Early trip planning for a first time family!

[MNmommyto2]

Hi all....(kind of) new here. I had set up an account a few years ago thinking we were Disney bound then, but had another baby instead! He's 3 tomorrow, so we now put off Disney until he's my middle sons age (6/7). When we go to Disney, our kids will be 14, 10/11 and 6/7. We are planning for 2017. I would like to go over one of the kids' birthdays, DD14 first week in November, DS11 first week in February, and DS7 first week in December. Our initial thought was to go over our younger sons 7th birthday. All the kids will be old enough to do everything and remember it. So, we are thinking December 1-10, 2017. Is that a better time vs. The first 10 days in November, or the first 10 days in February? Mainly looking for less crowds. But, worried some rides will be closed in the February dates. We're from MN, so the weather doesn't bother us too much! I'm sure we can get some pool time in during 60 degree weather if needed.

Also, this will likely be our one and only big Disney trip. We like to try and go somewhere different every vacation.

I know a lot of things can change in the next 3-4 years at Disney, but I'm looking for suggestions for resorts. On property vs. off property? With the kids ages at the time, we really don't need anything too heavily themed, basically we aren't bringing 4 year old princess obsessed girls or 5 year old Cars obsessed boys

We do want to have a Seaworld and Discovery Cove day(s). And a day trip to the Gulf. So, we would likely rent a car for 3 days of the trip. Or, is there shuttles to go to SeaWorld and Discovery Cove (if staying on property of course)? If so, that would maybe reduce our car needs to only 1 day.

Tentatively...if we go on December 1-11 2017

Day 1 (Friday)- Travel/Downtown Disney?

Day 2 (Saturday)- Day trip to the Gulf (best beach recommendations? Siesta? Fort De Soto?

Day 3 (Sunday and our sons 7th birthday Recommendations on the best park to visit for birthday? I'm assuming MK? Hoping to get Chef Mickey breakfast res. too.

Day 4 (Monday)- Second day at MK

Day 5 (Tuesday)- Epcot

Day 6 (Wednesday)- Epcot

Day 7 (Thursday)- SeaWorld

Day 8 (Friday)- Discovery Cove

Day 9 (Saturday)- Animal Kingdom

Day 10 (Sunday)- Hollywood Studios

Day 11 (Monday)- Travel day

Of course, this all depends on extended hours, which parks to avoid on extended hour days (if we aren't doing them) and other events going on. But, would you agree, being our first/likely only time, to plan for 2 days each at MK and Epcot? Is 1 day enough at AK and HS? If visiting a park 2 days, do you suggest doing it back to back?

What about character dining? With the kids being DD14/DS11/DS7, which would be the best options? I was thinking of trying Chef Mickeys, 'Ohana .... any other suggestions?

As far as budget goes for resort accommodations, I have been saving for a while so while and we have a few more years to save, we likely aren't up for a $500+ a night deal, we may be able to swing a Deluxe resort price point, assuming it's somewhat of a discounted season. But, I'm also okay with renting a nearby condo and renting a car if you think that would fit our family also. With the kids being older, we likely won't need midday breaks back to the resort and have to be close by. But, I also want our first/only time to be very Disney too!

Anyways, that's my early planning stages so far! I'm up for any and all suggestions and recommendations. Thanks in advance.

 

[1000HappyWishes]

You're planning way too early. Why not enjoy the next 3-4 years you have and wait? Things will change and you'll be making all these edits. A lot can happen in 3-4 years. There's no need to plan that trip now.

 

[kiramay]

I'd consider going sooner if you can afford it. It's a lot more magical at 11 than 14. Mine were 8 and 3 when went and it was wonderful! The little one was so awed by the characters !

 

[luvmikids]

If you can go earlier, it would be more magical if your youngest is 4/5. My kids are 11/13 and not thrilled we are going again. I'm sure once we get there they will still have fun but it's not as magical like when my youngest was 4/6. Good luck. Planning 2017 is kind of early....IMO

 

[clayfolks]

I'm from the somewhat-younger-is-better school, also. Our oldest was 10 on our first trip and it wasn't as magical as it would have been a year or two earlier. It was a great trip, however, in hindsight, I wish we had done it sooner. This January we are doing the opposite and taking our 3 grandsons (and their parents) at the ages of 4 1/2 and 2 @ 2 3/4...

 

[dementia412]

I am about to write an essay so sorry.

