COMPLETELY overwhelmed

[Jenny-momof3]

I don't even know where to start on planning our very first Disneyworld trip. I've been reading these boards for a few days now and now I feel more lost then I did when I started.

Is there some kind of map that shows where all the resorts are in correlation with the parks? And the abbreviations.... oh my!! I'll never figure out what all of those are too.

I have 2 girls... 7 and 11. One little boy... almost 2. Are the value resorts too small for our family. Which resorts have suites etc?

And advice you can send my way would be most appreciated. My hubby is always in charge of planning trips... but this one is all mine. I want to plan the best trip possible.

 

[MomofCKJ]

Deep breath! Yes it can be overwhelming at first. When are you going?

There are maps like you are looking for, I just can't remember where. I will go hunt and see if I can find one for you.

Some helpful sights might be www.allearsnet.com and www.mousesavers.com.

We are also a family of 5, our kids are 9,7 and 4. We opted for 2 connecting rooms at a Value, Pop Century. This way we have 2 bathrooms and when the kids go to bed we can stay up and watch tv or read or whatever. There are places that you can do 5 in a room, some of the Moderates and Deluxes. There are also Family Suites at the All Stars. There are several options for you depending on what you want to spend.

Do you have anything booked yet? I would say start with that. Figure out your dates then your resort. Break the whole thing down into manageable pieces to plan and it won't seem as overwhelming. After you have the resort booked start thinking about where you want to eat and what ADRs you want to make. You can make these starting 180 days before your arrival.


Are you booking this on your own or using a TA? A good TA would be able to help you too. Mine has been wonderful and she made all my dining ADRs for me too. It has been nice to have her there.

And just ask away on these boards, people are usually very quick to reply with some helpful info!

Allyson

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

I think you should take it piece by piece. First I always start with the resort. I think all of the deluxe resorts have suites, but I know Coronado and all stars have suites, too (correct me if Im wrong guys). I think the best thing to do is go to allearsnet.com and look at the resort pics there, and even search on the disney site. You can't go wrong with any of the resorts.

Then I would start planning meals and where to go on what day. You can look at the Disney calendar to see what events are what days, and when extra magic hours are.

Just take it piece by piece, you will do fine!

 

[Livin'4Disney]

We booked through AAA (they had the best deal) also you get many perks with there package.
We are a family of five and we are staying at the Fort Wilderness Cabins. Mainly for the fact that they have a seperate bedroom with bunks and double bed for our kids, plus a full kitchen. Go to the Camping Thread and there is much info. in regards to this.
These boards can be overwhelming at first, but then you realize what plethera of knowledge is within them. i don't know how soon you are planning on going, but it you have some time these are my suggestions:
1) Use the library for looking at WDW books
2) Go ahead and apply for a Disney Visa (many perks)
3) Stay on Disney World property if possible and get the Dining Plan
4) Use the 1-800-828-0228 number for Disney and ask all the questions you want
5) Make you dining reservations early
6) Get Tour Guide Mike!!! I have really liked his suggestions (check out the thread under the Theme Parks Forum). It can be a lot of info. at first, but once you've spent hours pouring over the info. you will be an old PRO!!!
AND OFCOURSE the DISBOARDS ARE WORTH THE PRICE IN GOLD

Good Luck and Happy Planning!!

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

Here is a good map with all the resorts and parks on it.

http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/images/disneyworld_map.gif

You will have to roll your mouse over it and click on the little enlarge square at the bottom right in order for it to be large enough to see everything.

1. Decide what you want to spend.

2. Decide when you want to go.

3. Pick a resort and book it.

4. Choose what parks to visit on the days of your trip ( the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World has an awesome graph of the best days to visit each park)

5. Make dining reservations if there are any sit-down places you want to eat at.



I would recommend buying the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It is a great resource especially for the first timer. There are descriptions of every restaurant, attraction, resort, etc. It is a little too much reality for some people, but I think it is truthful. If you are planning a trip during a crowded time, the touring plans are really useful!

If you decide to use a travel agent, please use ones that are extra familiar with WDW and not necessarily a local agent. We used a local agent for our first trip and she just wasn't knowledgeable enough to get us the best deal or take care of our dining reservations, etc. I know Dreams unlimited is good as well as Magical Journeys.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions. People around here love to help! If you need any extra help, use the private message feature to send me a question.

