 180 days out. Holy crap.

That's it for now. Thank you all in advance

We planned a week long trip 3 weeks out and got all the reservations and fps we wanted. If you're going in a lower week you'll be fine, or just keep refreshing. That was how we got California Grill for the exact time we wanted it. 8:50 with like 9:15 fireworks. The kids were captivated and we didn't have to brave the HEA crowds. People on this forum make way too big of a deal of planning so far out. You can make it work. Don't worry.

 

[amberpi]

Also, we did 2 trips almost back to back (August and early October) and stayed onsite at the Swan and offsite at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. While we had a car (never, ever, ever doing that again). I've been saying for years that the service at WDW Deluxes just sucks and when you consider their prices it REALLY sucks. We loved being offsite and having a it of breather from the gogo WDWness. We got Ubers with carseats and it was easy peasy. I'm sure we spent less in Ubers than parking would have been; of course we were paying for valet at the hotel, so there's that and I think we used it once...lol. That trip to the grocery and liquor store I'm sure paid for itself. Don't be too worried about staying offsite. I think our hotel was in fact closer than some WDW properties. We could see DS from our balconies. If you're up for paying for it, the suites at the Cypress are great and I have amazing things to say about them. I'd stayed with them before and the level of service is beyond outstanding. Their restaurant Hemingways is killer and you won't have to worry about a reservation for that night. They also have freaking 24 hour room service...WDW Deluxes besides the Swolphin do not. So if you want a cocktail delivered after the kid is asleep, you have to go down to the bar. It's a deal breaker for our family at least.

 

[amberpi]

Have fun planning and hope you enjoy the trip!!!

We are such opposites, the Dis should let us do a podcast on this way/that way or "ain't no wrong way" were we explain our very different approaches, while admitting both of us are kinda extreme.

 

[Alpha0meqa]

Thank you so much for all of the replies and taking time to reply with such awesome details/explanations. So much awesome information. I've booked and researched quite a few trips in my life but this one seems super complicated. Which I don't mind at all. It's very exciting. I might look into getting that unofficial guide to read through as well. Just going to take the booking one step at a time.

Again, thank you all so much!

 

[Klayfish]

We are such opposites, the Dis should let us do a podcast on this way/that way or "ain't no wrong way" were we explain our very different approaches, while admitting both of us are kinda extreme.

LOL. Yeah, I know I do things quite different than many here, but like you said that definitely goes to show there ain't no wrong way to do Disney. I'm not against planning or staying on site, I know that for some it's the only way to go. It's just something that would not work for us at all. I just shudder at the thought of being in a hotel room for a week, or two. I think the Swolphins are very, very nice hotels. We've booked rooms in each of them, just because we had so many rewards points. We just chose not to stay overnight. As for a podcast, not sure you'd want to put a microphone in front of me.

OP, a WDW trip is only complicated if you make it that way. It doesn't have to be. It just depends on what you want and what your style is.

 

[sponica]

Thank you so much for all of the replies and taking time to reply with such awesome details/explanations. So much awesome information. I've booked and researched quite a few trips in my life but this one seems super complicated. Which I don't mind at all. It's very exciting. I might look into getting that unofficial guide to read through as well. Just going to take the booking one step at a time.

Again, thank you all so much!

It's really not that complicated, plenty of people go to Disney clueless about how everything works and they have a grand old time. I think part of the WDW challenge is that IT'S SOOOOOOOOO BIG you need to accept you physically can't do/see everything in a 4-5 day trip.

 

[amberpi]

LOL. Yeah, I know I do things quite different than many here, but like you said that definitely goes to show there ain't no wrong way to do Disney. I'm not against planning or staying on site, I know that for some it's the only way to go. It's just something that would not work for us at all. I just shudder at the thought of being in a hotel room for a week, or two. I think the Swolphins are very, very nice hotels. We've booked rooms in each of them, just because we had so many rewards points. We just chose not to stay overnight. As for a podcast, not sure you'd want to put a microphone in front of me.

OP, a WDW trip is only complicated if you make it that way. It doesn't have to be. It just depends on what you want and what your style is.

I forgot neither of us were planners, so we do have more in common (or I plan at a couple of weeks out when we decide we're going) and recently we've been converted offsite due to decreasing service levels onsite. DH was MUCH happier with our trip staying at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress than the Swan, as the staff were amazing. We do not stay in a single hotel room either. There is a living room between our room and the kids room - we are still newlyweds after all, and the kids don't need to hear us up talking all night. We do plan for paying for convenience. It's how I've always rolled and DH is the same.

OP - I want to second @Klayfish. We go with the flow, never do RD (my night owl, heat hating family would revolt, I tried 1 morning. 1. Never again.), we let the kids stay up as late as they want (a rare treat), with the app we rarely have to wait in line, we change dining reservations on the fly, we just show up at restaurants all the time *gasp* without a reservation, if a park is too crowded, we bounce to a different one according to crowds. It can be done, and it's awesome.