I personally feel a 14 year old will enjoy it as much as a four year old just in a different way, BUT at 14 your daughter will be in high school. All three of the dates you are thinking of are school year and no high school is going to be okay with a kid missing that much school. Even if they're okay with it, it's really hard to catch up on that much lost school work. I would suggest moving the trip up some (your youngest would love it at 4-5) or changing the dates to school break times. It will cost more at those times though.

For rooms, I'd first think about what you want and need specifically. How much room and how many beds you need, what sort of amenities you want, how far from the parks you're willing to go, etc. Figure out what you want and how much you can spend before looking at the resorts, then match what you want to what is available. Off site can be a great option as its usually cheaper for more room, so don't write it off. For deluxe resorts keep your eyes open for room only discounts which can take off 30 or even in rare occasions 40% of the basic rate.

And I think the days are set up pretty well. I can't imagine even a first timer needing more than one day at AK, just make sure you get on the safari first thing in the morning. HS can be a bit harder, I'd suggest knowing exactly which shows you want to see the most and work your day around those. If you're not into shows then HS will be a breeze.

 

[Kpskyman]

You are planning to much to early. Can you possibly break it into 2 separate vacations ?? I would try to go in the next 2 years to Disney. The magic I'd Disney lies in the eyes of the youngest in your brood. As they get older the magic just isn't the same. Kinda like Christmas. Taking a 3,4, or 5 year old will give that added spark when riding rides they have seen the movies of, or meeting their favorite character and believing that it really is Buzz Lightyear. Moments you don't want to miss as a parent. Then maybe go again a few years later and do Sea World, Discovery Cove, and either Busch Gardens or Universal or both. Trying to do everything in one trip is going to wear down everyone. Spread it out and even plan a rest day or afternoon in each trip. I know the cost may not be doable for 2 trips, but I would give it consideration.

 

[SEA333]

Way to be Debbie Downers!!! Wow!

I loved the planning as much as the trip itself, and I am a researcher so I was on these boards for about 5 years before we actually went on a trip.

OP...your trip sounds a lot like the first trip we took to Florida. We wanted to do much more than just Disney, so we stayed at the Hilton in I-Drive (LOVED IT, and would go back in a second...the pool area was absolutely perfect for ALL ages so it would work wonderfully for your family. We got a Hotwire price of $78/night). Times that by two connecting rooms and it is still cheaper than staying onsite.

We went to Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney/Disney Quest, Cocoa Beach and the Space Center, Gatorland Ziplining, I-Fly Indoor Skydiving, and a Detroit Tigers vs. Washington Nationals spring training baseball game in Lakeland FL. We made sure to plan a few hotel only days, too, to take advantage of the fantastic pool, basketball, tennis, volleyball, etc offered at the hotel.

The above trip was in March of 2012, and my kids were 11 1/2 (6th grade), 7 1/2 (2nd grade), and 6 (kindergarten).

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I don't think I'd worry about specific parks on specific days just yet. When the trip gets closer, you'll want to research EMH and crowd levels. That said, I'm not a huge fan of doing the same park on back to back days, or even choosing which parks to visit a second time until after you've visited all of them once.

And as appealing as the non-Disney parks are, you might consider doing those another trip. That's not only a lot to try to cram in on one trip, it's also an expensive way to buy tickets as you get hit hardest with the first couple days at each.

 

[scrapquitler]

Hi all....(kind of) new here. I had set up an account a few years ago thinking we were Disney bound then, but had another baby instead! He's 3 tomorrow, so we now put off Disney until he's my middle sons age (6/7). When we go to Disney, our kids will be 14, 10/11 and 6/7. We are planning for 2017. I would like to go over one of the kids' birthdays, DD14 first week in November, DS11 first week in February, and DS7 first week in December. Our initial thought was to go over our younger sons 7th birthday. All the kids will be old enough to do everything and remember it. So, we are thinking December 1-10, 2017. Is that a better time vs. The first 10 days in November, or the first 10 days in February? Mainly looking for less crowds. But, worried some rides will be closed in the February dates. We're from MN, so the weather doesn't bother us too much! I'm sure we can get some pool time in during 60 degree weather if needed.

Also, this will likely be our one and only big Disney trip. We like to try and go somewhere different every vacation.