 

[DisneyArk]

Planning the trip is supposed to be fun, not stressful.

I would buy a book. I think the on-line maps are overwhelming. It's difficult to see the entire WDW Resort if you zoom out. I enjoy looking at the pictures of each resort on-line, but I think the maps in the books are easier to view the resort locations and the parks. I used the Unofficial Guide to WDW.

Here is a link that lists some abbreviations and their meanings http://www.wdwinfo.com/abbreviations.htm

Yes your family can "fit" into a value resort room because your youngest is under 3 and can sleep in the pack and play. But the question is, will you be comfortable being crammed in there? On our first trip we stayed at All-Star Movies and my sons were 3 and 1. We had their car seats with us and DS1 slept in the pack and play. We could barely walk around the room, but we had a great time and didn't spend much time in the room. In May we went back and stayed at Pop Century and the room still felt small without the pack n play and without the car seats but with 6 and 8 year old boys. So it really depends on what you like and your expectations. If you plan to spend a lot of time at the resort then you may want to upgrade so that you'll have more options of where to eat and a water slide at the pool.

I like looking at http://www.allearsnet.com/ for resort information and pictures of the rooms. Some people complain that the moderate rooms are not much larger than the value rooms.

Have you considered the new Family Suites at the value resorts?
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/asm-suite-review.html

Your family is going to have so much fun at WDW. I've found that my kids have fun no matter what. The big decisions tend to affect DH and I the most. My kids don't even know the things they miss and they don't care what the room looks like. In fact they liked the All Star Movie resort more than the Wilderness Lodge because of the giant Disney characters.

 

[Jenny-momof3]

You guys are all too kind. Thank you. I feel better already.

Not sure when we plan on going. We are selling our house this spring.... and I have read that the summer heat might just be a bit too much with my little boy with asthma. So possibly late fall next year. Obviously I have TONS of planning time....thank goodness!

So I guess I'll start with the resorts. Where can I find the prices for the suites and which resorts have the suites?

Also... is it possible to do a week for around $5,000? Or am I going to be way past that budget?

 

[wrldpossibility]

I'm planning my first trip with three young kids too! Actually, I'd better be almost done planning, because we leave in 22 days!

When do you go?

I'd buy a Unofficial Guide (UG) and Passporter. They are helpful about the steps of planning and what to plan first. We also use TourGuide Mike (TGM), which I think is great, but probably only good if you're a major planner. That site can be overwhelming, so I would wait and check it out after you have some stuff firmed up.

First plan when you're going. Maybe you already did that.

Then, what resort. Onsite or off. There are tempting deals offsite, but for our first trip, we wanted to be on. With our family of 5, we opted for POR (Port Orleans Riverside). We didn't want a value resort, and POR can fit 5 (the 2 yo can go on a trundle bed). If you want a deluxe, I'd consider renting DVC points to get a villa. It may be more comfortable. But I THINK all the deluxes fit 5. The new value suites may be good too, but we found it's about the same to have 2 rooms at a moderate (we have one for the grandparents, in our case). Oh, and this is the time to figure out if you want a package, DDP (dining plan), etc.

I got a Dreams Unlimited (DU) TA. In hindsight, I could have done the ADRs myself, etc, but she really helped getting me discounts that came out after I booked. So it can be worth it for that. (You can do that on your own, too, but I think it's easier this way.)

Then, figure out roughly what parks you want to visit, and what days. That's where TGM helps, or UG. After you know that, and your 180 day window arrives, you can make ADRs for your table service restaurants (if you want to).

Then you can focus on the microplanning, if you do that.

The first thing I did was sit down and read the UG from cover to cover. DH thought I was crazy, reading it like a novel! It really helped me figure out where to start!

EDITED TO ADD: I just saw your last post. If you go in the second half of Aug. or Sept, you may get free dining, but you'll be in hurricane season. Just a thought. Maybe shoot for Nov.! And look at all the resort info at allearsnet. I looked there for days figuring out what resort to go with! It will tell you which have suites, costs, etc.