 

[Klayfish]

We do not stay in a single hotel room either. There is a living room between our room and the kids room - we are still newlyweds after all, and the kids don't need to hear us up talking all night.

Yes, that's right, you don't want the kids to hear conversations... I'm telling you, if you've dipped your toe in the offsite waters and enjoyed it, next time just dive right into the deep end. If you enjoyed having a living room between your room and the kids, imagine having your bedroom on an entirely separate floor or completely on the other side of a 1200sq ft condo. We rent 2 story townhouses often, with a master bedroom on the main floor. It's spectacular!! Not only for the privacy, but just to have that room to stretch out. We have a full size family room too. So often, the kids will go upstairs to their rooms to play on their phones, and DW and I can sit in the family room with a cup of coffee and the TV.

We are very much go with the flow people. We flat refuse to plan, beyond making FP+ at the 30 day mark. Even those, we change "day of" pretty often. Once we go through our 3 pre-booked ones, we 100% wing it. We get off a ride and then decide what next (or sometimes we'll talk about it while in queue for a ride). When we decide we're done, we leave. We never rope drop either. With FP+ and refreshing, it's just not necessary. We don't sleep all day, but being able to sleep until 8am and take our time getting out the door is wonderful.

 

[amberpi]

Yes, that's right, you don't want the kids to hear conversations... I'm telling you, if you've dipped your toe in the offsite waters and enjoyed it, next time just dive right into the deep end. If you enjoyed having a living room between your room and the kids, imagine having your bedroom on an entirely separate floor or completely on the other side of a 1200sq ft condo. We rent 2 story townhouses often, with a master bedroom on the main floor. It's spectacular!! Not only for the privacy, but just to have that room to stretch out. We have a full size family room too. So often, the kids will go upstairs to their rooms to play on their phones, and DW and I can sit in the family room with a cup of coffee and the TV.

We are very much go with the flow people. We flat refuse to plan, beyond making FP+ at the 30 day mark. Even those, we change "day of" pretty often. Once we go through our 3 pre-booked ones, we 100% wing it. We get off a ride and then decide what next (or sometimes we'll talk about it while in queue for a ride). When we decide we're done, we leave. We never rope drop either. With FP+ and refreshing, it's just not necessary. We don't sleep all day, but being able to sleep until 8am and take our time getting out the door is wonderful.

If I told my DH we were going to FL and had to stay in a condo, I don't think he'd be very interested. A townhouse doesn't have room service (which we use at least once a day, sometimes more), a store, a bar, a spa, nice restaurants, bell services (due to my balance issues DH would have to do all of that) which are all part of the vacation experience and services we use. That sounds kinda spoiled, but my limitations put a ton of work on DH every day. Do I carry my weight in other ways, of course, (hello, laundress!) but really, I just try to make vacation as easy on DH as possible because he does so very much for us and already has to pick up a lot of slack.

Once we eventually get there, usually JUST in time for our first FP, we're the same. We do what we like. Once we get our 3 done we often decide if our park is too crowded or if there is a better, less hot park, to retreat to. Everyone but me has no tolerance for the heat. I'm like a lizard. If the kids are begging for sushi, we look and see where we can get sushi, ice cream, "meat on a stick" or whatever the current ask is. We may change reservations, or grab a reservation. We don't go in with a lot of reservations really and just pick things as we go along. Hell, we ate with the kids at a couple of restaurant bars and it was a triumph. Y&Y, walked right into the bar, ordered and the kids killed a dim sum basket (which was for us). It does not take planning. In the Y&Y case, the kids got off KRR and were all of a sudden starved, and we walked right in - it was one of their favorites. OP, don't worry about a thing; unless you want to wring your hands for a castle reservation at exactly 8am. If you're flexible the whole thing is SO much less stressful, and the babe is young, so you get to make all the decisions

 

[Klayfish]

That's true, the townhouse complexes don't have all the amenities of a fancy hotel. For us, it's mostly just a place to hang out and relax, so we don't miss any of the services a hotel style place would have. We've stayed at so many different offsite condo/townhouse complexes, and they have varying levels of amenities. All were nice, but some were "fancier" than others. Some had really fancy pool complexes, restaurants, bars, activities, etc...others were more just like a regular housing community.

Yes, we do the exact same with FP+. We've developed a knack for showing up JUST in time for our first FP+. It's awesome. As soon as we show up, go right to an attraction. As soon as we get off, it's time for FP+ #2, and off to the races we go, and play it all by ear. None of us mind the heat, we much prefer it to the cold. The biggest problem we have is that myself and our two boys go from pale white to lobster red, there's no tan. DW and DD11 tan. But yeah, winging it is just so relaxing!!!