I know a lot of things can change in the next 3-4 years at Disney, but I'm looking for suggestions for resorts. On property vs. off property? With the kids ages at the time, we really don't need anything too heavily themed, basically we aren't bringing 4 year old princess obsessed girls or 5 year old Cars obsessed boys

We do want to have a Seaworld and Discovery Cove day(s). And a day trip to the Gulf. So, we would likely rent a car for 3 days of the trip. Or, is there shuttles to go to SeaWorld and Discovery Cove (if staying on property of course)? If so, that would maybe reduce our car needs to only 1 day.

Tentatively...if we go on December 1-11 2017

Day 1 (Friday)- Travel/Downtown Disney?

Day 2 (Saturday)- Day trip to the Gulf (best beach recommendations? Siesta? Fort De Soto?

Day 3 (Sunday and our sons 7th birthday Recommendations on the best park to visit for birthday? I'm assuming MK? Hoping to get Chef Mickey breakfast res. too.

Day 4 (Monday)- Second day at MK

Day 5 (Tuesday)- Epcot

Day 6 (Wednesday)- Epcot

Day 7 (Thursday)- SeaWorld

Day 8 (Friday)- Discovery Cove

Day 9 (Saturday)- Animal Kingdom

Day 10 (Sunday)- Hollywood Studios

Day 11 (Monday)- Travel day

Of course, this all depends on extended hours, which parks to avoid on extended hour days (if we aren't doing them) and other events going on. But, would you agree, being our first/likely only time, to plan for 2 days each at MK and Epcot? Is 1 day enough at AK and HS? If visiting a park 2 days, do you suggest doing it back to back?

What about character dining? With the kids being DD14/DS11/DS7, which would be the best options? I was thinking of trying Chef Mickeys, 'Ohana .... any other suggestions?

As far as budget goes for resort accommodations, I have been saving for a while so while and we have a few more years to save, we likely aren't up for a $500+ a night deal, we may be able to swing a Deluxe resort price point, assuming it's somewhat of a discounted season. But, I'm also okay with renting a nearby condo and renting a car if you think that would fit our family also. With the kids being older, we likely won't need midday breaks back to the resort and have to be close by. But, I also want our first/only time to be very Disney too!

Anyways, that's my early planning stages so far! I'm up for any and all suggestions and recommendations. Thanks in advance.

I would consider going sooner for one main reason, your DD who will be 14 if you wait until 2017 to go. You'll want to consider very seriously the implications of taking a 14 year old out of school for a week or longer. It's a LOT easier and less disruptive to school and extracurricular activities to take a younger child out of school for a week than it is a 14 year old, especially if she will be on tract to be in honors type classes at that point. We tried to plan a trip for when my DD was 14, which would have required three missed days of school, in a district with a reasonable absence policy, and she flat out REFUSED to go if it meant missing school because she did not want to get behind in her classes (block scheduling, so each class is every other day for 90 minutes instead of 45 minutes each day...).

Just food for thought.

 

[amym2]

Unless you homeschool, I absolutely agree that you need to reconsider a 10 day trip with a 14yo missing school. It will be so much easier to pull that off if she is younger.

Our kids are 12 and almost 10 and they still love Disney, but they don't love it in quite the magical way they used to. They are okay with the fact that Disney is more about the experience than the rides (because as far as rides are concerned, they'd prefer Cedar Point or Kings Island) and enjoy the resorts and restaurants as much as the parks. They are also fans of the water parks (well TL at least as we haven't been to BB).

Another reason to go sooner is the price of food if you are interested in multiple buffets/character meals. Once a child is 10, they are adult price for such meals. If you go when your kids (at least 2 of them) are younger than 10, the price will be significantly less. We love Ohana, Boma, and Cape May for buffets/all you can eat. We want to try Tusker House on our next trip. Our kids also love the Hoop Dee Doo Revue (show/all you can eat).

In terms of onsite/offsite, it's really personal preference. We have done both and enjoyed both. We joined the DVC, and we love having the extra space in a 1bdrm villa, so you might consider renting points. OKW is great in terms of space. You may be able to get a rental car for the full time for not much more than a few days. Last Oct, we paid $134 for 6 nights with all taxes and fees included. We haven't done Sea World, etc so I'm not much help there, although we have friends that have done it and loved it. Our kids would choose Universal Studios instead.

I don't fault you for planning so early. For me, so much of the fun is the planning. Have fun with whatever you decide!