 

[MomofCKJ]

We have 2 rooms for 7 nights at Pop during Value Season, 7 day Park Hoppers, and the dining plan it and it was $2650 or so. Our airfare was $880. With the other things (limos to /from airport up here in MA, car service in FL, dog boarding, Illuminations Cruise, etc, etc) we are looking at spending around $4500 I think when all is said and done.

You can do it for under $5K or you can do it for way over $5K, just depends on your budget and the things you want to do.

Allyson

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

You guys are all too kind. Thank you. I feel better already.

Not sure when we plan on going. We are selling our house this spring.... and I have read that the summer heat might just be a bit too much with my little boy with asthma. So possibly late fall next year. Obviously I have TONS of planning time....thank goodness!

So I guess I'll start with the resorts. Where can I find the prices for the suites and which resorts have the suites?

Also... is it possible to do a week for around $5,000? Or am I going to be way past that budget?

I think your budget is very reasonable.

 

[Step]

You guys are all too kind. Thank you. I feel better already.

Not sure when we plan on going. We are selling our house this spring.... and I have read that the summer heat might just be a bit too much with my little boy with asthma. So possibly late fall next year. Obviously I have TONS of planning time....thank goodness!

So I guess I'll start with the resorts. Where can I find the prices for the suites and which resorts have the suites?

Also... is it possible to do a week for around $5,000? Or am I going to be way past that budget?

If you are planning for the fall anyway, shoot for late september, and around april/may keep an eye on these boards. Last two years in a row free dining has come up (package had to be booked between mid augyst to late september), and speaking from personal experience, it saved us around $640 for two people. You'd save a lot more with 5.

As far as hurricaines, buy the trip insurance. You'll still save a bundle, and you'll get your money back if something happens (which it didn't for us).

 

[byoung]

Buy the way Welcome to the DIS!

 

[aldisneygrl]

We stayed in the All Star Music Family Suites in early October. My family consists of me, dh, ds (13), and dd (8). We loved them. I believe they ran about $265 a night. It was well worth it. They are all new and clean. Might be a good option for your little boy.

They took two rooms and took out part of the wall and joined them. You enter through one bedroom - this is the living room. It has a couch, chair, and ottoman that all fold out into beds. The couch is a double bed. (My dd slept on it) The chair folds out into a twin bed. (My ds slept on it) And the ottoman folds out into a cot sized bed. It also has a bathroom with a locking safe. The other room was converted into a master suite with a kitchenette, and a bathroom. The kitchenette has a 4.7 cubic foot refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and all the utensils and paper products you would need. If you take a look at the resorts board, there is a FAQ thread about them there. Also there is a DISer named MINNIE61650, and she is the queen of the All Star Resorts.

Since the Suites are in the Calypso and Jazz buildings, you will be close to the food court and the main pool.

The only down side is that since they are so new, they don't usually qualify for discounts.

Enjoy your planning process. The people here on the DIS are so helpful and knowledgeable.

 

[pbharris4]

It does seem overwhelming at first, but then it becomes addictive! These boards are very useful even if you HAVE been to Disney several times. I'd recommend Passporter's Guide. I've had several guides in the past and I think Passporters is the best and most informative.

Like others have said...plan the big things first and then start with the smallers things like which day you may be at a park. Then make dinner reservations (ADRs). I highly suggest that. You don't have to stick to a pre-made schedule..just so you have an idea of what everyone wants. I's even more overwhelming when you get there and don't really have one. Biggest thing to keep in mind is there's is just no way you are going to see and do everything in just one stay so make sure to relax and have tons of fun!

 

[bab31]

I started at

waltdisneyworld.com

Take the online tours of the resorts. You can put in tenative dates and get quotes online. My suggestion is that you dont book online. I suggest after you decide what resort you would like to stay at and to call AAA. Ask them to give you a quote if you were to decide to take out a membership. I saved about $200 doing this.

Also maybe you want to consider renting points from a DVC (Disney Vacation Club) member. Find the DVC area on this board for that. You can get some good deals and stay deluxe for moderate rates and get suite size rooms. I would have considered this but you are unable to take out trip insurance and do to my fathers health I needed to be able to take trip insurance.

Look at the time of year you want to go. Different rates for different times of year. Mousesavers.com has that info.

Dining plan..you need to decide if that works for you. People talk about how much they saved, most often they take the total of what that meal would have cost, but actually is is a scewed figure unless you would really order an appetizer, full meal, desert every single day. It is $40 per day per adult. I dont know how much a childs dining plan is. I know I dont want to be tied to a reservation everyday for a meal. It is just my DH and I, most days I dont think we will spend $80. Take a look at what a typical day would be without the dining plan and then decide. Or if it falls within your budget- go for it. But realize you will need to make resies for table service meals, which means having to be somewhere at 4 or 5 o'clock... etc. daily ( I do plan on making a couple of ressies though.)

Have fun planning your vacation! Oh yeah $5000 should be plenty.

We are going for room-$1500 Coronado springs-with 6 days park hoppers, 7 nights value season not including food- which I figure $100 a day but I know it wont be that. But I dont want to budget low and try to stay in that. Airfare-$0 (free seats for taking bumps) I dont think I will spend alot on souveneirs. Mostly the trip is to get out of the cold and snow and into some florida sun. Total I figure no more than $2500

 

[NDAMomX2]

I like the Unofficial Guide the best. They have decent descriptions of the resorts and their touring schedules work like clockwork.
As others have said: Step one--pick your dates; Step two pick the resort that works best for your budget; Step three decide when to book. We are going over Christmas because we found a code in the newspaper allowing 40% off if we arrived no later than the 23rd of December. Keep an eye out for the codes either here or in the newspaper travel sections. Have fun!!! Picking the resort is the most fun for us. We've stayed at the Grand Floridian (GF), Poly, All Stars, CB, Boardwalk (BW), and the Swan. The many deluxe hotels sleep five as do some rooms in the Riverside resort.
Remember to have fun planning the vacation and don't try to cram too much into each day with a toddler.

 

[Step]

Dining plan..you need to decide if that works for you. People talk about how much they saved, most often they take the total of what that meal would have cost, but actually is is a scewed figure unless you would really order an appetizer, full meal, desert every single day. It is $40 per day per adult. I dont know how much a childs dining plan is. I know I dont want to be tied to a reservation everyday for a meal. It is just my DH and I, most days I dont think we will spend $80. Take a look at what a typical day would be without the dining plan and then decide. Or if it falls within your budget- go for it. But realize you will need to make resies for table service meals, which means having to be somewhere at 4 or 5 o'clock... etc. daily ( I do plan on making a couple of ressies though.)

I agree if you were paying for the plan, and you are the kind of person who eats burgers and fries, than the dining plan might not be for you. My husband and I just love dining out so it suits us.

And since we went when it was free dining... it didn't matter if we ate everything that was offered cause it was FREE.

 

[Jenny-momof3]

Wow thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I think I'll take my time and look at all the resorts first and then go from there. We travel to Vegas often and my husband does not like to be cramped. He's used to staying at the Bellagio with just the 2 of us. So I think I'm gonig to have to find something pretty roomy for all 5 of us.

 

[luvhockey]

2007, the day after Thanksgiving thru the following week. My quotes from Dreams Unlimited were

For 11/23-12/02, with the Magic Your Way + Dining package, and 10-day Park Hopper tickets, these are the prices:



Value Resort (Pop Century, All Star Movies, etc.), Standard View room = $2849.48

Moderate Resort (Port Orleans Riverside, Coronado Springs, etc.), Standard View room = $3412.04.

Plus were figuring about $1000 for airfare.

These are without any discount codes or Southwest airline dings. There seems to be codes (usually) for the first week in Dec. I'm hoping the trip will be about $750 less than this.

This will be our first disney trip also. I got the 2007 unofficial guide and read it cover to cover. Plus have been inhabiting this website for the past year.
Enjoy

 

[aldisneygrl]

Wow thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I think I'll take my time and look at all the resorts first and then go from there. We travel to Vegas often and my husband does not like to be cramped. He's used to staying at the Bellagio with just the 2 of us. So I think I'm gonig to have to find something pretty roomy for all 5 of us.

We stayed in a one Bedroom at OKW back in 1997. We loved it but couldn't afford it this trip. I didn't find out that you could rent points until after I made our ressies or we might could have done it.

We really enjoyed it. We only had DS then. We had our privacy, and he had his own bed (queen sleeper) and TV. Since you have time, it would be worth checking into the DVC Rent/Trade Board.

Good Luck and enjoy the process!